~Smile~

I would like to Begin with a couple of warnings.
Warnings:
This is not a sequel to 'Break Me'
This is rated 'M' for Mature audiences
language
violence
sexual content

Chapter 1​

It was a time of invention…

…where only the elite members of society could afford the newfound creations and luxuries. Women strolled the sidewalks in elaborate gowns of every color, decorated in velvet and lace and men looked elegant in waistcoats with matching trousers. Without a care in the world, the noble lived in great comfort and affluence.

It was a time of segregation…

…while most parts of the villages grew and flourished under the rule of their sovereigns, there were always the poverished sections that hadn’t quite been touched by development and opulence. These were the people who sold their children into slavery. Some had the good fortunate of living in moderate comfort while tending to their masters, but they would never see freedom again for as long as they lived.

It was a time of discovery…

…with new lands to explore. Uncharted territories promised riches, but most of those places were inhabited by strange cultures beyond the wildest dreams of any civilized mind. While some opted for the influence of modern cultures, many others denied any interference from the outside world.

And it was a time of war…

…between countries who fought to gain control of valuable resources for their inventions. Battles mainly took place at sea, sparing innocent folk who cared nothing about the squabbles of their kings, even if it was to better their lives.

One ship reigned supreme over entire fleets. That ship belonged to Midgar.

The Great Hall of Castle Shinra was filled nearly wall to wall with townspeople awaiting the commencement of the King’s Annual Consultation. It was during this audience that the poverished were given a one-time opportunity to state their case and seek assistance from the king.

On the far wall opposite the entrance was a raised dais where six ornate seats were situated, carved directly from the same marble that comprised the platform. The two at the center reserved for the king and queen were outlined in gold, embedded with blue and white jewels, while the other seats were less decorated, but still lavish in comparison to the eight rows of plain, wooden benches they faced.

Six guards dressed in blue and white, the royal colors of Midgar, stood in front of the royal seats. Two of them wore insignia signifying their rank, First Captain Rude Tyler and his less than conventional second in command, Reno Mason.

A grubby dressed Midgar citizen stepped too close to the dais and Reno unsheathed his sword, quickly raising it to the man’s throat. “And where do you think you’re going?”

The man stumbled backward away from the weapon. “We’ve been waiting for over an hour? When is the royal family going to grace us with their presence?” he spat out scornfully.

Rude took a step forward. “One more outburst and I’ll empty this hall, starting with you.” He glanced up at the rest of the people. “Any other complaints?” The room remained silent. “I didn’t think so.” Rude fell back in line with the others.

Reno leaned toward him. “Where the hell are they, anyway?” he whispered from the corner of his mouth.

“Discussing important family matters.” Rude’s eyes instinctly turned toward two thick wooden doors.

Adjacent to the Great Hall was a lavishly decorated den where several members of the royal family and others were scattered about the room.

Standing near the lit fireplace and sipping from a brandy glass was King Tomas Shinra, a large man on the verge of becoming obscenely obese. He was known to rule with a heavy hand. Others feared him for what he was capable of and that’s how he liked it to be. “I’ve said it a hundred times and I’ll say it again. Cactus Island belongs to Midgar. I am not giving it up.”

Prince Rufus Shinra, the king’s first born son and the embodiment of patience, stood near a window. He was the complete opposite of his father. His calm demeanor often infuriated the king on far too many occasions. “Is it really worth all this fighting?”

Lord Jian Tseng, one of the king’s advisor, turned to Rufus from where he stood near the double doors. “The island bears a large source of gold. We can mine it for decades before the supply runs out.”

“I agree with Rufus,” replied Reeve Tuesti, another of King Shinra’s advisors. “Gold is not worth innocent lives.”

“I will not stand by while all of my efforts to gain control of the island are gone to waste,” stated the king.

“All of your efforts?” asked Rufus incredulously. “Don’t you mean all of Cloud’s efforts?” He glanced at his younger brother, only to discover Cloud was too engrossed in a game of chess to even acknowledge the discussion.

Prince Cloud Strife, second in line to the crown of Midgar, didn’t share the Shinra name because only the first born son was given that privilege, so Cloud was given his mother’s maiden name. Strife…trouble…it suited his defiant nature anyway. He cared nothing about the workings of the kingdom. His interests were more focused on the largest warship among Midgar’s fleet.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before moving a chesspiece with a child-like snicker. “Checkmate,” he proudly announced.

Sitting opposite him was Zack Fair, Cloud’s bestfriend. The two were inseparable, having grown up together when, due to the death of his parents who were close friends of the king and queen, Zack came to live in the castle at a very young age. “Bullshit! You cheated!”

“The hell I did!”

Standing behind Zack’s chair was Aerith, the queen’s niece. She had visited two summers ago from her home in Modeoheim. She and Zack instantly fell in love and were getting married in early fall. She leaned over Zack’s shoulder. “Sweetie, you shouldn’t have moved your Knight.”

But Zack glanced to the young boy standing behind Cloud. “You were supposed to warn me, smartass.”

Denzel shrugged with a grin. “Cloud had you for sure.” He was the youngest prince. While Rufus and Cloud had their father’s blonde hair and pale blue eyes, Denzel had his mother’s brown hair and deep blue eyes.

Ignoring their petty bickering, Queen Ifalna Strife Shinra stepped up to her husband. “Shouldn’t we discuss Cloud’s engagement?” she whispered in a low voice. “While he’s still in Midgar?”

Nothing of the previous discussions over the last hour were of any interest to Cloud…that is until he heard his name mentioned in the same sentence with the word ‘engagement’. “What?!” His eyes flew to where his parents stood.

Startled that her son had actually heard her whispering, Ifalna turned to Cloud. “Well, dear, your father and I have communicated back and forth with a marriage proposal to Queen Annaxia…”

Cloud jumped out of his chair, knocking it over. “Queen Annaxia?! She’s twice my age!”

“Not her, you fool,” growled the king. “Her daughter.”

“I’m not interested,” Cloud said with conviction as he picked up the chair and sat back down. In his mind the conversation was over.

“A union with Junon is crucial,” the king continued. “We could use their resources.”

Although Zack had also been engrossed in the chess game with Cloud, he paid more attention to the discussions. “Junon doesn’t have any resources we can’t get from land you already own.”

“What would you know of Junon? Besides, I didn’t ask for your opinion.” The king composed himself. “I made a promise to King Heidegger, may he rest in peace, and I shall see it through.”

Cloud busied himself with resetting the chess pieces. “You made a promise without even consulting me.” He looked up. “Heidegger’s been dead for nine years. So when was this promise made? A goddamned decade ago?”

“This is non-negotiable, Cloud,” the king argued. “And don’t use that kind of language in front of your mother.”

Ifalna approached Cloud and gently rubbed his shoulder. “The princess of Junon would be an ideal mother for your children.”

“Well, I don’t want ideal. I want reckless and nefarious and undermining.” Cloud frowned. None of it was true, but he liked being difficult. It was his trademark. “I’d rather be engaged to the princess of Nibelheim.” He had a horrible memory of a month stay in Nibelheim thirteen years ago…a stupid five year old brat with knotted hair and severely crooked teeth following him around like a lost puppy, always falling and scraping her knees and bleeding all over the place. He couldn’t get away from her.

“You would have been married to her by now had she survived the plague,” said Ifalna in mild sympathy.

Rufus understood his brother’s reluctance. His own marriage had been arranged and Rufus found himself spending less and less time with his wife. “Mother, lay off him. Cloud doesn’t have time for a wife. He has an endless list of quests to complete in the next couple of years.”

“Besides, Princess Priscilla of Junon is…” Zack shivered in revulsion before he could even finish his statement. All eyes went to him. When he saw the glares, he turned and pretended to be fascinated by the tapestry beside him.

Cloud turned a shocked glare at his mother. “So…what is she hideous?” When she didn’t deny the fact, Cloud let out a disgruntled groan. Not only was he being forced to marry someone he hadn’t chosen, but she was unattractive on top of it.

“She’s not hideous, Cloud,” the queen finally said. “She’s just…not as pleasantly gifted…as your consort.”

He tried to think of a quick excuse to put his proposed engagement on permanent hold. “It’s not going to work. I’m not good at the whole courting commitment thing. Remember what happened when I tried to court Lord Remington’s daughter? She cringed at the very sight of me.”

“Perhaps it’s your bull-headed lack of discipline that frightened her,” said Scarlet Palmer, princess of Fort Condor. “Or that unruly demonic hair of yours.”

Cloud wasn’t amused by her rude observations and he thought of a string of foul expletives he could have spoken aloud, but didn’t want his father to reprimand him again for cursing in front of the queen.

Rufus turned to his estranged wife with a scolding glare. “Scarlet, leave the room.”

Scarlet was about to protest, but decided against it. With an angry expression, she walked through the doors opposite the ones leading to the Great Hall.

There was silence for a moment.

“I’ll vouch for the bull-headed lack of discipline,” murmured the king, tossing the rest of his brandy down before pouring himself another.

Ifalna turned back to Cloud. “Sweetheart, be reasonable.”

Cloud folded his arms over his chest. “Not a chance in hell I’m marrying some ugly girl. Like Rufus said, I don’t have time for a wife.”

“Your place is here in the castle, first and foremost,” the king continued. “The sea does not take precedence.”

“So you don’t care that I’ve got enemy ships to sink? Or just when it’s on your schedule?”

“I have never failed to praise your outstanding accomplishments, Cloud, if that’s what you’re implying. I want nothing more than to see you continue succeeding. But you cannot indefinitely remain at sea. You’re twenty-one years old and I will see you married by this year’s end.”

“And what if I refuse?”

The king’s face reddened. “You will not refuse! My decision is final! If you fail to comply I will see to it that your ship is scrapped and used for kindling!”

Cloud knew his father didn’t mean a word of it because the ship was far too important to destroy, but if Cloud didn’t comply, the king could definitely make his life miserable. “Fine! But you can forget about seeing any heirs coming out of my loins!”

King Shinra snorted. “At the rate you’ve been fornicating with every willing maiden on this side of the hemisphere, I’m surprised there aren’t a hundred of your spawn running around these halls!”

The queen gasped. “Tomas!”

Zack was laughing hysterically. This was by far more entertaining than he bargained it would be. Not even Aerith could get him to keep quiet.

“Cloud has his consort. He has no reason to go elsewhere.” Ifalna rubbed Cloud’s shoulder again. “Isn’t that right, dear?”

Aerith tapped her cheek with a finger. “Isn’t she in Kalm visiting her family? She’s been gone an awfully long time. Poor Cloud.”

Cloud rolled his eyes in annoyance. He hated being the subject of family discussions.

Lord Reeve walked toward the doors leading to the Great Hall. “Your grace, the Annual Consultation awaits.”

The king drained his second glass of brandy. “Yes, let’s get this over with.”

Zack quickly stood up and headed for the door that didn’t lead to the Great Hall, dragging Denzel with him.

Cloud was about to follow them, but his father’s voice stopped him before he could get away.

“Not this time, Cloud.”

Cloud inwardly groaned and after reluctantly placing his thin gold crown on his head, he followed the others into the Great Hall.

 

Chapter 2
​

“What order of business do you have for the king?” The question came from Reno and was addressed to an elderly man wearing tattered clothing.

“My Lord,” the old man began. “I…I am in need of a home.”

The king sighed impatiently as the frightened man practically groveled on the step before him. “Are you a citizen of Midgar?” he asked in a voice full of authority.

“No, sire…I…am not. I come from…”

The man was never allowed to finish his statement as King Shinra gave a quick glance to Reno, who in turn glanced to another guard and motioned with his head. The guard quickly grabbed the groveling man and dragged him away by his clothes.

There was some commotion for several minutes before order was restored. During that time the king received a look of disapproval from his wife, sitting to his right, which he quickly dismissed while another individual moved to stand before him.

Sitting stiff-backed to the king’s left was Rufus. He diligently watched the proceedings with great interest and occasionally became involved in anything pertaining to the food or water supplies provided to the peasant region of Midgar. As the next in line to the crown, Rufus needed to know everything happening in Midgar. He had had so many arguments with his father about how certain situations should be handled, but Tomas Shinra wasn’t as charitable as Rufus would be.

Cloud was the complete opposite of his older brother. He sat to his mother’s right, slouched in a very unprincely manner and bored beyond belief, like a child being forced to sit through an undesirable lecture. He banged his head on the back of his marble seat, the movement causing his crown to tap annoyingly. Cloud shifted his eyes and noticed his mother glaring at him. He straightened up a bit, but not all the way.

His eyes then scanned the room, noting the hundreds of peasants crowding the hall. At this rate, the King’s Annual Consultation would last until next year. How could so much need fixing in the slums? But Cloud knew the answer. The king wasn’t exactly bending over backwards to help the less fortunate. He often wondered if Rufus would do any better when their father was gone.

He glanced at a nearby window where the sunlight streamed inside. Such a beautiful day wasted indoors. Cloud thought about what his cousin, Aerith had said an hour ago, about his consort being gone a long time. He calculated the time in his head. She had been gone for three weeks. What the hell could keep her with her family for so long? Then he remembered he didn’t really care…He preferred sleeping alone anyway and hadn’t asked for her company in…how long was it anyway? Probably forever…

This whole engagement thing was grating on his last nerve. Why did his parents have to tell him about it at all? It was really dampening his good humor. It would have been better if he didn’t know anything about it until the day of the wedding. Didn’t they know him by now? What if he decided not to show up to the wedding? What would they do, disown him?

As the woman currently standing before the king continued to speak of her plight, Cloud suddenly stood up and abruptly left the Great Hall without a word.

King Shinra’s attention was momentarily pulled from the peasant woman at the sight of Cloud’s departure. He had only to send a brief glance to his right.

First Captain Rude caught the king’s eye and immediately left the Great Hall through the same door Cloud had exited. Several of the royal guards followed behind him.

Sitting to Rufus’s left, Aerith leaned toward him. “You think he’s alittle upset about his engagement?”

“Undeniably,” replied Rufus with a sympathetic grimace.

The noon sun was high above a cloudless sky and shining brightly over the grassy plains outside Midgar. The bustling village sat near the upper western coast of the continent known as Midgardia. Just outside the southern outskirts of Midgar, a river began at the coastline and traveled inland, disappearing east toward Kalm, a small nearby village that fell under Midgar’s protection. Situated three miles east of Midgar and almost on top of River Midgar, Castle Shinra shone like a white diamond among a sea of green velvet.

The cool, sparkling water of River Midgar was disturbed by the hooves of a large, thick-legged black horse. Seconds later, several other horses crossed the same wide body of water.

Cloud glanced over his right shoulder, grinning widely in the direction of the pursuing royal guards. He knew they couldn’t easily catch up, even with their lighter, thin-legged horses. Fenrir was the fastest horse among those in the palace stables, despite his bulk. The black stallion chewed up the ground with every stride of his powerful, heavy hooves. Heedless of the damage to the precious lawn on the south bank of the river, Cloud let the animal have its head.

Rude urged his mount with a crop, trying to get more speed out of it. Yet his horse was no match for the prince’s prized stallion. But to end the pursuit meant a harsh tongue lashing from the king and Rude wasn’t about to go through that again, not after the last time.

Cloud knew that the chase would never end, unless an obstacle forced the First Captain and the royal guards to halt their pursuit. An idea formed in an instant.

Up ahead was Risk Chasm, with its slate sides and a sheer drop of over thirty feet. There River Midgar ended in a waterfall feeding a large lagoon below. The land between Midgar and Kalm was divided by the chasm running from the far northern tip of the continent to the Grasslands Area further southeast and ended beside the Midgardia Mountains. The lagoon at the bottom of Risk Chasm stretched out for miles and broke into a dozen channels that disappeared in and around the mountains.

The distance between the sides near the waterfall was approximately twelve feet. There were two ways to cross the chasm. An unstable path a little ways south led down to the lagoon and on the other side of the body of water was another path leading up to the opposite cliff. The other way was via a bridge approximately two miles further south of the treacherous path.

Either way meant the guards would have an opportunity to gain ground on Cloud.

Instead of following the road in the direction of the bridge, Cloud urged Fenrir along the south bank of the river.

As they approached the western edge of the chasm near the waterfall, the stallion raised his mighty feathered hooves and sailed across the wide gap, landing well beyond the opposite edge. Unable to believe he actually made it across unscathed, Cloud halted Fenrir and turned him around, giving the horse a hearty pat on the side of his thick black neck. Confident that the guards would not duplicate his reckless stunt, Cloud stood his ground and watched as they approached the other side of the chasm.

Rude held his hand up and the royal guards ground to a halt at the edge. “Your Highness, you could have been killed!” If something had happened to the prince, the king would have hung Rude’s head on a stake outside the castle gates.

Cloud nonchalantly brushed the dust off of his sleeves and grinned in the First Captain’s direction. “Go on and tell that one to my father and while you’re at it, tell him I refuse to ever attend another boring Consultation…for as long as I live.” Cloud removed the gold circlet from his head and flung it across the chasm right into Rude’s raised hand. Then he swung Fenrir around and cantered off at a much slower pace, knowing he had gotten away from his pursuers.

Rude watched the young prince disappear into the trees. He sighed heavily, knowing the direction in which he was traveling. There was only one thing that would bring Prince Cloud to Kalm…his consort. Rude was puzzled, wondering why the prince would suddenly seek her out when he was hardly ever with her to begin with. “There’s going to be hell to pay,” Rude muttered under his breath, not at all looking forward to informing the king that his son wasn’t returning for the day.

Zack whistled contently as he strolled down the second floor hallway of the Kalm Inn. After a night of indulging the local wine, he congratulated himself for not feeling the effects, even though it was already fairly late into the morning.

He stopped in front of a door at the far end of the corridor and cracked his knuckles before rapping loudly on the hard wood. A sound on the other side made him stop whistling and lean closer to listen. Giggling, of the female persuasion, followed by light footfalls approaching the door.

After the lock was pushed aside, the door swung open, revealing a disheveled blonde prince who glared from one open eye. The other was still shut. “It’s the middle of the night, Zack.”

Zack was amused by the lack of sleep on Cloud’s face. Either Cloud had finally decided to use his consort to her fullest abilities or he just hadn’t slept well. “Wrong, my friend. It’s late morning and we have to get back to Midgar.” To his surprise, the lovely blonde consort slid up in front of Cloud and giggled. She was completely naked. Zack’s eyes roamed over her bare backside in appreciation.

“You can’t leave now, my prince.” The woman was either oblivious of Zack’s presence or she didn’t care. In fact, she boldly turned around to face him with a seductive smile. “Care to join us?”

Once again, Zack’s eyes took in the sight she afforded him and was disappointed when she turned back around to face Cloud, reaching for his hair.

Cloud jerked his head away from her persistent hands. “Elena, get back inside.” He waited until she moved away from the door before exchanging a sheepish glance with his friend. “What’s the rush?”

Zack gave him a skeptical look. “Don’t tell me you forgot.”

“What’d I forget?”

“We leave for Mideel today, remember?”

Cloud groaned inwardly. He had indeed forgotten. But the thought of going out to sea gave him a reason to keep on living. His plan to hang himself would have to wait, he thought in amusement.

“Despite the fact that your father sent me here yesterday to collect you with great haste, you noticed I didn’t rush you out of Kalm the moment I arrived?” Zack pointed out. He tried to get another peak at the blonde beauty sprawled on the bed behind Cloud. He had seen Elena plenty of times at the castle, but never so…underdressed. “Did she finally help you…you know?” he whispered.

Cloud followed his eyes into the room. It didn’t seem to bother him as much as it should have that his friend was seeing his consort naked. He just didn’t care. “No…unfortunately.” Instead of losing himself in the undeniably seductive woman who was supposed to be sharing his bed on a regular basis at the castle, he spent the entire previous night sitting near the window, staring out at nothing. Elena had been ecstatic when Cloud showed up at her parents’ doorstep. But once they were alone in a room at the Inn, he became his usual aloof and callous self. She wasn’t happy about it. Again he didn’t care. He had stopped caring when he began to realize Elena wasn’t filling the gap inside of him…the one he couldn’t seem to identify.

“What, do you need pointers on how to handle a woman like that?” Zack teased.

“Shut up,” was Cloud’s response. “I’m just not into it right now.”

“Then why’d you come here looking for her?”

“I don’t have a goddamned clue. I thought maybe…I don’t know,” he finally said with a frustrated sigh.

“Come back to bed, Cloud,” Elena whined alluringly. It was for Zack’s benefit. She wanted him and everyone else to think she had taken very good care of Cloud. She didn’t know that everyone knew he wasn’t in the least bit satisfied.

“Give me a couple of minutes,” Cloud said to Zack before slamming the door in his face.

Elena pulled herself up on her knees as Cloud approached the bed. “This will take much longer than a couple minutes.”

He sat down on the side of the bed and proceeded to slip on a boot.

His consort pressed herself against his back and wrapped her arms around him from behind. “You said we would return to Midgar together in a few days,” she murmured against the side of his neck.

“I have to go back today,” he said, attempting to shrug her off of him. “I’m sailing to Mideel.”

“Can’t the sea wait three more days? My sister arrives from Fort Condor today and I can’t return to Midgar just yet.”

“Then stay here, Elena.” He wasn’t at all interested in whether she returned to Midgar with him or not.

“But I won’t see you for the rest of the month. And you weren’t very good company last night.”

Cloud sighed. “Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind.” He wished he could be more attentive to Elena. But lately…over the last year perhaps, he had lost interest in his favorite pastime. He was more interested in warfare than intimacy. And now the seed of marriage had been forcefully implanted into his head. He didn’t like the feeling of being trapped.

“What has you so upset?” Elena asked.

“Apparently I’m engaged to be married.”

“Married?! But that’s going to ruin everything for us!”

“It’s one of those princely obligations I’m not allowed to ignore,” he said with a frown, more to himself than to Elena. But he wondered what Elena thought would be ruined for them? There wasn’t anything between them now to ruin if he got married. A consort’s main purpose was to sexually please their lord whenever and however they wanted. Cloud hadn’t used Elena in that capacity for a long time.

She slid off the bed and moved to stand in front of him, hoping her nakedness would convince him to stay just a while longer. When he didn’t look, she grabbed his hands and raised them to her breasts. “Your obligations are right here in front of you.”

He nudged her away and slid on his other boot.

Elena huffed loudly. “What other woman could possibly satisfy you like I can?”

Cloud didn’t reply as he got up and walked to a chair to retrieve his shirt. He had been with plenty of women and as much as he wanted his personal consort to be something special, something to cherish, she wasn’t. She was just like all the others…self-engrossed and petty, caring about things so trivial that it bored him to tears. Besides that, Cloud was fairly convinced Elena would probably sleep with the entire regime of Midgar’s royal guards or even the king if it benefited her slavegirl status.

She climbed back on the bed, posing in the most provocative way, again hoping to lure him to join her. “Won’t you change your mind?”

“I can’t.” He didn’t spare her another glance as he slipped into his shirt on the way to the door. He opened it and left without another word.

Elena frowned and grabbed a pillow. She threw it furiously at the door just as it closed.

Zack fell into step with Cloud as they headed down the corridor. “She sounds alittle angry.”

Cloud shrugged. “Whatever. I don’t care.”

The two friends left the Inn and retrieved their horses in the nearby stable. Within minutes they were galloping out of town and in the direction of Midgar.

The Avalanche was the largest and fastest galleon of any fleet. Sporting forty cannons and the capacity for a crew of two hundred, there weren’t any sea battles she hadn’t won. The blue and white colors of Midgar flew from the highest mast of the three and the enormous main sail bore the Shinra royal seal.

The great ship’s reputation was renown throughout the world. Even pirates respected her and kept themselves at a safe distance.

The ship had been constructed two years ago, to Cloud’s exact specifications. Not only did he serve as prince of Midgar, but he was also captain of The Avalanche.

Cloud stood behind the large, six-foot wheel that steered the ship. He could have had someone else at the wheel, but he liked being in control at times, especially at night. The wind was blowing strongly above, filling the large sails and propelling the ship at around eighteen knots, which was fast considering she was heavy with crew and supplies.

He glanced down beside him, where a large creature sat. With a blend of both wolf and feline features, Cloud was still clueless as to what sort of beast Red was. His body was covered in thick red fur, hence his name. Long black hair grew from his forehead and ran down along the ridge of his neck. Red had been with Cloud for several years after he rescued the creature from a hunter’s

trap near the Midgardia Mountains. He often wondered if Red felt obligated to stay with him, even though he was given every opportunity to go back to the wild. To signify his attachment to Castle Shinra, above his four massive paws, Red wore bands of gold etched with the Shinra seal.

Cloud casually rested his arms at the top of the wheel and tilted his face upward. The sky was clear and millions of stars sparkled brightly. He loved the sky over the sea at night. Seeing it from land just wasn’t the same.

His thoughts turned dark. Why did his father want him to marry by year end? That was only ten months away. What could he do to get out of it? “I should head for Northland,” he muttered to the beast sitting beside him. “And find a nice rock wall I can crash us into,” he added bitterly.

Red grunted in what sounded like disapproval.

“Ah, whatta you know.”

The sound of heavy footfalls approaching brought Cloud back to reality. Quartermaster Barret Wallace stopped in front of him and folded his incredibly muscular arms over his equally muscular chest. He didn’t say anything right away and finally unfolded his arms and waved his hooked right hand in Cloud’s face. “Listen, Spike. None of the men are keen ‘bout a bunch a women onboard everytime your friend Zack travels with us.”

There weren’t many men that felt comfortable addressing Cloud in anything but a formal title. Barret was the only one that called him Spike. “Not a bunch,” Cloud corrected him. “Just one.”

“Well, that’s one too many.”

Zack hardly went anywhere without Aerith. Cloud didn’t mind his cousin tagging along, just as long as she didn’t make a nuisance of herself or disrupted the crew. “And what exactly would you have me do, Barret? Throw her overboard?”

“That’s one option,” replied Barret as he scratched the back of his neck with his hook.

Cloud shrugged indifferently.

“She’s lucky she’s got an iron stomach.”

“Well, if she gets seasick, then we’ll put her in the rowboat and tow her along behind us. How’s that?”

The Quartermaster laughed and slapped Cloud on the back, his brute strength sending the prince lurching forward against the wheel.

After Barret walked away, still laughing, Cloud reached over his shoulder with the opposite hand to massage the sore spot. Barret didn’t know his own strength. Cloud glanced at the compass built into a nearby post. He turned the ship’s wheel slightly to the right, adjusting to maintain a southwesterly course around the large island of Woodland.

His thoughts soon wandered again. Back to his impending engagement. Cloud hated that he wasn’t being given a choice in the matter. His father didn’t care about his welfare. All he cared about was gaining control of Junon. The worst thing in the world to Cloud was being trapped in a loveless marriage, to be forever bound to a woman he’d never feel anything for…it was unthinkable. Rufus was living such a life, married to Scarlet Palmer, princess of Fort Condor. There was absolutely no love in that marriage. If Rufus had a consort of his own, he would have been using her. Cloud thought about letting his brother borrow Elena for awhile. She probably wouldn’t mind it. But he imagined Scarlet would have a few choice words in the matter.

He glanced down at Red again. “Would you be up to ripping out my throat so I don’t have to face the inevitable?”

Red stood up with a shake of his massive head and sauntered away, uttering a low growl in the process.

Cloud frowned. “Traitor.” Then he released a loud sigh, thinking about what he was going to do with Elena once he committed himself to marrying the princess of Junon. Would he still be allowed to keep her? He shook his head in regret. Elena was beautiful, but she didn’t have as much allure as she did when Cloud’s mother first gave her to him as a gift for his eighteenth birthday three years ago. At the time it had been to keep Cloud from pursuing female companionship elsewhere because he had a tendency to use his princely status and his good looks to get girls to do whatever he wanted.

He shook his head again, a half smile on his face, as he recalled that pointless time in his life. He couldn’t imagine doing that sort of thing again. Back then he squandered himself when he learned about sex. It was all he could think about. He quickly learned there was more to life than just a nameless, faceless piece of ass to pound.

Absolute beauty and an unmatched art of seduction…Cloud had that in Elena, but it wasn’t enough. She wasn’t enough.

And a wife would certainly not be enough.

Something was missing. He wished he could discover whatever it was he lacked.

 

Chapter 3​

Mideel was a pirate haven on the northern coast of the island by the same name. It was a place where the worst scoundrels and riffraff known to man came to trade their bounties. It was also the slave capital of the world.

One slave merchant was known to have the best merchandise. With twenty to thirty slaves at any given time, even the rich sailed to Mideel to see Anton Corneo’s diverse selection. Even though his large dwelling was situated several miles away from the bustling town, he still received more customers than any other slave merchant around.

Behind the wagon house of Corneo’s establishment, a young slavegirl scrubbed a soiled shirt against a metal grate inside a bin full of sudsy water. As she worked, she tried her best to listen to the ramblings of the only other slave that ever spoke more than two words to her.

“I raised my bow, took aim and released the arrow,” said Johnny as he demonstrated with his arms. “The Wutaian boar went down when my arrow struck it right in the chest. It let out a screech that would have sent chills through your bones. My Lord was most impressed with my skill,” he added proudly.

Tifa rolled her eyes, but faked a horrified expression when Johnny turned to see her reaction. “How ghastly, Johnny. Did you cut out its heart and bite into it?”

“No, nothing that dreadful.”

For some ungodly reason, Johnny seemed to think Tifa actually believed everything he told her. She knew slaves weren’t allowed to hunt. And she also knew that Johnny had never been owned by a Lord in Wutai. But she pretended to believe him, if it made him happy.

“I bet your beloved ship captain lacks archery skills,” Johnny said rather maliciously. “Above all else.”

Tifa tossed the soaked shirt into the tub in anger. “For your information, Captain Strife is a renowned archer and a skilled swordsman.”

“You only believe it because Mr Valentine tells you all those tall tales about that retarded prince.”

“They are not tall tales. Vincent wouldn’t fabricate such stories.” She threw him another angry scowl. “And he’s not retarded.”

“He embellishes the stories to elicit some kind of reaction from you…a smile, no doubt.”

Tifa frowned, hoping Johnny wasn’t right. It was true, she hadn’t smiled in a very long time. She couldn’t even remember what it felt like. But would Vincent truly make up stories about the adventures of a ship captain, hoping the exciting tales would make her smile? “I assume you do the same when you tell me your tall tales.”

Johnny started to pace in front of Tifa, an angry scowl on his face. “Cloud Strife,” he sneered under his breath.

“Why do you speak his name as if he is diseased?”

“Because he is. He’s the son of Shinra, isn’t he? He’s a tyrant and a war monger. As long as there are Shinras and Strifes in this world, there will be no peace. They’re all diseased.”

“How would you know anything about the royal family of Midgar?”

“How would Vincent know?” he countered.

The sound of an approaching horse drew Tifa’s attention. She stood up from the ground and tried her best to swipe at the mud that had accumulated at the hem of her worn peasant dress. When she rounded the corner of the wagon house, she recognized the rider on the old gray horse. It was Mr Valentine.

Tifa gathered her tattered skirt and quickly rushed toward him as he drew his horse to a halt and dismounted.

Vincent beamed as the girl approached. He tolerated the hug she gave him around the torso and patted her shoulder.

“How is Lucrecia?” Tifa quickly asked as she imploringly looked in his eyes. Vincent’s wife had been ill in the last few days and Tifa terribly missed her occasional visits.

“She’s better, but still unable to leave the house,” he replied solemnly, hating to see the disappointment overwhelm her face from his words. Vincent knew how Tifa cherished those visits. “But she sent me here with a gift for you.” He reached for a package wrapped in brown paper and untied it from his saddle.

Tifa was momentarily distracted from her sadness as she took the package and tore some of the paper away, revealing green fabric. When she removed the item completely from the paper, a beautiful green gown of satin and lace unfolded in her hands. She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and depression quickly set in. “Master Corneo would never allow me to wear such a gown,” she said sadly, tears filling her eyes. “He’ll take it away the moment he sees it.”

Vincent reached for her chin and tilted it upward. “Lucrecia made this for you, Tifa. You are to wear it tonight.”

Her blurred eyes met his. “Tonight?”

“The shipwright at the dock informed me that The Avalanche is scheduled to arrive here this afternoon.”

Tifa’s eyes widened at the mention of the great ship Vincent had told her so many stories about. “He…he comes here?” She didn’t have to say his name for Vincent to know who she spoke of.

“I want you to wear this dress and go to the dock tonight. Find him and ask for passage out of Mideel. He will help you.”

She searched his eyes glumly. “You know this for certain?”

Vincent frowned and looked down. He didn’t know how to respond because he didn’t want Tifa to lose faith. He met her eyes again. “Please, Tifa. You must try. He isn’t like those despicable pirates that lurk the pier and won’t…try to…” He couldn’t finish his statement. If Tifa asked aid from any pirate that came to Mideel, she would find herself in a worse predicament than in Corneo’s custody. “He may be your only chance. I’ll leave a fast horse nearby for you.”

Tifa should have been happy, but she had grown used to misery and disappointment. Nothing good ever happened to her. “Why do you do this for me?”

“Because Lucrecia adores you and in my heart I know you deserve better than this harsh life.” He inwardly cringed at the despicable things he knew went on within the walls of Anton Corneo’s bordello. He prayed daily that Tifa wasn’t subjected to those atrocities.

She hugged the delicate dress tightly against her chest as her thoughts wandered. “Johnny said Cloud Strife is a tyrant and a war monger.”

Vincent sighed and shot an eye in the direction of the young slaveboy busy milking a cow. “What would Johnny know of him? He’s never set foot anywhere off this island.”

Tifa looked up at Vincent. He and his wife, Lucrecia, had been endlessly kind to her since she met them at the market almost a year ago. She knew they had no money or they would have purchased her freedom from Corneo a long time ago. On the few occasions when Corneo was out making his daily business rounds, Vincent or Lucrecia came to the house and secretly brought her food. During those visits, Vincent began telling her stories about the greatest ship in all the world and the adventures of the captain prince that preferred exploring new lands and discovering new cultures over the dull responsibilities of the kingdom. She never questioned Vincent’s knowledge of Prince Cloud Strife, but now she felt compelled to ask. “How do you know so much about him?”

Again Vincent looked down, not sure how to respond. Finally he decided to tell her the truth...or at least part of it. “I was an advisor to King Shinra for ten years before I was forced to leave Midgar. Lucrecia and I came to Mideel because we couldn’t afford to live anywhere else. Cloud was kind enough to provide us passage here.”

Tifa wanted to ask Vincent why he had been forced to leave, but she had a feeling Vincent didn’t want to dwell on it or share it with her, otherwise he would have.

“Ever since Cloud had that ship built, he’d come home and tell me the things he discovered, the places he’d seen.” Vincent smiled as he recalled the memory. “It was as if he had found his true calling in life. He never did like dealing with matters of the kingdom. He once told me he prays that he’ll die before Rufus because he loathes the very thought of being king.” He gave her a sincere smile. “Cloud is a good person, Tifa. He won’t ignore your plight.”

Tifa looked down at the green gown in her hand. “What if I cannot find a way to leave tonight?”

“His ship will not be docked here long. You must find a way to go tonight.”

“I will try.”

Vincent smoothed her tousled hair on one side. “Good girl.”

“If…if he agrees to take me away from here…where shall I ask him to take me?”

“Nibelheim. Do not ever forget that name.”

She nodded earnestly.

“And no matter what happens, don’t take no for an answer.”

Tifa stepped back as Vincent Valentine mounted his horse, giving her an encouraging smile before riding away.

As Cloud waited for the ramp to be positioned, he stared out at the grubby town beyond the pier. He had only been to Mideel once and had hoped never to return to this Godforsaken place. But as usual, his father wanted acquisitions. And Cloud obeyed, only because it got him out of Midgar and out to sea where he wanted to be.

The stench of outdoor cooking reached his nose. He gazed toward the open market on the left. An entire cow, minus the head, was being cooked over a large fiery pit. He snorted in disgust and quickly looked away. He didn’t have an aversion to eating meat, he liked it a lot. He just didn’t like it to look like the animal it came from.

The second the ramp touched the deck of the ship, Cloud bounded down. Zack rushed up behind him. Just as the two reached the bottom, a dark carriage drew to a stop in front of them.

Zack gave it a cursory glance. “Must be our ride.”

Cloud disliked riding in carriages. But he didn’t like riding anyone else’s horse. So he climbed in after Zack.

Zack stuck his head out the window as Aerith was coming down the ramp with Red. “Be careful, honey. Don’t talk to any strangers.”

Aerith blew him a kiss. “Don’t worry. Red will protect me.”

The carriage moved forward.

Baron Sinclair Dio stood at the top of the steps outside his palatial house on the southern side of the island of Mideel. He watched his carriage rounding the corner and the team of four horses soon drew to a stop in front of the main entrance. Dio pulled a silk handkerchief out of a pocket and wiped the sweat from his face as he nervously watched the two young men exit the side of the carriage.

Cloud and Zack looked up to the top of the stairs, unable to believe what they saw.

“He’s wearing a red velvet coat,” Zack whispered from the corner of his mouth.

“And purple slacks,” Cloud added in the same whispered tone.

“Who the hell dresses like that?”

“Let’s just get this over with.”

The two headed up the stairs.

Dio greeted Cloud with a gracious bow. “Your majesty.” He didn’t bother to acknowledge the dark-haired man beside him. He knew he wasn’t one of the royals. “I hope you had a pleasant voyage to Mideel. If you can spare the time, I will arrange a tour of our fabulous coast.”

This was one of the few times Cloud didn’t mind being addressed formally. He used his status to his advantage and enjoyed intimidating certain people. “I’m not on vacation, Dio,” he said disdainfully. “Let’s get down to business.”

“Of course.” Dio led the way into the house. He escorted Prince Cloud and his companion into the Study. As he gestured to the chairs in front of the desk, Dio paused at a table where he poured brandy into three glasses.

While Zack remained standing, Cloud planted himself down on a chair and haughtily put his feet up on the edge of the desk as if he owned the place.

Dio narrowed his brows for a moment at the prince’s disrespectful behavior before he set the glasses down and sat behind the desk. “I’ve considered your king’s proposal.”

“Terrific. Then I don’t have to go into a lengthy dissertation.” Cloud leaned forward to pick up a glass. He drained the contents in one gulp and winced at the horrible taste of the brandy.

“However, there are some things on the proposal I question.”

“Such as?”

“I was under the impression…that I would remain in command here.”

“In command of the people, yes. Just as long as you follow the rules of King Shinra.”

“And that I could continue living in my villa.”

“Of course.” Cloud smiled, his eyes shifting around the room. “Keep your wretched dwelling. I have no use for it.”

Dio pulled out his handkerchief and wiped his face once again. He had a feeling the proposal of King Shinra of Midgar was not in his best interest. “I want the proposal changed.”

“Sign the proposal as it is, Dio or do I need to spell out the circumstances if you don’t comply?”

“Circumstances?”

Cloud removed his feet off the desk and leaned forward, his face the mask of a calm, silent death-dealer. “I’ll rain such destruction down on your little island like you’ve never seen.” He was gratified by the sudden paleness of Dio’s sweaty face. “But you won’t ever see it because this pathetic place you seem to treasure…it’ll be nothing but a huge hole in the ground. Your own personal grave.” Satisfied that he had gotten through to Dio, Cloud held his hand out beside him. Zack slapped a rolled up copy of the king’s proposal into his palm.

