The Knight and the Princess

Okay, a little continuation for Zebulon and Liliana, where Zeb is all @_@ "Omfg she asked me to court her." Hehe...I love that guy. Anyway, a basic chatbox setting, and if Mady wants to throw in a mansion or treehouse or whatever I AM UP FOR ANYTHING. *evil laughing*

Liliana.

That was the only word Zeb could think about, everything about her running through his brain. Her smile, her walk. The way her tail frizzed up and her gentle cheeks turned a bright red shade, every time he touched her. Her laugh, her voice her eyes...everything.

Liliana.

What was he thinking? A princess. A beautiful, wonderful, perfect little princess, and she wanted him of all people. He didn't deserve that. He was just a goofy, wandering knight, offering to help damsels in distress. She was so...so... amazing. Too good to be true.

Liliana.

Zebulon paced around in the meadow, wearing scuff marks in the grass and muttering her name, over and over again. The sun made his body sweat, his bright armor making it feel as if he was stuffed into an iron oven, and his hair stick close to his head. He didn't mind right now. All he could think of was her.

....Liliana.......

With light, careful steps, she made her way into the authors chatbox, noticing how it was the scene of a vast, selectively flowered meadow. Liquid-like violet eyes rounded in awe. "How pretty..." she murmured in a soft voice, her words getting carried off in a gentle breeze that ever-so-slightly tousled her hair. Is Zebulon here...? Ignoring the heat she felt spreading over her face at such a shameless thought, Liliana looked around. The strange knight, who had recently become her lover, seemed to always be on her mind - even when she hadn't considered seeing him that way.

The young royal continued to look around, growing disheartened when it appeared that he wasn't there. Atop her pale, lavender head, the sleek black feline ears pinned down as a sign of her disappointment. Then she saw him, pacing around in what seemed to her as frustration. What was he frustrated about? Liliana watched him, the way the sun relentlessly sweltered down on his peculiar suit of armor. It's a wonder he never gets hot in a thing like that. Of course she was curious of what Zebulon looked like, but she wasn't the type to pry; it was against her nature. Even though she absolutely adored his eyes. A shade so strikingly blue that the nearly stole her breath away...

"Zebulon?"

Zebulon's head jerked up at her soothing and familiar voice, tripping himself and falling over out of surprise. S-She's here? Holy nuggets, what a fantastic coincidence! He hurriedly picked himself up, silently cursing the bulky armor that maximized his clumsiness.

He marched over to her and took her hand, bowing down before her. When he stood up he couldn't help but notice her long flowing hair, and what an unusual color it was! Such a stunning, violet hue, cascading down her form like a lavender waterfall. Zeb absolutely adored it.

"Yes, Princess? Anything you require?"

Watching him fall, a slender hand came to cover her mouth in surprise. "Oh," she sounded, both trying to stifle impolite giggles and feeling guilty for startling him. She seemed to do that quite often. Liliana took a step forward to go and try to help him, but Zebulon had already leapt to his feet, and was now bowing at her own...holding her hand...

And he kept hold of it once he stood up.

"You know you don't have to keep calling me that. I-I don't really do much that is exactly 'princess worthy.' " It always made her feel awful, him calling her 'Princess' constantly, when she was really no greater than he. All it was was a title. She didn't really even uphold with the dignity it deserved. "Call me Liliana. If you want." Her ears flickered. "It is going to be rather awkward...to c-call your...lover...'Princess,' y...yes?" Dear NIGHT! Her face felt as if it was smoldering! Oh...it must have been some ungodly shade of red...

Zebulon secretly smirked at the adorable deep red shade that came across her cheeks, the smirk hidden under the helmet that concealed his secret. He thought she was the spitting image of what a princess should be; fragile and sweet, her touch so gentle and soft, her features delicate and, well, princess-like.

He kept a hold of her small hand, not wanting her to ever slip from his grasp and willing to lay his life down for her if the need came. "Yes...I suppose calling my-" he paused for a bit, letting the unfamiliar word slide out slowly, rolling it around on his tongue to feel how it was to say. "...lover the title Princess is a bit awkward, eh? And I firmly believe that you are princess worthy, Liliana! Who ever says otherwise shall taste my cold steel!"

He rested his other hand on his sword, feeling oddly protective over her in a way he has never been protective about anyone before.

....Lover. Hm. What a smooth word, it just slips off the tongue as smoothly as butter on toast. As a taco on air! As jam on a biscuit! Ah...what unusual modern phrases...

(Lawl. Zeb...)

The only thing she could bring herself to do at that moment was nod, her eyes locked on their hands, too afraid of the likely possibilty that her voice would falter if she were to try and speak.

The knight's skin was soft, contrasting completely with the rough exterior of the armor he wore. It made Liliana that much more curious as to what he looked like. Most warriors she had come across had rough, uncaring hands worn by countless battles, and even harder, darker eyes... But not Zebulon.

Zebulon was a charming, silly...silly...goofball. Even though the princess was smart enough to realize there's more to him than meets the eye. Just by his personality. And being of feline descent, naturally, Liliana was curious of him. She was curious of everything as a general rule, but...yeah! Especially a creature so strange as a HUMAN.

Her mother was not at all happy about that.

It didn't help that she was falling for him, either.

For a young woman who had been with only one male since...practically the beginning of her life...it was a scary reality. Where the courage to even ASK him to court her, nevermind so suddenly had come from, Liliana had no idea.

