A Night to Remember "He vowed they'd stay together
To have and hold her in his heart
She promised him forever
Until death do us part
Sealed with a fateful kiss
Love takes a fatal twist
No doubt, this will always be a night to remember"
-SHeDaisy, "A Night to Remember"

The leaves rustled softly with the ocean breeze, barely concealing the soft patter of footsteps. As a cloaked figure stole across the port, the night watchman looked up with a start. "Who's there?!" he demanded, yet all he heard was his own voice, echoing throughout the docks.

The girl held her breath. After her father had discovered why she was sneaking off at night, he had forbidden her to, under no circumstances, see Him again. According to her father, He was the "Evil One Himself" and He would "do a nice girl like her no good" ...or so he claimed. She had a sneaking suspicion that the reason could be that he had already betrothed her to that arrogant ass of a lord's son, Jhian, and her father had decided that He was in the way of a successful marriage. Her father had always wanted more power; she had always refused to be a pawn in his nefarious schemes. Anyways, if He was the "Evil One Himself," then why had He saved her life?

A cold hand suddenly grasped her shoulder. Startled, she turned, the hood of her cloak falling off her head. As soon as she saw His face, the girl slowly released her breath. "Sean!" she whispered as she embraced him tightly. "Don't you ever do that 'gain!"

The boy grinned, suppressing a laugh, and pulled her behind a stack of cargo crates. "Ye almos' jumped as high as the top o' the ship's mast!" he teased as he returned the embrace.

"Quiet!" The girl pulled away from him and glanced nervously around the port. "The watchman might hear us!"

Sean shot a puzzled glance her way. Never before had she been concerned about the night watchman; she seemed different tonight, and he wasn't sure he liked it. "Ye've ne'er been worried 'bout the watchman 'fore..." he said, but the girl just sighed and lapsed into a stony silence. "Ann'ka? Is there somethin' I should know 'bout?"

"No," she answered him, refusing to look in his direction.

Sighing, he grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. "Well, there's somethin' wrong with you."

"There's no--" Anneka stopped mid-sentence as she read the hurt expression on his face. In defeat, she raised her palms towards him, as if pushing something away. "You're right," she replied curtly. "I've been forbidden to 'disgrace m'self with your presence again,' courtesy of m'father."

"Ye cain't be serious!"

"Have I e'er lied to you?"

"No, but--"

"I'm not lyin' to you now either!" the girl interrupted, all thoughts of staying quiet gone from her head. "I cain't e'er see you 'gain, or else he'll kill you!"

The boy placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Easy there, Ann'ka...ye're gettin' upset. Why would yer father wanna kill me anyways?"

"Well, 'member that arrogant lord's son? The one you gave a bloody nose 'cause he slapped me after I wouldn't kiss 'is feet?" At Sean's nod, she continued. "Well, m'father betrothed me to 'im."

"Why in the bloody 'ell would 'e do that?!" he spat out. "Bloody hell. He betrothed ye to that ass?"

She nodded dumbly.

"Well then...we'll jus' hafta think o' a way to make 'im change 'is mind."

Aha! the watchman thought to himself. It is them...the girl's father will pay me a pretty penny for turning them in. Aloud, he whispered to his lieutenant: "Go get the guards; we've got some intruders."

The girl suddenly froze. "What was that?" she whispered softly.

Silence.

" 'Twas prolly a rat...don' worry, Ann'ka; it'll be fine."

Anneka just sighed and continued to stare into the darkness.

"Now why don't you just..." Sean's ideas continued in a steady stream, ignoring the fact that the girl was not listening wholeheartedly.

The watchman released his breath in relief; that was a close call -- but it was worth it, if only for the reward involved.

A voice broke through the darkness. "Sir?" it whispered softly, and the lieutenant stepped out of the shadows. "I've brought his guards."

"Good." The watchman's voice was dangerously soft. "Now wait for my signal."

"Aye, sir."

"...Or ye could always jus' be a perra to 'im 'till 'e decides he don't wanna marry ye," Sean continued.

The girl sighed in frustration. "That wouldn't work either! Then he'd disown me!" Not that it would be a terrible thing, but...no, I can't; 'twouldn't work.

Exasperated, Sean rolled his eyes. "Well, in yer opinion, nothin's gonna work! C'mon, help me think o' somethin'!" he exploded.

"Well, nothing will work," a voice smoothly interrupted, "especially now that we've caught both of you." The watchman's eyes wandered from one teen to the other, before finally resting on Sean. "You. The merchant has wanted to speak with you for an extremely long time. I assure you, he will be happy to know that you've been caught." Letting his gaze turn towards Anneka, he continued. "As for you, young lady, I believe your father will have a talk with you too."

The two teens had stared at the watchman, transfixed, as he came out of the shadows. Finally, Sean found his voice. "I won't let ye get 'er," he said as he stepped in front of her, offering a slight protection. "Don' even think 'bout touchin' 'er either, or I--"

"Or you'll do what?" interrupted the watchman, laughing mirthlessly. "I assure you, I have reinforcements with me."

