~One Month Later~
Soft morning light gently glimmered down upon the rippling abyssal sea, illuminating its misty surface in a shimmering silvery veil. The ivory-grey cumulus clouds gently glowed a pale yellow hue where the pearly rays of the abyssal sun crept through. Seaspray sparkled in prisms of crystalline droplets as it violently billowed up from the waves which crashed upon the sharp cliffs, only to gently trickle back down into the ocean in foamy rivulets. Small dragon-like creatures eerily screeched while their leathery webbed wings flapped across the smokey horizon, occasionally diving below the surface in an attempt to catch a meal.
The misty sea winds played with the twisting strands of my golden hair and kissed my teary cheeks. Green grass thrilled at my slowly stepping feet while my long silky black dress fluttered out beside me. My broken heart was as heavy as the burial stone I held within my hands. Solemnly, I carried it over and laid it upon the small nameless grave at the edge of the seaside cliff. I could barely control my chest-wracking sobs while I weakly tucked the stone into place, trembling with grief as I did so.
I bit my quivering lower lip while sucking in a shaky breath, feeling a raw and empty ache carved deeply into my chest by the bitter blade of bereavement. It was the tangible kind of pain that was both scathing and suffocating, leaving one utterly debilitated in their anguish. As I dolorously laid my palm upon the cold stone, a large clawed grey hand gently rested over mine. Valarendrik crouched down to tenderly hug me from behind. I wrapped my other hand around his arm and began to violently weep, burying the side of my wet rosy cheek against his strong chest. He leaned his crestfallen face down to rest his lips against my hair, with his own black tears silently trickling down his ashen cheeks. Sagacor followed soon after, folding his large legs to lay behind us. He sadly hung his big horse head by our side with a soft woeful nicker. Then Valarendrik gave me a comforting squeeze as we grieved the child we would never know, enshrouded in the silence of sorrow.
The salted wind dragged a few strands of his shadowy hair over my shoulder, tickling my arm while my teary eyes stared blearily down at the empty grave. It was symbolic of our worst fears coming to life. A tomb for the dreams we'd foolishly dared to dream for our future. After the battle had been won, we had returned to Hell to ensure that everything was still okay with the baby. I squeezed my eyes tightly closed in anguish, recalling the world-shattering moment when Doctor Hangatie had reluctantly confirmed that our baby had been lost, having found no traces of life left within my womb. She informed us that we would have had a little girl, which had both brought me joy and felt like being stabbed in the gut.
Warm tears rolled down my cheeks and dripped from my chin, while the grass wavered all around our seated frames. In a mere instant, I had lost an irreplaceable piece of my heart. I'd spent nearly every night after that laying awake in Val's arms, desperately wishing that I could somehow turn back time and change what had happened. And even though I now knew that the lloigor had been playing tricks on my mind and undoubtedly would have killed everyone had I chosen to stay with the group, I still couldn't seem to stop all the guilt, anger, and what-ifs from drowning me in despair.
"She would have been so beautiful..." I brokenly whispered toward the shimmering sea.
Valarendrik tightened his hold around me and lovingly kissed the top of my head. "I would have wanted her to have your smile." The wind solemnly twisted through our hair, while Sagacor began nibbling on the grass. "Then I would have had an extra reason to do my best at filling her heart with joy."
A soft grievous laugh struggled its way out of my chest. "I doubt she would have looked anything like me at all. In fact, if that vision I had was true, then I'm certain she would have inherited your sharp scary teeth." I lightly poked at him.
"She'd still be beautiful, scary teeth and all." A sad smile graced his face. "Although, I suppose we'll never truly know what she would have looked like... Or who she would have been." He wistfully spoke while mournfully gazing at the grave.
"No, I suppose not." I softly agreed. My lower lip quivered as a fresh wave of grief washed over me, recalling what it had felt like to cradle the violet-eyed infant while in that void. Remembering the immense love I had felt for her.
