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Chapter Text

How arrogant.

Neuvillette dropped the letter into the water and watched as it was swallowed by the tide, haughtiness curling the sides of his mouth. Why should he care about the usurpers and the cities they built on the blood of his kind?

Still… the greatest theatre, huh?

Raindrops lightly fell on his skin as he laid on the shore and Neuvillette closed his eyes and savored the feeling. His curiosity had been tickled somewhat. Perhaps it would not be too bad to visit, after all.

The Court of Fontaine felt humid, too humid for someone like him. Neuvillette wiped the sweat building on his brow and popped open another button on his white shirt. He thought he was smart, visiting at night to avoid the heat of the sun and the people. But this was still pure torture.

Thankfully, there were no eyes on him as he made to leave. He had seen enough. The sender of that letter should find someone else to sit in on her so-called greatest theatre. He had no interest in spending time in a place as uncomfortable as this one.

Just as he stepped off the elevator west of the city, a soft voice reached his ears, beautiful and heartbreaking all at once. It came from his left, where a woman sat on the stone railing, gazing out at sea as she sang. From his vantage point, all he could see of her was the back of her nondescript brown dress while her hair was covered by a black shawl. 

Neuvillette froze in his tracks, his pulse quickening at the hauntingly enchanting voice, half-afraid that any movement would scare off this dangerous siren.

She seemed the type to take off when spooked. And though Neuvillette blocked the only exit out of the area, he would rather not do anything that would disturb the vision in front of him.

Could she be a water spirit? But no, Neuvillette shook his head. There was no reason for a water spirit to appear as a human when alone. Unless, they were like him, who had no choice.

Neuvillette slowly backed away, each step measured and careful, and settled on the other side of the elevator, far enough that he would not be seen. Neuvillette leaned against the stone wall and closed his eyes, letting the song wash over him.

Fontaine may turn out to be interesting after all.

The song and the mysterious woman continued to haunt him even as he returned to his abode by the sea, so much so that Neuvillette could not help but return again the very next day.

This time, he decided to go at an earlier time and settled in wait at his previous spot. Minutes later, the elevator descended and soft footfalls resounded around them. He suppressed a shiver of delight, anticipation coursing through him. But though he could clearly hear her moving about, the woman did not sing.

Neuvillette’s brows furrowed in confusion. Should he peek and look? But what if she was facing him? Surely, she would chase him away and Neuvillette would no longer be able to hear her beautiful voice. No, that would not do.

But… she was taking too long a time. And what were those movements?

Steeling himself, Neuvillette carefully moved nearer, an explanation already on the tip of his tongue in the eventuality that he would be caught.

And, oh—

Once again, he was left mesmerized.

This time, the woman wore an intricate blue dress, her white hair flowing freely behind her as she danced with her eyes closed, one of her arms outstretched in his direction. Abruptly, he felt a wave of hunger hit him. Some part of him wanted to take this woman to his abode and keep her there, take her away from everything she was clearly running away from in the city. There, she would be treasured and cared for; He would make sure of it.

She was clearly someone important. One of the so-called nobles, perhaps? A lonely woman who sought refuge from the eyes watching her. Would they be alarmed if he were to take her away?

And yet, seeing her so clearly for the first time, Neuvillette sensed something different with her. Could his earlier guess be correct? Was she truly an elemental being hiding herself amongst humans?

The thought that this might be the Hydro Archon who sent him the letter did not even cross his mind. The letter’s writer was arrogant and rude, a being who deigned to call him “you” without having any idea who he was. That figure did not fit the one dancing before him, her gentleness and elegance evident in her every movement.

He watched as her eyes fluttered open, and in his panic, Neuvillette flashed back to the other side, the sound similar to splashing water.

The woman stifled a gasp and Neuvillette could only listen as she ran away. He cursed himself for being careless. But he is comforted by the thought that she had yet to see him and he would be free to return.

She did not come the next day, filling Neuvillette with regret. Had she seen him, after all? Worry gnawed at his gut. He hoped he hadn’t scared her off for good.

Neuvillette returned, hoping that perhaps she would take pity on him and appear. But he was left disappointed. For a brief moment, he considered venturing into the city one more on the off chance that he might encounter her. But that sounded too ludicrous even as his longing consumed his thoughts. He refused to chase after some human.

But… perhaps he could show her the beauty of his abode.

The dragon thumbed the lumitoile he had picked on his way over and placed it on the stone railing, the material one of the few items that he truly treasured. It shone brightly under the moonlight and Neuvillette nodded in approval. Yes, the magnificence of lumitoiles fit her perfectly.

When he came back the following day, the lumitoile was gone. Perhaps it had just been cleaned up by a Fontainian or taken by someone else, but Neuvillette still felt his heart unexplainably stir in his chest.

He stared down, confused, and placed a hand on his chest to find the organ within racing. It was an unusual feeling, and yet it made him strangely warm.

And so he returned again, and again, and again with no reason other than he wanted to. Each time with a token from the sea. Neuvillette did not understand this desire, but knowing the reason behind it is somehow less important than having it fulfilled. However, he no longer saw hide nor hair of her.

Desperate and unwilling to give up just yet, he found himself stepping off the same elevator once more. And again, he was greeted by silence. He heaved a sigh and walked to where the mysterious figure sat many nights before. From his pocket, he pulled out another lumitoile and placed it down.

Then the voice he had been longing for spoke behind him. “So you’re the one who had been leaving behind those things.”

Neuvillette’s stomach turned into knots, the feeling intensifying at the whisper of fingers on the center of his back, her warmth seeping past his clothes. He felt weightless and grounded all at once.

“Don’t turn around,” the woman warned, pressing her fingers harder before lifting them just a bit. He can feel her hand shaking. “If you do, I’ll leave.”

Oh. She didn’t know he already saw her face.

Before he could register the action, Neuvillette found himself nodding, acquiescing to her request. He might be willing to do anything just to prolong this moment. Every bone in his body screamed at him to make her stay, to keep her there with him, the desire so intense he quivered from it.

“You’re not human,” she stated, a quiet question that Neuvillette answered with another nod. He could imagine her narrowing her eyes at him. He’d never seen her eyes before, but Neuvillette could visualize that they would be the deepest blue, like the depths of the ocean she liked to sing to.

Strangely, where a normal human would have run screaming for the hills, he heard her breathe a sigh of relief at his admittance. As if feeling his curiosity, the woman cleared her throat and continued, “You don’t know me.”

Again, another statement. Still, Neuvillette nodded, feeling that this question was more important for the woman than the last one.

“Then why?”

“Why what?” Neuvillette asked back and felt her flinch at the sound of his voice. He felt unnerved by that; that she might find his tone petrifying when hers was the melody he imagined lulling him to sleep. Raindrops fell around them, and Neuvillette closed his eyes, turning his head to the sky.

The woman did not pay the change in weather any mind.

“Why do you keep coming back?” she pressed.

Truthfully, Neuvillette did not understand why she was so hung up on the question. Surely she was aware of how beautiful she sounded?

“Is it so strange that I wish to listen to you?”

“What?” He felt, more than heard, her soft exhale of disbelief. “You keep coming back here and— and bringing those lumitoiles with you because you want to hear me sing?”