A few minutes later Cloud and Zack left the house and were skipping down the stairs.

“Well, that was hardly worth the trip,” Zack said sarcastically. “It took, what…a whole three minutes?”

They jumped into the carriage and it immediately pulled away from the house.

After a small stretch of silence, Cloud looked toward his friend on the opposite seat. “Think we should look up Vincent?”

“Personally I think Vincent would rather you didn’t.”

Cloud closed his eyes and looked away. “Right.” He opened his eyes again to watch the boring landscape outside the window. He wished he had said something to Vincent the day he dropped him and his wife off here on this island. But at the time Cloud didn’t think any words could have made up for the betrayal Vincent undoubtedly felt. “I’ll make it up to him someday, Zack. I have to.”

Zack studied his friend’s profile. He knew that look of determination all too well. Vincent Valentine, former advisor to the king of Midgar, would be absolved of whatever wrongdoing he was convicted of. Cloud would surely see to it. “I’ll help you.”

Cloud smiled without looking at him. “I can always count on you.”

Tifa waited for darkness to fall. Luckily Corneo had only asked her to serve him his dinner. After that he dismissed her and promptly drank himself to sleep.

The rest of the household normally went to bed when Corneo did because it was the only rest they’d have. When he was awake, everyone around him suffered consequences not of their own making. The beatings were often merciless.

With everyone else sound asleep, Tifa snuck into the bath house and secretly bathed in water forbidden to the slaves. After finally slipping into the gown Lucrecia had made for her, she tried her best to remove the knots in her hair. She didn’t even have a mirror to see what she looked like when she finished.

Did she look presentable? Did she look like a lady?

It was time.

Tifa quietly stepped out of the bath house and snuck down to the road in the near darkness. The night was gloomy and humid, with eerie strands of clouds that drifted passed the moon. As she followed the dirt road that led to town, she heard a sound in the shadows off to the side. It was followed by the gentle knicker of a horse. She followed the sound and came across the animal tied to a tree. Unfortunately there was no saddle on the horse’s back. But it didn’t stop Tifa. She hiked up her gown and swung herself up. Taking the reins, she trotted the horse to the dirt road and then urged him into a gallop.

The sound of the horse’s hoofbeats on the gravel nearly lulled Tifa to sleep. But the thought of freedom…the possibility of it, was enough for her to kick the horse for more speed.

Tifa’s life had ended the day she was turned over to the despicable Anton Corneo. She was only seven at the time and all she remembered of the ordeal was seeing the look of satisfaction on the face of the woman who gave her to Corneo. Tifa knew the face she recalled was not her mother. It was someone else…someone whose name escaped her.

For the next eleven years Tifa served as Corneo’s servant. She cooked, cleaned his home, laundered and mended his clothes. As a slave merchant, women of all ages came and went from Corneo’s establishment. Sometimes even men. Like Johnny, whom no one gave a second glance because of his scrawny build.

What disturbed Tifa the most was that on many occasions, buyers wanted to sample the merchandise before they made their purchase and Tifa was forced to remain present while it happened. She witnessed the most intimate couplings between men and women. Such vile and licentious acts. Yet the slavegirls seemed to enjoy it, found pleasure in the degradation of their bodies, knowing they would be used in this manner for God knew how long.

And thus Tifa came to believe that the things she witnessed were what constituted love and intimacy and all of the pain and suffering that went with it. How could any woman enjoy it? She didn’t want to believe that her father could have done such things to her mother. It was unthinkable.

She vowed never to take part in such acts, even if it meant never falling in love to avoid it.

Tifa maintained her blinding gallop even as she entered the streets just beyond the harbor. So close to the sea, the air was shrouded in a thick fog that had rolled in, giving the coastal town an ominous appearance. Like a haunted village. Even though there were only a few people walking about, she nearly managed to trample a pair of drunken pirates leaving one of the many taverns. They shouted obscenities at her, of which she promptly ignored in her haste to reach the pier.

When Tifa came to the wooden dock, she slowed the horse to a trot.

There were several ships tied to the pier. But only one of them stood out among them, more than twice as large as the others. Vincent had described the ship to her so many times, Tifa knew it was The Avalanche, black as coal, almost blending into the darkness of the night.

Tifa cantered the horse ahead, its hooves echoing loudly in the still air. She pulled the horse to a stop beside the boarding ramp of the large black ship. Even shrouded in fog, she could see the beauty and care that went into the making of the vessel.

She spotted someone meticulously polishing a section of the dark wood railing. “Excuse me,” she called up timidly. “Is the captain aboard?”

Alexander Biggs stopped what he was doing and looked down at her. Never in his forty something years had he seen a lady astride a horse with her gown hiked up her legs. “No, ma’am.”

“Do you know where I can find him?”

“Yeah, settling up on the trading and then having an ale at the Drunken Sea Urchin.”

Without another word, Tifa nudged the horse around. She didn’t know the location of the trade supply office, but she knew where to find the Drunken Sea Urchin. She had passed the well-known tavern on the way to the pier.

Now all she had to do was worry about how she could convince him to give her passage to Nibelheim.

 

Chapter 4​

Several sailors approached The Drunken Sea Urchin tavern as Tifa drew her borrowed horse to a stop near the door. They curiously eyed her as she dismounted as gracefully as possible and smoothed down the front of her green gown.

“Nice horse, ma’am,” one of the sailors said absently as he eyed her.

“Thank you,” she replied automatically, not knowing that a woman riding a horse without a saddle was really unheard of. When she noticed another sailor holding the door open for her, she stepped forward and went inside.

The interior of the tavern was dark, lit only by candles hanging from crudely constructed wooden chandeliers. The occupants were mainly sailors being served by barmaids dressed in simple low cut gowns.

Tifa immediately felt uncomfortable. This was the first time she had ever been in such a place. All eyes seemed to be on her as she glanced around, unsure if Captain Strife was already inside. She didn’t even know what he looked like. Vincent had told her so many stories of the ship’s adventures, but never once did he describe the captain. She hadn’t even thought to ask him because she never dreamed she’d ever get the opportunity to actually meet the captain in person. Plus she had been too busy fantasizing about being aboard the great ship, sometimes even steering it during a battle, as the captain yelled for the cannons to be fired. Yet now she realized he was a man without a face.

As she continued to glance around, none of the patrons looked capable of commanding a ship the likes of The Avalanche. Above all, none looked as if they could possibly be a prince of Midgar, even though Tifa had no idea how young or old Prince Cloud could be. Most of these men were sloppily dressed and no doubt hadn’t bathed in weeks, judging by the recognizable stench of sweat permeating the air. Except perhaps for a small group of men in the back corner. They were dressed a bit more refined.

She took a seat at an empty table in the center of the room, the only spot that had the most light.

A barmaid came to the table. “We serve pale and dark ales. So what’ll it be?”

Tifa shook her head. “Nothing, thank you.”

“Well, ya gotta drink somethin’ if you plan on sittin’ here.”

“I’ll…I’ll only be a few minutes.”

The barmaid walked away, cursing under her breath.

When the door opened, Tifa quickly glanced toward it. A man wearing an expensive suit entered with two women, one on each arm. Could this possibly be him? He laughed raucously when one of the women said something to him. They sat together at a table near the wall.

Tifa debated with herself on whether to approach him. He looked preoccupied with the women. She frowned when he kissed each of them, one after the other, in a manner she had witnessed far too many times and recalled what usually transpired afterward. Bile rose to her throat, forcing her to look away.

Her eyes fell on the men in the corner once again.

There were three of them, all staring curiously at her. One of them was a huge black man who looked like he was holding a large hook in his right hand. Then she realized that the hook was his hand. The second man had short blonde hair peeking through the edges of a bandana tied to his head. His teeth clenched a cigarette and he was surrounded by a halo of smoke. The third man looked much younger than the other two. His pale blonde hair was chopped into spikes and sticking out in every direction, some of it hanging down passed his eyes.

There was something strange about those eyes…were they actually glowing in the darkened tavern, or was it just her imagination?

While the other two finally stopped looking, he continued to glare in her direction.

Tifa pointedly glared back at him, trying to convey her dislike in the manner in which he stared at her. When the corner of his lip curled into a half smile, she quickly turned away uncomfortably.

Every time the door opened, Tifa whirled around to see who entered, hoping that somehow she’d immediately know it was Captain Strife. She prayed that the sailor on the ship had been right that the captain would be coming to this tavern. There were more than a dozen other taverns scattered throughout the trashy town and it would take her hours to search each of them, not to mention that she could walk right passed him on the streets and not even know it.

Why in the world didn’t she think to ask Vincent what Cloud Strife looked like?

She turned back to the man with the two women, trying to see anything about him that would hint he was a ship captain.

In the corner, First Mate Cid Highwind nudged Cloud with his elbow, motioning toward the girl sitting alone. “Not bad, huh?”

A barmaid came to their table and placed three mugs of dark ale in front of them. She smiled in a suggestive manner. “Can I interest any of ya in alittle fun? All three of ya at the same time maybe?”

Cloud motioned with his head. “Who’s that girl over there?”

The barmaid looked and then shrugged indifferently. “Never seen her before in my life.”

Cid noticed the barmaid lingering. He tossed her a coin. “Beat it!” He waited until she left before turning back to the girl capturing Cloud’s attention. “Wonder how much a night with her might set you back,” said Cid.

Cloud noticed that she kept glancing toward the door every time it opened, as if she was expecting someone. “Nah, I don’t think she’s one of them.”

“Sure she is,” said Barret. “What’d she be doin’ in a hell hole place like this if she weren’t lookin’ to get paid for somethin’?”

“She looks kinda scared, but I think I could convince her to go upstairs with me,” he said smugly.

Barret whirled his head toward him. “Do I hear a bet comin’ on, Spike?”

Tifa gathered up her nerves and took a deep breath before rising to her feet. With a determined look on her face, she walked toward the table with the man and two women. She cringed when he grabbed the breast of the woman on his left. The woman screeched in laughter. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. If this was Captain Strife, then he’d be angry that she disrupted his interlude with the two women.

Or this could be her only chance to get away from Anton Corneo before he executed his plan to break her in now that she was old enough. Just remembering his words from three days ago made her shiver in revulsion. She had to get away and it had to be now.

Tifa cleared her throat as she stepped up to the table. “Excuse me…”

The man’s smile faded as he looked up. Then his eyes instantly gravitated over her in a slow and deliberate caress. “Well, what do we have here?”

Tifa took another deep breath. “Are you the captain of The Avalanche?”

“Honey, I can be whoever you want me to be.”

That wasn’t the response she was looking for. It was obvious this man wasn’t Cloud Strife.

Three tables away, Cid chuckled and elbowed Cloud again. “Did you hear that? She’s looking for you.”

Cloud was mildly surprised. How did she know the name of his ship? It wasn’t like he advertised his arrival this afternoon. There were only two people that knew of his arrival: the shipwright who handled the supply trading and Dio. Somehow Cloud didn’t think this girl knew either of them.

“So are you going to join us?” asked the man with the women.

“My mistake. I thought you were someone else.” Tifa quickly turned away and in utter despair returned to her table, her eyes briefly glancing toward the men in the corner. All three were staring at her again.

Making up his mind, Cloud unceremoniously shoved Cid out of the way as he stood up. He picked up his mug of ale. “Well, I better go find out what she wants from me.”

“I’ll give you one guess what she’s wanting from you,” Barret muttered under his breath.

Cid harshly drew in smoke from his cigarette. “Goddamned lucky son-of-a-bitch. How does he get all the women?”

Tifa turned her head at the sound of a chair scrapping the floor beside her. It was the annoying young man from the corner. She glared menacingly at him as he flipped the chair backwards and straddled it. “I don’t recall inviting you to sit here,” she said angrily.

He set his mug on the table. “No, but I hear you’re looking for me.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I highly doubt it.”

He pushed the hair out of his eyes to see her better. “I heard you ask that man if he was the captain of The Avalanche.”

She glanced away from his handsome face. “So?”

“I’m Cloud Strife.”

When she turned back to him, Tifa snorted dryly. “That’s absurd. How dare you make such a foolish claim?” He was obviously making it up, perhaps to get her to follow him somewhere…to take advantage of her.

“Now why is that so foolish?”

“The captain of The Avalanche is much older and wiser than you. In fact, I’m intimately familiar with him and I doubt you have lived long enough to gain his experience.”

Intimately familiar? Cloud couldn’t help smiling at this new development. He had never seen her before in his life, so how could she possibly be intimately familiar with him?

Tifa ignored his brilliant white smile…along with those piercing light blue eyes. “I know all there is to know about him,” she added for good measure.

“Really…” Apparently she didn’t know as much as she thought she did. “So what does he look like?”

She frowned, not knowing why she was still talking to him. “Well, I don’t know, but I just know it’s not you. Now will you please leave me alone?”

Cloud took a gulp of his ale, making no move to get up from the chair. “Did we have an appointment here? I don’t seem to recall.”

Tifa released an exasperated sigh. “Look, nothing you say will make me believe you’re Captain Strife.”

Seeing this girl so flustered and disturbed was highly entertaining. It was the best distraction Cloud had had in a long time. He was already imagining her beneath him on a soft bed, her dark hair fanned out over the pillow, her cries of passion bouncing from the walls as he drove himself into her. He actually felt some movement between his legs, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Was she really all he needed to satisfy his long deprived sexual appetite?

The door opened and in walked Willie Wedge, a sailor whose main responsibility was ‘Lookout’ in the crow’s nest of The Avalanche. He took a quick glance around and immediately approached the table where Cloud sat.

When Cloud saw Wedge, his smile faded. Just when things were starting to get interesting.

“Captain, Lady Aerith and Mr Fair have returned from their excursion and are aboard The Avalanche, so we’re all accounted for,” Wedge blurted, completely out of breath from running. He gave Tifa a cursory glance before turning back to Cloud. “Just awaiting your orders, sir.”

Tifa was confused for a brief moment until it suddenly dawned on her that the young man sitting at her table had spoken the truth. She glared at him with renewed interest. The captain of the greatest ship to ever sail the seas was not as old as she thought. He was young and vibrant and…excruciatingly handsome. Then she remembered he was one of the Midgar princes. Of course he would be handsome. Weren’t all princes handsome?

“Thank you, Mr Wedge,” replied Cloud. “I’ll be there shortly.” With a small smile, he turned back to the girl, enjoying the pretty red flush on her cheeks. “Now, where were we?”

“I…I…I sincerely apologize. I didn’t realize…” she stammered nervously. “I was expecting someone…much older and maybe larger or...”

He cut her off before she groveled for mercy. “An honest mistake.”

She took a deep breath and gathered her nerves before leaning closer to him. “I have a favor to ask.”

Cloud was more than intrigued to hear it. He leaned closer in return.

“I seek passage to Niben…Noble…uhm…Nibelem?”

“Nibelheim?” he offered curiously.

She sighed gratefully. “Yes, Nibelheim. I need to go there.”

Cloud was somewhat disappointed, having expected something completely different...like an invitation for a quick romp in a stack of hay out back. But he tried to maintain some seriousness at her suddenly somber tone. “I’m not planning to travel to that part of the world for awhile. You do realize we’re at war with Wutai, which is not far from Nibelheim.”

“Of course, I know that.” But Tifa didn’t know. While in Corneo’s custody, she wasn’t privy to the happenings in other parts of the world. But she didn’t want Captain Strife to know she was ignorant of such things. “I can wait. But I just…I need to leave this harbor as quickly as possible.”

“What’s the hurry?”

She frowned and looked down. “I’d rather not say.”

Cloud immediately became suspicious. Was she fleeing from someone? Or something?

Tifa looked back up, imploring with her eyes, remembering that Vincent told her not to take no for an answer. “Would…would you consider allowing me to sail with you until such a time as you see fit to travel to Nibel…heim?”

Cloud averted his eyes for a moment, pretending to mull it over before his eyes returned to hers with a hint of amusement. “And what do you have to offer me if I so choose to grant you this…favor?”

“My gratitude?” It came out more as a question because Tifa hadn’t considered that he might possibly ask for monetary compensation. She wondered how much he would ask for, not that she had a single gil to her name to even give him.

He laughed, but not too loudly. “Your gratitude? That’s it?”

Tifa’s cheeks reddened. “That’s all I have to give.”

“You want to sail on my ship for…an indefinite amount of time? With a crew ranging from thirty to two hundred men on any given voyage? Some of them deprived of female companionship for months at a time…And you have nothing to offer in return except your gratitude?”

She didn’t know what else to say to convince him. A thought suddenly occurred to her. Was he thinking that she might…share his bed and not just for sleeping? This was the man Vincent spoke so highly of? This perverted rogue was the hero adventurer she sat on the edge of her seat to hear about? He couldn’t be more rude to her if he threw his ale in her face. “I…I have nothing else,” she said meekly.

Cloud frowned. Maybe she was a fugitive, escaping some kind of heinous crime. She could have killed someone and was running from the authorities. He had no desire to be involved in anything this girl might have done. “Sorry, but I can’t help you.” He turned toward Cid and Barret and motioned to them. It was time to leave. He drained the rest of his mug and got up, following his first mate and quartermaster out of the tavern.

Don’t take no for an answer. Tifa panicked. She jumped out of her chair and ran after him. She just had to leave Mideel and he was her only way. “Wait! Please!”

Cloud groaned to himself, but stopped in the middle of the road and glanced at his men.

Cid and Barret knew better than to hang around. They continued walking.

He turned to the girl as she approached him. She was visibly shaking and her eyes had filled with tears.

“Please…help me…” Tifa gave up fighting back her tears. It was a losing battle. “Please…” She hated begging, but it was all she had left. She would do anything…anything he wanted.

He wished he had kept walking. A woman’s tears were like lethal weapons he couldn’t defeat. A glint of yellow caught his eye. Without thinking, Cloud reached for her hand and pulled it forward. Her sleeve slipped back, revealing a brass bracelet clasped tightly around her wrist.

Tifa’s eyes widened when she realized what he was looking at. The item that identified her as personal property. She tried to pull her hand away, but he suddenly held it tightly and pushed her sleeve away to inspect the bracelet more closely before turning his pretty blue eyes to her in anger.

“You’re a slave!”

She desperately tried to pull away.

“You’re escaping your master?!”

“No!” Tifa twisted her wrist painfully until he was forced to release her. She quickly grabbed her skirt and ran from him, not looking back and not bothering to retrieve the horse she had come to town on.

Cloud stared in shock as the girl disappeared down a dark alley. His first thought was to pursue her, to find out why she wanted so desperately to escape the sanctuary of her master’s household. His next thought was that she knew his name and his ship. But how had a slavegirl come across this information? How did she know him?

Tifa sobbed uncontrollably as she left town. She had nowhere to hide. Corneo would send his men out to find her, like so many times before when she tried to escape. Even if she knew where Vincent and Lucrecia lived, which she didn’t, she thought about the trouble she would bring down on them if it was discovered that they hid her in their home. No, she would never subject them to such a thing. This was her burden to bear.

She returned to Corneo’s dwelling and silently entered through the front door.

The sight of crackling wood burning in the fireplace drew a startled gasp from her. She saw him from the corner of her eye.

Corneo stood up from the sofa in front of the fire. “Where were you?” he asked frigidly.

Tifa couldn’t breathe. She knew this tone all too well and the consequences that followed. “Nowhere,” she whispered, keeping her eyes lowered in subjection. It wasn’t going to save her from what was coming.

He glared at her, noting the dress she wore. “Nowhere?” Corneo approached her and in one swift motion tore the dress off, leaving her in the simple tunic she usually wore to bed.

She watched wide-eyed and regretfully as Corneo flung the dress into the fire. In a matter of seconds it was ashes. But that wouldn’t be the worst of her punishment. Far from it.

Corneo turned and slapped her hard across the left side of her face, sending her into the wall. He retrieved a baton he used when riding an unruly horse. It wasn’t the first time he had used it on this unruly slavegirl.

Tifa pressed her face against the wall and swallowed as he tore the back of her tunic. She desperately tried to hold back her cry as the first blow came.

He pressed himself against her back. “Tomorrow night, my little virgin, I’ll have you begging me to fuck you all night long.” He took a step back and swung the leather baton again.

Her mind drifted to more pleasant things as the harsh blows continued.

His eyes…so wildly blue and glowing beautifully. She had never seen eyes like his before. They were magical, as if they could see into her soul, into her very existence. She was almost certain he had been about to agree to take her on his ship. But then he saw the slave band on her wrist. She couldn’t bear to see the revulsion in those magical eyes.

So she fled, all of her humiliation surfacing at the thought of what she was…what he discovered her to be…

…A slave.

This was what her life had become. But it wasn’t a life any longer. As far as she was concerned, she was dead to everyone around her.

 

Chapter 5​

The next morning, Tifa could barely move. She received no help from the slavegirls she shared a room with. They wouldn’t even look at her, fearing they’d receive the same wrath just by association. Not even Johnny came anywhere near her. He remained in the barn, tending to the livestock, his only escape from what transpired in the house.

Tifa wallowed alone in her misery, tears blurring her eyes with every move she made. It was only the morning and already she had thought of fifty different ways she could end her life. But that wasn’t anything new. Those thoughts had ruled her mind for the last couple of years, when she was old enough to realize the desolate life she lived under Corneo’s ownership was not how she wanted to spend the rest of it. Nonetheless, she was just too spineless to pull it off…and she also hung to some demented hope that somehow someway there was a better life waiting for her with every waking dawn.

Her hopes were completely shattered the night before. Not by Corneo’s sadistic beating, but by the only good thing she had encountered in the last eleven years in captivity. The brightness had poured out from two glowing blue orbs so deep, she could have drowned in them. The dream was gone just as quickly as it came. With its departure, the meaning of her life disintegrated. She was dead…a walking zombie…without a heart, without a soul. No future. No past. And no one cared.

Tonight Corneo would break her. And use her like she had seen him use others. His threat was still fresh on her mind. The thought nauseated her and all night long she had retched the little she had in her stomach. The spasms sent waves of pain through her back. Perhaps miserable was too light of a word to describe how she felt at the moment.

She prayed for a small measure of peace throughout the morning so that she could plot some way to avoid Corneo.

But that was too much to ask.

Corneo stalked into the kitchen like a bear about to attack his prey. “We have guests! Get your filthy carcass out to the viewing room with refreshments!”

Tifa wanted to die. She quietly sobbed as she attempted to fill a glass pitcher with wine from the barrel against the wall, each small movement sending shivers of pain through her back. After placing the pitcher on a tray with several goblets, she carried the tray slowly and carefully out of the kitchen and down a short corridor. As she neared the viewing room, she heard voices.

“I have the finest women in all of Mideel, my Lords.” Corneo’s voice drifted into the corridor. “In all the world even.”

“I’m looking for a particular girl,” replied someone else. “None of the other slave merchants had what I wanted.”

Tifa’s brows crinkled together. The voice sounded familiar to her. Her mind tried to wrap itself around the timber of the voice, the quiet calm…Where had she heard it before? She slowly rounded the corner of the doorway and entered the viewing room.

Standing in a line were fifteen of the slavegirls currently for sale, dressed scantily as always. On the other side of them were two men Tifa dared not even look at. She had once received a harsh beating many years ago just for making eye contact with the guests and she had never forgotten that lesson.

“Come on, Cloud,” said another voice. “Pick one and let’s get the fucking hell out of here.”

The mention of the name froze Tifa’s slow steps. Her heart began pounding loudly in her chest.

“You’re welcome to try anyone of these ladies at your leisure…or all of them, if you can’t decide,” said Corneo.

Tifa slowly raised her eyes and at that exact moment, Cloud tilted his head to see between the slavegirls in front of him.

Their eyes met.

She suddenly lost her grip on the tray. The glass pitcher of wine shattered on the floor and the metal goblets bounced and flew in every direction.

Corneo whirled around and his face darkened in fury. “You stupid imbecile!” He took three huge steps toward her and raised his hand, ready to strike.

With a terrified wail, Tifa cringed away, dropping to her knees and scrambling to the wall. The motion sent unbearable pain tearing down her damaged lower back.

“What about her?” Cloud quickly asked, taking several steps forward, ready to lunge if the man struck her.

Corneo stopped his hand before it could reach its target. He glared over his shoulder at the young man who had introduced himself as Prince Cloud Strife, son of King Tomas Shinra of Midgar. The royals of Midgar were world renowned and very wealthy. He straightened up and frowned in confusion when he realized Strife was looking in Tifa’s direction. “She’s not for sale,” he quickly said. He wasn’t ready to sell Tifa. Not when he hadn’t yet had the pleasure of defiling her. No one was going to take that privilege away from him. He had bided his time with the troublesome girl, made her watch him fornicate other girls so she’d know exactly what he expected from her.

Cloud wasn’t about to be dissuaded now that he had finally found the girl who had so desperately sought his aid the night before. “Why not? She’s a slave, isn’t she?”

From where she cowered on the floor against the wall, Tifa grimaced at his words. She despised his acknowledgement of her status. She had never felt so humiliated and degraded as she did that moment. He hadn’t come to rescue her like she initially thought, he was there to buy her like some horse in a sale pen.

“Yes, but…she wouldn’t compliment your existing line of servants,” Corneo countered. “She’s defiant and disgraceful, not to mention a walking disaster, as you’ve just witnessed.”

“I’m not looking for a servant,” Cloud said. He stared Corneo in the eyes, hating this man with a loathing he never knew he had in him. Cloud had never punished a slave in his life, nor had anyone else in his household. He nearly witnessed it here. Corneo disgusted him.

Corneo shook his head in wonderment, wondering why the young prince would want someone like Tifa when the other girls in the viewing room were far more gifted in body and talent. “But my Lord...she has no experience whatsoever in…personal matters. She would only succeed in frustrating your needs. I have plans to teach her myself tonight.”

Cloud’s eyes darkened dangerously. They fell upon the slavegirl shivering on the floor. Was this the reason she had tried to escape Corneo? To avoid the revolting man’s lessons? Judging by the fresh bruise on her left cheek, he quickly concluded that the slave merchant had physically punished her prior to his arrival. He knew she had other injuries but couldn’t tell where her pain originated.

Corneo wanted to pull the prince’s attention away from Tifa. He waved a hand toward the slavegirls. “These other girls will provide you hours of unbridled pleasure. Please, I offer again, try any one of them.”

“How much for all of them?” he asked through clenched teeth, coming to a quick decision, although he had no intention of taking all of the slavegirls.

The slave merchant’s eyes widened. “All of them?” He appeared flustered all of a sudden. “Let’s see, that’s…thirty thousand gil each. Fifteen girls…” He squinted an eye, trying to calculate it in his head.

“Four hundred and fifty thousand,” Cloud impatiently responded without pause.

“Right…four hundred and fifty thousand gil.”

“I’ll double it for just the one girl. I suggest you take the offer,” Cloud said with absolute confidence as his left hand drew closer to the cutlass strapped to his hip. He wasn’t leaving without her.

Standing beside Cloud, Zack caught the small movement and placed his hand on his own sword. He recognized the determination on Cloud’s face. If the slave merchant didn’t hand over the girl, Cloud would slaughter him where he stood, without hesitation or an ounce of remorse.

Corneo’s face was beet red. Nearly a million gil was a fortune for him or anyone else in Mideel. He could live better than the Baron. Was Tifa honestly worth rejecting the prince’s offer? He’d find others to fulfill his lust. He gave Cloud a nod. “She’s yours. Take her.”

Cloud gave Zack a brief sideways glance.

Zack stepped in front of Corneo. “Prince Cloud’s ship leaves within the hour. I’ll send a man to pay you.”

The slave merchant was about to protest, but the glare the blonde prince directed at him gave him pause. “As you wish.” He turned to the fifteen slavegirls. “Get back to your rooms!” He chased them out of the viewing room and didn’t return.

Cloud wasted no time. He moved toward the wall and lowered a knee to the floor. As he started to reach for the slavegirl, she let out a wail of fear and cringed away from him. If he didn’t think Corneo might change his mind, Cloud would have been more patient. But he didn’t trust the slave merchant. “Come on,” he told the girl. “I’m getting you out of here.”

Zack came up behind him. “You realize your father is going to throw a royal fit when he hears you paid nearly a million for a slavegirl.”

“Zack…”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll make sure the carriage is turned around and ready to go.” He walked away.

Cloud touched the girl’s shoulder tentatively, hoping she wouldn’t start screaming again. That’s when he noticed blood seeping through the lower back of her peasant dress. He fought the urge to bolt after Corneo and slice off the despicable man’s hands.

Tifa swallowed the lump in her throat. She couldn’t see through the tears that blurred her vision and she was shaking with silent sobs. Vincent had promised her freedom. She was just being handed off from one owner to another. Who was to say that Cloud Strife wouldn’t treat her just as bad or even worse than Corneo? Afterall, hadn’t he implied the kind of payment he wanted in return for passage on his ship? She had no doubt he’d want to collect it as soon as possible.

“Do you have any belongings you wish to take with you?” he asked gently.

She thought about the dress Lucrecia had made for her and how Corneo had thrown it into the fire the night before. The ashes were probably still in the fireplace. She gave a barely noticeable shake of her head.

“Let me help you up.” He reached behind her and the second he placed pressure on her back, she let out a pain-filled cry. He didn’t stop lifting her until she was on her feet, but she couldn’t support herself without his help. Desperate to get her out of Corneo’s residence, Cloud picked her up in his arms and carried her outside, despite her heart-wrenching cries of pain.

The moment Cloud placed her on the seat inside the carriage, Tifa pulled herself away from him. She was only dimly aware of the other man sitting on the opposite side as Cloud sat beside her.

The carriage started moving immediately.

With every bump, a jolt of pain seized Tifa and she tried to keep her back from touching anything.

Everytime the girl flinched, Cloud grew more and more enraged…at Corneo for beating her and himself for not following her the night before when he had the chance. He could have prevented her punishment…if he had only been less insensitive when he discovered she was a slave, maybe she wouldn’t have run away from him. But he focused his anger on the lousy slave merchant.

He exchanged a glance with Zack. “I want to go back there and rip his fucking head off.”

Zack sympathized. “He shouldn’t be allowed to run such a business if he mistreats the slaves he sells.”

Tifa cringed, humiliation surging through every pore. She was Cloud Strife’s personal property. It sickened her belonging to Corneo, but to be owned by the man she idolized over the last few months was somehow worse.

Cloud sighed heavily, trying to control his anger. He’d deal with Anton Corneo again and next time the slave merchant wouldn’t get off so easily. He finally turned to the cowering girl beside him. “Do you have a name?”

At first Tifa wasn’t going to respond. But she knew it would be pointless. He’d eventually get it out of her. “Tifa,” she muttered with degradation.

“I can’t understand you when you mumble.”

“Tifa,” she repeated louder, her voice shaking in pain…in fear…in disgrace.

“Is that your real name or one he gave you?”

“My real name…”

“Well, Tifa, you don’t seem at all grateful that I rescued you from that slimeball.”

“You didn’t rescue me,” she said bitterly, her breath coming out in small gasps because of the pain. “You…you purchased me. I’m a slave. I have nothing…to be grateful for.”

“I didn’t have a choice. I wasn’t leaving without you.” He reached for her arm and nudged her around to examine the fresh cut on her bruised cheek. “He punished you?”

“I’ve received worse.” She shuddered, trying to breathe. “And I’ve seen worse…sickening things…”

“What sickening things?”

“Anything that gave him…pleasure.” She grimaced when the carriage bounced.

“What’re you saying, he made you watch while he…?” Cloud ran a frustrated hand through his hair before reaching to the back of her gown, where the thin fabric was crimson with fresh blood. His fingers felt around for the buttons he figured would be there.

She jerked away from him in panic, waves and waves of pain overwhelming her.

“I just want to see how bad it is,” Cloud assured.

Her eyes filled with tears as the anger in her heart became overshadowed by an intense fear. “No…please…” Suddenly her vision darkened and she promptly collapsed, her head landing in Cloud’s lap.

Cloud glanced at Zack with a frown. His friend was frowning in anger as well. Neither of them could comprehend why a man the likes of Anton Corneo would beat his slavegirls into submission…unless it excited him.

He reached down to brush the tangle of hair from her face. The cut on her cheek was deep, as if Corneo had slapped her with something in his hand.

Zack studied his friend’s solemn face as he looked down at the slavegirl. Throughout the morning and without any kind of explanation, Cloud had dragged him from one slave merchant to another. Half the time Cloud didn’t even fully examine the girls. He just looked at their faces from a distance and then walked out without a single word. Finally at Anton Corneo’s bordello, Cloud had shown an immediate interest in the servant girl who had dropped the wine decanter. She hadn’t even been on display like the other girls. Yet she was the one Cloud chose. “Are you gonna tell me why you decided to pick this girl over the hundred others we saw all morning?”

Without removing his eyes from Tifa’s face, Cloud sighed. “She came looking for me last night. I don’t know how she knows me or how she knew I was here in Mideel. She wanted passage out of here.” Cloud finally looked up at Zack. “She was acting suspiciously. I thought maybe she committed some crime.” He reached for her wrist, showing him the brass slave bracelet. “When I found out she was a slave, she ran away from me.” He frowned and shook his head, a wave of guilt overcoming him. “I just…I couldn’t stop thinking about her…the way she begged me…to help her.”

When Cloud offered nothing more, Zack decided not to question him further. At least now he knew why Cloud delayed their departure scheduled for the night before.

Nearly twenty minutes later the carriage halted in front of The Avalanche.

Cid was waiting at the top of the gangplank, a cigarette clenched in his teeth. “It’s about time you two mugs show up!” he shouted down. The cigarette fell out of his mouth when he saw the bundle in Cloud’s arms.

As Cloud carried Tifa up the ramp, he rattled off instructions to Zack. “Send a man to pay Corneo. The moment he returns to the ship, get us untied and pull us away from the pier.”

“Got it.” Zack turned to Cid. “Is Aerith aboard?”

“She went back to the markets with that flea-bitten red hound,” replied Cid.

“Send her down to my cabin when she returns,” Cloud shouted over his shoulder as he headed for the door leading down to the Officers’ cabins, Tifa tucked carefully in his arms.

Tifa slowly opened her eyes, finding herself lying face down on a small cot. In a moment of panic she struggled to get up, only to feel a pair of strong hands holding her down.

“Don’t move or you’ll reopen the wounds,” said a calm voice beside her.

She recognized the voice. She would never forget it now that she knew it. It was him. She turned her head to glance over her shoulder, discovering that the back of her peasant dress had been cut open from neck to hem, leaving her backside completely bare. A thick layer of white cream was spread across the wounds on her lower back.

“It’s a healing salve. Very potent.”

Tifa’s stomach tightened painfully as her eyes drifted toward where Cloud was crouched on the floor beside the cot. Her rage surfaced at the way he seemed perfectly at ease with her nudity.

Cloud scooted closer to her face and noticed her flinch when he moved. “I’m just gonna put some of this on your cheek.”

She remained perfectly still as he dipped a finger into a jar in his other hand. He scooped out some white cream and gently dabbed it on her cheek. The cream was cool and felt good on the burning cut. She closed her eyes, feeling so exhausted. If she could just sleep for awhile longer…

There was a light knock on the door.

Tifa’s eyes shot open. She glanced over her shoulder again as Cloud got up and walked to the door. He opened it, but blocked the entrance with his body so the visitor couldn’t see inside.

“You called for me, Cloud?” asked a sweet feminine voice Tifa never would have expected onboard a ship full of men.

“Yeah…I…uh…I need your help,” he whispered.

Tifa strained to hear what he was telling her.

“…was mistreating her…need her to be…before we reach Midgar…” She only heard brief snippets.

On the other side of the door, Aerith gave him a reprimanding look. “Another consort?” she exclaimed.

Cloud silenced her with a hand over her mouth. “Shhh…”

Tifa’s first thought was that this girl belonged to Cloud. Another consort, she said. It was a word she was familiar with. Many men came to see Corneo looking for a consort. This was her fate then, to be one of two consorts…to be used by Cloud at his leisure? She could only imagine the outrage the other girl had to be feeling over this new arrangement.

“I hate to ask you this, but…you think you could clean the rest of her up?” he continued to whisper.

“Of course, Cloud.”

“Thanks.” He let Aerith in.

Tifa stared at the beautiful girl who entered the room. Her long red hair was tied in a braid and she had the face of an angel. She didn’t look outraged, but Tifa was outraged for her, for both of them. How could Cloud be so cruel? He was all but blurting out that the angelic girl wasn’t enough for his ravenous sexual appetite so he had to buy himself another.

Cloud looked Tifa’s way one last time before stepping out of the cabin and closing the door behind him.

The ship was moving. Tifa could feel it. Her eyes shifted forward, seeing two large windows in front of her. The cot she laid on was not very high so she couldn’t see through the windows, but she could hear the sounds of the waves lapping around the ship and voices shouting outside...commands to raise the sails.

Aerith approached and knelt down beside the sad-looking girl lying on the cot. “I’m Aerith.”

Tifa turned her head and acknowledged her prompt for a name, hating how cheerful this girl looked and sounded. “Tifa…”

“Cloud wants me to clean you up.”

“I heard him,” she said without emotion.

Aerith touched Tifa’s hair, thinking how pretty it would look when it was washed and combed. “We’re going to be great friends, Tifa. You’ll see.”

Tifa doubted it. She didn’t want to make any friends. She just wanted to die.

 

Chapter 6​

Cloud watched the strong wind catch the main sail as the ship finally put some distance between them and Mideel. He was glad to be back at sea, despite his strong desire to return to that slave merchant’s place and bash in his brains. But being on his ship always gave him a sense of security and a calm patience he didn’t otherwise have elsewhere.

A feeling of accomplishment came over him when he thought about what he had done. He saved Tifa’s life, he was sure of it…even though she didn’t think so. If he hadn’t gotten her out of there, Corneo would have ruined her. Cloud didn’t know anything about Tifa, but he imagined her mind was close to the breaking point. She wouldn’t have been so desperate to escape Corneo if the man had been treating her good.

How long had Tifa been a part of the slave merchant’s household? How often did the man punish her? What other injuries had she sustained while in his custody?

But most of all he still wondered how she knew about him. How did she know he would help her?

Zack came up the steps and approached him. He made it his mission to analyze Cloud’s many moods. As he stood beside him, he noted the disgruntled look on his friend’s face. “You’re thinking about how much you want to go back and see Corneo hung from the highest rampart in town.”

“No. I’d rather see his head hanging from his ear on the end of my longsword.”

“You paint a pleasant picture, Cloud. I’m sure the only ones that would mourn his death are those who share his passion for beating defenseless women.”

Cloud stared at the open sea ahead. “I made the right choice, Zack. She didn’t belong there.”

Zack sighed. “You made the right choice. Now all you have to do is convince your mother that you need another consort.”

“No, that’s not why I bought Tifa.”

“Cloud, if you bring Tifa to Castle Shinra, you better be prepared to stake your claim on her or someone else will.”