At the watchman's nod, several other guards stepped out from the shadows, surrounding the boy and the girl. "You see," the watchman continued in a pleasant voice, as if he were idly talking to an old friend. "I've got you surrounded. One move from you or the girl will result in an extremely painful death." That said, he motioned to one of the guards, who walked over to Anneka and grabbed her arm, dragging her away from Sean.

"Let go of me!" Anneka screamed, but her cries fell on deaf ears. Seeing no other course of action, she stomped on the guard's foot.

"You perra!" growled the enraged guard. He slapped her, knocking her onto the rough wood of the docks. Clutching her wrist in pain, Anneka screamed again.

Seeing what the guard had done to his beloved, Sean hurled his tall frame towards him, knocking the guard off balance. The guard swiftly retaliated, grabbing Sean by the collar and throwing him against a nearby wall, knocking him unconscious.

The same instant the boy's head collided with the wall, a burst of fire appeared out of nowhere. The entire dock erupted into angry flames.

Anneka stared, transfixed. "SEAN!" she found herself screaming. She pulled away from the guard and ran, dodging the flames, to crouch beside him. "Sean," she sobbed, "wake up! Please--"

A hand grabbed her shoulder. "Move!" a guard said roughly as he dragged her out of the way, leaving the docks.

"No!" As she turned once more to run back to the spot where the boy lay, an explosion rocked the docks: The flame had reached a kerosene storage building. Anneka stared as the spot where Sean had lain blossomed like a fiery rose. "Sean," she cried before losing consciousness, "Sean..."

"How is she?" Anneka's father's voice rang through the hospital.

A Healer quickly shushed him. "Quiet, please! She should live...she inhaled quite a bit of smoke -- and received a couple burns; nothing serious. She's asleep now."

The merchant stole a sideways glance at the sleeping girl. "And how is the guard who saved her?"

"He'll live; here, let me take you to him." Footsteps echoed down the room; they finally stopped at the foot of a bed across the room. "He's awake...how are you feeling?"

"A little tired, ma'am," the guard replied. " 'Lo sir."

With a nod towards the guard and the merchant, the Healer exited the room as the merchant continued to question the guard. "Did the boy survive the fire?"

The guard nodded. "I b'lieve so, sir; although 'twould be hard with all those flames."

"Well, make sure that everyone knows exactly who started it."

"Aye sir, but what of yer daughter?"

At this moment, Anneka awoke, but her eyelids remained too heavy to open. Realizing that her father was talking with the guard about her, she strained her ears to listen.

The merchant's face became a mask. "I no longer have a daughter; she died in the blaze--"

"But sir--"

His face hardened, and the merchant quickly interrupted. "I HAVE NO DAUGHTER!"

A tear dribbled down Anneka's face. He can't...he just can't! the girl thought to herself. But he would...

Suddenly, she became aware of the pain. It was a fiery pain that shot through her entire body, causing her to groan. Her face hurt, her muscles were sore, and her lungs ached. Oh, how she wished it would go away!

The Healer apprentice on duty appeared at her bedside, trying to comfort her. "Easy there...it'll be fine...ye'll be fine," the apprentice whispered soothingly.

Anneka opened her eyes, but everything was black. She could feel the warmth from the bedside lamp on her face, yet when she turned her head towards the source of the heat, all she saw was black. "Why's everythin' black?" she asked in a slightly panicked voice.

"Black? Nothing's black...ye're lookin' right at the lamp," the Healer replied in a nervous tone. "Ye must be imaginin' it!"

"I'm not imaginin' it!" Anneka shrieked. "I cain't see a thing!" Desperately, she touched her eyes, making sure they were open. Her fingers touched the slimy wetness, but her eyes felt nothing. Nothing at all. "What's - wrong - with - my - eyes?" she demanded, ignorant of the pain for the moment.

The Healer's apprentice blanched. "Well, ye see, there was a little accident while we were Healing ye and it sorta left ye..."

Anneka paid no attention to the Healer's words. There was no doubt left in the girl's mind; she was blind.

Epilogue

A few weeks passed until she regained her strength, then her father sent her away. He really had disowned her; it had never been an idle threat. Not that he ever made idle threats, but she had honestly hoped that this one was. Everything was different now; she was homeless and blind.

They never told her that Sean had survived the blaze. They never told her about the angry mob that chased him out of town and killed him. Worst of all, they never told her that his death had been partially her fault.

During the weeks spent in the infirmiry, Anneka's hatred for the Healers grew until she could no longer stand it. They had told her what happened: an inexperianced Healer was accidentally put in charge of her care, and when he was fusing the scarred skin near her eye back together, he had accidentally fused her optical nerves along with it, robbing her of the ability to see forevermore. And, after all that, the scar near her eye remained, an everlasting stigma of that night to remember...