This is a Short Sappy Love Story: With Mina telling Ara about the Wedding with Chance and Khymara, hearts break and a promising relationship is coming to a close. Yeah we know, Chance is a jerk face.

Khamyra and Chance have a moment after the wedding on the edge of his bed, but it spooks the Onyx Elf…

Chance is getting confused, she wants to be close and kiss… she doesn’t want to and just talk. Really wish she would make up her mind he thinks… after the day I had I need to either lose myself in this beautiful woman, or go to sleep.

“Chance, I have been through a lot in my life mainly because I have made some bad decisions” she starts out, talking slowly as though she was thinking exactly what to say, “It’s a miracle that I am still alive and with my skills, Finster has truly blessed me.”

She turns and leans up against his new dresser about 10 feet from the quarter elf with a solemn look on her face.

“My heart tells me to tear off your clothes and fuck you like an animal” she smirks a little, “my head tells me to stop, be smart about this, who is going to get hurt and do I know better?”

Chance leans forward on the edge of the bed, hoping her heart wins out.

Khamyra looks over to him, their eyes meet. “What of Ara?”

He shakes his head, “I don’t know, I am not sure about…”

“Chance…” Khamyra interrupts, “There is no doubt in my mind that she thinks of you as her boyfriend. You are either with her or you are not. She is a sweetheart and is really into you, hell she might even love you.” The elf looks down and shakes her head. “You don’t know how precious that can be, it’s not easy to find.”

‘Well this just turned south quickly’ he thinks to himself. His thoughts turn to the little elf, Ara, she is everything a man could want, and yet here I am chasing down exotic onyx elves, banging cougars from the Summer Isles. “I am working through some things…” is all he could muster to say.

“Working through some things… more like working through some women… Ara, the Princess and who was that gorgeous blonde lady who snuggled up to you as well? Yeah I saw that too.” Khamyra pauses a moment, “Am I the next one on the list?”

Chance always thought Khamyra was a straight shooter, but right now she is anything but. Flirting, holding hands, touching… is she leading me on? He thinks to himself.

But she is right, I have been reckless with my heart and others too. “I guess I got caught up in the moment…” He says with melancholy, realizing he is going to have to face facts and not face a naked Onyx Elf.

“I am not innocent” Khamyra realizing she has led the man on since the day they met “I was taken with you, your power, your kindness and well your sweet ass. It is no excuse, I should of backed off when I knew Ara was around.”

She stands straight, smooths out her dress. “I’m sorry for leading you on. But, I just can’t make another bad decision, I just can’t do this to Ara.” She looks at the Champion and she aches for him and his touch, but she knows her impulsive nature has got her into so many bad situations. “You need to get your shit and your heart in order and quit having your little boy lead you around.”

Chance hearts sinks and he sighs.

Khamyra walks over, lifts the quarter elf’s chin, leans down and kisses him. “Thank you for a wonderful day, I will see you soon.”

She walks down the stairs and out the door.

Chance falls back onto the bed, thoughts swirling around his head and falls asleep.

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Starday (Sunday) 7:30 AM

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For the first time since living here, he wakes up on his own. No cryer, he thinks and realizes its Starlay. He rolls over and then remembers he pulled duty today. Grumbles, gets out of bed. It takes 15 minutes, but the Champion gets ready. Novalee already up, looks to be preparing for a nice meal tonight. They exchange pleasantries and he heads out.

Puts the saddle on, get the horse ready and gallops into Camerondale. He pays the stable boy a copper and heads in. The City is always a little odd on a Sunday, quiet and serene. He heads into the compound and walks through a fairly busy entrance area for a Sunday. He turns and heads into the Lab.

Bastian greets him and he is told of his duties for the day. Nothing crazy, just making sweeps and guarding the Inn with an agent he has never worked with before. He is early so he can take his time.

Chance heads out of the lab, down the stairs and into his office. He is taken back to see Mina, leaning on his desk, arms crossed looking down. He closes the door, “Mina, good morning”

Her look to Chance told him all he needed to know how this conversation was going to go.

She walks to this cross breed and gets into your face, “You are going to go to my house, you are going to talk with Ara and you are going to confess everything you have done behind her back, and you WILL break this off with her NOW.” Mina says with clarity and authority.

