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I'll be posting my story here as well!  If you're interested in it, please feel free to follow my other account: ManuWrites

Thank you if you take the time to read it!

Previous Chapter:
Next Chapter:

All Chapters HERE.

CHAPTER 75: PROPOSAL

                Up until that moment, Hedera had been enjoying a wonderfully pleasant afternoon.
                The placid hours before sunset had become her personal treasures as of late. Now that she and her sister were helping the humans prepare for the forthcoming travel, they spent long mornings sharing what they could about the terrain beyond the sea: the winds, and the lands, and the rivers that to Eirian cartographers and their friends alike were akin to mythical sceneries. Humans had it hard in Hedera’s eyes, needing to know so much beforehand and to arrange all sorts of provisions and equipment for the simple prospect of exploring and living to tell the tale. She couldn’t picture nature being something so hostile.
                By the time the daily meetings were done, all she wanted was to rest on the grass, or to take walks to the song of the stirring leaves, or sometimes both; so that was what she did. And every day, Bayard would join her in her respite. The human’s company enhanced her healing hours, but it also made them exciting. He was gentle and quiet, and yet he always had the best answers ready when she spoke. Bayard had an uncanny skill to discern when to leave the silence untouched and when to burst it, be it with warm words or funny remarks.
                Hedera knew it was wishful thinking to conclude that he completely understood her, an ancient demon of the earth, but she did so anyway.
                That afternoon had been just like the previous ones, soothing and serene, up until the very moment Bayard rattled the tranquil mood with his proposition.
                Despite being a demon, Hedera was familiar enough with the human concept of marriage; maybe even too familiar. It was something foreign, strange, incompatible with the lifestyle of an ancient demon: pledging one’s life to anything other than nature itself was senseless. Or at least, it should have been.
                Nonetheless, as she sat amidst the flowers, gazing at the dark haired human beside her, it wasn’t her duty as an ancient demon that concerned her. It wasn’t her incongruous yearning to spend every waking moment near him. It wasn’t her irregular desires. Instead, something even more abnormal and out of place hardened its grip of her thoughts: fear.
                Ancient demons instinctively knew most things: the flow of nature, the shape of the world, even the likely manner of their inevitable, even if distant, demise. Unlike the vast majority of creatures, fear was not an emotion they needed to stay alive. And yet there it was, nesting in Hedera’s chest and spreading its vicious roots from there. Her fear was simple, trivial, but above all it was inescapable.
                What if I’m not good enough? What if I’m not what he really wants?
                Hedera’s feral eyes had remained fixed on Bayard’s face. His usually pale cheeks had become rosy, his expression was expectant and nervous. For a moment she thought she could eat him whole, so charming and vulnerable he looked. Realizing her silence was alarming him, she forced herself to speak, “You don’t know what you’re saying…”
                “I always know what I’m saying.” His firm determination undermined his anxious appearance, “I asked you to marry me.”
                “I’m not a human.” Hedera struggled to sound calm, “I’m not a woman. I may seem humanoid enough to you, but-”
                “I don’t care about that.”
                “You’re not listening!” Hedera averted her glance, “When I say I’m not a woman, I mean it. I only ingest water and sunlight. My organs, my… my physiology is all different. I don’t… I don’t even have the body parts required to copulate with a human!”
                Hedera didn’t dare look back at Bayard, she wasn’t ready to witness his reaction. No, she feared his reaction. The following stillness lasted almost long enough for her to decide to run away, but an instant before she could, the human’s kind hands grasped hers.
                “I think you’re underestimating me.” He said, “I want to marry you. I don’t love Hedera the woman, or Hedera the human, or even Hedera the ancient demon. I love you, nothing more and nothing less. Only you and whatever that encompasses. Thus, I want you to marry me. Only you, Hedera.”
                The ancient demon still refused to turn her head, but no longer was fear the reason. Hedera couldn’t handle the embarrassment of showing anyone, not even Bayard, the pure bliss her face was surely displaying. How did he do it? How did he say the words I wanted to hear the most?
                She wondered if she had any right to feel as ecstatic as she did, but deep down she didn’t care. She knew she would live much longer than her human partner; she knew she would experience loss and pain; she knew being with her would deny him the elementary pleasures and outcomes of human love. None of that knowledge could sully her happiness at that moment.
                “Well,” she finally talked, “I suppose I have no reason to refuse, then.”
                Hedera turned her head at last, doing her best to seem nonchalant, but the joyful tears, darkened cheeks and unwavering grin betrayed her thoroughly. Bayard made no effort to conceal his own glee, hugging her and kissing her repeatedly in a manner that surprised even himself.