She talked as if that was somehow strange. And yet, don’t humans pay just to watch people perform on their little stages? He saw rows and rows of posters and pictures advertising as such when he went into the city. His desire was normal, as far as he was concerned.

Neuvillette stared at the lumitoile shining bright on the railing.

“I find myself curious about you,” he admitted. And the woman dropped her fingers from his back as if burned.

A hush came over them then, the pitter-patter of rain and their breaths the only sounds to be heard. Neuvillette would think she’d somehow disappeared if not for the warmth he could feel her radiating at his back.

He so desperately wanted to turn around.

“No… don’t be,” she pleaded, tone laced with pain as she stepped away from him. Panic gripped his heart.

“Why not?” he asked, partly because he was affronted but mostly in an effort to make her stay. If she left, would he see her again? And if he would, then for how long? Weeks? Months? Years?

Instead of an answer, she took another step.

Neuvillette, desperate now, gripped the stone railing before him, afraid that without it he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from looking back. He gritted his teeth against his own desires as the rain grew punishing around them.

“Will you at least tell me your name?” he beseeched. She had gone so far away from him that her footsteps had become muffled in the torrent. Tonguing his fang, Neuvillette gambled, “My name is—”

“No,” the woman snapped, cutting him off. “Don’t tell me.”

And, feeling unreasonably stung by her rejection, Neuvillette fell quiet, his grip on the railing loosening. He closed his eyes as raindrops slid down his face, chastising himself for his illogical actions.

The woman, as if sensing his hurt, cursed under her breath before stepping into the elevator, the contraption that would take her from him.

“Forgive me, I didn’t mean to be so rude. But I’m not the kind of person you want for a companion. Please, do not return.”

He should stay quiet. He had made a fool out of himself enough. But—

“If I do, will I see you again?”

“…no.”

Neuvillette growled, low in his throat as the elevator rose and carried her back to her city. He whirled around then, furious at the goodbye after weeks of yearning, only to stop short at the sight of a clear azure flower placed on the spot where she stood. Neuvillette picked it up and cradled it gently in his palm, the meaning of the flower lost on him, even as he treated it reverently.

With his visits to the city coming to an end, Neuvillette returned to spending the rest of his days drifting in the water, aimless and without purpose. His chest felt hollow, and more than once he wanted to open it up and stuff it full of the rain that became his constant companion.

More than once he debated returning to the city, but hadn’t she rejected him enough? She even refused to hear his name. Neuvillette had never wanted anyone to know his name before.

He closed his eyes as he sank underwater. Who cared about humans anyway? In a few years time, the woman would pass away and she would just be another soul who succumbed to time. He clenched his jaw at the thought, the deluge above the water turning violent. It didn’t matter. If Neuvillette repeated it enough, he would grow to believe it.

Weeks later, a family of five camped near the shore where he stayed. The couple had three kids, the oldest being a young man who liked to read by the sea. One day, after a sudden downpour, she slipped and fell into the water, dropping her book with her. Neuvillette watched as she left the book behind, cursing the archons under her breath all the while.

He padded to shore minutes after she was gone to rescue the book, the cover catching his attention. It depicted the same flower the woman had left him, months ago. He carefully turned the page. Fortunately, the book hadn’t completely submerged and the words were still somewhat legible.

A few pages in showed him the name of the flower he had been given.

A Lakelight Lily, the book showed, that means—

He swallowed past the dryness of his throat, unaware of the rain letting up for the first time in months. He kept flipping through the book until he came by a bookmark, the image in it the silhouette of a very familiar figure in a dancer’s pose.

And with the bookmark, a ticket to an upcoming show.

Well then.

The first thing Neuvillette did was collect lumitoiles. The second thing was to sell some of those lumitoiles away to buy some clothes. All the while, excitement and fear coursed through him. Would she recognize him if she saw him again? All she had seen of him was his back, but then again, Neuvillette did not think white hair was very common among humans. And if she did recognize him, would she be happy? She had given him the flower which had to mean something, but who knew how the minds of mortals worked?

As he neared the Opera House, Neuvillette promised himself that he would stay away for good if she truly wanted him gone and he had somehow misread her intentions. He had no desire to make her miserable or to alarm her.

If anything, he wanted her to feel safe and comfortable enough that she would not feel the need to sing and dance in hiding.

“—is over folks!” a man under the spotlight said as Neuvillette entered, the Opera House already bathed in darkness. “Here comes the moment we’ve all been waiting for, the greatest actress Fontaine has ever seen, our very own Hydro Archon, Lady Furina!”

Neuvillette stilled at the top of the stairs. The woman he met, the woman who sang to the ocean about her pain and longing, stood on stage with her hands outstretched to her sides, as if telling people to ‘see, look at me.’ Every line of her body screamed swagger and vanity.

He couldn’t make himself move even as the cheers died down and her performance started, unable to connect the woman in his memory to the woman putting on a show on stage. She who plagued his every waking moment, the Hydro Archon, one of the usurpers of his kind.

And yet— she was still so captivating.

Neuvillette watched from the sidelines as she was mobbed by fans, the smile on her face becoming strained. Judging from the gushing screams and flushed faces of the people around her, no one noticed.

The nearer he got, the more he noticed echoes of the woman from that night. The tightness in the corner of her eyes, the tautness of her shoulder. But why? Even then, after seeing her facade, he had no answer.

Finally, he came into her line of sight and Furina’s — he knew her name now, his mind crowed — gaze snapped to his, and oh— her blue eyes were more beautiful than he could have ever imagined.

Well, maybe taking a seat at the greatest theatre wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Chapter Text

Furina knew her mask already had cracks around Neuvillette.

She had given up too much of herself that night, comfortable with the knowledge that he might be an elemental being that she would never see again. She was too careless. And if this meant that she had to go to greater lengths to keep him at an arm’s length, lest she spill the beans and divulge her plans, allow him to see her for who she really was, that she had been the woman he left lumitoiles for, the owner of the voice whom he sought to hear. If that meant running away every time he wanted to know about her secrets, then so be it.

Furina couldn’t give in, but oh did she want to.

But as she said, her mask still had cracks, and sometimes her true thoughts and feelings seeped through. While other people only saw a bratty archon declaring a trial to be boring, she liked to imagine that he could glimpse the pain shining in her eyes. While others only heard her high-pitched, delighted laughter as she was surrounded by the crowd, she fantasized that he heard her cry for help.

It was terrifying.

The more rational part of her pleaded, “Don’t look at me.” Another smaller part, hidden in the deepest, most selfish corners of her heart, begged, “No! Please, don’t look away. See me for who I really am.”

Ashamed over her own selfish desires, Furina resolved to lock away this part of herself and never let it see the light of day.

She shouldn’t think like that, shouldn’t feel like that. She had once told her mirror self that the lives of all Fontainians weighed more heavily than her own suffering ever could, a belief she still held with conviction. She just… didn’t expect it to hurt quite this much, that it would take this long, that time would chip away at her very soul until she was but an empty husk of a puppet.

Though she refused to admit it, even to herself, Furina just wanted to be seen.

But what Furina didn’t know was that Neuvillette did see her. He saw the toll the burden she carried took on her body and spirit and noticed how her smile grew pinched day by day.

