Chapter 25: An Offering of Condolences 🌶️🌶️🌶️

LYDIA

Following the battle in Trinivan, a few merciful days passed without incident.

Lydia and the others returned to Ellesmere, where the Fire Slifer was able to devote some time to regaining her strength and allowing her wounds to heal.

Redmond was able to procure for Lydia a magical salve made from a selection of specialized herbs and flowers, which helped conceal the many wounds Lydia had sustained and prevented them from scarring.

Within two days, the evidence of Evine’s work was little more than a network of faint, fading lines across Lydia’s body, and within another day even those were little more than an unpleasant memory.

It was on the second day that Lydia decided to test the extent of her recovery by venturing outside her quarters, wandering the empty hallways of Ellesmere castle.

It was while passing through one of these corridors that she found Elise, gazing out at the same balcony view where she had stood herself some days ago.

Elise had not spoken to anyone since returning from Trinivan. Based on Lucius’s account, the Slifer had been unable to safely remove the jade stone that had been controlling King Calix.

After fighting their way past Uzier’s guardian beasts, Redmond and Adria arrived at the castle gates and attempted to assist Elise.

When Calix threatened to destroy both Redmond and Adria in his rampage, Elise was forced to intervene, using her wind magic to launch a maelstrom of spear-like icicles into the enthralled king’s heart.

King Calix was the first among the Royals that the Slifers had been unable to save. Lydia could not even begin to imagine the kind of emotional toll that must have exacted on Elise.

As much as she hated to admit it, Lydia had been hoping to avoid this particular conversation with Elise. The Fire Slifer knew all too well that no amount of kind words or condolences was enough to remove the painful sting that accompanied the loss of a loved one. What could one say in this situation?

Lydia knew that if anything had happened to Gabriel, she would probably be just as inconsolable as Elise was now.

Still, she had to say ~something~ right?

Taking a deep breath, Lydia slowly sidled up beside Elise on the balcony.

“Hey.”

Elise said nothing in response.

Lydia took a deep breath. “You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to,” she said. “I know I wouldn’t either if it were me.”

Elise stared straight ahead, making no indication as to whether she was listening.

“But if you do want to talk, the rest of us are here to offer whatever help we can.”

Elise slowly turned her head. Lydia had expected the Slifer’s eyes to be red and puffy from crying; instead, her eyes were simply glassy and dead.

“I’m beyond help now, Lydia,” Elise said mournfully. “Calix is dead, and it’s all my fault. I failed him.”

Lydia paused, struggling as she tried to think of an appropriate response. Elise continued, “Let me ask you something: what is the point of being a Slifer if I can’t even use these powers to protect the people I care about? If I could forfeit my abilities as a Slifer to bring back Calix, I would.”

Elise looked back out over the balcony at the view, her expression still blank.

“Maybe we would all be better off if I weren’t a Slifer to begin with.”

This suggestion caught Lydia off guard. Even if she didn't always enjoy it, being a Slifer was ingrained in Lydia’s identity for as long as she’d been alive. Until now, the thought of being anything ~other~ than a Slifer had never crossed her mind.

At the same time, Lydia’s thoughts drifted back to what Dorian had said to her; while she knew he was merely trying to manipulate her, he was not wrong in the fact that her role as a Slifer meant that she was more or less a plaything of “destiny,” whatever that entailed.

Would she have been happier if she were never born a Slifer?

At the very least, she would undoubtedly be freer: free to make her own life decisions, without her life being dictated by the whims of people and gods who intended to use her for some lofty purpose. That was certainly an enticing scenario to daydream about.

Of course, if she were never a Slifer, she never would have met Gabriel, either…

Lydia dismissed these scattered thoughts from her head, refocusing her efforts to help Elise.

“Look,” she said. “I’m not going to sugarcoat the situation, Elise. I’m not going to feed you some saccharine story that everything is going to be okay in the end. Because it’s not.

“You lost someone you loved, and that’s terrible. It’s a fucking tragedy. Saying anything suggesting otherwise would be an insult to you and to the memory of King Calix.”

Elise turned back to face Lydia, startled by this sudden outburst.

“To be honest,” Lydia continued, “I’m not sure things will get better anytime soon. We’re in the middle of a war. I was betrayed by someone I thought I could trust, kidnapped, tortured, and nearly transformed into a mindless puppet of a murderous witch. Not my most enjoyable week either, all things considered.”

The Fire Slifer took a deep breath. “However,” she said, “what would you suggest we do in response to these events? Shall we simply spend some time wallowing in our guilt and sorrow, then wait for Uzier and his goons to descend upon us without offering them a fight?”

Elise looked down at her feet, suddenly looking guilty.

“Or,” said Lydia, “should we instead take all that negative emotion and channel it into something that’s possibly more constructive? Say, for example, destroying Uzier and Evine and preventing them and their minions from ever causing harm again?”

Elise took a moment before responding.

“I…I suppose the latter option would be preferable.”

“What would Calix do in this situation?” asked Lydia.

“He would...he would fight. To avenge me,” Elise said. “No doubt about it.”

Lydia nodded. “Food for thought,” she concluded, “and I’m very sorry for your loss.”

The Fire Slifer strode out through the open balcony doorway and made it halfway down the hallway before she stopped to question whether what she said had been appropriate.

At the very least, she hoped that her lashing out hadn’t made Elise’s situation worse. Still, she maintained the belief that what she said was true, and thus needed to be said.