Chance looks confused and shakes his head, “What? why would I…” Starts to shrug his shoulders.

“Really? You are going to continue the charade? I watched you and that bitch, hold hands, embrace and fondle each other on the Castle lawn, in front of hundreds, if not thousands of people” she says angrily, “After the, what is her name; Britney incident, the mysterious women in your new home and we have no idea WHY you are living there all of a sudden… I warned her about you, and this is one time I HATE that I am right.”

Chances mind races, realizing he got caught and also realizing how dumb he is for doing that in the open. In a matter of self realization, he is no longer Ara’s boyfriend, and he won’t be able to hug her off the ground, kiss her lips or see her smile… and those beautiful aqua eyes.

She paces a bit, “she was saving herself for someone… someone… she…” Mina pauses a moment, chokes a little, eyes welling up “someone she loved.”

Mina tries to get herself under control between the anger and pain. “She gave herself to you, she opened up to you…she LOVED you Chance.” driving the point home. “Do you even know what that means to someone like Ara?!”

Chance looking down and feeling the guilt and pain wash over him. ‘I guess I have been reckless with my heart and others too’ rings in his mind again. All he can muster is “oh my god.” knowing what she must be going through right now.

“Yeah…” Mina retorts.

It all kind of hits him, what he went through yesterday with Cassie and Affinity… what Khamyra talked to him about; and she was right… Ara deserves better than someone running around behind her back.

He nods his head. Mina storms past him tears in her eyes, rips open the door and walks down the hallway.

Chance takes a deep breath and walks out the door, up the stairs out of the compound and to Ara’s front door. He pauses a moment, then knocks on the door. After a few moments, no one answers. He knocks again.

The door opens and there is Ara, red eyes, hair all over the place staring at you in disbelief.

“Ara…” Chance starts.

She lets the quarter elf in and closes the door. She doesn’t move, is looking down, arm crossed.

Chance realizes that he doesn’t have a clue what to say to her. How do you explain yourself when you are… this wrong? He tries to start, but stops a few times, struggling with words.

“Mina must have got to you then” She says, not daring to look at him.

Chance fidgets a bit “yes.” He thinks, what do I say next? “Ara, I’m sorry…but you don’t know the whole story.”

She is shaking her head, “save it Chance, there is very little you can say right now that I would believe.”

Another long awkward moment passes, “tell me this, it has bugged me for a week now… you and Britney… you are lovers aren’t you?”

Kind of shocked at the question, Chance thinks about what to tell her. Ara notices the hesitation.

“That answers that question” she says angrily shaking her head.

“Ara” Chance says in hopes to repair some of the damage, but it only fuels the elf more.

“You two banged that night too, the night after we first did it” she scoffs, anger flashing in her eyes “You never even gave it a second thought? You never gave me a second thought?!”

Those words hit home, its the same thing that Cassie said to you when you two had your talk outside the Inn in Camerondale.

She walks over and pushes you “How could you? All you had to do is say NO!” tears forming in her eyes, and pushes you again.

Again, the same thing Cassie told me… a pattern is forming.

“You could have been honest with me, when I asked if we were a couple?” gasping as she continues “Good morning beautiful? When all you were thinking about was an Onyx Elf!” She stands there defeated as she stops pushing you.

She starts to shake, tears streaming down her face, sobs coming from her. She puts her hands to her face.

‘What have I done, she didn’t deserve this…’ Chance puts his arms around her as his eyes start to well up and at first she welcomes it, crying in his arms, but she pushes him away.

“I guess I always knew that you were never going to love me, I have been living in a fantasy world.” She says after she wipes her tears away.

“Ara…” Chance starts, and stops.

She looks at him, tilts her head, “What, you are going to tell me the whole story?” tears still streaming down her face. “Then what were you doing at the Castle? Why the get-up, why were you two all over each other?” She says exasperated with questions. “Why didn’t you ask me to go to the wedding? Your girlfriend?!?”

“It’s nothing that you want to hear about, and it is much more complex than anyone realizes,” He responds quickly.

“Holding hands, mauling each other isn’t complex Chance” she fires back.