That night, when she left the flower behind, Furina allowed him a small window into her heart. But why was it that the window was only open for that Neuvillette? Why did she close it for him when he became the Iudex of Fontaine? If she were to find out that he knew, would she bare her soul to him again? Or would she run further away, until he could no longer reach her?

When they had first seen each other eye-to-eye at the Opera House and he saw the loneliness embracing her like a cloak, Neuvillette wanted to help carry the weight anchoring her down.

But she pretended that she didn’t know him, and he, knowing that she didn’t know he already knew her, pretended right back. Stupidly, he thought he would still be able to pry into her secrets as the Iudex.

It became evident that he was wrong when Furina refused to spend more than five minutes alone with him the first few months of their partnership, always finding some excuse to leave.

But then—

Furina had been sluggish all the way to Marcotte Station, the wave of her hand just a little lower, her smile a touch too tired in his eyes. As usual, they were bombarded — or perhaps, saying she was would be more accurate seeing as they kept their distance from him — upon riding the aquabus. Furina greeted her people with forced exuberance, but she was clearly tired, and he couldn’t help but feel a flash of displeasure on her behalf.

Just as it was getting too much for her, Neuvillette tapped his cane, the clang resounding throughout the aquabus and silencing her slew of admirers.

He met the shocked stare of each one, a rumble beginning to form in the back of his throat. With a deep swallow and nervous laughter, her admirers left and returned to their seats one by one, only able to breathe properly after receiving a nod of approval from the Iudex. If they left a big gap between themselves and the two figureheads of Fontaine, well, Furina did not comment on it and Neuvillette was glad to leave it be. 

Furina remained silent all the way to Palais Mermonia, deep in her thoughts. Neuvillette was content with the peace between them, a rare treat, considering their moments alone had always been fraught with some kind of tension.

When it was time to part ways, Furina paused in her stride, prompting Neuvillette to a standstill. He shot a questioning look at her, but Furina remained silent, a calculating look in her eyes as she studied him. His breath stuttered in his chest, heat creeping up to his ears. Furina wasn’t quite able to hide her small lopsided smile before she turned away.

“Thank you, Neuvillette.”

His fingers twitched, desperate to reach out, but he forced his hand to stay at his side as he watched her walk away, always walking away. “You are very welcome, Lady Furina.”

Though she allowed him a glimpse, Furina remained as unattainable as ever, her emotions and thoughts on her situation as evasive as the hydro he commanded, always slipping through his fingers. She liked to tell him stories, though, not of herself, but of the people she met on her daily ventures.

One such day found them walking through the Vasari Passage with Furina raving about the trial they had just witnessed.

He made humming noises in the appropriate pauses, satisfied with letting her voice wash over him. As they passed by a small stall, however, Furina trailed off, her countenance taking a melancholy tone.

“See there, Neuvillette? No, don’t turn your head too much. Yes, that boy. His mother, Deoteria, visited me years ago. He’s always been sick, you see. But he would still help her out with their small business every day. Oh, where’s his mother? Well, she recently passed away.”

Another time, she told him about a couple whose parents did not approve of their union as the man was not of noble birth. In defiance, the couple eloped out of the city and when they returned, they carried with them a child. In spite of the odds, they fought for their love, isn’t that nice Neuvillette?

And always, always, after every tale, she would say, “You should take a walk around yourself, my dear Iudex! How else will you be able to fully appreciate the city?”

Years later, when dark clouds warning of rain decorated the sky, Neuvillette would be the one to tell Furina a story, about a Melusine who gave her life in an attempt to keep the peace and a gestionnaire who gave up his to give her justice. She kept quiet as they walked, aimless, even though she hated hearing about trials she already attended. And she didn’t say a word even as drops started falling from the sky, drenching the two of them.

But as centuries passed, Furina felt that so too did Neuvillette’s frustration at her constant avoidance increase, his patience for her excuses and antics from the earlier days thinning as the prophecy came nipping at their heels.

On one hand, her heart warmed at the thought that he had begun to care for their people just as much as she had, that all her cajoling and nagging had borne fruit and he had begun to open his heart to others.

But the other part — the selfish part she refused to acknowledge even existed — couldn’t help but feel bitter. If he knew who she really was would he prioritize her? Or was she somehow less important in his eyes, the very Archon of Fontaine, just because he thought she wasn’t that woman? If he knew, would he care more for her than for other people?

But what Furina didn’t understand was that Neuvillette wasn’t frustrated because of her but for her. He saw the toll the burden she carried took on her body and spirit, noticed how her smile grew emptier day by day.

How long was he going to stand idly by and let her do this to herself? For what purpose did she feel like she had to hold the world alone on her shoulders?

Neuvillette knew she was doing it for Fontaine. There was nothing Furina treasured more than her people. But why keep it quiet? Why not tell him? If it was causing her to suffer so that she wouldn’t even notice her tears, wouldn’t it be better to share her pain? Had he been unclear about his support?

“Oh, that?” Furina waved a hand as if his concern was a fly she could swat away, laughing airly. “As I told my beloved citizen, the tears were the result of the overflow of hydro. I do not expect you to understand, dear Iudex, the power a God holds.”

“You mean the kid found guilty this morning? I left early because his trial was so boring. Eh? What do you mean that’s not what I looked like? Oh my, were you staring at me, Neuvillette?”

And on and on it went.

So he was once again confronted with his question. Would Furina tell him the truth if she knew?

But what if it ruined everything? His mind whispered, the proverbial demon on his shoulder. What if telling her the truth would make her lose all her trust in him? What then? Neuvillette felt a strike of fear hit his heart.

He closed his eyes, lowering his forehead to his laced hands.

No. He doesn’t need to tell her yet. Though the prophecy was a constant guillotine, there was no sign it would happen soon if it hadn’t happened yet in almost 500 years. Yes, they had time.

His hand trembled as he read the list given to him by the traveler.

A list of all the lives that were lost because of their secrets.

Dozens and dozens of their people, dissolved. He gritted his teeth, a confusing swirl of emotions on his chest. This could not happen again. He had to tell her. She had once become vulnerable with him. If there was a chance she could be again, Neuvillette had to try, even at the risk of losing her.

But please, if anyone was listening, please don’t let him lose her.

When Neuvillette knocked on the door of her room after their row, Furina hadn’t expected to open it to him holding a dried Lakelight Lily. She held back a yawn as she wrapped her dressing gown tighter around herself.

“How lovely,” Furina intoned, tone dry as she eyed the flower. “But I hope you didn’t rouse me from sleep just for… that, my dear Iudex?”

Archons, what time was it?

Neuvillette shifted at her words, and she got the distinct feeling that he was somewhat offended. Over what? Furina wondered but didn’t get the chance to ask as Neuvilette huffed. “You left it that night,” he said, presenting the flower to her, closely watching her reaction. What is he—

Oh. Oh no.

She— but why would he? Her horrified eyes snapped to his, understanding filling them. He knew. He had always known. “I thought you meant to say goodbye, but you left it. And when I realized, I came back. To you.”

But Furina couldn’t hear, couldn’t breathe. Her secret. He already knew her secret. Or at least some part of it. Enough to question why she acted the way she did. Enough to establish a difference between the God persona she put on for everyone else and the persona that was solely hers. Enough to question and wonder why. Knew enough that he could topple her whole plan with a few careless words. No one could know, her mirror self told her. It was the only directive she got, and she failed at it.

