Chapter Text
Alear had been aware of her status for a while now.
She did not think much of herself personally, where many would credit the success of this war effort to her, she would give credit to all her allies who work hard day and night so that she can fulfill her mothers last wish.
And while the praise was in good taste from almost everyone she met, there was always a voice in the back of her head who got annoyed by the title, ‘Divine One’ this, ‘Divine One’ that.
It’s not that she despised the title, it was just…
Alear sighed and gave up trying to get back to sleep, you’d think after being asleep for 1000 years you would master insomnia but apparently it just makes it ten times worse in the grand scheme, a week or two ago she would have never given the title much thought. She is the one Divine Dragon that’s left now and the Divine Dragon clearly has a giant religious following in Elyos, so she just assumed that she’d get used to it. If her mother was able to do it for so long she owed it to her to try harder and push those thoughts away.
But everytime she heard that damn title it was just a reminder that she wasn’t like them, it doesn’t matter how friendly she was, or how kind her allies were to her, she was the Divine Dragon, a deity, she isn’t allowed the luxury of having close companions or life-long friends, she’d just inevitably lose them and be alone… Just like mother was.
She wonders if that was why her mother lived alone for so long, while only keeping in contact with the Emblems, they could never die on her, they could never leave her behind like she did. What kind of daughter leaves her mother alone for 1000 years?
Alear groaned into the pillow.
That one single conversation had been driving her mad lately with possibilities she had never considered before.
“I love you.”
Those three words had been spinning in her head for the last week and she wasn’t sure how much more she could take.
She had been exposed to devoted followers before obviously and the, Alear chuckles to herself. ‘The Divine Dragon Fanclub’ as Clanne and Framme had so eloquently put it after asking to check her shoe size for research purposes, she didn’t know whether to laugh or look at Vander with concern, maybe both.
And yet this one follower…
“Understand… I do not mean romantically. I adore you as a worshipper adores a deity.”
Alear groaned and threw her pillow across the room.
It had been a simple misunderstanding! Of course Ivy hadn’t meant it literally nor meant it as a reality check that she was doomed to be dreadfully alone. She had joined the army recently after abandoning her title of queen and sister to do what she deemed was right and Alear was mystified, she had heard about heroes of legends, and while to many Ivy would seem icy and cold, Alear saw someone with the conviction to protect all that she loved no matter what, even if it meant going against everything she believed in.
Perhaps that’s why she was so focused on all of this, she had tried hard to guard her own heart about these new feelings but a part of her was torn up over having them… Her mother had shielded her heart to not feel the pain of loss so why cant she? Why can’t she rid this feeling of feeling like a defect everytime Ivy would lurk and smile in the shadows as Alear pretended to be unaware?
Alear sighed, giving up that maybe the intrusive thoughts had just won this battle today and decided to just go and get some water and fresh air, maybe then she could actually sleep and not be a walking wreck tomorrow in the Sominel, while tomorrow would just mostly be marching to Firene to stop the Elusia invasion that seemed on the horizon, she needed to be dauntless and level-headed if she wanted to get her friends back… If only Marth was here, he’d know how to assist-
Alear nudged the door slightly open as to not draw unwanted attention, and heard a loud gasp and a thump to her left
Alear swallowed, well so much for unwanted attention. Maybe she wasn’t the only one who’s head was reeling in this war effort.
“please don’t be a ghost please don’t be a ghost oh i don’t even know why i came here at midnight-” Princess Ivy leaned against the wall with both of her hands held above her head shivering and mumbling to herself.
“Ivy… It’s just me, are you okay?” Alear leaned down to check on the lavender princess and reassuringly put her hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
Ivy seemed to jump at the contact, her face as white as a sheet before lowering her hands and peeking at Alear with one eye, as if she opened both of them the darkness would claim her, “D-Divine One… Is that you?”