Besides, there was no time to dwell on weak attempts at motivational speaking. There was one other thing she needed to do now that she had her strength back.

“Lydia—” Gabriel began as she rounded the corner leading to her quarters. The king was currently standing outside her bedroom door; it appeared as though he had intended to check up on her before realizing she wasn’t in.

Before Gabriel had a chance to finish his sentence, Lydia had already descended on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply.

“Come,” she said, throwing open her bedroom door. It was an instruction, not a request. Without another word, Gabriel followed her inside.

The Fire Slifer slipped out of her clothes and lay down on the bed, provoking the king with her nakedness.

The sadness of Elise losing Calix made her want to savor every second she had with Gabriel—especially in the bedroom.

She heard Gabriel suck in his teeth as he strode toward her, hastily discarding his own garments. Lydia studied the geography of his body: his clifflike chin, the hills of his pectorals, the widening stream of hair from the flat plains of his abdomen to his mountainous cock below...

She dampened with desire, steam practically rising from her fiery sex.

“Come here and fuck me,” she instructed.

“Only since you asked nicely,” Gabriel said with a wink.

He joined her on the bed, his fingers connecting with her clitoris as if drawn by a magnetic force. He rubbed her gently, then slowly picked up speed. Lydia could barely stay afloat in the waves of ecstasy that racked her body.

She clutched the bedsheets as Gabriel plunged two fingers inside her, curling back at the knuckle to stroke her most sensitive wall. At any second, the intense pleasure threatened to make her cum like a summer rainstorm...

But she wanted to be properly fucked first.

Lydia reached for Gabriel’s manhood, stroking his lengthening shaft before guiding it toward her. Gabriel’s fingers slipped out of her sex only to be replaced by his throbbing member.

If Lydia hadn’t already taken it so many times, she would’ve sworn he was too much for her. She winced at the sweet sensation of him filling her.

Gabriel began to thrust...

And thrust...

And thrust!

He stared deeply into Lydia’s eyes, as if trying to read his lover’s every desire.

~Fuck me forever,~ Lydia thought feverishly, pleasure starting to get the better of her.

Gabriel suddenly flipped her over, remaining inside as he began to take her from behind, driving deeper into her core with each jabbing pump…

Lydia let out a primal wail as she finally came, Gabriel finishing soon after. She enjoyed the drip of his molten seed between her legs as he gently withdrew.

She would ~never~ let Calix’s fate befall Gabriel.

Not as long as their lovemaking was ~this~ good.

***

GABRIEL

“Agatha is sending an army to Freyr,” Gabriel said as the two of them reclined on the bed. The king was visibly sweating; clearly, he had not anticipated such an intense workout so soon after an equally fierce battle.

The king looked over to Lydia, reclining on her back and catching her breath as well.

Her naked skin seemed to be bathed in a red-orange afterglow, her breasts rising above the fireproof sheets like a twin sunrise.

“Freyr?” Lydia asked. “What makes her so convinced Uzier will attack there next?”

“To put it simply,” Gabriel replied, “because it’s the only place so far that has yet to be attacked.”

Lydia ruminated on this information. “I suppose you will be joining this army, then.”

“It is my sworn duty as a Royal of Ignolia,” Gabriel replied.

“Probably charging down on the front lines, no doubt.”

“There is a distinct possibility of that, yes.”

“Perfect,” said Lydia. “What should I pack for the trip?”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow at her. “You can’t be serious,” he said in disbelief. “After everything you’ve been through, you think you’re in good enough condition to fight another battle?”

“After what we just did, you should know what I’m physically capable of,” Lydia retorted. “And also, you’re a fool if you think I’ll let you go off and fight by yourself.”

“It’s not a topic of discussion,” said Gabriel.

“Yes, I agree,” said Lydia. “That’s why I’m going, and you can’t stop me.”

“I’ll call the castle guards,” said Gabriel indignantly. “I will have them confine you to your quarters until my return from Freyr.”

Lydia scoffed. “You really think the ~castle guards~ will be enough to stop me?” she asked incredulously. “Or have you forgotten that I can literally teleport?”

“My decision still stands,” Gabriel said firmly. “I will not allow any further harm to come to you.”

“How do you think I feel about this whole situation?” asked Lydia. “Last time I left you to your own devices, you returned as some kind of jade-powered marionette. I’m not exactly eager for that to happen again.”

Gabriel sighed, unable to think of a response.

The truth of the matter was simple—he wanted to keep Lydia safe, though he also didn’t want to leave her behind either.

While he’d rather not admit it, the Slifer was strong enough not to need his protection, and, perhaps more selfishly, he hardly wanted to separate himself from her again for any longer than necessary—especially when they had only just recently been intimate again.

“Look,” said Lydia, clasping Gabriel’s hand in hers. “We’re a team. That’s what the Gods seem to have intended for us, at any rate. We’re stronger when we’re together.”

She leaned in and kissed him, sending a tingling sensation through her body. “You see?” she said.

Gabriel smiled. “Very well,” he replied. “We leave for Freyr tomorrow.”

***

EVINE

From her hiding place amongst the trees, Evine watched as row after row of soldiers began to march from Ellesmere Castle, their horses and wagons moving in formation toward the distant city of Freyr.

Evine’s lips slowly began to curl up into a wicked grin.

Everything was going according to plan.

~If they want to have a battle,~ she mused to herself, ~I suppose we ought to do our best to give them one.~