“I—“ Furina stammered. She couldn’t breathe.

“Furina, it’s me. I’m the one—“

No.Stop.Calmdown.Breathbreathbreathbreathbreath—

“Aha,” Furina exhaled and then burst into phony laughter. She clutched her stomach theatrically and wiped away tears at the corner of her eyes, ignoring the injured look Neuvillette sported. Not important, her mind told her even as her heart cried in agony. Not important. “What are you talking about, Monsieur Neuvillette?”

Said Iudex made a low wounded noise in his throat. “You—“

“You must have mistaken me for someone else,” Furina excused, turning her back on him as pain rippled across her face. “Difficult to do, considering my magnificence. But I suppose even you could make mistakes sometimes. Now, please, it is too late for this.”

And without waiting for a response, Furina closed the door on him, his tortured eyes following her past the night and well into the morning.

Enough.

If one were to ask Furina, it wasn’t all that bad, even with all the arguments near the end. Neuvillette, her dragon, who had come to Fontaine just to hear her sing. Neuvillette, the Iudex, who greatly cared for their people.

Just like her, Neuvillette weighed her and their people’s lives on a scale and found that it tipped on the other side. She couldn’t blame him for orchestrating the plan that would lead to her downfall in an effort to save the city, not when she had pushed him and the rest of their ragtag group into it every step of the way. But with the intent to help Fontaine, they made her the lead actress in a play that would sign off their own execution.

Furina understood, but it didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.

Neuvillette, the one who had been aware of her suffering and loneliness the entire time; the dragon who had, time and time again, tried to reach out to her; her only companion who she had to keep at a distance for the plan.

The Iudex who declared her guilty and sentenced her to death.

But it wasn’t supposed to be like this.

Panic gripped him as the Oratrice began to gather energy, emitting a blinding light. He had only wanted to make Furina confess, to get the truth out. And yes, it was so they could find a way to save Fontaine, but it was also for her, to help her shed the burden she had been carrying for so long.

But he had been too reckless, too hurt at how she dismissed the flower he had held on to for so long and the memories that came with it. And now Furina was going to pay the price. Neuvillette shot a desperate look at the upper box, but Furina remained unmoving in her chair.

The Oratrice started to glow brighter.

And he—

In the back of his mind, Neuvillette heard the shocked gasps of their small group as he flashed towards Furina, defying the Oratrice’s will. As if he would allow this. As if he would let anything take her from him.

Then a teardrop fell on his hand, and Neuvillette found himself standing somewhere else, a God wearing Furina’s face but none of her warmth standing in front of him.

When Furina next opened her eyes, the Opera House was as empty and silent as a tomb. Furina breathed shakily and stood on trembling legs, her shoes making small splashes as she did so. She desperately cast a look around, her breath coming out in short pants.

What happened? Where was everyone?

For one heart-stopping moment, Furina feared that she had truly failed, the only survivor in a city of ghosts.  But then cheers resounded from the outside, muffled as they were, filling her with hope.

And when she rushed outside she found people littering the courtyard, children with their parents, couples hugging in delight, whole and alive.

Relief flooded her veins and her legs fell from underneath her. Furina would have crashed to the ground if not for Neuvillette appearing in a flash, a hand on her waist as he tugged her to his chest. Before she knew it, she was enveloped in his arms, her name a prayer on his lips.

“Neuvillette,” Furina whispered, standing still. “What happened?”

And so Neuvillette relayed Focalor's words to her as faithfully as he heard them.

So that was the plan.

Hah.

“Furina?” she heard him call, but the sound was muffled as if it came from underwater. She blinked blearily at him as the fear, relief, and adrenaline left her, leaving her with a bone-deep tiredness.

It really was over.

What was she going to do now?

“I see.” Furina hummed after a beat, a sense of emptiness consuming her. “Well, then, please excuse me, Monsieur Neuvillette. I am tired and I want to rest.”

There would be no more plays this time, no more flowers. The time for the curtain call had passed. Furina didn’t expect it to be so lonely.

In hindsight, she should have known he wouldn’t let it end there.

Chapter Text

Since the start, all Neuvillette yearned for was to be with Furina.

He came to Fontaine in search of her and he stayed because of her. In the end, Neuvillette obtained his sovereign authority and a nation he had to learn how to love by losing the one being he had always wanted.

Focalors had called it justice, but it didn’t truly feel that way.

Ah, but he was whining. What did it matter if it was not what he truly wanted when he could be considered as the one who came out on top? What did it matter if he felt like tearing his heart out from his chest every time silence reigned for too long during trials as he waited for a voice that would never come? What did it matter if cold seeped into his very bones as he walked the length of the city as alone as the day he started?

His authority and the whole of Fontaine on one side and a human woman on the other.

No sane person would consider him to have lost. And yet. And yet—

Neuvillette swallowed down his grief as he strolled down the Vasari Passage, the nighttime air cool on his skin. Despite his heartache, the skies above the Court of Fontaine remained clear while cheer and noise filled the street.

Furina was human, and so he would gladly keep his emotions in a tightly sealed box to grant her the sunniest of days, even if all he wanted to do was to drown the nation and all its citizens in his sorrow.

Besides, it would look too pathetic if he were to visit her for the first time since the whole debacle with the skies crying over him.

He had some pride.

While passing by a clothing store, Neuvillette caught a flash of blue and white in his peripheral vision and, heart jumping in his chest, he stuttered to a stop as Furina walked out, a paper bag in her arms.

She cut her hair, was the first thing that popped into Neuvillette’s mind. She was beautiful, was the second. And she looked tired, was the third, as he took in the dark bags under her eyes; eyes which were almost bugging out of her head as she took him in.

And despite all the speeches he had planned on the way, all his preparation, Neuvillette found himself frozen before his once-Archon, the declarations he prepared dying on his tongue.

He missed her.

He missed her.

Neuvillette had longed for Furina’s presence like a missing limb, her absence a constant ache that would spike from time to time, but as he stood before her, the hunger and need he felt almost brought him to his knees.

He had to have her back. He felt as if he would not survive a second longer.

“Lady Furina,” he beseeched, her name a prayer on his lips. “It is good to see you again.”

His beloved blinked at him, and though confusion crossed her face, she was not easily able to hide the small upward twitch of her mouth at his greeting. Furina brought the paper bag closer to her as if to hide her expression.

“Monsieur Neuvillette,” she greeted back, eyeing the cake in his hands— her favorite. The hotel owner had been quite pleased with his order, correctly guessing who it was for. The would-be-recipient kept her eyes on the offering and, despite the obvious answer, found it essential to ask, “What brings you to this side of town?”

He lifted it closer to her for easier inspection. “I was on my way to visit you.”

“Oh? Missed me did you?” she teased, her tired eyes flickering up to meet his. There was a question somewhere in them, hidden deep among the mischief.

Though the love shining within his eyes was its own answer, he found himself confessing regardless, wishing to wash away any doubt lingering in her mind.

“Every day,” he said, voice severe as he held her gaze. “Even now, with you so close, I find myself wanting more. Please, would you like to join me for tea?”

He watched as Furina reared back in surprise, her pupils trembling as color crept up her cheeks. She coughed awkwardly, her hand twitching, as if she wanted to raise it to cover her face but changed her mind at the last second.

