The Golden City

Chapter 5

The soft glow of the enchanted lantern, its light a gentle caress against the richly tapestried walls of Holden’s chambers, did little to dispel the shadow of doubt that had begun to creep into Sabrina’s heart. She sat opposite him, the plush cushions of the divan a stark contrast to the gnawing unease that coiled within her. Holden, ever the attentive, his draconic soul radiating a warmth that usually soothed her to her very core, was currently engaged in polishing one of his obsidian scales, a habitual gesture when he was lost in thought. But tonight, his silence felt less like contemplation and more like a mirror to her own internal turmoil.

“Holden,” she began, her voice a little softer than she intended, almost a whisper against the vastness of the room. He looked up then, his molten gold eyes, usually alight with an adoring fire, now held a question. He set the scale down, his attention entirely hers, a silent invitation to speak her mind. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to meet his unwavering gaze. “I… I love you. You know that, right?”

He offered a small, reassuring smile, a subtle shift of his lips that spoke volumes. “I know, my Sabrina. As I know the sun will rise, as I know the mountains will stand.” His voice was a deep rumble, a melody that always resonated with her, yet tonight, even its familiar comfort couldn’t entirely quell the tempest within.

“It’s not that,” she continued, her fingers tracing the intricate patterns on her silken gown. “It’s… it’s everything else. This… this bond we share. It’s incredible. It’s more than I ever dreamed of, more than I ever thought possible.” She paused, searching for the words, for a way to articulate the vastness of her apprehension without diminishing the truth of her love. “But it’s also… so immense. So… permanent.”

Holden’s brow furrowed slightly, his keen senses picking up on the undertone of her confession. He reached across the low table separating them, his large, clawed hand gently covering hers. The touch was electric, as always, sending a familiar shiver through her, but it was tinged with a new, nervous tremor. “Permanent is a word I cherish, Sabrina. Especially when it refers to you.”

“And I cherish it too,” she affirmed, squeezing his hand. “But my permanence is… different from yours. You’ve lived for centuries, haven’t you? Seen empires rise and fall, seen seasons bleed into one another a thousand times over.” She met his gaze directly now, her own eyes wide with the enormity of it. “I haven’t. My life… it’s a blink of an eye compared to yours. A fleeting moment. And the thought of that… the thought of our lives stretching out, with me growing old and frail while you… while you remain as you are…”

The words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken fears. She saw a flicker of understanding, perhaps even a touch of sadness, in Holden’s eyes. He was not oblivious to the stark reality of their different lifespans. He had witnessed the mortal frailties of those who had loved dragons before, the inevitable heartache that followed. But he had always seemed so certain, so utterly convinced that their love could transcend such limitations.

“I understand your concern, Sabrina,” he said, his voice softening. “The passage of mortal years is a harsh mistress, and I would never wish to inflict upon you the pain of watching time erode what is precious. But our bond… it is not a measure of days, or years, or even centuries. It is a measure of souls, of connection, of a truth that exists beyond the fleeting nature of flesh.”

“But how can that be, Holden?” she pressed, her voice laced with a desperate need for reassurance. “The goddess, she blesses unions. She guides them. Our path… it’s not like that. We’ve stumbled into this, haven’t we? Drawn together by… by something wild and untamed, not by a celestial decree. What if that wildness, that untamed force, isn’t enough to bridge the chasm of time? What if, one day, I can no longer keep pace with you? What if my love, my strength, simply… fades, while yours remains as potent as ever?”

She knew it was a cruel thing to say, to voice such insecurities, especially when his devotion was so evident, so absolute. But the fear was a physical ache in her chest, a cold dread that tightened its grip with every passing moment. She looked at his draconic form, the sheer power and majesty of it, the scales that shimmered like polished obsidian, the eyes that held the wisdom of ages. He was a creature of myth, of legend, of eternity. She was a mortal, bound by the relentless march of time, her body destined to betray her eventually.

“Fades?” Holden’s voice was dangerously low, a tremor of something fierce underlying the question. He drew his hand back, his expression hardening, not with anger, but with a profound, almost painful, incredulity. “Sabrina, you speak as if love were a flame that could simply be extinguished by the passage of time. It is not. It is an anchor, a beacon, a truth that endures. The strength you speak of is not merely in your physical form, but in the very essence of your spirit, the fire that burns within you, the light that draws me to you.”

He leaned forward, his gaze intense, searching. “I have seen mortals grow old, their bodies weaken. I have seen them pass from this world, leaving behind only memories. And it has always been a sorrow, a fleeting ache. But you… you are different. Your spirit, Sabrina, it burns with a brilliance that outshines the lifespan of any mortal. I do not love you for your youth, or for your present strength. I love you for you. For the courage you possess, for the kindness you show, for the way you see the world with eyes that are both wise and full of wonder. That is what I have bound myself to. That is what will endure.”

“But the world doesn’t see it that way, Holden,” Sabrina whispered, her voice catching. “They see an imbalance. They see a… a dangerous deviation. The Goddess, she has her ways, her laws. They are meant to protect, to guide. And we… we are forging our own path, outside of her sight, outside of her blessing. What if that means we are more vulnerable? What if this bond, as powerful as it feels now, is inherently fragile because it lacks that divine affirmation?”

She thought of the whispers she sometimes overheard, the sidelong glances from those who knew of their connection. The sheer audacity of a dragon choosing a mortal, not as a fleeting companion, but as an eternal partner. It was unheard of. It was unnatural, in the eyes of many. And while Holden’s absolute conviction was a shield, it couldn't entirely deflect the insidious tendrils of doubt that wormed their way into her own thoughts.

“The Goddess,” Holden repeated, his tone laced with a hint of something akin to disdain. “She guides, yes. But she does not dictate. Nor does she understand the fierce, primal nature of a bond forged in the heart, not dictated by celestial decree. My loyalty, my devotion, is not a gift from some distant deity, Sabrina. It is a promise I have made to myself, to you, to the very essence of our shared existence. And it is a promise I will keep, regardless of the pronouncements of any divine being. The strength of our bond lies not in its adherence to ancient laws, but in its truth. And our truth is undeniable.”