Roses.

RC6. Decisions

ROSES- CHAPTER 8 *DECISIONS*

Harry York waited at their usual meeting point, his heart beating and his hands shaking.

Where was she?

She hadn't chosen the prince over him, has she?

Not that he would blame her. Marrying Arthur was the only way she could leave a comfortable life without having to constantly look over her back and live in lavish. She could never have that with him, and by God, if there was anything Harry York wanted more than Amelia Lancaster herself, it was her happiness.

And that was the reason he had not defiled her. Their love was fruitless, he knew that, as much as it killed him to admit, her father would have her wed another, and he wanted her as pure as she could be for the man she would wed, if it the prince or the Overlord.

"Harry!" He heard her breathless voice.

"Amelia! My love" he replied as she launched into his arms, where he held her, unwilling to let go.

She raised her face and let him kiss her, and kiss her he did. Like a starved man who just found salvation on her lips.

"Harry" she whispered, as she laid her forehead to his chest. "What shall we do? What shall I do? I cannot live without you"

Harry swallowed.

'Come with me' he wanted to say, 'let us go something else, somewhere far away from this God forsaken cage'

"What do you want to do?" He asked instead. He would rather die than leave Amelia Lancaster unhappy. He would do anything, sacrifice anything to ensure her happiness.

"I do not want to be Queen" she confess quietly, "I just want you"

Harry York sighed in pain. "And how such simple desire is unattainable"

She pushed away. "No. Never. In this life or the next Harry, we shall be together without fear"

He held her hand and looked into her soft eyes, into the face of the vixen that held him captive for such a long time.

"If you become Queen-" he started as her face closed up. "Just hear me out, my love. If you become Queen, you would leave in peace. You would never have to look over your shoulder just to recieve affection, you would be free of your father's dominance"

"But-" she protested. He put a finger to her lips.

"But, if you go with me love, I have nothing to offer you. It is most likely my father would cut me off the inheritance at the mention of my love for you. The society would shun us, your family, friends and status, you would loose. And....you are not cut out for such bitter and lonely life my heart, I can't let you go through that for a nothing like me..." his voice broke and so did his heart.

"I won't let that happen to you"

She went rigid in his arms.

"I would rather die than see you suffer Amelia"

"And you assume you know what I want?" She asked heartedly, standing with her arms crossed angrily.

"I want the best for you Amelia "

"And that is you!" She shouted. "You daft man. The best for me is you. And if you let me go Harry York, you've already condemned me "

"Don't say that"

"Oh, but I would!" She shook her head in disappointment. "You seem to have gotten yourself into a bubble that makes you believe that letting me go is freedom for me, but it is most definitely not"

"So what shall we do?"

"We leave England. Our fathers should find another children to continue their bloody war. I am not about to become a foot soldier for a war I didn't want."

He took her to his arm, speechless, then he kissed her.

He must have been an absolute angel in his previous life to be blessed with Amelia Lancaster in this.