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It was getting late. The sun was almost setting. But Navia was sitting at the edge of the pier, still staring at the horizon. Her feet dangling over the water, which was calm and still, reflecting the fiery oranges and yellows of the sunset. She had been sitting there for hours, lost in her thoughts, when she heard footsteps approaching from behind her. They were light and precise and yet she recognized the owner of the footsteps immediately: It was Clorinde.
“Navia.” The raspy voice from the purpled hair woman was heard.
“ You will catch a cold if you stay out in this cold.”
Clorinde’s face always unchanging locked eyes at the other woman’s ocean hued eyes. Clorinde had always now expected Navia to get irritated at her, navia never wanted to see her anymore, not since ,that, day. The day Clorinde killed her father, Clorinde had always followed navia like a lost puppy constantly trying to carry out Calla’s promise of taking care of Navia. Yet Clorinde had to observe from a far. Navia hated her, and rightfully so. She had killed her father after all.
Navia felt her body grow tense as she heard Clorinde's voice. She turned to face the purpled hair woman, her eyes narrowing. "I don't need you to worry about me," she said curtly. "I don't need anything from you." The words came out more harshly than she had intended, but she couldn't help the anger and bitterness that welled up inside her.
Clorinde had always been there, watching her from a distance, trying to keep her promise to Navia's father. But Navia couldn't forget what Clorinde had done.
"Navia, I-," Clorinde started, but Navia cut her off with a sharp glare.
"Don't."Her voice was cold, filled with a mixture of anger and hurt.
"Don't try to apologize. You don't deserve to."
The pain was still fresh, still raw. Every time she saw Clorinde, it was a reminder of what she had lost, what had been taken from her.
Clorinde hesitated, her eyes softening as she took in Navia's expression. She could see the pain and anger behind the mask Navia had put up.
"Navia, I-," she tried again, but Navia cut her off once more.
"Don't. Don't try to make excuses. Nothing you say can change what you did."
The words stung, but Clorinde knew she deserved them. She had taken Navia's father away from her, the one person that had meant so much to her, and nothing could ever change that fact.
"I know that." Clorinde's voice was quiet, her usual confident demeanor gone. She stepped closer to Navia, but Navia backed away, her eyes still hard and angry.
"You know that?" Navia's voice rose, but there was more pain than anger in it. "You know that and yet you stand here like you deserve to be forgiven?"
“No…”
Clorinde didn’t dare to meet Navia’s eyes, To ashamed to look into what were once full of joy when she saw her.
“I’m not asking to be forgiven. I’m just…”
Clorinde let out a heartfelt sigh, she took the shawl around her shoulders and gently placed it on Navia’s bare skin, careful to not touch her warm milky skin.
“I, I’ll be leaving now, please take care of yourself now mademoiselle I’m sorry” Clorinde turned around to leave her clearly dejected and looking like a wet puppy.
Navia's shoulders tensed as she felt the weight of the shawl on her shoulders. She inhaled, the familiar scent of Clorinde was the same yet so different somehow.
"Wait."
The word left Navia's lips before she could even think. She reached out, grabbing Clorinde by the wrist.
"Don't just don't go."
Clorinde halted mid way, surprised that Navia had stopped her. It was the first time, ever since that day, that Navia had talked to her without anger, without disgust.
Clorinde turned around, her eyebrows raised in surprise, seeing Navia's soft pleading stare and her hand that was gripping her wrist.
"I don't understand." Navia said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why did you do it?"
Clorinde's eyes widened as the question hit her like a bullet. It was a question she knew was coming, but never felt ready to answer.
"I..." Clorinde took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.
"I had a duty. a promise to keep."
Navia's grip on Clorinde's wrist tightened. "A promise? What promise?"
Clorinde's heart ached at Navia's words, hearing the hurt and confusion in her voice. She knew she owed Navia an explanation, but the truth was something she had refused to face for far too long.
"It's... complicated," Clorinde said, her voice shaking. "Your father… he had asked me to promise him something. To protect you. To keep you safe. Whatever the cost."
Navia knew. She knew that her papa was selfish picking a duel against Clorinde. Knowing that the Champion Duelist would have no choice but to duel to the death with the opponent. Yet Navia blamed Clorinde, why couldn’t she just refuse. Was her work so important to her that she would even kill her best friend’s father? And now to know that her papa had asked his killer to keep her safe? How selfish could he be.
“Why would he task you with that?”
“You, your the one whole killed him. Why would he”
Deep down Navia knew that it wasn’t Clorinde’s fault. She was just taking her anger out on the girl, She knew and missed their relationship together, she missed all those sleepovers Navia forced Clorinde to have.She missed the random tea parties they had, she missed Clorinde’s amethyst colored eyes.
