Chapter Text
One of the first things Furina noticed was the sound of waves lapping gently on the shore. The sand sunk soft and pliable beneath her back and underneath her fingertips. The sun on her face which she would normally have found unpleasantly hot bathed her in a gentle warmth. She didn’t want to open her eyes.
“Furi-na,” a familiar voice called, light and melodic.
Furina sighed. Getting up was the last thing she wanted to do right now. The musical voice let out a tinkling laugh.
“How long will you stay there?”
Furina’s brow creased.
“Can I not just...rest for now?” she murmured, as a gentle breeze ruffled her hair.
Another laugh. “Yes. Of course you can.”
Furina relaxed, contenting herself to just lie there, surrounded by nothing but the sound of the rolling tide and the blissful warmth in the air.
There was a strange sense of déjà vu in the feeling where she neither knew nor cared about how much time was passing. She might have been fine staying there forever.
But her curiosity got the better of her in the end.
With a deep breath, Furina finally opened her eyes, blinking as she adjusted to the light. Pushing herself up into a sitting position, she slowly drank in the scenery of white sands, crystal blue waters, and clear azure skies. Against the horizon stood lofty mountains and rolling hills adorned with Cypress trees. It looked somewhat like Fontaine, yet not, at the same time. For one, there was no wildlife to be found, but for another, the landscape was just too perfect.
She turned her head to find sitting next to her someone that she had not seen in centuries, and yet, no amount of time could ever erase her from Furina’s memory.
“Focalors,” she murmured. The woman beside her who was her mirror image, yet at the same time so distinct in her own ways, smiled.
“Furina,” she said, her eyes creasing happily. There was a moment where they just took in each other before the Archon spoke again, the ever-amused inflections still present in her voice. “As much as I enjoyed you calling me ‘mirror-me,’ hearing you say my name is something else.”
There was a hollow ache in Furina’s chest, a feeling that she couldn’t quite name.
“You’re not real.” Furina said finally, turning her gaze back onto the waters.
As much as she wished she could have had another conversation with her divine counterpart, Furina knew that she was long gone. The woman next to her smiled innocently.
“Do I seem unreal?”
“Do dead Archons tend to make cameos in people’s dreams?”
The words hadn’t meant to come out so bluntly, but Focalors seemed to take it all in stride.
“Maybe they do.”
How mischievous and mysterious. Furina cast her a sidewards glance. The woman definitely looked like the Focalors from her memory. She sounded like Focalors. And if everything that Neuvillette told her was true... then weren’t they the same person? Two sides of the same coin? Was Furina just talking to herself right now?
It was confusing to think about. But it couldn’t hurt to humour her.
“It would have been nice to speak to you again.” Furina said with a resigned sigh. The other woman’s smile remained, though there was now something wistful and sad lingering in her eyes.
“If the opera could have played out differently, I would have rewritten the script in a heartbeat,” she said, leaning back on her palms in the sand. Then,
“Are you angry at me?”
Furina’s brow furrowed as she pondered the question.
“How can I be...” Furina started carefully. “You suffered just as long as I did. Maybe longer.”
Focalors hummed. “That doesn’t mean you cannot feel slighted by your fate.”
“My fate...” Furina murmured. “You make it sound like I was a prisoner of it.”
Focalors lifted an eyebrow at that, inviting her to explain more.
“It is true that I didn’t choose to become your human proxy. I didn’t choose to be thrust into the role of the Hydro Archon. I didn’t choose to be cursed and to bear your burden and to suffer loneliness for centuries.” Furina said, feeling tired just listing out everything.
“But for every day of those five hundred years, I chose to believe in you. I chose to guard that truth and to play my role until the end,” Furina said seriously, looking straight into her divine counterpart’s mismatched eyes. “And you... you came through.”
Focalors stared back at her, wide-eyed for a moment before her face split into a warm smile, full of pride.
“You really are perfect. And you played your role perfectly,” she murmured. “I only wish that I could have been around longer to make it up to you.”
“You could have brought cake to this catch up.”
Focalors laughed brightly.
“Well, as a matter of fact, I think I may have given a better gift than that,” she said, smiling mysteriously.
The Archon didn’t elaborate, so Furina’s gaze slid back to the waves foaming onto the sand. Focalors moved on with her musings.
“The justice that I had always wanted for the people of Fontaine... was that they could continue to exist. That their right to live would be protected,” Focalors said in a light and lilting tone. “On the long and lonely road that you and I walked... we fought against the injustice of the Heavenly Principles.”
Focalors turned towards her directly and Furina almost irresistibly followed suit.
“But that battle is over now... And so, my final wish was that you would be happy,” the Archon said softly. “That you would live a happy life as the human I always wanted to be.”
Furina felt a sudden wave of melancholy wash over her. “Yes, I... I’m not sure how, but I think I remember that message.”
“Are you happy?” Focalors prompted. Furina should have expected the question, but was still somewhat taken aback by the directness of it.
“I’m... content,” Furina said slowly.
For some reason, what came into her mind then was her time on the stage, playing the final scene of the Little Oceanid. It was a bittersweet, heart-wrenching tale. For her lover and the people, Clio sacrificed everything. And it had been worth it for her.
It was a good story.
Focalors tilted her head in her direction. “And you would be satisfied if your story ended now?”
“I...” Furina said, struggling a little. “I’m not sure...”
Focalors smiled gently at her. “Then perhaps there’s an answer that you still need to discover.”
Furina opened her mouth, wanting to ask more, but Focalors and everything else around her was already fading to white.
Furina’s eyes opened, blearily taking in a familiar dreary ceiling with awfully chipped paint. There was a clinking sound of someone setting down a tray, possibly with teacups.
“Furina? Oh, goodness, you’re awake!”
Furina blinked as Navia suddenly appeared in her vision, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.
“Oh, Archons... we were so worried,” the Spina di Rosula president said in a rush, quickly taking one of her hands in her own.
“N...Navia...?” Furina croaked out. She tried looking around, but she the fatigue in her body and the stiffness in her neck protested immediately. Yet there was no mistaking it now – she was in her own bed at her apartment.
“Shh, it’s okay,” Navia said, squeezing her hand reassuringly. “You’re fine. Clorinde brought you over here. Initially she brought you to the Fortress of Meropide, so Sigewinne could treat you, but once the major damage had been taken care of, we moved you back to your apartment.”
Furina nodded and closed her eyes, leaning back against her pillow. Her brain felt foggy and she felt terribly weak. And hungry, now too. “How long have I been out for?”
Navia chuckled nervously. “It’s been close to six days now.”
Furina’s eyes flew open. “Wh-What?”
“Do you remember what happened? Apparently, you were in quite a state...” Navia said, looking concerned.
“Uhm...” Furina squeezed her eyes shut, her mind scrambling to think. “Oh–!”
Furina gasped as the memory returned to her violently, her heart thudding wildly against her ribcage. A beast with glowing violet eyes. Black claws like razors. In a panic, her hands instinctively came up to her abdomen, dread and relief coursing through her as her fingers came into contact with thick bandages.
