The reputation of Georg Prime was infamous: he had served as a knight in the Grasslands, the former Scarlet Moon Empire, and the Queendom of Falena, but had left each position under mysterious circumstances. No one could fully understand why a man with such ability and skill, would leave these lofty positions. The only person, who knew, was Georg himself and he preferred not to reveal his true self to anyone; it was safer that way.

I think I'm more than just ' anyone' Georg.

The stolid man became agitated, "Who…? Who said that?"

Someone who you haven't spoken to in a long time Georg. Someone who was once very dear to you.

Georg turned to look for the source of the voice. The mountain was devoid of life. "Where are you? Come out and show yourself!", he said nervously, wielding his sword.

Do you even remember the sound of my voice?

Georg's jaw dropped in recognition, "Mar-Marguerite? It can't be, you're-you're dead!"

Memories don't die Georg. We're created more than enough together.

"I've forgotten them! I've erased them from my memory! You can no longer haunt me, Marguerite!" Georg shouted, not even believing what he was saying.

"Don't be too sure about that." a voice said from behind Georg.

Georg whirled around to see a woman standing by a tree. She had long black hair, green eyes, and a dark complexion. The woman wore a crimson lace dress and carried a royal air around her, as if she was in complete control of the situation. "Marguerite." Georg whispered.

"I'm back Georg. We can finish what we started." Marguerite said, as she walked over to Georg's side.

Georg and Marguerite stared at each other for a few moments, then Marguerite leaned over and gave Georg a passionate kiss. Georg quickly responded by holding the slender woman in a powerful embrace. They made out for quite some time, with the moon as their only witness. When the couple finally pulled apart, Georg said with emotion, "I love you Marguerite Falena."

"I love you too, Georg Prime. Let's run off somewhere far away to a place where there is no war or suffering, where our love can be expressed without fear or regret." Marguerite said, wrapping her arms around Georg's waist.

Georg kissed Marguerite's throat and shoulders, "The Southern Islands are far away from civilization. Practically no one has heard of Falena there."

Marguerite stepped back and stared into Georg's small blue eyes, "It's too bad that it will never happen though.", she said sadly.

"Why not? We can escape to the Southern Islands in one month maximum. No one will know where we are." Georg said, puzzled by Marguerite's sudden coldness.

"It's not that. I'm sorry Georg, but I have to do this." Marguerite said, with a tear in her eye.

Before Georg could react, Marguerite shoved him into the gaping abyss below. In sheer panic, Georg tried to find a rock he could hang on to, but found nothing. With nothing else to help him, the hardened warrior let loose a blood-curdling scream, as he fell towards the jagged rocks.

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!" Georg screamed as he bolted out of bed.

Breathing heavily, Georg examined his surroundings. He wasn't on a mountain during a winter night; he was at an inn, dressed in only a loincloth. An elderly woman came up the stairs and clasped her hands,"Oh you're awake! We were worried about you!"

"What happened?" Georg said, still shaken from the nightmare.

"Well last night, my husband found you half-frozen in the mountains. He took you back to our inn. It was really strange; you were muttering the name Marguerite over and over. Anyway, I'm glad you're alright." the old woman said.

Georg, suddenly aware of his lack of clothing, said, slightly embarrassed," Thank you ma'am for you hospitality, but can I please have some privacy to change my clothes?"

"Oh! I'm sorry! I'll leave you alone!" the old woman said, as she scurried down the stairs.

Georg gently closed the door behind her, and then started to search for his clothes. They were lying on a chair next to the bed, neatly folded. His sword was leaning against the chair, slightly rusted over. Georg grabbed his clothes and started to change into them, his mind still on his nightmare.

Why do I still dream about Marguerite? Every time I start to forget about her, the memories of us come back to haunt me. If only she hadn't decreed that massacre, then maybe things would be different. A knock on the door distracted Georg from his thoughts. "Are you ready yet, sir?" a voice called from the hallway.

"Just a second!" Georg replied adjusting his cape.

He grabbed his sword, polishing it on his cape to remove the rust. Straightening himself up, Georg opened the door to find the old woman and her husband standing there. "Glad you're ready sir. How 'bout some food before you leave?" the old man said in a friendly tone.

Georg's stomach growled, painfully reminding him that he hadn't eaten since the day before yesterday, "That sounds great!"

The elderly couple led Georg downstairs to the small kitchen, from which pleasant aromas wandered out of. Georg sat at a small wooden table and was immediately served a huge stack of pancakes, covered in thick maple syrup. In a flash, Georg devoured the entire stack and helped himself to seconds. "Oh my, don't you have an appetite?" the old woman chuckled.

"Oh sorry about that ma'am. It's just that I've haven't eaten in quite some time. Everything is delicious!" Georg said between bites.

When Georg had finally finished his meal, he reached into his pocket and took out a small bag. Tossing it on the table, Georg said, "This is for your kindness."

The old man counted the money in the bag. His eyes widened as he said, "Oh, sir! You didn't have to do that! How can we ever repay you?"

"Just tell me where I am." Georg stated.

"You're in Harmonia, about half a day's journey from the Highland border. It's heavily guarded, so be careful." the old woman said. "Oh by the way, take this cheesecake. We don't have any use for it."

"Thank you. I guess that I'll leave now." Georg said, lifting his muscular form from the chair.

"Have a nice day, sir." the couple chimed.

"You too." Georg said as he walked out of the cottage.

