Madeline felt numb after hearing Guy's confession. She started to question everything about her feelings, about her existence even the events that molded her life including the late Prince Andre deciding to marry Alicia's sister. her thoughts swirled around mostly in disbelief or what Guy, no Ito Aoi, had told her today. She thought back to the first time they met, had he treated her strangely? Had he used foreknowledge of her activities to take advantage of her? Had he used his sister's information to systematically seduce her?
Madeline looked over at Guy who sat beside her with those thoughts ruminating in her mind she asked him, "That time when you were injured and had taken First Mage Diggory's potion, you were telling me the truth, weren't you?"
Guy looked at her and nodded, "I was."
Madeline looked down at her hands and then said, "You never once told me not to believe you, you only told me that you were delirious at the time. You really never lied to me, have you?"
Guy nodded and said, "I have always been honest with you, but I have been hiding secrets from you. Can you forgive me?"
Madeline thought for a long time and then answered honestly, "I am not sure what I think about all this, I am questioning everything about my life. The things that seemed to happen without reason, now seem to have been pushing me off in a direction that led straight to this Academy and to you. I am even debating whether or not your own schemes lead to me on purpose. Do you know how that would feel? I can't even trust my own feelings for you."
"I love you, Madeline, if you aren't sure about your love for me now, then we can put the wedding on hold and I will try my best to let my feelings for you reach you again. If you really can't find it in your heart to forgive me and to love me, I will walk away, if that's truly what you want." Guy said with a serious expression on his face.
Tears started to run down Madeline's cheeks, she looked at him and said, "I am just confused. I don't have that answer for you right now."
Guy took a deep breath and then let it out slowly, he started to talk in a softer tone, "My sister really loved to talk about this game, I think she just wanted to be around me and didn't have anything in common to talk about with me, so she picked the thing she was most interested in." He looked up into the sky, "I really miss her, and I miss Dad, my father, it's been almost four years since I have seen them. Right now, I have no connection at all to my homeworld, they are just memories. As time goes on, I worry that I won't even remember what they look like, no, I worry that to them I am dead and there will never be a way for me to see them ever again."
Madeline looked at him and then looked down afraid to meet his eyes, "I'm sorry, I really hadn't even thought about that."
Guy nodded and said, "It's alright, I understand. We are both humans after all, real humans, not characters in a game. Real people, with real feelings and thoughts. This world, in my mind, is not the game, it is a real world that resembles the game my sister enjoyed. She would have loved to be here in this world. This was an imaginary fantasy world that she loved, but for me, it's just my reality. Like it is for you. For everyone here. "
Madeline nodded and then thought for a while before she asked with a shaky voice, "Did you use what you knew about me, to seduce me?"
Guy shook his head no, "I broke that knowledge forcefully to save you. I wasn't trying to make a game character love me, I just saw a beautiful woman that made my heart pound. I just did what any other man would do, pursued you as man pursues a woman. I spent weeks learning to dance for the masquerade ball you know, Olivier said I danced like an elephant at first. He taught me himself at first and then he got angry that I couldn't even learn the basics and brought in the royal dance instructor." He laughed, "No, really! Also, the costume I wore, I had to find the exact tailor you used to make your costume, then I asked her to make me a matching male costume." He chuckled, "To find out what kinds of food you liked, I watched you for a week at lunch and dinner to see what you preferred and then I asked Olivier what restaurant was best to take you to. The play was my idea, in my world, when you take a woman on a date, you usually go to something similar, so I just did that same thing here."
Madeline giggled and then said, "I was afraid you thought my dancing was bad and were holding back for my sake. I took lessons when I was younger but had given all that up to study for the Academy." She smiled, a tear still running down her cheek, "The play and dinner were wonderful."
Guy chuckled himself, he turned to Madeline and brushed a tear off of her cheek, moving closer to her he said in a soft near whisper, "In this world, the only real friends, and family I have start with you. For you, I would forget that my world even exists. I am prepared to spend the rest of my life as your Guy."
Madeline subconsciously started to drift closer to Guy as she whispered back, "That night you were injured, you cried and said just once you wished I would call you by your name.."
Guy was nearly touching her lips as he whispered, "My name is Ito Aoi, but for you, I will always be your Guy the Molester."
Madeline ended up in a soft kiss with him that got more passionate as they each closed their eyes. A few minutes later she broke the kiss and whispered breathily, "It's Montfort, Aoi."