Chapter Text
After Furina's show had been concluded, they brought her to some doctors for urgent treatment. She had lost a lot of blood and a possible infection would be deadly. After she could think clearly again she was sent back to the Palais Mermonia but had to be under the watch of a doctor at all times in case of an emergency.
Navia and Clorinde had been working with the guards and soldiers in helping the citizens and planning some projects for Fontaine to liven everything up. The city streets were trashy and gloomy, not looked over properly in a good while. The whole nation was only at the beginning of a slow recovery.
Neuvillette was hid inside an old chamber in the Palais Mermonia and the only ones having access there were the Queen herself and Sigewinne. They could not trust any proper doctor with Neuvillette and so Sigewinne was up for the task of looking over his health. Sigewinne had also helped a bunch of citizens with problems like mental health as her sympathetic nature helped her understand the depth of their emotions. Other Melusines really started to look up to her in an adoring manner and many had planned on getting an education in medicine.
Furina's guards had talked to Sedene after she had run to Furina for help that day and thanked her sincerely. Unexpectedly, Sedene was very inspired by the guards's loyalty and efficiency. She's now on her way to becoming a guard. The guards couldn't help but feel a sense of bittersweet deja vu.
The Fortress guards had found no trace of Neuvillette whatsoever and put up a notice, though after the incidents truth was revealed the people's hatred started leaning on Egeria. Doubts about Neuvillette rose and they couldn't help but wonder if there was something else to his case too. If Furina hadn't taken action herself, she would be hated by now too.
Wriothesley went back into the Fortress but not to serve his sentence. He had gotten special permission from the Queen to be released, which was the first time in history that someone with a lifetime sentence got released with special permission. Wriothesley contributed a lot to the reconstruction of the Fortress and the respect the inmates already had for the man grew. Despite him not being a part of them anymore he acted no different, he treated them as equals.
The forbidden zone was intact and safe as it was one of the spaces the Fatui wanted to investigate after all during the attack. Wriothesley invited Arlecchino down to the Fortress. He was holding a tightly sealed box as he stood in front of the doors with permission. The guards he had gone past last time stood there next to him quite uncomfortably.
"Soooooo, how's it going?" Wriothesley asked them with a smug smile. He knew he was acting childish and like a dick but he couldn't help but laugh, though he held his chuckles back. The guards glanced at him annoyed and sighed.
"Just doing our duty..." One of the guards replied and the other one slightly scoffed. They obviously didn't enjoy Wriothesley's presence or how he had gone so far as to gain the Queen's favor after all the mess he had caused.
"Come on, no need to be so tense," Wriothesley said with a chuckle, "It's not like I'm going to fling you somewhere again." The guards didn't bother to respond anymore and the memory of that made them just embarrassed.
"Wriothesley, please be quiet and don't disturb our work," one guard said trying to get rid of the lingering annoyance that only grew after Wriothesley's next words.
"You know I'm known as 'his Grace' in the pankration ring. Why don't you call me that instead?" Wriothesley joked around more. It was a nice feeling to get to joke around even if the people around him weren't really for it. The guards didn't even bother to answer him and just rolled their eyes. Despite holding this bad impression of Wriothesley they couldn't deny his good actions and deeds and so decided not to pick a fight with him.
Not soon after Arlecchino arrived. "Wriothesley, I'm here," she greeted and nodded at the guards in greeting as well. The guards didn't know how to respond to her since she was still a terrorist who had also snuck into the forbidden zone. Why did these two have to be the ones coming here..?
"Let's not stall any longer. Let's go," Arlecchino said and Wriothesley nodded as he followed her inside through the big doors. The secret path was left open and they descended the stairs into the secret space that held the murals.
"How do we do this?" Wriothesley asked and Arlecchino studied the surroundings and how to use them. There wasn't anywhere they could put it behind or lock to, unless...
Arlecchino walked over to one of the murals, the mural had the picture of the passed down power. She felt around it and as she found a hollow spot she punched through the mural, breaking it.
Wriothesley startled, "Is that really okay?" He asked. The murals were an ancient thing hidden deep within the Fortress after all, they would hold a lot of value.
"They all need to be destroyed someday. No one will need these anymore and we can't let the past linger here anymore," Arlecchino said as she took the broken pieces away and showed Wriothesley a hidden hole that was behind the mural. The hole was empty but conveniently big enough for the box.
Wriothesley placed the box inside carefully and Arlecchino put the broken pieces back to hide it. It wasn't too obvious with the cracks since the picture itself was very messy and would make do for now. Arlecchino sighed as her hand lingered on the mural but snapped out of it and started walking away.
"Arlecchino," Wriothesley caught her attention and continued, "Do you miss her?" Arlecchino turned back to him, her expression holding a myriad of emotions.
"I just don't know whether I knew the real her or was it all an act, a lie," she said truthfully. She found Wriothesley very similar to herself in some aspects and thus trusted he would understand.
Wriothesley nodded in understanding and replied, "She trusted you with her own power. I believe how she acted towards others was all an act even if I haven't met her. Has she ever told you a single lie?"