Relief because her guts were inside her and her body was intact.
Dread because what happened was definitely more real than a nightmare.
“H-How did I... what–” Furina said, her thoughts racing and colliding into one another messily as Navia rubbed her back in concern. Then, a sudden spike of fear as she registered the name that Navia mentioned and that person’s absence. “What happened to Clorinde?”
“Oh!” Navia eyes softened in understanding. “Don’t worry about her – she’s fine. She was really shaken up, of course... but physically she’s in good condition.”
Furina felt herself visibly relax at the news. “That’s a relief.”
Though... there was a disappointed twinge in her heart seeing that the duelist was missing. Which Navia seemed to notice immediately.
“Clorinde, she...” Navia started. “Well, once she knew that you were going to be okay, she actually took a week of leave... to track down whoever was behind the attack.”
The anxiousness from before started to bubble again uncomfortably in Furina’s gut.
“Navia, she can’t–” Furina said shakily. “Whoever attacked us that night – they’re dangerous–”
Navia squeezed her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Furina... actually, Clorinde already caught him a couple of days ago.”
“What?”
“I asked her about it when I caught her yesterday back at the Palais. She didn’t really give many details...” here, Navia shivered, “But I suspect there’s nothing left of him.”
There was silence for a moment, before Navia seemed to remember something. “Oh! Also, Clorinde asked me to return your sword.”
She gestured to the gleaming blue and white weapon currently leaning against the wall next to her desk, looking very well-maintained.
Furina nodded faintly, a frown creasing her brow. She was curious about the sword, but the thought of Clorinde taking off to track down such a deadly enemy on her own bothered her immensely. She supposed things were fine if the duelist was alright... Although...
“Navia,” Furina whined suddenly. The Spina boss looked over her anxiously.
“Are you okay? Does your wound hurt? Can I get you anything–”
“The date went awfully!”
“Oh.”
Navia smiled ruefully at that, rubbing her shoulder sympathetically.
“Don’t feel so bad. The both of you are alive aren’t you?” Navia offered tentatively. “You can... try again?”
Furina winced. She was fairly sure that as far as dates went, the way this one ended could rank among the worst. To say this experience had been traumatising was an understatement.
“Maybe...” she conceded dejectedly, unsure if she wanted to take any more risks right now.
And yet... A memory, hazy yet startlingly poignant, punctured through her thoughts.
Even when she was bleeding out, doubled over in agony with her knees sinking into the damp earth, she remembered Clorinde’s warmth as her arms held her tightly, could remember the scent of cypress, musk, and ozone that cut through the coppery blood and smoke, something gentle and familiar as her face was pressed into her shoulder. How cruel that such a moment would be the first time Furina was held by her, that that would be the closest physical contact they’d shared so far.
She released a shuddering breath, suddenly wishing for that warmth.
She missed Clorinde terribly.
“Your recovery is progressing amazingly,” the little Melusine nurse said, sounding impressed as she looked at Furina with her head tilted in wonder. Furina had to admit that she had feared the worst about the scarring on her body when Sigewinne offered to re-bandage her, but while it was significant, it didn’t look as bad as she imagined.
“You think so?”
“I know so!” Sigewinne nodded happily. Furina felt relief at her enthusiasm. She knew that her strength was returning and had even gone on several walks the past few days, but it was reassuring to hear it from the nurse.
It had been thirteen days now since that disastrous night, and Furina had guests visit her every day since she regained consciousness. Navia had come by again bearing macarons and other sweets. Lyney and Lynette had dropped by with a bouquet of flowers as well as a tiny mechanical blubberbeast that apparently was made by their brother. The Traveler and Paimon had brought over some new light novels that they had picked up on their travels and cooked macaroni. Neuvillette had taken an hour out of his schedule to come by with a new box of expensive tea from himself and Wriothesley. And even Sigewinne had come by several times to check on her while on vacation.
It was a little overwhelming. She hadn’t realised that so many people were so invested in her recovery.
Yet there was still no sign of that ever so familiar tricorne hat or amethyst eyes.
Furina swallowed another spoonful of macaroni slowly. She was starving right now, but she also wanted to delay her next dosage of Sigewinne’s medicine as much as possible.
“I suppose the injury must not have been so bad after all,” Furina said conversationally. Sigewinne shook her head.
“Oh, no it was bad,” the nurse said blithely. “I think Miss Clorinde did as good a job as she could of bandaging you up... but when the two of you arrived at the Fortress, the bleeding had still gone right through.”
Furina winced. “Isn’t the Fortress really far from Erinnyes Forest? Could she not have gone to a hospital in the Court of Fontaine?”
Sigewinne hummed. “That would have been more suitable, given how severe your injury was. It might have caused quite a commotion though, if she carried you into the city covered in blood. You’re not exactly low profile, you know?”
Furina looked crestfallen. “I suppose...”
“Based on what she told me of the timing of the attack... She must have taken the entrance behind the Opera Epiclese and convinced the Fortress Administrator to let her take the aqua line directly to the Fortress.” Sigewinne smiled ruefully. “She was also in need of her own treatment... but she brushed that off, like always.”
Furina felt a turmoil of emotions swirling in her. She imagined Clorinde, who had already been in terrible shape, bandaging her up and carrying her back through the forest to the Opera House. Trying to move as quickly as possible but carefully enough that she didn’t aggravate her injury. Doing her best to avoid civilians as she brought her to the Fortress entrance. Desperately trying to convince the administrator to bypass the Fortress protocol.
“I... owe her a lot,” Furina said wistfully. “And you too. I can see that her trust in you was not misplaced.”
Sigewinne shook her head with a smile. “I’m not a miracle-worker. You really should’ve gone to a hospital... but actually Miss Furina, I think it was your own power that saved you.”
Furina looked confused. “My power...?”
Sigewinne nodded, her eyes creasing happily. “One of your Hydro Familiars... the singing one!”
Furina’s brow furrowed. As far as she was aware, Mademoiselle Crabaletta, Surintendante Chevalmarin, and Gentilhomme Usher did not sing...
“I’m afraid I’m not sure what you are referring to,” Furina said hesitantly.
“Huh... well it definitely wasn’t from me or Miss Clorinde.” Sigewinne looked at her with interest, raising a finger to her chin.
“Anyway, I was just about to tell Miss Clorinde that... you might not make it,” she continued, her eyes growing distant.
“It’s really hard to tell what she’s thinking most of the time, but that day, the look of pain on her face was so plain that I almost couldn’t bear to break the news to her. But then... Your Vision started glowing, and something that looked a little bit like an Oceanid appeared.”
“An... Oceanid?”
Sigewinne nodded. “Kind of. She stayed near you the whole time... and your wounds started healing. She sang a beautiful tune. A little bit sad and lonely. But beautiful.”
“Is that so...” Furina murmured, digesting the information slowly.
“So with the Singer’s help, I was able to make sure that you were cleaned up properly and monitor your recovery, especially since you also were running a high fever at the time.”