Chance looks down, he is not going to belittle this anymore than it already is with petty arguments. “I was there at the request of the Prince, he made me the champion of the court. Khamyra was there to protect me because the Queen of Augustia would be in close proximity.”

She shakes her head confused.

“The Queen has a reputation for hunting down and killing impure blood” Chance points to his ears “That would be me, so Khamyra did not want to chance it.”

Ara starts to understand what he is saying, why he was there, why he was in that outfit, why the Onyx elf was there. “But there is nothing between you and Khamyra?” She says inquisitively.

“Khamyra and myself have not been intimate with each other, and we have no plans too…” Chance says with hesitation in his voice

“But” Ara says reluctantly

“There is a connection to her that words can’t explain, hell I don’t even understand it, we are both connected to Finster and its very powerful” Chance retorts, looking over to Ara who is looking through him, grasping at anything to make this situation better.

She is calming down now after maybe the first honest things he ever told her, wiping tears away and she grabs a napkin to wipe her nose. “Did you have to be all over each other?”

Chance just stands there, puts his head down. Not knowing how to answer that, because he wanted it, even craved Khamyra.

They stand there for a few minutes, in silence, “well if you are just going to stand there, you might as well just go” Ara says, trying to keep her head up and talk with a steady voice.

Chance nods his head, turns and starts to walk away. He stops, turns his head a bit but not turning around. “Ara, the time with you meant the world to me.” tears start to fall for this conflicted quarter elf as he starts to remember all the times he had with her. “You mean more to me than I think you know, and I am sorry for what I put you through. I am… just so lost right now.”

Memories filter in…

When she showed up for the ball, she looked amazing. That first kiss after I got back from my mission with Plugr. Her walking up to me in that amazing dress when we all went to the dukes den, her standing on her tippy toes to give me a kiss. The way she looked the first time we made love, when we cuddled in the chair looking out the window at the moon…

Its too much, after yesterday’s events and now this. Chance feels himself lose control, break down.

“I just want you to be happy and I don’t think I could ever give that to you…” he says as tears stream down his face “you need someone who will love as fiercely as you do.”

He pauses, closes his eyes. ‘God, I am going to miss you…’ runs through his head but they could not make it out his mouth.

Ara stands there, tears, shaking, not believing what she is hearing right now.

He turns around completely, shaking, tears falling. He tries to say more, but nothing comes out. Chance shakes his head, in the middle of a complete breakdown, turns around again and walks out the door.

Mina leaning against a pole outside her house, sees Chance walk out. He looks up to her, and she stops from laying into him again. She sees someone devastated, hurt and ashamed. Their eyes meet and for a brief moment she even pities him. He walks off quickly putting his hand to his head.

Mina slowly walks up to the door and goes in. She sees Ara standing, wide eyed, tears streaming, staring at the door.

“I am so confused right now…” is all she says. It is all she could say.

Chance makes his way back to the compound, but peels off a block ahead, walks down the ally and gets himself presentable. He takes some deep breathes and wipes away the tears. “Get yourself together” he tells himself as he wheels back out and goes into the compound.

The quarter elf gears up and meets up with his partner for the day. The day drags on, nothing happens of any consequence, much to Chances dismay. He wanted something to hit, maul kick… whatever. The guards start to roll in and that is cue for him to head back and ungear. Much like the rest of the day, it was boring and long.

Chance heads to the stables, and seeing Toby lifts his spirits up. He jumps up on the steed and rides him home. Its about 430, its cloudy and breezy. When he gets home he puts the horse away, saddle and all. Walks in and smells a wonderful meal cooking.

Novalee and Chance exchange pleasantries, and she serves dinner. It was a wonderful meal washing it down with a mug of ale. Novalee heads off to do some chores and Chance decides to sit on the balcony for a bit, gather his thoughts…

He walks out on the balcony with a mug of ale, and stands at the railing. He looks out over the backyard, and the sun is going down. Everything that happened the past 2 days swirls around in his head. Happy with how things are with Cassie and Affinity, as sad as it was. But Ara… ‘wow I fucked up.’

