As Vincent turned to look at Catherine, he again bitterly inquired, "Why are you here?"

The coldness of Vincent's voice, sent an icy chill through Catherine, as she stood silently for a moment, hoping to see something familiar in his eyes, but there was nothing...and Vincent seemed like a stranger to her now.

And so meekly, Catherine answered, "You must know why I am here...I want to know why you left before Lin had a chance to bring me to you..."

To which in reply, Vincent coldly answered, "And so in turn...you must know the reason I left."

In response, Catherine said, "So it was because of the things Steven said to me..."

Nodding, Vincent whispered, "Yes..."

Catherine searched her heart, wanting to say something that would bring Vincent back, to the secure place he was, before he overheard the words, of her arrogant ex-beau.

And so, she thoughtfully said, "If you only knew how talk of his wealth, turned me cold. He only made me feel even more thankful, I have risen above that standard...and made me even more thankful...I found you."

Upon hearing Catherine's words, Vincent began to weep softly, as he raised his eyes to the heavens, and said, "It wasn't just the talk of his wealth, that opened my eyes..."

To which Catherine asked, "What else then?"

In reply, Vincent frustratingly said, "It is you...it is me...it is us!"

As Catherine saw the hurt in Vincent's eyes, she told him, "We have been through all that Vincent...our differences cannot diminish what we have between us..."

As Vincent stopped the emotional flow he was becoming lost in, knowing he needed to remain strong, and not fall back to where he had just evolved, for what he felt was best for Catherine. And so he then calmly, and despondently continued, "You should not have come here to my chamber Catherine."

Feeling as if she had been dealt a blow, Catherine searchingly answered, "You told me this was our chamber now."

Taking a deep breath, Vincent informed Catherine, "That was when I was delusional, and I was wrong to think we could share something...share anything..."

With hurt, and a dreadful tremble to her voice, Catherine asked, "You say that after we have shared everything?"

To which Vincent tragically nodded, as he decreed, "What we had, must now come to an end."

In disbelief, Catherine hurtfully, asked, "Why are you saying these things?"

To which Vincent painfully said, "Because today...I have come to the realization...you don't belong here in my world, and I...I don't belong in yours..."

As Vincent then turned, to gaze at the tapestry, he grievously continued, "As I sat in Lin's restaurant, hidden in that room, listening to this man who also loves you, offer you things...things I never could...I suddenly felt hideous and foolish to believe, that merely dining with you in a restaurant, would change the dynamics of anything. And it was then, I suddenly saw the irony of it all. Yes, though I may have sat openly in your world... I still had to remain hidden."

Catherine stood stunned, as she began to fully realize, that Vincent had taken this much harder than she had first thought.

And so she then said, "But Vincent...we are just beginning to find our way...we will figure this out..."

To which Vincent angrily replied, "Catherine! Open your eyes...and look at me...really look at me!"

With emotion, Catherine tearfully responded, "I am looking at you Vincent..."

And with a demanding tone, Vincent asked, "Tell me then...what do you see?"

To which Catherine softly replied, "I see a man with a good, kind heart...the man I love..."

With spent emotion, Vincent helplessly replied,  "Catherine...you are looking at me with the eyes of an angel...and you only see, what you want to see in me..."

And so, with a devoted conviction, Catherine replied, "There are no secrets between us now Vincent...I do see you..."

Upon hearing Catherine's declaration, Vincent then cruelly presumed, "Then you must feel degraded you have allowed me so close to you..."

As Catherine heard Vincent say this of her, she tearfully asked, "How can you speak to me like that...here of all places?"

In reply, Vincent loudly expounded, "Here especially! It is time to shatter all my dreams Catherine! And it is time for you to forget you participated in those dreams...dreams of a very foolish man, who once believed you and I could be together. For me...there will be no more dreaming..."

With truthful conviction in her heart, Catherine stepped forward, and said, "This was my dream too."

Unable to look back at Catherine, Vincent coldly corrected her, by saying, "No Catherine, this could not have been your dream, you merely invaded mine, for you could never have imagined a man such as I before we met."

He then turned to her, and with a trembling chin, said, "Long ago though...I did envision you...and when you stepped into my fantasy, you played the role I longed for you to play...and your performance was stirring, and so beautiful, far exceeding any expectations I have ever had."

Vincent then finished by adding,  "However...I have been shaken from my slumber, and my dream has now ended."

In response, Catherine angrily expounded through her tears, "How dare you say this wasn't my dream, and try to destroy, and take it away from me! And how dare you diminish all the beauty we have shared, by trying to make me feel ashamed for loving you. The picture you paint of me, and of how I view you is shallow, and so wrong. Though I may not have ever imagined how beautifully different you would be, I did dream of  a man who was different...in his heart, mind and soul...and I knew it was you, the moment we first looked at each other. I knew."

Upon hearing what Catherine said, Vincent began to weep, and brought his hand to his heart and said, "How can you love me Catherine when we don't even know what I am..."

To which Catherine tenderly, said, "You are someone, who has lifted me up, and showed me how all things are possible. You are the man I want to dream with."

With a resolve, Vincent resignedly said, "Yes...that was before, when I believed those things to be so. However...now things have changed."

In reply, Catherine softly pledged, "Nothing has changed. You are hurt and I understand...I know Steven's words upset you, but what you didn't hear was what I was about to tell him. I was about to say it was too late for he and I, because I love someone else...I love you..."