Arlecchino thought about it and said longingly, "No. No, she hasn't. But she didn't tell me the truth either." If one does not want to lie one must stay silent, that was how Egeria showed her honesty to Arlecchino. It had been something that conflicted Arlecchino even after all these years but she knew she could never hear her honest words in physical form.
"Furina wanted to see you," Arlecchino said and turned to leave. Wriothesley nodded and followed after her. He hadn't met with Furina in a while since he had been helping at the Fortress a lot these days. It must be something of great importance.
Wriothesley made his way towards the Palais Mermonia and met Furina's two guards by her door. They politely greeted him and opened the doors. Wriothesley thanked them and entered into the room he had not seen in a long while.
Last time, the room had been dark and full of webs and dust. Now the room had been turned into something that resembled someone's actual living quarters. It was bright and the furnishing was clean, light from the window shone in, and the walls had been reworked clean and nice.
Furina sat by a desk and rose as she saw Wriothesley enter, "Welcome!" She looked quite happier these days already. She had a white eyepatch on her as she was still recovering from the injury but she didn't seem to mind it one bit. "Please, take a seat," Furina offered a chair and Wriothesley sat down.
"So, why am I here again?" Wriothesley asked and Furina chuckled.
"You have been working hard and I can't let all that go to waste, can I?" Furina started and paced around the room. She wasn't one to sit down quietly these days.
"What do you mean?" Wriothesley asked. Now that he thought about it, he had heard about Clorinde being promoted as Furina's bodyguard and getting a higher position as a soldier. Navia had been given an official place in the city with the Spina di Rosula. Such formidable positions were no less than deserved.
"Well, you see," Furina started her tone a bit leading, "This was something I had to think about a lot and only clicked after I decided to check on things in the Fortress." Back when chaos was still there and inmates did not know anything about what happened on the surface, Furina had gone down after recovering a bit to ensure them that everything was fine now. In Clorinde's and Navia's cases, it had been easy to think of higher positions for them but Wriothesley's case was slightly different.
There were higher police positions in Fontaine but those who truly appreciated Wriothesley's actions were the ones underground. Wriothesley was not a guard and a Fortress guard position would only be a demotion. Furina was the one "looking over" the Fortress but she had no time to attend to things there. It was time to move to a new era in the Fortress and create the first Duke.
"Wriothesley, you shall be known as the Duke of the Fortress of Meropide from now on," Furina declared and Wriothesley's eyes widened. He had expected a promotion more or less but... what?
Furina laughed as she saw Wriothesley's confused yet shocked expression and elaborated, "The position of the Duke oversees the Fortress of Meropide as the administrator. The Fortress has always acted differently from the court, which is why I thought having its own "head" made more sense than me being labeled as its master." It would indeed be better for Fontaine overall but such a position couldn't be handed to just anybody.
Wriothesley couldn't lie that he had been feeling a bit out of touch with the people on the surface ever since they came back. Making the Fortress of Meropide a better place for the inmates was more than he could ever ask for.
Wriothesley thanked Furina courteously, "Thank you, Queen Furina." Furina waved off the formalities with a laugh and settled down on a chair. Her expression turned more serious.
"How's the badge?" Furina asked and Wriothesley took the wolf badge out of his pocket. As Neuvillette was recovering, the badge was recovering as well. Surprisingly, only the most formidable crack remained, splitting the badge in half on the surface. Sigewinne has been working hard to take care of her and had not emerged from the secluded chambers in a while so asking her for more details was out of the question. Furina didn't enter the chambers herself since she might interrupt and bother the small Melusine's work.
"How would I face him again?" Wriothesley asked concern laced in his eyes. He had been thinking of possible outcomes of their reunion but he had no way of knowing how or when it would happen.
Furina sighed and smiled lightly, "Wriothesley, you have always acted with your heart when it comes to Neuvillette. Don't ever change that." Her tone held a hidden protectiveness behind it while also knowing that she could trust Wriothesley to do that. Wriothesley nodded and succumbed to his own thoughts.
It hadn't rained for a while. Wriothesley was never too fond of it but now it seemed like a source of comfort to his longing. He glanced out the window to the now bright streets. People were putting up stalls and small shops as the streets began to come alive with people again. It was a sunny day, the rays of the sun almost blinding. Wriothesley sighed. Going home felt difficult.
The moving process of his stuff down to the Fortress began shortly and the guarded forbidden zone became his office. Wriothesley had to hold back his laughs as he saw the guards' expressions who guarded the place. They were no longer guarding the Queen's private space but the Duke's office who just happened to be the person they didn't want to see down here again. Even worse, he was basically their boss now. Wriothesley would make it his goal to get these guards to liven up to him.
The space was cleaned and Furina had said she had made some special adjustments there. Going up the stairs was where he was mainly stationed. Bookshelves were placed on the sides and a big desk was placed in the middle with a too-expensive-looking chair placed beside it. To the side was another small table for whatever but what Furina had done was the big metallic wolf head placed on the wall behind the big desk.
Wriothesley looked at everything impressed. He began feeling like he had been granted too big a position but he had already accepted it, he could no longer refuse. The new office was still empty and so Wriothesley returned to pack up his stuff from his old one on the surface.
As he made his way to the police quarters, which were filled with friendly chatter between the people. Everything had significantly calmed down for them and Wriothesley was surprised how many unfamiliar faces were here. In fact, he couldn't see a single familiar one.
