Chapter Text
To say that the other spren were elated would be a gross understatement. This was especially true considering that along with Maya, the old spren were also showing signs of improvement. The smile was permanently etched into their wide-eyed faces as if in a perpetual state of disbelief of their good fortune.
They’d trip over themselves to update him on the old spren and of all the new spren that kept showing up to ask about him.
And they couldn’t get enough of talking to Maya.
They would sit around him in a circle, taking turns to speak to her and Adolin would always be happy to play interpreter, especially considering how happy it made Maya to talk to the other spren.
Whenever the spren weren't there, he would spend all his time with Maya in her garden that had now turned from a battleground to a safe haven, his home outside his cell.
Everyday the garden was becoming more and more alive. Beautiful flowers now dared to bloom in brilliant colors and a subtle sweet smell permeated the air. Life had returned once again to the old garden.
There, out in the open, surrounded by beauty, they would often sit together for hours, with Adolin reading her stories and Maya laughing every time he’d trip over a word.
More often than not, they would train together once again just like they had often done in Shadesmar. Maya followed him through the katas they both knew so well, only this time, Maya’s body was relaxed, her movements fluid and smooth, an unbearably soft smile on her lips every time their eyes met.
Never in his life had he ever known such contentment and such peace
Never before did he know that such feelings were even possible.
In the midst of his misfortune and misery he felt like the luckiest man alive, as if a piece he didn’t know he was missing had returned to him, correcting an unknown injustice and healing the whole world by a fraction.
…
Life in the small cell had acquired a peaceful rhythm Adolin has seldom experienced in his life.
He would spend all night in the delightful company of Maya, Rhollyn and the other spren until the shift changed. Then he’d sleep most of Garron’s shift away, and the rest would be spent with Maya in her garden.
Everytime Adolin visited the garden something would be different. There would be a new marble bench under a tree somewhere, another pillar standing proud, a patterned tiled floor would become more intricate.
Everything was overgrown, brimming with life, swallowed up by nature’s serene beauty.
Surrounded by that peace, Adolin was sprawled over a gleaming white bench, the newest addition to the garden, with Maya laying against his chest, taking a break from their practice session.
A practice session that turned from practicing katas into dance practice after an offhand comment from Maya about how she thought she used to like dancing.
Adolin reveled in the domesticity and beauty of that quiet moment and the last thing he ever wanted to do was break it. That’s why he cursed his brain for informing him that was the opportunity he was looking for to ask Maya the spren’s uncomfortable questions.
For days the spren had politely nudged him over and over again to ask Maya what she remembered about her past. They wanted to know about the war and old knight-Radiants, about what happened to those spren before and after the Recreance.
They were all good questions that he would also like to know the answers to but didn’t want to ask in fear of upsetting Maya by asking her to talk about her past. The spren were insistent though, no doubt hoping the answers would help to free him, so Adolin had compromised to ask those questions in person and at a more opportune moment.
Despite himself, he admitted that this moment was as good as it gets, so it was with a very heavy heart he broke the blissful quiet that had settled around them.
“Hey gemheart, I want to ask you something but you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
Maya, with her eyes full of trust, turned to fully face him and spoke without a hint of hesitation. “Of course my prince, you know you can ask me anything, tell me anything…”
“Even if it upsets you?”
“You won't upset me.” she said easily, “I know you won't.”
Regret poked him again harder but he went on anyway. “The spren wanted me to ask you, if you remember anything from the old war, from your old life…”
To his relief, Maya didn’t seem upset but rather thoughtful. She pondered the question for a few moments before answering softly. “Mmm, I don’t remember much… The earlier thing I can make out is pain. For a long, long time, there was only pain and loss and grief… But you know what I’m talking about.”
She lifted her eyes and gave him a sympathetic look. And he did know, he had a taste at least. He could still feel the darkness lurking just out of sight, ready to pounce at the first sign of weakness and something deep inside him told him that it would always be there. “I’m sorry Maya, I’m sorry you only remember that—”
“That is not all I remember.” she interrupted him. “True, that pain was the only thing for a long long time… but then there was you— Things were never the same after you first bonded me.”
“After I first bonded you? Back when I was a kid?”
“You might have been a kid, but unlike everyone else who held me before you, you truly tried to bond with me, not just possess me.”
Adolin listened, eyes wide, not able to make any kind of noise.
You really opened up to me, let me see every piece of you…
“Everything was still really confusing back then, my mind was a scrambled mess, but even if I had lost all sense of self, I was still drawn to a genuine bond like a flamespren to fire.” she smiled warmly again and Adolin was confident that he could feel his heart melt in his chest. “I didn’t understand much back then, but with your warmth everyday I got better. It took years probably before I would comprehend what was actually happening, but even then, you were just as open to me as you had always been. You let me in and in time I couldn’t refuse you.”
At the sound of that Adolin choked, overwhelmed by emotions. His eyes brimmed with tears that felt soundlessly as a lump formed in his throat, cutting air to his lungs.
“Don't cry, please don't cry.” Maya pleaded as she turned and looked at him.
