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"Good morning, Divine One." The gruff, slightly jarring voice of the 32nd Steward of the Dragon calls out.
Alear lays flat on her bed, exhausted from staying up too late the night before. Nope, she wasn't going to get up.
"Divine One." His tone gets a bit more stern, this time. "Divine One, I apologize, but I must speak with you of my concerns."
Alear's eyes blink open and she groans, sitting up slowly and rubbing between her eyes.
"Ughh... Vander, what is it?" She says as she stretches her arms, opening her eyes for a moment before letting them close while sitting up.
"You have been sleeping in every morning, Divine One, according to..." He checks a list. "Nearly every single person who's been on wakeup duty over the past month. They have all reported needing to return an hour later, or more. Should we shift your wakeup time?"
"Mmm... No, I'll get used to it." She blinks a few times before she lets her head lull forwards. "So tired..."
Vander wonders about her curious predicament. She used to have no trouble waking, a little more than a month ago.
"Hmm. Have you been getting enough rest, Divine One? I can order for earlier quiet hours in the Somniel, if you like."
"Mm... rest..." Alear mumbles and almost nods off again.
Alear falls back on top of her bed, her hair splayed out in all directions, her hand resting on her abdomen.
"We should really just shift your wakeup time, Divine One." Vander says as he watches her breathing slow. She fell asleep so quickly.
"I will let you get some more rest. I have some errands to do in the afternoon, so... hmm."
Vander pauses and looks at the list in his hand.
"I suppose what I can do is just get him to come wake her in a few hours." Vander exits the room.
A few hours later, there's a gentle but firm knock on her door.
"Ah- Divine One? It's me, Diamant."
He opens her door and walks in, his boots producing crisp sounds against the pristine white tile.
"Hm. It's been a while since I've done this. The last time was about a month ago, maybe a bit longer. I admit, I was a bit surprised by how late Vander wanted me to come visit, but I see that perhaps it wasn't late enough."
He chuckles at the sight of her, hair and arms sprawled out across the bed haphazardly. He sits at the corner of her bed and looks at her as she rests. He sighs for a moment before leaning over her, running his fingers through her long hair, holding her face with his hand softly, and kissing her forehead.
"You're beautiful, Alear." Diamant mumbles, in as much of a whisper as he can muster, but it comes out in a gentle low tone instead. He's not very good at whispering. She seems to stir at the sound of his voice a little, her hands grasping slightly at the fabric of her night dress.
He leans back to sit beside her now, but not before gently taking a blue strand of her hair in his hand and giving it a kiss before letting it fall back on the bed.
And Diamant uses this opportunity, while she was asleep, to tell her all the things he wished he could say to her.
"It's interesting how you never take me to places like this, like your room... It's always something, someplace forbidden or risqué with you. It seems you prefer the excitement."
Diamant knows he's talking to himself. But it's better he get this off his chest.
"Not that I don't enjoy what we have. But I find myself longing for more with you."
He laughs to himself.
"That's a bit amusing, isn't it? For any other couple, the 'more' I would like is probably one of the first things they have."
Diamant looks down at her body, and then glances at his hands and rotates his wrist, looking at his fingers. He gazes at her calves and ankles which are uncovered by her robes.
"I've seen and touched you more times than I can count now. I remember well what you look like, what your body feels like, under that dress." He sighs softly.
"I wish that you would let me love you, too."
He closes his eyes for a few moments. All he can hear is the sound of her soft breaths. Other than this, the silence inside her bedchambers felt so deafening that Diamant starts to be able to feel his quickening pulse in his ears. Suddenly, he hears her blankets shifting against the altar.
"Mmgh..." Alear groans and rubs her eyes. "Diamant?" She says as she blinks, looking up at him. He looks towards her and gives her a faint, tired smile, and lifts up his hand to give her a quick wave with his wrist.
"Good morning."
She smiles and sits up. The sight of him was a potent force that pulled her out of bed much better than any wakeup call. She gets onto her hands and knees to approach him, getting onto his lap as she grasps the collar of his shirt with both of her hands. "I'm so lucky you're the one to wake me up today." She whispers as she pulls his collar close to her, kissing him.
The feeling is overwhelming almost immediately. God. She tasted so good, as always. He had no willpower when it came to her. The Crown Prince of a Kingdom of warriors, and he was wrapped around her little finger. He leans into the kiss further, parting his lips for her.