A long moment passed, with only the sounds of the crashing sea and Sagacor's munching beside us being heard. I watched as his pointed abyss-horse teeth effortlessly sliced through the green grass like shears, absolutely loving his new earthly treat. William had chosen to stay in the abyss with Oliver and had been tasked with adding new vibrant plant life to the once forlorn landscapes. Where there was once only ashes and desolation now teemed with various verdure and was filled with life. In fact, all of Tenveriel now looked completely different.
Over the past month, tenverians and demons alike had worked tirelessly to rebuild the kingdom. Quite literally, since neither species needed much rest. Valarendrik had helped by using his power and shadows to swiftly move huge stones and other things, and together they restored Tenveriel in a dauntingly short amount of time. Menacing spires were erected, reaching to the brightened skyline like harrowing spears of death. They topped the somewhat gothic-looking yet otherworldly stone structures built along the winding stone streets which interwove throughout the land. They were breathtakingly extravagant and expanded far beyond the perimeter where the old crumbled walls of Tenveriel once stood. Lush ivy and blooming vines had already begun creeping up their stone sides thanks to William, making them look every bit as beautiful as they were formidable. They were exactly as one might expect structures crafted by demons and abyss people and adorned in pretty flowers to appear.
And yet, no new structure could compare to the grandeur of the mighty baronial castle which now stood behind us upon the fern-embellished cliffs. Lofty dark towers all but kissed the low drifting clouds and seemed to whisper strangely to one another in the wind. While intricately designed stone patterns and rounded corners created labyrinths of formidable architectural art. The bridge leading up from the kingdom to the castle was no longer a narrow and precarious path that looked like it could crumble at any moment, but rather a reinforced series of elegantly ethereal archways stretching over the splashing sea. Lush gardens and shadowy brewer spruce surrounded the castle with vibrancy and beauty, with climbing white roses clawing up the walls and enwreathing the grounds in their sweet fragrances. Despite being newly built, the place had a strangely ancient and arcane aura around it, as if inside its dark walls held all the secrets of olden gods and forgotten times. It was daunting to think of such a place as my new home.
The kingdom wasn't the only thing that was vastly different. Both William and Darrell had become unusually powerful after using the Ophibian Orb, allowing them to work together and revive all the withered undead corpses writhing inside of the wailing mountains and gulches of the deep. And as the mountains had hollowed and cracked, a mighty crashing waterfall had sprung forth from within the wailing peaks, creating a rushing river which furiously frothed while its water was spewn across the cremation grounds and over the cliffs into the sea. A plentiful amount of caedis trees were planted along its banks and many large fields of crops covered the rest of the valley, transforming the once deadened wastelands into beauteous and thriving orchards and farmland... Which of course quickly became a favorite new hangout spot for Sagacor.
Through the revival of those entrapped within the mountains and gulches, long-forgotten tenverians from distant and ancient kingdoms had been reawoken. Some had varying shades of dark grey skin while others had white or silvery hair. Ruby eyes set in onyx seemed to be the only consistent feature, yet they all appeared unmistakenly tenverian with the pointy ears and sharp teeth and all. They eagerly joined together and helped with the rebuilding of the kingdom, swearing their loyalty to Valarendrik without any hesitation since he was the one who slew Hsarohpem. And although the black clouds had yet to dissipate from the distant horizons like a dark ring encircling the land, there was plenty of room for everyone to live within our little safe haven of light.
The salted air chilled my wet cheeks while my red-rimmed and puffy eyes gazed up at his ethereal face, taking in the way the abyssal dawn captivatingly lit up his handsome features. I was in awe of what an amazing man my husband truly was. Of how he had broken free from his poisonous prison of oppression and risen from the ashes of his tragic life. He had overcome more than I could ever fathom, delivered his people from abyssal damnation and tyranny, corrected the sins of his ancestors, restored the serpent and reclaimed his kingdom, murdered his own mother and slayed a god... And he did it all to save me.