The evening starts to turn the page, a nice sunset forms on the horizon. Chance looks down and it hits him. He really tried to not cry, he has done enough of that the past days… but seeing the fireflies buzzing around instantly takes him back where Ara snuggled up with him as they flew around him. She gave me the first moment of peace after that fiasco Sunday. Tears start to fall thinking of the hugs, the tippy toes, those eyes…

“Chance?” A voice startles the Champion a bit and he knows that voice. He slowly turns around and Ara stands there hands clasped in front of her. “Sorry, Novalee let me in” She sees that he is crying and she looks down. ‘Oh my god, he is crying, between what he told me at the house, to this… it is not what I expected and its killing me, hold it together girl,’ she thinks, hoping she can.

Ara walks up and she sees the fireflies down below and her carefully prepared temperament almost exploded, she just wanted to collapse in his arms, tell him she forgives him and that they need to go make love on his bed this second…

“Chance I just want you to listen. I have some things I want to say and then I will be out of your life.” She glances over to him and she sees him wince a little at that comment, and closes his eyes, clenching his jaw.

She fidgets a bit and then just blurts out “I fell in love with you the first time we met, I was madly, deeply, ignorantly in love” Ara is proud of herself so far, she is keeping it together when by all rights she should be a blubbery mess.

“Yesterday, when Mina told me about the wedding…” She softly slams her hand on the railing she is leaning against, “Chance, I never knew I could hurt so much. It was like I couldn’t breathe. Then I finally had to admit to myself, that you never loved me, that I was just fooling myself. ”

She stops for a moment, trying to keep her composure, she glances at the uarter elf only too see his face flush, tears falling down his cheek. By then memories flood in… they are overwhelming and she can’t stop it. She begins to cry and she puts her head in her hands.

Chance steps over to her and wraps his arms around her. She buries her head into his chest and starts to ball. “I am so sorry” he says softly, “you deserved so much better than this, I am so sorry…” over and over again. He too can’t stop and continues to cry.

After a few minutes they step back from each other, sniffling and wiping tears away. side by side, glancing down to see the fireflies even more vibrant than before. “That is so beautiful” Ara says softly while wiping the tears away.

“I guess I just came over to look you in the eye and confront you…” She says still looking out over the yard, “but your tears told me everything I needed to know. That you might not have loved me but you really did care for me.”

She fidgets a bit, “You were right, I do need someone who can put me first, and really wants to be with me” she says looking down.

She turns to him. “Someday we might bump into each other and you might look at me differently” tears starting to well up in her eyes “maybe you can find a way to love me then.”

Chance looks over to this beautiful woman who just had her heart broken by him. He never will see her smile at him again, he will never be part of her life anymore, this was all his fault. It is hitting him harder than he thought as he has given up on controlling his tears.

Ara walks to him, gently takes his hands and she starts to cry harder, “I forgive you Chance. I wanted you to know that, I see you are in a lot of pain too.” She gasps a bit from a sob.

His eyes bulge and he looks at her from the corner of his eyes, “I don’t deserve that…” Chance says in between sobs shaking his head.

Ara barely able to see through her tears responds “I know, you don’t… but I do. Because that is who I am.”

“I hope you find someone you can love you and you can love them… back…” She lets go of his hand and she starts to walk away not being able to finish the sentence.

Chance grabs her arm and she turns around, he leans down and the two kiss. Salty, sloppy but maybe the most powerful meaningful kiss Ara ever had. It made the pain of the last 24 hours fade away for a second, brought her back to a time when she was happy. Both their eyes open, staring at each other.

She takes one last look at the man she fell in love with, staring at those haunting eyes through her tears, and realizes that this is it… the end.

“I am going to miss you so much…” she says softly through her tears. She turns and runs into the house, mouth covered a gasp from a sob.

Chance stands there defeated, tears falling like rain, not knowing what to do but respond… “I am going to miss you too…”

The Quarter Elf broke the heart of a wonderful woman, who loved him and cared for him.

He walks in, and hears the door shut below him. Chance sits on the edge of the bed, gathering his thoughts, his emotions. ‘I think its time to start moving on from this rut I am in… I can’t stop making mistakes, and tomorrow is going to be the beginning.’

The day catches up with him and he rolls over the bed, and quickly falls asleep. It was fitful and full of nightmares but he sleeps through most of the night.

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Mondalay (Monday) 7:00 AM

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