Chapter 29: Closer (Patreon)

Rowan woke up in a cold sweat. Just like the chains that bound the twin moons on her back, she couldn't fully escape the trauma of her captivity. Even seeing Amran take his first true steps as a free man only lessened the nightmares.

That's what she kept telling herself as she splashed her face with water. Out of the two options her mind was presenting her, it was the more positive spin on the situation. The alternative insisted that the nightmares waited until that night to strike so that any sense of victory from the moment was lost.

It didn’t help that the nightmares had been uncomfortably absent for much of that week. Of course, she could just as easily attribute the reduction in nightmares to Alena, or to being free in general, or to her training. At the same time…

Her heart was thumping in her chest. Was it her fear-enhanced senses, or was her heart really beating that loud?

Breathe.

Why did it hurt? And why did she feel both hot and cold? Why…

Breathe!

Why is. Everything. Spinning?

Oblivion.

******

Whilst Rowan had only lost consciousness for a couple of seconds, she soon drifted off back to sleep, only to be roused by the sound of hushed conversation. From the comforting weight of her blanket and the soft down of her pillow, she figured the panic attack was just another nightmare, and she had overslept.

If it were just the voices, she would have let herself drift back asleep. Alas, the stray hair on her face had other plans as it snuggled up against her. At first, Rowan tried to push it away sleepily. Alas, being an expert stray hair, any attempts to remove it just resulted in a completely unrelated part of her face being tickled instead.

It was omnipresent.

Rowan initiated phase two of rogue hair removal as one of the voices called out; Seres. The relief in her voice was clear, as were the tears that had clearly been shed.

Not wanting to worry Seres any further, Rowan opened her eyes and smiled softly. Only, instead of the princess, she was greeted by the stray hair. It lay there, straddling her eye without a care in the world.

One hand shot out to silence Seres whilst the other carefully extracted the hair. A few excruciating moments later, she was free, and it was made clear that the stray hair was of royal descent.

Were it not for the redness around Seres' eyes, Rowan would have capitalised on the stray hair to tease her for a good five minutes, but something was clearly wrong. Seres' growing confusion probably wasn't helping either.

Rather than wait for an explanation, Rowan went straight into requesting one. Seres hesitated for a second before answering.

"I was coming over to help you get ready for your date, but you weren't answering, so I got the maids to check in on you. They found you out cold near your washbasin. You wouldn't wake up!"

"Oh."

Seres' tears returned as Rowan made sense of everything that had happened. She recalled the chains and the crystalline needles stabbing into her back. The memory was as primal to her as her Awakening had been, and it served as the prelude to the true horror of her nightmares.

Seres, Alena, Tehri, Amran, Tyris, Kiriin, and even Anri were all made to suffer the same torture as her whilst the Silent Sisters forced her to watch. Had the nightmare been reality, it might have been enough to break her. Now that she was processing the nightmare a second time with Seres being there beside her, she felt her resolve glowing hot from the forge.

Without a word, Rowan reached over and held Seres in a firm embrace, as if to remind the both of them that the other wasn't going anywhere.

*****

"So, do you have any plans for today?" Seres asked Rowan as she coated a sweet breakfast pastry in jam.

Rowan shook her head. "If only. I'm still at a complete loss for ideas."

"Well, as your romantic aide, I've got you covered," Seres smiled as she indicated the notebook she had created for this very moment.

"I thought you were my winglady extraordinaire?" Rowan asked with clear bemusement.

"I can be both!" Seres protested, her smile dropping into a wounded pout.

"Well, last I checked, you weren't exactly swimming in romantic experience."

In response, Seres threw an almost imperceptible look at Rowan. It was perhaps a politer variation of a look Rowan had mastered. One that said, "No shit."

As such expressions were supposedly unbecoming of a princess, she quickly returned to the spoken word for a more put-together response. With a deep, composing breath, she went on to say, "While it is true I lack practical experience in regards to the romantic arts, I have researched many a romance novel, and my knowledge of the city is second to none. Furthermore, I have requisitioned the expertise of my maids to temper the less realistic notions."