But she was glad she did.

When defending her role as a royal, his hand drawing back to his sword, she instinctively put her hand over his, looking at up him. "Th-There's no need for a thing like that. You've done enough for me as it is." A reassuring smile graced her slightly anxious expression.

(<3)

Zebulon peered down at her, the clutched hand resting over his sword calming at her touch, sending a dose of relaxation through his nerves. She seemed to have that impact on him, every time they touched, he would instantly calm down, as if she had some magic power over him. Nothing in the world had ever affected him like that. She was his most prized treasure, a treasure a thousandfold more precious than any amount of diamond.

But, was this all wrong? He was fully aware that he was falling for her, almost as fast as if he had plunged off of an exhilarating cliff, and wouldn't stop falling. She was a princess...he was a knight. Maybe if she knew his past...no. He would not allow himself to think of that.

He intended to push every thought aside, except for one thing. Liliana. She was all he could really focus on, the one thing in his life he was sure of and that seemed perfect, even if they had never kissed, even if she had never seen his face.

"I have? But what if some evil ruffian tries to spout nonsense about your title? I'll be ready to defend you, all you have to do is call my name, and I'll always be by your side!" He let a warm smile find its way to his mouth, a reassuring smile even if she could not see it.

She couldn't help but smile, a laugh lacing into her words. That was Zebulon for you, always so selfless and energetic. Liliana wondered if he knew how carefree he seemed...always full of something that was sure to make her giggle as soon as it left his lips. "I know. It is why...why I-I like you so much..." Her eyes lowered in shyness, no longer being able to hold his hidden gaze, her ears flattening back a bit.

Maybe he wouldn't be saying such things, knowing her secret. The princess had many, like everyone else in the world, but there was one that stood out above all others...something that would affect life in its entirety. But only if she were to die. With her body's condition, however, the chance of that happening was rather possible. The exposure of her blood could very well end in the same result, if the required circumstances were arranged.

It seemed that they both harbored secrets. She looked up at him again, smiling.

"...At least we can be secretive together, yes? No one deserves to go through life's complications alone."

Zebulon's armored head tilted at her words, a gripping curiosity creeping into his mind. "Yes...why would you ever have the need to be secretive, miss? Do not answer if you feel like I'm poking around in your personal stuffs to much, I do not mean to pry. Yet I can't help to be as curious as a puppy in a giant pumpkin. And anyone in a giant pumpkin would probably have a lot of curiosity..."

He watched her with a covered and intense gaze, letting his eyes delve deeply into hers, getting lost in the sea of purple. True, he had his own secret. A secret he kept hidden and stowed away, something he knew was not his fault but felt guilty for anyways. He wondered if she would still accept him if she knew that secret of his.

"Oh, and...I like you too, Liliana..." he added, his voice lowering to a shy and whispered tone.

She blinked. "A puppy in a giant pumpkin..." So, that meant he was ADORABLE and curious, then. Thinking about it, she realized yes, those words definitely described Zebulon. At least in her point of view.

Looking at him, she unable to shake the feeling that he was watching her underneath that helmet of his. "Well, why does anyone have the need to be secretive...?" Liliana's legs soon grew tired, and even though she would have liked to remain standing, as a polite and orderly princess should, it seemed they could endure no more. Ginger fingers brushed along the grass around her as she sat, still holding his gaze. "You could say I function as the world's balance beam." Her health was a symbol of that statement, dwindling between life and death as each second passed by. Life and death, order and chaos; good and evil.

A smile ghosted past pale, delicate lips. "I-I'm glad it's not unrequited then, at least."

He sat down across from her, his fingers itching to feel hers again for some strange reason. He didn't quite understand the feelings he had whenever she was around, but they seemed so...so...indescribable.

Zebulon's hands reached out and starting picking some flowers from the meadow, and he started weaving them together in a colorful bouquet. His electric eyes stayed locked on hers, as if there was a magnetic force causing them to be drawn together.

"A balance beam...I am quite sure you are more important than some pointless little balancing tool. Whatever your secret is, I shall stay by your side like a lovesick kitten." With these words he completed the small bouquet and he hung his head in a bow, holding out the flowers to her.

Her smile gained a little more strength as he sat down, watching him pluck the flowers but feeling much too drawn in by his eyes to keep focused for long. Liliana's violet eyes softened, lightened that he may think so of her, but knowing in her heart that was all she would ever be. A little balancing tool. A tool. "You might be surprised," was her smooth reply before biting down gingerly on her lower lip, facing warming at the humor of such an analogy. Lovesick kitten...

She looked him, holding the colorful bouquet. That was not her...was it? A lovesick kitten? Thoughts yet again returned to how much it frightened her... True love...

But she was falling for him.

Zebulon nodded and let a hand drift aimlessly back to hold hers, and gave it a small squeeze. "Many things surprise me, Lili. Like, how bread rises with yeast. It is seemingly magical. Why do you compare yourself to a simple tool?" he paused for a bit, trying and failing to gather coherent thoughts around her. "You are...much prettier than any tool I've ever seen..."

He drifted off, his usual bravado in his voice seeming to lose itself for a more airy tone. He watched her every move with an unmatched intensity, analyzing how the slight wind shifted her hair, the short fur on her delicate little ears waving. No matter how often he took in her appearance, her beauty surprised him every single time he laid eyes on her.

It was...breath taking.