just breathe through me
we'll keep the fires alight
we'll keep the fires alight
There were brief reassurances that came, which did wonders to calm Israfel’s rising nerves. Good, then, that she didn’t accidentally wake Lu prior to needing to be up and about. It helped soothe some of her rising concerns. Which, as of late, were quite plentiful and really fucking bothersome.
Weakly, she quirked a grin. “I’m glad. I was worried I might have to bring coffee for this.”
Resisting the urge to sigh heavily against her own exhausting, mental commentary, the Sun Daughter instead listened with a flick of an ivory ear. Glittering eyes of ruby focused on Luvena, listening to every word, and she gave a contemplative, placid nod of her head. There were a few moments that passed by, fleeting at best, where those striking turquoise eyes seemed to do a once-over, roving Israfel’s pale body from head to toe with a look so familiar… The look, rich in something, remained just beyond Isra’s reach, in a place that was so close she could nearly name it, and yet…
Yearning? Was it yearning? The thought left her baffled. Yearning for what? But, no, that wasn’t quite it.
Throughout her lifetime, Israfel had been the subject of many advances. She would never forget the hungry look of a potential suitor who came clambering her way. This glance from Luvena, akin to the kiss of a butterfly, was nothing like it, yet she was fairly sure she understood it all the same.
Attraction.
Surely not. Definitely not. Oh, shit. Something about the realization caused her body to grow hot, something unraveling within her core. Interesting. Hope, maybe? Curiosity? Interesting, indeed.
Heart racing, pulse pounding within her veins so loudly she could hear the rush of her own blood in her ears, the ivory maiden found herself almost missing everything that Luvena had continued to say. Fuck. Pay attention, Isra. Get your head out of your ass and listen.
Pol, Lu mentioned. Israfel didn’t know anyone named ‘Pol’, but trusted the other woman to not be concerned should this individual come around. Isra nodded, glanced about one last time, and then went to say her piece.
“Lu…” Diplomacy has never been Israfel’s strong suit. Words had never served her as well as her own sheer brute force could, or the burning rage of her fire, and so she found herself floundering for a way to say this with all the respect it deserved. "I wanted to be the one to tell you. You would find out soon, but I wanted you to hear it from me." Holding her breath, mulling it over, Israfel heaved a sigh and lifted her stare once more. When she spoke, her words were serious, but her expression remained kind, yet dedicated.
“I challenged Ira for his throne.” A moment passed, and then another. It would be enough time for the surprise to set in, for Luvena to really, truly listen and understand. “He didn’t show up.”
He forfeited his crown. There were no questions about what that meant, for Denocte, for her.
’At ease, Battlemage.’ The words rang again. Battlemage, no longer.
Despite everything, Israfel continued to talk. Her expression twisted, growing concerned, growing desperate, her eyes burning hot with passion, with the same fierce dedication she attempted everything in life with.
“Denocte has become my home, Lu… Because of you. I’ve walked these streets, I’ve settled into this land, I’ve come to think fondly of the songs and dances of the Night Court and the people who call it home. I want to see it protected. I want to see it guided. I wanted change, Lu, for the better, for a brighter future for this place that has so much potential to be great, if only someone could step up and do it. I want to someday, maybe, when my time comes, leave Denocte better than the way that I had found it, because everyone here deserves it. Because you deserve it.” The words poured like water from a tap, spilling and tumbling, and Israfel’s heart raced within her breast. “Because you are here.”
Israfel dared a step closer, her eyes piercing, staring deep into the vivid blue of the woman she loved. The rich timbre of her words comes out rumbling, like distant thunder, as she stepped into Lu’s space, hoping, praying, ’don’t pull away, please, please see this for what it is, what I’m offering you, what I cannot say with words because I don’t know how.’
“The world has been unkind to you, Lu. I won’t let it happen again.”
It was her first promise, as Queen. The first of many.