"Wriothesley!" A surprised voice called out to him. It was his old boss. He hadn't seen him in what felt like ages. The man came over to him and looked him over, "So, how's it going?" He looked quite interested since Wriothesley was never really fired from here despite being deemed as a criminal. The chaos back then had been too much so they never got around to it.
"I'm coming to get my old stuff," Wriothesley said and the boss sighed knowingly. He had been fond of Wriothesley's work back in the day but knew this day would come.
"What does the future hold then?" The man asked curiously. In his eyes, Wriothesley didn't seem like a person suited for anything else nor could he retire yet.
"I'll be working over at the Fortress of Meropide as the administrator," Wriothesley said and chuckled as he saw the man's face fall.
"You're joking, right?" The boss asked in disbelief but as Wriothesley just grinned in silence he knew he was serious. The man had thought that he himself had a pretty formidable position between the police forces but one of his men was now the administrator at the Fortress of Meropide. It was hard to believe but he felt oddly proud.
"I'll be on my way. Do I need to fill some files?" Wriothesley asked referring to him not working here anymore but the boss brushed him off with a wave.
"I'll just take care of it. You must be busy enough as it is," The boss said and Wriothesley nodded gratefully.
As he opened the door to his old small office he felt like old memories flooded his mind. There were many things left here like an old picture placed on his desk. Wriothesley picked it up and dusted the picture. He saw it was a selfie of him, Clorinde, and Navia together, they all looked immature and naive. It felt strange that that was the past he was used to back then. The change really settled in him as he looked around himself not finding a place to fit anymore. This place felt foreign.
Wriothesley put down the picture and saw that his phone was on his desk. It was out of batteries but it had been safe here all this time. "How have you been Mr. Tea?" Wriothesley asked quietly as he looked at the otter phone case. The sight of the creature made an odd feeling well up within him and he put it in his pocket. He would have to look through it after charging.
As the office was emptied and the stuff put in boxes that got dragged away, Wriothesley couldn't help but feel a sense of longing for the carefree past. Now he was older, scarred, and felt like a whole different person. Back then he had held every piece of himself and now he only held half, the other half was yet to return.
Days started to fly by quickly. At first, they had felt like minutes had stretched into hours and so on but finding a new rhythm to his life had helped. The Fortress had gotten a new start and everything started rolling smoothly once again. The inmates were quite happy with Wriothesley taking over things and many respected him to the point they called him "your Grace" even outside the pankration ring. Even if he was the Duke right now he still participated in those tournaments from time to time since he had developed a new interest in boxing.
Wriothesley sat in his office and took the badge in his hands. There was a crack in the middle but it no longer split it in half. He placed the badge back onto the shirt now that it wasn't so broken anymore. The clothes Neuvillette gave him had become like his signature clothes people could recognize him from over time. His coat was still with Neuvillette in the secluded chambers though.
Wriothesley sighed in his chair and ran a hand through his hair. The confined air of the Fortress suddenly felt suffocating. Wriothesley made his way to the surface and emerged from behind the Opera Epiclese. He walked through the front yard, past the fountain, and settled by a fence from which he could see the sea leading to the Court of Fontaine.
The idle wind played with his hair bringing a nice cold breeze into the warm day but with the breeze, it brought a drop that landed on Wriothesley's nose. After the first one, it brought another and another, and soon there were many of them at the same time.
Wriothesley's eyes widened as he felt himself being surrounded by raindrops. It was possible that these drops were not his. No. They were his. The small droplets held something in them that made Wriothesley's heartstrings thrum. He looked around himself with a sense of desperation whipping his head around to look towards the city again. Without another thought, his legs started moving, walking, jogging, running.
Wriothesley's heart beat in his chest with a newfound flame as he exhausted his breath. His lashes quivered and his fingertips shook. The people sought shelter from the rain while Wriothesley ran through the streets not caring. In fact, he wanted to be soaked, he missed the rain so dearly.
When he made it to the front of the Palais Mermonia, he stopped. He stood there breathing heavily from running, too scared to enter. The raindrops fell down his face, from the tips of his hair, and circled the metal badge on his chest. There were footsteps behind his back and suddenly it felt like everything stopped around him.
"Wriothesley."
Wriothesley froze as his breath caught in his throat. He exhaled shakily and turned around with slightly quivering lips. His eyes grew red-rimmed as his eyes darted between the two purple ones. His feet were glued to the ground, he was unable to reach out to him.
There he stood in front of him, long white hair, although soaked, adorned his face perfectly. There was a pleasant smile on his lips and his eyes cast a soft, almost welcoming glow on Wriothesley. He closed his eyes and opened them again as he slowly walked closer. He wore a white flowy robe that made him glow all the more in the slowly receding rain. As he came close enough he extended his hand and touched Wriothesley's cheek.
Wriothesley sucked in another shaky breath as the familiar hand made contact with him again. There was no need for big words. Wriothesley closed his eyes and leaned against the hand as he felt a single tear roll down his cheek. He raised his hand to the other's and held it in place, not like it was going to leave any time soon.
"Neuvillette..."
Wriothesley tried the name on his tongue again, "Neuvillette." Neuvillette smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.