He gently rocked us while continuing to stare at the newly made grave, and I couldn't help but drown in the gratefulness welling in my heart for him. So much had happened since that fateful day when I'd stumbled into this dark world and he'd rescued me in that frightening forest. And despite all the grief that I now felt from losing our child, I couldn't imagine a future without Valarendrik by my side. I would plunge into the darkness and despair all over again just to be with the man I loved. He was worth everything to me.
"Valarendrik?" I softly whispered while leaning my head back against his chest.
His arms gently squeezed me tighter while his thumb tenderly caressed my upper arm. "Yes, Lucilia?"
"Thank you for always being there to save me."
He lightly wrapped his clawed fingers beneath my chin to lift my face, then he placed a loving kiss upon my tear-dewed lips. "I will always be there to rescue you, even if I have to obliterate the entire abyss to do so. Of this, you may always be certain." His crimson eyes shifted between mine. "But truly, it is I who should be thanking you for saving me. You graced my solitude with your beauty. You showed me that even a damned creature of darkness can love and be loved in return. You inspired me to liberate my homeland and take back what was rightfully mine." He gestured all around at the morning light. "You have quite literally illuminated my world."
My stomach fluttered while I reached up and gently placed my hand on his cheek. "Yes, but I would have been long dead if it wasn't for you."
"And I would have never known what it felt like to be alive if it weren't for you." He softly smiled while leaning into my touch. I half expected to hear the twitching of the crown, still not fully used to its absence. The obsidian band was still permanently fused to his skull, with black diamonds now filling in the holes where the bones once were.
A breathy laugh fell from my lips as my eyes watered with both grief and love. "I love you." My voice gently quavered.
"I love you too." The adoring twinkle in his eyes mirrored his endearing words, making me smile all the wider. "I know you never intended to stay here, but no words can truly express how glad I am that you've chosen to live in this world with me and be my queen."
I tenderly caressed his cheek with my thumb while staring longingly into his abyssal gaze. "Well of course I did, I'm a wanted criminal back on earth now after all." I teased with another laugh. Although it was true that I had wanted to return home more than anything when I'd first ended up in this deathly world, I would now give up all the beauty of the earth just to be with my dark prince, my king. "But really, Valarendrik, whether we be on earth, in Hell, or in the abyss, my home will always be wherever you are..." I leaned up and tenderly kissed his soft grey lips. "...because you are my world." My blue eyes shifted back and forth to take in his expression while I slightly leaned away.
Pure joy beamed from his eyes and he couldn't seem to stop the elated and loving smile from stretching widely across his face, with his lips slightly separating to reveal a glimpse of his sharp white teeth. "And you are my most beloved little light." His shadows happily wisped through his hair while he grabbed my cheek and leaned in, passionately kissing me back with overwhelming love and devotion.
My fingers curled into the heavy yet soft material of his black otherworldly jacket, while I yearnfully kissed him back. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach and tears slid down my cheeks. Never had I felt such love before, and never would I have ever imagined that my worst nightmare would have turned into my biggest dream come true. The love which we shared between us may have been kindled in a world of death, but it was a living breathing force flowing through our souls. It was as boundless as the stars and as deep as the mighty seas. And not even the distance between worlds could stop such a beautiful thing.
-: ✧ :-✧-: ✧ :-
The abyssal sun whimsically glimmered down upon the wavering trees and steep rooftops of Tenveriel's enchanted and somewhat gothic-looking center. Salty-smelling sea mist slithered up from the cliffs and lightly blanketed the ground in thin swirling wisps, weaving its way through the many new shops, homes, and gardens, while cladding many of the quivering leaves, flowers, and ferns in a shimmery sun-kissed dew. Many tenverians and a few demons were all gathered together, murmuring among themselves while standing in a large circle around an empty plot of grass. Valarendrik had an arm affectionately around my mid-back as we stood among them, dressed in elegant regal attire. Val was clad in a solid black hellish fashion, while I was wearing a flowy midnight blue dress with abyssal-styled silver embroidery. Azathoth, Gwendolyn, the hellions, and Belzar were standing on our right, with William, Oliver, Darrell, and Rosalie beside them. Meanwhile, Jayden, Maribel, and their son were on our right.
