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Alear sat at the edge of the orchard and leaned back on his hands, staring out into the void that surrounded the Somniel. He sighed deeply and raised one hand to his chest, like he could massage away the ache there.
His friends, with a few exceptions, were all mortal. Their lives were so short compared to his. In a matter of decades they would all pass on, leaving him alone. No matter how much he cared for them, their lives were little more than a blink of the eye to someone like him.
“Ah, there you are, Divine One.”
He tipped his head back. “Hello, Vander. Is everything all right?”
“Of course,” the knight replied. “I was merely concerned for you. You seemed subdued at dinner; is everything all right with you?”
He sighed again. “Can I ask something about my mother?”
“Queen Lumeria? Of course.”
“Did she...ever fall in love?”
“Ah.” Vander hesitated a moment before slowly lowering himself to sit next to Alear. “Is this about—”
He raised a hand to cut off Vander’s statement. Even if his affections were obvious to everyone else, he couldn’t bear to hear his name mentioned. Not when there was so little hope for them. “Just tell me about my mother. Please.”
“Very well. The answer is yes.”
Alear looked up into Vander’s kindly face. “With a mortal?”
“Yes. Several times, in fact. It’s actually very common for the divine dragon to take a mortal lover. The long years that you live would be lonely if you were bereft of companionship—beyond your stewards, of course.”
“Of course.” Alear shifted to draw one knee up to his chest, his gaze straying out into the expanse around them. “But how could she bear it? Mortal lives are so short. No, ah, no offense, Vander.”
“None taken, I assure you. But yes, our lives are insignificant compared to yours. That was part of what made each of Queen Lumeria’s lovers so special to her. To experience a great love like that, even for a short part of your long life, is a marvelous thing.”
“But just for fifty? Sixty years?” he shook his head. “She was stronger than me. I could never handle something like that.”
“Ah, I see.” Vander nodded sagely. “Divine One, I believe you are unaware of what it means to take a lover, as a divine dragon.”
“I think I know what love means,” Alear replied. He couldn’t quite keep the bitter tone out of his voice, though he tried to hide it. Love meant pain. He didn’t even have anything, but he could already feel the ache of losing it. Was it worth it? For such a short time?
“When a divine dragon pledges to share their life with their lover, they mean it quite literally,” Vander said, his voice gentle now. “Divine One—in sharing part of your life with a mortal you truly love, you also share a portion of your lifespan. Any mortal lover that you truly love will find their life extended beyond its normal span. I have heard of lovers living for two or three hundred years; one of Queen Lumeria’s lived at least one hundred and fifty.”
Alear stared at Vander as he spoke. The faint flicker of hope in his chest was bursting into a blaze. “Is that true?” he whispered, hardly daring to breathe.
“It’s true,” Vander nodded. “Queen Lumeria took three lovers while you were sleeping. I can show you their records, if you like.”
Vander’s words eased another knot in Alear’s chest; one that he hadn’t even noticed. He knew his mother had been lonely while he’d been asleep for so long...it was comforting to know she hadn’t spent all of those long years completely alone.
“I have to go,” Alear said abruptly, jumping to his feet. “I have to...I have to go. Thank you, Vander.”
If there was hope...even just a spark...he had to take this chance.
…
“Good morning, Divine One.”
Alear spun around. “Good morning, Alfred.” He started to smile, to say the words building up in his heart, but his tongue stilled when he saw his friend’s expression. “Are you all right? Is something troubling you?”
Alfred hesitated. “May I speak with you a moment?”
“Of course. You know I’m always happy to speak with you.” He couldn’t help but notice that Alfred seemed paler than usual, or the way his breathing wasn’t quite steady. “Are you ill again? Come here, let’s get out of the sun and find a place to sit down.”
He took Alfred’s hand and tugged him along, until he found a smooth rock that they could sit on under the shade of the treeline. “How are you feeling?” he pressed, resting the back of his hand against Alfred’s forehead. “You don’t have a fever….”