"I'm here," Neuvillette's voice was barely above a whisper as it reassured Wriothesley with its gentleness. Wriothesley opened his eyes to look at the other's again. He didn't know how to feel but maybe he didn't need to to begin with. He had Neuvillette in his arms again, he had everything in his arm.
Wriothesley reached for Neuvillette's face instead and caressed his features gently. He stroked his hair softly feeling the fragile strands under his hold. His hand ghosted over a small wound on Neuvillette's forehead. He held Neuvillette's face as he placed a gentle kiss on the wound. He lingered there, his soft lips against the tender skin. He broke the contact and looked into Neuvillette's eyes once more and saw how his lip too was quivering ever so slightly. They shared a meaningful look before Wriothesley closed the distance to meet those quivering lips with his own.
The contact lasted for a while before breaking as both their eyes darted between each other's, their hearts beating as one, breaths mingling together. Neuvillette reached up to hold Wriothesley's face as well and they collided in meeting once more. Wriothesley felt as if they were too far apart, Neuvillette was still too far apart from him, so he wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him closer. The once receding rain intensified once more as Wriothesley could feel a faint tear sliding down Neuvillette's cheek or maybe it was just another raindrop.
The rain surrounded their entwined figures stood in front of the Palais Mermonia, half of each other meeting, creating a whole. The badge once cracked glowed with newfound life as their lips parted with shaky breaths. Their foreheads pressed together as they forgot the world around them for even a brief moment, gentle caresses against each other's cheeks making them smile sweetly.
"You're here," Wriothesley called out, his voice barely above a faint whisper. He felt like he never wanted to let go even if it would've turned out to be a dream.
Neuvillette took a step back to take a good look at Wriothesley. His smile grew into a gentle curve and his eyes were like upturned crescents, the most sincere smile he had made in a long while. "I'm glad you're here too," Neuvillette said kind of breathlessly.
Wriothesley took a hold of Neuvillette's hands and brought them down in between them to just hold them. It would've been logical to ask something like 'How are you feeling?' or something along those lines but all Wriothesley wanted was to just be by him. He felt how the rain subsided and the bright rays of the sun hit them through the gaps of the clouds.
It seemed all so surreal. There was much they'd gone through and much they'd endured but both wanted to move forward, together, looking into the bright future to share between the two similar yet different beings. Because their hearts were equal.
◦◦,'°.✽✦✽.◦.✽✦✽.°',◦◦
Even if the people's hate of Neuvillette had gone down a notch they shouldn't be reckless with his public appearance, He was still marked as missing. Ensuring that he won't experience threats or something of the sort there was a plan in store for him.
That plan was the destruction of the eye. The people of Fontaine were skeptical about its destruction since no information about its location was set for the public eye neither did they hear anything about its destruction, all they knew was that it was no longer on Furina.
Arlecchino and Neuvillette had both come down to the Fortress of Meropide and entered the Duke's office. Wriothesley came down the stairs and greeted them by the door.
"Are both of you prepared?" Wriothesley ensured and the pair nodded. Wriothesley went over to open the passage down to the secret area and Arlecchino was quick to make her way down. "Neuvillette," Wriothesley stopped Neuvillette before he went down.
"What is it, Wriothesley?" Neuvillette asked kind of amused.
"Come back safe," Wriothesley said and cupped Neuvillette's face before kissing him on his forehead. Neuvillette smiled and chuckled lightly.
"I will," Neuvillette reassured him. Wriothesley had become clingy these days and showed him an overwhelming amount of affection but it was not like Neuvillette didn't enjoy it. Wriothesley was like a cute dog latching onto its owner every time he saw Neuvillette. Neuvillette himself was not so intense in his affections as Wriothesley was but that never seemed to be a problem. Even the tiniest things would make Wriothesley's heart flutter happily, even if it was just a stolen glance.
Neuvillette descended the stairs and met with Arlecchino again who didn't seem to mind the small delay. She had gotten the box out of the wall and placed it on the floor.
"Sit down," Arlecchino instructed Neuvillette and they both sat cross-legged on the floor on opposite sides of the box.
"May I ask, what exactly are the consequences of this?" Neuvillette knew them but wanted to make sure one last time before committing to the act.
"Overflowing the entity by lending our shared power of the undying raindrop will be too much to bear for it, which would cause it to dissipate along with the cursed power. As for us, you'll live as a long-life species as you had before but the usual concept of death of others of your kind will be shared. For me, I will slowly fade from this world as a human, maybe not instantly, maybe not in 20 years, but eventually," Arlecchino explained slowly and with a clear voice. Neuvillette nodded in understanding.
Even if this was the last remaining piece of his mother he was ready to destroy it. It wasn't like the love he felt for her all those years ago had dissipated despite her actions, he still harbored those old feelings. But the time had come for him and for her to move on to something new, the opposite ways, life, and death.
Arlecchino took a deep breath and set her hands out and signaled Neuvillette to do the same. Their hands were pressed together on top of the box as they concentrated on their breathing, flow, and whole being. Through their cursed veins, they slowly chanted in their heads as something seemed to shift. The box seemed to be affected by their actions, or more like the contents of that box.