Zack was right. If he didn’t prove his ownership of Tifa, then someone in the household would take her. Cloud considered Rufus and his loveless marriage. It was a known fact at Castle Shinra that Rufus wouldn’t bed Scarlet until he was ready to create an heir and although his brother didn’t condone consorts and despised the idea of slaves, Cloud had a sickening feeling that Rufus would take a liking to Tifa and make an exception.

Cloud frowned and restlessly tapped his fingers on the ship wheel. It was a nervous habit whenever he was uncertain of something. “She hates me. I can feel it.”

“Yeah, for now. But I’m sure it’ll pass.”

“She hates me because I own her.”

“Well, you can’t free her, Cloud.”

The thought hadn’t even occurred to him, but now that he heard it, it sounded like a great idea. “Why can’t I?”

“First of all, if your father doesn’t murder you for paying nine hundred thousand gil for her, then he’ll surely have your head when he hears you want to release her.”

“I don’t give a shit about the money. I’ve spent a hellova lot more on inconsequential things. This is different.”

Zack continued without missing a beat. “Second of all, where would she go? She has no home, no family, no money. If you turn her loose, she’ll only be picked up by someone who’s not going to treat her as well as you will. She’s safer with you.”

Perhaps freeing her wasn’t such a good idea afterall. Again Zack was right. Cloud didn’t have a clue what he was going to do with her. “One thing I’m certain about, I won’t have her living in fear any longer.” He would shower her with more affection than she knew what to do with.

“You’re sure you’re ready to take on such a hopeless case?”

He shifted his weight from one foot to another. He didn’t know. Despite the fact that he had nothing to do with the beating Tifa had received the night she had asked for his help, there was a steady guilt eating away at him, like a virus bent on destroying the host it invaded. Tifa came to him, trusting that he’d help her. He let her down. He felt responsible. He had to make it right. “She’s not hopeless,” he finally replied.

“Well, if anyone can help her, you’re definitely the one to do it.” Zack squeezed Cloud’s shoulder. “Aren’t you worried about what awaits you at home when you arrive with that pretty girl? Elena won’t take it very well.”

Cloud shrugged. “It won’t be the first time I’ve disappointed Elena.”

“Or the last time.”

“I don’t care. She’ll get over it. I’m not worried.”

Zack grinned. “If you say so.”

For the next few days, Tifa remained in a deep sleep, brought on by the healing paste Cloud kept applying to her injuries. The paste had been invented by Emmett Hojo, the wizard Cloud’s father kept around. Hojo was brilliant when it came to such concoctions, but Cloud never grew to trust the man over the last five years Hojo resided in the castle. But the paste worked wonders on Tifa. Cloud made sure either he or Aerith were with her at all times, in case she needed something.

A few times, Tifa was on the verge of awakening. Cloud asked if she needed anything, but her eyes glazed over and she was out again. It was a good thing. The gashes were open and if she had been awake, she would have been screaming from the pain. He wondered how she had survived them at all, much less walk the morning he found her.

While tending to her, Cloud noticed other scars on her lower back, in various stages of healing. He fought the urge to examine her in other places, feeling somewhat conscientious and apprehensive about it. He was afraid she’d wake up and find his hands on her. She would think the worst, even if his intention was honorable.

So he consoled himself with simply applying the healing paste and sitting on the floor beside the cot to watch her sleep.

Sometimes she mumbled in her sleep and he wondered if she was reliving events in her life or just dreaming.

“I just wanted to buy some fruit at the market…”

“Why does he make me stay…?”

“Not again…please…I can’t…”

“No one will care if I die…”

“Where are you, mama…?”

“Please…someone…please listen…”

“I’m not ever doing that, I don’t care…”

One night when Tifa started crying, Cloud thought she had regained consciousness and was in pain. He was beside her in an instant. “Tifa?”

She didn’t respond to his voice. Large tears formed in her eyes squeezed so tightly. Her entire body trembled with sobs so heart-wrenching, Cloud wanted to shake her, to wake her up from whatever nightmare she was reliving.

He moved closer and slowly caressed her bare upper back, applying just a small amount of pressure so she would feel it. His hand moved to each of her shoulders, gently massaging before moving down her back once again. He leaned toward her ear and whispered, “It’s all right, Tifa. You’re safe.”

Miraculously, she stopped shaking and remained still. Only the dampness on her cheeks revealed the sorrow she felt only a moment ago.

When Tifa regained full consciousness for the second time, she was still lying face down on the cot where Aerith had left her. Her eyelids were extremely heavy and she was almost certain that she had tried to wake up many times before. Or had she been dreaming everytime a pair of sky blue eyes peered into hers so close to her face, his mouth moving but his words never reaching her ears before her eyes closed again. Had she dreamt that Aerith tried giving her water and feeding her a tasteless broth? Had she also dreamt the feel of a gentle hand touching her back, consoling her as she cried rivers of despair, when she believed hope to be something beyond her reach.

A quick glance toward the windows revealed that it was nighttime. She could feel the ship rocking gently, the only sound coming from the lapping waves. She was about to close her eyes once again, but a thought struck her. If she was sleeping in Cloud’s bed, then where was he sleeping? Did Aerith have her own room? Was he with her?

Not wanting to move her body, fearing an attack of pain, Tifa slowly raised only her head and glanced around the dark room. She caught sight of something nearby. With each shift of the ship, the moonlight drifted through the windows and reflected upon a lonely figure sitting on the floor against the wall.

She knew from the shock of spiked hair that it was Cloud. His legs were bent, elbows resting on his knees, forehead resting on his arms. He was as still as a statue, unmoving even with the steady motion of the ship.

For a brief moment, Tifa felt a bit of compassion for him. He gave up his bed for her. But it faded as quickly as it came when she remembered his sickly perversion. She had seen enough to know that some men enjoyed more than one woman at a time. It was the most stomach-turning thing Tifa had ever witnessed. He’d have to kill her and he and his precious consort could use her lifeless body. That was the only way she’d ever submit to such a thing.

Just then Cloud lifted his head. His eyes were looking directly at her. Their strange blue glow sent a chill up her spine, spurring a small jolt of pain through her.

Cloud pushed himself to his feet and approached the cot. He crouched beside it and studied Tifa’s face. She was awake for sure this time. “Are you in pain?” he asked in a whisper.

His glowing eyes were disturbing when his face was this close. She put her head back down on the pillow and closed her eyes. There was movement beside her before she felt his fingers gently rubbing the cool paste across her lower back. Her face became hot with embarrassment as she recalled that her backside was completely bare.

Despite her humiliation, the small burn of her wounds faded. She wondered why she wasn’t in as much pain as the last time she had awoken.

“Better?”

“Yes.” She heard him moving around again and then felt a sheet cover her up to her shoulders.

“I was afraid to cover you before. I thought it would hurt you.”

When he came to sit on the floor near her head, she opened her eyes, but looked away from him.

He slowly asked with uncertainty, “Do I frighten you or something?”

Tifa took a deep breath and shook her head.

“Then why won’t you look at me?”

Her eyes instantly returned to his face. She wanted to tell him how she felt about her situation, but she was pretty sure he already knew. She had conveyed her displeasure from the very beginning, after he carried her out of the ill repute house she had called home for the last eleven years. “Your eyes…they glow,” she said instead.

Cloud’s brows narrowed and he looked away. “I know.” His eyes returned to her face. He waited to see if she would look away from him again, repulsed by the Mako-induced glow, a byproduct of an injection created by Hojo, meant to strengthen him. “I’ll tell you about it sometime.”

But Tifa wasn’t frightened by his eyes. She thought they were strikingly beautiful and that’s why she found them disturbing. She didn’t want to like him or feel anything for him. He was already being far too kind for her to ignore. “How long have I been sleeping?”

“Five days.”

She didn’t believe it at first. But maybe what she thought were dreams had actually happened.

“The medicine is meant to make you drowsy, so you can sleep away the worst part of an injury. It’s helped me many times.” When she didn’t say anything, Cloud studied the mixed emotions on her face. He recognized them all…fear, revulsion, hate and humiliation. He thought of something to say, something that might lessen those feelings. But he couldn’t think of anything insightful. “Tifa, I don’t want you to be unhappy.”

The sound of her name on his lips flustered her, causing heat to rise to her cheeks. “How can I not be?”

“How long were you with that slave merchant?”

“I’m…I’m not sure. About eleven years, I think.”

“And how old were you when he purchased you?”

How many birthdays had passed her by with no one caring? “Seven?” When she looked at him, she knew he was calculating her age. Probably determining if she was old enough to breach. A wave of nausea passed through her as the image of a poor girl came to her mind’s eye…a young girl screaming in agony as Corneo breached her for the first time.

“Not much of a happy childhood then.”

Tifa shook her head, trying to prevent the bile from rising to her mouth when she thought about the things in store for her.

Cloud started to reach for her face, to touch the fading bruise on her cheek. But he decided against it. He feared she’d cringe away from him and it bothered him when she did it. Hopefully he wasn’t too late to save her spirit. He knew she had passion. He had seen it the other night at the tavern, when she thought he wasn’t the man she was looking for. She argued with him, which meant she wasn’t entirely without emotion. He vowed that he’d reach her. He’d show her that life wasn’t always full of torture and cruelty. There was beauty and laughter and joy. He’d show it all to her.

What else could he say for now? “I’m…sorry if this bed is not very comfortable.”

She wanted to tell him it felt like Heaven compared to the rags she had been sleeping on almost all her life. “It’s fine,” she said flatly.

“I would have put you in my hammock, but I think the ropes would have been too painful on your back. So I had one of the men bring a cot from the crew quarters.” He gave her a small reassuring smile. “You should sleep a little more, Tifa. I promise you’ll start feeling better in no time.”

She nodded and followed him with her eyes as he stood up and walked around to the other side of the cot. She turned her head to continue watching him and noticed the hammock directly beside her, hanging a little higher than the height of her cot. He hopped into it and reclined on his back. It swung back and forth for several seconds as he rested his forearm over his eyes. She watched him for awhile longer until her eyelids closed of their own accord.

The sound of the quiet waves lapping against the side of the ship was soothing. Before she knew it, she fell asleep.

In the morning Aerith woke Tifa up. “Good morning, sleepy head.”

Tifa’s eyes quickly went to the hammock beside her. It was empty. “Where’s…?”

“He’s on the wheel deck playing captain.” Aerith tossed the sheet aside and inspected the wounds on Tifa’s lower back. “Looks much better.” She gently pressed around the area. “Does it still hurt?”

“Not as much.”

“Good. Cloud told me we should get you on your feet today. Would you like to give it a try?”

Tifa knew she couldn’t stay in bed for the rest of her life. Maybe she’d somehow find the courage to jump off the ship and drown herself when no one was watching. By the time they figured out she was gone, it would be too late.

“Let’s get you in the tub I prepared,” said Aerith.

“Tub?” Tifa flushed bright red as Aerith helped her to her feet. She had never been naked in front of anyone before.

Aerith pulled the sheet off the cot and wrapped it around Tifa. “Right this way.” She led Tifa out of the cabin and through a small door on the right.

Tifa inspected the tiny room, barely big enough for two people. It contained a crude commode, a small basin and a wooden tub against the wall below a window. Pipes extended from the wall and hung over both the tub and the basin. She noticed steam rising from the water that sloshed around the sides of the tub from the rocking motion of the ship.

“All the luxuries of home,” Aerith said with a small laugh. “Well, almost.” She removed the sheet from around Tifa and then helped her carefully into the tub.

The warm water stung Tifa’s back briefly, but as she relaxed in the fragrance rising from it she closed her eyes in the embracing comfort. She couldn’t remember if she had ever bathed in a tub before. She was only allowed to rinse off from a trough.

Silence stretched on for awhile.

“I can see why he chose you.”

Forgetting that she wasn’t alone, Tifa opened her eyes and looked into Aerith’s brilliant green ones. “What…what is…expected of me?”

Aerith shrugged. “That’s really up to Cloud.”

She wondered why Aerith wasn’t upset. “Having me here doesn’t bother you?”

“Why would it bother me?”

“You don’t care that he’ll be using both of us…maybe at the same time.” Tifa tried to control the seething tone in her voice. “It may not bother you, but I won’t participate in such a thing.”

Aerith frowned at first, until she understood what Tifa was saying. “No, Tifa, you misunderstand. Cloud’s my cousin. I’m not with him. I’m with Zack. You’ve met Zack, haven’t you? We’re engaged to be married this year.”

Tifa stared at her for a moment, the realization quickly hitting her. But she wasn’t sure whether or not to feel relieved that this beautiful girl didn’t belong to Cloud. Why would she feel relieved? She didn’t want to feel anything at all. “What did you mean when you said you can see why he chose me?”

Aerith smiled. “You’re pretty and delicate and your eyes…it’s as if the wonderful spirit within them seeks to escape the hollowness of your heart.”

Tifa swallowed the lump in her throat. This girl was very perceptive. Her heart had been hollow and empty nearly all her life. She felt nothing but bitterness and a complete hatred of men who thought women were meant for their amusement. “I’m not so delicate,” she murmured absently.

“You’re safe here, you know.”

“Safe? Am I not still a slave?”

“Slave…it’s not a word we use in the Shinra household. We have servants and consorts.”

When she heard the word, Tifa snorted without humor. “Consort…is that my fate?”

Aerith giggled. “It’s not so bad. You’ll be treated like royalty, Tifa.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“You’ll see.” She reached for a bottle on a nearby shelf. “Dunk your head so I can wash your hair.”

For the next few minutes, Tifa tolerated Aerith’s ministrations until she was spotless. After returning to Cloud’s cabin, Tifa dried herself with a soft towel while Aerith disappeared from the room. She returned a moment later with a pale blue gown. Satin and lace and crushed velvet. It sadly reminded her of the green one Lucrecia had made for her.

“I think we’re about the same size. Do you like this one? If not, I have others you can try.”

Tifa’s eyes blurred from the tears that filled them as Aerith helped her slip on the gown.

Aerith smiled and sat Tifa down on the cot so she could brush the knots out of her wet hair. It took quite a while, but Tifa’s hair was finally dry and shined when the light hit it. Aerith looked pleased as she led her to a full length mirror. “There, you look so much better, don’t you think?”

Tifa didn’t recognize the young woman in the mirror…pale, clean features and dark, glistening hair. With the addition of the luxurious blue gown, Tifa thought she almost looked like a princess. And she almost smiled, actually felt the tug of her lips…but the moment she thought about it, her lips stopped moving.

Aerith took her hand. “Let’s go outside. I want Cloud to see you.”

Tifa started to protest, but never got the chance as Aerith practically dragged her out into the narrow corridor. She wasn’t at all prepared to appear this way in front of him. She didn’t want him to be pleased by the way she looked.

Suddenly the thought of throwing herself overboard began to sound extremely appealing.

 

Chapter 7​

The moment the outside air touched Tifa’s face, she instantly felt better, her plan to jump overboard quickly forgotten. She glanced around the main deck. Some of the crewmen were tying or untying ropes in various places, while others were sitting about, smoking pipes or chatting. She had expected a ship of this size to be bustling with activity, but she had a feeling there were others in the many decks below. She remembered Cloud saying his crew ranged from thirty to two hundred at any given time.

Almost all of the crewmen on deck took notice of her. Tifa blushed and remained close to Aerith.

“Through those doors on the other side is the galley. Are you hungry?” asked Aerith after pointing toward the doors.

“Not right now.” Tifa glanced toward the stern where her and Aerith had emerged from a door there. A set of steps led up to where a large wheel sat. Cloud stood behind it, his hands casually wrapped around two of the many handles on the outside of the wheel. Beside Cloud stood Zack. They were engaged in an animated conversation, amusement on both their faces. She briefly studied the two of them, looking so similar yet different.

If she didn’t know that Cloud’s cousin, Aerith and Zack were getting married, Tifa would have thought Cloud and Zack were related in some way. Both of them had wild hair, although Zack’s was much longer in back.

“I heard the king of Midgar has more than one son,” Tifa said, not even sure why she brought it up.

“Cloud has two brothers. Rufus is heir to the throne and Denzel is the youngest. You’ll like Denzel. He’s such an adorable boy.” Aerith took Tifa’s hand again.

And again Tifa was reluctant to go, but allowed Aerith to lead her up the six steps to the wheel deck.

Both Cloud and Zack immediately stopped talking and turned to the women approaching.

Aerith released Tifa’s hand and moved toward Zack.

“There’s my one true love,” said Zack as he gave Aerith a tender kiss on the lips.

Tifa wasn’t sure where to go, so she stood near a post in front of the wheel, glancing timidly at Cloud. She was caught off guard by the stunned look directed at her.

“You look…beautiful,” Cloud stammered. “That color really suits you.” He never wanted to see her in rags ever again. She deserved to be in fancy gowns and decorated with jewels that accentuated the rich color of her brown eyes. He would give her anything she asked for.

Tifa’s face grew warm and she looked down, not at all used to receiving such compliments. “Thank you…” She wasn’t sure how to address him. Was he a prince first and then a captain, or was it the other way around? “…captain,” she said, choosing the latter.

“Please, just call me Cloud. I don’t like reverences from people I’m close to.”

She was about to tell him she had no desire to be close to him. But when she looked up again, she caught Zack and Aerith exchanging another kiss. It made her feel uncomfortable. She had seen many things in Corneo’s custody, but she had never seen anyone kiss so lovingly on the lips before.

Cloud followed her gaze, turning toward the couple behind him. “Don’t you two have somewhere else to go?”

Zack and Aerith left, laughing lightly as if they had just shared a joke.

He faced forward again, glancing at Tifa. “You can come closer, you know.”

Tifa reluctantly obeyed and came around the wheel to stand beside him on his right side. Her heart was hammering strongly. She wasn’t sure what to expect as she watched him for a moment. He looked toward something set into the post in front of him, some kind of instrument with a needle.

Cloud moved the wheel a little to the left. While keeping his left hand on the wheel, he turned himself to face her. “You don’t smile much, do you?” he asked and was disappointed when she looked down at her feet with a small frown.

The question had been rhetorical. What for? She had nothing to smile about. But her eyes automatically drifted up to his lips, the way they were slightly curled into a brief smile, a hint of white teeth behind them. She remembered his smile from the night they first met in the tavern. The memory brought a tightness to her chest and she immediately lowered her gaze again.

Cloud couldn’t stop himself and reached his right hand to her face, tilting her chin up so she was forced to look at him. He brushed his thumb lightly over the cut on her cheekbone, wishing he could take away the pain that had caused it. He knew it wouldn’t be easy to earn her trust, but he would try his best. “I will have you smiling before we reach Midgar.”

Tifa stared into his eyes, so bright and clear in the sunlight, wondering whether he had meant it as a command, or merely a promise. A smile had not touched her lips since she was a child. The emptiness in her heart wouldn’t allow it. She was too young when she had been taken away from her mother and the memories of her grew fainter and fainter with each passing day. Ever since that fateful day, there wasn’t a single thing capable of putting a smile on her face. Years of cruel mistreatment and brutal lashings were things no one could smile about…except perhaps Corneo and his despicably vulgar friends.

“You won’t ever lack for anything again, Tifa. Whatever you want, it’s yours. Anything you desire.”

Her brows narrowed and tears brimmed her eyes. She could have anything…except her freedom. Perhaps it was the price she’d have to pay to live a better life than the one she had known. She had nowhere else to go anyway. She didn’t even know if her parents still lived. Was it too much to hope that it might not be as bad as she thought? Cloud had shown her kindness so far and a gentleness she had never known a man to have. It surprised her that someone of his status, a prince, would be so concerned for her welfare. “I am grateful,” she finally whispered, in response to something he had said to her in the carriage on the way to the ship. She hadn’t been grateful that he got her out of the situation with Corneo. In truth, she really was grateful. But all she could think about was when he would make the decision to steal her innocence and it made her chest and stomach tighten painfully.

Cloud didn’t like seeing the wrinkles between her brows. He wasn’t sure what she was thinking at the moment, but whatever it was, she seemed worried about it. “I went to twelve different slave merchants, searching for you. Why did you run away from me that night? If I had known how he treated you…”

“I was afraid,” she said before he could finish.

Afraid of me, Cloud thought with certainty. He decided it wasn’t worth arguing about. Besides, he was more curious about something else. “You said you knew everything there was to know about me and my ship. How did you came about this information?”

Tifa’s breath caught in her throat. She wished she could take back many words she had spoken that night. It had been a mistake to say so much. But then again, if she hadn’t, would he still have searched for her? She wanted to believe she had been rescued. If Cloud had waited another day, or hadn’t found her at all, Corneo would have violated her in the worst way possible and she didn’t think she would have survived it.

“Tifa?”

She snapped out of her reverie, remembering that he had asked her a question. “I…I learned about you from Mr Valentine. I believe you know him.”

He should have known Vincent would be involved in this. He undoubtedly told Tifa that she could trust him. “Yes, I know Vincent. I know him quite well.”

Again Tifa wanted to know why Vincent had been forced out of Midgar. But she didn’t think it was her place to ask him. “Vincent told me to find you, that you would help me.”

“I guess he was right.”

She forgot her situation for the moment. “He told me stories about you…places you discovered, things you’ve seen, people you’ve helped.”

Cloud shrugged with a small smile. “I’m sure he exaggerated the stories a bit.”

Tifa was a little amazed at his humbleness. Knowing Cloud Strife’s accomplishments, based on what Vincent told her, she shook her head in disagreement. “No. He spoke of you with such conviction, as if you were capable of saving the world. I don’t think he would embellish something he seems to know so well.”

“I suppose.” Cloud frowned, wishing he had been able to see Vincent in Mideel. He missed the man who had taught him all he knew about swordsmanship. For Vincent to send Tifa to him meant that he wasn’t holding a grudge. Cloud wanted to change the subject. Thinking about Vincent was too painful. “You say you were with Corneo for eleven years? Did he send you to school?”

She wished Corneo had been that kind. “No. I wasn’t allowed to leave the premises.”

“But…you speak in such a refined manner. You must have received some kind of education.”

Tifa wasn’t sure why she blushed. “I read a lot…He had books and I read them when he wasn’t home. If he ever found out, I would have been severely punished.”

“For reading a book?” He tried not to show too much anger. He wanted her to feel comfortable around him, not fearful. “Well, I have some books in my cabin. You’re welcome to read them if you want.”

More kindness. It confused her.

He watched the different emotions play on her face, just as he did the night before. What could he do to begin gaining her trust? His eyes fell upon the wheel where his hands rested. She expressed an interest in his ship. A smile curved his lips. Without a word, Cloud gently tugged Tifa forward, positioning her in front of him. He guided her hand to rest on one of the wheel’s handles. “Take the wheel with your other hand.”

Tifa’s eyes instantly widened when she realized what he was asking her to do. She nervously reached up so that she was holding the wheel with both hands. The moment Cloud released his hold, she felt the pull of the wheel. But it was not so strong that she thought she’d lose control of it.

Her heart surged with a long forgotten emotion she didn’t recognize. Excitement. Goosebumps quickly spread across her skin. She was excited to be steering the magnificent vessel. Why would he allow her to take control of his ship this way? Why would he give her this moment of happiness? Because he said he didn’t want her to be unhappy. Did he truly care?

Then she noticed something else. He was standing directly behind her, so close that she could feel his chest against her back. He smelled like salt and the sea. Not an entirely unpleasant smell. But feeling him so close excited her. Again she was confused by these traitorous and unwanted feelings. Tifa wanted to avoid them now that she discovered the pleasantness. She didn’t want to like him in any way. She wanted to loathe him for whatever he intended to do with her.

When Cloud leaned closer, he caught the sweet scent of vanilla and honey in her hair. It was the same scent Aerith used. He liked it on Tifa very much. Leaning even closer over her left shoulder, he turned his face toward her ear. “See the compass there on the post?”

His breath tickled Tifa’s ear and an involuntary shiver rippled up her spine. So many things went through her mind, so many unpleasant images. She nodded her head, feeling a little breathless and still surprised that he’d surrender control of his ship to her. “Yes.”

“Make sure the needle remains pointing northeast. Otherwise we’ll find ourselves in Gongaga.”

“What is Gongaga?”

“A town on the southeast edge of Corel. Very friendly people. They mostly live in mud huts.”

Wanting to distract the wayward sensations rushing through her, Tifa pointed to the right. “What is that land there?” There was a faint land mass, barely noticeable in the glaring morning haze.

“That’s Woodland.”

“Woodland. I know that name. Vincent told me you discovered it.”

“Well, I didn’t really discover it. It’s easily seen from the shores of Midgardia. But no one’s ever taken the time to explore it though, except me.” He decided to keep talking about his adventures because it seemed to make her less apprehensive. “Exploring new lands is dangerous work. You never know what you’ll come across, what kind of civilization you might disturb with your presence. But exploration also has its advantages.” Cloud went into his pocket and pulled something out. He held it up for Tifa to see. It was a fist-sized rock that glowed green and seemed to sparkle from the inside. “I call this materia.”

Turning slightly toward him, Tifa made sure Cloud had his hand on the wheel before she released it to take the rock from him. A closer inspection revealed something swirling around within the glass-like surface as if the rock itself was alive. She had never seen anything like it in her life. “It’s beautiful.”

Cloud liked seeing the sudden fascination in her smoldering brown eyes and wished she would smile. “I found it on Goblin Island. Now that place was very dangerous.”

“With dangerous people?” Tifa asked with genuine curiosity.

“Goblins. Nasty little creatures. They shoot poison darts that numb you from the neck down.”

“Were you hit by any poison darts?”

“No. I deflected them with my cutlass.”

She looked down at the green orb again. “You’re exaggerating, right?”

Cloud smiled. “Maybe a little. I found other colors, too. Red, yellow, blue and purple. But mostly green ones. I can show you my collection when we get home.”

Her stomach tightened in knots. How quickly she nearly forgot her predicament, but how easily she was reminded of it with a single word. Home. His home would be her new home. What was expected of her when they arrived? She didn’t want to be surprised. “What…” She shifted from one foot to the other, suddenly found it difficult to breathe. “…what will I be doing in Midgar?”

Cloud had known she’d eventually ask what he had in store for her. Quite honestly, he hadn’t really thought it through once he had made the decision to get her away from Corneo. But the situation was what it was. He purchased her. She was a commodity of Castle Shinra. Just as Zack said before, Cloud needed to establish his claim or someone else in his household would. “Tifa,” he began slowly. “I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but…you’re better off being with me than with anyone else in my household.”

“As your…consort?”

He tried to think of something that might lessen the blow. But he had nothing. “Yes,” he finally said.

Tifa took a nervous breath before asking her next question. “What are my responsibilities?”

Before Cloud made that decision, he wanted to know what sort of things she had seen or experienced. The last thing he wanted to do was overwhelm her or frighten her so deeply that he’d never be able to touch her. “First tell me what it was like, what you saw with that slave merchant.”

Tifa reluctantly handed the green stone back to him. She placed her hands on the handles of the wheel once again as a distraction. It was difficult for her to talk about, but she realized he needed to know everything. “Corneo…he used the girls in horrible, degrading ways. He…he pushed things…inside them, crude and painful objects.”

“You saw all of this?”

“Ever since I was ten he forced me to stay…and watch.”

Cloud couldn’t imagine the reason a man would want an audience while he was with a woman, much less a child. And for her to witness the worst kind of fornication. Corneo was a disgusting human being.

“It wasn’t just Corneo,” Tifa continued. “Men came to buy and right there in the viewing room, the slavegirls sometimes had to…prove…their abilities.”

“You were never put on display as merchandise?”

She shook her head. “I wasn’t treated the same as the other girls. I was just a servant, so no one ever looked at me the way they looked at the girls on display.”

“Did that bother you?”

“Why would it? I can’t understand why those girls begged to be violated.” The memory of how some of the slavegirls cried out in pleasure and asked be taken harder…it was horrifying “I didn’t ever want to be sold for the reason they were.”

Cloud grimaced when he thought how close he had come to being too late. What if Tifa hadn’t walked into the room when he was at Corneo’s bordello? He would have left, never knowing she was there. Corneo would have violated her just as he said he planned to do that night. Tifa would have suffered horribly from the ordeal. He wondered if she thought he would do the same thing to her. “Tifa, what you’ve seen is not what it’s really like between men and women. Corneo’s not a man. He’s a filthy pig. He finds pleasure in causing pain and suffering. And…quite often some women…they want to be abused that way. They enjoy it.”

Tifa fought the urge to turn around and glare at him. “Is that how you prefer it?” she asked, unable to keep the contempt from her voice.

Cloud recalled how Elena sometimes liked playing rough, which was not at all his preference. If anything, the abuse she wanted dampened his mood. It might have been one of the reasons he stopped inviting her to his bedroom. “No, that’s not what I prefer.”

“What do you prefer then?”

“That’s difficult to answer. I just know that I’ll never treat you the way you’ve seen others treated.”

Her cheeks flushed. “I’ve never been a consort before.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“Then why would you choose me over someone that knows how to please you?”

“I didn’t choose you. You chose me, remember?”

She nodded absently, knowing that he never would have known she existed if she hadn’t stepped foot in that tavern looking for him.

He sighed. “It’s not normal for a slave to want to escape their master, unless…they’re not treated well. You looked scared and desperate. I swear I wasn’t looking for a pleasure slave when I went searching for you. I wanted to see what kind of situation you were in. When I saw your condition and how he nearly struck you right in front of me, I knew I had to get you out of there.” He hoped he was getting through to her. “I don’t want you to be afraid of me, Tifa.”

She turned her face toward his and accidentally bumped his nose with hers, forgetting how close he was behind her. She immediately turned away to avoid the contact. “I’m trying not to be.”

Cloud looked down between them, to her lower back before he gently placed his hand there. “Are you still in pain?”

Tifa was surprised that the feel of his hand on her back didn’t bother her anymore. “It doesn’t hurt as much.”

He coaxed her around to face him, reaching one hand over her shoulder to keep the wheel steady while placing his right hand on her cheek. He found that he liked touching her face. At least she wasn’t flinching away from him anymore. “Do you think you’ll ever trust me?” he asked, looking into her eyes.

She didn’t understand why he even cared whether she feared or trusted him. He owned her. He had every right to do whatever he pleased with her and that’s what she hated about the arrangement. She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

But in her heart, she knew she’d eventually give in. She had been fascinated by him before they even met. And now…his eyes so full of emotion, his salt and sea scent, the gentleness of his voice, his interest in her happiness, his encouraging promises…everything about him…lured her to the world she utterly despised. Her eyes filled with tears and soon slid down her cheeks. She was afraid to believe she’d ever find happiness with him. Everytime she believed in something, all she received in return was disappointment.

Cloud frowned and wiped at her tears. “No, Tifa. No more tears. I want to see you smile.”

Tifa closed her eyes as he leaned toward her. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but she tolerated it because she felt she had to. His lips pressed into her forehead, between her brows where he placed a warm kiss on her worry lines. Then he brushed his lips over her cheek, tenderly kissing the tears away. Her heart swelled with feeling and tightened in her chest. Soon she felt his breath near her trembling lips. It wasn’t foul like Corneo’s whenever he was standing too close to her. She waited, wondering if he would kiss her the way she had seen Aerith and Zack kiss.

“You must be hungry,” he whispered.

Tifa opened her eyes and hid her disappointment as he drew away from her. It surprised her to think she had wanted him to kiss her. How could she so easily want the affection he promised? She sniffed and wiped her eyes with her palm. “Was Aerith really feeding me or was it a dream?”

“It was no dream. She was having a hellova time trying to put broth in your mouth while you were lying unconscious on your stomach.” He laughed a little at the memory.

She liked his laugh and again wished he wasn’t so likeable. “I’m a little hungry,” she said timidly.

“I generally eat with the crew. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Why should I mind? Are they not civilized?”

“On some days, it’s debatable,” Cloud said with a smile, hoping to make her smile in return. But his comical retort didn’t affect her. He waved to someone on the main deck who immediately came up to join them. “Mr Biggs, take the wheel, please.”

“Aye, Captain!” said Biggs.

As Cloud held his hand out, Tifa hesitated for a moment before she finally placed hers in it. His light grip gave her an immediate feeling of security, but she didn’t know why. She followed behind him as he led her down the steps, across the main deck to the bow of the ship and through the double wooden doors leading to the galley.

The room they entered was twice as big as the captain’s cabin. To the immediate left was a set of stairs heading down. Further into the room were two long tables with benches. Everything was nailed down to the floor so it didn’t move.

“Captain on deck!” growled Barret from where he stood at a small stove on the opposite side of the room.

The twelve or so men sitting at the tables all jumped to their feet, briefly startling Tifa.

Cloud frowned. He had never in his life asked his men to acknowledge him whenever he entered a room. But he played along for the moment, not wanting to appear unappreciative in front of Tifa. “At ease, men.” He barely suppressed a smile when they all simultaneously sat back down. “I’ll be right back,” Cloud said as he left her side.

Tifa slid onto one of the benches, noticing the men openly staring at her. She didn’t think any of them would suddenly pounce on her, but she just couldn’t seem to relax whenever there were men present. Years of fear weren’t going to just disappear overnight. She wished Cloud would hurry back.

Cloud approached Barret. He glanced down at the skillet where the quartermaster was cooking…and burning…eggs, potatoes and hamburger. It was the usual meal for breakfast. “Uhm, Barret?” He glanced up at him. “What the hell’re you doing?”

“Cookin’ up some hash.”

“No, I mean, what’s with the ‘captain on deck’ crap. You know that shit gets on my last nerve.”

“Just tryin’ to impress your lady, Spike.”

“Well, cut it out.”

“Man, you are some spoilsport.”

“No, I’m not. I don’t mind the ‘aye Captain’ and the saluting, but that’s where I draw the line.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it.” Barret piled some of the hash on two wooden plates and shoved them into Cloud’s hands.

Cloud added forks and walked back to sit across from Tifa. He placed one of the plates in front of her.

Tifa raised her eyebrows as she eyed the contents of the plate. “Looks good.”

“Don’t eat too much, though. You haven’t eaten in a while. I don’t want you to get sick.” He waited to see her reaction after her first forkful, but she didn’t seem to be repelled by the hash. “You’ll see this served a lot on my ship, sometimes for all three meals of the day. We can’t stock much variety in food for obvious reasons, so it’s quite horrible sometimes.”

She looked up at him as she ate another forkful. “I’m not complaining.”

He smiled and forgetting his own hunger, he continued watching her eat the hash as if it was the best meal she’d had in ages, which might have been the truth, given how thin she was.

Tifa felt his eyes on her as she ate. They did strange things to her. She had never been the focus of anyone so intently. He watched her every move, every flinch on her face made him react. Had Vincent known that Cloud would behave this way toward her? She imagined she would have been violated about a hundred times by now if she had gotten aboard any vessel other than The Avalanche.

 

Chapter 8​

Cloud returned to the ship’s wheel a short while later. Not that Mr Biggs wasn’t competent enough to handle the jagged points of Midgardia, even with the bright haze making visibility next to impossible this close to the coast. It was just that Cloud did a lot of his thinking and soul-searching behind the wheel.

A slight change in the feel of the wheel told him the tide was shifting. He instinctly turned the wheel away from the pull. He had traveled this latter part of the route more than a dozen times in the last two years from Cactus Island or Gongaga and knew it from memory.

His eyes caught a flash of blue movement on the main deck. He saw Tifa approaching the starboard side. After eating, she mentioned returning to the cabin for a nap. She obviously changed her mind. He watched her for a moment as she leaned over the side. Clinging to a rope beside her, she peered into the water below. A instant feeling of dread came over him. It almost looked as though she wanted to jump.

But something drew her attention away from the water. When Cloud followed the direction of her eyes, he saw Red making his way toward the stern. He released a sigh of relief as he watched Tifa follow the beast up to the wheel deck, a curious look on her face.

Red sat on his haunches near the rowboat tied to the stern of the ship.

“What in the world is that?” Tifa asked as she came closer.

Cloud glanced over his shoulder to the creature in question. “I’m not quite sure myself. I rescued Red from a trap in Corel and he’s been with me ever since.”

Tifa eyed the red-furred animal who was looking back at her with just as much curiosity. “His name is Red?”

He laughed a little. “Not very original, I know.” He watched the fascination on her face as she drew closer to Red, impressed that she’d approach without asking if the beast was dangerous. Most people who didn’t know Red usually fled the minute they saw the strange looking creature or heard him roar.

Tifa let Red sniff her hand as she dropped to her knees and ran her fingers through his thick fur. “It’s so soft, like the fur of a rabbit.”

Keeping a hand on the wheel, Cloud turned so he could watch Tifa and Red. He wished her lips would curl into a smile. He could tell it was there, just waiting to appear. “I think he likes you,” he said, hoping to lure out her smile.

“He’s so beautiful,” Tifa crooned. As she caressed and combed the long hairs on Red’s head with her fingers, she noticed that his right eye was missing. “What happened to his eye?”

“That’s the way he was when I found him.”

When Red raised his huge paw, Tifa took it in both of her hands. After putting his paw down, she bent closer and hugged Red’s neck before placing a kiss on the beast’s muzzle. “What does he eat?”

Cloud was jealous of the attention she was giving Red, wishing she would hug and kiss him instead. “Well…anyone that comes close to him.”

Tifa whirled her head around and saw the amused look on his face. “Very funny.”

“Then why aren’t you laughing?”

She ignored his question and lowered herself down on her heels, which wasn’t easy in a large gown. As she continued petting Red, Tifa watched Cloud make an adjustment on the wheel, turning it slightly to the left. She noted his posture, his stance, his clothing. Nothing about him screamed that he was a prince. “Vincent told me you don’t ever want to rule Midgar.”

“I don’t want to rule anywhere. Not just Midgar. I’d rather be out here sailing.”

Leaving Red, Tifa stood up and stepped up beside Cloud. “Why? Don’t you think you could do it?”

Cloud glanced at her briefly before focusing his eyes forward again. “It’s just not in me. Rufus can have the throne. I don’t want it.”

“But if you had to, would you?”

“Well, I suppose if I had to, I wouldn’t be able to just walk away and leave Midgar without a ruler.”

“You would change things.”

Cloud thought about it a moment. “Yeah, I’d change things. I’d make sure the people living in the slums get what they’ve been asking for. Food, water, better living conditions. I’d build housing for multiple families. And I’d build a bigger school and make sure the kids are getting the best education. I’d abolish slavery. Hell, there’s a million things I’d do.”

Tifa wondered if his comment about abolishing slavery was meant for her sake. She also noticed he didn’t mention ending whatever squabbles existed between warring countries. But that could be one of his million things he’d do. “It’s unfortunate. You would have made a fine king.”

He looked at her again, liking the way the sun reflected like rubies in her eyes. “Well, don’t give up on me yet.”

She shook her head, feeling a little dizzy. “I think I better get some rest.”

“Good idea.” Cloud watched her walk to the steps and carefully descend them. Only when she disappeared through the doors below did he finally toss a glare at Red. “Don’t get used to it, Furball. You won’t be the only one receiving that kind of affection. I’m next.”

Red released a contented growl, almost as if he were mocking him.

Later in the afternoon, after Tifa napped for a couple of hours, out of boredom she decided to investigate Cloud’s cabin.

