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Ivy found herself covering her face slightly facing away to hide the coloring on her cheeks, “Forgive me- To experience your kindness in such a familiar way is an intense thing for me…” she stared to the side and worked up the resolve to stare back into those red and blue irises, she for so long had tried to avoid, “Could you please act a little more like a deity?”
Ivy had seen the Divine One smile from afar before, some comforting, some awkward, It was embarrassing to admit but recently those smiles were her strength, in her darkest moments in this war she could think back to where Alear turned around to her in the plaza and gave her a rare shy smile and instantly feel motivated once again to do better the next day as she had done before, just like how the Divine One was doing every day for her.
This smile, however.
Alear paused, “Suuuuure.” Alear gave an, 'Alear-certified' semi-reassuring smile, veering her eyesight off to the left to distract herself from the velvet gaze that was currently beaming at her in admiration.
She really, really. Did not have the heart to tell the Elusian princess that she had no idea what a deity did every day, nor did she have any indication on where to start and not to mention…
“You are my source of strength… Even now.”
Alear quickly bid Ivy farewell before power-walking towards her room, greeting passerbyers with a strained smile, before she finally got to her room and quickly slammed it shut.
Alear took a deep composed breath, before grabbling the nearest pillow and screaming into it.
She couldn’t really curse any gods in her position but if she could she probably would have by now, this had never really occurred to her before, sure the title and the religious implications were a little awkward and strange to get around at times, but that didn’t mean that she hated being so beloved around the continent, honestly it was a little reassuring so many people had her back as the last remaining Divine Dragon.
But all of a sudden, now there was expectations, expectations from the queen of Elusia, and the worst part was that the expectations came from someone she really admired for their strength.
Before she could just smile and easily give words of encouragement that Ivy wanted from her as a deity but now… Now every time that Ivy wanted something from her as a deity, all she could think about was how disappointed she’d be when she realized that she had zero clue what she’s been doing the last month or so.
She let go of the pillow and felt herself crawl into a ball, 'eugh. emotions. Mother did this for one thousand years?'
Out of the corner of her eyes, she felt the door slightly nudge open, she quickly stood up to maintain some of her composure, before immediately dropping it as Sommie took a stroll through the doors looking around curiously, before laying it’s eyes on the dragon deity, and immediately running up to her as fast as it’s little four legs could take it.
Alear let out a strained smile and picked Sommie up, crossing her legs and setting Sommie on it, the little… dog, Alear thinks it most resembles, had been therapeutic throughout the war effort, she grabbed both sides of it’s ears and began to scratch them, the loaf of bread shaped dog instantly leaning into the touch.
Alear felt her confidence come back, while yes she was still terrified of disappointing her, Ivy was her… friend. She thinks, or hopes. Is being her deity and in her thoughts for a majority of her life considered friendships? Hopefully. Being friends with Ivy sounds nice, she thinks.
“What matters most is not trying at all,” Alear started to talk to the small dog, despite knowing perfectly well that there was not a single thought in Sommie’s head, “What matters is that I have to be the best deity in the world for Ivy, not by following my mothers example..." she looked away from Sommie and looked at her reflection in the mirror, "but my own.” she sighed looking down again, Sommie now tilting it’s head at her.
Alear didn’t know how, but she felt the confidence in her statement rise staring at the smaller dog, it truly did feel like sometimes the small dog had powers that she could not comprehend, she gave Sommie one last pet before standing up and taking a deep breath, before putting on a smile, she may have alot of allies, but Sommie would always be her best friend, of that she had no doubt.
“Time to be the best damn deity I can be.” Alear walked out the door, not noticing Sommie's head, tilt towards a photo that Vander gave her before she left for Firene of her late mother, the small dog found itself let out a whine of familiarity.
It had been a small skirmish but one nonetheless, while she had took no pride in slaying the corrupted, seeing the smiles form her allies after protecting them was a new feeling, not a horrible one though. Just another emotion to file away under her icy exterior.
What she was more concerned about now was the Divine Dragon, who seemed to be more preoccupied at the current moment, laying on the grass… she felt her breath hitch in her throat, could she have gotten careless? Of course, the one moment she gets comfortable and the one she swore to protect gets injured severely, she would not rest until she found the perpetrator and-
“Meow.” The Elusian cat on Alear's stomach announced., before going back to it's midday nap session before the sun disappeared.
Ivy blinked, and blinked again. Before taking a closer look at the sleepy dragon princess and her companions by her side.