Alear swallowed these last few nights frustrations about to spill out of her mouth before she saw how completely and utterly terrified Ivy seemed of her at this moment and bit her tongue, “Yes it’s me, please don’t be afraid…”
Alear looked to the side to see the cafe completely desolate and the moonlight streaming through the doorway, she removed her hand and extended it towards her “Did you get lost? I know the Sominel is a huge place apologies… I guess I should have given you an actual tour instead of leaving you to figure it out.”
“No, no. Your instructions were perfect and easy to follow, I just…” Ivy sighed before taking Alear’s hand (soft, wow) and pulling herself upwards, on closer inspection she didn’t see the veil or fascinator that she usually wore over her head, and wore a simple black gown that went down to her feet, she was so used to seeing Ivy composed and elegant in her royal garb, seeing her without any layers of protection or status of royalty should have weirded her out, and yet she found the rare sight more beautiful than anything she had seen ever since waking up in this unfamiliar world.
Alear silently thanked the lights of the cafe being dimmed after midnight, she wasn’t sure if she could look at the Elusian princess without melting on the spot.
“I… was going to see you, actually.” she folded her arms defensively and looked down, as if caught red-handed,
“I was going to walk in eventually, I promise!… I just.” Ivy paused before biting her lip before she could make this situation any more awkward.
Alear was admittedly taken aback, she knew that Ivy’s feelings on her were, confusing. At the very least. But she could have never predicted in a million years that she would assume Alear would be mad at her for simply wanting to talk,
“Then let’s talk.” Alear smiled, gently talking Ivy’s hand again. “My door is always open for you Ivy, please don’t feel shame for confiding in me… I admit sleep was not coming to me either.” she chuckles, looking to the side. “It’s nice to have someone who sucks at sleeping as well after the last few days.”
Ivy seemed to pause at the contact before putting on a nervous smile, finally after what had seemed like a century to her, looked Alear in the eyes and enveloped her hand. “That means the world to me, truly. Thank you for your kind words.”
Alear sighed, partly out of the fatigue that was kicking in after staying up for so long with her own thoughts, and the other half of her consciousness screaming at herself after the leader of those instructive thoughts had come to her quarters, alone. To confide in her, in her nightgown.
Alear was suddenly much more aware of how soft Ivy’s hands were, and how much she preferred to see Ivy’s smile from up close and not from the shadows lurking and praying, and- ‘Okay.’ Alear inwardly screamed ‘maybe this was an absolutely horrible idea.’
Alear led Ivy to her bed and sat down, inviting Ivy to do the same, the dragon princess looked at Ivy who had now seemed to be keeping her eyes on her own lap, she knew Ivy had seemed nervous coming in here alone, and she could probably guess why.
She sighed inwardly knowing the distance between them could never truly be broken, knowing she would always be the reason that Ivy was so nervous in this army despite wanting to fight for what was right, but she had a duty, Ivy had fought so hard to get those rings, fighting against her lands deity and religion internally, and came out the otherside unscathed. The least Alear could do was listen and give her the comfort that she wanted from the Divine One.
She looked across the room at the pillow she had chucked across the room, and smiled sadly. Maybe one day, instead of asking for comfort from the Divine One, she would ask for it from Alear.
“I… dreamed of an Elusia in ruins, and I was the cause of it.” Ivy continued to keep her eyes on the floor but the tone of her voice told that she was barely keeping it together. “A-And I know it may seem untoward of me but I needed to see…” Ivy’s voice drowned out as she cast a nervous glance at Alear.
Alear smiled, nodding. Before taking Ivy’s hand and enveloping it with both of her hands, Ivy finally broke out of her stupor and looked Alear in the eyes again, “Your eyes… You always look at me with such kindness, despite me once being your enemy, even across the battlefield you never once looked at me like you did an enemy.” Ivy swallowed. The lump in her throat making it harder to talk, “Before I never thought I was worth saving, I was a queen of a ruined nation but now I…”
Alear knew she shouldn’t, it was clear that years later she would regret this, regret losing Ivy, regret ever putting her heart into someone she would eventually lose and the grief that would come from it. But in that moment, looking at Ivy who had poured her heart out to her, she would have taken on the world that harmed her vision of the future and more if she asked, Ivy may have been devoted to the Divine One, but Alear would be devoted to her.
