Creatures of the Ice

Eleventh Ice

Eleventh IceCreatures of the Mist

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##### Eleventh Ice #####

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Evidence of beauty is when you truly enjoy the darkness of the night and the frozen of mist.

New moon welcomes us once Valline and I arrive at a balcony, alone and away from any other living creatures. The place looks almost heavenly, with golden sprinkles look like they have been splattered all over the white bases of the place. It is quiet here, but the silence even has its own melody to fill the air when not the slightest bug ever flips its tiny pair of wings.

"I'm sorry about that. Carvel was not supposed to treat you like that. The problem was that he intended to rebel, even after I ordered him specifically not to but acted on his own against you and your family. But the truth was that things were going out of control after he heard that you were coronated as queen. He then arranged a plan to attack you. He knew that my order was absolute, so he thought of another way to get to you; indirectly. But by the time I realized it, it was already too late...."

He leaves his words hanging as he stares at the setting sun from the view up here, the sky is looking so sweet and peaceful. His fingers are digging the pale concrete of the thick fences as even his slightest emotion shows.

The sight of him looking so sad makes me weak as well, making him look so easy to break, and I just want to cherish and protect him.

So natural like a reflex, I find myself stepping closer and circling my arms around his waist from behind. His height suddenly makes me realize exactly how tall he has grown over the past few years, even now two centimeters taller than me. And I am even considered tall enough to compare with a model's standard.

"Why are you looking so concerned? Do you think that I will stop loving you just because of just a trivial matter?" I ask, bring my hands higher to his chest, fingers still chained to each other.

"But...." I think he is biting his lower lip right now, the beating in his chest getting more urgent a little bit. "You are not the type that desires a romantic relationship. I know that after waiting so long in the dark, watching you from afar at places I cannot reach. But I finally understood. And when you started to show interest in me.... You cannot believe how happy I was I, and how I still am. But I am living in fear, Arsene, that you will leave me someday. Carvel might not be a strong enough reason to block our relationship right now, but something else might in the future. And then eventually, I know that this too-good-to-be-true feeling will prove its sincerity. I don't want that to happen, but it's not like I can do anything about it."

The pulse underneath my palms just beats painfully loud right now, while his voice evokes something inside of me that I thought I do not possess.

"And why would you think of that, Valline? Are you doubting my feelings for you?"

"No, it's because you cancelled our engagement before. I'm afraid that you will do it again if you ever come to hate me."

The pouting expression he makes right now is unbelievably too cute to be true right now, and it really makes me simply feel just to end his internal suffering. So I turn him to face me fast and hold both of his hands in mine.

"It's true that I never desire any engagement, but just for you, I want us to seal the deal right away."

It takes Valline a few seconds to recover from the sudden proposal, and another to really take in my words.

“Marriage is so sacred that no soul can betray their partner. That is why I never want any engagement. I do not want to be engaged to you, but to be married to you instead,” I tell him. "So you better make your decision fast. I hate wasting time."

"Then let's marry now," he suggests.

"Are you sure? Do you love me enough to make that decision permanent for real? This bond will bind us for as long as we live, you know."

"Yes," he answers firmly, eyes looking seriously at me. "If I don't, then I wouldn't be thinking about you so much, to the point that it hurts me."

"Don't be in pain," I kiss his cheek. "If you are with me, then there is no reason to feel hurt." I circle my arms around his neck. "Valline Blancort, will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

He is surprised for a moment, and then slowly a blush crept to his cheeks. He looks so adorable that I feel like I cannot wait to cuddle him right now and then.

"Aren't you going to let me have the part of proposing to you?" He asks shyly.

"Wouldn't it be the same?" I ask and pull away, but hang my I hand in the air. "So, shall we?"

Valline accepts my hand and I pull the back of it to give a kiss, showing my love and respect to him. We then go to his room to get some privacy, get on his bed, and start after taking off our shoes.

"Would you like to go first?" I ask him. His blush gets redder, but his lips mumbled a, "Yes." I fight the urge to suddenly wanting to tease him.

This is our marriage ceremony. I cannot do that.

Yet.

I unbutton my black jacket, revealing a dark corset inside. I pull off the jacket's long sleeves from me, putting it on one side, and then start removing my corset. My fingers get a small grip from the ropes and undo the binds, loosening the tightness and let the corset eventually fall. I still have one thin nightgown beneath, but it will be easy to pierce it through. Undoing the ribbon at the front, I remove my last layer of clothing at the top, letting the half cleavage of my breasts shown to his eyes.

"Here," I let the access under my chest shown as I lie on the bed to make it easier for him to lean in.

Valline looks tense before lowering himself, knowing what to do. His lips meet mine surprisingly, just a peck, before trailing down to my neck, the line between my breasts, before he reaches the point of where my heart is.

He then kissed the skin over my heart, making it glow for a moment before the shine dims to a round tattoo.