“Sigewinne, I... I can’t thank you enough...” Furina said sincerely, feeling deeply humbled.
Before this, her only interaction with this Melusine had been during her trial before the Prophecy was fulfilled. She was sure that she had done nothing to warrant such kindness.
“Don’t worry about it,” Sigewinne chirped. “Again, it was Miss Clorinde who was the one who brought you to me, and while you were at the Fortress, she barely left your side. I think she wanted to personally make sure everything was okay. I told her that she should hold your hand and talk to you, and she took my suggestion very seriously. It was really sweet seeing that side of her.”
“Oh...” Furina breathed, her cheeks suddenly feeling hot.
“Is your fever returning? Your temperature's rising and your heart rate has elevated again,” Sigewinne said curiously.
“Er, you think so?” Furina said, pointedly looking out the window, though she couldn’t help her face becoming even redder under the little nurse’s concerned scrutiny. “I think maybe I just need some water and I’ll be fine.”
There was an awkward silence for a few moments.
“...Oh, I see.” Sigewinne said, with a little smile. “It makes sense now.”
Fortunately, she was spared from further embarrassment by a knock on her room door, followed by the entry of Navia Caspar.
“I brought more macarons,” the blonde woman announced brightly, setting a little paper bag on her bedside table, before glancing over at Furina. “You’re looking well!”
Furina smiled genuinely. “I’m feeling much better. Thank you, Navia.”
“She’s doing much better,” Sigewinne agreed happily. “I have to go back now, but Miss Navia, could you make sure that Miss Furina takes her medicine?”
“Sure,” Navia grinned, to Furina’s dismay.
The door clicked shut behind the Melusine nurse as she left and Navia sat down in the chair next to Furina’s bed. Idly, Furina played with the last of her macaroni with her fork.
“Are you avoiding drinking the medicine or is something on your mind?” the Spina boss said teasingly. Furina blinked, eyes snapping over to Navia’s quickly.
“I...” Furina started, before letting out a sigh. There was no point hiding it. “How is... Clorinde?”
Navia’s face fell for a moment, though she recovered quickly.
“She’s seen worse days,” she said hesitantly. Furina admittedly felt a bit frustrated at the secrecy.
“You said last week... that she had already hunted down the one behind the attack,” Furina said, unable to keep the sullenness out of her voice.
Navia nodded slowly. “She did...”
“And since then, she has also resumed work in the Trial Court?”
“Also true.” Navia said softly.
So where is she?
Navia sighed, hearing Furina’s unspoken question loud and clear. “Ever since she’s returned to work, Clorinde has been leaving the Opera Epiclese straight after her last trial and... well, I think she probably goes out to hunt or train.”
Furina’s brow creased. “What for?”
Navia smiled sadly. “She’ll probably get over it eventually... but I think she might be ashamed to see you.”
“Ashamed...?” Furina repeated, blinking in consternation.
“Well... she probably feels responsible for what happened.” Navia explained gently.
Furina was stunned into silence, her heart suddenly feeling pained.
She didn’t want Clorinde to just ‘get over it.’
“I need to find her,” Furina said quietly. “Can you please... tell me where she is?”
Navia looked at her doubtfully. “You only just recovered. Clorinde... even Monsieur Neuvillette wouldn’t let me hear the end of it."
“Navia...” Furina pleaded.
Navia sighed again, eyeing her up contemplatively. “I’ll tell you, but only because I think you’d be crazy enough to try it yourself either way.”
“Thank you.” Furina mumbled, looking down into her lap.
“My other conditions are that you rest another three days and that you let me accompany you most of the way.” Navia continued, offering her a small smile.
Furina nodded mutely, swallowing her last bite of macaroni around the lump in her throat.
“And just so you know, Furina,” the Spina boss warned. “She can be a bit scary when she gets like this.”
“I’m not afraid.” Furina whispered. She thought of the recklessness with which Clorinde strove to protect her, the meticulous care which she offered her ceaselessly. “I don’t think I could ever be afraid of her.”
After three days, several doses of medicine, and many re-strengthening exercises, Navia ended up accompanying Furina to a forest in Northern Erinnyes in the late afternoon.
“Clorinde has a few places where she likes to hunt,” Navia had told her wryly. “But my guys tell me she’s definitely here.”
Furina swallowed, staring into the stillness of the trees.
“You okay?” Navia said, looking her carefully. “We can always go back and try to catch her at the Opera Epiclese tomorrow.”
"I think this is better," Furina said after a beat. There were too many people at the Opera House. It would have been too easy for Clorinde to avoid a real conversation; too easy for her to slip away. She turned to the blonde woman, suddenly feeling overwhelmingly thankful for her. “Thank you for coming with me."
Navia’s features softened. She wrapped the smaller woman into a brief but tight hug, which Furina returned just as fervently. “Go talk some sense into her then.”
With a breath, Furina began her trek into the forest.
It didn’t take long for Furina to find her. As she progressed, she saw more and more signs of wreckage – signs of someone who had aggressively fought their way through the woods, trees marked by sword cuts or toppled over entirely, the scent of ozone clinging to the air. Eventually she reached the clearing she was looking for.
Furina winced, seeing the much of the surrounding area was blackened and charred, whether trees, stumps, grass, dirt, rocks, and bodies presumably of monsters strewn around the edges. In the middle of it all was Clorinde, her sword outstretched, breathing hard as she faced an unseen foe. Furina felt her heart leap into her throat as her eyes landed upon her form.
It had only been two weeks but it felt like so much longer.
She stepped into the vicinity.
“I didn’t realise that you were so determined to rearrange Fontaine’s scenery,” she called, announcing her presence, even though she was sure that Clorinde had already noticed it some time ago. The duelist slowly lowered her sword. Furina suppressed a shiver as she turned, dark eyes locking with hers. Flashes of emotion crossed the woman’s face. Agitation and disbelief... weariness and resignation... and something else.
In the back of her mind, Furina was slightly comforted to find Clorinde's expressions were becoming easier for her to read.
“Shouldn’t you be resting,” Clorinde said apprehensively, as Furina walked towards her.
“I’ve rested long enough. And...” Furina said, her voice growing soft. “I was worried about you.”
Clorinde’s brows knitted. “About me?”
“Navia told me that you’ve been coming out here every evening for the past week and more.”
Clorinde barked out a mirthless laugh. “I should have known.”
Her eyes shifted to the sword strapped to Furina’s back. “I see that your sword has returned to you.”
Furina glanced back at the weapon. “Oh... I’m not sure I can claim some sword I found in a lake as mine..."
Clorinde shrugged. “It accepted you. I don’t think you should take that lightly.”
“I heard that you borrowed it,” Furina said softly. “You were probably able to use it better than I ever could.”
Clorinde shook her head, a hollow and fleeting smile crossing her face. “It... tolerated me. But I think it eventually accepted my purpose.”
A pause.
“Listen, I... I’m glad you’re well,” Clorinde said sincerity lacing into her tone. “But you really shouldn’t be out here.”
“Then come back with me,” Furina said, sudden and firm. Clorinde tensed at that.