This lasted for a while and it exhausted them. Their breaths were shaky as they held on and sent the power into the object that was now trashing around inside the box. It was as if they could hear painful shrieks, screams of agony.
After they were done, the box stilled and Neuvillette and Arlecchino both let their hands rest. They caught their breaths and Arlecchino moved her hand up to wipe away the wetness around her eyes. She too still held on to the feelings of the past.
Neuvillette carefully opened to box after a while and what met him was just a pile of ash. He closed the box and looked up at Arlecchino, "What are we going to do with it?"
Arlecchino responded quietly, "I'll take care of it, you needn't worry." Neuvillette nodded in understanding. He was completely fine with this choice.
Not long after that day, Arlecchino traveled to the old ruins of her town. This place was lost all those years ago and it was also the place where Egeria should've been left, not in the form of an eye but to slowly fade away from the world of the living. It was where Arlecchino was supposed to be left too.
She walked through the desolate streets, broken houses, and buildings surrounding her. Her black flowy attire swung with the wind gracefully. It was a black suit with flowing sleeves and the end of the shirt extended to create another black wave.
Arlecchino entered the ruins of a certain house and walked through it to enter a dead garden. She looked around the place and saw a small seedling. It was brightly green amid the suffocating darkness trying to make itself grow in this hopeless and abandoned place. She carried the box that was filled with ashes of old near the small seedling and set it down next to it. Maybe it would grow into a beautiful tree one day.
Arlecchino stood and looked at the sight. Her thoughts were empty but she felt a wave of relief. Still, it was weird to let go after all these years.
She chuckled to herself, "Do you think this was the only outcome, my friend?" Her question would always be left unanswered but she did not yearn for one. If she were to get an answer it would only make her matters worse knowing that it wasn't. But it was not like they could have everything they ever dreamed of even if things had turned out differently.
Arlecchino's light smile slowly faded as she went on her knees on the ground. The tears she thought she had already shed burst in like a sudden wave of emotions. She felt like her old young self again, childish, naive, and immature. She was nothing like the stoic and confident Knave of the Fatui she was set out to be.
"I don't like this outcome," she sobbed quietly as the only life around her was the small sapling. Her hands were dirtied against the filthy ground along with her clothes. She had had 200 years to prepare for the last goodbye yet she hadn't been ready to face it after all.
◦◦,'°.✽✦✽.◦.✽✦✽.°',◦◦
The sunny days became frequent and rain no longer bothered the merchants selling goods outside or other such people so much anymore. The eye's destruction was revealed to all by the Queen herself and Arlecchino and Neuvillette were praised for it equally. The House of the Heart no longer faced so many problems and accusations concerning the Fatui and Neuvillette got his position back as the Chief Justice residing in the Palais Mermonia. He wasn't yet fully on duty yet but his place was well reserved.
Wriothesley and Neuvillette had decided to go out and take a slow walk outside the city. They were enjoying the warmth of the sun in comfortable silence as they padded along a calm river. Wriothesley spotted a beautiful shell by the shore and went over to pick it up.
"Neuvillette," he called out and went back to the judge who was watching him curiously. He gave the small shell to Neuvillette and the other started inspecting the hidden details on it. Wriothesley couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, "You look like one of those Leisurely otters."
"An otter, you say? Wriothesley, you know I'm a dragon," Neuvillette said, filled with confusion.
Wriothesley patted Neuvillette's shoulder, laughing, "Don't worry about it." He found Neuvillette's knowledge of humor quite amusing, or more the lack of it.
Suddenly, a familiar voice called out to them from a distance, "Wriothesle! Neuvillette! Fancy seeing you guys here." The pair turned to look who it was and saw a woman waving at them, her golden hair flowing behind her. Another woman silently followed her from behind. Navia and Clorinde.
"What are you guys doing all the way out here?" Wriothesley asked. It wasn't too common for people to come around these parts.
"We were getting some flowers from a field over there. We're taking them to Carole's and Vautrin's graves," Clorinde explained and showed them a bunch of flowers she was holding. "Do you guys want to join us or were we disturbing?"
Wriothesley shook his head, "No, you weren't disturbing." He looked over at Neuvillette for an answer. Neuvillette usually brought some of his own stuff, as thoughtful as he was, for his grave visits so a spontaneous visit like this might not be what he would do.
Indeed, Neuvillette responded, "I was planning a visit for a later time. Thank you for the offer." The women nodded understandingly.
"We won't keep you guys any longer then, have fun!" Navia said and they waved each other goodbye as the women walked past them and towards the city. Work was few this weekend so everyone had time to enjoy and leisurely time.
Neuvillette and Wriothesley continued their walk along the shore and eventually made their way to a place surrounded by lush greenery. The trees were obstructing the sun yet the rays that made their way through made it seem all the more magical. The pair glanced at each other in equal awe and fascination and continued walking in their comfortable silence.
Suddenly, Neuvillette broke the silence, "Wriothesley, I want to have intercourse with you." The pleasant and soft smile on Wriothesley's face froze as he was trying to process the other's words. Neuvillette had stopped walking and looked at Wriothesley with a serious expression.
"...What?" Wriothesley asked, still caught off guard.