Against a wall was a desk and chair, both secured to the floor. On the desk were various navigational charts and several instruments. At one corner of the desk was a bottle containing an amber liquid, probably brandy or scotch. There was only one glass beside the bottle. Everything rested within the raised edges of the desk to prevent them from sliding off while the ship was in motion.

There wasn’t much else in the room, except for a large trunk which probably contained Cloud’s clothes.

She slowly sat at the desk and picked up each of the strange instruments, inspecting them curiously. Not having gone to school, Tifa didn’t know what they were or what the numbers on them represented. She glanced at the maps, reading the names on each of the lands, recognizing some of them from the stories Vincent told her about Cloud’s travels.

When she moved one of the maps aside, she discovered a leather-bound book beneath it. ‘Captain’s Log’ was carved neatly onto the leather. Tifa opened it and traced her fingers across the script written on the pages. She assumed it was Cloud’s handwriting, given that he was the captain of the ship. She wondered if he had detailed some of his explorations in this log. But as she skimmed through some of the entries, there was nothing of interest except dates, destinations and weather patterns.

Tifa turned to the last entry. It was dated the day before yesterday.

February 15th
We’re two hours away from reaching the port of Mideel. Hopefully the baron hasn’t forgotten our appointment. If so, I’ll make sure he regrets it and never forgets again. I find myself wondering if Vincent and Lucrecia are happy living in this hell hole. It was unfortunate I couldn’t take them somewhere else.

Tifa closed the book. Cloud seemed to have a soft spot for Vincent and Lucrecia. This bit of knowledge made Cloud seem a little less intimidating to her. One of these days, she would ask him what Vincent had done to be banished from Midgar. Maybe there was something she could do to help them.

She sighed heavily as she slowly panned the room. Something caught her eye that she hadn’t noticed before. She quickly stood up and moved toward the wood-paneled wall to the left of the windows. A round piece of brass stuck out of a wide panel and without thinking, she reached for it and drew it toward her.

It was a door.

After opening it completely, she discovered a black drape. She parted the drape at the center to reveal a small closet.

Tifa curiously inspected the items in front of her. A silver chest plate with an elaborate crest. Two swords were anchored to the wall, a cutlass and a longsword. She recognized the cutlass. Cloud had worn it when he found her at Corneo’s place. She slowly brushed her fingers over the crest on the chest plate, wondering if she would ever see Cloud wear it.

At the bottom of the closet were two boxes, one small and one large.

She opened the smaller one first. Inside were two identical pistols, both made of polished steel and handles carved out of ivory. Resting neatly in a row were ten copper-plated bullets. Not wanting to tempt fate and accidentally shoot herself with one, she quickly closed the lid and set the box aside.

Next she lifted the larger box’s lid. A pair of shiny silver wrist guards rested on a bed of black velvet. They were elaborately etched in great detail with two-headed dragons and other beasts. Protruding along the outer edges of each were six incredibly sharp, knife-like tips, like the scales on the back of a dragon. They looked heavy. She couldn’t fathom the damage these forearm protectors could inflict on anyone or anything they came in contact with.

The sound of footsteps outside the door made Tifa jump. She quickly closed the lid and closed the outer door. She stepped away from the panel just as the door swung open.

Cloud walked in, finding Tifa standing in the center of the room, a rather peculiar wide-eyed look on her face…or a look of guilt. His eyes immediately drifted toward the panel where he kept his weapons hidden.

Tifa followed his gaze and noticed she hadn’t closed the panel door all the way. She suddenly feared he’d be furious with her for snooping around his things. “I…I was…just curious.”

He walked up to her and touched her face, his thumb brushing gently across her healing cheek. “I’m not angry. I have nothing to hide.” He leaned in and kissed the small scar before pulling away. “I came to check on you. Why aren’t you resting?”

She lifted her eyes up, meeting his. “I’ve rested long enough.” His hand on her face sent shivers up her spine. “You said I could read your books.”

Cloud removed his hand, dropping it to his side. “Right. My books. Of course.” He backed away toward the door. “Don’t forget to eat something later.”

She watched him turn and walk out, closing the door behind him. Her hand moved to her heart, covering it in an attempt to slow it down. She didn’t know how to feel about this effect he had on her.

In the middle of the night, Tifa awoke suddenly feeling extremely hungry. She had been so engrossed in a book that she had forgotten to eat, even though Cloud had reminded her. She checked the hammock beside her and found it empty. Where was Cloud?

She got up from the cot and in her borrowed nightdress, she walked barefoot to the door and opened it.

In the narrow corridor, Tifa briefly glanced at the closed door on the left. It led to a small cabin that Zack and Aerith shared. Further down on the right, just after the small bathroom and before the doors leading outside, was a stairway going down into the lower decks. She hadn’t been brave enough to wander down there yet.

As Tifa stepped outside, she was mildly surprised to find the deck empty except for Mr Wedge at the wheel. She imagined that there wasn’t much activity required at night. Cloud had to be below then, somewhere on the cannon decks or in the crew quarters.

A light rain was coming down. It felt wonderful on her skin. But she quickly remembered Wedge at the wheel. Self-conscious of her less than appropriate attire, Tifa hurried toward the front of the ship and disappeared through the double doors.

In the galley she found Cloud, Barret and Cid sitting at one of the tables, eating crusty bread with some kind of sliced meat and playing a card game. The three of them instantly turned toward the door when she walked in.

Cloud didn’t have to say a word. Both Barret and Cid stood up.

“G’night, Spike,” said Barret, as he and Cid headed toward the door, both of them eying Tifa in appreciation on their way out of the galley.

She waited until they were gone and the doors were closed before she apologetically turned to Cloud. “I didn’t mean to disrupt anything.”

He shrugged as he gathered the cards, his eyes never leaving her. “What’re you doing wandering around the ship so late…dressed like that?”

“I was hungry,” Tifa replied self-consciously. She grasped the sides of the wide skirt of her nightdress and drew them around in an attempt to conceal herself further.

He patted the space beside him on the bench. “Come and sit down.”

Tifa walked over and sat down next to him. Her eyes followed his hands as he tore a large piece of bread and placed it on a plate of sliced meat he pushed toward her. She quietly ate, aware that he watched her closely, just as he did all day long. Her eyes slowly drifted down to where his shirt hung open, revealing his bare chest. To distract herself from visually scrutinizing him before he noticed, she thought of something to ask. “How long before we reach Midgar?”

“Based on our current position and the strong northern wind, I’d say about four more days.”

Silence hung between them until she thought of something else to talk about. She found that she liked listening to his voice. “Aerith told me you have two brothers.”

“Yes, Rufus and Denzel. Rufus is the oldest…” Cloud swung one of his legs over the bench seat so he sat straddling it and facing her. “…and he’s the dullest, too. He’ll talk for hours about absolutely nothing, until you want to just ram your head through the nearest wall.” He watched her reaction, hoping to make her laugh. But she didn’t. He frowned and continued anyway. “Denzel’s only ten. He wants to be just like me. My father tells me I’m a bad influence on him.”

“How so?”

“Let’s just say I’ve done a lot of reckless things and now Denzel’s been acting up.”

“Would you prefer he was more like Rufus?”

Cloud smiled. “No, never that unexciting.” He wished he knew more about her. Other than the life she led in Corneo’s household, she didn’t know much else. He suddenly remembered her mentioning Nibelheim in the tavern. “What’s in Nibelheim?”

Tifa stopped chewing and looked up at him in confusion.

“You expressed an interest in going to Nibelheim, remember? The night in the tavern?”

Slowly lowering the slice of bread she had been eating down on the plate, Tifa shook her head. “It’s where I’m from…I think. I didn’t know of another place to tell you at the time. I…just wanted you to get me out. I didn’t really care where I was going.”

“Oh.” He wondered if there was more she wasn’t telling him. He decided not to pry any further for now. “Just wondering.”

Tifa wasn’t sure why she didn’t tell him that Vincent insisted she needed to go there. It didn’t matter because she wasn’t free to go wherever she wanted. She was Shinra property. She shook her head, wanting so badly to forget that colossal detail. “I’m ready to go back to bed now.” She swung her legs over the bench and stood up.

Cloud stood up as well and gently taking her by the arm, he led her out of the galley.

The wooden deck was wet and cool beneath Tifa’s bare feet as she walked on it. She pulled away from Cloud and rushed to the side of the ship, leaning on the railing and sharply inhaling the fresh salty air into her lungs.

Cloud was mesmerized. Her nightdress floated like a delicate spider’s web around her legs as the wind caught it. The silhouette of her slight frame through the garment was revealing. He briefly glanced toward the ship’s wheel and was mildly amused that Wedge was purposely looking everywhere but in their direction. He approached behind Tifa, resting his hands on either side of her on the railing as he leaned over her left shoulder. “Careful, Tifa. Poor Mr Wedge hasn’t seen a pretty girl in ages. You might give him a heart attack.”

His comment made Tifa want to laugh, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to release it. It didn’t escape her that she was trapped in the confines of his arms and was surprised it didn’t send her into her usual panic. “I love the rain,” she said shyly.

“I can see that.”

“Do you like the rain?”

“I have to. I’m at sea seventy-five percent of my time and it rains every other day.”

“Back in Mideel, sometimes late at night when it rained…I’d go outside and stand in the middle of the front courtyard and spin around in circles.”

“I bet that made you smile.”

Tifa looked down at the dark water as the ship sliced through it. “I…I don’t know if I did.”

“But you were happy for just that one moment.”

“I think so.” She turned around in the enclosure of his arms, her face lowered.

Cloud didn’t move away as her rain-dampened hair brushed across his face, its scent more potent when wet. A shiver traveled up his spine and he pushed aside the desire growing inside him.

“There wasn’t much else to be happy about,” she said sadly.

He placed his hand on her chin and tilted her face up. “I’m going to change all that.” He bent forward and placed a tender kiss on her cheek, just barely touching the corner of her lips. The desire to simply tilt a little further and kiss her on the lips was so great that Cloud took a quick step back. “I should get you inside before you’re completely drenched.”

Tifa met his glowing eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat. When he motioned for her to go ahead, she moved away from the side of the ship and headed across to the stern.

“Have a good night, Cap,” Wedge called out.

Cloud caught the tone in Wedge’s voice. The crewman thought he was already having fun with his consort. Most of the crew, if not all of them, probably thought that. It didn’t matter to him. He didn’t have to explain the situation to anyone. It was between him and Tifa.

On the way to his cabin, Cloud went into the bathroom and grabbed a wool blanket out of a cabinet. He wrapped it around Tifa.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

Cloud walked to the desk and picked up the bottle of brandy. He poured some into the glass beside it. After taking a good gulp, he glanced toward Tifa. “Would you like some?” He held the glass out to her as she walked up.

Tifa took the glass from his hand and raised it to her lips, taking a tiny sip. This was her first taste of any kind of alcohol. It burned her throat and she nearly coughed. But she quickly took a longer sip before he took the glass away from her and drained the rest of it himself.

After putting the glass back beside the bottle, Cloud cupped Tifa’s chin. “No bad dreams, all right?” When she nodded, he leaned in and kissed her cheek again. He waited until she laid down on the cot, still wrapped in the blanket he had given her. After making sure she was comfortable, he moved to his hammock and hopped into it. “If you’re still cold, I can get you another blanket.” When he didn’t get a response, he turned his head toward the cot.

Tifa was already asleep.

 

Chapter 9
​

JUNON – the present

I flipped open the cellphone and put it to my ear. “Hello.”

“Tifa, where the hell are you?”

I was surprised at the angry tone in Cloud’s voice. No ‘hello’, no ‘how’re you doing’. I pretended to ignore his tone. “I’m obviously out right now.”

“Marlene and Denzel are starving and you know I can’t cook for shit.”

“You’ll have to deal with it, Cloud. I’ll be home later.”

“No, you gotta come home now.”

Why was he being so demanding all of a sudden? “Excuse me?”

“And what’s with the sign outside the door? We’re not remodeling the bar.”

“Well, I decided we are.”

“Without consulting me?”

“Since when do you care about the bar?”

“I better see you walking through the damned door soon, Tifa…”

This was the first time Cloud had ever spoken with such abrupt hostility toward me. It really made me mad. I could almost feel the steam coming out of my ears. “I said I’ll be home later.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m out.”

“Yeah, I know. Out where?”

“I don’t have to answer that.”

“…” Silence.

“I’ll be home later,” I said for the third time, hoping the conversation was over.

“Where are you, Tifa?” he asked again, his tone becoming very serious.

“What is your problem, Cloud?”

“My problem? I don’t have a problem. Why won’t you tell me where you are?”

“You know what? I’ve had it. I’m not coming home tonight. And I’m not coming home tomorrow. In fact, I’m not coming home until I decide I’m coming home.” So much for taking the train to Kalm. There was no way I was going back home now. Not while he was being so demanding.

Cloud and I had gotten into some serious verbal battles over the last two years, usually ending in him walking out and coming back a couple hours later with his most sincerest apologies. Most of the time our arguments were petty squabbles. But no matter what, things were forgiven and quickly forgotten.

Maybe not this time.

“Is this your way of getting back at me?” he asked after a moment of silence.

“What’re you talking about?”

“You’re still mad because I disappeared for awhile. So now you’re doing the same thing.”

I sighed. He really had no idea what was going on here. And I decided I wasn’t going to enlighten him. I wanted him to worry about where I was.

“I said I was sorry. I’ll say it again. I’m sorry, Tifa. I’m sorry for taking off like that.” His apology reeked with sarcasm. What was the matter with him?

“I’m not trying to get back at you for leaving.”

He sighed. “Tifa, please…just come home.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I can’t talk about it.”

“Is it something I did?” His tone changed again. He was yelling. “What did I do?”

“It’s what you didn’t do, Cloud.” I pulled the phone away from my ear and closed it, cutting off the call. Just for good measure, I turned the ringer volume down before setting the phone down.

Sure enough, my phone vibrated ten seconds later, telling me I had a call. It was Cloud again. I watched my phone traveling across the table from the vibration and I fought back the urge to answer it.

He was clearly upset that I wasn’t home and wouldn’t tell him where I was.

Being difficult was not something I was used to. That was usually Cloud’s forte. Hearing the frustration and anger in his voice gave me the chills. Making him angry didn’t make me feel good, but I wasn’t about to jump at the snap of his fingers or grovel at his feet because I loved him.

A demonstration of long silent emotions was not going to bring me back so easily. He was going to have to work harder than that.

My cellphone buzzed again and I sighed heavily, barely remembering the last time Cloud had shown this much emotion.

The waitress walked over with my food and set the plate down in front of me. “Let me know if there’s anything else you need, hon. Enjoy.” She walked away.

I ate my cheeseburger and tried to ignore the two dozen calls made to my phone in the last ten minutes. But the more I ate, the more I felt the food lodging in my throat. Giving up, I pushed the plate away from me and stared at my cellphone after it stopped buzzing.

I waited for it to vibrate again, announcing another call…but it never came. The calls finally stopped. Did Cloud give up? Somehow I doubted it. He was probably thinking of some other way to get a hold of me. Maybe later I’d check to see if he left any messages.

“Which is it? A memory or us?”

Cloud never did answer my question from the other night. He merely walked out of the room to pursue the lead Reno and Rude had given him on where Kadaj had taken Marlene and Denzel.

So why didn’t he answer? Was he afraid to tell me Aeris would continue to hold his heart forever and that there just wasn’t any room for me? How could she have captured his heart in so short a time when I had known him all of my life? Because I was just a tomboy to him. He didn’t think of me as a woman anymore. I was just a friend that did every day, menial tasks for him. Maybe he regretted ever being intimate with me and now he didn’t know how to tell me it was never going to be like that again.

Well, he wasn’t going to have to worry about it anymore. I’d make his life easier and just stay away. Maybe it would be best for both of us.

My cellphone buzzed. It was him again. He hadn’t given up afterall.

The bell above the diner door rang as two men walked in.

My eyes widened as I realized I knew both of them. Reno and Rude of the Turks. Of all the people to run into in Junon, it had to be those two jokers.

Rude headed toward the restrooms while Reno snatched a menu from the counter before the waitress could hand him one.

“Don’t worry about it, babe, I’ll just seat myself,” he told her before turning further into the open area of the diner.

I held my hand up over my forehead, hoping to conceal myself enough so that he wouldn’t see me. When I peeked between my fingers, I saw Reno sitting three tables away, his feet up on another chair as he checked out the menu. Good, he didn’t see me. Unfortunately I lowered my hand too quickly and Rude saw me on his way to sit with Reno.

Reno followed Rude’s gaze and immediately got up.

I covered my face again, but I heard footfalls coming in my direction.

“Well, well, well…fancy running into you here. Of all places.”

I removed my hand and looked up. “Yeah…what a coincidence.”

Reno was smiling that little smile that annoyed the hell out of me. Then he glanced around the place. “Where’s Chocobo head?”

“He’s not here,” I replied a bit too quickly. Maybe it would have been better if he thought Cloud was with me so he’d leave me alone.

His smile widened even further. “Let me guess. Cloud’s getting on your last nerve and you needed to get away from the guy.”

I didn’t respond and sighed heavily as Rude walked up. To make matters worse, Reno slid into the booth right next to me and Rude took the seat on the opposite side.

“Hello, Miss Lockhart,” said Rude.

I gave him a half smile. “Hi.” I knew Rude had a bit of a crush on me, so at least he wouldn’t make a pest of himself. At least I hoped not.

Reno reached over and pulled the plate with my half eaten cheeseburger toward him. He started eating it. “So really, what’re you doing here?” he asked with his mouth full.

“Nothing. I’m…I’m thinking of going to Costa Del Sol maybe.”

“It’s pretty crowded this time of year,” Rude offered.

“I’ll take that under advisement.” I tried to take my cheeseburger back, but Reno wouldn’t release my plate. “What’re you two doing here?”

“Our boss is taking up temporary residence in the penthouse at the Inn,” Reno offered. “He’s looking at some commercial property in the area. He can’t stay at Healin forever. Especially since he was cured of Geostigma.”

“So Rufus Shinra is back on his feet?” It was a rhetorical question. “Am I to assume he’s going to continue righting the wrongs he’s committed over the years?”

My cellphone buzzed again. I stared at it…the display clearly reading CLOUD. Just as I started to reach for it, Reno snatched it off the table.

To my utter horror, he flipped open my cellphone and answered it. “Hello, Cloud. Guess who?”

I tried to grab the phone out of his hand, but he slid out of the booth and took a couple steps away.

“Hey, take it easy,” Reno replied to whatever Cloud had said to him. “Just having something to eat with Lockhart.” He pulled the phone away from his ear and cringed. “What the hell crawled up your ass all of a sudden?...No, man, we’re in Junon…”

I closed my eyes and shook my head. Great! Now Cloud would know where I was.

Reno pulled the phone away from his ear again and stared down at it. “The little prick hung up on me.” He slid back into the booth and placed the cellphone on the table.

I snatched it and threw it into my purse. “Thanks a lot, Reno,” I snapped.

“For what?”

“Why’d you tell him where I was?”

“Is there a problem between you and Cloud?” asked Rude.

I sighed and looked down, not really wanting them to know what was going on between us. “Everything’s fine,” I mumbled.

“Doesn’t sound like it to me.”

I turned to Reno. “What did he say to you?”

Reno snorted. “For some strange reason, Cloud seems to think we kidnapped you and he said he’d skewer me like a shish-kabob if I touched you.” He poked my arm with a finger. “There, I touched you.”

So much for keeping my distance from Cloud. I stared out the window and calculated about a half hour had passed since I arrived in Junon. So it was almost 7:00. If Cloud left now, he’d probably drive ridiculously fast to reach Junon in less than four hours. I glanced at Rude. “Tell me about that penthouse at the Inn.”

“Nice place,” Rude replied. “All the amenities of home.”

“How many bedrooms?”

“Three or four, I think.”

I pushed Reno roughly out of the booth. “Let’s go.”

“Where’re we going?”

“Just move!”

KALM / THE CHOCOBO FARM / THE MYTHRIL MINES – the past

Barret, Aeris, Red XIII and I gathered outside the Inn while Cloud settled the bill at the front desk.

When he came out to join us, Aeris handed him what looked like a cellphone. He looked down at it. “What’s this for?”

“So we can stay in constant contact with each other.”

He looked up at her. “Why? Are you leaving us?”

“Red said he’d help me find some of the answers I’m looking for. I have to know my purpose, Cloud. But I’ll join you again very soon.” She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Then she walked away with Red at her side.

I watched Cloud’s reaction. He seemed alittle upset that Aeris was temporarily leaving. Deep down inside, I was relieved that she wasn’t continuing with us for the time being. It was a selfish feeling, but I couldn’t help the jealousy that sprouted every time she was near Cloud.

“Where to now?” asked Barret.

Cloud was still looking regretfully in the direction Aeris had gone. Finally he turned and started walking away. “The Mythril Mines…” he mumbled.

I exchanged a glance with Barret before we both moved to catch up with Cloud.

“How you supposin’ we get there with that Midgar Zolom lurkin’ in the swamps near the entrance to the mines?” asked Barret.

Mountains blocked the upper section of the continent from the rest of it. The only passage was through the Mythril Mines. “We could try crossing over the mountains,” I suggested.

“Not an option,” said Cloud and he didn’t say anything more to elaborate on his plan.

Along the way Cloud led us to a Chocobo Farm where he purchased a Chocobo Lure materia. I wasn’t sure what purpose it had and didn’t want to ask him because of the foul mood he seemed to be in since we left Kalm.

As we headed for the swamp in front of the Mythril Mines, we ran into some monsters along the way and had to fight. In the process Cloud miraculously caught two Chocobos. That explained the purpose of the Chocobo Lure materia. It rendered a Chocobo helpless. Wild Chocobos were impossible to catch, much less train to be ridden.

Barret mounted one of the Chocobos while Cloud and I mounted the second one. The Chocobos were fast as we started across the swamp.

I glanced back over my shoulder and beneath the murky waters I saw a long dark shadow pursuing us. The Midgar Zolom. “Cloud, it’s right behind us!”

But I was concerned for no reason. The Chocobos managed to reach dry land before the Midgar Zolom could catch up to us. Unfortunately, the moment we dismounted the Chocobos, the pair squawked and dashed away.

Barret rushed forward. “Come back here, ya stupid birds!”

“Forget them,” said Cloud and he walked inside the entrance to the mines.

Before I could follow, Barret grabbed my arm. “How does he know where we need to go?”

I had asked myself that same question when we left Kalm. What had made Cloud decide that we needed to go this way? How did he know which direction Sephiroth had gone? “I don’t know, Barret. Do you know which way we should go?”

He didn’t answer.

“Then I guess we need to trust Cloud, don’t we?”

We followed Cloud inside and caught up with him just as he went through a passageway. It lead into a large chamber containing two other passageways leading outside. The closest passageway led to a dead end. The other was situated on a higher level, so we began looking for a way up.

“Well, look who found their way out of Midgar.”

Cloud, Barret and I froze in our tracks at the voice and looked up to the very passageway we were trying to reach. It was the bald Turk with the dark sunglasses. Two others entered behind him. One was the Turk with the long dark hair and the other was a blonde short-haired woman.

“Stupid Turks,” muttered Barret.

“Don’t criticize without knowing what we do. But it’s difficult to explain what the Turks do…”

“Kidnapping, right?” Cloud offered angrily.

“To put it negatively…you could say that. But, that’s not all there is to it, anymore.”

The woman stepped up beside him. “It’s all right, Rude. I know you don’t like speeches, so don’t force it.”

“Then you explain it Elena.”

She looked down in our direction. “I’m Elena, the newest member of the Turks. Thanks to what you did to Reno, we’re short on people. Although, because of that, I got promoted to the Turks… In any case, our job is to find out where Sephiroth is headed. And to try and stop you every step of the way. Wait a minute, it’s the other way around…You’re the ones that are getting in our way.”

The dark haired Turk rolled his eyes. “Elena, you talk too much.”

“Sorry, Tseng.”

“No need to tell them our orders or tell them our names. Just go and don’t forget to file your report.”

“Oh! Right! Very well, Rude and I will go after Sephiroth and catch him before he reaches the harbor in Junon!

Tseng sighed heavily.

Elena gasped and covered her mouth, obviously realizing she had just given up the location Sephiroth was headed. “Oh! I’m, I’m sorry…”

“Get out of here and don’t let Sephiroth get away.”

“Before I go,” said Rude, “…Reno said he wanted to see you after the injuries you gave him healed. He wants to show his affection for you all…with a new weapon.” Then he walked out of the passageway with Elena at his heels.

Tseng turned to us. “Well, then… Where’s Aeris? She’s not with you?”

“Wouldn’t you just love to know?” Cloud said sarcastically

“Alright then, give her my regards.” Tseng walked out of the chamber.

We waited a few minutes before we each climbed a stone pillar to reach the higher ledge.

“So we’re headed for Junon then?” I asked Cloud.

“I already knew before Elena told us.” He walked on.

“He’s spooky,” said Barret.

On the way to Junon, we hiked through a small forest where we were suddenly attacked by what looked like a young girl. She was pretty good at using materia, but we were able to defeat her nonetheless without actually killing her.

“Man…I can’t believe I lost…’ she turned her gaze to Cloud. “You spiky-headed jerk! One more time, let’s go one more time!”

“Not interested,” replied Cloud.

“Thinking of running away? Stay and fight! FIGHT, I said! C’mon…What’s the matter? You scared of me, right?”

“Petrified.”

“Just as I thought. What do you expect with my superior ninja skills? Next time I won’t go so easy on you. Catch ya later!” She started to walk away but slowed her steps and glanced back. “I’m really gonna leave! REALLY!”

I leaned toward Cloud’s ear. “Maybe we could use her.”

Cloud gave me an incredulous scowl. “She’s just a kid, Tifa.”

“I know, but…”

Cloud sighed and turned toward the slowly departing ninja girl. “Wait a second!

She gleefully turned and walked back. “I know you want my help because I’m so good! You want me to go with you?”

“That’s right.”

“Heh heh…thought so. If you want me that bad, I can’t refuse… All right! I’ll go with you!”

“Great,” Cloud turned to walk away. “I’m ecstatic,” he added with sarcasm.

Barret and I exchanged a smile and followed behind Cloud.

“Hey… HEY! Wait! I haven’t even told you my name…I’m Yuffie! Hey, wait up! Wait for me!”

JUNON – the past

I had never been to Junon, but I expected the town to be somewhat like Midgar. What we found was completely different.

Cloud was the first to voice his opinion. “What happened to this town? It’s so run-down…”

We chatted a bit with some of the local people and were directed to a Shinra guard standing in front of a metal door attached to a tall pillar. At the top of the pillar was a platform leading to an upper level. But the guard wouldn’t allow us through the door.

We began to look for another way. Our search took us to the beach where a large steel-beamed structure rested in the water. At the top was another platform to the upper level. But there was no way to climb it. The beams were too far apart.

At the edge of the water we saw a little girl playing with a dolphin.

“Mr. Dolphin, my name is…Priscilla. Pri…scil…la,” she sounded out. “Now you say it.”

Our group approached the beach, startling the girl named Priscilla.

“Who are you? Are you members of the Shinra?”

“No!” Barret butted in before anyone else could respond. “You got it all wrong! We’re fighting against the Shinra!”

Cloud rolled his eyes. “Here we go again.”

“I don’t believe you!” yelled Priscilla. “Get out of here!”

Cloud turned to Barret. “Great job scaring the kid, Barret.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw something huge rise out of the water. “Whoa, look at that!”

Priscilla suddenly rushed into the water. “It’s Bottomswell! Be careful Mr. Dolphin!”

Bottomswell swung one of its flappers, knocking Priscilla unconscious into the water.

Cloud pulled his buster sword from behind his back and ran forward to attack the creature. Barret and I followed close behind.

“Hey, wait for me,” said Yuffie.

Defeating Bottomswell had been difficult. The creature kept calling up a tidal wave that pushed us backward. When the dead creature disappeared beneath the water, Cloud carried Priscilla out of the water and carefully laid her down on the sand.

I crouched down beside him and reached to touch my fingertips to the side of Priscilla’s neck. “This is bad. Her pulse is pretty faint.”

A man rushed down to the beach. “Priscilla!”

We all stepped back as the man shook her in an attempt to revive the little girl.

“She’s not breathing…” The man turned to us. “Do something!”

I turned to Cloud. “Cloud, didn’t they teach you CPR in SOLDIER?”

He gawked at me like I had lost my mind. “Mouth to mouth!? But, she’s just a little girl…”

“Please…” the man pleaded. “You have to help my daughter.”

Cloud dropped down beside Priscilla and began performing CPR on her. A few seconds passed before Priscilla coughed and regained consciousness.

Priscilla’s father picked the little girl up and carried her way from the beach. We all followed behind him. He carried her into one of the houses, leaving us standing outside.

A woman approached us. “You can all come back to my house for awhile. I have plenty of beds.”

We followed the woman to her house. She directed Cloud and Barret into one of the bedrooms, while Yuffie and I took another one.

When I woke up it was daylight outside. I left Yuffie in the room and crossed the hallway to the other bedroom.

Barret was snoring loudly while Cloud was mumbling in his sleep.

I approached the side of the bed where Cloud was lying and leaned closer to see if I could hear what he was saying.

“…I don’t know…I can’t remember clearly…”

I reached out and shook his shoulder. “Cloud, wake up.”

He instantly came awake and sat up. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing. It’s morning.”

Cloud ran his hand over his face. Before I had a chance to pull away, he grabbed my wrist. “Tifa…”

I turned back to him.

“When Sephiroth and I went to Nibelheim, where were you?”

I frowned. “What do you mean? We saw each other, right? You don’t remember?”

He looked puzzled.

“Come on, Cloud. We need to figure out what to do next.”

A half hour later we were all gathered near the beach where Priscilla met us.

“Are you all right now?” asked Cloud.

“Umm…thanks for helping…I’m sorry, I mistook you for one of those Shinra people.”

“No problem.”

She pulled something out of her pocket. “I’ll give you something special! It’s an amulet.”

As Cloud took it from her and looked down at it, I moved closer to see what she had given him. I immediately recognized the red materia. We exchanged a surprised look.

I leaned closer to him. “She obviously doesn’t know what to do with a Shiva Summon materia.”

Cloud nodded. “Good thing, too.” He noticed Yuffie staring at the red orb in his hand and quickly attached it to his wrist guard.

Barret looked up when music suddenly started to play. “What the hell’s that?”

“They’re rehearsing the reception for the new Shinra president,” replied Priscilla. Her smile faded. “Grandpa and grandma told me this beach was beautiful when they were small. But after the Shinra built that city above, the sun stopped shining here, and the water got polluted. I was raised on that story and hate Shinra so much, I could die!”

Barret looked up again. “We gotta get to the town up there…Mebbe we could climb the tower?”

“No! No!” yelled Priscilla. “There’s a high voltage current running underneath the tower. Don’t wander near it, it’s dangerous! But…you might be able to if Mr. Dolphin helps you. Follow me!”

“High voltage tower,” I said and turned to Cloud. “Maybe you'll be all right climbing it.”

Cloud looked at our expectant faces. “Wait a second. I didn’t volunteer for anything.”

Priscilla blew a whistle and as we all turned toward the surf, we saw the dolphin jump up into the air.

“I ain’t never seen no Dolphin jump like that!” said Barret with his mouth hanging open.

Priscilla ran up to us. “Pretty cool, huh? When I blow this whistle, Mr. Dolphin jumps for me. Here, Cloud.”

Cloud took the whistle from her. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

“Just go into the water, blow this whistle and Mr. Dolphin will jump you to the top of the pole!”

“Jump to the top of the pole?”

“See that rod sticking out at the top? If you jump just right, you can land there and then climb up to the town.”

Cloud turned to me. “If Rufus is planning to cross to the other continent, we have to get on that boat. I’ll try to find out what he’s going to do.”

I nodded. “The rest of us will see if we can subdue that guard in front of the elevator. We’ll meet up soon.”

“Okay.” Cloud walked to the water’s edge and began wading in. He swam toward the steel structure and when he was in position he blew the whistle.

I watched in fascination as the dolphin jumped out of the water, lifting Cloud up into the air with its snout. Cloud grabbed the rod sticking out and hopped up on the nearby beam. He waved down to us before starting the long climb up to the top.

SHINRA BOAT – the past

It had been a difficult task, but the rest of us finally made it to the town at the top of the mountain. Barret had knocked out the guard while I hot-wired the elevator controls to gain access inside. We rode the elevator to the top and split up in order to find out as much as we could.

When the ship at the harbor blew its horn, we all met up behind some crates, each of us having found a disguise. Then one by one we came out from behind the crates and boarded the ship without drawing any attention.

The ship soon left the Junon harbor.

A uniformed guard came up to me and I quickly stood at attention and saluted.

The guard raised his visor to reveal his identity. It was Cloud. He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me behind some cargo crates. “Where’re the others?”

“They’re all in disguises. I’m not sure where they are though. They must be around.”

Someone came around the side of the crates. I recognized Yuffie in the sailor outfit. She was holding both of her hands over her mouth and looked extremely green.

“Yuffie, are you all right?” I asked with concern.

She shook her head. “No, I’m seasick.” She gagged and ran around to the other side of the crates.

“I was seasick, too,” said Cloud. “But I took something and I’m feeling fine.”

“Maybe you should give it to Yuffie.”

Cloud crowded me against the crate. “Maybe later.”

The next thing I knew, Cloud was ravaging the side of my neck. Despite the seriousness of our situation, I didn’t attempt to stop him. We messed around for a few minutes before I stepped out from behind the crates first, adjusting my uniform and my sailor hat.

Cloud came out a few seconds later, glancing around and seeing two guards standing on either side of a door. “Good work, sailor!”

I saluted him. “Thank you, sir!” I bit my lower lip to contain my smile as I watched Cloud walk away. He saluted the two nearby guards and headed up the stairs.

Yuffie was making gagging sounds from behind another stack of crates. I went to check on her. She didn’t look good at all.

“Yuffie, let’s go topside. You look like you could use some air.” I helped her up the stairs and to the reiling.

“Emergency alert!” blared a voice over the loud speaker. “Reports of a suspicious character found! Those not on detail, search the ship. Report when found! I repeat. Suspicious character found on board! Those not on detail, search the ship. Report when found!”

Yuffie and I exchanged concerned glances and quickly headed to the middle of the ship where we met up with the others in our group. Aeris and Red XIII had also managed to steal aboard the ship.

“Everyone all right!?” I asked.

“You all right!?” Barret asked at the same time.

“If we’re all here,” said Aeris, “…then who’s the suspicious character?”

Barret turned to Cloud. “You don’t think it was…?”

Cloud clenched his fists. “…Sephiroth! Let’s find out.”

We all headed down to the cargo area. The two guards that had been standing near the engine room door were lying dead on the ground. Cloud rushed forward through the doors and the rest of us quickly followed.

Cloud was shaking another guard. “Hey, you! Talk to me, dammit!”

The guard collapsed at his feet.

Cloud looked up and spun around in place. “He’s here. I can feel him.”

“After a long sleep…” said an echoing voice. “The time…time has…come…”

Barret pointed. “Look, Cloud!”

We all turned to where Barret was pointing. Sephiroth had literally risen right through the floor like a ghost.

Cloud took a step forward. “Sephiroth! You’re alive!”

Sephiroth slowly turned to face Cloud. “Who are you?”

“You don’t remember me!? I’m Cloud!”

“Cloud…”

“Sephiroth! What the hell do you think you’re doing!?”

“The time…is now…” Sephiroth vanished just as quickly and mysteriously as he appeared. But in his wake he left a hideously disfigured creature.

It took the strength of all of us to defeat it.

When the battle was over, Cloud was shaking his head. “The time…is now? What could he have meant by that?”

Barret shook his gunarm. “I don’t know what the hell’s goin’ on, Cloud! We gotta do somethin’ ‘bout that guy!”

A voice came over the loud speaker again. “We will be arriving in Costa Del Sol in five minutes. Prepare for docking.”

I grabbed Cloud’s arm and tugged at it. “Come on, Cloud. We have to hide.”

“Sephiroth…is alive…” he mumbled. “The Promised Land…Does it really exist?”

 

Chapter 10​

The next couple of days were similar and uneventful. Tifa spent a lot of time with Aerith only because Cloud was busy doing one thing or another onboard the ship. But he let her steer the ship every morning, something she was quickly growing fond of.

Now that The Avalanche was only two days away from reaching Midgar, Tifa wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

On one hand, she couldn’t wait to begin her new life with Cloud. It was sort of like an adventure, experiencing new things and new feelings. But on the other hand, Tifa was still somewhat terrified of her role as Cloud’s consort. A consort’s responsibility was to please the one who owned her. She didn’t know how to do it. All she had were the memories of the violent things she had seen in Corneo’s bordello. Cloud explained to her that what she saw was not what it was supposed to be like. Since she knew nothing else, she would have to count on him to show her the proper way.

But when would it happen? What was he waiting for? Was he concerned about her injuries or her health? Or was he suddenly reconsidering her role as a consort, thinking that she wouldn’t please him afterall?

These were the thoughts filling her head as Tifa laid in the bubble-filled wooden tub of the small bathroom.

A light knock startled her and her eyes shot over to the door.

“Tifa?” came the muffled voice on the other side. It was Cloud.

“Yes?”

“What’re you doing?”

“Taking a bath.”

“There’re soap suds in the corridor.”

Tifa raised herself slightly and noticed the bubbles creeping underneath the door. It suddenly opened and she dropped back into the tub, splashing water over the side.

Cloud stepped inside and took in the sight before him. Tifa was in the tub, surrounded by mountains of soap suds. They were in her hair…not to mention all over the floor and even on the wall in some places.

“Did I use too much soap?” Tifa asked innocently.

Soapy water warped the wood after a while if it wasn’t wiped off. Cloud should have been furious. But he couldn’t bring himself to reprimand her for something she obviously didn’t understand. “A couple capfuls would have been enough,” he said with a smile.

Tifa’s eyes widened as she recalled pouring in a quarter of the bottle. She didn’t want to tell him that. “Oh.”

Cloud crouched down beside the tub, amused by the way she was trying to hide herself among the suds. “My tub at home is much larger than this,” he commented. “Plenty of room for two.” He saw the color instantly rise to her cheeks and added, “Unless you’re opposed.”

“I don’t know that I would be.”

“I guess we’ll have to give it a try then, right?”

“Yes…”

“How about I scrub your back now? Kind of like a practice run.”

Tifa stared into his eyes, trying to determine if she saw anything in them to hint other ideas. But he seemed sincere. If he wanted to ravage her, he would have done so over the last couple of days. Besides, she needed to become more familiar with his touch. It wasn’t like he hadn’t touched her at all thus far. She had felt his hands and lips on her face and on her neck and on her back. She didn’t mind it at all.

When Tifa bent forward, Cloud reached for a sponge on the shelf. He dunked it in the water and rubbed it in slow circles over her back.

Tifa closed her eyes as she rested her cheek on her bent knees, his ministrations relaxing her. “You have a very gentle hand.”

“When I’m conscious of it,” he replied.

“Or when there isn’t a sword in it?”

The left side of Cloud’s lips curved into a smile. “Right.”