“I’m not done yet.” she said flatly. Furina exhaled.
“So what, you’re going to stay here and train until your arms fall off – is that what you’re doing?” Furina said sharply.
“What I’m doing here is not your concern,” Clorinde retorted. Furina frowned.
Clorinde had been stand-offish and blunt at the worst of times, but never rude. It unsettlingly echoed some of her own behaviours in the past.
For whatever reason, Clorinde had built a wall between them, and Furina was determined to tear it down, no matter what drastic measures she needed to take.
There was a brief moment of hesitation, an internal struggle where Furina questioned her next move.
A second later, her resolve triumphed.
Furina reached behind her to draw her sword, pointing it directly at her ex-guard’s heart. She watched in satisfaction as Clorinde’s eyes widened in shock.
“...Are you serious, Furina,” she said, her voice a low growl. “Are– Are you out of your mind, right now?”
“I am as serious as I’ll ever be, dear Champion,” Furina enunciated airily. “Now duel me or lose your honour.”
“You really think... that just because you found some old hero’s ancient relic, you can best me in a duel?” Clorinde frowned. Furina arched a brow.
“Hm. Why don’t you come find out?”
Clorinde’s eyes narrowed at her. “You have yet to fully recover.”
“Then handicap yourself however you see fit.”
Clorinde blew out a frustrated breath, fast running out of excuses. “...This is a bad idea.”
“Humour me,” Furina drawled. “Now draw your sword. Or is the great Champion Duelist who drew her blade against a god too afraid to draw her blade against a human?”
With great reluctance, the duelist finally accepted. They stood facing each other in the middle of the clearing, a gentle breeze blowing between them. Clorinde seemed to decide that in order to compensate for Furina’s recent injury, she would not have access to her dominant sword arm, even though she knew as well as Furina that both her arms were proficient. As typical of how she began most duels, Clorinde stood with her sword outstretched, one arm bent behind her back. Her eyes locked with Furina’s, searching her carefully, her posture an open invitation.
Furina breathed deeply, forcing her heart and mind to be still.
She was not afraid.
Furina slowly charged at the duelist, steadily building momentum as she swung her blade aiming to disarm her.
With cold and lightning-fast precision, Clorinde swung her own blade in retaliation. The angle with which the duelist’s blade struck Furina’s own knocked her sword clean out of her hands with a loud clang. It sailed through the air and landed in a clump of burnt grass nearby.
Clorinde lowered her sword as Furina scrambled over to retrieve her weapon. Quickly she picked it up and pointed it back at the duelist, who turned slowly to face her once again.
Furina charged at her a second time. And then a third time. And then a fourth time. Each attempt met the same result, over and over again.
After about the twentieth time, Furina’s glove had torn, her hand was raw, and her legs were shaking from all the running. Clorinde had pointedly flung Furina’s sword further and further away each time.
But Furina could see. Clorinde’s patience was wearing thin. Her duels didn’t normally last this long. Usually her opponents surrendered within the first minute or two.
“How long do you plan to keep this up?” Clorinde said. There was just a hint of edge to her calm voice, a barely perceptible tightness to her demeanour.
Furina scoffed. “Have you forgotten? My persistence has spanned hundreds of years. I think I can last a little longer than this.”
Frustration flashed through the cracks of Clorinde’s visage. “You will yield to me, sooner or later. Don’t regret your decision.”
Furina laughed harshly. “How bold! But your arrogance will be your downfall.”
At the end of the day, a duel was more than a test of competence – more than a test of physical strength. If it was, then this would have been a lost cause from the start.
But Furina knew, that a duel was ultimately a battle of wills. Clorinde had said so herself many times.
Eventually Clorinde resorted to becoming more aggressive. The force of her blows sent Furina staggering to her knees, even sweeping her clean off her feet at times.
But even though her knees were scraped and bleeding and the freshly healed wound on her abdomen began to throb, Furina still managed to push herself off the ground and onto her feet, to Clorinde’s rising agitation.
“Furina. Yield.” Clorinde said through gritted teeth. It was the harshest tone that the duelist had ever used with her.
But she couldn’t back down now. She was starting to see it.
Underneath the anger and the frustration that her ex-guard was exuding, a fragile weakness surfaced.
Clorinde was afraid.
Furina could see it in the way her sword was faltering, the strikes becoming less precise, landing with less conviction. Clorinde was terrified of... of hurting her? Was that it? But there seemed like more to it...
“You first!” Furina retorted, raising her voice defiantly.
The fight progressed, and Clorinde only looked more and more lost.
This was not the courtroom, nor the Duelist’s ring. There was no judge but the moon, no witnesses but the first stars that appeared in the wake of the evening.
She was not fighting a criminal but her friend, and she was rapidly losing sight of her reason for fighting in the first place.
With a forceful swing, Clorinde deflected Furina’s latest attempt, but this time Furina managed to numbly maintain her grip onto her sword. Caught off-balance, Furina stumbled backwards and fell to the ground, and Clorinde, in a sudden change of tack, followed her down, pushing her shoulders back into the ground with her forearm hard enough to knock the breath out of her lungs.
They stayed like that for a moment, Furina lying flat on her back, Clorinde with her knees on either side of her legs while she leaned over her, pressing her upper back firmly into the ground.
Both of them stared unflinchingly at one another, breathing heavily.
Slowly Furina lifted her blade, pressing the side of it whisper-light against Clorinde’s neck.
“The real you, Clorinde,” Furina bit out, desperate frustration leaking into her own voice as she broke the silence. Her words felt breathless, but her jaw was set like granite. "Why can't you show it to me!"
Clorinde's eyes widened in unrestrained shock. The frustration on Furina's face gave way to a softer emotion, just as powerful, just as sure. Furina lowered her sword back to the ground, her next whisper a silent entreaty to trust in her.
“What are you afraid of?”
There was a thunderstorm brewing behind Clorinde’s eyes. A terse silence ensued, before Clorinde finally loosened her hold, easing back to thrust her sword into the ground next to them and then–
“It was this close, Furina,” Clorinde ground out hoarsely, letting the admission finally fall from her lips as her palms rested on either side of her.
Furina stared back at her, her eyes daring and pleading with the duelist to say more.
“I already failed to protect you once–” the duelist’s voice was rising, yet breaking, at the same time. “I came this close to failing again!”
Ah. There it was.
“You still haven’t forgiven yourself from before...” Furina said in muted shock. “This whole time.”
Clorinde looked pained.
“How can I?”
Furina felt the emotion welling up inside her own heart, hearing the honesty bursting forth from her Champion’s mouth, her eyes starting to sting.
“Clorinde...” Furina said softly. “It’s not your fault. Didn’t I tell you that I understood what you were doing...?”
Clorinde looked away, disbelief etched onto her features.
“You don’t understand,” Clorinde said, her voice dropping to a pained whisper. Furina’s brow creased, trying to process–
“I came this close to losing you.”
Furina was rendered speechless. Some of Navia’s earlier words echoed in her head.