"Divine One." Diamant breathes out between their kisses. Alear pulls back upon hearing his tone of voice and use of formalities. He was glad she gave him the moment's repose on her own accord, but deep down he was longing for the feeling of her lips pressed back on his.
"What is it, Diamant?" She asks, almost innocently, as she sits back and puts her hands in her lap.
"I find it difficult to continue doing this with you."
"Do you not like me anymore?"
"Not at all." Diamant raises a hand in front of him, shaking his head slightly. "The opposite, I fear."
"What do you mean?"
"What we have... It isn't enough for me."
"Oh, really?" Alear says in an amused tone.
Not... exactly the reaction he'd hoped for. But perhaps he'd phrased it wrong.
Alear smiles and she slides her hand along his chest, slowly. He shudders at her touch and leans closer to her, his lips gently parting again, predictable as clockwork, as he leans towards her. His reactions, at this point, almost seemed instinctive.
Diamant trails his lips down to press his lips against her neck, behind her ear. "Whenever I find myself in this situation with you I always feel so uncertain." He mumbles against her skin as he breathes in her intoxicating, addictive scent. The sound of his voice against her ear makes her shudder. A beautiful reminder that she was vulnerable, too.
"What would help you feel better, Diamant?" Alear finally speaks. She strokes his soft hair with her hand, running her fingers through it. She looks at him with an adoring gaze.
"Alear, I want to love you." Diamant blurts out a bit loudly, to his surprise. He lowers his voice. "I want to take care of you... and I want to protect you."
A blush creeps on Alear's face at his words.
"I suppose I can't keep this up any longer with how direct you are." Alear bites her lip and sighs. "I actually feel the same, whether not you believe me. I want to love you, too, Diamant."
She pauses.
"But mother told me to be careful, falling for mortals. They fade away in the blink of an eye for us. Beautiful, yet transient, like a dandelion in the breeze, she would say."
"I see... so you're afraid to get hurt."
Diamant says, putting his fist in front of his mouth slightly as he closes his eyes, thinking for a moment.
"Well, Alear, I... may not know what would help comfort you. You're a beacon of hope to us all, and yet... you seem so lonely."
Diamant pauses for a moment and gets off her bed. He kneels by her altar, next to her. Somehow, this just feels more right. A pledge from him to her. He places both hands on his bent knee.
"But, Alear, if you chose to love me... I would make sure that you would not regret it. This I swear to you. I will do all I can to make your years with me the best you've had. And I will do my utmost to ease your burden when my time eventually does come to pass. I may not know exactly how to do that now... but I'm rather stubborn when I set my mind to something. I will not rest until I find a way."
He bows his head.
"I will completely dedicate myself to you. I'd lay my life on the line to protect you, until my very last breath."
Alear's heart flutters in her chest at his words. She looks down at him, his words tugging at her heartstrings and pulling a light blush to her cheeks.
"Alright. You make a compelling offer." She giggles and extends her hand to him for him to stand up. He takes it, and looks down at her with a hint of a smile.
"I'll open my heart to you, Diamant. But I don't want you to be reckless and die for my sake. I want you to be by my side. Even if I'm the one that dies first. Even if we die together. Just... be by my side."
She looks towards him with love in her eyes.
"Diamant... I think that I would rather love you for a few fleeting moments, and live the rest of my life lonely, than live with the thought that I never had the chance to give you my love due to fear. No matter how much it will hurt to lose you... This is what feels right." She takes his face in her hands for a moment and looks up at him, letting out a soft sigh.
She then stands up and pulls him into an embrace, holding him tightly against her. This was their most intimate and romantic embrace yet. Diamant holds her close, taking her into his strong embrace, holding her head against his chest protectively.
"For my whole life, as long as I live, I will protect you. I wish I could be there to protect you forever, Alear. But I will do all I can with my mortal life to make sure you're always safe, by my side."
"Mm... If only I could do the same for you. Keep you safe. Save you from the erosion of the sands of time." Alear's fingers slightly grasp the fabric on the back of his shirt, her voice starting to tremble a bit, as if she wanted to prevent him from slipping through her fingers.
That's... hard to listen to. Diamant doesn't quite understand the complexity of her feelings, just how painful it must be for her to accept that one day, she'll have to watch everyone she loves and cares for wither away before her eyes.