“Vincent told me you’re a skilled swordsman.”

His hand stopped as he thought over her statement. “Hm…skilled, yes. But that’s because he taught me everything he knows.” He resumed gently scrubbing her back.

“He was your teacher?” She raised her head and looked at him, noticing the way his brows drew together all of a sudden.

“Vincent was more than just my teacher…he was a good friend.” His eyes focused on the sponge moving across her silky skin. “We’ll save that story for another time.”

That ended the conversation. Tifa rested her chin on her knees and closed her eyes again. “I never imagined someone of your status would tend to a slave the way you have.”

“Tifa, I told you I’m not going to treat you like a slave.”

“Are you always this kind to everyone?”

He snorted out a short laugh. “According to some people, I’m the most coldhearted person in the world.”

“I don’t believe that,” she quickly said, wondering why anyone would think that of him.

“You’ve only seen the good side of me,” he replied without hesitation.

Tifa briefly recalled what Johnny had said about Cloud being a tyrant and a war monger. She looked at him again. “Will I ever see the bad side?”

Cloud grew somber and shook his head. “No…never.”

“Will you tell me what makes you bad then?”

He paused before running the sponge down her arm and back up to her shoulder. “I’ve killed for Midgar. I’m certain many were innocent people in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“But you didn’t have a choice.”

“If it were my choice, we wouldn’t be at war with Wutai. I prefer peace.”

“That’s why I believe in you.”

He met her eyes and smiled hopefully. “Does this mean you’re beginning to trust me?”

“Maybe a little.”

Cloud picked up her hand where it rested on the edge of the tub. After he ran the sponge over her fingers, he pulled her hand closer and with his eyes locked on hers, he brought his lips to her knuckles, kissing each of them one at a time.

Tifa melted. His lips were like velvet on her skin. Much to her dismay, he placed her hand back on the edge of the tub and stood up.

“I better get back to work,” he said. “When you’re finished, let Mr Biggs know so he can send someone down here to clean this up.”

She nodded and watched him walk out, closing the door behind him.

Tifa sat motionless in the tub for several minutes as she digested her feelings and the sensations he had left her with. She searched her heart and realized that she did trust him. She didn’t know why trusting him came so easily to her. But when had there ever been someone who took such a personal interest in her, other than to expense cruelty? Cloud made it clear that he wanted her to be happy, he wanted her to smile. He would never do anything to hurt her.

Everything about him begged for her attention. His eyes so full of depth and life, his lips so perfect and soft against her skin, the smooth timber of his voice in her ear and…

She closed her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. She had wanted to despise him from the first day he brought her on his ship. No matter how hard she tried to hate him and everything he stood for, it wasn’t possible. If he had wanted to hurt her, he would have done it by now. His goal was to make her happy and she had a feeling he wouldn’t stop until he accomplished it. All she needed to do was let him succeed.

After informing Mr Biggs that she was finished with her bath, she returned to Cloud’s cabin to immerse herself in the book she had been reading the last couple of days. Legends of the Cold Mountain. It told a fictional story of an explorer who discovered a strange glowing fountain inside a cave.

She opened the book to begin the fifth chapter. Her head filled with the author’s description of the cold mountain north of a place called Nivelheim. On the third page of the chapter, Tifa noticed something written on the margin.

Nivelheim? Nibelheim? Just a coincidence?

It was Cloud’s handwriting. She remembered it from seeing his writing in the Captain’s Log. So why was he questioning the coincidence of the two names? Did he suspect the cave in the mountain actually existed in Nibelheim? Wasn’t the story a work of fiction and not reality?

“Ship ahoy! All hands to stations!”

The loud shout made Tifa jump. She hopped off the hammock and quickly headed for the door. She was outside on the main deck in seconds, rushing to stand near Aerith at the side of the ship.

The first mate barked out orders and the crew scrambled to fulfill them as he bolted up the steps to join Cloud, Zack and Barret on the wheel deck. With him he brought a telescope, which he extended and peered through.

Cloud quickly grew impatient. “Is it Wutaian?”

“Nope. Looks bigger.” Cid’s frown deepened. “Much, much bigger.” He scowled when Cloud pulled the telescope out of his hand.

But when Cloud looked through the lens, he had to agree with Cid.

The ship was huge, maybe even bigger than The Avalanche. It was dull gray in color, it didn’t shine at all in the light of the sun. The bowsprit was nearly as long as the entire ship and was sharp and jagged, like the teeth of a shark. It had three masts with sails that bore no seal to identify the ship’s origin. The flag flying on the highest mast was black, again with no seal. The side of the ship Cloud could see revealed two rows of ten cannon portals. He imagined the other side had the same.

“A marauder,” he mumbled more to himself than the others standing on either side of him. “Forty cannons.”

“Definitely a warship,” Zack grunted.

“The flag and sail don’t show an origin.” Cloud lowered the telescope and watched with his own eyes as the large ship sailed on a course that would bring them parallel to The Avalanche in a matter of minutes. “Definitely not from Wutai,” he surmised.

“Gongagian then?” growled Barret.

Cloud glared at Barret with one eye without turning his head. “They wouldn’t know how to build a canoe, much less a warship.” His gaze shifted to Tifa and Aerith on the main deck. He turned to look over his shoulder. “Mr Biggs, take the ladies below.”

“Aye, Cap.” Biggs approached the two women and motioned toward the door leading to the galley. While Aerith obeyed without question, Tifa broke away from his hand on her arm and in a whirl of pale blue, she rushed back to the side of the ship. Biggs turned to his captain for direction and Cloud motioned for him to just leave her alone.

Tifa stared at the large ship closing fast. A few minutes later it moved smoothly beside them. She glanced up to where Cloud stood with Zack, Cid and Barret. They looked uncomfortable as they exchanged quick words. She turned back to the other ship, equally as large as The Avalanche.

She wanted to know what Cloud and the others were saying, so she headed up to the wheel deck. Not wanting to be told to leave the deck again, Tifa discreetly remained several feet away from them, leaning on the railing. From this distance, she could make out the crew onboard the other ship. Her brows drew together when she realized they were hideously disfigured, like giant goblins. Were these the creatures Cloud had encountered on Goblin Island? Then she remembered Cloud saying they had been small. The creatures on the ship were huge, some larger than an average-sized man.

“I thought he was incarcerated in Icicle Village,” Cid sneered as they finally got a glimpse of who obviously commanded the ship.

Cloud glared at the tall man standing on the deck. “Sephiroth…” he murmured without moving his lips.

Dressed entirely in black, his long silver hair blowing in the wind, Soren Sephiroth never looked more menacing than he did right then. He smiled sinisterly. “Good to see you again, Cloud,” he said, his voice booming over the almost deafening sounds of the ships swiftly slicing through the water.

Cloud smiled without humor. “Fancy seeing you commanding a ship, Sephiroth,” he shouted in return.

“Yes, and have you ever seen a ship so magnificent? I call her Jenova, after my dearly departed mother.”

“You’re sailing dangerously close to Midgardian waters without a flag. What do you want?” No sense in asking how he managed to escape the dungeons of Icicle Village. Cloud knew the man was capable of anything.

“I merely wish to dock in Junon to replenish our food stores,” Sephiroth replied smoothly. “And then we’ll be on our way.”

Cloud could read the deceit on his face. He had had years of practice reading the ex-general’s expressions. “Why do I find that hard to believe?”

“Perhaps I’ll pay Queen Annaxia a friendly visit. I hear her daughter is of marrying age.”

Not that he cared much for the girl he was supposed to marry, Cloud was more concerned about Sephiroth gaining control of Junon. It was a wealthy town with many influential people that could side with him if he managed to gain their ear. Marrying the princess would definitely give Sephiroth the advantage. “You won’t make it passed my ship, Sephiroth.”

“So it’s a fight you want?”

A fight would undoubtedly result in damage to The Avalanche, not to mention the real possibility of casualties. He wasn’t prepared to fight on this voyage. He didn’t have enough manpower and the two women would only be a distraction to him and Zack and everyone else on board. “As much as I would take pleasure in sinking your…unremarkable…ship to the bottom of the sea, I wish to avoid a fight. There are civilians aboard.”

“Do you truly believe I care anything about civilians? Or you, for that matter?”

Cloud’s eyes casually panned over Sephiroth’s crew. Were they even human?…Large yellow eyes with black slit pupils, sickly green scaled skin like lizards, jagged teeth easily capable of tearing flesh. Definitely not anything he had ever run across in his explorations. They snarled like rabid dogs. “What’d you do? Raid the zoo on your way out of Icicle Village?”

Sephiroth chuckled as he glanced at the closest of his men. He kept smiling when he turned back to Cloud. “Careful, Cloud. They’re easily provoked and once they’re committed to an attack, there’s no reasoning with them.”

The Avalanche had never been outmatched. This was a first. Cloud mulled over his options. But he knew there was only one thing he could do. Knowing his officers were looking to him for direction, he gave Cid a barely noticeable nod.

In turn the first mate turned to Mr Wedge who turned to another man. A series of glances from one crewman to another set a silent command into motion. Below the main deck, cannon portals flipped open simultaneously and twenty cannons were quickly rolled into position, ready to fire on command.

Cloud noticed Sephiroth’s smile slip a fraction as his eyes took in the cannons aimed at his ship. By the time Sephiroth ordered his cannons readied, his ship would already receive the first volley and some serious damage.

Sephiroth’s smile returned full force. “So we live to fight another day.” He turned and waved a hand signal to someone.

A moment later the ship’s nose steered away.

“He’s turning around,” Cid said as the other large ship made a slow turn and headed in the opposite direction, away from Midgardian waters.

Cloud released the breath he had been holding and took control of the ship’s wheel from the white-faced crewman who looked about to lose his lunch on the deck. Cloud’s teeth were clenched tightly as he realized how close he had come to a fight with a vessel that quite possibly could have seriously damaged his ship...or even sunk her.

Zack stepped into his field of vision. “Don’t overthink it, Cloud.”

“I have a bad feeling. I shouldn’t have let him go, Zack.”

“You didn’t have a choice. Even if we had the advantage of firing first, they would have had time to hit back while we reloaded. It wouldn’t have been pretty.”

“Did you see how fast his ship caught up with us?”

“He’s obviously not carrying anything but crew and cannon,” said an irritated Cid.

“Looks like we’ll have to travel just as light next time, won’t we,” he said in frustration.

Tifa waited until Cid, Barret and Zack hopped down from the wheel deck before she approached Cloud. “You know him?”

Cloud didn’t respond right away as he stood rigid behind the wheel. “Someone I thought I’d never cross paths with again.” He was unable to control his ragged breathing, his head splitting open from the fear threatening to eat away at his mind.

“You look worried.”

“That’s because I am,” he replied with a cringe and stared straight ahead, not liking the sudden feeling of helplessness. “He’s a madman…unpredictable and dangerous. And now he has a ship with enough fire power to demolish a coastal town in a matter of minutes.” He felt vulnerable for the first time in his life and it made him extremely uneasy.

Tifa didn’t like the look of uncertainty on his face. She ducked under his arm and positioned herself between him and the wheel, trying to distract him from his dark thoughts. Relief washed over her like a warm wave as he slid an arm around her waist and pulled her against him. She clung to his shirt and pressed her face against the side of his, hoping she was comforting him as much as he had comforted her over the last few days.

But Cloud wasn’t distracted. His thoughts of Sephiroth floated in his mind like garbage on an untainted beach. He recalled the diabolical incident that ended the man’s career commanding King Shinra’s soldiers. It had taken the king years after that to gain back the trust of his people. But it had been a mistake to think Sephiroth would remain imprisoned. Cloud knew he and Rufus should have fought harder to have Sephiroth executed. But even so, their arguments would have been in vain because the High Council Judges in Icicle Village remembered all of Sephiroth’s good deeds and they unfortunately believed the many good deeds outweighed the one bad deed, despite the horridness of it. Instead of execution, Sephiroth was sentenced to live out the rest of his life in the dungeons of Icicle Village.

And now he was free.

Cloud didn’t doubt Sephiroth killed the judges of the High Council. Without them there would be no judiciary rulings. He imagined word of their demise would soon reach Midgar, if in fact there was anyone left alive in Icicle Village to report it.

 

Lots of fluffy stuff in this chapter

Chapter 11​

After the incident with Sephiroth, Cloud spent the rest of the day inspecting each of the forty cannons. He ordered them thoroughly cleaned inside and out, taking on the task himself along with the crew until late into the night. By the time they finished, everyone was exhausted, including Cloud.

He took the stairs up to the stern corridor and went straight to his cabin with the intention of crashing on the cot. Expecting to find Tifa already asleep since it was so late, he was surprised to find the hammock empty. Maybe she was having another late snack in the galley.

Cloud unbuckled his jerkin and pulled it off. He unbuttoned his shirt and was about to remove it. Then he decided he was a bit hungry himself. He left the cabin and quickly checked the bathroom to make sure Tifa wasn’t in there causing more bubble havoc in the tub. He went out to the main deck and as he started across to the galley doors, a movement on the bow deck caught his eye.

It was Tifa. She was leaning into the railing directly behind the bowsprit, her hair and gown billowing behind her from the strong headwind, her face tilted up, looking at the stars.

Cloud watched her for a moment. It was colder than any night so far. He imagined she had to be feeling it.

Tifa heard a sound and turned to see Cloud approaching.

“Aren’t you cold?” he asked as he came up beside her.

“Just a little.” She turned back to the stars. “I never realized there were so many of them. It almost looks like a different sky from the sea.”

Cloud had always thought the same thing. After a quiet moment he pointed to a particular spot in the sky. “See that cluster of stars over there. If you look at it just right, it kinda looks like Barret from behind, wearing a very unflattering dress.”

Tifa didn’t have to really look. She knew he was joking.

His eyes drifted to her face, to the curve on her lips and was surprised. “Is that a smile I see?”

She let out a small gasp. Was she really smiling in front of him? She actually reached up to feel her lips. But maybe it wasn’t all that surprising to her, given how he made her feel so comfortable and relaxed and how he relentlessly tried to make her laugh.

He touched her arm, turning her to face him. “See? It’s not that difficult.” His eyes remained on her smiling lips as he placed both of his hands on her chilled arms, lightly running his fingers down to her bent elbows. The temptation was unbearable. Would she shy away from him if he kissed her? Cloud drew closer, tilting his head slightly to the right, briefly rubbing his nose against hers before he kissed her lips. He held his lips pressed to hers for only a second before repeating it.

She remained very still, afraid to move. Her smile disappeared, replaced by a grim line of concern. A hundred things flashed through her mind as her heart began racing. Kissing led to other things…terrible things. But she couldn’t bring herself to push him away. The scent and heat of his breath made her delirious. She ardently wanted more, but didn’t know how to react.

Cloud moved his lips against hers, brushing lightly and breathing in her small nervous breaths. He was concerned that she wouldn’t respond at all, but he was determined to elicit some kind of reaction. As he lightly touched her lower lip with his tongue, she inhaled a shuddering breath and pulled back, forcing him to immediately stop. But he remained close, waiting and hoping he hadn’t acted too hastily when he decided to kiss her.

His heart swelled with excitement when she timidly tilted her chin back up, haltingly seeking contact with his lips again. Even this small sign encouraged him. He kissed her again and slowly traced her lips with his tongue. He stopped to note her reaction. When she sought him again, he tilted his head further and captured her lips in a more meaningful kiss.

Her inexperience was evident, but she learned quickly, matching his movements, kissing him back and parting her lips whenever he did. When his tongue slid into her mouth to touch hers, she was startled again, but didn’t pull away this time.

Not wanting to overwhelm her too quickly, Cloud behaved himself, despite the growing desire to lose himself in the warm heat of her innocence. He had never been with a girl who had never been touched before and wasn’t sure how to proceed without scaring her. He reluctantly broke away, smiling a little when she leaned in for more. At least now he knew she wasn’t so opposed to some mild intimacy. He could live with that…for now. Small steps were better than no steps.

Tifa’s face turned bright red and she looked down, feeling slightly embarrassed at her willful behavior. But mainly at how easily he had enticed her into something so intimate. Yet no matter how she looked at it, she had enjoyed it very much and already ached to feel it again. She never realized kissing could be so wonderful. But she couldn’t imagine it was this good with just anybody.

Cloud slid his arms around her, pulling her against him and holding her close. As Tifa snuggled her face into his shoulder, he thought how important it was to him that she trusted him. If he did too much too soon, her trust would diminish. He was sure she hadn’t met very many people that were kind to her…except for Vincent and Lucrecia.

“Tifa, I would love to stay out here all night and gaze at the stars with you,” he said after several quiet minutes. “But I’m really tired.” He gently released her and when she nodded he led the way to the ladder. He went down first and reached up to help Tifa down. Holding hands, they left the main deck.

While Cloud disappeared in the bathroom to wash up before bed, Tifa went into the cabin and quickly removed her gown. She rushed to put on her nightdress and hopped into the hammock just as the door opened.

Cloud pulled off his shirt and walked over to the desk to pour himself some brandy. After taking a couple gulps, he approached the hammock, holding the glass out to Tifa.

She sat up and took a sip while he still held the glass for her.

“One more night after this and then we’ll be in Midgar,” he said as he drank the rest of the brandy. He bent over and gave her a lingering kiss on the lips. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Like the night before, Tifa watched Cloud recline on the cot. He was asleep in a matter of seconds.

She thought about what he said. One more night. She couldn’t help but wonder what the future had in store for her.

In the morning, Tifa fell into her routine of the last few days. She ate breakfast with Aerith and then headed for the wheel deck to steer the ship with Cloud.

Cloud smiled as she approached him. “Good morning, Tifa.”

“Good morning.” She took his offered hand and accepted his kiss when he pulled her close. She had actually thought about it all morning and wondered if he would kiss her again. Being this close to him, she couldn’t stop the butterflies from dancing around in her stomach.

“Are you going to smile for me today?”

His question automatically curled the corners of Tifa’s lips upward. “You’ve achieved something no one else has,” she said breathlessly.

He knew she referred to the fact that he had made her smile the night before. “I’m quite proud of it, too,” he said, his smile growing wider as he pulled her in for another kiss.

Tifa wanted more the moment she tasted him. She got her wish as Cloud pressed her back gently against the wheel and tilted his head for a better angle. Kissing him seemed like such a natural thing. She let him set the pace and didn’t feel the least bit intimidated when he explored her small mouth, stroking her tongue with his. He coaxed her into his mouth and she involuntarily let out a soft moan when he sucked on her tongue.

She pulled away and stared at his parted lips. Her heart was racing. It wasn’t fear she felt. It was excitement. “Do that again,” she said, her cheeks bright red and her lips curved into a shy smile.

Cloud was prepared to oblige her in whatever way she wanted. He waited for her to slide her tongue in his mouth before he sucked on it once more. Her eagerness was weakening his self-control, the little he had. He removed one hand from the wheel and moved it to her face, cupping her cheek, his fingers brushing her earlobe. He thought about how nice it would be to kiss her this way for hours and then wondered why the thought had never occurred to him whenever he had kissed someone else. He liked kissing Tifa and breathing the same air and tasting what she had eaten. An apple and some bread.

Someone was coming.

Without breaking the kiss, Cloud opened his eyes and saw Cid stepping up on the wheel deck. He slowly released Tifa’s lips and saw the questioning look in her eyes. Before she could say anything, Cloud turned to his first mate. “Everything all right, Cid?”

“Peachy, kid. Just peachy.”

Cloud recognized the sarcasm and turned back to Tifa. “Can you do me a favor?” When he knew he had her undivided attention, he smiled. “Find me some dolphins. I’d like to catch one for Denzel.”

She gave him a skeptical look. “And where will you keep it until we reach Midgar?”

“The tub?”

Tifa knew he was trying to get rid of her so he could talk to Cid about whatever was on the first mate’s mind. “All right,” she agreed in jest and left his side.

Cloud watched her walk away, his eyes remaining fixed on her as he addressed Cid. “What’s the problem?”

“Barret and I were thinking about something. That crazy wizard living in the castle with you…what’s his name?”

“Hojo.”

“Right. Can’t he figure out some weakness Sephiroth might have?”

Cloud continued to watch Tifa as she moved to the side of the ship. “I can answer that question. He has no weaknesses.”

“So what are we going to do about him?”

“I don’t know, Cid. I guess we’re gonna have to blast his ship and hope it goes down before we do.” He hated speaking so pessimistically. But the truth was that Sephiroth’s ship was armed with as many cannons as The Avalanche. At best, his ship would receive enough damage to leave them dead on the water or at worst, it would break apart and sink with everyone onboard. There was no use sugar coating those facts.

“Your father’s gonna want us back out immediately when he hears the news.”

“Something’s been bugging me, Cid. Where the fuck did he get that ship? If he had it built, then that means he’s been out for months.”

“That’s likely.”

“Then why didn’t we hear anything about it?”

Cid returned his knowing glance. “Everyone that knows about his escape is probably dead.”

“We’ll have to confirm it.” Cloud’s eyes returned to Tifa. “The longer Sephiroth is out there, the more time he’ll have to scheme. We need to take action, Cid. We can’t give him the opportunity to demolish Junon or any other coastal town around Midgardia.” His brows narrowed as he watched Tifa hanging dangerously over the railing, her hand clinging to a rope beside her.

The worst suddenly happened right before his disbelieving eyes.

The rope unraveled from the cleat it had been tied to. Losing her balance, Tifa flipped head first over the railing. Her high-pitched scream was abruptly cut off when she hit the water below.

“Shit!” Cloud released the wheel and rushed to the stern railing, quickly pulling off his heavy boots. Without any hesitation, he dove off the back of the ship.

 

Chapter 12
​

Cloud pushed himself through the water with his arms, going deeper until he spotted a billowing balloon of blue struggling below him.

Tifa fought the heaviness of the gown dragging her down. While pulling at the ties of her bodice, she kicked with all her strength, but only managed to make herself go deeper. Her thoughts became fuzzy. This would be how she’d die. A few days ago she had thought to drown herself as an escape. Now all she could think about was how badly she wanted to be with Cloud…how badly she wanted to give him a chance to make her happy.

Suddenly something grabbed her. Her eyes shot open. It was Cloud. He was there with her. But was he really? Or was it just her imagination playing tricks on her before she died?

After grabbing Tifa’s arm, Cloud started kicking his legs upward. But her cumbersome gown was dragging both of them back down. Without thinking, in two swift motions he tore apart the bodice she struggled to untie. As the gown slipped away, he noticed she had nothing on underneath, but he didn’t have time to admire her gifts. His lungs were screaming for air and he was sure hers were as well. He pushed her upward in front of him.

A rush of air filled Tifa’s lungs as soon as she broke the surface of the water and she coughed and sputtered.

A second later Cloud surfaced beside her. “Tifa…are you all right?”

She bobbed in the water, coughing and trying to stay afloat. “I…I think so.” Her head spun around, looking for the ship. It was already quite far, but she could see it slowly beginning to turn around.

Cloud knew the routine. It wasn’t the first time someone had gone overboard. He trusted Cid to anchor at a safe distance. He could already see the crew working to lower the rowboat from where it rested at the stern. “They’ll be here soon.”

“I’m sorry,” Tifa said miserably. She hoped he didn’t think she deliberately jumped.

“It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault.” When he remembered she had nothing on, he unbuttoned his shirt and removed it. “Here, put this on.”

Tifa struggled to tread water and at the same time slip her arms into the sleeves of the shirt. She didn’t protest when he helped her and then fastened all the buttons.

“You can hold on to me if you get tired.”

She accepted his offer and circling behind him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, thankful that he had the strength to tread water for both of them. Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest, just thinking how close she had come to drowning. She couldn’t believe Cloud had jumped in after her so quickly. If the ship had moved any further before he realized she had gone over, he might not have reached her in time.

Cloud felt her grip tighten around his neck. “Tifa…you’re…choking me…”

Tifa loosened her arms. “Sorry.”

“Come around in front of me.” He helped her circle around him, her arms still around his neck.

They were quiet for a few minutes as Cloud continued treading water for both of them.

“If you wanted to go swimming, you should have just said so,” he joked with a smile now that he knew she was safe.

Despite herself, Tifa returned the smile. She liked that he found humor in everything. She especially liked that he was trying to put her at ease, even though her clumsiness was probably causing all sorts of havoc aboard the ship. “Would you have gone swimming with me?”

“Of course I would.”

As they bobbed up and down in the frigid water, Tifa felt the heat of his body wherever she was pressed against it. His right arm was wrapped around her, holding her close. Their faces were only inches apart. She couldn’t help herself. She initiated a kiss, humming to herself as he teased her tongue with his teeth. The sudden addiction to kissing him overwhelmed her. Her mouth opened with his. Her lips sensually brushed over his slightly protruding tongue before she brought her own tongue to touch his.

Temporarily distracted by Tifa’s sudden boldness, Cloud lost his concentration. He stopped moving his legs and they both went under the water. They continued to kiss hungrily for a few more seconds before he pushed them back up to the surface.

To his surprise, Tifa released a small laugh. His heart soared at the enchanting sound. He loved it. He laughed with her.

She felt happy…for once in her miserable life. She really felt happy and laughed again.

A few minutes later the rowboat containing Zack and Mr Wedge finally reached them. With Zack’s help, Cloud hauled Tifa over the side before pulling himself in. Wedge quickly handed them a blanket.

“What took you guys so long?” Cloud snapped sarcastically, knowing they wouldn’t take him seriously. They had actually made it a lot faster than he thought. He quickly wrapped the blanket around Tifa. When he noticed her teeth were chattering, he wrapped his arms around her as well. “Feeling warm yet?”

She nodded.

Wedge rowed the boat back toward the ship.

Ten minutes after that, when the boat was hauled back up, Cloud helped Tifa step onto the wheel deck.

Barret was holding someone by the back of the neck. “That rope is this dipshit’s responsibility!”

The flustered crewman cringed as Barret pushed him forward. “Captain…I…I…am truly sorry for what happened…I thought I tied it tightly. Please, please forgive me.”

“Don’t apologize to me,” Cloud said in annoyance. “Apologize to her.”

Tifa watched the crewman drop to his knees in front of her, groveling at her feet. “I’m so sorry, my Lady.”

“What manner you want this wretch punished?” Barret asked angrily.

“It was an accident,” she quickly said, glaring wide-eyed at Cloud. Would he truly punish this sailor for his honest mistake?

Cloud knew exactly what she was thinking. “There’s no punishment,” he said to Barret. “It was an accident, just like she said.” He turned back to Tifa. “Go to my cabin and dry off. I’ll be down shortly.”

With the blanket wrapped tightly around herself, Tifa left the wheel deck, Aerith rushing over to help her.

Cloud pulled Barret away from the others and gave him a furious glare. “Are you stupid or something? I told you that girl’s been abused almost all her life and right in front of her you talk about punishing that idiot?”

“I wasn’t thinkin’, Spike. I was so flamin’ pissed about what happened. She could’ve been hurt bad.”

Some of Cloud’s anger faded. Barret was right. Tifa could have been seriously injured, even killed if the ship’s motion had dragged her underneath it. But nonetheless, it was an accident and she was safe and the crewman, whose name Cloud couldn’t remember, humbly apologized to Tifa. “Please, Barret, just watch what you say around her, all right?”

Barret scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, I’m sorry.”

Cloud reached up and squeezed the big guy’s shoulder. He picked up his boots where he dropped them and walked away.

He went into the bathroom and grabbed a large towel. Just as he was about to walk into his cabin, Aerith came out of hers, a pink gown in her arms.

“You’ll have to wait a few minutes, Cloud. Tifa’s not dressed yet.”

He took the dress from her. “I think I can handle it.” He walked into his cabin and closed the door before Aerith could protest. When he turned to face the room, Tifa discarded the blanket around her and rushed over to him, throwing her arms around his neck. He dropped the gown and folded his arms around her.

“I didn’t thank you for saving me.” She squeezed her eyes tightly as she clung to him. He was her safe harbor. He would probably be her life if she allowed him to be.

“I’d do it again in a heartbeat.” He slid a hand into her hair and captured her lips, kissing her long and slow. She tasted like Heaven to him. He couldn’t get enough. But she was shivering and the last thing he wanted was for her to be sick with a cold because he didn’t bother to take care of her. He slowly released her lips. “We need to get out of these wet clothes before we catch a chill.”

Cloud picked up the gown he had carelessly dropped on the floor and took Tifa’s hand. He led her to the cot where he laid the gown and quickly debated his next move. Should he retrieve dry clothes, leave the cabin and get dressed in the bathroom? Or would it be too presumptuous of him to strip in front of her? Having seen all kinds of immoral things at Corneo’s place, Tifa had to be familiar with what a man looked like. Besides, they’d have to get beyond this step before they could move on to something more intimate than kissing. To Cloud it seemed like the perfect opportunity to become familiar with each other.

Tifa tried her best not to appear traumatized as he undid his trousers and took them off right in front of her. She had seen enough men to know what they looked like, but to see Cloud without any clothes sent a pleasant heat to the depths of her core. Her pulse instantly quickened and her knees weakened.

As much as he liked the vision of Tifa wearing his shirt, it needed to come off. “You need my help?” Cloud stepped closer and began unfastening the buttons. He noticed the blush on her face and leaned forward, his lips ghosting over the heat emanating from her left cheek.

She felt herself relax when he paused to touch her face, but her pulse was still racing. Trusting him to not pounce on her like a rabid dog, Tifa waited for him to finish unbuttoning the shirt.

Cloud opened the shirt and pushed it off her shoulders. He tried not to openly gawk at her, but he couldn’t help his wandering eyes before she timidly covered herself with her hands.

She was exquisite. Not that Elena wasn’t. His soon to be former consort was perfect in every way. But Tifa’s exquisiteness didn’t come from perfection. Quite the contrary. She was slightly imperfect and despite the manner in which she probably received those imperfections, it reflected the strength she possessed to suffer through such hardships. She hid that strength well, but Cloud knew it was there, just beneath the surface. She didn’t know who she was, where she come from, whether any of her family was alive. She lived in submission under the custody of one of the worst human beings in the world. Yet somehow she survived.

He reached down and traced a thumb over one of those imperfections. It looked like a burn just above her right hip bone.

Tifa figured he’d almost certainly question her scars just as she had questioned his the night before. She was extremely apprehensive over the possessive manner in which he scrutinized her. But she didn’t think he was trying to be perverted in any way. She kept very still and focused on answering his silent questions. “He burned me with a hot poker for running away the first time. I was only thirteen.”

His fingers traveled to the center of her torso, just below her breasts, tracing a thin slanted line. He patiently waited for her to explain it.

“The second time I ran away, he used a dagger on me.”

At that point Cloud couldn’t stop. He touched every little flaw, listening intently to the brief story behind each one. It was nerve-wrecking for her, he could see that, but he wanted her to know he acknowledged them and accepted her the way she was. He didn’t see her scars as something detrimental. She was still so stunningly beautiful to him.

After moving down her thighs, he finally came to her knees. She had several faint little scars that looked quite old.

“I think I used to fall a lot when I was little,” she said, already feeling more comfortable in front of him. He didn’t seem to be revolted by any of her scars. “Although I really don’t remember any of it at all.”

Cloud stood up and remained standing in front of her, admiring the courage she had exhibited while he examined her. He was thankful she trusted him enough to endure it and rewarded her with a lingering kiss.

Tifa kissed him back, wanting it to be as intimate as when he walked in the door earlier. But he immediately pulled away and as he turned to retrieve some dry clothes from his chest, she knew why he stopped. He tried to hide his arousal, but she had seen it. The fact that he stopped only strengthened the trust she had in him.

Cloud turned his head toward her as he slipped on a clean pair of trousers. She was watching him. He hoped his sudden erection hadn’t terrified her. Picking up a clean shirt, Cloud walked back to her. “You look tired, Tifa. Get some rest before lunch.” He leaned in and kissed her one last time. With the image of her pleasant bare body on his mind, Cloud walked out of the cabin.

Tifa raised her fingers up to her lips. They still tingled. She closed her eyes and gave herself in to the wonderful sensations storming through her like a tempest. His touch was like a shock from a bolt of lightning…devastating, yet so soothing at the same time. She just couldn’t imagine what it would feel like if he touched her more intimately.

But could she tolerate it? Would it be different than what she witnessed?

Later that night, after Aerith picked out yet another gown for Tifa to wear when they would be leaving the ship sometime in the morning, the two of them went down to the galley to see what the boys were up to.

Cloud, Zack, Cid, Barret and Wedge were engrossed in a card game. There was a mound of gold coins in the center so it was a crucial hand, especially for the latter crewman who couldn’t afford to lose.

Tifa was surprised to see a fat cigar clenched between Cloud’s teeth. But then again, the others were also smoking cigars, except for Cid who stuck with his usual cigarettes.

When Cloud saw Tifa standing near the galley doors with Aerith, he removed the cigar from his mouth and snuffed it out in the tin plate they were using to collect the ashes. It was his turn after Wedge decided to raise the stake one more coin. Cloud looked at his hand. He had three kings and two tens. His eyes briefly panned across the table to the small amount of coins in front of Wedge, then to the large mound at the center and finally to his own large stack. He had a good hand, probably a winning hand. “Fold,” he said and placed his cards face down on the table. His eyes met Zack who was seated beside Wedge.

Zack’s lips curved into a half smile. He also placed his cards down. “Yeah, I fold, too.”

Cid and Barret decided to fold. Wedge beamed and after tossing down his poor hand of a pair of threes, he reached to the center of the table and dragged the mound of coins toward him.

The other four exchanged contented glances. They knew Wedge had a wife and three little ones to feed. The seven hundred gil on the table would provide them with several months of comfort.

Wedge filled his pockets and stood up. “I think I’ll quit while I’m ahead.”

“Good decision, Wedge,” said Cid as he gathered up the cards.

As Aerith took Wedge’s seat beside Zack, Tifa walked up to where Cloud was sitting. Barret got up and moved to the other side so she could sit between Cloud and Cid.

Tifa turned to Cloud after Wedge left the galley. “You let him win, didn’t you?”

Cloud nodded. “We usually allow some of the men to play with us and then we let them win. They need the money more than any of us do.”

Tifa imagined Zack lived in luxury at Castle Shinra. But what about Cid and Barret? Did the first mate and quartermaster also live at the castle?

“I pay them well,” Cloud responded to her silent question. “Besides, it’s their choice how they want to spend it.”

She watched Cid deal five cards each to Cloud, Zack and Barret. “How do you play?” she curiously asked.

“The one who has the best hand wins the pot.”

“What’s the best hand?”

Cloud explained the rules to Tifa as he played several hands with the others. “Would you like to play?” When he saw the skeptical look on her face, he pushed a handful of his coins in front of her.

Zack dealt the cards to Cid, Barret and Tifa. Cloud was passing on this hand.

When Tifa looked at her cards, she turned them so Cloud could see. She had a pair of eights and a pair of jacks.

Cloud leaned to whisper in her ear. “Whatever you do, don’t smile or they’ll know you’ve got a good hand and fold.” He pointed to the three. “Trade this one for another card.”

She nodded and plucked the card from her hand. After placing it face down on the table, she looked up at Zack. Zack dealt her another card. Tifa picked it up. It was a king. She placed it with the others and looked at Cloud for direction.

He leaned to her ear again. “You won’t need it. Just play with the two pairs.”

She nodded again and waited for her turn to come around before pushing two coins into the pile at the center. Cid matched her bet and raised a third coin. Barret matched it and so did Zack. The betting continued for two more rounds before Zack and Cid gave up and folded.

“What’re you gonna do, Barret?” asked Cloud.

The quartermaster eyed Tifa, trying to determine if she actually had a good hand or if she was bluffing. He decided to raise the stakes and tossed in five coins.

Tifa glanced at Cloud for direction again.

He smiled. “It’s your decision, Teef.”

She smiled at the way he shortened her name, liking it very much. She turned back to Barret and pushed the rest of her coins to the pot.

“I call,” Barret bellowed and tossed his cards face up on the table. A pair of kings.

Tifa smiled and laid down her cards face up. “I believe I beat you.”

Barret burst into laughter. “You sure did.” He slapped Zack on the back, almost sending him flying across the table.

When Tifa turned back to Cloud, he marveled at the glorious smile on her face.

Cid got up and stretched. “I better hit the sack. I’ve got the early shift tomorrow.”

“I think we all better get to bed early,” said Zack, rubbing the spot where Barret had hit him.

Several minutes later Tifa walked into Cloud’s cabin, with him following her in and closing the door behind them. She walked to the red gown lying across the chest on the floor. “Aerith gave me this gown to wear tomorrow.” She held it up in front of her. “Do you think it’ll be appropriate enough to meet the king and queen?”

Cloud walked up, a smile on his face. “It’s perfect.” On the inside he was cringing. Not that Tifa wouldn’t look beautiful in the gown, but because he wasn’t at all looking forward to having to explain why she was even being introduced to them. He’d have to explain why he purchased her and what his future plans were with his new consort.

When he turned away, Tifa noted the apprehensive look on his face. She worried she might have said something wrong.

He looked around the cabin as he unbuttoned his shirt. “What happened to the cot?”

Tifa looked at him timidly when he turned back to her. “I had Mr Biggs remove it earlier.”

He was about to ask why, but realized it was a stupid question. It was plainly obvious that she was giving him a clear signal of acceptance.

“I hope that’s all right,” she added.

“Not a problem for me, as long as you’re fine with it.” He felt two different things at the same time. First, he was extremely pleased that she trusted him enough to give him this much liberty so soon. But on the contrary, he was regretful that he’d have to give her up to someone else so he could get married. The thought literally made him ill.

“Cloud?”

He broke out of his thoughts and turned to her. “Hm?”

“Is everything all right?”

“It’s perfect,” he said as he pulled off his shirt and hopped into the hammock.

It’s perfect. He had said that twice. Why did Tifa feel that something wasn’t so perfect? She decided not to dwell on it for now. She removed her gown and slipped into her nightdress.

Cloud waited for her and when she stepped around to the side of the hammock, he scooted over, making room.

She climbed into the hammock and without any thought, she moved as close to him as she could get, resting half of her back on top of him. But it didn’t seem close enough. His left arm was stretched out across the top of the hammock. She took his arm and bent it around herself, just above her chest. Now it felt right.

He didn’t mind this new arrangement at all. He brought his other hand up to her arm and lightly ran his fingers down the length of it until they entwined with hers. When she turned her face toward him, he lifted his head so he could kiss her. “Sleep well, my little princess.”

Tifa turned on her side and snuggled against him, relishing in the security she felt in his arms as he slid them around her. She decided she could definitely get used to sleeping this way with him.

Cloud’s thoughts were almost the same. He suddenly felt as though he discovered the one thing he lacked in his life. Someone to share a quiet night. Not that he didn’t want to make love to Tifa, because only God knew how badly he wanted to do that…he just liked holding her. It wasn’t quite as satisfying as an hour or two of rapacious bliss, but it was fulfilling in a different way all the same.

He closed his eyes in contentment as he listened to her quiet breathing and felt it on his face while she fell asleep against him. It wasn’t a difficult decision to make right then and there. He’d never give her up. He’d never hand her over to someone who would make her miserable again.