                “…Should we go back?” Bayard asked once the last traces of twilight gave way to nightfall, making it difficult to continue their cloud-gazing game. Hedera nodded in response. They held hands all the way back to their room.
                The sight of Malia’s flustered face upon their return let Hedera know that Licorice had informed the princess, Aldous and Gorken of the betrothal. Her twin sister wasn’t one to respect human-set boundaries about privacy, after all, and in any case Hedera was grateful not to have to retell it herself.

                If recently Hedera favored her private afternoons with Bayard, for Licorice her preferred part of the day was the evening. She had developed the habit of spending the time after dinner in Frida’s library; not only did she appreciate consuming wisdom from the perspective of humans, but she was fond of sharing tales with the dragon’s heart. The golden gem reacted positively to love poems and fables in particular, pulsating ardently as it heard the easy morals humans wrote to educate their own children. Licorice had noted that the little soul loved happy endings. She sensed that soon the diamond would become a hatchling, a child eager to live and learn, love and be loved.
                Often Malia and Gorken joined Licorice during her library incursions, and in such occasions Malia would be the one to read books out loud. The princess was better than Licorice at performing the emotion in the dialogue, her narration was rhythmical and purposeful, and she obviously had fun doing it; both the golden heart and Gorken took joy in listening to her. Aldous accompanied them too from time to time, singing for them the ballads and verses he evidently rejoiced in memorizing. Licorice had been surprised and content to discover that the redhead had a melodious, resonant voice.
                That night Malia and Gorken had taken their leave early, no doubt keen to spend some intimate time together, and thus only Licorice, Aldous and the yellow jewel lingered near the fireplace. Aldous had stayed uncommonly silent after finishing the song ‘The black wolf seduced the moon’. The ancient demon knew his silence meant he wanted to talk about something, and so she waited patiently for the human to be ready.
                “…Licorice.” He began, “After what Bayard did today, I feel I should be clear about something. Maybe I’ll look like an idiot for bringing it up but that’d be nothing new. Back when you stopped me from doing something truly stupid, you said… you said you’d be my parasite. But aren’t you expecting anything from me? The thing is… The last time I was in love it was with Bayard, long ago. That didn’t end well. Or maybe it ended too well, actually. Either way, I have always been attracted to men. I don’t know if I can ever…” he trailed off.
                “I fail to see the need for this exchange.” Licorice tilted her head, “Your romantic preferences don’t concern me. I’m your parasite. If I see you losing your way again, I’ll kick you back into the right path for our mutual benefit. That is all.”
                “You’re misusing the term parasite.” Aldous knowingly echoed the words Licorice had once directed his way.
                Licorice immediately caught his intent, “You’ve grown bold, human.” She smirked.
                “And you’ve grown on me, demon.” He leaned closer and kissed her cheek, “Stop calling yourself a parasite.”
                “Enlighten me then. Which term should I use?”
                “Partner.” He smiled.
                “Very well, partner.” Averse to losing any type of match, Licorice imitated the friendly human gesture: she kissed the freckled man’s cheek delicately. Aldous chuckled faintly in response. He returned to his seat and kept singing, shrouding the night in a sweet melody about a palace made out of flowers.