The rebuttal almost rendered Rowan speechless. Alas, the serious facade Seres had presented was made completely transparent by the initial break in her character. Even so, Rowan decided to play along as she responded in a similarly collected tone.

"You have humbled me, dear friend, for you have proven yourself to possess the foresight I clearly lack."

Both girls held the air of mock pomposity for as long as they could manage. Seres slipped first as she tried to hide a quiet snicker. Unfortunately for her, Rowan was nearing her limit, and the way she contorted her face to prevent any form of laughter from escaping was too much for Seres to bear.

With floodgates open, a veiled snicker grew into a charming giggle that tipped Rowan over the edge. Laughter soon filled the room, echoing beyond the walls and alarming everyone within earshot.

When they eventually calmed down, they returned to the task at hand; giving Rowan options for her date with Alena. With her training the next day and Alena being scheduled to leave for Særis the day after that, they only had one day left for themselves, and Rowan wanted to make the most of it.

Unfortunately for her, however, her knowledge of the city was greatly limited, which made planning a date rather challenging. To that end, Seres offered to advise Rowan on potential date spots and activities. Perhaps more importantly, Seres also offered to help Rowan get ready.

When it was finally time for Rowan to leave, her nerves were hitting a whole new high. She had one last look in the mirror to check she was still okay. The soft white blouse and dark blue shorts she wore felt unfamiliar and almost out of place on her frame despite Seres' every assurance.

It was her first time dressing up for a date in years, and so much had changed since then. Part of her felt undeserving of the opportunity, of the clothes she wore. Another felt emboldened, yet still, she froze. A tear fell for Kiriin, and lost love.

Amidst everything, however, a voice pushed her forwards.

"You can do it."

Rina had her back.

*****

Rowan paced anxiously across the gazebo in the Royal Gardens as she waited for Alena. Seres had sent her a messenger on Rowan’s behalf to inform them of the meeting spot for their date.

Some of the gardeners looked over at her in anticipation. Considering Rowan’s previous visit to the gardens, they were probably wondering if they were in for another show. Fortunately, Rowan felt confident that she didn’t need to rely on embarrassment to get her through the start of her date, especially as she had other emotions she could call upon to bridge the gap with her sister.

The sound of footfall on the wooden steps of the gazebo alerted Rowan to a familiar presence. She turned to face Alena as she ascended ever-radiantly into view. She was beaming as their eyes made contact, her smile inviting, and her gait filled with excitement.

"I'm not late, am I?" Alena asked.

"N-n-no, I only just got here," Rowan replied, stumbling over her words like a lovestruck teen.

"Excellent," Alena said as she bounced forwards and leant in for a kiss from Rowan. When their lips parted a moment later, she whispered, "You're stunning."

"So are you," Rowan replied as she touched her nose affectionately against Alena’s.

She really was beautiful, and her outfit for the day was equally charming. Like Rowan, she was wearing a soft white blouse, though hers was sleeveless as if to show off her delicate, pale olive shoulders. The blouse also featured a full collar that she had adorned with a long, slender ribbon.

Any real similarities to Rowan’s outfit ended with the blouse, as she wore a short, flowy, rose-coloured skirt around her waist that fell just above the knee. The white cotton of her socks approached the hem of her skirt, leaving only the slightest hint of bare flesh. Also complimenting her legs were a pair of cream suede boots that had been laced to perfection.

What truly pulled the outfit together, however, was the voluminous ponytail that bobbed and bounced with as much enthusiasm as Alena herself, though the ribbon at the end of her tail was a close second.

The couple remained close for a few more blissful moments before drifting side by side, fingers interlaced and ready to move.

"Where to first?" Alena asked.

"We're already here," Rowan smiled, waving her free hand to the gardens. She wanted a quiet start to their date where they could just bask in each others’ company, and the cultivated natural beauty of the gardens seemed like the perfect place for it. As an added bonus, there was much to the gardens that Rowan hadn't yet explored, including a small hedge maze.