 

Chapter 13​

When morning came, Tifa stirred awake. To her surprise, Cloud was still lying on the hammock with her. Usually he was up and gone by the time she woke. Her face was pressed against his bare chest and his masculine scent invaded her nostrils. He was awake, his hand lightly caressing up and down her arm, giving her goosebumps.

“You’re still here,” she said quietly, telling him her thoughts.

“You don’t want me to be?” he asked. His hand moved away from her arm and his fingers found her chin, tilting her face up.

“You know I do.”

His lips curled into a half smile. “Yeah, but I like to hear you say it.”

“I want you here.” She was surprised she said those words so easily, without a moment’s hesitation.

“You’re smiling again,” he said.

Tifa stared at his lips, remembering their taste. She involuntarily reached up to touch them with her fingertips and waited for him to lean closer before meeting him halfway.

Cloud placed his hand on the back of her head, burying his fingers in her hair as he kissed her. His hunger quickly grew and he tilted his head further, kissing her harder. He was feeling everything all at once. Her legs tangled with his, her left arm wrapped around his waist, her soft breasts pressed against his bare chest…the fabric of her nightdress was thin and he could feel her erect nipples poking through, brushing over his flesh…making him lose his mind. He used his teeth, scraping them gently on her chin before nipping at her lips.

Tifa sensed his building desire. She knew the signs. She had seen it so many times…the ravenous thirst of a man who wanted sex. Her mind screamed to push him away…now…before it was too late. But she couldn’t do it. The hungrier he became, the more her stomach ached so pleasantly. And there was such an unbearable heat pooling between her legs. She didn’t know what to do to ease it.

Cloud released her lower lip with a slurp and drew back to look down between them, where her soft mounds rose and fell with each ragged breath she took. When he looked at her face again, her eyes returned his gaze. They reflected fear and were pleading, imploring…but in what way? Was she receptive and begging him to continue or was she terrified and begging him to stop? He had never been in this situation before. Every woman he had ever been with had been a willing partner. There had never been a time when he had to think about whether or not to continue.

Hoping he was making the right decision, he gently rolled Tifa on her back and caressed her cheek before his hand moved along the column of her throat to the silk ribbon tied at the front of her nightdress. He tugged on the ribbon and pushed the sides apart, uncovering her breasts.

When he palmed her left one and squeezed it, Tifa closed her eyes and held her breath, waiting for the pain she thought would follow.

Cloud saw the troubled expression on her face. She thought something bad was going to happen. He lightly stroked her nipple in a circle with his thumb. She had to be feeling something because her skin prickled with goosebumps. He decided to try a different tactic, bending his face to her chest.

Tifa nearly bucked him off the hammock when she felt his tongue swirl around her nipple. He started to move away, but she reached up and slid her fingers into his hair. She didn’t want him to stop. She liked feeling the heat of his mouth on her.

His eyes met hers as he brought his mouth down to her breast again, softly kissing around her nipple. He watched her eyes close as he took the sensitive tip into his mouth, sucking on it lightly. Something wrenched from her throat…a sound of pleasure. Wanting to hear it again, Cloud moved to the other breast and subjected it to the same treatment.

“Mmmm…” Tifa squirmed beneath him, burying her fingers deeper into his hair. She was more shocked at her shameless reaction than the pleasure moving swiftly through her body. His unshaven face was stubbly and tickled wherever it touched her. She wanted to giggle and cry at the same time.

Cloud debated with himself again, uncertain whether to take it a step further. He was dying to touch her everywhere. He wanted to see her face as she succumbed to his intimate touches. He just couldn’t wait any longer.

A light knock on the door suddenly disturbed their private moment.

“Who is it?” Cloud asked, raising his head, his eyes meeting Tifa’s. Her face was flushed so beautifully.

“It’s Aerith.”

“I’m kinda busy right now,” he said as he trailed wet kisses along the side of Tifa’s neck before kissing her lips passionately. It was his turn to hum in pleasure.

“Cid told me to tell you we’re a half an hour away from reaching Midgar.”

He released Tifa’s lips and sighed, resting his forehead against hers. After a few seconds he lifted his head again and turned in the direction of the door. “Tell him I’ll be up in a few minutes.” His mouth sought hers again, so reluctant to part with her now that they had gone this far.

“We’re arriving already?” Tifa asked, searching his eyes when he finally broke away.

“Unfortunately.” Cloud was disappointed that they had been interrupted, but bringing the ship safely into Midgar’s harbor was his responsibility. He scooted to the edge of the hammock and hopped off, turning his back to Tifa while he made a quick adjustment in the front of his trousers. As soon as he controlled his erection, he turned back to her. “I’ll be in the bathroom shaving. You should get dressed now.”

Tifa nodded and watched him walk out of the cabin, closing the door behind him. She hopped off the hammock and proceeded to exchange her nightdress for the beautiful red gown, Aerith had given her. This made three gowns she owed Aerith. Unfortunately one of them was at the bottom of the sea

She sat down on the chair by the desk and ran a comb meticulously through her hair, thinking about how she needed to behave in front of the king and queen. A moment later Cloud returned. She jumped to her feet. “Do I look all right?” she asked nervously.

Cloud walked up and touched her chin before kissing her on the lips. “Lovely as ever.” He went into his clothes chest and retrieved a clean shirt. After slipping it on and buttoning it all the way, he reached back into the chest and pulled out a white jacket with blue trim and gold insignia. He put it on, but didn’t button it. “Ready?”

Tifa nodded and followed Cloud as he led her out of the cabin by the hand.

When they were outside, they went to the wheel deck where Cloud took control of the ship from Mr Wedge.

Tifa glanced around for Aerith, finding her with Zack. They stood near the front of the ship, looking out toward the land they approached. Tifa studied it. There were mountains to the right, far off in the distance. The harbor was to the left of the mouth of a river. It was larger than the one in Mideel, she thought to herself.

Her eyes returned to the main deck and followed the movement of the crew as they lowered the main sail and quickly tied it down. Without the main sail, the ship moved much slower.

Cloud tried to concentrate on moving the ship safely toward the harbor, but his eyes kept shifting to the girl standing beside him. “Tifa?”

She turned her face toward him, waiting for him to speak, but he just looked at her. A shiver ran up her spine. Something was wrong. She ducked under his arm and faced the wheel, placing her hands on the handles, along with his. It seemed so natural now to be standing with him this way.

He moved closer against her, leaning in to kiss the side of her neck from behind. “If we hadn’t been interrupted…I would have…made a mistake.”

“A mistake?” Tifa asked breathlessly.

“In a hammock, on a rocking ship…I know I would have only ended up hurting you.”

Tifa knew she’d be foolish to think she was the first woman in Cloud’s life. “Were you this concerned with other women you’ve been with?”

He raised his eyebrows, surprised at her question. “To be honest, no.” He’d always been selfish in his quest for gratification. But in all actuality, he never considered the needs of any woman he had been with because they were too engrossed in their attempt to satisfy him. “It’s something I never had to worry about.”

She frowned and wondered. “Then why are you so concerned about hurting me?”

He nudged her around. “I feel different about you,” he said truthfully and gave her a quick peck on the lips before moving her over so he could concentrate on steering the ship into the harbor. He aimed the bowsprit toward the pier, having to maneuver around other ships anchored in the water. When The Avalanche was expected, all other ships were sent out to anchor away from the dock.

Tifa watched him spin the wheel swiftly to the left before holding it steady, his eyes focused on everything around him. He turned the wheel to the right and to the left, back and forth, listening to the shouts of the men peering over the railing, telling him how close he was to the wooden dock. Some of the men were throwing ropes over the side.

“Almost there, Cap!” shouted Mr Wedge. “Swing her easy to starboard!”

Cloud turned the wheel to the right before sending the wheel hard to the left. He waited for the steady thump as the side of the ship touched the dock.

Tifa felt a chill shoot up her spine. She was thoroughly impressed with his ability to navigate the large ship through a harbor full of boats and other ships and managed to bring it to the pier without a mishap. She smiled when he looked at her. “So how often did you crash into the pier before you learned how to maneuver this enormous ship?”

He returned her smile and took her hand. “At least a dozen times. I think I killed an entire forest of trees for as many times as the pier needed repairing.”

“All hands on deck!” yelled Barret.

After Cloud led Tifa down the steps to the main deck and motioned her toward Zack and Aerith, she left his side to join the other two. But her eyes remained on Cloud as he waited beside Cid while the men lined up on the main deck.

Barret made sure the men were all accounted for before he turned to Cloud. “All set, Spike.”

Cloud moved along the front of the line. He made eye contact with every single man as he went. When he passed the last one, he turned to face the way he had just come. “As we all know, Sephiroth has become a threat yet again. I will speak to the king about what transpired at sea. He will no doubt expect us out there quite soon. Enjoy the time you have with your families and friends. Barret will contact you when we are set to sail again.”

As the line broke up, the men gave Cloud various praises. Afterward Cloud exchanged handshakes with Cid and Barret, but Barret also gave him a hard slap on the back.

Tifa glanced to her left as the boarding ramp moved into position. When she turned around to look over the side of the ship, there was a white carriage with four white horses waiting on the pier. With the carriage were ten guards in white and blue uniforms. Two of the mounted guards were holding two riderless horses. One of the horses was a large black giving his handler a difficult time, snorting and rearing and trying to pull away. The horse’s forelock and mane were extremely long and flew around his face as he moved.

Red was the first to leave the ship. He went down the ramp, releasing a menacing roar which scattered a number of people trying to catch a glimpse of those disembarking the large ship.

Cloud joined Tifa and they followed Zack and Aerith down the ramp.

The moment her feet touched solid ground, Tifa felt strange, as if she were still on the moving ship. She almost lost her balance, but Cloud caught her and held her by the arm as he led her toward the carriage.

Zack helped Aerith into the carriage first and Cloud helped Tifa next. He closed the door behind her.

Tifa went to the other side and hung her head out the window, wondering why Zack and Cloud weren’t joining them in the carriage. Then she remembered the two riderless horses. Zack mounted the quieter chestnut. She watched Cloud approach the snorting black, which immediately quieted the moment he put his hands on the stallion’s face.

A thought suddenly occurred to Tifa. Whenever Cloud touched her face, she felt an almost immediate sense of calm. What was it about him that exuded that feeling? Did he have some special power…something magical?

As Cloud mounted and took the reins, Rude rode up to him. “Good voyage, Prince?” It didn’t escape his notice that a strange girl had climbed into the carriage after Lady Aerith.

Cloud gave him a nod. “Very good voyage.”

The procession began moving out. Several minutes later, they were outside of town and on the road leading to Castle Shinra.

Aerith hadn’t stopped talking ever since they started the trip. Tifa tried to be polite and listened, but her thoughts kept wandering in different directions.

Would she have her own room or would she be sharing Cloud’s? Did consorts dine with the royal family or were they never allowed to leave their master’s suite? Would she be allowed to ride any of the horses in the stables? Were there other consorts living in the castle and if so, how many? Would Denzel like her? What kind of activities could she keep herself busy with? When Cloud left to sail, would he take her with him? Was his bathtub really big enough for two?

Just then Cloud rode up beside the carriage. The proud stallion beneath him had a huge lurching trot. But she noted that he looked perfectly at ease mounted on the spirited beast. “What’s his name?” Tifa asked.

Cloud knew she referred to his horse. “Fenrir. It means wolf in another language.”

“What language?”

He shrugged. “Beats me. I just thought it was a good name for him.”

“He seems a touch undisciplined.”

“Yeah, but so am I, based on what I’ve been told. So I guess we understand each other that way.” Then he motioned forward with his head. “There’s your new home.”

She stuck her head out the window and faced the direction the carriage was heading. The road curved slightly to the right so she had a perfect view of the enormous castle ahead. Made entirely of white stone, with a number of spires in varying heights, she couldn’t imagine ever seeing anyplace more beautiful and mystical. The castle was actually built against the face of a mountain, almost as if it were coming right out of it. “What’s on the other side of the mountain?” she asked.

“The sea. It’s the perfect stronghold. If an attack ever came from sea, they’d have to demolish the entire mountain before any damage reached the castle.”

A fifteen foot tall battlement structure made of the same white stone circled the castle from one side of the mountain to the other. Tifa wondered why the castle needed such protection. Were they constantly being threatened by enemies? Or was it just a precaution?

Cloud glanced at Aerith. “Do me a favor and give Tifa a chance to freshen up before you bring her to meet the king and queen.”

“Of course,” replied Aerith.

“Aren’t…you going to be there?” asked Tifa, slightly panicked.

“I’ll be there. Don’t worry.” He dug his heels into Fenrir’s sides. The stallion reared mid-trot and bolted forward, racing ahead of the procession.

Aerith snorted derisively. “He’s always showing off on that crazy animal.” She moved across the carriage to sit beside Tifa, taking her hand. “I’ve got the perfect gown for tonight.”

“Tonight?” Tifa wasn’t sure what Aerith was referring to.

“Oh, it’s just a small dinner gathering. The queen always like to toast Cloud’s return from sea. It’s sort of a tradition at the castle.”

“Will I be sitting with Cloud during dinner?”

“Of course you are. He didn’t bring you here all the way from Mideel to have you sitting somewhere else.” She released Tifa’s hand and placed an arm around Tifa’s shoulders with a smile. “It’s going to be so much fun.”

“Are there other consorts in the castle?” Tifa asked, voicing her thoughts from a few moments ago.

“Most unmarried men of high status have a consort. It’s rare when one doesn’t.” She didn’t mention that Cloud already had a consort. It wasn’t any of Aerith’s business if Cloud felt the need to have two. But it was still upsetting to her because she liked Tifa so much better than Elena and she didn’t want Tifa to be misused. She pushed her thoughts to the side and smiled conspiringly. “Sometimes even married men have consorts, if their wives don’t properly satisfy them.”

Tifa’s brows went up. “Does the king have a consort?”

“No, he’s completely devoted to my Aunt Ifalna. Now my cousin Rufus…well, if anyone deserves a consort, he surely does. His wife, Scarlet is a real witch. He despises her. You’ll see for yourself what a completely selfish, loathsome woman she is.”

“If Rufus despises her so much, then why did he marry her?”

Aerith shrugged. “The king is obsessed with owning land. The marriage of Rufus and Scarlet puts Fort Condor under Midgar’s rule when King Palmer passes on. If Rufus wasn’t so devoted to the throne, he would have fought against the marriage.”

“He had a choice?”

“Well, not really. Whatever the king demands, thou will be done,” she said with a giggle.

A sudden thought occurred to Tifa. Would Cloud also be obligated to marry someone for land? She quickly shook the thought out of her head as the carriage passed the threshold of the battlement wall.

 

Chapter 14​

Cloud and Zack walked through the doors of the large Dining Hall as the guards held them open. Inside the room, King Shinra and Queen Ifalna were sitting down having an early lunch. Behind them stood two servants, prepared to follow whatever instructions were given to them.

Ifalna looked up at the sound of the opening doors. Her face broke into an ecstatic grin. “There’s my son!” She gracefully stood up and met Cloud halfway, receiving a kiss on the cheek from him. She took his arm and pulled him toward the huge wooden table. “All went well on your voyage?” Ifalna understood Cloud like no one else did. Her middle son was unique and she never admitted to anyone that he was also her favorite.

Cloud sat down while his mother went around to sit back beside the king. “As well as expected.”

Zack sat down beside Cloud and produced a rolled up document which he tossed in front of the king. “Mideel is under Midgar rule.”

Tomas Shinra unrolled the document and glanced at the signature. “Baron Dio didn’t give you a difficult time?”

Cloud snorted derisively. “The man nearly shit in his pants when I threatened to destroy everything.” It was all a ploy. Cloud knew his father liked being feared.

“Excellent.” Shinra rolled the document before glancing up at his son. “Did you come across any ships from Wutai?”

“No, none.” He reached to the center of the table to pluck a chicken leg off a platter. “But there’s a good reason for that.”

The king watched Cloud bite into the chicken leg and waited to hear more. His eyes darted to Zack and then back to Cloud. “Well? Am I going to hear the reason today or must I wait an entire decade?”

Cloud stalled long enough. He inconsiderately tossed the half eaten chicken leg back onto the platter and wiped his hands on the tablecloth. “We met with a ship that matches The Avalanche in size and strength.” He looked his father directly in the eyes before continuing. “It was Soren Sephiroth.”

Ifalna gasped and covered her mouth with a hand.

“He was about fifteen miles off the coast of Junon. His crew was strange looking, definitely not from Icicle Village.”

“I’ve seen their kind before,” Zack said. “They hail from a volcanic island off the eastern coast of Midgardia. I was with the fleet when we anchored near the island to replenish our water supply. We came across the creatures then.”

“Creatures?” the king questioned.

“They attacked us like wild animals. There was no reasoning with them. Their only goal was to kill. I can’t fathom how Sephiroth controls them.”

Ifalna finally removed her hand from her mouth. “How could he have escaped the dungeons of Icicle Village?”

“What was he doing so close to Midgardian waters?” the king asked, ignoring his wife’s question.

“Oh, come on! Isn’t it obvious?” Cloud growled. “He plans to destroy Midgar so he can get to you!”

Shinra sat back in his chair, a look of disbelief on his face.

“I told you that psycho should have been executed!” Cloud blurted out. “But nobody ever listens to me!”

“It was the High Council’s decision, not mine.”

“Well, guess what…I bet you couldn’t find a member of the High Council right now with a goddamned bloodhound.”

Shinra glared at Cloud. “What’re you saying, that they’re all dead?”

“Think about it, father. Knowing better than me the way Sephiroth operates, who would be the first to go?”

“Those responsible for his incarceration.”

“Exactly. He wouldn’t have left any of them alive. In fact, he might not have left anyone alive in Icicle Village.”

“We’ll need to go there to confirm,” Zack said.

Shinra nodded as he looked up at Zack. “Muster the fleet immediately. I want them patrolling near the shores of Midgar for the next few weeks.” When Zack gave him a nod, he turned to Cloud next. “Are you prepared to meet Sephiroth in battle when you meet him next?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Good. We’ll discuss the Icicle Village situation with Rufus when he returns from Kalm later this afternoon.” King Shinra rubbed his chin. “In the meantime I’ll send word to Queen Annaxia. Junon should also strengthen their defenses.” He pointed a thoughtful finger toward Cloud. “All the more reason we need to speed up your marriage to Junon’s princess so no one else can stake a claim on that town. If we act fast, you can be crowned king and begin ruling the coast before Fall.”

Cloud frowned. “Look, you said year end and I agreed. I’m not doing it any sooner.”

Ifalna knew Cloud wanted to delay the wedding for as long as possible. She sympathized. “Tomas, I can’t plan two weddings in so short a time. Zack and Aerith need to wed first. Then I can concentrate on Cloud’s wedding.”

Cloud felt his heart tighten painfully. The thought of binding himself to a woman that wasn’t of his choosing made him sick and the chicken he had eaten threatened to come back up. He wasn’t sure how to bring up the subject of Tifa without getting himself in trouble, so he decided to just lay it all out on the table. “While in Mideel I visited a slave merchant and purchased a slavegirl from him.”

Both the king and queen looked at him as if he had just grown a second head.

The king finally sighed in exasperation. “Did I not specifically tell everyone not even a month ago that we have more than enough servants to last us a lifetime? And if I recall correctly, everyone agreed with me!”

“She’s not a servant. She’s my consort.” Cloud noticed the questioning look on his mother’s face and knew what was coming.

“For goodness sakes, Cloud,” Ifalna said curtly. “Do you honestly need two consorts to satisfy your licentious thirst?”

The king held his hand up. “Now wait a minute. I’m not opposed to the purchase of consorts. If my son requires two consorts, then let him have his two.”

“That’s absurd,” she argued. “He doesn’t have the time for one, much less two.”

“So let him get his gratification with both of them.”

“At the same time or one after the other?”

“It doesn’t matter how he does it. What’s important is that he receives the satisfaction he needs.”

“I don’t like it, Tomas. When he’s required to consummate his marriage, he’ll never be satisfied because he’s been spoiled with two women.”

Cloud frowned and slapped a hand on the table to get their attention. “Excuse me! Will you stop talking like I’m not in the room?”

“Sorry, dear,” said the queen.

“I don’t want two consorts. I just want Tifa.”

“But what about Elena?”

“Mother, I know Elena was a gift from you and I appreciate it. She fulfilled her duties...at the time.”

“But she doesn’t please you any longer?”

He decided on the truth. “No, she doesn’t.”

“And this new consort will?”

“I don’t know yet. I haven’t…” He let his sentence trail off, finding it uncomfortable talking about sex with his mother, even though she was the one who always lectured the consorts in the castle. He cringed at the thought of her lecturing Tifa on how to please him. It just seemed wrong.

The king frowned at him. “Well, what’s the matter with you then?”

Cloud got up from the table. “You know what? I’m not having this discussion with my parents.”

Ifalna jumped out of her seat and came around the table to stop him from leaving. “It’s all right, darling. We don’t have to talk about it. Now, about Elena. You’ll have to place her in someone else’s custody.”

“What about Denzel?” Zack suggested.

She gasped. “Absolutely not! He’s just a boy!”

“Yeah, but she’ll make a man out of him.”

Cloud rolled his eyes at his friend. “Just stay out of it, will you?”

“She belongs to you, Cloud,” said Ifalna. “It’s your decision to make.”

“I honestly don’t care, mother. You decide.” He scratched the back of his neck, deciding now was a good time to bring up the subject of finances. “I paid a lot for Tifa.”

“A lot?” the king questioned. “Exactly how much is a lot?”

“Nine hundred thousand,” Cloud replied with a cringe, again knowing what was coming.

“Nine hundred thousand gil?!” shouted the king as he jumped to his feet. “For a goddamned whore?!”

Cloud hated that his father referred to Tifa as something she wasn’t. “Just hear me out. I had no choice but to give Anton Corneo what he wanted. The disgusting creep beat Tifa to within an inch of her life.”

“Nonsense. Corneo’s reputation is well known among society. He provides only the finest stock of slaves. Why would he damage them?”

“It’s true, sire,” Zack confirmed, defending Cloud. “If I hadn’t seen the marks on her back myself, I wouldn’t have believed it.”

“Well, the girl obviously did something to warrant such a punishment.”

Cloud shook his head. “All she did was seek me out and ask for my help.”

Ifalna looked puzzled. “She came directly to you?”

He didn’t want to say too much in front of his father, especially not anything about Vincent Valentine’s involvement. “Someone must have told her my ship was in the harbor and that I would likely help her.”

“But why would she request help, other than the fact that he beat her?”

Cloud took a deep breath and told his parents everything Tifa told him.

“Did the slave merchant rape her?” asked the queen.

“No. She’s untouched. Corneo said he planned to break her that night. Like I said, I did what I had to do to get her out.”

The queen glared at her husband as he approached. “Tomas, you know how I feel about the mistreatment of servants and consorts. They’re not animals and they shouldn’t be treated as such.”

King Shinra sighed as he faced Cloud. “Whenever you return to Mideel, you have my permission to conduct a full investigation on Corneo’s practices.”

“You said her name is Tifa?” asked Ifalna, clutching Cloud’s arm. “Where does she come from?”

Cloud thought about the things Tifa had told him. “Nibelheim, I think.”

“How long has she been a slave?”

“More than half her life. I think she’s eighteen. I’m not sure.”

“It’s very peculiar. Nibelheim has no slums. What reason would any Nibelheim citizen have to sell their child into slavery?”

The doors opened and all eyes went to them.

Aerith stepped into the Dining Hall, followed by the newest member of the Shinra household.

As Tifa stepped forward with Aerith, she could feel her cheeks burning. Her knees were shaking so hard, she didn’t think she could stand on her legs any longer. But when her eyes found Cloud and he gave her a reassuring smile, she relaxed enough to exude some confidence. She didn’t want to act like a whimpering wretch. She wanted Cloud to be proud of her.

“Mother, father…” he said. “I present Tifa of Nibelheim.”

Tifa bowed her head and then curtsied as low as her shaking knees would allow.

Ifalna stepped forward and pulled the girl back up by the arms. She studied her face briefly, noting the fading bruise on her cheek. Her rich brown eyes bore a deep sadness, yet there was strength behind them as well. The queen smiled. “Welcome to Castle Shinra, Tifa.”

Tifa was a little surprised at the quickness of the queen’s acceptance. “Thank you, your majesty.” But then she remembered what Aerith said about the queen. She loved her sons and would do anything for them. It was obvious Cloud had already spoken to his parents about her.

“What do you recall of your home in Nibelheim, dear?”

Her eyes widened and darted to Cloud and back before responding. “I…I don’t recall anything. When I was sold, I was only seven…I think.”

“Have you reached the age of eighteen yet?”

“Yes.”

Ifalna cupped Tifa’s chin. “Aerith will show you around the castle. Make yourself at home and later you and I will have a long chat.” She gave the girl another smile before handing her off to Aerith.

As Tifa walked away with Aerith, she glanced over her shoulder at Cloud. He was smiling, but she could tell he was hiding his distress behind it. She wondered if he was being reprimanded for foolishly spending so much money to purchase her. She hoped not. The last thing she wanted was to be the subject of Cloud’s disagreements with his parents.

When the two girls left the room, the queen turned to her son. “She’s quite lovely, Cloud. I can see why you chose her.”

He didn’t want to keep reminding everyone that it was the other way around. Tifa chose him. So he kept quiet about it.

“You should find Elena now and speak to her.”

Cloud grimaced. “Can’t someone else just tell her?”

“She’s your responsibility. Be kind and don’t just hand her off to the guards.”

“Give her to Tseng,” suggested the king. “Perhaps his disposition will improve if he receives a regular dose of proper handling.”

Zack barked out a laugh. “Good one, sire.”

“Nine hundred thousand gil for a slavegirl…” the king continued scornfully, shaking his head at his son. “It’s unheard of. At that price there better be a contented smile on your face every morning.”

Ifalna frowned at her husband and took Cloud’s arm, leading him away. “You said she’s untouched?”

“That’s what I’ve been led to believe. I don’t think Tifa would have lied about it.”

“Based on the things she’s seen, you do realize she won’t be very receptive to you.”

“I know and Tifa and I already talked about it. She understands her responsibility.”

“But is she fine with it?”

Cloud closed his eyes and shook his head. “I’m not discussing this with you. It’s between me and Tifa.”

“Alright, Cloud. I won’t push you for answers. But do answer me this, who informed her you were in Mideel?”

“Vincent. He was the one that sent her to me. Tifa said Vincent and Lucrecia were kind to her, but they couldn’t afford to buy her from Corneo.”

The queen nodded. “Vincent wouldn’t have sent her looking for you if he didn’t think you’d help her.” She rubbed her chin. “I once knew of a Tifa in Nibelheim. But she perished many years ago from the plague. I didn’t realize the name was so common there.” She shook her head and asked what she thought was an obvious question. “How is she taking the news of your engagement?”

“I…haven’t told her yet.” When she looked ready to protest, Cloud blurted out, “I can’t tell her right now. She won’t take the news very well. She’ll think her world is crashing down on her once again.” He sighed. “I just want to make her happy…If I can accomplish that, even if it’s just for a short while...then maybe I won’t feel so guilty about owning her like she’s some…piece of furniture or something.”

The queen gave him a reprimanding look. “Darling, you know we don’t treat our servants that way. They live happy, fulfilling lives here in our household.”

“But they’re not free to come and go as they please.”

“Of course they are. Have you forgotten that Elena went away for nearly a month to stay with her parents in Kalm? I would never forbid any of our servants to take a leave if they request it.”

“Taking a leave is not the same as freedom.”

“Are you saying you want to free Tifa?”

“I would if I knew she had somewhere to go, a family that actually cared enough about her not to sell her into slavery,” he added with bitterness. He sighed again. “I can’t let her go, but the idea of owning her…it just doesn’t feel right. I won’t treat her like a possession.”

Ifalna patted Cloud’s cheek. “See? I knew I raised you right.”

Cloud blushed. “I have to go take care of a few things and then find Tifa before Reno tries to stake a claim,” he said as he walked away.

“Cloud, don’t start anything with her just yet!” she called out. “I want a chance to talk to her first!” But he was already out the door.

Aerith dragged Tifa all over the castle, showing her every room before they ended up back in the Dining Hall. This time they found Denzel sitting by himself, eating bread dipped in honey.

“Mind if we join you, Denzel?” Aerith asked.

Denzel looked up as his cousin approached with a pretty girl. She was new, he’d never seen her before. “Sure.” He waited until the two ladies sat down on the opposite side of him before he politely scooted the bowl of honey to them, along with the tray of sliced bread. “Want some?”

Tifa didn’t hesitate. She immediately started to eat, her eyes scanning over the boy across the table from her. With the exception of his light brown hair, he looked so much like Cloud, it was frightening.

Denzel looked at the new girl. “What’s your name?”

She swallowed her bread before answering the boy. “Tifa.”

“I’m Denzel.” He took a bite out of his bread slice and turned to his cousin. “Have you seen Cloud? Mama said his ship was arriving today.”

“He’s around here somewhere,” Aerith replied. She noticed the sulking look on his face.

“He said he’d take me hunting when he got back.”

“I’m sure he hasn’t forgotten about you, Denzel.”

Just then the doors swung open and Cloud stepped inside.

“Cloud!” Denzel jumped out of his chair and rushed over to Cloud, hugging him tightly around the waist.

Cloud hugged his younger brother in return and kissed the top of his head. “Hey there, Denny. Did you miss me?”

Tifa thoughtfully watched the affection between them. It was so sweet that it brought a smile to her face.

“Don’t forget,” Cloud told him. “We’re going hunting tomorrow. You better go make sure your old nag is up to the challenge.”

“Copper’s not old.”

Cloud tousled Denzel’s hair. “All right, then take care of Fenrir. He needs a good grooming. His tail is all matted and tangled.”

Denzel gave Cloud an excited grin before he ran out of the Dining Hall.

Aerith gave Cloud a reprimanding look. “You shouldn’t encourage him to go anywhere near that crazy horse. He might hurt Denzel.”

“No, he won’t. Fenrir likes him.” Cloud moved around the table and sat beside Tifa. “So, how’d you like Aerith’s amazing tour of Castle Shinra?”

“Very informative,” replied Tifa.

“I bet she didn’t show you the most important room.”

“Which room is that?”

“My room.” He reached for Tifa’s hand and pulled her off the chair as he stood up.

Aerith huffed. “But Cloud! I haven’t shown her the gardens yet!”

“Later!” Cloud led Tifa by the hand out of the Dining Hall.

 

Chapter 15​

Cloud led Tifa up the curved stairway and down the corridor of the second floor. Once they were in front of his door, he turned the doorknob and pushed the door open, waiting for her to enter first before following her inside. He closed the door behind them.

He watched Tifa walk around his suite, pausing to read the titles of the books on a shelf before moving on. He was fascinated by her reactions to every little thing. It was amazing for him to think that he never cared to watch a woman so intently. Until Tifa came into his life. Everything changed. Everything was suddenly different. And somehow so clear.

Tifa moved to the center of the room, her eyes fixed on the large bed taking up a lot of space against the wall. “Such a large bed.”

He walked up behind her and leaned into her ear. “We don’t have to use all of it.” He glanced down at her cheek as it immediately reddened. Seeing the blush on her face captivated him. He leaned over her shoulder and lightly kissed her heated cheek.

“Am I staying in your room then?”

Cloud turned her around to face him. She was staring wide-eyed, waiting for him to respond. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” He tried to hide his disappointment that she might not want to sleep with him in bed. “I can arrange for you to sleep in another room.”

Her eyes panned around the room. “No, I like your room. But…”

“But?”

“I don’t want to…disappoint you.”

He frowned and brushed his thumb across her lips, rubbing off some of the lipstick Aerith had probably convinced Tifa to apply before going in front of the king and queen. “Now why do you think you’d disappoint me?”

Everytime he touched her in some manner, she literally melted. “I have no experience.”

“We’ve already been through this, Tifa. You’re exactly what I want.” Cloud brought both hands to her cheeks and tenderly kissed her lips. His heart soared at the way she responded so quickly. Her willingness did amazing things to him. He slid his arms around her slender form and held her close against him.

Tifa followed his lead. She didn’t want him to stop. There was an incredible ache in her belly, so pleasant and damaging at the same time. “You’re making me…feel things…I’ve never felt before,” she said between kisses.

“Good things, right?” He brought his lips to the right side of her neck, trailing sensual kisses down to her shoulder where he pushed the collar of her gown aside to expose more skin.

Her skin prickled with goosebumps and she shivered in anticipation everytime his lips touched her flesh. “Don’t…damage the dress.”

“Let’s take it off then.” He turned her back around and promptly began to untie and pull the lacings of her bodice all the way down to her waist. After carefully pushing the sleeves down Tifa’s arms, she stepped out of the gown. He picked it up off the floor and tossed it onto a nearby chair. When Tifa turned around to face him again, he couldn’t help but laugh as his eyes drifted over the conservative ruffled top and bloomers. They were completely unflattering, but to him it was just as if she wore nothing at all. Tifa looked good in anything…and nothing.

“What’s so funny?” she asked defensively.

“Did Aerith tell you to wear this?”

Tifa looked down at the underthings Aerith had indeed told her to wear. “Yes…”

“My cousin has an unusual sense of humor.”

Tifa wasn’t sure what he meant, but she quickly forgot her thoughts when he touched the light blue silk ribbon holding the top together.

Cloud noted the similar ribbon tied at her stomach, keeping the bloomers from sliding down her narrow hips. He untied the top ribbon first and pulled the sides apart before sliding the top off her shoulders and down her arms.

Just then there was a knock on the door.

Cloud looked up in annoyance. “This has got to be a joke.” He turned his head toward the door. “Who the fuck is it?!”

Tifa was surprised at his choice of words and the tone in which he spoke them. He bent to pick up her top where it fell and handed it to her before he walked away to answer the door. She quickly slipped on the ruffled top and held it closed in front of her.

Cloud angrily pulled the door open, ready to give whoever it was a piece of his mind. It was his mother. “Mom…whatta you want? I’m kinda busy right now.”

Ifalna gave him a stern look. “Cloud, I told you not to start anything yet.”

“I didn’t realize I had to follow your schedule,” he said sardonically.

She ignored his quip and whispered, “And I also told you to go and tell Elena the decision you’ve made.”

“I said I will. I’ll tell her later.”

“No, you’ll do it right now. She’s on her way to see you as we speak.”

“Oh…” Cloud scratched the back of his head as he peeked around the door to where Tifa stood in the middle of his bedroom, holding her top closed over her chest. The last thing he wanted was for Elena to barge into his room and create a scene in front of Tifa before he had a chance to explain things. “Tifa, I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll keep her company while you’re gone, dear.” Ifalna pushed passed him before he could stop her. “Go on. Get out of here.”

Cloud’s eyes darted one last time toward Tifa before he left.

Ifalna closed the door behind him and turned around to face Tifa. Judging by the state of Tifa’s clothing, the queen thought her timing had been perfect, although her son probably thought differently. “Hope you don’t mind the intrusion.”

“Is…everything all right?” Tifa asked timidly.

The queen approached Tifa with a smile. “Everything’s fine. Cloud was so eager to join you that he forgot an important errand.” She looked over the girl and shook her head in dismay. “This will not do at all. I’ll be back in a moment.”

Tifa was thoroughly confused as the queen walked back to the door and quickly left the room. She couldn’t help but think that there was something peculiar going on at Castle Shinra.

Cloud rounded the corner of the corridor and nearly collided into Elena on her way up the stairway.

“Cloud!” she screeched and threw herself at him, kissing his face and trying desperately to kiss him on the lips.

He did his best to avoid her attentions and finally had to forcefully remove her arms from around his neck. “Elena, stop…we need to talk.”

She was puzzled as he held his arms out, as if he was attempting to maintain a distance between them. “Talk about what? I haven’t seen you in over a month. I would have thought that the moment you came home, you’d immediately seek me out.”

He looked down, trying to find the right words. Even though he didn’t care about their relationship any longer, as nonexistent as it was, he still wanted to be civil about it. “I think it’s best if…if you’re assigned to someone else.”

Her jaw dropped. “What? Why?”

“Elena, you know as well as I do that it hasn’t been the same between us for a long time.”

“Is it because you’re engaged to be married? If that’s the case you know I’ll remain by your side until the very last night before the wedding.”

Cloud sighed. “No, that’s not it.”

“I don’t understand.” Her excitement at seeing him had completely vanished.

He decided to just tell her straight out, instead of prolonging the conversation. He wanted to get back to Tifa. “I’ve brought home a new consort…for myself.”

Her jaw dropped once again. “Excuse me?”

Cloud could see the disdain form on her face. She was about to get nasty with him. He had seen it too many times to not know the signs. Not being one to punish anyone for disrespecting him, Cloud usually left her alone whenever she became angry with him for one reason or another. Unfortunately he couldn’t just walk away this time. “Look, I’ve never treated you badly, so let’s not turn this into something you’ll regret.”

“What do you mean something I’ll regret?” Her teeth clenched in fury. “You’ll be the one regretting this, Cloud. I’ve done everything you asked of me and more.”

“Like I said, it hasn’t been the same for a long time.”

“It was your choice to change how things were between us. I was always ready and willing to please you. You kept pushing me away and turning me down.”

“I’m not saying this is your fault. You can place all the blame on me. I don’t have a problem with that.” Having owned Elena for three years, Cloud would have thought he’d have some kind of feelings for her. Even now, at that moment, he looked at her and tried very hard to feel something. Desire…friendship…respect…anything. He didn’t feel any of it. Nothing at all.

Elena’s expression softened a little. “Won’t you at least tell me why things changed between us?”

Cloud shook his head. “I wish I had the answers, Elena. I don’t know what happened,” he said truthfully. “I just…I need something else. I can’t explain it.”

“And you’ve found this something else in your new consort?”

“Yes, I think so.” When Elena looked down, Cloud prayed the girl wouldn’t burst into tears because then he’d feel obligated to hold her. And at the moment, the last thing he wanted to do was encourage her or give her false hope. It was over between them…it had been for over a year.

“Who will I be…reassigned to?”

Cloud didn’t know. “Well, I thought maybe you might have a preference and decide for yourself.”

“All of my preferences are already taken,” she said with a bitter laugh. She finally looked up at him. “I suppose Lord Tseng could use some company.”

“I’ll talk to my mother. She’ll have it arranged.”

“Could I have…one last kiss?” She started to move toward him.

Cloud took a step back, not looking at her. “That’s probably not a good idea.” He suddenly felt repulsed by the very thought of kissing her…or any other woman, for that matter…except for Tifa. His stomach tightened pleasantly when he thought of kissing Tifa. Right at that moment he couldn’t wait to get back to her. “Sorry,” he said to his former consort.

Elena took a deep breath and turned around. With her head held high, she marched away from him, heading for the bedroom she shared with Jessie, the queen’s handmaiden.

Cloud felt terrible. Not because of how miserable Elena was, he knew it was all an act, but how it reminded him of the moment he’d have to tell Tifa he was getting married in the near future. He wasn’t sure how he was going to tell her, but he needed to do it soon before she discovered it from someone else. He just dreaded it because he knew she’d revert back to hating him.