I had grown rather close with Maribel over the past month, taking comfort in our shared grief. Although her child had been grown while mine had never taken a breath, our pain was similar. I was glad when she shared that her and Jayden intended to stay in the abyss, knowing that she would still be around to talk to. Eventually, all of the once-humans had decided to stay in the abyss rather than try to integrate into Hell.
They stood close by in their own group among the reawakened natives, and while there were still language and cultural barriers to overcome, they seemed to get along just fine. They had all gathered to watch while we opened a portal to Hell, creating a bridge between us and our new allies so that we could trade resources and travel between the two worlds freely. We intended to use Hell's technology so we weren't living like it was still the middle ages, and they would be allowed to mine dark abyssal essence to forge it into new weapons similar to the teloch axe.
In fact, it was upon mentioning the axe that Gwendolyn recalled how both it and her swords had similar intricate black engravings woven into them. She had noticed it before, but never thought much of it until learning about what had happened to those killed by them. Azathoth had taken the swords to get inspected back in Hell where they confirmed that they were indeed laced with dark abyssal essence, which apparently pulls the souls of those killed by it back to the abyss. Luckily, the swords weren't demonically weaponized to drag them down into the abyssal pits for all eternity like the axe was.
I tucked a strand of my golden waves behind my ear while tilting my head to smile over at Rosalie. She had her arms loosely wrapped around Oliver's neck as he lovingly held her, with her grey cheek goofily squished against his shoulder. Her crimson eyes twinkled while she smiled back, causing her little fangs to poke out over her bottom lip. She had apparently snapped out of her daze around the same time that Hsarohpem was defeated, and thankfully she didn't seem to recall anything that might have happened to her. And Although William and Oliver hadn't been back together for very long, William had already taken up a parental role in her life. He had become a fun and flamboyant fatherly figure who constantly showered her with lots of love and affection. It was adorable, really.
My eyes then roamed over to the two Hellions. Elydian was reaching up to hold her father's much larger hand with a big derpy smile stuck on her cute little face. Meanwhile, Daicareus was contently held within his mother's arms, surveying the area with piercing green eyes that seemed to eerily peer beyond our realm of comprehension. My heart clenched at the sight, but I stuffed down my welling pain for the sake of the event. Darrell reached over and playfully ruffled the top of Belzar's fluffy head. He was still living with Gwendolyn and Azathoth, but had begun searching for his own place in Hell. I felt guilty that he'd become a wanted criminal and couldn't return to earth because of us. Yet he always politely insisted that he didn't mind it in the slightest.
Valarendrik gently pulled me a bit closer to his side, giving me a small loving squeeze before raising his voice to speak in English. "If everyone is ready, we'll begin planting the ialpor trees in celebration of the kingdom's restoration." The garbled murmurs all around immediately quieted down upon hearing their king's voice and a sea of ruby eyes all landed upon us with unwavering attention. It was a level of reverence that I knew he was still getting used to, but he was stepping into his kingly role well. "Not only will we create a portal to Hell with these merging trees to symbolize the welcoming of our demonic allies, but they will also serve as a beacon of light and life to us in this world of death. Their fire shall burn brightly so that Tenveriel may never be fully enshrouded by eternal darkness again." He then repeated his words in the ancient abyssal language. A bunch of soft cheers from the onlooking crowd followed his words. His crimson eyes quickly flickered down to me with a loving smile adorning his face before he continued to speak.