"I said I want to have-"
"I get it, I get it!" Wriothesley stopped the words from coming out of Neuvillette's mouth and panicked. It wasn't like he didn't want to he just... Didn't expect it like this? "Just don't say it like that anymore," Wriothesley sighed hopelessly.
Neuvillette was confused by Wriothesley's behavior, "Wriothesley, is it not what you want? I found myself immersed in books telling about human affections, I never looked into this kind of stuff in depth between men since I had no such interests before. Now, I find myself quite curious." Neuvillette's words were words of honesty and Wriothesley chuckled.
Wriothesley stepped closer and cupped Neuvillette's cheek and other closed his eyes and leaned against it, softly nuzzling it. "It's not like I don't want it, you just surprised me is all," Wriothesley said softly.
Neuvillette opened his eyes to look at Wriothesley happily as he smiled. He quickly went forward to place a peck on Wriothesley's lips and looked up to him. The sun rays that reflected from his eyes made them shine all the more brighter as he met pale eyes. The surrounding lively nature seemed almost like their pure and safe environment, there was no judgment, and both were beautiful with their own flaws since in the end, no one is perfect. Perfection doesn't exist. It's only a concept set by people but real love blooms from accepting differences and "flaws" as they are. Those flaws make that person "perfect" in your own very eyes if you're just willing to see it.
"That's all?" Wriothesley chuckled and captured Neuvillette's lips with his own. Neuvillette smiled into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Wriothesley's shoulders. They had gone as far as to make out but not too intensely. Back in the Fortress that one faithful day they had not kissed since that would've been too much as things were back then, they were not yet lovers.
The pair stumbled, chuckled, and laughed as they relished in the intimate connection of their lips. In the heat of the moment, it was only a matter of time before Neuvillette was pressed against the grass while Wriothesley's insistent tongue explored the insides of his mouth. Neuvillette sighed into the kiss and Wriothesley broke the contact, though a string of saliva connected them.
"You're beautiful," Wriothesley said, his voice quiet and full of raw emotion. To call someone beautiful while their hair is disheveled against the grass and their lips slightly swollen from kissing is exactly the kind of indescribable love that grows from each other's flaws. Wriothesley reached down to stroke the white strands of silky hair and brought it up to his mouth to gently place a kiss against them.
Neuvillette felt his heart flutter at every small action his lover took. The feeling of being cherished like this would never settle in him but that would only fuel him further. Everything would always feel new.
"Neuvillette..." Wriothesley called out to him.
"Wriothesley," Neuvillette said, his voice gentle as he brought the other man down to kiss him again. His breath hitched as he felt two rough hands slide under his white blouse. His own hands were also eager to feel Wriothesley, not Wriothesley's clothes.
Wriothesley took off his jacket and set it under Neuvillette as a soft blanket. The sight of him against his own colors fueled his desire for the other man further and so did Wriothesley's scent all around Neuvillette do the same to him.
First, Wriothesley's vest hit the ground, then Neuvillette's blouse, followed by Wriothesley's black button-up. Skin against skin, they felt each other as they continued to make out. Wriothesley broke the kiss as he took a better look at Neuvillette. His body was not flawless clear skin anymore. There were several marks left from deep scars that would never completely heal. Wriothesley's finger ghosted over them as he bent down to place a gentle kiss on one of them.
"Wriothesley, doesn't it look hideous?" Neuvillette asked, clearly self-conscious about his own state. Wriothesley lifted his gaze to look at those sad eyes with his own and he smiled warmly.
"I find them beautiful, just like how you find mine," Wriothesley replied with all the sincerity in his voice. Neuvillette huffed a soft laugh and moved up to place a kiss on one of Wriothesley's scars as well.
"One day, I want to study them," Neuvillette said and traced along the brutal scarred lines of his lover's body. "I want you to tell me about each and everyone," he continued and closed his eyes contently.
"I will," Wriothesley responded and chuckled. His hands moved down Neuvillette's body reaching the waistband of his pants. He looked up to Neuvillette for permission for something and Neuvillette nodded with all the trust he had.
Neuvillette's pants were discarded and thrown on the same pile as the others along with his underwear. Neuvillette let out a shaky exhale as nerves and anticipation filled him, neither a negative one. He closed his eyes shut as he didn't know what he was expecting but nothing ever came. He opened one eye slowly to see Wriothesley's warm smile.
"Shh, relax," Wriothesley whispered and pressed their foreheads together in a gentle contact. Neuvillette breathed in again and exhaled.
"I'm... I don't know what to do," Neuvillette confessed a bit embarrassed but no cell in Wriothesley's body made fun of him for that. Wriothesley only nodded slowly and took that into consideration.
"Breath in slowly, exhale, and release tension," Wriothesley guided him and Neuvillette did as told. Just as he was relaxing, he tensed again as he felt a small intrusion. "Shh..." Wriothesley whispered to Neuvillette with comforting words as he slowly pushed his finger deeper into the man under him. He stopped every time Neuvillette would seem too tense and waited patiently.
"Wriothesley... Is it supposed to feel like this?" He asked as it didn't seem to get better. It felt warm but there was a twinge of pain. It was such a foreign feeling and nothing that Neuvillette had anticipated.