Once outside, Georg glanced at the sun to gain his bearings. He started to walk southeast, towards the Highland border. The air was brisk and cool, perfect for traveling. It was mid-afternoon, so Georg marched on his mind blank, trying to gain as much ground as possible before the sun set. After a few hours, Georg stopped to catch his breath. The middle-aged man sat on a boulder, watching the crimson sunset.

Brings back memories, doesn't it Georg?

"Not again." Georg growled.

Why are you so eager to forget me? Did we not have a love that exceeded all others?

"Circumstances dictated that our love was not to be; for you were the queen and I was nothing more than your bodyguard. I was a fool for believing any different." Georg replied regretting the facts.

Are you sure about that Georg? Perhaps you need to refresh your memory. Let's return to the party four years ago.

The Royal Place of Falena was magnificent in every way. Golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling, exquisite painting decorated the walls, and stained glass windows, embedded with pictures of Falena's history, exhibited the last glimpses of the afternoon sun. People gather in the ballroom, preparing for the grand ball that evening. The prominent member of the Royal Knights, Georg Prime, searched the crowd for any suspicious characters. The Royal Knights was an elite force, dedicated to protect the Queen of Falena with their lives.

Georg hoped his authority would not have to be exercised this evening. Last week, a young bandit had tried to assassinate the queen by poisoning her. Fortunately, Georg has discovered the ruse and delivered swift justice to the culprit. Now he stood behind the throne, waiting for the queen to arrive. A page stood on a chair and shouted, "May I have you attention please!"

The crowd ceased their chatter. The page cleared his throat, "Thank you. Our Queen has arrived, please welcome Her Majesty, Marguerite Falena!"

The crowd bowed in reverence, as the queen walked down the aisle. Georg lowered his head in submission, but he couldn't help staring at the queen. Marguerite was the epitome of beauty. She wore an emerald satin dress that complemented her eyes. On top of her raven black hair, a silver tiara laid, perfectly balanced. As Marguerite sat on the throne, she gave a brief nod to Georg. Half hypnotized by her beauty, Georg managed to nod back. The band started to play and couples danced together, lost in their own world. Georg watched with interest, wishing that he were out on the floor with Marguerite in his arms. "Georg?" the queen said, distracting him from his daydream.

"Yes, your Majesty?" Georg asked.

"Will you go get me something to drink? Some punch preferably, the wine served at this social functions is always too strong." Marguerite said with a small smile.

"Yes as you wish." Georg said, making his way to the buffet table.

Georg walked over to the punch bowl and poured a small amount into a silver goblet. By the columns, which lined the grand hall, an event caught his eye. A young man pulled a long dagger out of his pocket and cocked his arm back, aiming for the queen. Acting purely on instinct, Georg dropped the glass and lunged his entire body onto the man. In shock, the man released the dagger and attempted to remove Georg's bulky form off of himself. After a brief struggle, the assassin managed to slip from underneath Georg and ran into a nearby hallway. Georg persisted after him, drawing his sword in the process.

The assassin pushed objects in Georg's path, trying to impede him. However, Georg jumped over the obstacles, finally catching up to the man. Shoving his word into the man's face, Georg shouted, "Alright, what do you think you're doing?"

"Ridding the Queendom of tyranny! Your precious queen is responsible for a massacre!" the assassin sneered.

"Even if she was, which I seriously doubt, you have no right to execute justice with you own hands!" Georg said, as he pushed his sword closer to the assassin's face.

"I don't have to listen to you! You've been entranced by her, not realizing that her heart is as black as sin itself." the assassin snarled.

Georg knocked the assassin out with his sword. Several Royal Knights ran over to assist Georg. The queen walked over to Georg in shock, "What happened here?"

"This man tried to murder you, Your Majesty, but I have the situation under control. Guards!" Georg yelled, "Take this man to the dungeon immediately!"

The Royal Guards seized the man and dragged him towards the prison. Only Georg and Marguerite remained in the hallway. The queen casually strolled next to Georg's side, "Thanks you for saving my life."

"It was my duty, Your Majesty. I'm glad you're alright." Georg responded.

Marguerite whispered into Georg's ear, "Let's go out to the balcony. It's safer there."

Marguerite extended her arm, which Georg took, and they started to the direction of the balcony. The sun had begun to drop below the horizon, leaving shades of red and orange that only the sun could paint. Marguerite leaned over the railing, "Isn't the sunset beautiful, Georg?" she asked.

"Yes it is." Georg said, ready to agree with anything Marguerite said.

"But it's not as handsome as you, Georg Prime." Marguerite whispered.

She took Georg's head in her hands and gave him a tender kiss. Georg froze not knowing what to say or do. He pulled back with alarm, never imagining anything like this before to happen.

"Why? You don't like me?" the queen asked, puzzling at his aloofness.

"Trust me Your Majesty that's not the reason. Don't worry about it, how about we just forget this ever happened and return to reality." Georg said, trying to stop the bile rising up his throat.

Marguerite stared at Georg's massive form for a moment. She calmly replied, "Sometimes fantasy can save us from reality. Our position in life cannot affect our love. Despite my appearances and rank, I am only a human being, a lonely soul who seeks acceptance and praise. I wish for you to understand this because you are the same exact way, not willing to reveal your innermost thoughts."

Georg stared at the queen in disbelief. The woman of his dreams had seen towards his tough exterior to the fragile soul, which lay beneath. Their silence communicated more than mere words could ever. Finally Georg leaned over to Marguerite's face and returned her kiss.

No one was a fool. Fate had a different plan for us unfortunately.

"……." Georg replied.