Ivy crouched down to see the smaller woman surrounded by cats, each one either relaxing on her side, or on her. What more amazed her was how perfectly still the Divine One was being currently, while Ivy wouldn’t call herself a lurker at times, the Divine One seemed to have mastered the ability of being able to fall asleep pretty much anywhere, she couldn’t tell if that endeared her more or less, but looking at the serenity on the dragon princesses face, she shamelessly found herself leaning towards the former.
As if on cue, Alear opened her eyes at the shadow that suddenly clouded her vision, meeting velvet ones who widened after being caught in the act.
“Ivy…” Alear broke into a helpless smile, as if accepting her fate in this meadow. “Help.”
Ivy bit her tongue, of course she had been hurt, and rather than call on others for help she rather would try and sleep it off as to not inconvenience others, although reckless, she truly was the deity of-
“I’m trying to adopt all six of these cats, and then one of them fell asleep on me, and then two.” Alear’s eyes shifted around from each cat, as if she had manually charted when each of them fell asleep carefully, “And if I ended up moving I would wake the poor souls up, and I would ruin their midday nap.” she tore away her gaze in what Ivy can tell was genuine grief and despair, “I think you may need to go on with me… I fear I cannot bring myself to leave them here.”
“Ah.” 'Well.' Ivy suppouses, 'that could also have happened.'
Ivy felt her heart pang for the small woman, although she knew about the dragons antics with adopting an absurd amount of animals, she never really saw a purpose for it. But looking at Alear, willing to give up this entire war effort purely because a cat she met an hour ago fell asleep on her, she could tell that divine protection Alear provided did not just go out to humans and dragons, but all creatures under the sun.
It did not fit her description of a deity at all, for what should be her main source of strength. And yet she found herself beaming at this new revelation, she closed her eyes, letting out a small sigh of frustration, 'What is with me today?"
‘How blind I’ve been.’ Ivy smiled to herself, picking up one of the cats gently, years of experience from Hortensia’s cat lady phase, “How about I get my retainers and Hortensia to help us bring up the cats to Sominel? I’m sure they would appreciate the sun always being bright up there, no?”
Alear’s eyes widened, before breaking into a genuine smile; the canines that were usually hidden as to hide her draconical nature on full display, Ivy thought it was more radiant than anything she could have prayed for.
She had always heard about Firene from books and college friends she was close with, the land paved with meadows, the peaceful kind nature of the people the sun always being out to greet the flowers every single morning, she found it perfectly suit somebody as beautiful of a ruler as Queen Eve, although you wouldn’t catch her alive saying that to her now after the war.
Ivy always thought it was too good to be true, and just some fairy tale that Elusians grasped onto in this hopeless world… And yet…
Ivy’s eyes widened, lavender and white flowers as far as the eyes could see, In Elusia this was something she’d only get to see out of a textbook, to see a sight like this could only be thanks to her deity…
“This is the place you wanted to take me to see Divine One?” she couldn’t hold back the smile and looked slightly down to hide it behind her fascinator.
“Yeah, When I first awoke in the Sominel, the next place I decided to go to in my search of the rings was Firene, at that point my world view had just been white bed sheets, grass and maybe a few clouds, but this place…” Alear leaned down, picking up a lavender flower, twirling it in her hand, “It made me realize how little I had seen of this world, and how much I wanted to learn more, so I could protect it just like my mother had all these years.”
“I could say the same.” Ivy divulged in a moment of weakness, usually she had a better grasp on her emotions and thoughts, but to be frank they had been a mess recently, especially around someone like the Divine One, was it worship? Nervousness? Or even infatuation- Ivy paused, filing that wild fantasy away for the benefit of her own composure at this moment,
'Think now, pine from afar later, Ivy' she repeated in her head.
“My world view was so narrow, It was just books, noisy nobles and my sister. Anything outside of that i didn’t give a second thought, not because I didn’t want to but-” She felt herself drifting off, the flowers suddenly making her feel self-conscious, ‘How long had she been so blind to such beauty?’
Ivy was thankful for Alear being so focused as to not notice how much her own thoughts had affected her, she couldn’t bring herself to elaborate if that beauty came from the meadow, or the maiden who looked like she belonged perfectly in a fairy-tale meadow like this.
Alear interrupted her train of thought, still fiddling with the flowers looking down in deep concentration, "You did want to, you just couldn't. Even if you don't believe that I will. Because you will return Elusia to it's former state and then better." she paused to give Ivy a reassuring smile, she could feel butterflies in her stomach. 'Right. Definitely past worship now.'
"Aaaand done!” Alear after fiddling with the flowers she had her hands on earlier, Ivy was surprised to find a… what seemed to be circle of flowers, mixed with the purple and white roses she had noticed earlier, on closer inspection the roses seemed to have been torn out and tied into messy knots-
Ivy blinked, “A… crown?”