Alear released the Elusian princesses hands as Ivy silently mourned the loss of warmth, before sliding gently closer to Ivy and wrapping her hands around her torso, and laying her head on her shoulder the grogginess of staying up for so long starting to wear her out, “Devoted to you, always, My companion. Please never forget that.”
Ivy seemed to jolt at first at the contact, it had been a long time since she was held, when her father wasn’t obsessed with the fell dragon, she did it on some nights the court was awful to Hortensia but to be held so closely after so long, and by someone she had admired for so long, she knew for a long time that she didn’t deserve acceptance after deserting Elusia, but if Alear was able to to accept her with such kindness… Maybe she should accept herself too.
“Thank you, Alea-” Ivy paused at the soft snores that came from the Divine Dragon, she stayed still for several minutes, waiting to be let go or excused but Alear didn’t seem to want to budge.
Ivy sighed, for so long she had wished to be in this room, to be devoted and close to the Divine Dragon, if her land was filled with snakes and backstabbers then she would be better, a small act of rebelling against her religion and worshiping the Divine Dragon and she had finally achieved it.
And yet she did not foresee how much she would prefer Alear, to her she is her complete opposite, always trusting, always with a smile, fearless of nothing, surrounded by allies who adore her.
Compared to her, Ivy was nothing… and yet, when the Divine One smiled at her across the battlefield she had goosebumps, years of her life being rebellious to her lands religion that she detested finally coming to fruition, but when Alear kindly smiled at her everytime they locked eyes, when she held her close, whispering sweet nothings into her ear… she felt almost…
Oh.
Oh.
Ivy looked to her side to finally get a real look at the mystical dragon, she had always admired The Divine One from afar but nothing could compare to Alear up close, the coloring of her eyes, the way her bed hair only stuck up on the blue side of her hair… She had faced Alear once up close during the siege at Brodia, but seeing her face once, so determined and guarded, be so safe and comfortable around someone who was once her enemy?
‘Perhaps.’ Ivy thought ‘I’ll just watch over her for a few more minutes, just to be sure she gets sleep. Just to be sure no enemy spies get at her.’ Ivy was pretty sure she had other motivations for staying and not leaving a dragons grasp, but she was not normal was she?
Ivy chuckled inwardly as to not wake her savior, and leaned her head on Alear’s head, her nation was in ruins but despite that, a part of Ivy felt like for once in her life she had somewhere to belong.
“Sleep well, my dear Alear.”
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Hortensia yawned loudly before walking into the cafe, plopping next to Ivy who seemed to be staring into her tea, the bags under her eyes staring into the tea that had lost it’s original heat long ago.
“Erm, Hello? Earth to Ivy, You good?” she paused for a reaction from the elder sister and then poked her on the cheek, “You look like you didn’t sleep at all…”
Ivy blinked and looked slightly in the younger sister’s direction before she broke into a shy smile, “No. I did not sleep at all. And I feel like complete death.” She took a long sip of her tea that had long gone cold
“But it was totally worth it.”
Hortensia raised her eyebrow and went to retort before being interrupted by Alear kicking the door open, sliding down the rail stairs and skipping off to whatever dragons do, not before wiggling her fingers in Ivy’s direction with a weird smile on her face.
Hortensia raised her eyebrow, before concluding that maybe dragons are just weird. Before going back to her sister, who seemed to be staring at the place the divine dragon just was with a far off-dreamy look.
Hortensia was quiet for a moment, looking between her ghostly looking sister, and the door the Divine Dragon just put a dent in out of sheer enthusiasm apparently, and grew a devious looking grin on her face.
Ivy paused, before looking down at the now sprightly princess, “What?”
“What did you call it?” Hortensia put a hand under chin and grinned, “You would worship and devote yourself to the, and I quote. ‘stunning’ divine dragon?”
Ivy spat out her tea.