"It is my hope that all of you will come to know me as your friend rather than your king. My doors are always open to each and every one of you, and I will always do my best to assist anyone who is in need. And know that I have also bestowed my wife with an analogous level of authority as myself, making her my queen and equal in every way as we rule together side by side. We shall do our best to always be fair and kind rulers, never letting this kingdom slip into the grasp of tyranny again."
...Wait, what?...
My eyes widened at his words, not having known that he was planning such a thing. Obviously, I knew that being married to him made me the queen, but I had figured that I wouldn't have nearly much power considering my background. He smirked and squeezed my arm while I stood there like a dunce processing the information.
"I'd also like to announce that Jayden has agreed to become my royal adviser." He then gestured to Jayden, who gave a small wave and a smile to everyone. "I requested that he take the position for his exceptional judgment and intuition, which he has proven time and time again. And Oliver shall be my Chancellor for his logical thinking and caring nature." Oliver lightly bounced Rosalie while nodding and smiling as Valarendrik once again repeated his words in the abyssal language.
An uproar of delighted cheers filled the kingdom center. I had no idea what all the native tenverians were saying, but judging by the smile on Valarendrik's face and their excited expressions, it seemed to be words of praise. "What are they saying?" I softly asked.
Valarendrik leaned down just a bit, with his long regal cloak swaying in the swirling mist. "They're hailing me as their king of shadows, and you as their queen of light."
"Oh..." A blush crept across my cheeks while I shyly smiled, feeling extremely flattered and unsure how to respond. He softly chuckled and kissed the top of my head.
"Do you have the seeds ready?" Valarendrik leaned forward to glance at Azathoth.
"Yep, just give me a second..." Azathoth let go of Elydian's hand and began rummaging around in his pocket, reaching unusually deep into it... Wait... how the hell is his entire forearm fitting in there?... I watched in confusion as he pulled out an entire gallon jug of maple syrup, a sinister-looking adult spanking paddle, and a coil of black rope before retrieving a small black drawstring bag. "Here they are." He held it up while Elydian sneakily grabbed the maple syrup.
"Wonderful!" Valarendrik gave me another quick kiss before releasing me from his hold. "William, are you ready?"
"Always." William flicked a blonde lock over his shoulder and moved his cherry-red cat-eye sunglasses up on top of his head. "Alright, lovecake, I'm up." He gave Oliver a quick kiss on the lips, then pecked Rosalie on the cheek. His bright-red lips turned up into a smile as he stepped over to Val and Az with a laugh.
The three of them walked out to the center of the grassy circle among the mist, where there were already two small holes carved into the ground about fifteen feet away from one another. Azathoth poured two embery seeds into his palm, offering one to Valarendrik. Val extended his claws and very carefully pinched the seed with his pointer finger and thumb like tweezers as to not get burned, accepting the offering with a gracious bow.
Everyone silently watched as both of the tall, dark, and handsome men went over to a hole to carefully place the tiny seeds into the ground, oblivious to Elydian who was now sitting on the ground behind Gwendolyn, drinking the maple syrup straight from the jug like it was juice. Shadows gently swirled through the ends of Valarendrik's hair, while Azathoth's wings lightly flapped. This was supposed to be symbolic of the new friendship formed between the demons and tenverians... Even though those two weirdos had already been good friends for an entire mind-boggling three thousand years.
Once they were done, they both stood on either side of William to watch the rest. The mist softly glowed orange right above the fiery seeds, making it beautifully shimmer with warmth. Wind played through William's light wavy hair while he held both hands out toward the seeds resting within the soil. His eyes fluttered closed in concentration, allowing thin ribbons of brilliant white light to swirl around his hands and through his perfectly manicured fingers. It moved like a sentient mist and slithered out to each seed, sinking into the ground to wrap them in lustrous life energy.