“Before, before my mother left.” Alear, smiled and looked down, pausing to swallow a lump that was about to appear in her throat, “One of the first things she said she wanted to do with me was make flower crowns, such a thing sounded silly to me, we have gold for that no?”
She chuckled to nobody in particular, “But after leaving her behind all those months ago, I try to carry on her memory by trying to make crowns when I can but, well. As you can see I didn't expect roses to be this hard to work with, I’m- sorry if it’s not up to par. It’s just.” Alear looked to the side pausing, in deep consideration before speaking up,
“When I first met you, as my enemy. And you called me stunning. All I could think about were these roses and- How. How they would look on you.” Alear rambled on, hands now fiddling with the crown to keep her interest away from the woman she just accidentally spilt her heart to, "It's a strange thing to think of when fighting an enemy you had just met for the first time but, In a way, I could feel your devotion, not to me, but Elusia."
she finished, before quietly rambling to herself "I felt my heart breaking when you asked me to be the one who ended your life, someone who still had so much care to give the world...'
Ivy’s eyes widened, as the explanation went on she took a closer look at the crown, the uneven distances between the roses showing inexperienced, but a willing to grow and try harder, the messy knots showing she didn’t have it all together but she was willing to try.
And the coloring of the roses… After her.
Ivy, found herself speaking before she could stop herself, face likely crimson red, at times like these she misses Elusia, it was easier to hide her expression from those she did not wish to bear her heart to, but somehow. Despite being easier, she did not think it would make her happier somehow.
Her hands slowly reached up to take off her fascinator, eyes that were usually hidden under a layer now fully vulnerable to those red and blue irises staring at her with such care, “Can you… Put it on for me?”
Alear beamed once again; And Ivy wears that crown throughout the entire trip.
She thought it would be hard to face the nobles here after what hardships they had to face due to the hounds and her people, but Alfred and Celine had taken one look at her crown and accepted her with open arms, even Queen Eve who had her life threatened multiple times had looked at her with such care and compassion after welcoming her, at times she thought that a Firene soldier would eventually get sick of her and scream at her for letting Elusia fall to such ruin, but everytime Alear looked at her and gave her a reassuring smile, she felt like maybe Elusia would not be in ruins forever, just for a moment.
On the trip back, Ivy stared at the reflection of the calming seas in Firene and the crown above her head, and she found herself smiling naturally. Perhaps it was just the air or the people just being naturally upbeat due to the easy going nature of the land, but to her…
She heard footsteps approaching from behind her, instantly her instincts kicking in before adopting her icy exterior once again, her lack of fascinator made it truly hard to maintain eye contact nowadays, even with the calming atmosphere, before instantly dropping it again seeing Alear approach her. “Hey Ivy.”
She took place next to Ivy and leaned against the railing staring out to the sea, “Thanks for indulging me the other day… I know you had business in Firene and probably could have used it to train or study the culture more for the future but you spent it with me, just rambling about flowers.” she looked her in the eyes, an unreadable expression crossing her face, “That means alot to me Ivy.”
Ivy for once, instead of looking away. Ivy stared back at the red and blue irises that opposed her, confidence she could never find staring at her deity seeming null and void as words spilled out of her mouth, “You were my strength today Alear, and. I have to apologize myself.” a saddened expression crossed her face, “I was the one who put you on a pedestal and asked you to be a deity, I realize now that asking you to be perfect was poor etiquette now.”
Alear sighed, “Oh Ivy…”
She takes a step towards Ivy and gently tears her hands away from each other, choosing to wrap her hands around the lavender princesses, “If I am to be your strength I will take on each and every day the best I can, even if I’m really struggling at times, to tell the truth. All I fear is letting you down… realizing that your deity could be nothing but words rather than actions. Actions that you look for in a good deity.”
Ivy thinks back to the days she would think of an immaculate figure in the Divine One, one who made no mistakes, who judged fairly and cared for all equally, she smiles to herself, but she finds herself guilty of desiring Alear, who made mistakes but recovered, who went out of her way to spend time with somebody who was once her enemy, even over some of her other allies.
She found Alear’s attention overwhelming, and she wanted more. She knew this feeling was wrong but for once in her life she was being selfish and Alear was rewarding it by helping her experience dreams she thought she would never get to live out, to her. That was her strength.
Ivy turned to the dragon with a rare genuine smile, icy exterior melting, spilling into the salty air around them; “You could never let me down, Alear, I mean that.”
Alear’s breath hitched before she found herself beaming once again, lavender eyes meeting red and blue ones for what feels like the first time.
Ivy looks into those eyes with fondness and finds that this is far more superior to worship.