They spent almost two hours just walking around and exploring before they finally stopped for a bite to eat. A servant brought out a blanket and a small basket filled with a light picnic for lunch.

"Seres suggested I ask the servants to prepare the picnic while we explored," Rowan said as they sat down and the servants left.

"Makes sense," Alena replied.

"I thought so too, but I think she got a bit carried away with the idea, " Rowan laughed.

"Oh?"

"She wanted the servants to set the picnic up all fancy and romantic in a special location for us to find. I told her it felt a little contrived and artificial."

"Only a little?" Alena laughed.

"Well, perhaps a wee bit more than just a little, but you get the point."

"I do," Alena smiled, "though I would have been fine with it. At the very least, it would have been funny."

"She would feel so betrayed to hear you say that."

"I'm sure she'd forgive me. Either way, this was definitely the better approach. I can only imagine how awkward it would have been if we didn't find the picnic."

"Or if someone else found it first and we walked in on them eating it?"

"Or the animals."

"And this way, we're out in the open, so we're encouraged to be on our best behaviour."

Rowan looked across in confusion at a blushing Alena before realising what she just said.

"I, uh, didnae mean it like that," she stammered quickly, her accent growing stronger.

"You don’t need to apologise," Alena replied. Her cheeks were still warm, but she was starting to compose herself. "You just caught me off guard, is all."

"Maybe so, but I really didn't mean to be so forward."

Alena laughed. "Rowan, everything about you is forward. It's one of the things I like about you. I love how you wear your heart on your sleeve, even compared to other Ardents."

"You mean it?"

"I do."

"Really?"

"Really really."

"Well, in that case, let me return the favour."

"Oh?"

In response, Rowan shuffled over to Alena and whispered the various aspects of her character she found particularly attractive, from personality traits to physical to more esoteric ideas. From how accepting she was to how she made Rowan feel safe. From the way her tail swished when she was excited to her alluring figure. From the duality of her shyness and confidence. And finally? Her smile.

By the time Rowan pulled away, Alena was steaming, her face almost as red as Rowan’s hair. It wasn't just the words that had her blushing like a bonfire, but the full weight of Rowan’s emotions that fueled them. Rowan was capitalising on her abilities as an Ardent to highlight her love and desire so that Alena would know them to be true. In doing so, or perhaps in addition to, she inadvertently triggered her Gift, which further enhanced the moment.

Having been rendered speechless, Alena sat there nibbling at a sandwich. Rather than add to the heat, Rowan just placed her arm around Alena’s shoulder and pulled her in gently. Alena dropped the sandwich and leant into Rowan’s comforting embrace.

Their love was young, and they had been quick to find it. Even so, it was strong, and they found comfort in knowing it was more than just lust or desire.

They sat together in silence for a good while, looking towards a united future. It mattered not that they would soon be forced to part ways because their hearts were already becoming one, and they knew they would be reunited again.

In the heat of their first night together, they asked if their relationship would last. Or, more accurately, they asked if the other would be okay if they continued to hold a special place for them in their heart in case they drifted apart. Both agreed that they wanted to stay together, no matter what.

Now, in their moment of relative calm, they did not ask the question, for there was no need. Resonance sang in harmony between them. Even if the nature of their relationship changed, the connection they shared was known to Illyria, and She would make sure to preserve and nurture it.

The bond was strong enough now that they would continue being a part of the other's life in some way, shape, or form for as long as they lived, and nothing else got in the way. Such bonds also gave Rowan hope that she would be reunited with Tehri, Kyr, and Kiriin, assuming they were still alive.

Rowan was smiling blissfully when Alena practically leapt to her feet. In the midst of their basking, a giant squirrel had snuck up on them and was in the middle of stealing their lunch. The task of fighting it off fell to Alena as they didn't want to hurt it, and Rowan was still learning to better fine-tune her strength.

As Alena wrestled with a squirrel a quarter of her size, Rowan rescued the food. By the end of the perilous operation,  they had lost half of their lunch, and they agreed to finish it before they got distracted again.