“I’m not sad sweetie—” Adolin’s choked, husky voice reassured her. “I’m just so happy to have offered you a reprieve from your pain… and to find out that you felt the same way I did.”
Maya’s smile grew and her face brightened at that. She hid her face in his chest and squirmed around making happy, chirpy noises.
“I love you…” came her muffled response and all Adolin could do was hold her closer to his chest.
“No more crying though.” she said as she wiped his cheeks and wiggled out of his embrace, standing up, “I know what you need.” She said as she extended her hand to him expectantly. Adolin took it without any hesitation and was pulled to his feet. “And what is that?” Adolin asked with a playful smile.
Maya looked at him with a playful grin and wrapped herself inside their linked arms, tightly winding herself in his embrace before she answered. “Dancing of course. It’s the best medicine for a wary heart.”
A smile split Adolin’s face as he extended his arm again, sending Maya into a graceful twist. “And you know how to dance after just a few lessons? I must be a very good teacher” he tried to jest but Maya pulled their linked hands close to her bringing them face to face before answering him seriously.
“You are a good teacher, the best, but I didn’t need to learn how to dance silly, I’ve always known.” She said lightly, and as if to prove her point she moved her body in a smooth fluid motion that he had never seen before.
Adolin watched mesmerized for only a second before following her.
They moved in tandem without words, and soon enough a slow hum coming from everywhere seemed το swell in the rhythm of their dance completing the surreal experience. Adolin was lost, moving in it, feeling the whole garden pulsate in sync.
“You are such a wonder. I’m so lucky to have you.” he whispered into her ear without even realizing it.
“But I don’t do the things that a real spren ia supposed to do…” she said in an unsure, regretful small voice.
Adolin couldn’t have that. He couldn't accept that she thought of herself in those terms. “You may not give me cool powers or make me immortal or whatever, but you are my spren in every way that counts. I don’t need you to give me anything in exchange, that’s not why I love you. I wish I could swear the oaths to you just so you know for sure I mean it, even if no one accepts them .”
She looked him in the eyes then with nothing but softness and sincerity “Oh, my darling Prince, you don’t need to swear anything to me. I’m more certain of your intention than I’m of my own existence. Besides, those Oaths don’t really apply to me, to us, not anymore ....”
“How do you mean?” Adolin looked at her with a puzzled expression but she was too lost in dance to realize.
“Life before death….?” was all she asked without looking at him clearly expecting him to understand. When Adolin didn’t agree with her after a while she went on.
“It’s a little hard to embrace life before death, after you’ve died, don’t you think?” she said easily as she fell into Adolin’s arms again. The sentiment tore through his heart a little bit but he swallowed it down before Maya could notice.
“Ha, you are right. I guess it’s more like, ‘Life after Death’ now.” he said jokingly, trying to keep his voice and the conversation light.
“Oh, I love it. Life after Death.” she said as she gracefully extended her arm and fingers.
“And after that?” Adolin encouraged her, “Strength before weakness?”
“Strength is nothing but a naive lie for those who’ve never known true desperation and pain.” she said nonchalantly, completely absorbed by the movements of her limbs, not noticing how her words had cut deep into Adolin.
“Yet here you stand, strong and proud before me.” He hastened to add, not liking Maya’s mood one bit.
“I guess you are right.” Maya admitted easily, Adolin’s comment having the desired effect of lifting her spirits. ”Let's say ‘Strength after weakness’ then.”
“Life after Death”, “Strength after weakness”..so then “Journey after destination?” would naturally follow, right?” Adolin pondered for a moment, “ But how does that even make sense? How do you get to start your journey after you’ve reached your destination?”
Maya’s movements became more mechanical, her eyes drifting to the corner of her eyes taking her time to give him a thoughtful response as Adolin watched, heart full of adoration for his incredible spren.
“Oh, it’s quite simple—” she exclaimed after a while, “It’s just like us, like our bond. We were bonded before we even knew each other, but ever since you and I both fight everyday to be worthy of our bond”
It was Adolin’s turn to slow down to ponder her answer. He worked over in his head reveling at the width and depth of Maya’s mind.
“Aaah, I see…” he exclaimed after a few moments as he twirled Maya around once more, “It's like, even though I know how to duel, I still have to train everyday in order to still be good at it.”
Maya seemed beyond delighted at the thought which never failed to make Adolin feel like a little kid.
“Exactly like that, it’s the journey you have to go everyday to keep what you already have.” she said with a twirl, springing back into motion.
“That’s quite beautiful my spren, almost as beautiful as you.” With that, Maya ran to him, arms wide open and jumped.
Adolin caught her by the waist and lifted her up in the air before setting her in front of him, fixing her with his eyes.
“Life after Death. Strength after weakness. Journey after destination.” Maya singsonged as she giggled and Adolin laughed with his heart seeing her so happy and carefree.
“If those are the oaths you like, I will swear them to you everyday my love.” Adolin said in all seriousness as he repeated the oaths back to her, feeling all the weight of them as if they were the real words.
His heart swelled with love for his spren and he knew that no one's approval or validation could ever make their bond more real than it already was.