The ink is white, rather unclear by the eyes for a second. The outer circle is made out of small, yet detailed chains of vines. Inside is another circle, but this time thinner and much simpler. The third circle after that is written in Blancort's ancient language, promising eternal bond with their beloved one, though that is the meaning I presume to hold. And finally, the center is where the Blancort clan's symbol: a white crow. But especially because it is Valline's significant sign as well, with two crystal blue gems that resemble his eyes.

"Thank you. It's beautiful," I let a smile creep into my lips as I stare at him happily. He too, returns my gaze with overwhelming feelings to me.

"Now, it's your turn to put the ring on me," he mumbled, before he starts stripping.

He only has a shirt on, so it is not long before he bare top is clear to my view.

Looking at how mature he is right now makes me realize how much time has really passed. When we first met, he was only a child, no older than ten, yet beautiful and very eye-catching. He looked like a little angel with a secret. It was not long before our first kiss, but too bad that I have to die back then.

Not for real, though, and those who were trying to take advantage of my healing state surely deserved the payback of that. When I woke up again, I have learned that years have passed since the last time I saw him. Then we met again.

Blazing with power does not make him arrogant, and that is another side of him that I love as he grew. Though things looked like it would be easier after that, disaster could not seem to keep its claws away from me.

But I did have faith, somewhere inside all of this darkness.

"What?" Valline asks, looking a little bit shy.

"I was just thinking," I reply with a smile.

"But you were staring at me so sharply, it made me really shy and want to just go hide, if you weren't someone I love."

"Shall I, then?"

He nods and I push him down to the bed, placing myself on top of him this time. I place a kiss, longer than necessary, on his heart. Black smoke then starts to ooze from his light skin, thicker by the split of a second before it fades into nothingness. And then, I can see my own symbol on him.

The tattoo circles just the way mine did. But of course, instead of white, it is black. And instead of his family's ancient language, it is mine that is written on his skin. A spider also crawls on top at the center, staying still with a crown on its back.

The ring is so small, yet strong and effective.

With these, we now belong to each other.

The ceremony itself takes a lot of the performers' energy. So we just lie back on the bed after that, cuddling inside the warm covers with Valline's sweet scent accompanying me.

"There were a few minor snags that came while you were gone. But worry not. The two of us were able to take care of them not even long after they occurred. There was also a birthday celebration that one of the clan's members held, so we came on behalf of you," Artro elaborates from my right once I am back on my throne.

"Well, it's good to hear that the two of you got along well. Keep up the good work," I reply, smiling. "How about the diplomatic relations? Everything's going well?"

Though our clan have managed lots of relationships with other clans, we are simply doing it for formalities. It is not like we need help from them to send over help in the first place, but it is not wrong to take precautions as well.

Artro looks at me for a moment, before answering.

"Well, about that." He sighs, as if something is troubling him. "We managed to handle most of it so far. But there is still one thing that we cannot seem to figure out the solution."

"What is it about?"

"We need to do a mission, to be able to save one of the giant's tribe members. His name is Tubal, and he has been reported missing for over a month. He was last seen at the ground of a wizard school, and the giants think it was the school that held Tubal captive. We already checked if their suspicion is true, and we have sent some wizards to find out the truth. And the giants were right."

"So? If it is true, why not just bust him out right away?"

"Tubal was found locked in the school's secret ground. And he was well-guarded. There were at least twenty wizards that guard around the area."

"And you're saying that your emissaries did not stand a chance towards them?"

"Me and Artro could just go there ourselves, but we were both swamped by duties to take care of equally a lot by the time we received the request, even up until you shown up," Link adds from my left.

"Really? That much tasks?" I try to think about a way. I can handle the mission, but then someone’s going to fill in my place while I am gone again. "Since you two were so great at taking care of things, why not continue doing it a little bit longer?" I ask.

"You will just go by yourself?" Artro asks in disbelief while fixing his glasses.

"Why not? I can clearly teleport the giant once I get to him in order to make the problems less complicated, though I have to actually be there first before I can teleport him. I have not been there physically to teleport from here to there directly, so a disguise might be needed."

"Are you sure?" Link asks worriedly.

"Of course. Why are you two keep asking me the same question? It is not like I am this damsel in distress that has a certain chance to die while trying to do baby steps," I ask, sounding more curious than annoyed.

Artro looks hesitant for a moment before answering my question.

"It's more because of that smile on your face. You rarely smile, most of the time expressionless, but always with a hint of sureness. The you right now is rather different, much happier, and it concerns us."

"Then I will say that your concern is useless. I am alright, as healthy as I can be, and fully rested. Just because I put a smile on my face, does not meant something bad is going on. Now just get back to your work. I'm going," I say rather firmly.

And though I feel rather irritated by their actions, I am still able to walk away with a smile.