The orange glow of the seeds began to flicker and brighten as though perturbed from a long dormant slumber. Then twin saplings suddenly sprouted up on either side, rapidly expanding while what looked like bushels of fiery maple leaves began to quickly unfurl from the growing webs of branches. William used his life-magic to direct the growth, bending the rough dark trunks towards each other to twist and entwine them together, creating a mighty archway at the base while they reached up high above the kingdom like a magnificent single pillar of flaming glory.
It was almost startling how fast they grew. Ambery sparks twirled all around like glitter as they gently fell from the leaves, making the scene come alive with a sense of magic. The fire painted all of our faces with its flickering glow as we stared in awe at the beauty of the two conjoined trees. "Wow..." Elydian's little voice said in amazement as she sat in the grass with syrup dripping down her chin, drawing Gwendolyn's attention to her.
"Elydian!" Gwendolyn softly scolded the guiltily grinning hellion while swiftly confiscating the syrup. "You're going to be bouncing off the walls from all that sugar!"
I softly giggled while glancing back over to Valarendrik, catching him staring at me with adoring eyes. The firelight gilded his striking features with an alluring contrast of light and shadow, and he'd probably look quite intimidating and mysterious if it weren't for the goofy smile stretched across his face. "What do think?" He happily gestured up at the trees.
"They're lovely!" I clasped my hands together while gazing up and up, struggling to find the point where the top of the branches crowned the sky. "Very tall, but beautiful!"
His smile grew all the brighter, then he quickly turned to Azathoth in excitement. "Alright, she likes them, we can proceed."
William walked back over to Oliver while Valarendrik and Azathoth both took twin black crystals in their hands. Their pointed edges gleamed while each man placed them within the trunks in the inner sides of the archway, causing an ominous-looking black mist to begin leaking out of them. It swiftly moved to veil the entire archway in a whirling inky void, with a faint embery glow appearing within the mist as though flames were trying to break through from the other side.
"Did it work?" Valarendrik asked while staring at the new portal with admiration.
"There's only one way to find out for sure..." Azathoth shrugged and beginning to walk towards it. "Let's just hope I don't end up swallowed by some enigmatic primordial beast the moment I step through." He joyfully laughed with a snap of his fingers and a wink while disappearing into the mist, pulling his large wings through last.
"Where'd daddy go?" Elydian quietly asked, with her wide nervous eyes peering up at her mother in concern.
"He went home." Daicareus answered before Gwendolyn while looking down at his sister with care. It almost seemed like he was the older child.
Gwendolyn gently bounced him in her arms, making him smile cutely. "That's right, and he'll be right back." She reassured them with a loving expression, then glanced at the portal with 'hurry-the-fuck-up' eyes.
Sparks fluttered by while the leaves rustled in the breeze overhead. We waited for only about a minute before Azathoth reappeared, stepping through the portal like a sinister beast emerging from the depths of Hell. "There's a bit of lag, but it works fine." He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.
"That's wonderful!" Valarendrik exclaimed while lifting his arm up in excitement. "Good news, everyone! The portal to Hell has successfully been opened!"
I couldn't help but laugh while everyone began to clap, cheering and admiring the new addition to the kingdom. People began to break the circle, stepping over to stand beneath the trees' firey boughs while murmuring to one another. The tenverian children and hellions began running around like little hooligans, one nearly running straight through the portal, only to be stopped by Valarendrik's shadows swooping around them.
"Careful, Aiden." Valarendrik chuckled while redirecting the small boy. He then glanced over at me, holding his clawed hand out in an invitation. The bottom of my dress swooshed over the green grass while I walked to him. I placed my hand in his with a smile, then he gently pulled me to his large frame. The black diamonds within his band mirrored the twinkle in his eyes as he gazed down at me with a tender expression of pure love. "Do you like the trees?"
"I love them." Joy glimmered in my eyes and sparks danced all around, while I stood on my tiptoes to give him a kiss. And we continued to celebrate the completion of the kingdom for the rest of the day.
