Eric crept through town after curfew, heart hammering in his chest. If he were to be caught...no, the consequences were too terrible to consider, especially after everything that happened in Treywick.

Then why are you taking the risk? Go back!

Eric quelled the voice of reason as he reached her home and stared up at the balcony. She'd asked for him to come back after everyone was asleep so they could speak in private. After her father burst through the door earlier that evening, insisting their less than a minute had been enough and escorting Eric out, he knew this would be the only way.

His mind had been buzzing ever since he'd returned to base, the feeling of her bare hand against his cheek and the overwhelming sensations brought with them pulsing through his core. He had to know what it meant--what she meant by all of it.

With years of training under his belt and experience from earlier that evening, Eric scaled the side of the home. Once on the balcony, he hesitated at the door. Was this really something he wanted to do? Swallowing hard, he raised his fist and knocked softly.

Abigail pulled the balcony door open, stepping back to allow him entry. As he stepped inside, the ludicrousness of his decision hit him in full force. What if her father came to check on her after her earlier ordeal? Or a servant heard their voices? What would happen if he were found?

He realized she watched him, both standing awkwardly a few paces apart. Abigail no longer wore either glove, her hands and arms completely uncovered. Strange, he'd never thought much about the dainty beauty in a woman's slender fingers, but watching Abigail brush her hair back away from her face captivated him.

"You came back," she said, her voice quiet, but not in a whisper. "I didn't think you would."

Why wouldn't I? Does she wish I hadn't? Eric shifted his weight onto his heels, leaning back toward the closed balcony door. "Shall I go?"

"No." She took a step forward, her hand reached out. Eric instinctively avoided her touch, and she dropped her hand, her cheeks flushing. "I'm glad you're here. I wanted to explain, but - I also didn't want to be alone."

Eric nodded. The likelihood of Brutus escaping from the base and returning to the scene of his crime hovered somewhere just above zero, but after what she'd been through, Eric couldn't blame Abigail for fearing the worst.

"You don't have to be alone ever again if you don't want to."

She lifted her gaze, eyes wide, and Eric wondered at the intensity in his tone. He'd only meant to suggest she could have a guard at her home, but now that he'd said it out loud, he couldn't think of anyone but himself watching over her.

"I hoped we could talk." Abigail gestured to the sitting area, not moving close enough to touch him. Part of him wished she would. He wanted to feel it again, even if he didn't believe it was what she claimed.

Love.

He sat down in the chair, his back rigid as clasped his hands in his lap. Abigail sat in the opposite chair, her brow furrowing as she considered him.

"You're not one for comfort, are you?" she asked, her stature graceful but relaxed in her floral armchair.

Eric frowned. "This is how I always sit. What is it you wish to discuss?"

Abigail nodded, her gaze darting around the room - anywhere but at him. "Um, well. I thought you might...might want to know more about what I said right before my father walked in."

Heart spluttering, Eric clenched his jaw. "You said I'd never experienced love." Or something like that. "You were wrong."

"Was I?"

"My parents love me." He heard the words as he said them, and the hollowness sent a cold chill through him. They did love him. They'd given him everything, and when he'd failed them, they forgave him. Everything they'd ever done had been for him. If that wasn't love, what was?

"Your parents love you," Abigail repeated, lips pursed as though she, too, heard his doubt. "You know this."

Eric opened his mouth to agree, but couldn't bring himself to say it. Of course they did. Didn't they?

"There's a way to know." Abigail scooted forward in her seat, offering him her hand. "Show me. Show me your parents and your feelings for them. You'll know, just as I'll know, whether or not it's true."

Eric leapt to his feet, moving away from her. "I don't have to prove anything to you. I know what I know."

"Then why are you so agitated? I can feel it from here. It's pouring off of you in waves."

"This is our little secret," Narissa said, placing a crown far too large on Eric's six-year-old head. "Someday, everyone will know, but until then, you're our secret little prince."

"Why does it have to be a secret?" Eric asked, peering at her from beneath the crown. Narissa's black eyes flashed as jerked the diadem from his head.

"Because you have to be safe," she said, her voice a soft hiss as she searched his face. He felt a tremor of anxiety pulse through him at her intensity. "If anyone knows who you are, they'll try to hurt you in order to hurt us. They'll come for you."

