Guardian Elves

Shoun made sure he stayed in front of Mereneth at all times--he didn't know why, but there was something strange about Sincerely...
What was even stranger was the fact that he wasn't taking them INTO town---he was taking them OUT of town.
********
Rowen looked angry, and hurt.
"WHY have you been seeing him?"
Now, it was Monique's turn to be angry:
"BECAUSE he's the ONLY friend I HAVE outside of this STUPID CASTLE! I'm a PRISONER HERE! The ONLY ones I talk to BESIDES MY sisters, you, and dad are the SERVANTS, and FRANKLY they get boring REALLY fast!"
Rowen yelled:
"YOU DISOBEYED US! WHY?!"
"BECAUSE I LOVE PETER!" Monique screamed: "BUT YOU didn't SEE IT BECAUSE I'M THE YOUNGEST, and YOU DON'T WANT ME TO GROW UP!"
This put awkward (as well as angry) silence between them.
Rowen grabbed her daughter's wrist and said calmly:
"We're going to talk to your father--NOW."

Mereneth swallowed and looked at Shoun, now getting a little scared and whispered, "Shoun, where are we going?!" 

Shoun whispered back:
"I-I don't know..."
"You'll see!" Sincerely sang, as he giggled eerily.
Suddenly a dart struck Shoun right in the chest, as a dragon grabbed Mereneth.
Sincerely changed his shape to reveal...
THE SHADOW WRAITH!
"We've GOT YOU NOW!" He hissed, giggling nastily

Mereneth gasped and tried to grab a hold of Shoun but screamed when the dragon picked her up. She winced. "SH-SHOUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The dragon hissed:
"SILENCE WRETCH!"
"Awww, poor child," The Shadow wraith pitied sarcastically: "Don't worry Mereneth, we'll let you go--" His orange eyes glowed with glee: "As soon as Shoun is DEAD!"
As if cued; Shoun started wheezing really badly, as he gripped his chest.
"You see," the Shadow Wraith grinned: "We've poisoned him, and are letting you live to WATCH him DIE!"

Mereneth screamed and tried to get to Shoun. "NO!!!!!!!" Tears ran down her face and she cried hard. "P-PLEASE DON'T DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!! I'LL DO ANYTHING!!!!"

The Shadow Wraith cocked his head in interest:
"Anything?"

Mereneth swallowed hard and nodded a little, "Y-yes."

The Shadow Wraith smiled nastily as he said:
"Then BARGAIN with us."
The dragon smiled, as they waited for her answer.

Mereneth licked her lips nervously and she winced, glancing at Shoun. The sight of him like that almost broke her heart. She took a deep breath and glared. "Fine. What do you want?"

"Tell your parents to allow Peter Hampton back into their presence," The Shadow Wraith told her simply: "If you agree, Shoun won't die, and your sister will endear you even more! If you don't--Shoun dies, and your sister shall shun you forever."
Shoun was breathing very slowly though as he started collapsing to the ground.
He wasn't going to live much longer.
"We're WAITING." The wraith chimed

Mereneth's head swam. Shoun dying, her sister hating her...or Shoun living and her sister loving her again...Mereneth saw Shoun and gasped. "OKAY!!!!! Okay I'll do it!! Just let him live!!!"

The Wraith smiled, as he nodded to the dragon; telling him to drop Mereneth.
With a resounding THUD, Mereneth was thrown onto her knees, as the wraith handed her a small vial filled with a dark purple liquid.
"This will stop the poison. I'm giving it to you, because I know you don't trust me to save his life."
What he DIDN'T say was that the "cure" will only make the poison dormant. One false run would reactivate the poison, and cause Shoun to drop dead on the spot.

Mereneth winced and snatched the vial from him, then went over to Shoun and kneeled next to him, opening the vial. "Sh-shoun? Can you hear me?" she mumbled, patting his face a little. She swallowed hard and put the vial to his lips, making the liquid go in his mouth.

"Mereneth," He mumbled, sounding far away: "...please don't--go!"
The dragon frowned in confusion:
"He's delusional."
"The side effects of the poison," Shadow Wraith concluded
Sweat poured down the sides of Shoun's face as his voice sounded closer, but his soul still in a dream.
"Mereneth--I--I have something--to tell you..."
Shoun swallowed as his eyelids started fluttering; trying to force themselves open:
"I--*cough* I love you, Mereneth."
Then his eyes opened, as he gasped himself awake, and left everyone speechless.

Mereneth kneeled there by Shoun, eyes wide, still holding the vial in her hands, and clearly shocked. Loves me...he...he loves...me?! Tears welled up in her eyes and she threw her arms around him and hugged him. "Y-you're alright!!" she managed to say.

Shoun laughed, gasping still as he returned her embrace:
"For now, I am."
"Did I just tell her how I feel?" His mind wondered
The Shadow Wraith rolled his eyes:
"WE'VE held up our end of the bargain! Now you hold yours!"
Shoun glared at the hideous creature, ready to tear it apart if it said another word, but was too weak to attack.

Mereneth helped Shoun up and glared at the others. "I will now just leave us ALONE!"

The Shadow Wraith spat:
"Gladly."
And with a blast of smoke; they vanished, leaving Shoun and Mereneth to walk back to the village.
"Mereneth," He whispered, feeling faint: "What--what did I say before?"

Mereneth blushed and looked away. "Um...well...you were just mumbling things." she muttered, trying to hide the fact that she was clearly embarrassed...and happy.

Shoun frowned; trying to stay awake, trying to walk, and trying to focus.
"What did I say?" He pressed, trying to remember. Shoun had the feeling he said he loved her, and was hoping that he was wrong.
Shoun wanted Mereneth to tell him that he said he loved her so he could shrug his shoulders, and say: "I was delusional.", and act like nothing had happened.
Besides, he was a wandering knight, and she was an elfin princess; what would she see in him?
She probably didn't feel the same way.

Mereneth slowed to a stop when they got to the town. She grabbed his arm and blushed. "You said...you said that..." she lowered her voice to a whisper, "That you loved me."  at this point her face turned completely red.

Shoun closed his eyes; he knew it.
Opening his eyes, he put on a kind smile, and asked her:
"Do you love me?"
Oops...there goes his stupid mouth AGAIN!
He meant to laugh and say: "I was crazy! I had no idea what I was saying! Don't think a thing of it."

Shoun's eyes became lost in Mereneth's as he spoke softly:
"We are better then alright."
The stable boy was suddenly clued in on what was going on, and politely bowed out as Alexander trotted up to them.
"MASTER!" He cried: "You look TERRIBLE! What happened?!"
Shoun barely heard him as he took Mereneth into his arms, and sighed.
"Only the greatest event of my life thus far," He hugged Mereneth tightly: "Soon to be our lives."
Alexander whinned happily:
"PRAISE the MASTER! He's FINALLY gotten you together!"
Shoun responded with a soft laugh, and held Mereneth a little longer; he never wanted to let her go...
Ever.