"Hmm... I have an idea."
"What's that, Diamant?"
"Though I may not be able to be by your side forever... memories... reminders, can and will. Perhaps we can work to create those together, Alear. I... want to build a legacy, with you by my side, that scribes will immortalize. One that you may look back on with pride, that you can remember me by, and know that we worked for it together."
"Memories... that sounds lovely, Diamant. I want to be able to look back at us and feel happy."
She's so adorable.
He lifts her up in his arms, causing her to let out an audible gasp in surprise. He carries her over to her bed and sits down, sitting her down on his lap and gazing down at her lovingly. He takes her hand into his and squeezes her fingers and palms affectionately.
"Memories aren't the only way to remember someone by, either." Diamant starts. "In Brodia, gifting actually has an important place in our culture. Mining and metalwork are our most profitable industries. And as you might imagine, the fruits of their labour long outlast their progenitors, as well as their eventual recipients."
He pauses to stroke Alear's hair, running his fingers through her long strands.
"I suppose a good example is my blade. It was once my father's blade, and his father's blade before him. Passed down, generation upon generation, to the eldest son of the royal family. Perhaps reforged a few times to make sure it would not dull, but it's the same steel core."
"I've noticed you never fight with it."
A smirk plays on his lips at how she noticed. But of course she did. She used her mother's blade, after all. "I would be the first in the royal family's lineage to not wield it in battle. At this point it's been so long that the blade is practically an heirloom. But, in all honesty, that's only what I tell others if they ask. The truth is that I choose not wield it because my father used it to cut his own bloody path, as well as the other Brodian Kings before him." Diamant looks down.
Alear leans against his chest, pressing her head between his collarbone and his neck as she continues to listen to him, comfortably. She takes his hand in both of hers and strokes his fingers softly.
"But, Alear, the most important is that I am not rejecting it. It's still the history of my country. I will take this blade as King, but I will not fight with it. I... intend to turn it into something different, a permanent fixture, perhaps as a way to respect my father and his predecessors but also to put to rest their ways. It's similar to how I feel towards Brodia, as the successor to the throne. Traditions... can and should be respected, but they should not feel binding."
As Diamant looks down at her on his lap, he feels a bit of a blush creeping on his face at her wide eyes staring up at him, pressed into his shoulder.
"Ah--. I... got a bit distracted there, talking about my father and my blade. Right. Gifts, was it?"
He thinks for a moment before looking at Alear. He idly separates the strands in her hair and plays with them in his fingers as he speaks.
"Usually, Brodians give practical gifts to each other. Ones we can use. But that's mostly between friends and colleagues. A knife for hunting, fishing. A hammer for reforging weapons, fixing armor. Royalty and nobility do much of the same, but the gifts do get a bit more expensive. Such as, ah... you said Citrinne tried to give away her private island to you?"
"That was surprising." Alear says with a small laugh. Her laugh, which causes her body to shake ever so slightly in his embrace, makes his heart flutter. "I've received plenty of offerings in the past, but I couldn't bring myself to accept such a grand gesture."
Diamant smiles at her and turns his head to her shoulder to give her a soft kiss.
"There are also some types of gifts we give that are meant to be longer-lasting. Not to say they're impractical, but they typically have more meaning conferred to them. It's the sort of gift a father might give to a son. Or a mentor to their student, to provide strength for their journey. My brother, Alcryst, received a gemstone from our father with his same hair and eye colours, blue and red." Diamant pauses for a moment as he looks at Alear's hair and eyes, and chuckles softly. "I suppose that's much like your eyes and hair, too."
"What did you receive?" Alear asks, her hand gently touching his chest as if his body were a comfortable pillow.
Diamant's face seems neutral at this question. "My medal, from my father, I suppose. And the blade passed down over generations. And... the crown."
Alear notices the faint hint of sadness in his voice. "Diamant... Those all seem... well... not as personal as Alcryst's gift."
"Yes, Alear, my father never gave me a stone like he gave to Alcryst."
Diamant shrugs, and shakes his head. "But it doesn't bother me. Perhaps he gave my brother such a gift knowing that he didn't have the same opportunities as me, growing up."
Still, Alear squeezes his hand hearing his voice. Perhaps it was a bit too early for him to open up about something like that, but that was okay.
