Private Tales Her White Knight

[Meredith]

Sable gently picked Meredith up from the bloodied and glass strewn floor. He was tender and careful of her as he carried her quietly from the ballroom. Meredith looked up at him as he moved, his face was still a grim line and she knew he was still upset.

Cool air played with her red curls as they made it outside, the moon still making the journey to its apex. Teats still stained her cheeks, she had made no move to wipe them away. Instead, she pressed her cheek against Sable's firm chest, a soft sigh escaping her.

Meredith didn't know where he would bring her, but it didn't matter. She had just wanted to leave that scene behind, she could still feel the icy fingers of death on her spine. She spoke finally, her voice catching at first. "You know it wasn't your fault, that I got hurt. I don't blame you."

Sable Pembroke

 

[Sable Pembroke]

Truthfully, Sable didn't know where he was heading either. He was still reeling from everything that had just transpired, still surprised the proctors had even let him walk out of that ballroom. There was such a volatile mixture of thoughts and feelings running through him. Anger at how the night had concluded, at Edric's provocation. Confusion and thanks for Edric's quick reconciliation, despite Edric's clear apprehension. Frustration at his own ineptitude, his inability to protect anyone. If Sable couldn't stop falling glass, then what the hell was he good for?

Yet all of that was blown away in an instant, with just a simple act and a small sound. The girl in his arms had pulled herself closer to him and let out a sigh, one Sable took to mean relief. Then, at the very least, Sable was doing the right thing now.

He heard her voice, delicate as a rose petal. He marched onwards. There was a spot beneath a willow tree in a courtyard near the dorms that would offer some privacy. Yeah, that would work fine for now.
"Maybe not. But I didn't stop it, either." He replied solemnly, unable to peel the grimace from his mien.

 

[Meredith]

Meredith could feel the tension in Sable as he strode forward. She knew he was upset at himself, and doubted that even her words would give him the relief he needed. Still, she knew despite her near death, Sable was the one that had truly saved her. She had a lot of doubt that Edric would have helped on his own.

Meredith trembled slightly, remembering Edric's last words to her. She had made a very big mistake in sapping his power, but Chas was too important to her to let him bully her. Still, she knew she had made and enemy in that moment.

Soft tendrils of willow brushed their skin as Sable brought them beneath it's weeping boughs. She loved this tree, had spent many a day reading underneath it. "You couldn't have known, it was so sudden. It's not your burden to bear Sable." Meredith tilted her chin up to look at him, her own lips turned down at the sight of his solemn grimace.

Sable Pembroke

 

[Sable Pembroke]

Now that they were somewhere...away, at their destination, Sable realized he wasn't sure what to do with Meredith. Would it be rude to put her down? Or would it be worse not to? She certainly seemed comfortable enough at the moment, but even Sable's endurance had its limits. He settled for lowering her down next to the tree's trunk and then sitting down right next to her. Hopefully that would be acceptable...

Meredith's voice was soothing to Sable, but her words were not.
"I...I don't know. Maybe you're right. It was just a dance, I had no reason to expect something like that to happen, but..." He conceded at first before wincing and giving a long pause. "It's hard not to think of the life that awaits us. I won't be able to make that excuse if we get ambushed on a mission. If you--if any of my team mates got hurt or worse out there, I could only blame myself."

He sighed. This was pathetic. He could only imagine what she thought of him, between the awkward slip of the tongue in his last sentence to his present appearance, like he was seeking pity or some other equally foolish notion. No hero in any story would let himself sink so low. He tried to force his resolve to the front of his mind.
"I have to be better."

Stupid. This isn't about you. She just nearly died, you idiot.

Sable's expression shifted to one of deep concern.
"What about you? Are you hurt at all?"

 

[Meredith]

Once shielded by the willow, Sable settled her down near the trunk. Meredith leaned against the gnarled trunk and sighed contentedly. She was surprised to find that she already missed the warmth of Sable holding her. What an unusual thought, and one she would think about later. For now, her worry for him increased as he spoke. He was bearing himself up over things out of his control.

She flushed slightly as he corrected himself, his concern for her was endearing him to her more and more. "Sable, you can't always control outcomes. You can't blame yourself for not being able to predict the future. Accidents happen, you aren't responsible for it."

Meredith reached for Sable's hand, she looked up at him with worry etched across her features. She wanted to protect him from himself, as much as he wanted to protect her from danger. She looked down at his question, studying the grass before meeting his gaze again. "Despite almost dying, I feel alright. I'm a little tired, but that's to be expected."

Sable Pembroke

 

[Sable Pembroke]

There was no point in arguing, and certainly no point in sulking. It was better to simply drop the matter and move on. There would not come another incident like this one, that much he resolved himself to. He would not, could not allow it. Accidents might happen, but the harm that resulted from them would be avoided in his presence.