-: ✧ :-✧-: ✧ :-
The abyssal sun slowly sank into peaceful slumber. It fell behind the ominous wall of whirling black clouds which brooded over the whispering peaks of the high mountains, painting the pale indigo skies with breathtaking hues of lavender and gold. A veil of deep velvet blue enshrouded the horizon, darkening the land to allow the most radiant spectacle of shimmering stars to glitter over the mountains and sea. Their glittering rays danced upon the black glassy water, which jealously mirrored their elegance and sparkled with every rising ripple of a wave.
My dainty hands rested upon the cold yet beautifully carved stone railing of my new bedroom's balcony. Moonflower vines coiled around stonework and climbed up the side of the castle, their pale blooms quivering in the gentle sea breeze beside me. I closed my eyes and listened to the hypnotic music of waves tossing against the cliffs, smiling as I sensed my husband approaching. He was unnaturally silent as he floated up behind me, yet the strange connection between our souls made me well aware of his shadowy presence. My smile widened even before I felt the large arms wrap around my torso from behind. He lovingly leaned down to kiss the top of my head, holding me in a tender hug as though I was the most precious thing in the world to him.
"There you are, my little Lucy." He softly spoke next to my ear, sending a delightful shiver up my spine. "What are you doing out here?" His dark cloak and long hair fluttered forward to further envelop me in his shadowy embrace.
"I'm just admiring the night sky." I turned my head to look up at him, and he glanced down to meet my gaze with a loving smile. "It's so different yet so strangely similar to earth's sky."
"It's difficult to fathom that this is the same abyss I grew up in." He nodded and gazed up, letting the starlight twinkle in his ruby eyes. His large hands began gently roaming over my body, lingering over my beaded nipples which peeked through my thin silky black bathrobe that left very little to the imagination. "To think that all those stars were hidden for so long."
I stared up at the bejeweled heavens and leaned into his sensual caress. "I guess it's up to us to name all the constellations." A soft giggle bubbled out of me. "Although, that might take an eternity. There are so many of them!" Instead of hearing him laugh along with me, I felt his muscles slightly tense and I could sense a wave of nervousness rolling over his soul. Confusion fell across my features as I once again turned to gaze up at him. "Is something wrong?"
The tide peacefully crashed against the cliffs below, while his black and crimson eyes anxiously shifted between mine. "No, nothing is wrong. However, there is something important that I've been meaning to speak to you about."
I eyed him curiously, wondering what it could possibly be. "Well, what is it?" I reached up and tucked some of his thick silky hair behind the pointed tip of his ear.
He took my hand in his, gave the back a tender kiss, then held it to his unbeating heart. "Lucilia... There is no one other than you who I wish to have rule by my side. You are my friend, my lover, my treasured wife, and my queen..." He gazed down at me with immense love gleaming in his eyes, making my heart soar. "I want you with me for as long as I live... Which is why your mortality frightens me."
"Oh..." My heart dropped, feeling weighted by his words. It felt like a rock plunged into the pit of my stomach as the heavy reality of my human mortality suddenly crushed my thoughts of happily ever after. "I suppose that is a problem."
His fingers gently curled under my chin, coaxing me to look back up at him. "So, I have inquired about demonic spells that would immortalize you." My heart rate sped up and my eyes widened. It was easy to forget that Valarendrik was a four-thousand-year-old undead being and I was destined to live only a mere fraction of that. And the thought of immortality was rather overwhelming for me. "There are two options that we have."
"Wh-What are they?" I softly stammered.
He shifted so that we were better facing one another, taking both of my hands in his. "Well, there is a spell that would permanently bind us together and tie your life to mine, making it so as long as I live, you will too." His hands gave mine a gentle squeeze with a look of reluctance. "Or, I could become truly living and we could age and perish together."
"Wait, what?" My brows furrowed while the sea wind played with my hair. "I don't think I understand?"