Of course Clorinde hated failure. A will of steel and a form of perfection was hammered into her from when she could first walk. Yet there was something even deeper.
For someone who didn’t have many things she held dear, Clorinde’s grip on the things she did have was so unrelenting that the very prospect of losing those things eviscerated her.
Furina couldn’t help feeling dizzy at the thought.
“Clorinde, please... look at me...”
Her ex-guard sighed, slowly turning back to face her. Furina inhaled shakily.
Even now, she couldn’t help thinking those striated amethyst irises were beautiful.
“I’m not your Archon...” she started gently. “...and you’re not my guard. Not anymore. Weren’t you the one... who said we were friends now?”
There was a twisted humour to it. After all this time, after chiding Furina for not recognising their friendship, Clorinde also struggled to fully let go of the past – struggled to let go of her old responsibilities and her failure to keep those responsibilities. Furina should have seen it in the way that she struggled for so long to drop the titles on her name.
“I can protect you as a friend,” Clorinde muttered stubbornly. Furina snorted.
“Does that not that go both ways then?” she said. “What I did was my choice, Clorinde. And besides...”
Furina felt her heart suddenly overcome with emotion, thinking about all the times Clorinde had protected her; had helped keep her safe. Had given her a new hope to live. An anchor to get through dark nights. A chance to fight and to grow as a person.
A friend when she had none.
Tears filled her eyes with each memory that surfaced from their precious residence in the ocean of Furina’s heart.
Time and again, Clorinde was there when Furina needed her.
“You have always protected me, Clorinde,” Furina breathed, her own voice trembling. “I... I wanted – I hoped that I could do the same for you. Even though I probably ended up becoming a burden–”
“–Don’t. Say that again.”
Furina’s jaw clicked shut at the sudden sharpness in Clorinde’s tone.
“Furina, you... you’re not a burden. Have you not been the one protecting Fontaine for five hundred years?” Clorinde said, her eyes piercing and her voice indignant. “And you – you did save me, although I... I understand risking your life for our nation, but... for someone like me–”
“I would do it again,” Furina said, cutting her off.
She was only slightly surprised at the ease with which she could say such words honestly.
“Why?” Clorinde rasped, her voice thick.
Furina gazed up at her, with a look equal parts exasperated and fond. She reached up, brushing the back of her fingers against Clorinde’s cheek.
“Do you really not know,” Furina said softly, one eyebrow lifted in dry amusement. “...Clorinde?”
Clorinde looked down at her, her stunning amethyst eyes wide and her mouth very slightly ajar.
It was... frustratingly cute.
“Navia was right,” Furina muttered. “You really are a blockhead.”
With her last reserve of strength for the evening, Furina gripped the back of Clorinde’s neck and leaned up to clumsily press their lips together.
Both of their lips were chapped and dry from being out here for so long. There was no build up, no elegance, and nothing inherently romantic about the situation or the backdrop of burnt trees and charred ashes around them.
Yet as Furina pulled away and dropped back to lie on the dirt, feeling the exhaustion overtake her, she couldn’t help feeling overwhelmingly satisfied.
A tiny, warm droplet landed lightly on her cheek. Soon she felt another and heard the soothing patter of rain which started to fall around them.
In her fading consciousness, she felt Clorinde’s strong arms slide underneath her and lift her close to her chest.
With a soft sigh, Furina pressed herself closer to the junction between her Champion’s neck and shoulder, inhaling the familiar and comforting scent of cypress, musk, and ozone, as she was carried away.
It took another week and a half for Furina to fully recover, delayed further because of her duel with Clorinde and the cold that she caught afterwards. Navia had shot her with an incredulous look at the story.
“I can’t believe you two,” she said, shaking her head as she offered Furina another cup of Sigewinne’s medicine. “Was it really so hard to just talk?”
Honestly, Furina couldn’t quite believe it happened either.
The days passed by quietly. There was a low-lying anxiousness that quickly developed as Furina thought back to her reckless actions. At the time, the... kiss had been instinctive. But what if she had read things wrong? What if all she had done was make things awkward after all?
Just when the anxiousness was slowly giving way to a sullen resignation, she found a note slipped under her door as she arrived home with a packet of macaroni and a new sauce flavour.
Picking it up, she immediately recognised the familiar neat cursive.
Opera Epiclese, tomorrow, 7:00PM.
Furina felt her breath catch in her throat. There was just the barest temptation to ignore the note. How presumptuous to assume that someone like her would be available at the drop of a hat...
She sighed in annoyance, pursing her lips. Of course, she couldn’t ignore it.
She would just have to give someone a personal lesson on punctuality when it came to matters of the heart.
When Furina arrived outside the Opera Epiclese the next day, there was only the usual Melusine officer standing at the entrance. Excitedly she opened the doors for her and Furina walked into the all-too-familiar foyer with polished marble floors and elegant vases along the walls filled with cornflower blossoms. She stopped just outside the doors leading to the auditorium, suddenly feeling her nerves buzzing. She glanced over at the clock on the wall. 7:02PM. Feeling a bit petulant, Furina had half a mind to keep her waiting longer.
She rested her palms against the heavy doors, running her fingertips along the intricate patterns of beveled edges. Taking a long moment and a few breaths to compose herself, she pushed open the double doors.
She was greeted with a familiar sight, brimming with multitudes of memories, many of which were admittedly unpleasant. There was a time in her life where she had to avoid this place, because those memories were too painful to bear.
But... that pain had faded. Not entirely. But Furina no longer felt it so sharply, could look back at it distantly with only a faint sadness.
This stage also bore witness to the moment where she had received her Vision. And since then, she had directed several plays here to sold-out crowds.
The polished oak stage was already lit. The plush red carpet and the tiered seating with gold trimming looked as tidy and regal as always.
The Opera Epiclese would have been the same as ever, except there was no one in the room.
No one but a single lone figure standing in the centre of the stage, under the spotlights.
Furina felt herself move forward instinctively along the aisle, step by muffled step, towards the stage. She barely registered the faint piano playing in the room, her eyes focused solely on the woman on the stage. And Clorinde held her gaze all the way until she ascended the stairs to meet her.
“A little bit excessive to hire Fontaine's most expensive venue for one conversation, don't you think?” Furina said lifting a brow, her eyes still fixed on the woman in front of her.
“I might have some connections.” Clorinde replied simply. She walked towards Furina until she was only an arm’s length away.
Furina’s eyes widened as Clorinde offered her hand.
“You want to...?” Furina started hesitantly. The corner of Clorinde mouth turned upwards slightly.
“I do,” she replied softly.
Tentatively, Furina placed her hand in the one Clorinde offered. The duelist stepped closer, placing her other hand behind Furina’s right shoulder blade, Furina's other hand positioning itself automatically in response. Smoothly, Clorinde swept them into a slow waltz along to the faint piano music playing in the background. The steps were simple but well-executed, and Furina found herself following along with pleasant ease. She felt herself relax with each passing moment, finding a strange comfort in the lack of audience.