Description

I'll be posting my story here as well!  If you're interested in it, please feel free to follow my other account: ManuWrites

Thank you if you take the time to read it!

Previous Chapter:
Next Chapter:

All Chapters HERE.

CHAPTER 75: PROPOSAL

                Up until that moment, Hedera had been enjoying a wonderfully pleasant afternoon.
                The placid hours before sunset had become her personal treasures as of late. Now that she and her sister were helping the humans prepare for the forthcoming travel, they spent long mornings sharing what they could about the terrain beyond the sea: the winds, and the lands, and the rivers that to Eirian cartographers and their friends alike were akin to mythical sceneries. Humans had it hard in Hedera’s eyes, needing to know so much beforehand and to arrange all sorts of provisions and equipment for the simple prospect of exploring and living to tell the tale. She couldn’t picture nature being something so hostile.
                By the time the daily meetings were done, all she wanted was to rest on the grass, or to take walks to the song of the stirring leaves, or sometimes both; so that was what she did. And every day, Bayard would join her in her respite. The human’s company enhanced her healing hours, but it also made them exciting. He was gentle and quiet, and yet he always had the best answers ready when she spoke. Bayard had an uncanny skill to discern when to leave the silence untouched and when to burst it, be it with warm words or funny remarks.
                Hedera knew it was wishful thinking to conclude that he completely understood her, an ancient demon of the earth, but she did so anyway.
                That afternoon had been just like the previous ones, soothing and serene, up until the very moment Bayard rattled the tranquil mood with his proposition.
                Despite being a demon, Hedera was familiar enough with the human concept of marriage; maybe even too familiar. It was something foreign, strange, incompatible with the lifestyle of an ancient demon: pledging one’s life to anything other than nature itself was senseless. Or at least, it should have been.
                Nonetheless, as she sat amidst the flowers, gazing at the dark haired human beside her, it wasn’t her duty as an ancient demon that concerned her. It wasn’t her incongruous yearning to spend every waking moment near him. It wasn’t her irregular desires. Instead, something even more abnormal and out of place hardened its grip of her thoughts: fear.
                Ancient demons instinctively knew most things: the flow of nature, the shape of the world, even the likely manner of their inevitable, even if distant, demise. Unlike the vast majority of creatures, fear was not an emotion they needed to stay alive. And yet there it was, nesting in Hedera’s chest and spreading its vicious roots from there. Her fear was simple, trivial, but above all it was inescapable.
                What if I’m not good enough? What if I’m not what he really wants?
                Hedera’s feral eyes had remained fixed on Bayard’s face. His usually pale cheeks had become rosy, his expression was expectant and nervous. For a moment she thought she could eat him whole, so charming and vulnerable he looked. Realizing her silence was alarming him, she forced herself to speak, “You don’t know what you’re saying…”
                “I always know what I’m saying.” His firm determination undermined his anxious appearance, “I asked you to marry me.”
                “I’m not a human.” Hedera struggled to sound calm, “I’m not a woman. I may seem humanoid enough to you, but-”
                “I don’t care about that.”
                “You’re not listening!” Hedera averted her glance, “When I say I’m not a woman, I mean it. I only ingest water and sunlight. My organs, my… my physiology is all different. I don’t… I don’t even have the body parts required to copulate with a human!”
                Hedera didn’t dare look back at Bayard, she wasn’t ready to witness his reaction. No, she feared his reaction. The following stillness lasted almost long enough for her to decide to run away, but an instant before she could, the human’s kind hands grasped hers.
                “I think you’re underestimating me.” He said, “I want to marry you. I don’t love Hedera the woman, or Hedera the human, or even Hedera the ancient demon. I love you, nothing more and nothing less. Only you and whatever that encompasses. Thus, I want you to marry me. Only you, Hedera.”
                The ancient demon still refused to turn her head, but no longer was fear the reason. Hedera couldn’t handle the embarrassment of showing anyone, not even Bayard, the pure bliss her face was surely displaying. How did he do it? How did he say the words I wanted to hear the most?
                She wondered if she had any right to feel as ecstatic as she did, but deep down she didn’t care. She knew she would live much longer than her human partner; she knew she would experience loss and pain; she knew being with her would deny him the elementary pleasures and outcomes of human love. None of that knowledge could sully her happiness at that moment.
                “Well,” she finally talked, “I suppose I have no reason to refuse, then.”
                Hedera turned her head at last, doing her best to seem nonchalant, but the joyful tears, darkened cheeks and unwavering grin betrayed her thoroughly. Bayard made no effort to conceal his own glee, hugging her and kissing her repeatedly in a manner that surprised even himself.