"Who are they?"

"It doesn't matter. Promise me, Eric. Our little secret."

"I promise."

"I can't show you my parents," Eric said. "I won't." He turned his back to her, fists clenched. I need to leave.

"Then don't show me any memory, just share an experience with me. Any feeling." The softness in her voice brought him back around. As he rejoined her, settling into his seat, she nodded. "I know what it feels like to lose someone important to you. I struggle with sharing those memories, too."

Eric didn't correct her, but stretched out his hand, palm up. Abigail placed her hand over his, and Eric concentrated on his parents and the feelings associated with them. He watched her face as he did, and saw her nose scrunch and her lips pucker.

"These are related to your parents?" she asked, brows arching. "These feelings?"

"Yes. What of them?"

"Nothing." She shook her head. "I'm going to guide you to find what we're looking for, all right? I want you to think of...warmth. Home. Happiness. I want you to think of the place you feel safest."

Eric's thoughts shifted to Treywick and the two friends he'd known there. An image of Maverick, crouched down and egging him on to wrestle as Laina laughed nearby filled his thoughts. It was quickly followed by the three of them lying on their backs in a clearing in Fangralee, staring up at the stars.

"That one is Canus. He hasn't been seen on earth since before the first king of Braskey," Laina said, pointing them out.

"How do you know so much about stars, Little Dove?" Eric asked, turning his head to see her profile. A smile pulled at her thin lips.

"My parents taught me."

"My parents never taught me anything like that."

Maverick elbowed Eric in the arm. "What if you didn't go back? What if you stayed here with us?"

"There." Abigail's voice pulled him back to the present, a smile stretching across her face. "That right there. It's small, but whatever you're thinking about, that's love. Oh..." Abigail let out a little gasp as Eric pulled his hand away, her eyes wide. "Pain. Why pain?"

"I don't want to think about that anymore," Eric mumbled. He'd never see them again. And if he did, he had a feeling the reunion wouldn't go well.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. Here." Abigail reached out again, touching his hand before he could pull away. The second her fingers brushed against his skin, he felt a wave of calm rush over him. Calm, and whatever he'd felt earlier when she'd touched his cheek.

Eric looked up and met her gaze. Abigail's brow was drawn, her lower lip pouted out. Because of their connection, he sensed her guilt - she felt shame for having caused him pain. The desire to comfort her in return swelled inside him, and Eric reached up and cupped her face in his hands.

Anxiety, excitement, fear, and longing all swam around inside him, but he couldn't tell if it was coming from her or from him. He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. Her soft gasp quickened his pulse, and she returned his kiss with fervor.

Already on the edge of his seat, Eric stood, pulling Abigail up with him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he wrapped one arm around her waist, the other sliding up into her blonde locks as he captured her mouth once more.

When he'd had more than he could stand, they broke apart, both breathing heavily. As soon as their connection severed, Eric's head cleared.

What the hells are you doing? Are you crazy? This is a delegate's daughter!

"I should go." He marched across the room, but paused as he reached the door, glancing back over his shoulder.

Abigail stood with one hand over her heart, her face flushed. The desire to return to her overwhelmed him, but he pushed it away, slipping out into the night.

###

He had no intention of returning to her. Nothing good would come of the way she made him feel. For a week Eric avoided her except for professional purposes he couldn't get out of. Jenkins didn't seem to notice anything amiss, but Eric felt Samson's wary eye on him at every passing.

He held strong until Jenkins brought him and Samson back to Delegate Truso's to handle a matter of Army business. Eric saw her when they walked through the sitting room to reach Tomas's study. She didn't look up as they entered, her nose buried in a book and her back to them, but he saw how her body stiffened.

How badly have you hurt her?

The question hit him from nowhere, followed by guilt and shame at his behavior. The proper thing to do would be to apologize. If anyone knew what he'd done - Narissa, Bainon, Samson - they'd all say the same.

What could it hurt to apologize?

That night Eric snuck out after curfew once again, breezing through the streets and up her balcony. Knowing she wouldn't expect him, he'd hoped she'd still be awake. Part of him wondered if she'd be angry at his arrival, but he risked it anyway, knocking on the balcony door.

When Abigail opened it, her eyes widened in surprise and her cheeks pinked. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to - to say I was sorry. I behaved dishonorably that night."