“I wasn’t aware you knew how to dance,” Furina remarked lightly as Clorinde led her through an underarm turn. The duelist was silent for a moment.
“I didn’t,” she admitted quietly.
Oh.
Either the woman was a natural... or very well-practiced.
“And no, it didn’t come easily.” Clorinde said as though reading her mind, her lips quirking into a crooked smile. “I thought it would, since my footwork in general is well-trained... but no, I needed many hours.”
Furina was quiet for a moment, a dozen questions swirling in her mind. All of which felt a bit too... presumptuous.
“If you just asked me, then the lessons would’ve been free,” she decided to joke light-heartedly. It earned a small puff of laughter from the woman in front of her.
“And if I wanted to impress you?” Clorinde quipped back as she spun them across the stage. Furina felt herself flush a little.
“I don’t believe you’re someone who’s quite that shallow,” she mumbled, averting her gaze.
“So you do understand me a little,” Clorinde agreed. Furina scoffed, annoyed at the pinprick of disappointment she felt in her heart.
“Then... the real reason?”
Clorinde smiled lightly. “I’ll get to that. But there’s something that has been bothering for me for a while...”
“The last time we stood across from each other on this stage,” Clorinde said slowly and carefully, checking to see if Furina was okay with her broaching a potentially sensitive topic. Furina nodded once as she spun outwards, and the duelist continued when they reconnected.
“I tried... very hard to figure you out,” Clorinde said wistfully, her eyes growing distant. “The whole time I watched you, I wondered how someone so obviously guilty could still be so desperate to prove their innocence, even when the tables were completely turned against them. I searched for a long time... for the reason why you fought so strongly to protect that lie.”
Furina smiled sadly, as she continued following Clorinde’s steps on the stage. “I know. I’m sorry that I deceived you.”
“That’s not what I’m getting at...” Clorinde shook her head, her brow furrowed. “You often say that the trial proved you as the fraud that you really were. But I never saw it that way.”
She guided Furina through another underarm turn.
“And I told you already, that we should be the ones apologising." Clorinde added. "You were hurt because of us... because of me.”
Furina sighed. “Of course I was hurt... I wanted to tell you all the truth so much. But I already told you... I understood why you did it. And I respected you for it too.”
Clorinde’s features softened. “I believe I do understand that now. But I also want you to understand something.”
Clorinde slowly moved them from a reverse turn to a stop in the centre of the stage, gingerly trailing the hand on her shoulder blade down her arm until she held both of Furina's hands in front of her.
“You and I... we both made decisions that we thought would protect our nation. But in the end, your justice was greater than mine. Your justice saved Fontaine, not mine.”
Furina swallowed, unsure what to say to that. Clorinde pressed on.
“If the trial proved anything, it was not your fraudulence, or deception.” Clorinde said firmly. “It proved to me that you were the strongest, most courageous person in all of Fontaine. And so...”
Here Clorinde gently released her hands and took a step back, dropping onto one knee, while she held Furina’s gaze. Furina’s heart thudded seeing the woman kneel in front of her. Slowly, Clorinde unclasped the sword from her side and laid it on the ground between them.
“Even though you are no longer my Archon, and I am no longer your guard, my wish is that you would allow me to pledge my blade to protect you always."
Furina was moved deeply by the admission, her heart thrumming as she absorbed all that the woman said. And yet...
“Is your blade the only thing you are willing to give to me?” Furina asked softly. A deep fondness settled in Clorinde's amethyst eyes.
“Of course not.” Clorinde murmured. She took a breath before continuing, “You told me before that you’ve been waiting a long time. So my other wish is that you wait no longer.”
From a pouch behind her waist, Clorinde procured a single, shimmering blue Lakelight Lily, laying it on the ground next to her sword.
“The last time we stood here on this stage together... you stood alone against everyone,” Clorinde spoke solemnly. “So the reason why I wanted to join you on this stage today is quite simple...”
Clorinde’s eyes locked with Furina’s again, serious and soft.
“My heart longs for you never to be alone again.” she uttered. There was a growing lump in Furina's throat as she registered the words. It was hard to keep up.
“Today I offer you not only my blade, but my promise." Clorinde said finally, offering a heartwarming smile. "I no longer wish to stand behind you, but next to you always.”
There was a long moment where Furina was again rendered speechless. She must have stayed quiet too long, because Clorinde coughed politely.
“That is, if... if you’ll have me,” she added hesitantly. "I understand if... this is not what you desire."
Furina blinked down at her. She realised that for the first time since they’d met, Clorinde was nervous.
She really, really couldn’t resist.
“If I didn’t know any better, Clorinde, I daresay this looks awfully like a proposal,” she quipped loftily, though her voice struggled to remain steady.
Furina watched in delighted wonder as Clorinde’s ears peeking out from behind her hair seemed to burn red. The woman stood and straightened up awkwardly, raising a finger to scratch at her cheek.
It hit Furina then, the sheer genuineness of this woman’s feelings and the weight of what she was offering.
“Ah. Yes, well. I didn’t want to presume... but maybe in the future–”
She was cut off suddenly as Furina stepped over her gifts to throw her arms tightly around her Champion's midsection, the force knocking Furina’s hat off onto the stage. She greedily breathed in that comforting scent of cypress and ozone, as Clorinde wound her arms around her shoulders, leaning her chin against her hair as Furina started to tremble.
“You... you fool...” Furina sobbed, her voice muffled. “How dare you... Don’t... ever make me wait this long again!”
Clorinde laughed sheepishly, her own voice thick with emotion. “Never again.”
They stayed moulded against each other for a long time, Furina’s tears seeping into her shirt and Clorinde holding her tightly until her tremors ceased.
When Furina pulled back slightly, Clorinde gently reached up to cradle her face, wiping the last traces of her tears with her thumb. The duelist pressed a kiss onto the crown of her head before moving back and looking straight into Furina’s eyes.
“Never again.” She repeated, soft yet sure. “I promise.”
Carefully, as though handling a priceless treasure, Clorinde tilted Furina’s face up towards her. Furina’s eyelashes fluttered shyly, seeing Clorinde’s imploring gaze. Her breath caught as Clorinde’s thumb gently brushed against the corner of her lower lip, with her eyes following, seeking permission.
Furina wasn’t sure who connected them as they both leaned in, but it didn’t matter to her. Her heart stuttered as she felt Clorinde’s lips brush feather-light against hers, fleeting and delicate. Her hands came up to the duelist’s shoulders to ground her as she chased to connect them again. Again and again, they kissed each other under the stage lights, never moving more than a breath apart, every touch chaste and soft, as though afraid of breaking the ethereality of the moment.
In every exchange Furina felt Clorinde’s aching apology. Her quiet plea. Her hopes and desires that she felt too unworthy to express. And Furina too, hoped that her own wishes were received.
Eventually Furina pulled back, flushing as she saw Clorinde’s lipstick smudged a little. She startled as Clorinde reached up to wipe her thumb near the corner of her own mouth, reddening even more as she realised she must have looked the same.