“Well, far be it for me to turn away Fontaine’s esteemed Iudex when he comes knocking,” she mused. “Shall we?”

Not a second later, Furina was walking beside him, a familiar warmth at his side, and the nostalgia that hit him because of her actions was almost painful. She led them to the only table on the right side of Café Lutece, which granted them a sliver of privacy, as much as they could have with the dozens of eyes watching them anyway.

Neuvillette didn’t mind. She could have taken him anywhere and he would have followed.

Without prompting, the cafe’s owner placed two cups of tea before them and, after a quick bow directed at no one in particular, stationed himself to the other side. Throughout all this, Furina never once lifted her curious stare from his person. He would feel nervous, but he was too busy basking under her attention.

“You know,” Furina started, her hands fiddling with her tea. She had dropped her calculating gaze to look at her reflection in the water. “When I first saw you, I thought you were about to approach me over my death sentence.”

At his confused and affronted noise, her mismatched eyes flickered to his. “But then you greeted me and I noticed the cake. And I thought, well, no one would bring someone cake if only to tell them that they need to go to prison.”

“I—“

But Furina didn’t let him finish, didn’t even let him start, the warmth in her expression replaced by a certain wariness. Neuvillette would have called it cold, if it wasn’t tempered with hope.

“You said you missed me,” she said quietly.

“I did,” Neuvillette replied, voice urgent. Desperation had taken hold of him, making him jittery in his seat. He didn’t understand what she wanted to hear from him. “I do.”

“…Then why did you take so long?”

Oh.

She missed him too.

Unbidden, Neuvillette’ felt his lips form a small elated smile. But Furina’s eyes narrowed at his evident joy, perhaps assuming that he found her silly.

“I’m sorry, Neuvillette,” she bit out. “is this funny to you?”

“No, please, forgive me, Lady Furina,” he apologized, even as mirth still danced in his eyes. “To answer your question, well, the easy answer would be to say that I found it prudent to give you space to allow you to rest. But that wouldn’t be the whole truth.” Neuvillette paused, looking into her eyes. “The truth is I am a coward, Lady Furina, and I feared I would be turned away if I knocked on your door.”

“Then why come now?”

“Because I am also selfish and… I missed you.”

Furina breathed in sharply.

“Then if I may ask a question of my own, why did you accept, Furina?”

Of course, Neuvillette already knew her answer, seeing right through her. But he wanted to hear her admit it, wanted to taste the longing in her voice.

Furina took a sip of her tea, bidding time. When she finally put it down, a familiar haughty expression sat on her face. “Well, how could I deprive a once-loyal subject of my presence?” she asked, hiding once again behind her bluster.

But Neuvillette would not have it.

“Is that it?” he asked, his eyes searing as they bore into hers. His blood was a dull roar in his ears as he watched her fidget before him, her mask crumbling, a gentle swan caught in the trap of a hungry beast. “Is that truly the only reason why?”

“What other reason is there?”

“You missed me too.”

“That’s quite the assumption, Monsieur.”

“It may be.” Neuvillette allowed with an incline of his head. “But is it wrong?”

Furina sputtered as she jumped to her feet, wide eyes blinking rapidly. “You—!” she squawked, a dramatic finger pointed at him, all the while indignant and embarrassed noises found their way out of her throat. The blush she was fighting off earlier had spread to the tips of her ears and down her neck. A shame, Neuvillette thought, that the rest of it was covered.  “When did you become so brazen?!”

He only shook his head in response. “Would you not let me hear it?”

“Hear what?”

Still red-cheeked, Furina plopped down to her chair, her arms crossed over her chest. He noted with hidden glee that she couldn’t meet his eyes.

How riveting. Neuvillette had been in Furina’s presence for less than an hour and yet he felt more alive than he had in weeks. Her refusal to admit her feelings didn’t even put a damper on his mood, well, not too much anyway.

“How are you really, Lady Furina?” he asked.

Even with all the excitement, he had not forgotten the tiredness that seemed to emanate from her bones when he first saw her. If he had known she wanted company, specifically his company, he would have been by her side in a heartbeat.

“I’ve been… something,” she muttered. “Clorinde came by a few days ago. She… she really helped put some things in another perspective for me.

“I am glad to hear that she was there for you. I did know about her visit. In fact, it was what gave me the courage to approach you once more. I thought, if she had not been turned away, then perhaps—“ Neuvillett trailed off.

Clearing his throat at her questioning look, he explained, “Well, like I said, I thought you might not want to see me.”

There was a long, heavy pause before Furina broke it with a sigh.

“I don’t blame you for what you and the others did Neuvillette.”

And though it was an attempt at comfort, Neuvillette heard the words she didn’t speak out loud. Just because she didn’t blame him didn’t mean it didn’t hurt, didn’t mean she felt no bitterness over it. Just because she felt it was justified didn’t mean he shouldn’t beg for forgiveness.

He resisted the temptation to go down on his knees, if only because Furina wouldn’t appreciate it. Instead, Neuvillette bowed his head, placing his hands firmly on his lap. 

“Even so, what we did was… an injustice to say the least. I would undo it if I could. Please, allow me to atone for my sins, Lady Furina.”

A beat passed, two, and then a few more. Neuvillette closed his eyes, his stomach turning to lead. He was glad he bowed his head. At least, this way, Furina wouldn’t see the devastation that would take over him. He didn’t want her acceptance if it was brought by guilt. No, if she did not accept, he would earn the right to atone.

But the silence at their table persisted. Had she left after all? Neuvillette didn’t think so. It wasn’t like Furina to be capable of such cruelty.

Heart twisting at what he might find, Neuvillette clenched his jaw and looked up. The moment he did, Furina was leaning across the table and flicking his forehead, an amused smile sitting on her lips.

“Furi—“

“You’re forgiven.”

“So easily?”

“Why should I make it harder, when you are punishing yourself enough?”

Neuvillette swallowed, relief and disapproval warring within his chest. He didn’t deserve it. He told her he wanted to atone. She deserved more than a tea and a cake after a chance encounter after everything she had done. But, again, who was he to choose? To be picky? Still, even with that thought, the distaste in his tongue would not go away. He pressed his lips together.

“Then, if you find that you do not need an apology, allow me to extend my gratitude instead,” Neuvillette bargained. “Thank you, Furina. For everything.”

Stunned into silence, his former archon looked down as tears prickled her eyes. Neuvillette gave her a moment to compose herself, though all he wanted to do was take her into his arms. He didn’t mean to make her cry. But, he would be lying if he said the air around them didn’t feel clearer, that he could breathe easier, having said at least this.

With a last sniffle, Furina discreetly wiped away stray teardrops before looking up. The look she gave him was wobbly before it transformed into another snobbish expression. She waved her hand, still holding the handkerchief she used on her tears, and boasted, “A thank you is even more unnecessary, dear Iudex. But, of course, I’m not going to stop you if you want to praise my magnificence.”

A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. He really did miss her so. 

“That’s not the correct response, Furina,” Neuvillette chastised. “Try again.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re supposed to say you’re welcome.”

“That’s— I just said—“

Neuvillette clicked his tongue, cutting off her confused protest. “If you don’t say you’re welcome, I’ll, ah, what did you call it? Keep praising your magnificence,” he warned. Because while Neuvillette would not force her to forgive him, he would not allow Furina to downplay the role she played in saving Fontaine. If he could, if it was safe to do so, he would shout it from the rooftops.