                “…Should we go back?” Bayard asked once the last traces of twilight gave way to nightfall, making it difficult to continue their cloud-gazing game. Hedera nodded in response. They held hands all the way back to their room.
                The sight of Malia’s flustered face upon their return let Hedera know that Licorice had informed the princess, Aldous and Gorken of the betrothal. Her twin sister wasn’t one to respect human-set boundaries about privacy, after all, and in any case Hedera was grateful not to have to retell it herself.

                If recently Hedera favored her private afternoons with Bayard, for Licorice her preferred part of the day was the evening. She had developed the habit of spending the time after dinner in Frida’s library; not only did she appreciate consuming wisdom from the perspective of humans, but she was fond of sharing tales with the dragon’s heart. The golden gem reacted positively to love poems and fables in particular, pulsating ardently as it heard the easy morals humans wrote to educate their own children. Licorice had noted that the little soul loved happy endings. She sensed that soon the diamond would become a hatchling, a child eager to live and learn, love and be loved.
                Often Malia and Gorken joined Licorice during her library incursions, and in such occasions Malia would be the one to read books out loud. The princess was better than Licorice at performing the emotion in the dialogue, her narration was rhythmical and purposeful, and she obviously had fun doing it; both the golden heart and Gorken took joy in listening to her. Aldous accompanied them too from time to time, singing for them the ballads and verses he evidently rejoiced in memorizing. Licorice had been surprised and content to discover that the redhead had a melodious, resonant voice.
                That night Malia and Gorken had taken their leave early, no doubt keen to spend some intimate time together, and thus only Licorice, Aldous and the yellow jewel lingered near the fireplace. Aldous had stayed uncommonly silent after finishing the song ‘The black wolf seduced the moon’. The ancient demon knew his silence meant he wanted to talk about something, and so she waited patiently for the human to be ready.
                “…Licorice.” He began, “After what Bayard did today, I feel I should be clear about something. Maybe I’ll look like an idiot for bringing it up but that’d be nothing new. Back when you stopped me from doing something truly stupid, you said… you said you’d be my parasite. But aren’t you expecting anything from me? The thing is… The last time I was in love it was with Bayard, long ago. That didn’t end well. Or maybe it ended too well, actually. Either way, I have always been attracted to men. I don’t know if I can ever…” he trailed off.
                “I fail to see the need for this exchange.” Licorice tilted her head, “Your romantic preferences don’t concern me. I’m your parasite. If I see you losing your way again, I’ll kick you back into the right path for our mutual benefit. That is all.”
                “You’re misusing the term parasite.” Aldous knowingly echoed the words Licorice had once directed his way.
                Licorice immediately caught his intent, “You’ve grown bold, human.” She smirked.
                “And you’ve grown on me, demon.” He leaned closer and kissed her cheek, “Stop calling yourself a parasite.”
                “Enlighten me then. Which term should I use?”
                “Partner.” He smiled.
                “Very well, partner.” Averse to losing any type of match, Licorice imitated the friendly human gesture: she kissed the freckled man’s cheek delicately. Aldous chuckled faintly in response. He returned to his seat and kept singing, shrouding the night in a sweet melody about a palace made out of flowers.