Furina wrapped her arms around the duelist again, feeling a sudden urge to listen to that wild yet strong heartbeat pounding in Clorinde’s chest. And as she pressed her ear over it, her own heart resounded with overwhelming joy.
“I do hope you know that it’ll take a lot more than that to convince me of your devotion to your promise,” Furina murmured breathlessly, before shooting a playful smile up at the woman. Clorinde lifted an eyebrow, amused, before leaning down near her ear.
“In that case, I look forward to showing you just how deep my devotion goes,” Clorinde whispered lowly against her skin. Furina shivered, her heart hammering in her chest. Knowing Clorinde, the statement was probably very innocent and sincere, but the phrasing...
She gave the duelist a half-hearted shove, not quite pulling away from her arms.
“I-I’ll give the final verdict on that later then,” Furina mumbled, her face burning.
Furina wasn’t sure how much longer they stayed there on the stage together. But one thing she was sure of was that the spotlights weren’t nearly as harsh as they used to be.
Furina was shocked to find out that all of their friends were wholly unsurprised when she and Clorinde announced the development of their relationship. Happy, certainly, but embarrassingly unsurprised.
Navia was a given, the Traveler as well, perhaps. But Lyney and Lynette? Neuvillette? Wriothesley?
“Wriothesley made a bet with me, actually,” Clorinde confessed to her one evening, around a month after they started their relationship when they were out for dinner again at the lasagne place that Furina adored.
“A what?”
“He told me that you’d end up making the first move since I was too much of a coward.” She sighed. “And he was right, I suppose.”
Furina felt warm. “Er... so you mean, even before that night by the lake... you...”
Clorinde looked amused. “Is it that surprising? I just... never thought you’d be interested in someone like me.”
The Salon Solitaire also eventually warmed up to the duelist. Clorinde explained wryly how upset they had been with her after the attack, Mademoiselle Crabaletta being especially angry.
Furina was a bit worried about making their relationship more public, knowing how Clorinde felt about her privacy from the press. Both of them were big names in Fontaine so people would be sure to make a fuss. When she voiced this to Clorinde, she pondered it for a moment.
“Well, if our relationship will be mentioned in a paper, why not make it the Steambird? At least Charlotte is one of the more professional and fair reporters.” Clorinde said offhandedly, to Furina’s shock. The duelist squeezed her hand under the table. “I’m sure people will get bored as well, once the next big news hits. Besides... I have to deter your fans somehow, don’t I?”
Furina laughed. She was fairly sure that Clorinde herself had more admirers by now, especially with her own withdrawal from the stage.
When Clorinde escorted her home that night, there was an odd restlessness that she felt, perhaps partly from their discussion earlier and perhaps partly from the frequent looks that Clorinde had been sending her across the table.
On reaching her apartment, there was a sudden urge she had to lean up and kiss Clorinde’s cheek before they parted ways outside her door... and a disappointment that soon followed, knowing that it would have been too out in the open. Slowly, she turned to face the duelist, opening her mouth to bid her good night.
“Do you want to come inside?” Furina blurted out instead.
Clorinde nodded once, the look in her eyes speaking volumes.
As soon as they entered the threshold of Furina’s apartment, Furina raced to get the kettle going, while Clorinde set her hat on the table. Furina chewed her lower lip, unsure why she suddenly felt a bit on edge.
She heard Clorinde walk towards her as she leaned on the counter. Slowly, the duelist’s arms came from behind, wrapping around her waist, while she nuzzled into her hair. Furina melted into her touch, leaning back against her.
“Furina,” Clorinde said, a quiet earnestness in her voice.
“Yes?” Furina breathed.
“May I kiss you?”
Furina’s face felt hot. It’s not like she wasn’t thinking it, but Clorinde’s forwardness never failed to catch her off-guard.
“Please,” she mumbled, turning around to face her.
One of Clorinde’s hands came up to her jaw, tilting her face up as she leaned in. Furina’s eyes slid shut as their lips pressed together.
The contact was pleasant. But she wanted more. Furina reached up wrapping her arms around the duelist’s neck, opening her eyes only briefly before she closed the gap between them again, the room filling with the sounds of soft sighs and contented noises between kisses.
It was an addictive feeling.
There was a low simmering flame inside her. She wondered if Clorinde felt it too.
“Furina,” she said, her voice a low rumble as she pulled away to whisper in her ear. “I've been thinking about you all evening.”
"Mmh... me too..." Furina nodded faintly, unable to suppress the delicious shudder that rolled down her spine as Clorinde nipped hotly at her earlobe. The whistling of the kettle barely registered in her senses, her hand coming to squeeze the nape of Clorinde's neck encouragingly.
The duelist moved back and Furina blinked up at her, dazed. A moment later, she decisively hefted Furina into a bridal carry. Furina squeaked, her own arms instinctively coming up around Clorinde’s shoulders.
“Just thought you should be more comfortable,” she explained simply, amused as Furina buried her face into her Champion’s neck while she walked them over to her room, kicking her shoes off once they were inside.
Clorinde gently laid her down on the sheets and was immediately on her again, Furina’s arms wrapping around her shoulders as they resumed kissing. The tiny bed creaked underneath their weight, causing Furina some alarm.
"Erm - Clorinde..."
"I'll buy you a new one," The duelist said shortly. Furina reddened at her words, but allowed the woman to distract her again. She gasped as Clorinde nipped at her lower lip and the duelist swiftly took advantage of the opportunity to deepen the kiss.
Furina felt light-headed as she allowed Clorinde to explore her mouth, doing her best to keep up with the duelist’s passion.
Clorinde leaned back on her knees after they both broke away for air, looking down at her with a self-satisfied smile. Furina flushed, panting heavily, and wondering how she must have looked. She watched as Clorinde unclasped her vision and her capelet, dropping them to the side, her smouldering gaze not leaving Furina's for a second even as she started on her gloves. Furina swallowed a whine. It was unfair how good she looked in that form fitting uniform.
In a display of boldness, she reached up and pulled Clorinde back down towards her, and on a whim pushed her bangs aside to graze her teeth along the top of her ear. Clorinde shivered against her and suddenly she felt the duelist’s knee slip between her legs and she jolted as it pressed up against her core.
It felt too good. Clorinde locked their lips together again, tongue stroking against hers insistently and Furina couldn’t help but buck her hips against her thigh, evoking little waves of pleasure with the friction, guided by sensation rather than experience.
The knee pressed up against her again and she let out a breathy moan.
Abruptly, Clorinde pushed herself back up, breathing ragged. Furina cracked her eyes open, blushing as she saw Clorinde’s stormy eyes dark with desire.
“Furina,” she said, her voice strained. “I am... unsure if I can hold myself back if we...”
Furina swallowed.
“I don’t think I want you to,” she admitted, her chest rising and falling heavily.
Clorinde’s eyes softened then, leaning back on her knees and taking both of Furina’s trembling hands in her own, thumb stroking over her knuckles. “You’re too important for me to take this lightly.”
Always so considerate. Furina’s heart filled with affection.