“I— what?” she asked again, blinking wide blue eyes at him. 

Neuvillette made a low humming noise. “Did you know that the first night I heard you, I thought you were a siren? You were the most—”

“Wha— wait, wait!” Furina cried, hands flying everywhere in panic. “What are—“

But Neuvillette only pressed on.

“—you were the most enchanting being I have ever seen,” he finished, a challenge in his mirth-filled eyes. Furina stared back with what he could only describe as a completely stupefied expression, eyes wide and mouth gaping open. “I thought then that I—“ 

“Alright! Alright! Stop it!” Furina squeaked, once again interrupting him as she covered her red face with her hands. “Jeez, you’re so embarrassing.”

“I’m still not hearing a you’re welcome, Furina. Shall I continue?”

At his promise, Furina released a noise similar to that of a dying whale. “Oh my gods,” she mumbled into her hands, but her eyes were shining as she fought off a smile. She shot him a sarcastically haughty look. “You are very welcome, my dearest, Neuvillette. There, are you happy?”

That’s—

Neuvillette coughed, a flush of his own rising on his cheeks at her address, as he fought back his smile, sure that it would come out absolutely smitten. It was his turn to hide behind his palm, and like Furina’s previous undertakings, his attempt was thwarted.

“Oh no, you don’t get to be embarrassed now!” Furina said, still red, as she lunged across the table and tilted his chin towards her, their faces so close together that Neuvillette could see his reflection in her ocean blues.

There was a moment of stillness, a lull where all Neuvillette could smell was Furina’s cool and gentle scent and all he could hear was the sound of their heartbeats racing against each other. He wanted to taste her.

Then Furina pressed her palm into his face as she jumped back, the action ripping open the bubble they created and bringing with it the bustle of life around them. Neuvillette he had completely forgotten that they were outside.

A snap of a kamera further destroyed the illusion they had, and upon looking around, both found that the nearby tables and passing civilians were staring at them. If Neuvillette had to guess, most had been staring for some time. Somewhere, the Iudex heard a hissed “I knew it” that sounded suspiciously like Charlotte.

Though Neuvillette didn’t mind, Furina had gone pale, the joy from earlier now missing from her face. He didn’t like that. And so he cleared his throat, and immediately, everyone and their mothers turned away from the scene the two of them were making.

She met his eyes, an unspoken gratitude passing between them. But the moment had already been broken and Furina remained tense, still feeling the weight of attention on her.

“I must excuse myself, my dear,” Furina said with a tight smile. She was standing before Neuvillette could get a word in, her paper bag once again clutched close to her chest. “I have things to do, after all.”

“…of course. Thank you, Furina.”

Before she could walk away, Neuvillette added, “If you are ever in need of anything, Furina, I am only a knock away.”

She quirked her lips at him. “I’ll keep that in mind, Monsieur.”

The next night, Furina stared at the lumitoile placed before her door, shining gently in the darkness. Unlike the gifts that came way before, this one was placed on a white satin silk in a blue box, surrounded by fresh rainbow roses.

Throat tight, she picked up a pink card nestled between the flowers, numerous emotions swirling in her chest. And then promptly burst into teary laughter.

“You,” the card read. “May this lumitoile remind you of your own brilliant glow.”

What brilliant glow? Furina wanted to ask. But then the memory of what transpired earlier flashed through her, and she banished the thought from her mind. Asking might cause Neuvillette to go on a barrage of compliments again. 

Silly, stupid dragon.

Furina pressed her lips and traced her fingers over the words, re-reading them over and over again. Seeing as she had no fresh Lakelight lilies lying around, Furina plucked one rainbow rose out from the box and left it outside.

The next night and the subsequent nights after, disappointment curled in Furina’s belly as her front door remained empty of any gifts.

And then, exactly one week later, just as she was coming back from shopping for ingredients, Furina found another box on her doorstep.

Cheeks warming, she picked it up — wrapped in a white wrapper this time — and took it inside, half hoping no one would notice the former Hydro Archon receiving such gifts. Surely this meant was she thought it meant?

She placed the box on her table, intent on putting away what she had bought first. Furina told herself she wasn’t that excited about it. Surely not, if she was prioritizing other things over the gift. It was only after minutes had passed that she realized she had not put away a single thing, her mind so focused on the present that was left for her.

Oh, who was she even pretending for?

With that thought in mind, Furina rushed back to her present, carefully pulling open the ribbon that held it together. Inside was a glass shaped like a teardrop, containing what she assumed was perfume. Numerous Lumidouce Bells were placed around the vial, another pink card nestled among them.

It read: I never understood the weeping crystal’s wish to return home for I had none. Recent events, however, had taught me this flower’s wish for a reunion.

“I knew you’d be here,” a voice said behind him, gently rousing him from his thoughts. Neuvillette surfaced from his daydreams into the waking world, where Furina and the traveler had snuck up on him. Neuvillette turned around to face the duo, his goddess an ever lovely vision in her new attire.

Perhaps it was the sun’s rays softening her features, but Furina looked excited today. Not in the way that he made her, flustered and giddy, the source of her joy an external source. No, this seemed more inward. A light in her eyes that no one else but herself could possibly rekindle.

“I am merely here for a short break. It has been a while Lady Furina,” he said with a smile, a loaded look exchanged between them. He thrilled at the way she warmed under his gaze, seemingly torn between wanting to call him out or keeping their courting a secret. Though Neuvillette wanted to place his claim on her before the whole of Fontaine, he also relished having something that only they knew about it, something wholly theirs. “And you too, traveler and Paimon. What might I assist you with today?”

And so Furina made her request, her gaze challenging as they stared into his. ‘Anything I needed, you say?’ her eyes seemed to say, goading him. ‘Here it is. Give it to me.’

Neuvillette closed his eyes, a hand on his chin as he considered her request. All for show, of course, Furina knew he would grant her the Opera House the moment she had told it to her troupe members. She wouldn’t have been so confident offering otherwise.

“—I will have my staff book the date, and mail the relevant paperwork to the troupe once the details are confirmed,” Neuvillette concluded, feeling light at the way Furina glowed even more, her brilliance competing against the sun itself.

Though it was a shame she would not grace the stage with her presence, Neuvillette knew she would do an excellent job as a director and he would, as always, support her unconditionally in all her endeavors.

He was right.

Neuvillette clapped along with the rest of the audience as the scene concluded, Clio’s lover finally taken hostage by the anxious citizens.

As he waited for the next part, Neuvillette still couldn’t brush away the feeling that it would have been perfect if Furina had taken on the role of Clio, a role he believed no one else should play.

But Neuvillette knew he had no right to judge. Clearly, he was biased.

He would have to talk to Furina after the play and congratulate her on a job well done. It might even make her show him that pretty flush once more. She so loved compliments, after all.

The spotlight turned on.

And then Furina walked on stage.

Neuvillette felt the air leave his lungs, his chest constricting when Furina opened her mouth and sang. Her voice washed over him, the siren’s call that he had been searching for, and for a moment, the stage and the audience disappeared from his sight. For a moment, Neuvillette was back at the western side of the Court of Fontaine, the coldness of the stone pillar seeping into his side as he peaked past it to look at the woman he didn’t know then was the woman he would dedicate his life to. He felt as helpless there at that theatre as he did then, centuries ago, as the same woman’s voice called to him, pulling him to her, the stars glittering above them.