He turned the corner to head back to his bedroom when he spotted his mother heading for his door with several pieces of clothing slung over both arms. They weren’t exactly gowns, so he imagined they were undergarments or things to sleep in.

Deciding to give his mother a few moments alone with Tifa, Cloud headed down the stairs. He needed a drink. His father surely wouldn’t mind if he had a couple glasses of his brandy. And then after that he’d pay a visit to the blacksmith.

When the queen had left the room, Tifa didn’t know what to do so she put the red gown back on and sat at the foot of the large four poster bed. While she pondered the nature of the urgent matter Cloud had forgotten to attend to, she realized she didn’t even know the responsibilities of a prince. Or did the urgent matter have something to do with his voyage to Mideel? Come to think of it, Tifa didn’t even know what brought Cloud to Mideel in the first place. She never asked him. Was it just a supply trading venture or something else?

The door opened once again, forcing Tifa to her feet. She hoped it was Cloud, but it was the queen, carrying an assortment of garments across her arms.

Ifalna walked to the bed and carefully placed each garment down. She had selected seven that had been made for her many years ago, but she just never had an opportunity to wear them. She glanced up at Tifa. “Do you like them?”

Tifa stared down at what looked like undergarments or sleepwear, lying side by side on the bed. They were lacy and delicate and relatively sheer. Her heart raced at the thought of wearing any of them in front of Cloud. Even though he had already seen her completely bare, wearing one of the provocative garments was an open invitation for him to do as he pleased. “They’re all beautiful. I can’t decide which I like best.”

“There’s no need to decide, dear. I’m giving them all to you.”

Tifa shook her head humbly. “Oh…no. I can’t accept such a gift.”

“Of course you can. You’re my son’s personal consort. It’s my right as your queen to provide you with whatever luxury you require.” She absently brushed her fingers across the silk of one of the outfits. “These were mine, but I never got to wear them. So I’m giving them to you. I’m certain Cloud will be pleased.”

Tifa nodded timidly.

Ifalna studied her subservient manner. The queen was used to people feeling intimidated by her. But she felt sorry for this poor girl who had lived more than half her life in a horrible environment full of abuse and degrading sex. She hoped it wouldn’t take years for her to gain confidence in herself because Cloud unfortunately didn’t have that kind of time.

The queen disapproved of the marriage between Cloud and the princess of Junon, but she had no choice but to go along with her husband’s decision. She saw what the loveless marriage was doing to Rufus. She didn’t want the same for Cloud. Somehow or another, she’d find a way to delay the marriage and give Cloud a chance to make Tifa happy, just like he wanted.

Ifalna picked up one of the garments and turned toward Tifa. “Let’s try this one.”

Cloud was on his way to the blacksmith’s hut on the other side of the horse exercising yard when he ran into Zack coming back from there.

“Have you seen Aerith?” Zack asked.

“She was in the Dining Hall last I saw her,” replied Cloud as he passed. Then he stopped. “Hey, Zack, hang on a second.”

Zack stopped and walked back over to Cloud. “What’s up?”

Cloud sighed and looked up at the sky. He needed some advice and there really wasn’t anyone else he trusted in the castle. “I gotta ask you something, but you have to promise not to laugh at me.”

He was already laughing before Cloud even asked. But he ceased and placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Sorry, go ahead.”

“Before Aerith came along, did you…like being with your consort?”

Zack shrugged. “Cissnei fulfilled my needs.”

“But did you like her?”

“Yeah, I liked her. She was my consort.”

Cloud frowned in confusion. “I don’t understand what happened between me and Elena. I mean, in the beginning it was great because I didn’t have to go elsewhere. But I don’t remember if I ever really liked her…you know, as a person.”

“Does it matter anymore? You’ve got Tifa.”

“I know,” he said with another sigh. Then he scratched the back of his head. “I’ve gotten a little lazy and spoiled in the last few years. I forgot what it’s like to please a girl.”

Zack smiled. “Don’t worry about it. It’s like riding a horse. You never forget the basics. It’ll all come back to you.”

Cloud rolled his eyes. “Right. See you later.” He proceeded on toward the blacksmith’s hut.

Tifa gave up on modestly trying to cover herself as the queen helped her try on each of the garments. She had also tolerated the queen’s inspection of the healing scars inflicted by Anton Corneo to her lower back. She was certain Cloud told his mother what had happened or she wouldn’t have made such a fuss over them.

Wearing the final garment, Ifalna stood behind the girl in front of a full length mirror and smiled. “I believe Cloud will like this one the most.”

Tifa’s face instantly flushed with heat as she studied herself in the shimmering white silk garment that was nothing more than a sheath with thin straps at the shoulder. It was sheer and trimmed in white lace and pearls.

The queen reached up to push Tifa’s hair to one side. At that exact moment she noticed something on the back of the girl’s left shoulder. It was a tiny birthmark…in the shape of a clover. Her brows narrowed at the sight of it, remembering another who had a similar mark. But could two people have the exact same birthmark, in the exact same place?

“You said you don’t recall anything prior to being in the custody of that slave merchant?” Ifalna asked, her fingers brushing lightly over the birthmark before she glanced at Tifa through the mirror.

Tifa shook her head as she met the queen’s eyes. “I was very young. My memories faded as I was subjected to harsh labor and…” she paused, not knowing how much more she could say without bursting into tears.

“And…?” Ifalna gently prompted.

“It’s difficult for me to speak of it.”

Ifalna turned Tifa around to face her and placed a hand on her cheek. “I understand. No worries,” she said with a sincere smile. “Please know that if there’s ever anything you want to speak to me about, I am always available, no matter the time of day.”

Tifa attempted her own smile and managed a small one. Aerith had spoken the truth when she said the queen was a kind woman. She was witnessing it firsthand.

“Now I’m going to find out what’s taking that son of mine so long to return. Tomorrow, while Cloud takes his younger brother out hunting, Aerith and I will take you to the markets and we will shop until the sun goes down…or the king calls us back…whichever comes first. Oh, and my handmaiden, Jessie, is at your disposal if you should need her. She’s a very sweet girl. You’ll like her.” She cupped Tifa’s chin and leaned in to kiss the girl on the forehead before drawing back and looking her in the eyes. “Will you do me a favor and trust my son?”

“I already do,” Tifa replied truthfully.

“Good.” The queen headed for the door. “I’ll see you at the evening meal.”

Tifa sighed after the queen left the room, closing the door behind her. Having been subjected to the worst humiliation and abuse in the last eleven years, she was having a hard time getting used to so much kindness. First Vincent and Lucrecia, then Cloud and everyone on the ship and now his mother. Tifa was waiting for the moment when this beautiful dream would come to an end and she’d be right back where she started.

Cloud was on his way up the stairway, intending to go to his bedroom and kick his mother out if she was still there. But luckily he found her coming out just as he rounded the corner of the hallway.

“Oh good, there you are, Cloud. I was about to look for you.”

“Is Tifa all right?”

“She’s perfectly fine. I gave her some garments I never got to wear.” Her eyes widened when she saw the instrument in Cloud’s hand. “What in God’s name are you going to do with that?”

Cloud looked down at the tool and a sly smile formed on his lips as he looked back up at his mother. “Whatever my imagination can think of.”

The queen balked. “Over my dead body will you harm a hair on that girl’s head.”

“Don’t get your feathers ruffled, mother. I’m just kidding.”

“Did you speak to Elena?”

“Yeah. She wasn’t too happy, as I expected.”

“And who will she be assigned to?”

“I let her decide. She said Tseng.”

Ifalna kissed her son on the cheek. “All right then. The guests will be arriving any minute so don’t be late for dinner.”

Cloud gave her a sheepish smile. “Yeah, I won’t.”

“I mean it, Cloud.”

“Fine,” he said with an exasperated sigh and walked away, heading for his bedroom door.

 

Chapter 16​

Cloud paused behind his bedroom door, his hand freezing on the doorknob. He raised his hand to knock and then thought how ridiculous that was. This was his room. He had every right to walk right in without knocking, even barge in if he wanted to. But he still opened the door slowly and peered around it as he entered. “Tifa?”

“I’m here,” she called from the window.

He swallowed the lump in his throat when he saw her, clad in a very sheer garment. Now this was much better than the conservative top and bloomers Aerith had picked out. He closed the door and started walking toward her.

Tifa’s heart began to race the moment she saw him. It felt as if she hadn’t seen him in days instead of only a short while. She was about to run to him, but froze when she saw what was in his hand. Recognizing it as something a blacksmith would use on a horse, she took an involuntary step backward, immediately fearing what he intended to do with it.

Cloud slowed his steps when he saw the look of fear on her face. He stopped in front of her and held up his free hand. “Mind if I take a look at that bracelet on your wrist?”

Still not sure what he had in mind, Tifa hesitantly raised her arm. Her eyes followed his movements as he took her hand and then brought the tool up. He carefully placed a section of the brass ring between the teeth of the tool and pressed the handle together. The ring snapped where he cut it. He placed a similar cut on the other side until the slave bracelet fell away in two pieces.

She instinctly pulled her wrist to her, rubbing it with her other hand. Beneath her fingers she could feel the worn chaffing the brass bracelet had made on her skin throughout the years she had worn it.

Cloud tossed the tool on the floor and took her wrist, pulling it up to place a soft kiss on the inside of it. “I hated seeing that thing on you.” He brushed his thumb over the chaffed flesh. “This wrist should be adorned with gold and diamonds.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the very item he spoke of, dangling it from his fingertips.

“I have no use for such a trinket,” she said breathlessly, eying the undoubtedly priceless piece of jewelry.

He brought his other hand up to her chin and kissed her delicately. “But it would please me to see it on you.”

“All right,” Tifa said with a small smile as he carefully linked the diamond bracelet around her wrist. “If it pleases you.”

Cloud’s eyes drifted to her throat. He reached up and traced his fingers along her neckline. “I have a matching necklace that would look amazing right here.” His fingers moved up to her bare earlobe. “And earrings, too.” In the back of his mind he wondered what his mother would say when she discovered he had taken the gifts meant for his future wife and gave them to Tifa. He bent closer and slurped her earlobe into his mouth.

A giggle escaped Tifa’s lips.

He loved the beautiful sound and pulled back to kiss her lips again. “I haven’t had a proper bath in several days. I probably smell pretty bad, right?”

Tifa shook her head. “You don’t smell bad.” She was being honest. She pressed her lips to his, not wanting him to stop kissing her.

“I have a better idea. Let’s bathe together.”

To keep herself from becoming overly nervous, Tifa casually asked, “Do I smell bad?”

Cloud chuckled lightly. “No. You smell wonderful. But I still want you to join me. It’s your turn to scrub my back.” He pulled back slightly to study her face, wondering if he was overwhelming her again. But she didn’t seem too distressed. He took her hand and tugged her along behind him into the adjoining bathroom.

Tifa visually inspected the large room. It was very airy with a full wall of windows. Directly beneath the windows was the biggest tub she had ever seen. It was built into the marble floor. On the opposite wall was a luxurious commode and a sink. Everything was made of marble, with fixtures she imagined were crafted from gold.

Cloud left her standing in the center of the room as he walked to the wall near the sunken tub. He turned the knobs to start the water falling into the tub and tested the temperature with his hand. When he was sure it wasn’t too hot or too cold, he removed his princely white jacket and joined Tifa again. “Would you like to undress me?”

Tifa didn’t want him to think she was opposed to doing anything. She wanted to please him and she wanted him to know that she trusted him…even though she was still extremely nervous about things to come. “As you wish.”

He shook his head. “No, only if you wish it. I won’t have you do anything you don’t want to do.”

She attempted a smile. “I do wish it.”

“Alright.”

Tifa reached up and began unbuttoning his shirt. When she finished, she pushed it off his shoulders and down his arms, letting it fall to the floor.

Feeling her fingers brushing his skin and the sight of her in the see-through nightdress, Cloud could barely keep himself from becoming aroused. He breathed and tried to calm himself.

Tifa knelt in front of him and sat back on her heels on the cool floor. She raised each of his feet and removed his boots. Finally all that was left were his trousers. She straightened up on her knees and reached up to undo the front of them. As she tugged them down, her eyes automatically went to the instrument between his legs.

Feeling a bit self-conscious and quickly becoming aroused by the way she was staring at him, Cloud kicked off his trousers and pulled Tifa up by her arms. He glanced over his shoulder to see if the tub was full yet. It was getting there. As a distraction, he walked over to a shelf near the tub where a variety of bottles were stacked. “Which scent should we use?”

Tifa joined him near the shelf and bent to sniff the contents of a bottle he opened. “Smells very flowery.” She gave him a small smile, imagining he didn’t want to smell like flowers.

Cloud put the bottle back and picked up another one for her to smell.

“I like this one.” She took it and stepped up to the side of the tub. Remembering her stunt on the ship in the small bathroom, this time she carefully poured only a small amount of the liquid soap into the water and it immediately began to foam up.

“Ready to get in?” he asked as he reached passed her to stop the water flow.

She turned around to face him and took a deep breath before she nodded.

Despite the fact that he knew she probably wasn’t ready at all, he gently pushed the satin strands of her nightdress off her shoulders. The thin shimmering garment easily slid off her body. Cloud hopped down into the tub and turned back around to help her. With his hands on her waist, he lifted her and pulled her down into the tub with him.

Tifa sat down and watched him dunk himself completely under the steaming water.

Cloud resurfaced a few seconds later, releasing the breath he had been holding. “I hope my mother didn’t make you feel uncomfortable,” he said as he turned his back to Tifa.

“Not at all. She isn’t like how I imagined a queen would behave. She’s very caring.” Tifa grabbed the sponge and began running it over Cloud’s back.

“I suppose most royals are ruthless. Queen Ifalna isn’t one of them.”

“And neither are you.”

Cloud frowned. He knew this was probably the worst time to tell her, but he couldn’t hold it back any longer. She trusted him now and he didn’t want to spoil that by keeping secrets from her. “Tifa…there’s something I have to tell you.”

Tifa’s hand stopped moving. The troubled tone in his voice made her think it wasn’t going to be good news and her stomach suddenly lurched sickeningly. Her mind raced with horrible possibilities…

When she moved away from him, Cloud turned around. She was already distancing herself and it bothered him more than anything in the world at the moment. He decided to tell her about Elena first. “I had a consort before you came here.”

She released the breath she had been holding. Well, that wasn’t so bad. From what Aerith told her, most influential men had consorts, so for Cloud to have one wasn’t anything unusual. But she couldn’t help the sudden feeling of jealousy. “Is she still here at the castle?”

“Yes, but she’s been given to someone else in the household.”

It bothered Tifa to know how easily consorts were swapped from one member of the household to another. But she was glad Cloud had no intention of keeping both her and the other consort. “It doesn’t matter,” she said as nonchalantly as possible. “Why’re you telling me this?”

“I wanted you to hear it from me rather than someone else.” He sighed. “When I told Elena, she didn’t take it very well, so I imagine she’ll be very unpleasant to you.”

“I don’t blame her.” Tifa’s brows drew together as she contemplated her next question. “Why did you give her up?”

“I hate when things are pushed on me by others. She was a gift, but she wasn’t my choice.”

“But you…used her anyway.”

He didn’t know how to answer that without sounding like a self-righteous leech. “Yeah, I was sort of naïve and uncaring at the time.” He didn’t want to elaborate on the real reason his mother had given Elena to him. If Tifa knew how sexually active he was a few years ago, she’d think it was all he wanted her for. “But I swear I haven’t been with her like that in a long time.”

“How long?”

“I don’t know, maybe a year or more.” He shrugged. “I had other interests to keep me preoccupied. I was away from home a lot and Elena didn’t like to sail.”

Tifa didn’t want to think about Cloud and another woman anymore. She quickly wanted to change the subject. “So…will I get to sail with you when you go away?”

“Do you want to?”

She gave him a small smile. “I like to steer the ship.”

He was glad she wasn’t too upset about Elena. “I know you do,” he said with a smile, but it quickly faded. “But I don’t think you’ll be coming with me when I leave to search for Sephiroth.”

“Are you leaving soon?”

“At the end of the week. So we have a few days to spend together.”

With a gentle splash, Tifa moved closer to him and reached up to push the wet hair out of his face, combing it back with her fingers. He looked oddly different without it hanging over his forehead the way it normally did. “I’ll miss you,” she said sadly, looking into his hypnotic eyes.

As she touched his face, Cloud marveled at how easily she had overcome her fear of him. Could it truly be his doing? “I’ll miss you, too.” He maneuvered Tifa to straddle his lap. As she slid her arms around his neck, he hugged her to him.

They remained silent for several moments, holding each other tightly, the only sound coming from dripping water in the steam-filled room.

Her stomach ached so pleasantly. She liked it when he held her this way. The rest of the world simply vanished when she was with him. Everything she had lived through seemed like a distant memory…a nightmare he had woken her from. There was no terrible past. There was just him and the wonderful sensations he brought her with his scent and his touch and his kiss. Her body responded to those things, even when she didn’t want to. Just the way it was responding to him now.

Cloud liked touching her smooth skin. His hands moved up her back and his right moved further up along the back of her neck. When she drew away to look at him, he pulled her forward again, joining their lips. She responded with such passion. He knew it was instinctual. She had no idea of the things she’d feel…if he took this to the end. The way she kissed him back so hungrily and ran her fingers through his hair, chills ran up his spine. He was quickly losing control and decided to indulge just a little bit, as he had done this morning on the ship. He released her lips and trailed kisses down the side of her neck and along her shoulder. His hands came around to cover her breasts, seeking the sensitive peaks. A moan escaped her throat and she boldly lifted herself up slightly so that her breasts were in his face. He hesitated only for a second, trying to control his rampant lust. Still holding her left breast, he swirled his tongue around her nipple, licking the suds away before closing his mouth over it. It was soft as velvet and hard as a pebble on his tongue. He loved the small sounds that came out of her mouth as he tried different things, touching her in different ways…with his nose, his chin, his teeth…but not very hard.

After several minutes, he pulled her back down on his lap. While he continued to squeeze and massage her breasts, he brought his mouth to the side of her neck again, kissing and licking her flushed skin until she was squirming.

“Are we going to…?” she asked hesitantly, unable to finish as he nipped lightly on her ear.

He knew what she was asking. “Not yet,” he replied in a whisper. It was a contradiction to his rock-hard erection, aching to impale her right then and there. He captured her lips in another heated kiss. No, he wasn’t going to squander her first experience by making love to her in a tub. He wanted her lying comfortably on a bed and he wanted to have all the time in the world to prepare her. A couple of hours wasn’t enough time.

Tifa trusted his judgment. The fact that he was being so careful meant a lot to her. But she couldn’t help her sudden impatience to know what it would feel like. “When then?”

He continued kissing her leisurely. “We have to go down for dinner. I don’t want to rush through this.”

“Will it be before you go away?”

Cloud drew back to look in her eyes. “I want it to be your decision, Tifa. I won’t have you do anything against your will.”

Tifa searched his eyes. He was being completely sincere, she could see that. Would she ever come across another man who would treat her so respectfully? She would never want anyone else. Cloud Strife was the man of her dreams and she wanted to show him how important he was to her.

She could feel him between her legs, rock solid and undoubtedly ready to take her. But he was considerate of her feelings and her well-being. He was sacrificing himself for her. She hugged him again and her lips moved to his ear. “Soon then. Before you leave?”

Cloud couldn’t tell her how much he wanted her right at that moment. He didn’t think he had the strength or the will power to wait a week or even a day. But he would try for her. He’d wait until he knew she was ready.

“We should probably get ready for dinner,” Tifa finally said after several more quiet minutes of holding each other.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“You don’t seem enthused.”

Cloud released her. “I hate boring social gatherings.”

“But I’m really hungry.”

He smiled. “I suppose I can suffer through it for you.”

Tifa kissed him and then moved away. She stood up and stepped out of the tub, no longer feeling apprehensive about her nakedness in front of him. She grabbed a large towel on her way back to the bedroom.

Cloud watched her depart. And then he remembered he forgot to tell her the second thing he didn’t want her to find out from someone else. “Ah, shit…” Telling Tifa about his engagement would just have to wait for now. Besides, he didn’t want to spoil her cheerful mood, especially not after learning that she wanted him to make love to her before he left on his hunt for Sephiroth. Maybe if he waited until afterward to tell her, she wouldn’t take the news so hard. Or maybe he would make it worse by waiting.

With a frustrated sigh, Cloud got out of the tub. He’d ask Aerith for her opinion. She liked Tifa and Cloud knew she wouldn’t steer him wrong.

Ifalna heaved a sigh of relief when she finally reached the top floor of the east tower. After walking through the large wooden door, she glanced around the dilapidated laboratory. “Emmet?” She cringed at the purple smoke drifting out of a bubbling beaker sitting on a workbench. “Emmet, are you in here?”

She walked out of an open doorway and onto a large outdoor embrasure overlooking the courtyard below. On the far right was the man she was looking for.

Emmet Hojo raised a piece of raw meat and fed it to one of the twelve falcons perched on individual wooden stakes sticking out of the stone wall. He caught a movement to his left and with a disgruntled grunt he turned to the approaching queen.

“There you are Emmet.” She eyed the birds along the wall. “Do any of these still fly to Nibelheim?”

Hojo took several steps and stopped into front of a falcon. “Ramuh hasn’t flown that route in almost a decade.”

“Can he still do it?”

“He’s quite old, but I believe he can.”

Ifalna held up a small envelope. “I need this sent to the Record Keeper in Nibelheim. How long will it take?”

“Hm...Perhaps two weeks.”

She calculated the approximate time it might take the Record Keeper to comply with her request and added an additional two weeks for the message to be returned. A little over a month’s time would pass before she would get word. It would have to do.

Ifalna handed the envelope to Hojo. “Send the bird immediately.”

Hojo bowed his head. “As you wish, your Grace.” He watched her depart and suspiciously eyed the envelope. “Now what could the queen need from the Record Keeper of Nibelheim, I wonder?” He absently caressed the feathered breast of the Nibelheim falcon and continued to stare at the envelope.

 

Chapter 17​

Cloud led Tifa by the hand as they made their way down the curved staircase and then down a long corridor. “Uh oh,” he muttered as his eyes panned the empty reception area outside the Dining Hall. Normally the guests were standing around waiting for dinner to begin.

Tifa looked his way. “Is something wrong?”

“Dinner already started.”

“The king will be angry?”

“No, nothing like that.” He held his hand up, indicating to the guards to wait before opening the doors. He stopped and turned to face Tifa. “If they’ve already started then that means all eyes will be on us when we walk in.”

“Is that bad?”

“I’m just thinking of you.”

“I’m fine.”

He placed his hands on her face. “Are you sure?”

She felt herself relax. “It’s just a few guests, right?”

“Just a few.”

“I’m fine,” she said again.

“Alright.” He kissed her lightly on the lips and marveled at the way the diamond necklace he placed around her neck moments ago shined so brightly, as did the earrings. “Let’s go then.” He took Tifa’s hand again and motioned with a nod to the guards on either side of the doors.

The doors of the Dining Hall opened and everyone at the guest tables stopped what they were doing and immediately stood up.

Tifa paled as she took in the sight in front of her when Cloud pulled her through the doorway. The hall was literally filled with hundreds and hundreds of people. She took a deep breath as he led her along the wall of the eerily quiet room. He hadn’t been joking when he said all eyes would be on them. She kept her eyes forward as Cloud finally sat her down beside Denzel while he took the empty seat between her and his mother.

Everyone sat back down after Cloud did and they all resumed what they had been doing before the prince had entered.

“So good of you to join us, dear,” said the queen reproachfully.

“Sorry, we were having wardrobe difficulties.”

“Of course.” Ifalna rolled her eyes and returned to her plate.

Tifa glanced at Cloud. His brows were drawn together and his cheeks were flushed. It was apparent he didn’t like being the center of attention. But he didn’t seem to have a problem on the ship. Or was it that he didn’t like being the center of attention of this particular crowd of people? “I thought you said just a few guests.”

His eyes turned to her. “This is just a few guests. Usually the tables are spilling into the gardens, they’re so many people.”

As Cloud reached for various food items and filled their plates, Tifa glanced around the Dining Hall. While the guest tables that seated eight were set up in rows throughout the hall, the king’s table was set up in the shape of a horseshoe with the king and queen at the center. Seated beside Denzel on Tifa’s right were Zack and Aerith. On the other side of the king was a young man who looked very much like Cloud. She presumed it was Rufus and the blonde-haired woman beside him was his wife, Scarlet.

“Who’re they?” Tifa asked Cloud.

Cloud followed her gaze to the left. “The man with the dark beard is Reeve Tuesti. He’s one of my father’s advisors. The other man with the long hair is another advisor. His name’s Jian Tseng.”

When Cloud stopped there and started eating, she studied the beautiful blonde woman seated to Tseng’s left, staring at Tifa from a distance. The woman’s eyes reflected open hostility. There was no doubt in Tifa’s mind who she was, but she wondered why Cloud didn’t mention her. “Who’s the woman next to Tseng?”

Cloud looked up, but avoided looking toward the woman he knew Tifa was referring to. “That’s…Elena.”

“She’s beautiful.” Tifa watched Cloud shrug and return to his food. Was he pretending to be aloof just for her benefit? She gave the stunningly beautiful woman a friendly smile, but received a furious sneer in return. Tifa knew they’d never be friends, so it was no use attempting it. Instead she looked down at the food Cloud had put on her plate. “What am I eating?”

“Venison, potatoes, carrots and corn,” he said as he pointed to each item on her plate. He grabbed some bread from another platter and placed it on her plate. “And bread.”

Tifa started with the carrots because they were so colorful. The only item on the plate familiar to her was the corn. She had never eaten venison and had no idea what kind of animal the meat came from. But she would eat it anyway.

Ten minutes later her plate was completely clean.

Cloud looked at it with raised eyebrows. “I guess you really were hungry. Do you want more?”

“No, thank you. I’m full now. But it was delicious.” She turned to the servants standing behind them.

The closest one immediately approached her. “Yes, my Lady?”

“I just wanted to tell you that the food was delicious.”

The servant looked strangely at her. “Thank you?” He didn’t know what else to say. None of the royals had ever spoken to him about the food before unless there was something wrong with it.

After the servant stepped back to stand at the wall again, Tifa turned to Cloud. He was smiling that little smile of his, the one that made her stomach flutter. “Did I say something wrong?”

He shook his head and leaned closer to kiss her cheek.

To distract herself from the wonderful warmth blossoming inside of her, she glanced around the room. “Who are all these people?”

“The social elite of Midgar. Or rather the upper crust of the social elite.” He remained leaning close to her and spoke softly so only she could hear him. “My mother only invites certain people to these gatherings.”

“And this gathering is in celebration of your safe return to Midgar?”

“That’s right.”

Tifa noted the sophisticated clothing worn by the guests, not to mention the jewelry and complicated hairstyles worn by the women. She assumed all of these people were extremely wealthy and important enough to be included in the queen’s circle.

Cloud leaned even closer to her. “I can tell you some wild stories about some of these people.”

Tifa turned to him, their noses almost touching. “By stories, do you mean gossip?”

His eyes shifted to the closest table in front of them. “See that large woman about to burst out of her yellow gown?”

Her eyes followed his gaze. “Yes?”

“That’s not a woman,” he whispered.

Tifa had to look again, but she couldn’t tell it was a man beneath the tall pile of gray hair. Her face seemed far too soft to be a man. “You’re joking, right?”

“It’s no joke. When I was younger I saw her outside in the garden one day and she was relieving herself in front of a bush...standing up.”

Tifa involuntarily released a very unladylike snort. She quickly slapped a hand over her mouth to prevent another one.

Cloud grinned at her attempt to keep from laughing. He wasn’t going to stop now. “And the man in the green coat who looks like he’s had one too many loaves of bread...he has intimate relations with a goat.”

She looked down, her hand still covering her mouth. When she thought she had her laughter under control, she looked up at him and removed her hand. “Stop that.”

“Stop what?” He was still grinning.

“Stop making me laugh.”

“Why? I like making you laugh.”

“They’ll know we’re laughing at them.”

“Nah, they’re too busy sucking up to each other to notice.”

She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to find Denzel smiling at her.

“You look really pretty, Tifa.”

Tifa smiled at the boy. “Thank you, Denzel. That’s very sweet of you to say.”

Cloud gave his little brother a teasing glare. “Are you flirting with my girl?”

The youngest prince shrugged. “Well, if you get tired of Cloud, you can always come play with me.”

Cloud exchanged a knowing look with Tifa before he turned back to Denzel. “You’re gonna have to learn a different kind of game before you can play with someone like Tifa.”

“What do you mean, Cloud? What kind of game?”

Tifa smiled at Cloud, curious to know how he planned to explain it.

“Uh...well...” Cloud scratched the back of his head, realizing he probably shouldn’t have made such a comment. He hadn’t thought Denzel would question him. “How old are you now? Ten?”

“Ten and a half,” Denzel proudly stated.

“Ask me again when you’re around sixteen.”

Denzel was about to protest, but was immediately distracted when a large bowl of heavily frosted mini cinnamon rolls was placed in front of him.

Similar bowls were placed in front of Cloud and Tifa.

Tifa’s eyes widened. “How do you not get fat eating this kind of food every day?”

“Exercise,” Cloud replied. He picked up a small cinnamon roll with a fork and shoved the entire thing in his mouth. “Which reminds me…” he said with his mouth full. “When I’m back from hunting tomorrow, you and I are going to practice.”

“Practice?”

“I want to show you how to use a sword.”

Her brows drew together curiously. “What for?”

“So you can defend yourself against assholes like Corneo.”

She had already grown used to his choice of ineloquent words. “Will I have a need to do so in the future?”

“Just a precaution.” He smiled and reached up to brush his thumb across her cheek where the bruise had almost disappeared. “If anyone ever raises a hand to you again, you’ll have the skill to gut them like a fish.” He said it so casually, as if it was all in a day’s work.

Before Tifa could say anything, Cloud speared a cinnamon roll with his fork and brought it up to her lips. She took a small bite out of it and then he ate the rest in one large bite. She relented that there was no need for further discussion. He was going to teach her to defend herself and that was that.

Nearly an hour later, after the tables were pushed aside, Cloud’s family and the guests began to mingle.

Tifa remained close to Cloud’s side. Not that he was letting her out of his sight for even a second anyway. She noticed he kept asking for his wine goblet to be filled...and it was immediately filled with something far stronger than wine. Every once in awhile he’d offer it to her and she took a tiny sip. But his eyes were becoming red and she feared the consequences. Her thoughts quickly drifted to the many times Anton Corneo had beat her for no reason other than he had too much to drink. Would Cloud become so intoxicated that he wouldn’t know what he was doing?

Cloud wrapped an arm around Tifa’s neck and leaned close. “Look over there…see that woman with the enormous pile of blue hair?”

Tifa looked. “Blue hair. Hm, it’s quite lovely.”

“Hang on, give it a second. It’s coming.”

Just then the blue-haired woman released a laugh that sounded much like a baying sheep. The sound made Tifa giggle.

“Not quite as pretty as yours, is it?” he commented with a silly smile.

She blushed and continued smiling back, even though he was hanging all over her. “You think my laugh is pretty?”

“Very pretty.”

“I like your laugh, too.”

“Yeah?” He straightened up a little. “It’s very masculine, right?” He gave her a sample, his voice deepening several octaves more than normal.

She giggled again. “That’s not how you laugh.”

“Yeah it is.” He held up his goblet and in a matter of seconds someone was there to fill it.

Tifa realized one of the servants was literally stalking them, waiting for the prince to command him.

“Come on, I’ll introduce you to Rufus.” Cloud placed a hand on her lower back and led her through the crowd of guests. He politely acknowledged everyone. “Right…right…Nice to see you…Maybe later…Thank you…Love the hair…” and kept walking even though some wanted more than just a second of his time. He mumbled under his breath, “You can all kiss my ass…”

Tifa looked ahead and noticed Reeve and Tseng were standing with Rufus.

When Rufus saw Cloud approaching with the young woman he had heard so much about from his mother, he smiled. “Well, it’s about time you decide to introduce me to this stunning vision in pale blue.”

Cloud possessively tightened his arm around Tifa’s waist when he saw her blush. “Tifa, this is my smooth talking brother, Rufus.” He barely tolerated his own brother kissing the back of Tifa’s hand and made a show of dislodging her hand from his. “That’ll be enough of that.” He motioned toward the other two men. “Reeve Tuesti and Jian Tseng, my father’s advisors.”

Tifa nodded to them in greeting.

“My mother tells me you hail from Nibelheim,” Rufus said with a dashing smile, drawing her attention back to him.

“Yes,” she said, slightly flustered by his intense stare. In the back of her mind she wondered if all the consorts here at the castle were treated the same as she was. They spoke to her as if she was someone of importance.

“But you don’t remember much of your childhood,” he continued.

“No, I’m afraid I don’t.”

“We were in Nibelheim once. Remember, Cloud? We stayed with the king and queen there.”

Cloud nodded and took a gulp from his goblet. He planned to get ripped by the end of the night so he’d be able to sleep without desperately wanting to ravage Tifa who’d be lying beside him on his bed. “Yeah, I remember.”

Rufus rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I think Cloud wishes he can forget it though.”

Tifa glanced at Cloud, who rolled his bloodshot eyes.

“If I recall correctly, there was a certain incident involving a balcony and a trellis.” Rufus grinned and ignored the killer look his younger brother was giving him. “One day Cloud was trying to avoid the little princess of Nibelheim and he happened to jump off a balcony to climb down a trellis. Only the trellis collapsed and fell in a heap on top of him after he hit the ground.”

Cloud watched Tifa’s reaction, thinking she’d laugh. But she suddenly looked away from Rufus, her eyes wide and far away. He immediately grew concerned and pulled her away from the others. “Are you all right?”

Tifa closed her eyes for a moment, feeling slightly dizzy. Her mind was racing. A vision had come to her the moment Rufus told her what happened to Cloud when he was young. She saw it so clearly in her mind’s eye as if she had been there. A young boy with wild blonde hair, the pieces of a wooden trellis and ivy leaves on top of him. Was it just her imagination conjuring up the image?

She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, looking up at Cloud. “I’m fine. I think I had too much to drink.”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded.

Aerith came up to them. “Do you mind if I steal Tifa away from you for just a minute? I want to introduce her to some of my friends.”

Cloud waited for Tifa to nod again before he released her to Aerith. Then he looked down at his goblet. Maybe it was better if he stopped drinking, just in case something happened to Tifa and he needed to take care of her. A quick glance brought a servant up to him. He handed his goblet over and walked away.

Before he could follow Aerith and Tifa, his mother pulled him off to the side. “I see you’ve given Tifa the gifts that were meant for Princess Priscilla.”

“I bought those jewels myself in Cosmo Canyon last year. They’re mine to give to whomever I want.”

“I’m not disputing the fact that you gave them to her, I’m merely making a statement.”

“Good, because I’m not taking them back. Princess Whateverhernameis gets nothing from me.”

Ifalna knew she should have said something, but she allowed Cloud his moment of contempt. “You seem thoroughly distracted by this girl, Cloud.”

“Isn’t that the point of having a consort?”

“Yes, but I sense something stronger between the two of you…more than what you had with Elena.”

Cloud frowned at his mother. He hated that she was so perceptive when it came to him and he hated that she analyzed every aspect of his life, not to mention wanting an explanation for all of his moods. It irritated him to no end. But he loved his mother unconditionally and could never deny her. “What’re you looking for me to say?”

“I’m just wondering why you’re so infatuated.”

“I don’t know what it is. I saw Tifa and…I can’t explain it.”

“Was it the moment you saw her or after you discovered her plight?”

“I think it was both.”

“So you were physically attracted to her in the beginning, which is quite understandable. She’s very pretty and very likeable. But then you were attracted to the desolation in her life and you immediately wanted to correct it.”

Cloud raised his eyebrows, wondering how she had come to that conclusion. “I guess.”

“There’s something about her, Cloud.”

“Like what?” he asked, immediately taking on a defensive tone.

“I’m not sure, but I aim to find out.”

“Whatever it is, I don’t want to know about it.”

Ifalna placed a hand on his cheek. “Have faith in me, son. It’s not to discredit Tifa. I merely wish to know her origin. Perhaps I can find out if her family still lives.”

“Good…because I have a few unpleasant words for them.”

“I’m sure you do, dear. And by the way, you’ve had enough to drink.”

If she hadn’t said something, Cloud would have been fine. But he refused to be told what to do. He only raised a hand as far as his shoulder before a servant was there with a full goblet. “I do what I want,” he said as he took a gulp and walked away.

Ifalna sighed heavily. “Yes, I know.”

Cloud knew he was being rude as he ignored anyone trying to stop him to chat. He found where Aerith had taken Tifa and stopped a few feet away. He watched her smile sweetly and speak cordially to the three ladies Cloud recognized as Aerith’s friends. Luckily he had never been intimate with any of them or it would have been a bit awkward. It was awkward enough having Elena around.

Just as he was about to approach, Zack and his father walked up.

“We need to talk to Rufus about what we discussed earlier today,” said his father.

Cloud frowned. “Right now?”

“Yes, right now.”

“Hang on a second.” He walked over to where Tifa stood and abruptly interrupted the discussion. “Excuse me.” He pulled Tifa away. “I have to go to a meeting. Are you going to be all right by yourself?”

“I think so.”

“Stay with Aerith. Don’t wander off on your own.”

She nodded and accepted his kiss. He tasted like the liquor he had been drinking all night. After he walked away with his father and bestfriend, Tifa rejoined Aerith and her friends. As the ladies droned on about nothing, Tifa couldn’t help but wonder what kind of meeting would pull Cloud and the other men away during such a gathering.

 

Chapter 18​

“I’m going to ask a stupid question,” Reeve said. “What kind of security does Icicle Village have, or lack thereof, that would allow someone like Sephiroth the opportunity to escape?”

Seated around a circular table in clockwise order were Shinra, Rufus, Zack, Hojo, Tseng, Reno, Rude, Reeve and Cloud.

“I don’t think they lack the security,” Rufus replied. “It’s Sephiroth himself. You know how well he can manipulate people.”

“Which is the main reason he should have been executed,” Cloud slurred with scorn and took a gulp from his goblet.

The king yanked the goblet out of Cloud’s hands and put it down on the table before turning to Hojo. “Has there been any word from Icicle Village in the last few weeks?”

“The last message I received from the High Council in Icicle Village was last September.”

“What was the message?” asked Reeve.

“Nothing of great importance. Something about an increase in Bandersnatch attacks. Citizens were advised to keep to the main roads, but even then...Sixty-seven citizens had been mauled and killed within a thirty day period.”

Cloud subconsciously rubbed his right shoulder where he had been attacked by a Bandersnatch several months ago while in Bone Village. “Sephiroth might have had something to do with the attacks, just to steer the attention away from him so he could strike.”

“Cloud’s right,” said Zack. “I’ve seen Sephiroth manipulate the mind of a beast on more than one occasion.”

“Well, how’s he doing it?” asked Rufus, turning to Hojo. “What kind of potion were you feeding him?”

“I have no potions that give the power of manipulation,” Hojo defended. “It’s apparent he found something on his own.”