His shoulders slightly shrugged. "My immortality is through eternal death, so if I were to become a living being, I would age and eventually parish as well. I'm sure there's a way for me to become both alive and immortal, but I'm not aware of anything at the moment." He dropped down on one knee, making our heights nearly even. "I only know for certain that I do not want to spend all eternity without you by my side if you do not wish for immortality." Shadows flicked through his hair while a few wispy threads danced across his nervous face. "And I want you to fully understand the price of immortality before you make your decision. If you let me tie your life to mine, you will have to witness your earthly loved ones age and perish. Your mother, Pema, Ani Tsering, they'll all eventually be gone while you live on with me forevermore."
My lips fell slacken as tears threatened to well in my eyes. I had yet to reconcile with Pema, but the thought of living on for an infinite amount of time after she was gone was heartbreaking. I had not thought of such a thing before, and it hurt to think that I'd eventually lose them. Plus it was also staggering to think that here was this undead abyss king, ready to give up his immortal life for me. No matter what I chose, the decision would be difficult, yet I seemed to already know my answer.
His thumb tenderly brushed over my knuckles while the moonflowers quivered beside us. "You don't have to make your decision now. Take all the time you need. I'll wait patiently."
"It will be very painful for me to lose my loved ones..." I began to softly speak. "But that's destined to happen regardless of what we chose to do. And I don't want you to sacrifice your immortality for me." I leaned forward and pressed my lips just above the obsidian band on his forehead. "I will let you tie my soul to yours. You are the love of my life and I want to share until the end of time with you."
A bright beaming smile lit up his face and shadows happily wisped through his hair. "Thank you, my love. But I want you to think about it and be sure of your decision. Do not feel frightened to tell me if you have a change of heart." He leaned forward to kiss me on the nose, making me scrunch it with a giggle. I knew that I wouldn't be changing my mind, but it was endearing that he was giving me the chance to. "And, Lucy..." His large clawed hand gently caressed my cheek. "There is one more thing I would like to ask of you."
"Yes?" My wide eyes shifted between his as I awaited his request.
"I'm so happy to have you as my wife, but, well, our wedding was less than ideal and not by our own choice." He softly laughed while glancing down.
"You don't have to try to remind me of that." I laughed as well as he lifted his gaze back up to meet mine.
"So..." He carefully reached into his pocket, pulling out something small and sparkly. I gasped and my hands flew over my mouth the instant I realized what it was. Tears welled in my eyes and my heart rate quickened. He held up a beautifully carved marquise-cut sapphire ring, allowing it to sparkle in the starlight before me. Black vines wove around the silver band, with tiny glittering diamonds delicately placed all around it. It was absolutely breathtaking and truly looked fit for a queen. "Lucilia Faye Lovette, will you marry me, again?" He cleared his throat. "Willingly this time?"
I nodded my head with my hands still on my face, allowing my tears to freely fall as an overwhelming wave of love and happiness washed over me. "Yes, yes Valarendrik, I will marry you again."
He didn't have even a measly second to respond before I was dramatically throwing my arms around him, leaping into his shadowy embrace with the utmost joy welling in my heart. His arms swiftly wrapped around me in return, with his fingers threading through the hair on the back of my head. He held me close and stared deeply into my eyes with a wide grin. "I love you, Lucy." Tendrils of shadows affectionally swirled around me, then his lips crashed to mine in a passionate kiss.
The stars shimmered above while the sea billowed below. My fingertips curled against the firmness of his strong shoulders, as I softly parted my lips to allow his freakishly long tongue to delve further into our kiss. He held me with immense strength as though he never wanted to let me go, yet his touch was perfectly controlled and gentle at the same time. I moved my lips in harmony with his, completely unbothered by the sharp venomous teeth hidden just behind their softness. Tears of joy continued to roll down my cheeks as he pulled me closer, moving one of his muscular thighs between my legs so that I was straddling him.
And for the first time in a long time, everything was perfect.