A singular tear threatened to drop from his eye, but Neuvillette paid it no mind, too enthralled by Furina’s performance, their story, which she was telling Fontaine.

When the tear dropped, so too did a hydro vision descend on the stage.

A vision encased in gold, held protectively within the teeth of a dragon. One that is different from all those who came before and those who would come after. Because while she was human, Neuvillette would do anything to make her his equal again. She had spent centuries fearing the primordial sea. She need not be afraid any longer for it would never hurt her ever again.

It was a reward for everything she had sacrificed for Fontaine.

But, at the same time, it was a claim.

Neuvillette let out a satisfied purr when Furina walked on stage for the curtain call, the vision tied neatly on the bow by her hip. Fontaine’s Iudex was on his feet the moment the curtain dropped, intent on heading backstage to give Furina his warmest regards.

A gestionnaire blocked his path on the upper floor of the Opera House. With a deep bow, the gestionnaire said, “My deep apologies, Monsieur Neuvillette, but the delegate from Sumeru has arrived a day earlier. They are currently waiting for you at the Palais.”

Neuvillette cast a longing look back to the doors he had just left. How vexing.

That night, Furina received another present that lay patiently before her door.

Though giddy at the prospect of another gift, it was not enough to wash away her earlier disappointment. With everything that transpired, she expected Neuvillette to come visit her backstage. But what knocked on her door instead was a gestionnaire, delivering news that the Iudex of Fontaine had been called away due to some emergency.

…maybe she should be the one to visit one of these days?

A thought for another time, Furina decided as she brought the pink box inside her apartment. She stifled a gasp as she was greeted with the most beautiful bouquet of still-closed Romaritime Flowers.

The card within only read “for you” but she did not need any more words to understand what Neuvillette meant.

A flower that was said to have been a hydro spirit in love with Egeria, a flower that represented loyalty and unswerving oaths, given just for her.

Overcome with emotion, Furina hugged the bouquet to her chest. Her former Iudex really was spoiling her that day, wasn’t he? First, the Opera House, given to her without a second thought, and then a vision of her very own, promising her protection, and then—

Drops fell gently on the flowers, making them bloom.

He really was too much sometimes, her silly dragon.

Breaking the pattern, Furina’s next gift was not left on her doorstep like all others but handed to her by the traveler and her floating companion.

Hair still mussed from her afternoon nap, Furina gave the two travelers standing before her door the stink eye. They were lucky the sun had already gone down or her mood would be so much worse.

“You know, Paimon,” she began, tone acidic as she crossed her arms over her chest, “Usually, when people don’t answer their door, it means that one, they’re either not home, or two, they don’t want or can’t have visitors. Most would have the decency to leave, not repeatedly bang on said door and scream at the top of their lungs like— like heathens.”

“Sorry! Sorry!” Paimon said in her shrill voice. “But it’s urgent.”

“—it’s a message. From Neuvillette,” the traveler clarified before Furina could speak, likely sensing her dwindling patience.

At once, Furina’s arms dropped to her sides, her anger and displeasure replaced by worry. “Neuvillette? Did something happen?”

“Well…” Paimon trailed off, her hesitance driving Furina further up the wall. She produced a single strand of Lakelight lily from her back as well as a familiar card. “Neuvillette asked us to give this to you.”

Furina took hold of the items, relief stemming the fear she felt.

The card read: Just as Fontanians give Lakelight Lilies to those going on long journeys, I hope you would also follow its light and return to my side.

Meanwhile, another message below it instructed: This place is one where you find comfort. I do not dislike the products served here but neither am I overly fond of them as you are. Still, back then, I had hoped you would extend an invitation for me to join you, even if only to allow me to bask in your presence.

Heart now racing with an entirely different emotion, Furina turned her attention to Paimon and the traveler, both of them wearing knowing smiles.

“Paimon, as the best travel guide in all of Teyvat, was tasked by Neuvillette to lead you to the right way!” Paimon gushed. “Oh, but only if you get it wrong!”

“It’s Hotel Debord,” Furina said promptly, a frantic energy coursing through her. When she opened the door to reprimand the duo, she didn’t expect her afternoon to evolve into this. But it was… exciting. Fun, her heart sang. Furina had never used that word to describe anything in her life. 

The flying being giggled at her. “Correct! Your next clue is waiting there. Be warned that this will only last until midnight.”

“What? Why?”

“Neuvillette said all fairytales had deadlines.”

Furina blinked and, cursing her former Iudex and his logic, flew into her apartment, excitement and nervousness evident in her every movement. The traveler and Paimon were more cautious when they followed her inside. Though they only stayed by the threshold, content to watch her flutter about.

It was frankly a mess when she finished, but the traveler and Paimon waved her off, saying that they would handle the clean up. Still, Furina found herself hesitating, even if her heart was already out the door.

“Are you sure?”

Paimon, who was already picking up her garments, chirped “Of course!”

“Thank you,” Furina breathed. She was already out the door when the traveler called her name, causing her to skid to a stop.

“I’m happy for you, Furina. For the both of you,” the traveler said, a gentle smile on their face. Not for the first time, Furina felt that the being before her was truly not human. But then the traveler grinned broadly, shattering the illusion. “I want an invite to the wedding, okay?”

Turning crimson, Furina turned her back to the pair who were now staring at her. “Of course, you will,” she huffed haughtily, walking away to bright, cheery laughter. Towards her future.

Clorinde stood by the entrance of Hotel Debord when Furina arrived.

She bowed her head in greeting upon seeing Furina, something the former archon appreciated. Clorinde being more casual and relaxed around her was hard-won, making Furina relish the victory even more. In return, Furina smiled bashfully at her former bodyguard and raised her right hand in a wave.

“Lady Furina, if you would follow me,” Clorinde requested before holding open the doors to the establishment. Furina silently shook her head in admonishment at the gesture, but Clorinde remained impassive, intent on letting her pass first.

Well then. Never let it be said that Furina did not choose her battles wisely.

With a roll of her eyes, she headed inside. “Are you going to lead me to the next clue?” she asked, turning back to look at Clorinde.

The purple-haired woman shook her head and led Furina to the first table to the right. Unlike the others, this one was decorated with a single Lakelight Lily in a glass vase. Small thick candles were littered around the table, creating an intimate atmosphere. A single slice of cake sat on one of the plates.

It was almost perfect, Furina thought. If only Neuvillette was actually there.

“Your clue is waiting for you at the bottom of the cake, Lady Furina.”

Furina raised her brow at Clorinde. “Neuvillette is making me eat cake for my clue?” she complained as she sat, acting annoyed despite the delighted smile on her lips telling a completely different story. “What if I already had one, huh?”

But maybe it was because of the thought that was put into it, but Furina felt as if this was the best cake she ever had.

Clorinde took the seat across her, watchful as always. “How have you been?”

Furina hummed, chewing delicately as she pondered her answer. She could make a joke of it, divert Clorinde’s attention, but Furina felt that she owed her more than that. Clorinde had been her loyal protector, even if only for a few short years when measured to Furina’s centuries. And then, she was her first visitor, the one who saw the mess she was in after everything and helped pick her back up.