"It'll get better, just relax," Wriothesley said and dragged his finger out just a bit before moving it back. The movement began to get easier as Neuvillette's walls no longer were so against the intrusion.
The slight pain and hotness Neuvillette had felt turned into some strange mixture of sensations. Wriothesley's movement was gentle and it felt like he could take all the time he needed to adjust to the new feelings, he showed no signs of rushing.
Suddenly, Wriothesley took his finger out entirely. Neuvillette didn't dare open his eyes but after a while, he felt the same finger slide back in except this time it was wet and more slippery. ... Spit? No matter what it was, it made Neuvillette bite his lip. The easier slide seemed to make everything much smoother and better.
"You're doing great, Neuvillette," Wriothesley's voice echoed around him. His voice was more raw and husky as Neuvillette became breathless. He felt another digit stretch him open further, which made him gasp. Neuvillette brought his arm up to cover his face, which got moved away by Wriothesley. Wriothesley leaned down to kiss Neuvillette's forehead, "Don't hide yourself." It was hard not to, not because he felt ugly or embarrassed but because Wriothesley made him feel so beautiful.
The fingers inside Neuvillette tested the waters and occasionally pressed down gently, which made Neuvillette's breath hitch. He arched his back towards the touch, "Wriothesley... It did get better." The uncomfortable and foreign feel was almost completely gone and replaced by pleasure and more desire.
Wriothesley chuckled and smiled. He placed gentle kisses along Neuvillette's jaw and down to his neck. The sensitive skin trembled ever so slightly under his touch. Suddenly Neuvillette's hands tugged Wriothesley's belt and said man lifted his gaze to look at Neuvillette. "What is it, my dear?" Wriothesley teased lightly and Neuvillette's expression turned scolding.
"I want to see all of you too," Neuvillette said and his face turned soft again. Wriothesley huffed a laugh and helped Neuvillette in taking his pants off along with his underwear. Neuvillette smiled at Wriothesley and the other mirrored his expression. There was no one around them and they were securely in their own bubble, most vulnerable and pure.
Wriothesley withdrew his fingers from the well-stretched hole and stroked himself a few times to take off the edge and coated the length with a little pre cum. He lifted Neuvillette's legs, which he wrapped around Wriothesley's waist, pressed lightly against the entrance, and looked up to see Neuvillette's nervous expression.
"I won't go until you're ready," Wriothesley said reassuringly and caressed the other's cheek. Both their bodies were flushed, though it was more vibrant on Neuvillette's paler skin. His purple eyes shone even more under those tones.
"I'm just a bit worried if it'll... go in," Neuvillette was not used to speaking in such words and thus was quite embarrassed despite it being Wriothesley who he was talking to.
Wriothesley chuckled in response and thought Neuvillette was cute, "It will hurt at first but I promise you it'll be fine." Neuvillette nodded and exhaled shakily. He wrapped his legs tighter around Wriothesley's waist as a signal that he was ready.
Wriothesley slowly pushed the tip inside and Neuvillette's brows furrowed. As more went in, Neuvillette bit his lip and took a hold of Wriothesley's arm, which made the other stop. "I'll wait," Wriothesley said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Neuvillette was taking deep breaths and focused on relaxing his body. The intrusion this time was significantly bigger even if he was well prepared. He took a hold of Wriothesley's shoulders with both hands and nodded as a sign that he was ready to continue again.
Wriothesley slowly dragged it out and thrust back in equally slow. As he continued this and slowly got deeper and deeper, Neuvillette eased around him again and his shaky breaths turned into gasps. What surprised Neuvillette was his voice after he called out his beloved's name again. It seemed to surprise Wriothesley quite a lot too from the way it felt like the intrusive length got bigger.
Neuvillette's eyes were closed the entire way but as he opened them, they were wet. Wriothesley kissed the unshed tears away and caressed his cheek gently. He pressed their foreheads together as the slide in and out got much easier. Neuvillette felt like warm water surrounding him, pleasant and relaxing. Their hot breaths mingled together as sweat gathered on their bodies.
"You're doing so well," Wriothesley whispered between them and Neuvillette bit his lip as it felt like Wriothesley went deeper again. A tear slid down his cheek as he instinctively pulled Wriothesley closer with his legs.
Neuvillette let out soft muffled moans ever so often as Wriothesley increased his pace. His fingers squeezed Wriothesley's shoulders as he tried to keep himself stable. He felt his body rock back and forth along the thrusts. "Wriothesley, this feels better than I've ever imagined," Neuvillette confessed in the heat of the moment.
Wriothesley smiled and replied, "It feels like I can belong here." His speed increased for a moment, which elicited a soft unmuffled moan from Neuvillette. "You sound so beautiful," Wriothesley breathed out. Another tear slid down Neuvillette's cheek as he closed his eyes and relished in the feeling of closeness.
As they made love and showered each other in their affections, Neuvillette gripped Wriothesley's shoulders tighter. His hair was more disheveled and both of their bodies were covered in sweat, flush against each other. Wriothesley hit Neuvillette's prostate with scary accuracy as the other moaned under him. Wriothesley's back did not fare too well as the sharp nails dug through it. Neuvillette's body trembled as he couldn't help but let tears fall down his face. Wriothesley whispered sweet nothings and praises in his ear so sweetly it made his rough actions seem soft as well.