“There must have been something on that island he discovered five years ago,” said Rude. “It was after that he began wanting to destroy everything and everyone.”

Shinra turned to Cloud on his right. “Have we been to Round Island since then?”

“No. Sephiroth said the island was uninhabited and had nothing of value, so we never went there again.”

“Perhaps you should see for yourself.”

Cloud nodded and sat up to reach for the goblet his father had put out of his reach. “It might be where he built his ship in secret.” He grabbed the goblet and sat back down, nearly falling off the chair. “I’ll know it if I see it.”

“We should also visit Icicle Village,” suggested Rufus. “Sephiroth obviously killed the members of the High Council, if not every villager, to prevent word of his escape from reaching us.”

“I advise against visiting Icicle Village at the moment,” Tseng interjected.

“Why?” asked the king.

“Sephiroth might have left a trap.”

“Rude and I can spot a trap a mile away,” said Reno confidently and turned to Cloud. “We’ll go with you.”

Shinra thought for a moment. “Alright, but I want Cloud and The Avalanche to travel to Round Island first and search it. The rest of the fleet should remain patrolling Midgardian waters. When he returns for fresh supplies and crew, The Avalanche and three other ships will sail to Icicle Village to assess the situation there.”

“What about Wutai?” asked Rufus. “Surely we should put our differences aside to deal with a far greater nemesis.”

“A peace treaty with King Kisaragi?” Shinra spat out distastefully.

“I can visit Wutai after Icicle Village,” suggested Cloud. “It’s not that far from there.”

Shinra turned to Reeve. “What’re your thoughts on the matter?”

“Considering the fact that Icicle Village is closer to Wutai’s jurisdiction, I presume Kisaragi would agree to a peace treaty. He might actually ally with us against Sephiroth.”

Shinra considered his options, rubbing his chin in thought once again. A peace treaty with Wutai would mean that he’d never gain control of that country for as long as the treaty was in effect, without actually breaking it first. Even worse was the possibility that Sephiroth might gain control of the country himself if he eliminated the people in power, including King Kisaragi and any of his heirs.

With a sigh, Shinra turned to his advisors. “Draw up the peace treaty.” He glanced at Zack next. “When Cloud returns from Round Island and begins his voyage to Wutai, I want you to follow with three ships and while he continues west to Wutai, you head north to Icicle Village.” His eyes drifted to Reno and Rude. “You two will go with Zack.”

“You’re sending Cloud by himself?” asked Tseng.

Cloud glared at the one advisor he had grown to hate ever since Vincent was tossed out. “What, you think I can’t handle Sephiroth on my own if I run into him?”

“That’s not what I’m saying at all.”

“But that’s what you’re thinking.” Cloud usually spoke his mind, but when he had consumed a lot of alcohol, there was no stopping his mouth…even when his brain told him to. “In fact, if something were to happen to me, I think you’d probably jump up on this table and dance a little, wouldn’t you?”

“Cloud…” warned the king.

“And while we’re on the subject of you being a fucking hypocrite,” he continued, pointing a finger at Tseng. “You know fucking well Vincent had nothing to do with trying to poison my little brother. He loved Denzel like he was his own son!”

Tseng glared back at Cloud. “I found the remnants of the poison in Vincent’s room. That poisoned drink was meant for the king.”

“How do you know that unless you staged it all yourself?!”

Shinra slammed his hand on the table. “That’s enough, Cloud!”

Cloud casually sat back. “I’m just saying…”

Zack could barely keep a snicker behind the hand over his mouth. He just loved it when his friend lost control of his mouth, especially after a few drinks.

Aerith led Tifa to a table where servants were handing out beverages in goblets. She took two and handed one to Tifa.

“What is it?” asked Tifa.

“It’s just a fruit punch. Nothing strong.”

Tifa took a sip and liked it. When her eyes came back up to Aerith, Elena was suddenly standing behind her.

“How was your voyage to Mideel, Aerith?”

Aerith turned around to address the woman behind her. She didn’t really like Elena, but she was always cordial. “It was fabulous. I found the most interesting jewelry there.”

Elena glanced at the young girl beside Aerith. “From what I heard, Mideel is also known for its slave trading. Is that where you came from?”

Tifa felt extremely uncomfortable, mainly because she knew Elena had been intimate with Cloud. Even though Cloud said he hadn’t been with her that way in a long time, it was still awkward. “I was in the custody of a slave merchant in Mideel, but that’s not where I originally come from.”

“So where do you come from then?”

“Nibelheim.”

“Nibelheim. Isn’t that on the continent of Corel?”

“Yes.”

“Strange...How did you come to be owned by a slave merchant in Mideel so far from home?”

Tifa stiffened. Even if she knew the circumstances that led to her slavery, she didn’t want Elena to know. “Unfortunately I don’t recall my childhood, so I can’t answer that.”

“I was never owned by a merchant. My parents first gave me to King Heidegger of Junon because his wife, Queen Annaxia, could no longer have relations,” she said conspiringly. “When he died nine years ago, the queen kept me on as a tutor for her young daughter. Three years ago Queen Ifalna presented me to Cloud as a gift for his eighteenth birthday.” She smiled and looked up as if recalling a pleasant memory. “He is such an enthusiastic lover. In fact, just before he left for Mideel not too long ago, we shared the most amazing night…just the two of us…”

Aerith saw the confused expression on Tifa’s face and quickly pulled her away from Elena. “Don’t listen to her, Tifa. What she just said, it’s not true.”

Tifa felt as if her heart was being squeezed tightly inside the fist of a troll. She didn’t know why it mattered what Cloud had done before she met him. But she had grown to care about him and now everything mattered. “Why would she say something like that if it wasn’t true?”

“Elena has an ego larger than this castle. Everytime Cloud rejected her, she made up stories about how she managed to please him. It just so happens that she doesn’t know we all know the truth. Don’t ever believe what she says. Cloud hasn’t been with her in ages.”

“So she’s trying to be vengeful by hurting me with her words?”

“Because she knows he desires you and she can’t stand that.”

“Was he with her before he left Midgar?”

Aerith sighed. “Zack told me what Cloud told him. Cloud tried to make amends with Elena before he left, but it didn’t work out.”

“Why didn’t it work out?”

“I know my cousin more than he thinks. He puts up a strong front around others, but he’s a big softie underneath. I think he likes you because he can be himself. Besides, you’ve taken an interest in everything he does. Elena doesn’t care about anything except whatever makes her look good.”

“Thank you for explaining it to me.”

Aerith had a feeling Cloud hadn’t told Tifa about his engagement or she would have mentioned it by now. She decided she’d say something that might hopefully lighten the blow when he got around to telling her. “Being a prince, Cloud can’t always have his way, but the choices he does make are the ones that are the most important to him. Remember that.”

The pain in Tifa’s heart traveled down to her stomach and she placed her hands over it. “I think I’d like to retire for the evening.”

“Are you not feeling well? I’ll walk you upstairs.”

“No, Aerith, thank you. I can manage.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning then. Don’t forget. We’re going to the markets with the queen.”

Tifa nodded and attempted a smile before she walked away.

On her way upstairs, Tifa couldn’t help but feel lost. What had she gotten herself into? Or rather, what kind of trouble had come to find her? She hadn’t thought there would be any conflicts to overcome here in Midgar, except perhaps finding favor with Cloud’s parents. That didn’t seem to be a problem. Her problem was Cloud’s former consort. Tifa had a feeling Elena would attempt to reclaim Cloud’s interest. She had to find a way to stop that from happening.

But how?

Tifa stepped into Cloud’s bedroom and closed the door behind her. She immediately noticed a new chest of drawers beside the one that belonged to Cloud. Someone had brought it in while they had been down to dinner. She walked over and opened each of the drawers. Neatly folded in them were the things the queen had given her and several other items…silk hosiery and other intimate apparel.

She pulled out the nightdress she had worn earlier before bathing with Cloud and changed into it.

Just then the door opened. When she turned around, Cloud walked in.

“Tifa…you’re going to bed already?” He stumbled as he walked toward her.

Tifa remained still, unsure of how he’d behave in his present state of intoxication. “I’m…I’m a little tired.”

Cloud placed his hands on her face and kissed her passionately. He brushed his tongue across her lower lip and sucked lightly on it before releasing her. “Yeah, me too. I have to get up early to go…uh…” he said, snapping his fingers and trying to remember. “…uh…where am I going tomorrow?” he asked as he kicked off his boots.

“You’re going hunting with Denzel.” She had been worried he would act like Corneo when he drank. Corneo grew nastier than ever and abused anyone within arm’s reach. What the alcohol did to Cloud was make him slightly more amorous than usual, which didn’t seem to bother Tifa any longer. She had grown used to his affections and anxiously longed for his kisses and gentle caresses.

“Right! That’s right. I’m going hunting with my little brother.” He tried unbuttoning his shirt and was having a difficult time.

Tifa took over the task and then slid the shirt off his shoulders. She helped him remove his pants and watched him walk naked to the bed. The sight of his sculpted bare back and behind affected her, igniting a flame inside her belly. He was truly perfection compared to the many men she had seen over the years.

Cloud tossed the covers aside and climbed on the bed, dropping down on his back with a groan. “Come to bed,” he muttered sleepily.

As Tifa quietly moved closer, she realized Cloud was already asleep. She carefully climbed on the bed and pulled the covers over them as she laid down beside him. With another groan, he rolled over on his side toward her. With his head resting on her chest, Tifa slid her fingers through his hair. “Cloud? Are you asleep?”

“Hmmm…” he mumbled into her cleavage.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” she said and kissed the side of his forehead.

“Hmmm…”

“And for making me smile and laugh.” Another kiss on the forehead.

“Hmmm…”

Tomorrow Tifa would give him new memories to replace those of his former consort. She would make sure Cloud never thought about Elena ever again.

 

Chapter 19​

Cloud woke up with a tremendous headache. He squinted his eyes in the direction of the windows, seeing that it was nearly daylight and he’d have to get up. Rubbing his aching forehead, Cloud realized he didn’t even remember how he got to his room the night before, much less how he managed to get out of his clothes and into bed. The last thing he remembered was searching for Tifa and finding out from Aerith that she had retired for the night.

Tifa…

He turned his head to the other side of the bed.

There she was, lying on her side facing him, her hands tucked under her face as she slept peacefully. Her hair was slightly disarrayed, but she looked as beautiful as ever. He liked waking up with her beside him. For whatever reason other than knowing she was safe and sound and no one could hurt her in his bedroom.

He’d never known a girl with such a fragile heart, yet with such fiery passion lying beneath the surface, waiting to explode with just a touch. He couldn’t wait to see the glow of desire for him on her face. Later today, he’d make it happen. There would be no interruptions and no need to join anyone for dinner. The time would belong to them.

Cloud slid closer to Tifa, gently pulling her into his arms. He inhaled her sweet, musky scent and bent to kiss her face.

Tifa stirred and slowly stretched. “Cloud…” she whispered as she gradually came out of sleep.

“Yes?”

She stiffened at the sound of his voice, remembering where she was. Her eyes popped open. “What?”

“You said my name.”

“I did?”

Now that she was more awake, he brought his lips to hers and held the kiss for several seconds. “Were you dreaming about me?” he asked conceitedly.

Tifa had indeed been dreaming about him. Although she didn’t remember everything about the dream, she did recall a waterfall and lots of flowers and a very naked Cloud. “Maybe.”

“How about a smile?”

She couldn’t suppress it now whenever he asked for it. With a contented sigh, she accepted his kisses, but also tried to talk at the same time. “While you’re out hunting, your mother and Aerith are taking me to the markets today.”

“I feel sorry for you. They’ll drag you to every dress shop in Midgar.”

“I don’t mind.”

“Don’t forget what I said last night about training. When I come back, I’m putting a sword in your hand and I don’t want to hear any complaints.”

“I won’t complain.”

“And after that…” He continued kissing her, teasing her lips with his tongue.

“What happens after that?” she asked curiously, her tongue joining his.

“I’ll make love to you for the rest of the day and all night long.”

It wasn’t so much what they would be doing that Tifa was apprehensive and curious about…but the word itself. She had never heard anyone refer to fornication as making love. “Love?” She said the word before she could stop herself.

Love. Cloud thought about the word as well. What was love anyway? Had he ever felt it before? If he had, he probably wouldn’t have recognized it, other than what he felt for his family and one particular friend. He didn’t think that kind of love was what it meant to make love. At least that wasn’t what he was feeling. “Yes, I’ll make love to you.” It wasn’t going to be brief or crude or done out of spite or impatience, like all those other meaningless times, he thought to himself. “It’ll be slow and sweet and I’ll feel as if every moment of my life was worth nothing until the day I met you.”

Tifa drew back a few inches to gaze into his eyes. But they were closed.

“Because you’re the only one who believes in me and understands me and wants my company without wanting anything in return. And making you happy makes me happy. And you trust me enough to push aside the fears you’ve grown so accustomed to.” He opened his eyes and met hers. “I call it making love because it can’t be anything else with you, Tifa. Do you understand that?”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. Her heart fluttered excitedly. “Yes.”

Cloud drew her close again, leaning his forehead against hers. “I hope you’ll forgive me for drinking too much last night. But I knew I wouldn’t be able to spend another moment alone with you without…wanting to do more than just kiss you. I needed something to make me stop feeling.”

“You should have said something. I could have slept somewhere else.”

“Now why in the world would you think that’d be better? It would have only made me think about you even more. It’s bad enough I have to leave you for a few hours this morning.” He touched her face and kissed her.

Tifa’s stomach tightened pleasantly as his kisses became more demanding. She didn’t understand the aching need filling her body as she pressed it against the length of him. All she knew was that it felt good.

Cloud closed his eyes and cringed as he tried to control his throbbing arousal. “Tifa…stop. Don’t rub yourself against me like that.”

She immediately moved away. “I’m…sorry.”

He laughed a little. “It’s alright. I just don’t want to start something right now, knowing Denzel will probably come looking for me soon.”

“Then you better get up now.”

Cloud sat up and rubbed his hands over his face. He tossed the sheet aside and got out of bed. At least his headache was going away. He stretched and yawned as he walked into the bathroom.

Tifa rolled back on her side, her face touching his pillow. His scent filled her senses and sent blissful shivers up her spine. “This is what I want,” she whispered to herself. “This is where I want to be.” In her heart she believed she belonged with Cloud. They belonged together, but not like this, not as master and slave.

Somehow she had to find a way to change it. But for now, she was content with the way Cloud was treating her. She didn’t feel like a possession. He didn’t treat her as one. All this time, from the moment he brought her on his ship, he could have done anything he wanted to her. Yet he didn’t. He respected her feelings and was slowly bringing her out of her shell, making her see that kissing and touching was something beautiful. It was nothing like what she had witnessed almost all her life.

Tifa no longer dreaded what was to come. She anticipated it. Even now, separated by a room, she could feel Cloud. She wanted to run her fingers through his soft hair and breath in the air he exhaled. She wanted to look into his alluring blue eyes and listen to his voice when he spoke his gentle words to her.

When Cloud came back out of the bathroom a few minutes later, he seemed completely at ease in front of her, walking around in just his skin. Tifa watched him pick out some clothing from an armoire and walk to the bed with it.

“Knowing my mother’s shopping habits,” Cloud said as he dressed, “I’ll probably be back before you.”

“I won’t be out all day, will I?” Tifa asked.

“I sure hope not.” When he finished dressing, he bent over the bed and kissed Tifa on the lips. “Try to have fun, alright?”

She smiled. “I will.” As he gave her another kiss, she reached up and slid her fingers into his hair. “You have fun, too.”

Cloud smiled back and straightened up.

After he left the bedroom and closed the door behind him, Tifa sighed heavily. It was going to be a long day.

Denzel carefully stretched the bowstring back and sighted down the arrow to the target ahead. “Should I take the shot?”

Cloud followed the aim of Denzel’s arrow. “Go ahead and take it.”

Just then the solitary deer he was about to kill was joined by a fawn and then another.

Denzel lowered his bow.

Cloud turned to his little brother, who looked both embarrassed and upset at the same time.

“I can’t do it, Cloud.”

“It’s okay, Denny,” he said, placing a hand on his shoulder. He thought about what he could say to make Denzel feel less cowardly. “Actually, you made the right decision. Without their mother, those little ones would never survive.”

Denzel turned to Cloud. “So…you wouldn’t have shot the arrow either?”

Cloud shook his head. “No.” He ruffled Denzel’s hair. “Tell you what. Next time I go to Cactus Island, I’ll take you with me. We can hunt Cactaur and Underlizards together.” He watched Denzel’s face light up in excitement. “It’s much more challenging anyway.”

“Yeah! I can’t wait!”

His shouts carried across the river and the doe and her fawns bolted away.

Cloud rose from behind the bush they had been hiding behind. “Your job is to convince mom that you’re responsible enough to go.”

Denzel jumped to his feet and fell into step beside Cloud. “But how am I going to do that? She never lets me go on any of your voyages.”

“First of all, you need to stop pulling pranks on Mrs Crumple.”

“You pulled pranks on her, too.”

“Yeah and I always got my ass kicked afterward.” Cloud had many fond childhood memories of scaring the cherished family cook whenever she was gathering vegetables from the garden. But the woman was older now and her heart wasn’t as strong as it used to be.

“Fine, I’ll stop,” Denzel said reluctantly.

“And you have to stop sliding down the staircase on mom’s bearskin rug.”

“Fine.”

“And you have to stop talking back to your elders.”

“Fine.”

“Good.”

When they reached the horses tied to a tree, Cloud waited until Denzel was up in the saddle before he mounted Fenrir.

“Are we going back now?” asked Denzel as their horses began walking side by side.

Cloud looked up at the position of the sun in the sky. It was almost noon. Hopefully the women were back from their shopping excursion to Midgar. But he highly doubted it. “Yeah, let’s go back. I want to spend some time with Tifa.”

“I like Tifa.”

“Do you?”

“Elena was mean to me most of the time, when she wasn’t ignoring me.”

Cloud knew it. In fact, it had been the subject of many fights between him and Elena over the last seven months. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Do you think Tifa likes me?”

“I know she does. She told me so.”

“I’ll keep her company whenever you’re gone, Cloud.”

Cloud smiled. “I would really appreciate that.”

“And I promise I won’t steal her away from you.”

“So I can trust you, right?” Cloud teased.

“I’ll make sure no one else steals her away, too.”

“Thanks, Denzel.” Fenrir was getting restless beneath him. “Ready to race down to the…?”

Denzel kicked Copper before Cloud could finish his question.

Cloud reined in his prancing stallion and smiled, waiting for Denzel to get a little further ahead before he allowed Fenrir to bolt forward.

Cloud had been right. Queen Ifalna and Aerith took her to more than a dozen dress shops. She literally tried on a hundred gowns, if not more. Tifa liked all of them. But there was always something that didn’t appeal to the other two women.

“Oh dear, that bow will not do at all.”

“What in the world possessed that dressmaker to put lace there?”

“The sleeves are too puffy.”

“The train is not long enough.”

“Too conservative.”

“The neckline is too high.”

“It doesn’t show off her slender waist.”

By the time they were headed back to the carriage caravan, Tifa knew it was well passed the noon hour.

They had nearly made it out of Midgar before the queen called the carriage to a halt.

“I just realized we didn’t purchase any perfumes,” the queen announced.

Aerith saw the impatient expression on Tifa’s face. “Aunt Ifalna, why don’t you go on in. Tifa looks tired. I’ll stay in the carriage with her.”

“Alright. I’ll return shortly.” She got out of the carriage and was followed closely by Rude and another guard.

Tifa sighed.

“Is something wrong?” asked Aerith.

Tifa met Aerith’s eyes. “No, nothing’s wrong.” She shrugged. “I just don’t want Cloud to be upset.”

“Why would he be upset?”

“He’ll be waiting for me.”

Aerith giggled. “Well, let him wait. This is our time. He can have you for the rest of the day.”

Tifa stared out the window for a moment, wondering what Cloud would be like as a teacher. She turned back to Aerith. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Do you know how to use a sword?”

“I do, although I have had no reason to use one.”

“Who taught you?”

“Zack and Cloud.”

“Cloud said he’d teach me.”

“That’s good, Tifa. Why do you sound so disinclined?”

“I don’t know what to expect.”

“Don’t worry. Cloud’s an excellent teacher. He learned everything he knows from…” Aerith let the sentence trail off. “…well, he’ll teach you whatever you need to know.”

“Were you about to say Vincent?”

“Do you know Vincent?”

“Yes, I met him and his wife in Mideel, almost a year ago. They were very kind to me.”

“That sounds like them. They were always kind to me as well.”

“What happened, Aerith? Why was Vincent forced to leave Midgar?”

“From what I was told, Vincent supposedly poisoned Denzel.”

Tifa’s brows narrowed. “Poisoned? But why?”

“Vincent denied it, of course. But Tseng said he found the vial of poison in Vincent’s room.”

Tifa shook her head in denial. “No, Vincent would never do anything like that.”

“There are those of us who believe that. Especially since Vincent was the one who helped purge the poison out of Denzel’s system.”

“If it wasn’t Vincent, then who could possibly want to harm Denzel?”

“Denzel hadn’t been the target. Uncle Tomas was. Denzel happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“There’s a traitor in the castle?”

“That’s what Cloud and Rufus suspect.”

“Has there been any other attempts on the king?”

“None since the food poisoning. And now the food is tested by Reno and Rude before it goes to the table.”

“What if it’s one of them?”

Aerith giggled again. “No. Reno and Rude are very loyal to the king.”

“I feel bad for Vincent. And for Cloud.”

“Yes. Cloud was very fond of Vincent. Besides Zack, Vincent was the only other true friend Cloud had.”

The queen finally came out of the perfume shop. Behind her, Rude was carrying a rather large package. She gracefully climbed back into the carriage. “There. Now I can say we have everything.”

“I think we better hurry back before Cloud throws a fit.”

“Oh, let him wait,” replied the queen.

Aerith and Tifa exchanged a smile.

 

Chapter 20​

Tifa walked into Cloud’s bedroom, two guards trailing behind her with the things the queen had bought her. The strong scent of flowers reached her before her eyes digested what they were seeing.

There were eight large vases in carefully placed throughout the room, each filled with dozens of different flowers of a kind and color she had never seen before. She wondered where they had come from.

“These are all from the queen’s gardens,” someone behind her answered her silent question.

Tifa turned around to face a red-haired girl about her age.

“I’m Jessie, the queen’s handmaiden. She told me earlier you’ll be returning from the markets with many packages.”

“All these flowers…” Tifa asked.

“Prince Cloud told me to gather them.” She smiled. “He said they are for you. ”

Tifa was absolutely stunned as she walked around the room in a daze, stopping to smell each kind of flower as Jessie explained the meaning. The Bronze Chrysanthemums for excitement; the Red Roses for passionate love; the Tuberoses for pleasure; the Hibiscus for delicate beauty; the Daisies for innocence; the Violets for faithfulness; the Lilacs for first love; and the White Roses for purity.

“He specifically asked me to pick these,” Jessie continued to say.

“He knows their meaning?”

“Queen Ifalna taught all of her sons the significance of the flowers she grows in her gardens. I’ve learned them myself over the years.” Jessie waved the guards out of the room after they finished putting everything on the bed. “I’ll put all of this away. Prince Cloud also asked me to send you to the training grounds when you arrived.”

Tifa sniffed a Lilac. “Where’re the training grounds?”

“Go out the back doors downstairs. They’re east of the stables.”

“Thank you, Jessie.” Tifa walked out of the bedroom and headed down the stairway.

After walking out the back doors, she glanced about and went around to the east side of the castle.

The sound of clanking metal reached her ears as Tifa approached a wall of high hedges. As she passed through the only opening in the hedges, she discovered several guards dueling in pairs around the gravel-covered courtyard. Not seeing Cloud among those closest to her, she continued walking, hoping to find him further down.

She was surprised at the ferocity of the dueling guards. They actually looked as if they wanted to kill each other. A sudden feeling of apprehension came over her. Would Cloud make her fight with these guards for practice?

“Did you like the flowers?”

Tifa whirled around and looked up, finding Cloud leaning on the edge of a balcony one story above her. She tried to figure out what room the balcony belonged to, but couldn’t imagine it at the moment while Cloud was smiling down at her. “They’re nice,” she replied with a shrug, pretending his thoughtfulness meant nothing, when in fact it meant the world to her.

His smile faltered. He had spent more than two hours pouring over his mother’s notes and pulling his hair out trying to decide which flowers he wanted Jessie to pick for Tifa. “Just nice?”

She smiled up at him. “Are you the only one that can joke?”

Cloud’s smile returned. “Good one.”

“So are you coming out here or am I supposed to spar by myself?”

“Be right down.”

To Tifa’s surprise, Cloud hopped up on the balcony balustrade, then jumped off, landing in a crouch two feet away from her. Even though she wondered how he managed to land on his feet from such a height and not break a leg in the process, again she pretended to not be impressed. “Took you long enough.”

This time Cloud knew she was joking. “I’ll work on it.” He cupped her chin in his hand and bent to kiss her on the lips.

“I love the flowers. They’re beautiful.”

“How was shopping?” he asked as he released her face.

“Fascinating. I’ve never seen so many different gowns in my entire life.”

“My mother spoiled you, right?”

“I don’t know where Jessie’s going to put everything.”

“Don’t worry about it. She’ll figure it out.” He took a step back and unsheathed two swords, one from each of his hips. “Take your pick,” he said as he held both of them with the handles facing her.

Tifa studied them for a few seconds. “But they look identical to me.”

Cloud lifted the sword in his right hand. “This one’s about two ounces heavier.”

She was already used to his sense of humor and laughed as she chose that one anyway and followed him to a grassy area.

He spent a few minutes explaining the different ways to hold the cutlass and the attack styles with each hold. “You can hold it like this, with the blade facing down and use it to plunge into your attacker, like a knife. That attack is called Impale. But it’ll lodge pretty deep, so be prepared to use a lot of strength to pull it back out.” Cloud took several steps back. “Are you ready?”

Tifa nodded.

“I’ll call them out and you come at me.”

She frowned. “Come at you?”

“Don’t worry. You won’t hurt me.” He raised his sword and assumed a stance as he motioned her forward with his free hand. “Swipe!”

Tifa mimicked his stance and swung her raised sword. His sword came up to block it.

“Impale!”

She plunged and he blocked.

“X-slash!”

For the next twenty minutes, Cloud called out the moves and Tifa tried to recall how to swing the sword. It was exhausting, but as it became easier to remember, the more confident she began to feel. Finally Cloud stopped calling out the moves and let her swing without his direction. A couple of times, she actually caught him by surprise, feigning one move but executing another.

After awhile, Cloud took several steps back. “That’s enough for now.” He didn’t want to wear her out. But he was also growing impatient to get her back to his bedroom and begin lessons of a different kind. “That was excellent, Tifa.”

“Do you really mean that or are you just trying to make me feel good?”

“I don’t joke about fighting. It’d be foolish of me to lie to you. You’d lose a fight or get yourself killed and it would be my fault for leading you to believe you were good.”

“So I’m really good then?”

He smiled and took the sword out of her hand. “What did I just say?” He sheathed both swords at his hips at the same time and took her hand. “We’ll practice again tomorrow. Let’s go see what we can barter out of the kitchen.”

Fifteen minutes later Cloud and Tifa walked into the bedroom. Two servants carried a tray of food, wine, plates and goblets, which they placed on the small table out on the balcony.

When the servants began to serve the food on two plates, Cloud waved them away. “You can go. We can handle it from here.” He walked to the door and held it open for them. “And I don’t want to be disturbed until further notice.”

The servants left the room with a bow in his direction. He closed and locked the door and proceeded to remove his weapon belt. He also removed his jerkin before approaching Tifa and taking her hand.

Tifa allowed him to lead her out on the balcony where he sat her down and then sat in the other chair on the opposite side of the small table. As Cloud poured wine from a decanter into two goblets, Tifa looked up at him. “You’re not going to drink too much again, are you?”

He shook his head. “And not remember the next few hours? Not a chance.” He raised his eyes to her. “But you should probably drink a little more than normal, just to take the edge off.”

She wanted to ask him what he meant by that, but decided to just let him control things. Afterall, he had all the experience in seduction, while she had none whatsoever. All she was familiar with was watching men and women remove their clothes without any kind of emotion and quickly go at it like animals. There had never been anything romantic about the acts she witnessed. There was no sensual touching to build the mood; no words of love were exchanged. It was all quick and vulgar and unfeeling. But she knew it wouldn’t be like that with Cloud. He was wooing her and she found it remarkably exciting.

They spent the next few minutes eating the fruit Cloud had requested in the kitchen.

Tifa wanted to talk to him about so many things, including Vincent. But she knew that the subject might dampen Cloud’s mood.

“Let me know when you’re finished eating,” he said, breaking the silence.

She wondered if he hoped that she was. “I’m done,” she decided to say.

Cloud stood up quickly. “Great, let’s go inside.” Then he suddenly remembered he needed to move slow with Tifa. “Or…we could stay out here awhile longer. It’s up to you.” He reluctantly sat back down.

Thunder rumbled overhead.

As several drops of rain began to come down, Cloud slowly raised his eyes to the sky. A second later, the rain came down hard and they were instantly drenched in the downpour. He nonchalantly picked up his goblet, making no move to get up. “Nothing like a little drizzle to wake you up.”

Tifa stared at him for a moment, watching the heavy rain splattering into his goblet. He took a sip of his watered down wine, frowned at the goblet and put it back down. A laugh burst out of her throat, surprising herself more than Cloud.

Cloud pushed the dripping hair out of his eyes, pretending to be serious. “Is something funny?”

“It seems we’re always getting wet somehow or another.” It was either the rain, or the sea, or the tub. They were always wet.

He laughed and squinted up at the sky. “Yeah, seems like it.”

“Should we go inside?” she asked, still laughing.

“I thought you liked the rain.”

“I do, but I think I’d rather go inside right now.”

“Fine by me.” He got up and came around to pull out her chair.

Tifa continued to laugh as they went inside, dripping wet.

Cloud left the balcony doors open because he liked listening to pattering sound of the falling rain. He turned to Tifa standing with her back against the window ledge and looked her over with a smile. “Yeah, wet again…hmm…”

Tifa couldn’t control the hammering of her heart as he began to undo the ties at the front of her gown. No matter how often he undressed her, she would always feel as though it was the first time. Except now, the feeling of humiliation and fear was replaced with eagerness and excitement. When the gown slipped off, she stepped out of it and Cloud nudged it aside with a foot before leaning in to kiss her.

His lips were gentle and undemanding. But Tifa had left her patience at the markets. Hours and hours of waiting and feeling apprehensive, wondering what it would be like, how he would approach her. Instead of concentrating on the gowns Queen Ifalna and Aerith were picking out for her, Tifa kept replaying images of what she had seen in the past. Not so much when Corneo was involved, but when she saw others. It suddenly didn’t seem so repulsive when she imagined herself with Cloud.

As he kissed her in his special way, teasing her lips with the tip of his tongue until she parted them for him, Tifa’s hands began undoing the buttons of his drenched shirt. Feeling her impatience escalate even further, she yanked the shirt open, sending several buttons flying across the room. If she wasn’t so completely aroused by him, she would have stopped to analyze her erratic behavior. But she couldn’t concentrate on anything except him.

Cloud broke the kiss and looked down at his torn shirt before his eyes drifted up to meet hers in mild surprise. Her eagerness excited him beyond any kind of comprehension. He cradled her face in his hands, kissing her again with more passion. After shrugging off his shirt, he released her lips and kissed the side of her face, taking a moment to collect himself. He didn’t want to rush anything, but he couldn’t seem to slow himself down now that he was so close. He had gone without a woman for so long that the anticipation of finally getting some relief was driving him crazy.

Tifa pressed the side of her face against his. Why did he stop? “Cloud…”

His groin instantly reacted to her pleading voice. He closed his eyes and grimaced. Damn, this was going to be harder than he thought. His plan to satisfy her for an hour before they moved on to his own pleasure was beginning to sound farfetched. There was no way he could wait that long. Hopefully she wouldn’t think ill of him if he shortened the amount of time spent on foreplay. His guess was she wouldn’t know any different.

Her eyes slammed shut in delirious rapture as his lips touched the side of her neck, at first gentle and then hungrier as she felt his teeth grazing her damp flesh. She wasn’t at all afraid, she welcomed his hands as he dragged her silky thin undergarment up and pulled it off over her head.

Without putting much thought into it, Cloud picked her up and sat her down on the window ledge. She trembled as he coaxed her legs apart, but he knew it wasn’t from fear. Seeing her so open and vulnerable made him want to protect her. He’d never allow another man to be where he was right now.

He stepped closer between her legs and kissed her. As his hands caressed the outside of her thighs, her arms come around his neck. As he continued kissing her, his right hand moved along the top of her thigh.

The second his fingers grazed over her folds, Tifa let out an involuntary cry. They were like fire against her overly sensitive skin. She was burning from the inside out.

Cloud pressed his face against hers, inhaling her aroused breaths as he slowly touched her, discovering that she was already wet with desire. Finding the one place he knew would bring on her release, he brushed his thumb lightly over the swollen flesh, watching her reaction. Her face became red with heat and he smiled to himself, knowing he could probably bring her to orgasm very quickly, if he wanted to. But not yet. He wanted to build on it, so that when she did reach completion, it would be memorable and fulfilling. Two fingers carefully parted her petals and circled her opening. He waited to see if she would object. Her breath quickened as expected. She was blushing all the way down to her chest. Even her shoulders were pink.

He slowly slid one finger inside her moist heat and watched her eyes drift shut, her lower lip locked between her teeth, an urgent moan escaping. Cloud loved the way she felt inside. She was tight and slick and velvety. He was already anticipating the feeling when he’d finally breach her. But for now he moved his finger in and out of her. Her inner muscles expanded and accommodated a second finger.

Tifa squirmed on the window ledge, needing to find relief from this wonderful torture. She never imagined his fingers could feel so good inside of her. Would it feel just as good when they were finally joined? Even now, with only his trousers impeding his penetration, she could feel his hardened arousal pressing and pulsing against the inside of her thigh.

She tilted her face, seeking his lips once again, which he offered without any thought. The heat continued to build inside her as he gently drove his fingers in and out, his thumb occasionally brushing over the highly sensitive spot just above her opening. It throbbed and ached and begged for more attention. Finally he gave her what she needed, his fingers curling and touching a place that jolted a cry out of her lips. At the same time his thumb rubbed circles where she needed it most. An intense wave of heat soared through her entire body. Her thighs trembled in the wake of the escalating bliss and her cries were muffled as his parted lips captured hers.

It was the most beautiful feeling. She had no idea what it was and didn’t care except that Cloud made it happen. And he was still making it happen with every tiny movement of his fingers, sending small spasms through her. She couldn’t express her disappointment when he withdrew his fingers.

Cloud studied the pretty pink tinge on her cheeks. He wondered if she had ever experienced an orgasm before. Probably not. While she caught her breath, Cloud undid his trousers and removed them along with his boots. Then he moved close again, pressing himself to her damp center. “I think we should take this to the bed,” he whispered against her lips and then pulled back to see her reaction. “Are you still with me?”

She nodded. “Yes.” After feeling what she did only a moment ago, the only thing she could think about was experiencing it again and again.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Cloud wrapped her legs around his waist and carried her in the direction of the bed. Just as he reached it he stubbed his toe on something. “Ow…shit…” He flew forward onto the bed, dropping Tifa and stopping himself before he landed too hard on top of her.

Tifa laughed. “That was quite graceful.”

Cloud smiled and shrugged. “Thank you. Now where were we?” He kissed her briefly before sitting up and repositioning himself beneath her bent legs. His eyes met hers. “Don’t be afraid.”

“I’m not,” she said truthfully.

He admired her courage. Even though Cloud had never been with a virgin before, he wasn’t an idiot. He knew a woman’s first breaching was painful. But what was the right way to do it? Should he proceed quickly to lessen the time of her pain or slowly to hopefully lessen the pain completely? Damn, he should have asked for advice, although he wouldn’t have known who to ask anyway. He needed to make a decision and stick to it. Slowly then.

Tifa kept her eyes on his, even as he began to slowly nudge himself inside her. She waited for the pain to hit her, wondering if she would bleed as she had seen happen to others breached for the first time.

Cloud withdrew and entered again, feeling the suction of her tight sheath drawing him in. He closely watched her reaction, hoping he wasn’t hurting her. Finally he looked down between them, noting that he had nearly reached his capacity…just a little further. When he slowly pulled back out and slid back in, he no longer felt any resistance.

She felt only a small stinging as he began a slow and steady motion, sliding in and out. Then even that went away, replaced by an encompassing pleasure, much deeper and fuller than what she had felt before. Tifa tilted her head back and lifted her hips to meet his gentle thrusts. When he lowered himself on top of her, his hips rolled between her legs and his movements became more urgent, his pace less controlled.

The faster he slid in and out of her, the closer Tifa felt to completion. It was just beyond her grasp, so close. She instinctly wrapped her legs around his waist and squeezed him tightly to keep him close, relishing in the friction of his lower belly rubbing against the bundle of nerves above her entry. And then suddenly the blissful wave rushed through her with such intensity that she released a cry that echoed loudly inside his bedroom.

Cloud didn’t care that she could probably be heard all the way down the corridor. He couldn’t stop his pace, not for a second. When he finally felt his release come upon him, he buried his face against the side of her neck to keep his own vocal appreciation in check and spilled himself inside her. It seemed like an eternity had passed since the last time he had spilled his seed…and he had been alone at the time. He rode out the last few seconds of his release, his ragged breaths finally slowing.

When it was over, he raised his head and looked down at Tifa. “Are you all right?”

She nodded, her breathing still labored. She didn’t care as he captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

An hour later they were wet again, in Cloud’s tub once more.

The instant Cloud felt her hand wrap around his length, he closed his eyes and bit his lower lip. His heart soared that she made the decision on her own. But now that she was touching him, he knew he’d explode in a matter of seconds. He concentrated on holding back to prolong the experience and groaned in agony.

Startled by his reaction, Tifa stopped the movement of her hand.

“No, Tifa, don’t stop.”

“I thought I was hurting you.”

He breathlessly let out a short laugh. “No, it feels wonderful.”

The water splashed around the tub as Tifa repositioned herself closer to him. She liked that she could arouse him so easily. It gave her a small measure of control over him and it did wonders for her confidence. To think that nearly a fortnight ago, she had resisted the very idea of coupling with Cloud. And now she couldn’t imagine not doing it.

Cloud groaned ecstatically as she lowered herself on his lap, taking him inside her. He watched the heat rise to her cheeks and when he felt her shivering, he wrapped his arms around her. They moved in tandem, the warm soapy water swirling around them, tantalizing their overly sensitized flesh.

Seconds later they both reached completion, their cries bouncing from the bathroom walls.

Tifa wrapped her arms around Cloud’s neck, holding him tightly. Her heart swelled in adoration for him. How could she be feeling this way so quickly? How could he suddenly be her entire life? She had prayed for freedom for so many years and now all she wanted was to belong to him…for the rest of her life.

But even she knew she’d be foolish to believe it was that simple.