If anyone deserved Furina’s honesty, it was Clorinde.

“Better,” Furina decided with a nod after thinking it over. “Definitely better after the recent play.”

“Yes, I heard from Neuvillette. He said you were brilliant.”

Furina blinked, cheeks reddening. “He did?”

“He wouldn’t stop talking about it,” Clorinde deadpanned. “He’s lucky the melusines adore him so much. Anyone else would have been sick of him after hearing him talk about it for the umpteenth time.”

How embarrassing. For whom between her and Neuvillette, Furina didn’t know.

Desperate to drop the conversation, she ate her cake in record time. It was easy to pretend not to see Clorinde’s amused, twinkling eyes when she was half-choking from all the food in her mouth.

Once she finished everything, Furina noticed the words embedded within the cake board. With her knife, she scrapped the residue off, allowing her to read Neuvillette’s message.

It read: Your next destination is the first place we met. Even without knowing your identity, you managed to captivate me. Do not underestimate the effect you have over people, especially the power you have over me.

Furina bit her lip as she tried to keep her tears at bay.

Neuvillette had always seen her.

With shaking hands, Furina wrapped the cake board in a tissue and pocketed it, reuniting it with the other notes. After a moment’s hesitation, she also plucked the Lakelight lily from its vase.

Clorinde gave her a soft, proud smile. “Good luck.”

Perhaps it was a nod to their past or maybe Neuvillette simply refused to share their space with anyone, but no one was waiting for her when the elevator descended on the place she once called her refuge.

As if called, Furina’s attention immediately turned to the right.

There, placed in the same spot where her lumitoiles once stood, was another Lakelight lily and below it, a note. Wind tickling her nape, Furina approached it, feeling wrong-footed by the emptiness around her.

The more Furina went through on this journey, relatively alone, the more she wanted Neuvillette by her side. 

What kind of courting was this anyway? Shouldn’t he be the one delivering the presents to her himself? She couldn’t believe he was making both of them pine.

Her mood now soured, Furina picked up the note with a frown.

It read: Here is where I turned my back on you when you needed me most, an act I will never forgive myself for. I will be here waiting until the clock strikes midnight. And though I know I have no right to ask anything of you, please let me make this one wish. Allow me to replace the painful memories made in this Opera House. I beg you to give me a chance to right my wrongs. If you are not ready to accept it, I will understand.”

It was nearing midnight.

Though his face remained blank, Neuvillette’s fingers drummed relentlessly on his sides as he waited for Furina, a solitary figure on an empty stage.

Because Furina wasn’t there yet.

She might not even arrive, his mind whispered.

When he put together the plan, Neuvillette didn’t consider the anxiety he might feel while waiting, not knowing if Furina had even received the first clue. He was completely in the dark, a devout follower praying for his deity who might not even appear. Waiting was maddening as he had nothing to rely on but hope.

He was so on edge his chest ached.

And then he sensed her, a steady, pulsing aura that drew nearer and nearer, resolute in its stride. His heart hammered along, beating so hard he felt it would fly of him to welcome her.

The door burst open and, scowl on her face, Furina walked in. Her obvious displeasure sent a frisson of panic and pain through him. Was this it, then? Was she not impressed? Neuvillette would be able to accept her rejection, so as long as she would not forbid him to stop trying.

If anything, at least let him have that.

They kept their gazes locked as Furina walked towards him, stripped bare of all pretense in front of each other.

When Furina slowed to a stop near him on stage, Neuvillette bowed and held out his trembling hand, nervously asking, “May I have this dance, Furina?”

His archon cast a critical gaze over him. “You may,” she agreed, placing her hand on his.

Neuvillette almost wished he had the forethought to rid himself of his gloves as their fingers intertwined. His right hand was placed on her shoulder blade, her left on his shoulder, their bodies pressed close together. Furina’s displeasure had been wiped away, replaced with a pink sheen.

He held her close as they moved to a tune no one could hear but them, the only melody in the Opera House their footsteps on the wooden floor and the beats of their heart, moving as one.

As their song drew to an end, both Furina and Neuvillette opened their eyes, their gazes meeting. Their pose had loosened sometime during the dance, becoming less proper and more intimate. His hold had dropped to the small of her back while hers gripped his shoulder, their intertwined hands between them.

Furina swallowed, her eyes echoing the yearning in his soul. “I want more dates,” she demanded, voice low. “Dates that we go to together.”

Eyes widening, Neuvillette let out a breathy chuckle, as a mixture of relief and happiness flooded him. Was that the reason for her displeasure, then? That he hadn’t been by her side?

“Your wish is my command,” he promised, angling his head closer, his right hand rising to cup her cheeks.

He felt, more than heard, Furina’s breath hitch. “We have to watch musicals and plays together,” she required, voice shaking just the tiniest bit.

“Alright.”

This time, it was Furina who further closed the gap between them. “And after each one of mine, you have to visit me backstage.”

“Granted,” Neuvillette murmured.

“Also, I want compliments. Everyday,” she said, the words almost a warning. Then Furina shook her head. They were so near that some of her curls brushed his face.  “No, no. Erase that. I want multiple. Per day. We’ll establish a quota.”

Neuvillette leaned closer, eyes lidding. His nose bumped into hers. “Anything else?”

There, at the precipice, Furina’s right hand grabbed his wrist to anchor herself as she whispered her admission, “I’m scared.”

Scared of trusting him, she didn’t say, scared of watching him walk away again.

But the truth was—

“Me too,” Neuvillette confessed softly.

For centuries he had yearned for this very moment, but now that he had it within his grasp, Neuvillette couldn’t help but feel somewhat scared. What he felt for her was all-encompassing, a love so raw and pure it could give him the sunniest of days or the most tragic of catastrophes. Furina may not realize it then, but she held his whole being in the palm of her hands.

“I’m terrified,” he admitted. “I would do anything to please you. I would hand over my heart if it is what you wanted. And though it would destroy me, I would even leave if it was what you asked. You have me, Furina. And you will always have me.”

Neuvillette brought their intertwined hands to his lips, kissing her fingers. “I am in love with you. And nothing would make me happier than to spend eternity by your side.”

With that, Furina closed the gap between them, dragging him into a deep kiss, one she quickly broke as she pressed their foreheads together.

“I love you too,” she blubbered, tears streaming down her face. ”I’m in love with you. I always have. You were my one weakness in those 500 years, but you were also my strength. And being seen by you is the greatest gift you could give me. Thank you, Neuvillette. For loving me.”

With his thumbs, Neuvillette brushed away her tears. He kissed her forehead, her nose, her eyelids, relishing in the warmth between them.

“No, thank you,” he replied. “For letting me. For loving me in return.”

He drew her into another deep kiss, pouring into it centuries worth of affection and longing. He wanted more. “Where do we go from here?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Furina shot back, whispering the words into his mouth. Almost as if she couldn’t help it, she dragged his lips back to hers, her arms wound on the back of his neck. “It could be anything as long as we do it together.”

Together then.

Neuvillette kissed her lightly on the forehead and, ignoring her confused sound of disapproval, he took two steps back, putting some distance between them. He had another gift to give her, after all.

“Furina, my name is—“