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knightoftheswan"I love you."
This was wrong. This was all wrong. Lohengrin knew it as soon as the words left Elsa's lips. And to think he expected unrequited love to be bad. It was nothing compared to what surely lies ahead now.
The Knight stiffens as the Lady looks upon him, hopeful, anticipating. He has to admit, he admires his Lady's courage. But he can see the corner of her mouth drop a little, her joy waning as he continues to stand there silent.
Lohengrin opens his mouth and immediately regrets the inelegant, wordless noise that startles out. Elsa, who had turned her head to look away, turns back at the sound with renewed curiosity.
"I can't..." he begins, but can't find a way to finish, even though he can see the pain just those two words have caused her.
She turns around, hesitating only briefly before stepping away from him.
"Wait-" he tries again, though he knows he shouldn't.
But she doesn't stop.
"My Lady..."
The distance becomes static as he begins to follow.
"Elsa, please!"
She whips around just as he catches up, fury etched in her features.
This is a mistake, he reminds himself at the glower that couldn't entirely hide her tears. But even so...
Even so...
"If you've something to say to me, Knight of the Swan, please make it brief," she says, curt and surprisingly even.
His mouth opens again without sound before he forces the words out, as difficult as pulling one's own teeth, "Elsa, I- I do, too. Love you, I mean."
Whatever Elsa was expecting, it wasn't that. But her expression doesn't change.
"But I shouldn't," he continues. "We shouldn't."
"Why not?"
"It will only complicate things. Put you in further danger."
"I'm already in danger. What's a little more?"
Lohengrin closes his eyes, his mouth straightening into a line before he answers, "I'm supposed to prevent that."
"What's the point of protecting me if I have to live in misery?"
He couldn't answer that, especially when he opens his eyes to find Elsa's staring back at him.
"Elsa..." he tries once more.
"My Knight?" she answers him.
He gently grasps at her hands before closing his eyes again. Lohengrin pulls her hands up, holding them against his chest.
"Forgive me for failing you," he murmurs before leaning closer and pressing his lips against hers in a brief kiss.
"I forgive you," she answers after that kiss and before another, her fingers flexing in his hold. "A thousand times over, I'll forgive you."
This was wrong. This was all wrong. Lohengrin knew it as soon as the words left Elsa's lips. And to think he expected unrequited love to be bad. It was nothing compared to what surely lies ahead now.
The Knight stiffens as the Lady looks upon him, hopeful, anticipating. He has to admit, he admires his Lady's courage. But he can see the corner of her mouth drop a little, her joy waning as he continues to stand there silent.
Lohengrin opens his mouth and immediately regrets the inelegant, wordless noise that startles out. Elsa, who had turned her head to look away, turns back at the sound with renewed curiosity.
"I can't..." he begins, but can't find a way to finish, even though he can see the pain just those two words have caused her.
She turns around, hesitating only briefly before stepping away from him.
"Wait-" he tries again, though he knows he shouldn't.
But she doesn't stop.
"My Lady..."
The distance becomes static as he begins to follow.
"Elsa, please!"
She whips around just as he catches up, fury etched in her features.
This is a mistake, he reminds himself at the glower that couldn't entirely hide her tears. But even so...
Even so...
"If you've something to say to me, Knight of the Swan, please make it brief," she says, curt and surprisingly even.
His mouth opens again without sound before he forces the words out, as difficult as pulling one's own teeth, "Elsa, I- I do, too. Love you, I mean."
Whatever Elsa was expecting, it wasn't that. But her expression doesn't change.
"But I shouldn't," he continues. "We shouldn't."
"Why not?"
"It will only complicate things. Put you in further danger."
"I'm already in danger. What's a little more?"
Lohengrin closes his eyes, his mouth straightening into a line before he answers, "I'm supposed to prevent that."
"What's the point of protecting me if I have to live in misery?"
He couldn't answer that, especially when he opens his eyes to find Elsa's staring back at him.
"Elsa..." he tries once more.
"My Knight?" she answers him.
He gently grasps at her hands before closing his eyes again. Lohengrin pulls her hands up, holding them against his chest.
"Forgive me for failing you," he murmurs before leaning closer and pressing his lips against hers in a brief kiss.
"I forgive you," she answers after that kiss and before another, her fingers flexing in his hold. "A thousand times over, I'll forgive you."