Abigail bit down on her lip, but a smile still tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Why are we always apologizing to each other?"

Eric exhaled a breath of relief. "I have no idea."

Abigail stepped back. "Come in."

When he stepped through the door, he realized she wore a dressing robe, her gown from that day draped over the chair at her vanity. Face flushing, Eric dropped his gaze.

"That's really all I came for," he said, staring down at his hands.

"Pity, because I wanted so much more." Abigail sashayed away from him, moving back to sit at her vanity and continue her nightly ablutions. She watched him in her mirror, and he wondered what he ought to do now.

"I shouldn't have treated you poorly in regards to my family or - " he searched for the right words to describe Laina and Maverick, but found none.

"I understand. When my grandmother died - "

"My mother isn't dead. Neither is my father." Eric cut across her, an urge to have someone else know what happened filling him. "The people I lost are still alive, but I'll never see them again."

Abigail turned in her chair, leaning against the back to listen. "Go on."

"I was thinking of them when you wanted me to find happiness and warmth. They were the only friends I'd ever had outside of the Army. Come to think of it, they were my only friends besides Samson."

"What happened to them?"

"Nothing. It's what happened to me." Eric shook his head, the muscle in his jaw twitching. Say it. Just once. "I tried to desert the Army."

Abigail's eyes widened, but she said nothing, watching him.

"I didn't want all of the responsibility. My parents - they have grand plans for me. And when I got to Treywick and things were so simple...I was jealous. I wanted the life Laina and Maverick had."

"What life was that?"

"Family. A home. Parents who taught them about the stars and the Guardians. Family dinners each night. I wanted normalcy."

"That's understandable."

"Not if you're part of the Army. You can't walk out on your sworn duty. I could have been executed, but instead they promoted me."

"And Maverick and Laina?" Abigail pressed.

"They went on living their lives, I suppose. They didn't get into any trouble."

"Do you resent them for it?"

"No. But I no longer wish to be them."

"Why not?"

Eric frowned down at her. "I've been given a great honor. I have a grand destiny. I'm not going to shirk it off to be a small town blacksmith."

Abigail rested her chin on the back of the chair. "Becoming Commander is a grand destiny?"

"No. Yes. I don't know." Eric ran a hand through his short blond hair. "I have responsibilities now. Something those two never knew anything about."

"They meant something to you."

"They don't anymore. They can't."

"Why not?"

"Because if they did...if my parents ever knew why I almost left...they'd kill them."

"They'd kill Maverick and Laina?"

Eric nodded. "They're out of my life. It's done. But I'm not going to get them hurt for no reason."

Abigail stood, placing a hand on his sleeved arm. "That sounds horrible. I can't imagine being forced away from someone like that."

They'll force me away from you if I don't do it myself. Eric opened his mouth to tell her as much, but with her standing so close, all he wanted was to feel what she gave him. He couldn't think with her so near. She muddied his mind.

"I should go."

"You can always come back."

And he did. For the next two weeks, Eric returned as often as he could. He kept his distance from her most of the time, but found talking with her to be a salve to his soul. Sometimes they spoke of nothing. Other times, of their families or childhood.

At the end of his seventh month training to become the Commander, Abigail spoke of something they hadn't touched on since his first visit.

She strolled through her room, neither of them worried of being caught anymore. "I think I knew I'd fall in love with you the night you first arrived with Commander Jenkins. Do you remember? You came for dinner."

Eric stiffened. "Uh, yes."

"I remember it so clearly. I came down the stairs and saw Jenkins and his Second standing with my father, and behind him two young men. One taller and more stern than any I'd ever seen, and the other - " she broke off, shifting to meet his gaze over her shoulder. "The other looked at me as though he'd never seen a girl before, like I was something odd or maybe dangerous. But he was handsome, even if he was a bit quiet."

"How could that, uh," Eric cleared his throat, "make you feel...something for me."

"Your kindness. You were respectful toward my father. You didn't treat him like he might be beneath you, the way Jenkins always has. You were also very kind to our servants, which shocked me. I studied you all through dinner, wondering what made you tick."

Eric shifted in his chair, rubbing his hands together and trying to think of a way to change the subject. Nothing came to mind. Abigail approached him.