At least...that was what he wanted to think. Maybe Meredith had a point. It wasn't exactly as though Sable was surrounded by weak or helpless individuals. These were his peers, his fellow future Dreadlords, strong enough to look after themselves and...and Sable could not possibly always be around.

"...You're right. Forgive me." He replied, still uncertain. Despite everything, Meredith seemed to be the one who was worried about him. That fact confused him. He couldn't recall anyone ever caring that much, not even his closest companions, especially not after they had just had a near death experience.

Then she took his hand. Sable blushed in spite of himself. Hadn't they just been dancing cheek to cheek not twenty minutes ago? Sure, he had been nervous then, but he had thought he'd gotten over that hump by now. Apparently he was wrong...maybe their much more private circumstances had something to do with it.

"I imagine everyone is tired after tonight...I'm glad you're okay, though. I honestly don't know what I would have done if you'd..." The words died on Sable's lips, his breath caught in his throat, and he swallowed hard. Instinctively he squeezed Meredith's hand a little tighter. "...if the worst had happened."

 

[Meredith]

Meredith could see the strain of his assumed responsibilities, and she did her best to alleviate them. She wouldn't be able to take all the weight from him, but she could make the burden perhaps a little easier to bear. It was important that Sable understood the weight of the world did not rest on his shoulders. He was more than his abilities.

At his apology she smiled softly at him, her chin tilted up to meet his eyes. "There is nothing to forgive Sable. You did nothing wrong." The more time she spent with him, she was realizing how much she cared for him. The only person she had been able to befr was Chas, and she was easy to get along with. She bit her lip slightly as she thought of her friend. She hoped that Chas was okay.

Meredith's breath caught in her throat at Sable's soft words of admittance. His hand squeezed hers slightly and she blushed. This was his second slip, and it was unavoidable. She stood slowly and stepped up to him. Pale, delicate arms wrapped him in a hug, her face buried against him as the tears started fresh. "Edric could of let me die, I could see it in his face. If you hadn't been there, I don't think I would have made it."

Sable Pembroke

 

[Sable Pembroke]

For a moment, Sable was stunned. Locked in time for a fraction of a second that felt like eternity. A name he could not repeat spoke itself in his mind as he briefly remembered the embrace, then the loss of a dear friend. Then, he felt the warmth of the young woman in front of him, felt the tears as they soaked through his shirt. This was not then.

Sable's teeth grit and his eyes wrenched shut. This could have been a repeat of what it was then, but it was not. He did not know Meredith, not really...but he could have been denied the opportunity to know her better, could have been left with only anger and despair at her loss, at the loss of what could have been. Instead, he had been left with a chance. A chance to do something different this time. A chance to learn more of her. To protect her. To grow. For that, he was thankful.

And time came crashing back in. Vast arms took Meredith into Sable's embrace as he pulled her ever closer. His chin came down to rest atop her shoulder, a hand wrapping around her back to brush through her hair and cradle her head. How alien was the touch of another person to an initiate? This tender proximity was...immensely relieving. She yet lived, and he had her warmth in his very arms to prove it. A great, heavy sigh escaped him.

"I am...so, so...very grateful that you are here." He managed softly, biting back tears that he'd never let fall before.

 

[Meredith]

It felt as if ages passed as Meredith clung to Sable. She had never felt this vulnerable in all her life, she was supposed to be strong and never waver under duress. Still, something about him made her walls crumble, made her want to confide in him. They were just starting to know each other, but he made her feel safe, something incredibly hard to come by.

She tensed as his arms pulled her close to him. It was only for a moment, and she relaxed against him as he held her. She wasn't used to letting anyone this close to her, and in one night he had touched her more than anyone in her life. His hand brushed through her red locks, cradled her head gently. She held onto him as if her very life depended on it, his sigh rumbling against her, his breath on her skin.

Maybe there could be some happiness between them? Maybe being at the academy wouldn't be so bad if she had someone to rely on. Sable spoke, and she felt her heart in her throat. His soft words, the tears he held back. She didn't think anyone would have cared this much if she hadn't survived.

A soft sob left her, the gravity of his words sinking in. He cared, and that's what mattered. "I am too, because I would never gotten to hug you if I hadn't made it. Thank you, for saving me."

Sable Pembroke

 

[Sable Pembroke]

Meredith clung so tightly to Sable. He could feel her very heartbeat now, and he could feel the weight of her anguish and care as she cried. Most of all, he could feel her heart in the words that she uttered next. Sable could feel his own heart skip a beat within him.

He might not have believed that he had done anything of worth...but she did. And now she was pouring her deepest emotions out to him. They two were meant to be Dreadlords soon. They were not meant to feel, not like this. Yet, as Meredith wept against his chest, Sable could do naught but hold her tighter. He hated the ignoble destiny that had awaited them both. But...that didn't have to be anymore, did it?