Wriothesley caressed Neuvillette's cheek as he slowed down, "You're crying..." He marveled and appreciated the raw sight of Neuvillette under him. Neuvillette brought one of his hands down and placed it on top of Wriothesley's on his cheek.
"It's because you make me feel so wanted," Neuvillette whispered between them and blinked away the tears. "Wriothesley, you mean so much to me," Neuvillette confessed and Wriothesley smiled, holding Neuvillette like frail water.
"So do you to me," Wriothesley reciprocated and kissed Neuvillette softly, enjoying the contact and how their lips seemed to meet each other so familiarly. It was as if the two could make each other shine so brightly under the warm rays of the sun casting a glow on them through the dense trees, dancing along with them in their vulnerable embrace.
In this glow, the pair poured all their affection and sweet touches onto each other. The mortal showed his devotion and love of this yet-to-end lifetime while the dragon's devotion had finally been reciprocated. One person was enough to make one feel belonging in this world. The way his mortal had such acceptance and loyalty was unlike anyone else, the dragon's devotion would last ten times the mortal's lifespan and never begin to fade.
Neuvillette didn't voice his thoughts but he knew that one day he would go with his mortal. He would cherish this life until his heart broke apart from loss and he'd succumb to an eternal slumber in the depths of his depression, that's how it was for most long-life species. He wanted a place next to this man through life and death, there was no reason for him to stay longer were to his beloved disappear to the other side.
In the end, dying of heartbreak when his mortal's days end didn't sound too bad.
Wriothesley and Neuvillette panted as they caught their breaths and came down from their highs. Wriothesley kissed Neuvillette one last time before draping him in his jacket. "The sun is setting," Wriothesley said as he gathered their clothes from the ground and gave Neuvillette his own.
Neuvillette took them and began to dress, "Is Sigewinne home?" Home. The word came so naturally to him nowadays as he thought of the small house that harbored three people in it. Wriothesley had wanted to move from his old place since it no longer felt like an appropriate place for him and ended up moving in with Neuvillette, taking Sigewinne with him of course. Neuvillette had a peaceful place outside the city walls near a calm shore. Sigewinne loved the place and so did Wriothesley and Neuvillette, quickly becoming the place they could call home.
Wriothesley nodded, "We might get a scolding since we were supposed to be there an hour ago." He chuckled and Neuvillette got a bit worried.
"She might think something happened to us," Neuvillette worried and Wriothesley smiled hopelessly at him.
"Always thinking of others so thoughtfully. She's fine," Wriothesley pecked Neuvillette's forehead and reassured him. He helped Neuvillette up after they'd gotten dressed and asked, "Feeling okay?"
Neuvillette nodded and stretched his legs a bit, "It feels new but... I can handle it." He intertwined his fingers with Wriothesley's as they held hands and leaned against his shoulder as they walked slowly.
Wriothesley's curiosity was peaked and he wanted some feedback, "How was it?" He asked gently and watched as Neuvillette closed his eyes in thought.
Neuvillette hummed approvingly and looked up to Wriothesley with a smile, "Wouldn't have it any other way." Wriothesley smiled back and brought their hands close to his mouth to place a kiss on Neuvillette's.
"You were amazing," Wriothesley whispered against the other's hand and closed his eyes. To finally get to love your cherished one like this was a surreal feeling. What was even more magical was to have the knowledge that the one receiving your love cherished every piece of it close to their heart like fragile shards.
Outside the dense forest, the ground was wet as if it had just rained.
◦◦,'°.✽✦✽.◦.✽✦✽.°',◦◦
Fontaine began prospering once more among the other countries and developed forward drastically. The two races lived together and blended in seamlessly. The upstanding Chief Justice was once more a respected figure despite his past and by him was a small Melusine called Sedene who was often seen around him in the Palais Mermonia.
The court worked together with the secluded Fortress of Meropide quite closely nowadays and the Iudex could be seen walking down there once in a while. The Fortress had also improved as a free lunch was provided once a day to all inmates. The lunch robot was named Bran by Duke Wriothesley for unknown reasons to the inmates but to him it was a special name from his past. He was often reminded of said individual as he looked at a drawing placed in his office consisting of himself, his mother, Bran, and the small blob.
The Queen rose as a star once more as she began doing shows again in the Palais Mermonia. She also livened up the mood when necessary during court cases and became a very popular figure even past the borders of Fontaine.
The Fortress lacked a nurse after everything was done since the head nurse of before had gone missing. The inmates were quite set with their wants and each requested Wriothesley to let Sigewinne take charge. She had made quite a name for herself when she was helping the previous nurse around the Fortress. And so, Sigewinne became the head nurse of the Fortress of Meropide.
Once in a while, the Queen, Chief Justice, and the Duke would meet up in the Palais Mermonia for tea and desserts. To the outside, it might seem like a political occurrence or a discussion of politics and law but to them, it was a gathering between friends, well... People might not believe it if the Queen was revealed to be a third wheel at times. Despite that, all of them shared a strong bond and experiences of the past.
So, it ended with a royal, a dragon, and a human, just like bygone days had started with.