Alfred pushed his hand away. “It’s not that. You know I...I don’t always think things through. I act, and then sometimes think later. It’s just...I’ve been thinking this time, but I’m afraid to act. If I do, it could ruin a great friendship, and I’m not sure if I want to risk that.”
Alear took both of his hands, shaking them a little until Alfred met his gaze. “If this is about us, there’s nothing you could say that could ruin our friendship.” His heart was pounding now. This had to be it. He’d felt the spark between him and Alfred for weeks now, but they’d just needed one final push to move forward.
His friend nodded and took in a deep breath. “Divine One...Alear...you should know…” his voice trailed off and he shook his head. “I’m sick,” he finally blurted out.
“You just said you were fine,” Alear replied, confused.
“Not like that. Not like a cold or a fever. An illness in my body.” Alfred pulled one of his hands free to press it to his chest. “I haven’t wanted you or the others to know, since it would just worry you, but I can’t keep hiding it from you. Not if I…” his voice trailed off and he gave a deep sigh.
Alear moved, pressing his hand beside Alfred’s on his friend’s chest. He’d never tried to feel Alfred’s pulse before, but now he could sense the slight wrongness in it. It was weaker than it should have been, for someone of Alfred’s age. His breathing felt a little fragile, and sitting this close Alear could see that Alfred’s slender body actually bore the thinness that came from a long illness.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t want to admit it,” Alfred replied. “At first, you had so much to think about. Then later, I didn’t want you to see me that way. I wanted to be someone you depended on; not someone you had to coddle and protect.”
“But not anymore?”
Alfred shook his head. He reached into his waist pouch and produced a piece of folded cloth. “I wanted to give you this,” he said softly.
Alear took it. “This is exquisite,” he breathed. He wasn’t sure what it was called—one of those ruffled pieces like Alfred wore around his neck. It was embroidered between the ruffles and along the straight edges with tiny, detailed stitches, depicting flowers native to Firene. They were so lively and colorful, Alear almost expected them to grow out of the cloth. “Did you make this?”
“I only did some minor repairs. It’s a Firenese tradition to pass on embroidered clothes through multiple generations. This piece in particular has been re-sewn so many times it’s taken on a completely new form. Still...I have it, and I’m supposed to give it to someone important to me to show I care.”
“Wow.” Alear reverently ran his fingers over the embroidery. “Thank you, Alfred. I will happily accept your gesture.”
Alfred smiled, though it was tinged with sadness. “It’s not too much?”
“No, no. I’ve felt the same way for a long time. Perhaps even since Lythos castle.” Alear gazed at the embroidered cloth for a long moment. He wanted to clutch it to his chest, like he could embed it in his heart and hold it there as proof of Alfred’s feelings, but he couldn’t help but notice the spasm of pain in the other’s gaze. “Is something wrong?”
“Divine...Alear...you should know I...I probably won’t live a very long life. Being with me might only bring you more grief.”
“What are you saying?” Alear rested the embroidery in his lap to take both of Alfred’s hands again. “Alfred, I want to share my heart with you. My life—wait, I have something for you! Give me your hand.” He reached into his pocket to find the small golden ring.
“The Pact Ring?” Alfred asked.
“Please accept this,” Alear breathed, sliding the ring onto Alfred’s finger. “Please accept my life, Alfred. I can—do you know what happens when a divine dragon takes a lover?” he blurted out.
Taken aback, Alfred could only shake his head, his eyes wide.
“They share part of their lifetime. Alfred...if you accept this, if you accept me...we can have a long life together. I’m not sure how it works, so we’ll probably have to ask Vander, but. Alfred. We can be together. For a long time.”
Alfred was barely breathing. He stared at the ring, then up at Alear. He didn’t say anything for a long time, and Alear finally leaned in to kiss him.
He returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around Alear’s neck as Alear’s hands encircled his waist. They finally broke apart, breathless and flushed, pressing their foreheads together to stare into each other’s eyes.
“We’re going to be inseparable,” Alear breathed. “I look forward to the long journey ahead with you.”