The truth was Navia missed Clorinde.
Clorinde clenched her jaw, the memory of that day still fresh and agonizing. "I didn't want to do it," she muttered, almost to herself. "I pleaded with your father, begged him to reconsider, but he was insistent. He said he had no choice, that his honor demanded it."
"And in the end..." Clorinde's voice trailed off, her eyes distant as she continued, "I couldn't refuse him. Not after everything he's done for me. Not after he took me in when I had no one else."
Navia felt a pang in her chest at Clorinde's words. She didn't want to feel sympathy for the girl who had taken her papa away from her, but she couldn't help it. She knew her papa all too well, and she knew his stubbornness and his love for duels.
"He was a fool," Navia said, her voice barely above a whisper. "He shouldn't have put you in that position. It wasn't fair to either of you. I’m sorry, I forgive you Clorinde."
Clorinde stayed silent. Navia’s words were like a leak in the dam of emotions that she what been keeping sealed up. Small streaks of water poured down Clorinde’s face. The words were something she was yearning to hear all these lonely years without Navia.
Navia on the other hand was surprised, Clorinde used to be such a crybaby as a kid but the older she got the more reserved her emotions were it was surprising to see Clorinde emotions anymore, and for it to be sadness? Navia felt like an asshole.
Clorinde had been nothing but kind to her ever since that day, always leaving random trinkets on the outside of Navia’s house door, sometimes they would be flowers, notes, bandages whenever she got hurt. Not that she ever did since Clorinde was always lurking around the President of Spina de Rosula making sure she wasn’t in danger.
She would leave presents on Navia’s birthdays and A white rose on the tombstone the day of her mother and father’s passing dates. The year after the death of her father Navia found Clorinde at his tombstone delivering flowers, Navia screamed at her to leave spewing insults after insults at the girl. Navia felt shitty now.
Callas wasn’t only her papa but Clorinde’s father figure too. Clorinde who never had anyone by her side had lost everything, Navia still had Melus and Silver, she had The Spina de Rosula yet Clorinde had nothing after that.
Navia sprinted up from the floor suddenly embracing the taller woman.
“Oh Clorinde I’m so sorry.”
Clorinde froze, she finally felt a familiar touch around her, yet she didn’t know whether she was allowed to hug the woman back. Was she even allowed to be forgiven? She didn’t know.
Clorinde stood there, frozen in shock as Navia embraced her. Her mind was racing with a thousand thoughts and emotions. She wanted to return the hug, to melt into Navia's arms and feel her warmth again. But she couldn't shake off the guilt and shame that weighed her down.
"No. Don't." Clorinde's voice was hoarse and shaken. She stepped back, extricating herself from Navia's embrace. "I don't deserve this. I don't deserve your forgiveness... or your compassion. I killed your father. I ruined your life."
Navia felt a pang of disappointment wash over her as Clorinde pulled away. But she refused to give up now.
"You don't get to decide whether I forgive you or not," Navia said, her voice firm. "And you don't get to decide whether you deserve it or not. That's up to me."
She stepped closer to Clorinde again, reaching out to take the woman's hand in her own.
"I'm tired of dwelling on the past," she said, squeezing Clorinde's hand gently. "I want to move on."
Clorinde's heart fluttered as Navia's hand enveloped hers. It was as if a dam broke within her, and the emotions she had been holding back for years came rushing out. She looked down at their joined hands, her vision blurred with tears.
"Navia, I-" Clorinde's voice cracked, and the tears she’d been holding back spilled down her cheeks. "I missed you. So. Much."
Navia's heart wrenched at the sound of Clorinde's broken voice. She knew that the years of separation had taken a toll on both of them, and seeing Clorinde finally let her guard down was simultaneously heartbreaking and wonderful.
"I missed you too," Navia said softly, stepping closer until they were standing almost chest to chest. "More than you could ever know."
Navia’s plump’s lips then crashed into Clorinde’s lips. it was slow and emotional kiss, filled of unsaid things, of reserved feelings of yearning.
As their lips parted Navia’s hand caressed Clorinde’s cheek sweetly.
“I love you Clorinde.”
Clorinde's breath hitched as Navia's lips met hers, her body trembling with a mix of emotions. She had longed for this moment for so long, had dreamed of hearing those words from Navia. And now, as she looked into the depths of Navia's eyes, her heart felt like it would burst.
"I love you too, Navia," Clorinde whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
"I have for longer than you could ever imagine."