“I want this – I want you too.” Furina said pouring as much earnestness into her voice as she could muster. “I’m just... nervous.”
What if I’m not what you hoped for?
Clorinde blinked down at her and Furina turned her face to the side shyly, trying to hide in vain from her piercing gaze.
“If that is truly your answer... then I want to have you – all of you – tonight,” Clorinde said, reaching down toward the pendant of Furina's cravat. Gently she undid it before sliding her hands underneath Furina’s blazer and prompting her to shrug it off. Every now and then Clorinde would pause to check Furina was okay as she continued working through the layers.
Furina had to admit, it made her... uneasy at first. She was so used to hiding that revealing herself and allowing someone to lay her bare in any sense railed against the instincts that had been burned into her for centuries.
Sensing her hesitation, Clorinde leaned down, brushing their noses together, earning a breathless giggle from Furina, before she pressed multiple soft kisses against her cheek.
As Furina gazed up into Clorinde’s eyes so soft and full of longing, she couldn't help wanting to trust her Champion.
And now, with her upper half exposed, she felt herself heating up again and shifting restlessly as Clorinde pressed wet open-mouthed kisses across her stomach where her wound had scarred over and another on the underside of her breast.
“So beautiful,” Clorinde murmured as she pulled back, eyes roving over her in wonder. Furina resisted the urge to hide.
“A-Are you going to just stare?” she said with a huff. Unfazed, Clorinde continued to look down at her, fondness written into her features.
“I... still feel as though this is a dream,” the duelist said, her voice barely above a whisper. Furina’s breath hitched, seeing the vulnerable look on her face. She could understand the feeling.
“And if it is, I want to cherish and memorise it always.”
Furina pouted up at her.
How unfair that her lover could say such things with a straight face.
Well in my dreams you’re wearing less, came the sudden intrusive thought.
Clorinde coughed, her ears burning scarlet as Furina clapped a hand over her mouth a second later, mortified at the slip of her indecent thought.
The duelist chuckled after a moment, regaining her composure, though she still looked slightly red.
“Would you like to amend that?” Clorinde said lowly, the corners of her mouth quirking upward. Furina could only nod silently with a flush, lifting her hands up towards Clorinde’s collar, fingers working clumsily at the buttons. It was embarrassing how much her hands were shaking, but eventually Clorinde released her from her misery, raising her own hand to help out.
As the top three came undone, something small and metallic came loose, landing lightly on Furina’s chest, right over her heart.
Their movements stilled. Furina peered down curiously at the little short-sword pendant, before looking up at Clorinde.
“My master gave me this. Right before she left,” Clorinde said softly, seeing the unspoken question in Furina’s eyes. “It’s a Marechaussee Hunter symbol... that reminds me every day to interrogate my own heart.”
“Your justice,” Furina breathed. A statement, rather than a question. Clorinde inclined her head in affirmation.
“Will my heart doubt, causing me to tread the path of treachery... or am I resolved to eradicate evil and injustice? Before I raise my sword in any duel, this is the sword raised against myself.”
Furina nodded in understanding. Of course she knew. There was a similar sentiment echoed in the writings of her country, within the very fabric of Fontaine as a nation. Justice must be blind, and those who wield the sword of justice must not be led astray by their own interests or affairs.
Her mind flickered to the courtroom and the trial from so many months ago. For the two of them... they both made decisions that day to protect their nation, unwilling to bend for the sake of their own interests. She remembered how her heart had initially faltered in grief at seeing her guard raise her sword against her. And yet... her courage prevailed.
The memory which had once held so much pain was slowly becoming a proud testament to her strength.
“So…” Furina said shyly, her gaze shifting from the tiny sword lying on her chest up to her Champion’s eyes. And though Clorinde had already told her as much before, she couldn’t help asking, “I passed your test, then?”
Clorinde’s eyes softened, her face full of breathtaking longing as she smiled so sincerely, so genuinely that Furina’s heart couldn’t help stuttering.
“Furina,” Clorinde whispered, soft like a prayer. Furina shivered at the sound of her name spoken with such reverence.
“You’ve exceeded every hope and wish I could have placed in the god of Justice.”
Furina choked out a laugh. “Ah… I’m not… I think I’m just Furina now, you know.”
Clorinde raised an eyebrow, a twinkle in her amethyst irises. “‘Just Furina,’ hm?”
Clorinde gently took one of her hands and brushed her lips against her knuckles.
“I think I can accept that if it means I don’t have to share you with the rest of Fontaine.”
Furina laughed again, though her vision also started to blur a little too.
“Have you considered not being a theatrical sap?” Furina said with a huff, trying and failing horrendously at sounding annoyed. Clorinde’s smile only widened.
“Furina,” she murmured, and Furina helplessly felt her heart ache wonderfully all over again.
Clorinde turned her hand over and dropped a kiss into her palm. “My peace.”
She leaned down and pressed a kiss into the skin over her thundering heart next to where her pendant fell. “My justice.”
She moved up and kissed the corner of her eye where a tear had escaped. “My love.”
Clorinde moved back slightly to peer down at her, the soft smile never leaving her face. “I won’t stop until you believe it for yourself.”
Unable to take it anymore, Furina pulled her Champion in and locked their lips together, desperately breathing in every word that Clorinde spoke, and wishing that somehow, she could continue to become everything that this woman hoped for and everything she longed for in herself.
In a little sandy bay northwest of Marcotte Station, Furina gazed out at the sun setting over the Palais Mermonia, a wistful and nostalgic feeling filling her chest. Sitting to her left, Clorinde lazily twirled a seashell between her fingers. In the distance, Marie and Kiara were constructing an impressively accurate sand sculpture of the Opera Epiclese, while the rest of their friends played near the water.
“It took long enough for us to come out here,” Furina said with a laugh, leaning her head against the duelist’s shoulder.
“I had forgotten about it,” Clorinde admitted. Her hand came to rest on top of Furina’s, thumb rubbing over the metal band on her finger. Furina closed her eyes, listening to the gentle sound of waves rolling onto the shore.
It was so peaceful. So warm.
And still so difficult for her to believe it was real.
She turned her hand over so she could intertwine their fingers, suddenly reminiscing days past.
“You know, I... I wished so long for my suffering to end. I was alone for so long,” Furina said softly as she opened her eyes to look back at the Palais, backlit in a dreamy amber glow.
“But for all the lifetimes I’ve lived through, I’m glad that I lived long enough to find you.”
Whether she had met Clorinde or not, all her hardships and loneliness had always been worth it. Perhaps the feeling had originated from a vestige of her Archonship, but Furina had always loved Fontaine; was always willing to give her life for her people and for their justice.
But in finding Clorinde... her heart swelled with a happiness she never knew she could experience, soared to a height she didn’t know was possible.
"I'm glad you waited for me." Clorinde murmured, leaning her head against her.
Her hand tightened its grip in Furina's own as though reassuring her of her promise. Furina fixated on the connection. Warm. Safe.
In this woman, Furina found one more reason – one that she would protect for the rest of her life.