As that truth sunk in, Sable realized: he was in a freefall. He didn't know how it happened; the two of them had never really spoken before this night, and yet now all he wanted was this. Was her. All that remained of time could have been filled with Sable holding Meredith in his embrace, and he would have been happy with that.

"I..." He barely managed, his mind awash with words and emotions that he was struggling to process. All he knew was what felt right, and he prayed a moment that it really was. He leaned away from Meredith, still holding her, and wiped the tears from her eyes. "...I swear to you...even should every bone in my body be shattered...should my very breath be robbed from me, and my heart be torn from my chest..."

He leaned his forehead against Meredith's as he uttered his solemn oath to her.
"I will stand by your side. I will keep you safe."

 

[Meredith]

Meredith had never felt so vulnerable as she did in this moment. Even as she had laid on the ballroom floor, she had not felt like this. This was new, and it was scary. They were meant to be fearsome, and dangerous. Yet, as he held her tenderly, she felt the fear of the unknown slither through her heart.

The redheaded bookworm didn't have friends, other than Chas. People gravitated away from her, afraid of her touch. Sable was here, and unafraid. She felt him tighten his hold on her, and her heart fluttered as she sank into him.

Sable started to speak, and she tilted her chin up at him. He gently wiped the tears from her cheeks, and she bit her lip as he formed his thoughts. Meredith trembled at his words, knowing he meant every word. His vow serious, solemn. His forehead on hers, she could feel the weight of his words as much as she could feel it in her bones.

She took a moment, organizing her own thoughts. Her cheeks were flushed, her pulse quickening. "Every step you take, I'll be right beside you. I will support you, and stand by you in every way. There is naught that could keep me from you. I will tear down every barrier, every obstacle. Together, we will overcome anything."

Meredith gazed up at Sable, her eyes no longer flooded with tears. They were filled with hope, happiness, and other emotions she had yet to understand. Sable would be with her, always. This much she knew, and it brought a calmness to her that she had never felt at the academy. "We will protect each other, always. I will never be afraid again with you beside me."

Sable Pembroke

 

[Sable Pembroke]

Timid though she oft was, Meredith pledged her protection right back to Sable...and the breath ran from his lungs. He was always the guardian, always the living shield for his classmates, his friends. Never had someone made such an offer to him, never had someone else sworn to protect Sable in turn. He was the first one in and the last one out. That someone might stand by his side instead of behind him was...at once overwhelming and soothing.

Only now did he truly realize how close she was. The blush upon her rosy cheeks, the glimmer in her eyes, the softness of her skin. He could have sworn he could even feel the quickening of her heart, right alongside his own. He brushed a hand through her auburn locks and admired her; in this moment, and in every other, she was beautiful.

His words stolen away from him, Sable could find only one thing to offer in answer to her vow:
"Always..."

Without fear of what her touch might do, without worry of what the future might hold, Sable leaned in and brought his lips against Meredith's in a gentle kiss.

 

[Meredith]

Meredith could feel her own conviction in her bones, she meant every word. If ever he was in danger, she would be the one to take that blow. The longer he held her, the more her confidence grew. Even as their gazes met again, she knew she was falling.

Sable ran gently ran his fingers through her hair, and she trembled at the delicate way he looked at her. She could feel goosebumps on her skin, his softened eyes taking her in. He answered her in one word, and it was enough.

He bent to her, and she met the gentle graze of his lips with her own. It was then, and only then that she finally hesitated. She could feel his power, she was helpless from taking it. She felt fear, fear of rejection. Meredith pulled away then, a look of shame drowning out the passion they had held. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

Sable Pembroke

 

[Sable Pembroke]

Without warning, Meredith pulled back. Sable had felt the brief moment she'd drained of his magic. He knew of her power well. Edric would likely never let him forget. Even still, he cared only to reassure the beautiful young woman he held in his arms.

"You've nothing to apologize for, Meredith," He smiled at her warmly and cradled her face in his hand, caressing her cheek with his thumb. "What you take, I give freely."

There was no shame in what Meredith's magic did, not in Sable's mind. It was simply part of who she was, and he did not feel any enmity towards her for that.

 

[Meredith]

His soft touch on her cheek, the warmth of his smile. How is it that she had ached to be cared for, without ever knowing it? He wasn't disgusted by her, afraid of her. Sable said things she'd never thought she'd hear in her life. She had almost forgotten what had happened that led to this moment, how she almost died before Sable had saved her.

"I don't ever want you to let me go, I want to stay here with you forever." Gleaming emerald eyes met Sable's dazzling blue, the most stunning gaze she'd ever encountered. She touched his face gently, drawing him back to her so she could softly kiss his lips again. No, she'd never have enough of his touch.

Sable Pembroke