In response...Vincent looked helplessly at Catherine, and said, "I don't need to hear you say those words to know that is how you feel Catherine. I know you love me, and you have proved it once more, coming here so boldly looking for me...and because of these actions, I love you all the more."

With hope, Catherine upon thinking Vincent was coming around to a rational way of thinking, began to approach him, when suddenly, she was stung by his words, "Don't step any closer..."   

And then Vincent tragically added, "...please...I beg of you...leave here now, and forget me, forget everything about me...forget this unworthy man, who loves you..."

To which, Catherine pitifully asked, "How can you say you love me, and then ask me to go?"

In reply, Vincent painfully explained, "Because Catherine, I know for you, there are other men who love you...this wealthy man...I heard him say he loves you still..."

To which Catherine explained, "Steven may have wealth, but he does not have a loving heart like you do, and I don't want, or need his things! I only need you."

In reply, Vincent arguably sited, "But this man can can give you a life without sacrifice...and if not him, there are others...for you there are numerous opportunities...endless possibilities..."

To which Catherine declared, "You are my possiblity...and there is no life without sacrifice, not if you love someone..."

As Vincent stood silent, with his head bent in sorrow, he tried to hide the tears that were falling, and he wondered how he would go on without Catherine in his life, but knowing somehow he must let her go.

As Catherine stood crying too, she softly said, "I wish with all my heart you had stayed, and waited for me today."

To which Vincent tearfully, and resignedly replied, "It wouldn't have changed anything..I would still be who I am...with nothing to offer you...we must think with our heads...not our hearts Catherine...what kind of a life could I ever offer you...what kind of existence could evolve from any of this?"

And so with hopeful tenderness, Catherine said, "A loving existence Vincent, where we don't need anyone, or anything but each other."

To which Vincent in reply, huskily whispered, "That is foolish Catherine..."

Feeling helpless in her attempt to sway Vincent's heart, Catherine, then tearfully asked, "So what is the alternative? Would you have me just turn, and walk away?"

To which Vincent nodded a silent yes, and looked hopelessly downward as he said, "I don't see we have any other choice..."

In reply, Catherine broke his heart, as she tearfully confessed, "Vincent, I already made my choice..here in this chamber...so please...after everything we have been through, don't cut me out of your heart..."

To which Vincent huskily cried, "I must Catherine...for your sake."

As Catherine approached him, she put her arms around him, and implored, "For my sake, you will let me stay."

And because of Catherine's bold expression, Vincent looked up helplessly, unprepared for the level Catherine would fight for their love.

As he loosened her arms around him, he said, "Leave me now! This has not been an easy decision for me! Just go Catherine...and don't look back."

It was then, Catherine suddenly felt humiliated, and as she looked at him with disbelief, she said, "Vincent your cruelty astounds me. To withdraw your love, exceeds any hurtfulness I have ever known. Especially after the closeness we shared here."

As she swiped away her tears from her face, she stood a bit taller, and said, "I am not sure how this hurt will manifest itself in the days to come...but I do know, I won't allow myself to crumble this time, as I did before...because I learned, I'm not strong enough to pull myself from that broken place, without your strength, to lift and hold me. So...instead...I will throw myself into my work, and I will do what I can to make the world, a little better place, and all the while, I shall continue to dream my dream of you and I together. And Vincent these dreams, you will not be able to take away. So you see, if you intended to make me hate you by your cruelty...you failed miserably."

Catherine then set out both of the Cupid and Psyche statues onto the table, side by side each other, as she had envisioned them to be.  

And as she stepped toward the threshold, she heard Vincent softly say, "Catherine, I do love you...more than you will ever know..."

To which Catherine turned around and saw he was crying, and she too cried as she said, "I know Vincent. Perhaps that was our undoing...you love me too much...and yourself too little...all because you are unwilling to accept, that you are worthy of being loved too..."

With a sorrowful look she stood, hoping Vincent would run to her, take her in his arms, and say, he had been foolish...and wrong. But... he did not. He stood still, and silent.

And so as Catherine was certain there would be no such moment, she then revealed, "Vincent, you were wrong here today...you are not the only one who has dreams...I only hope I can forgive you one day, for trying to destroy mine."

Catherine then turned to leave, thinking Vincent would have to fight for her now. She felt he had treated her cruelly, and even after all he had said, she still hoped Vincent would come after her, to say he had been wrong...but he didn't...his resolve was too strong.

And as his resolve grew stronger, his knees became weak, and he fell to the ground, and with a torturous, tormented cry, he let go a wailing moan, that echoed through the tunnels to Catherine's hearing, haunting her decision to walk away this day.

And though she halted in her tracks for a moment as she heard him, she continued walking, and as her tears blinded her, she made her way back up to her world.

To be continued
Chapter Two                                   
*
In "Protector of my Heart!", Vincent and Catherine
completely committed themselves to one another now,
sadly though, that does not mean
all the painful issues have been banished from Vincent's heart.
Catherine must somehow find a way
to bring a peaceful acceptance to him once more,
where he is able to accept her commitment to him,
and believe the contentment his love has brought to her life,
genuinely reflects her true happiness he has also brought to her heart.

Master of my Heart!
By Sharon Holtz
Chapter one

Juliet :   "And all my fortunes at thy foot I'll lay,
and follow thee my Lord, throughout the world!"
Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet"  
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Song