"I still have no idea how to get inside your head," she said. "It's easy with most men. They all have something they want, and I don't need to use transference to figure it out. Money, power, love, family, honor - they're easy to discern based off of their character."

She stood over him now, staring down at him where he sat. "You aren't as easy to read. You know how I feel about you, but you neither move to take advantage of that, nor do you run away in disgust. Sometimes I think you feel the same way I do, but other times..." she trailed off, frowning.

"I don't know what I feel." Eric stood to his feet. "It's impossible to tell."

"Nothing is impossible."

"It is with you. I don't know if I feel the way I do because of you or about you."

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know if it's because of your feelings being shared that I want to be with you, or if I feel them for myself."

Abigail paled and she nodded. "Oh, I see. Yes, well...that would make a difference. I'm sorry, I didn't know sharing my feelings made you uncomfortable. I can stop."

"Can you?" Eric stepped closer to her, his brows knit in earnest. "Can you stop me from feeling anything you're feeling, the way normal people are when they interact?" She nodded. "Then do it right now."

Before she could change her mind, Eric pulled her closer and kissed her. He waited for her wave of feeling to crash over him, but it never happened. Instead, he felt his own heart race, his own blood boil. He trailed kisses from her lips down her jawline and her neck, relishing the softness of her skin.

When he pulled back, he kept one arm around her waist, and she seemed dizzy, in need of his support.

"Oh my," she breathed, blinking up at him.

"Mm?" He kissed her temple.

"The only way to keep you from feeling what I'm feeling is to only feel what you're feeling." She let out a soft giggle. "I like what you're feeling. I guess now you know."

"I do." He leaned closer again, their foreheads pressed together. "I love you, Abigail."

"I love you, too, Eric."

#

For the next five months, Eric and Abigail carried on their relationship in secret. Eric had a feeling Samson suspected, but his friend said nothing, leaving him to his own folly. Each rendezvous proved trickier to pull off, as Eric stayed longer each time, risking being caught.

When things moved from the sitting area to Abigail's bed, Eric nearly missed getting back for morning call. Holding her in his arms while she slept felt far more desirable than getting up, dressing, and climbing out her balcony.

After five months of punishment, Brutus was set free. Eric disagreed with Jenkins' choice, but as he wasn't Commander yet, he had no say. Jenkins believed Brutus repentant; Eric found him manipulative and as much a scoundrel as ever.

Another month passed, and Commander Jenkins announced his retirement with Eric as his successor. The city of Osha had a grand celebration in both their honor complete with a feast and a ball. It was the first and only time Eric and Abigail interacted in public outside of his visits to her father. As they danced, Eric would occasionally brush Abigail's bare shoulder with his hand to share his happiness with her.

It wasn't until after the celebration that everything fell apart.

On his first day, Eric and Samson reported to the throne room before Narissa and Bainon. They praised him for his success.

"You have a new mission, Commander," Bainon said. "There's been rumor the Militia is reforming."

"The Militia? Really?"

"Word is there are factions in many towns in the west, building numbers, just waiting for a the moment to strike. The Army units must spread out and investigate these claims. We're sending your unit to through all the cities, ending in Aundren, Boshan, and Treywick."

"Trey-you can't be serious?"

"Eric," Narissa's tone warned him of repercussions if he continued his disrespect. "I know Treywick was a difficult time for you, but there's no one else we'd trust to handle them. They're so far removed, there's no guarantee as to what you'll find." One manicured brow arched higher. "Besides, I think you're growing a little too comfortable in Osha, wouldn't you agree?"

Abigail. "I will do as you command, my queen." Eric dipped into a bow.

"Second Steele, wait outside a moment." Once Narissa's order had been obeyed, she stepped down from her throne and approached him. "I know you seek a confidant, but that's why you have Samson. You may tell him who you are, but you are never to see that girl again. Do you understand?"

Eric nodded, fear turning his blood to ice. "I understand."

Now you know what happened to Eric! How he ended up coming back to Treywick. How it ALLLLLL is going down!

And you know all about he and Abigail. Tell me all your thoughts in the comments! Eek! We'll be back to regularly scheduled programming next week (unless you beg for more. After all...you should have SEEN Abigail's face when Eric ended things. SO heartbreaking).

Don't forget to vote for this chapter and comment below. I LOVE your comments!