Diamant smiles down at her and changes the subject.
"As for the meaning behind such gifts, given their lack of practicality... I would say that at first, it's the emotions behind it, the memories the gifter intends to immortalize. But given that there are multiple parties involved in the giving and receiving of gifts, the meaning changes as the gift changes hands. Or even as time goes on. Despite how resilient the materials themselves may be to erosion, their meaning changes form all the same. But... I don't know if that's such a bad thing."
"No?" Alear says, a hint of sadness in her voice. "But it sounds like the gifter's intent, purpose, emotions are lost."
"Perhaps. But trying to keep them in stasis for all of eternity also prevents them from taking on a new life of their own. It's a Brodian tradition for medals, like my medal from my father, to change shape as they change hands. Perhaps in doing so, their stories may not even be remembered, with time. But they serve their purpose to the bearer. And the inheritors may only see it as a symbol of their forebears, but that meaning is still just as important."
Alear looks up at Diamant fondly as she listens to him speak. His low and rich voice was so soothing to her, and it enamored her to hear him speak about his views on these traditions and the meaning behind these gifts. He goes quiet after this last bit, stroking her hair against him and pulling her close.
"So... what sort of gift would you get for me?" She asks with a soft smile, kissing at his cheek.
"You say that as if I would only give you one." Diamant laughs and kisses her forehead, ruffling her hair a little bit at how adorable her question seemed.
"Well, I would probably not adhere strictly to tradition... not in every sense. I'd like to get you a practical gift that also lasts a long time, that makes you think of me. Perhaps a knife and belt to match mine, so that you can be protected whenever I'm not around. Or... when I'm no longer around. I'd engrave the blade myself."
"The thought of having you by my side to protect me is comforting, Diamant. I would keep any gift you gave me very close to my heart."
Diamant smiles and closes his eyes.
"I could forge you a sword, too."
He laughs a bit, a smile playing on his lips.
"It's interesting, you know. I wanted, in the past, to hold out hope that swords would no longer be necessary for a future Brodia. However... after dueling with you I've found swordfighting has a lot of beauty and meaning apart from senseless fighting. I'd never seen it that way before you. Combat was always a means to an end."
"Hmm... but you do seem to really enjoy it."
"Do I?" Diamant grins. "Maybe. It was, however, something that I was prepared to lose, after the war. But I realize I don't have to lose it at all. Perhaps its meaning has changed to me too."
"Diamant... I... let's create our own meanings for our life together. You and I. And... as much as you said that people may hold different meanings for the same sentimental gifts... I would like us to find something together, then. So that we may share the same memories behind it, the same emotions. So that I can remember how we felt together."
"Together. That wouldn't really be a gift then, would it?" Diamant laughs softly into her hair and gently inhales her ever so delicate scent.
Perhaps... rings. He thinks to himself. Or precious stones that they find while hiking in Brodia together, one day.
Diamant closes his eyes for a moment but is startled by the soft sound of breathing from Alear against his chest. He realizes she's fallen asleep. He smiles and chuckles as softly as he can muster, and strokes her hair. His voice was calming, he knew that she found it to be so, but perhaps he was being a little hard on her with their agreed upon sleep schedule.
"Alear?" He nudges her a little and she blinks open, gasping at how she fell asleep while he was talking to her.
"Ah!! Diamant, I'm sorry!" She gasps, her hand gripping the fabric of his shirt on his chest in her surprise.
"Pff-- Ahahaha!" Diamant laughs out at her reaction, his eyes betraying a smile. "I was just going to tell you you can stop trying to stay up with me. I did enjoy it the first few times, but seeing you doze off like this makes me feel rather guilty. Not to mention... Alfred gave me an earful the other day when you didn't wake up, because you spent the night training with me. I think he caught on that we weren't actually waking up early to train."
"Hah, Diamant, I appreciate your concern, but I haven't earned that right fair and square yet." Alear grins.
"How endearing of you to be so respectful towards our terms. But you needn't worry about that, Alear. If you wish to beat me for it, fine-- but it may be a while until you can win. I won't stop training just for you, you know. And I certainly won't give you a free victory."
"It wouldn't be fun if you did." Alear tells him, leaning up to press a soft kiss against his lips. Diamant leans in to her embrace. Her tender lips pressed against his felt like heaven on earth.