Nocturne

☼ Chapter Forty-Nine ~ Aurora ☼

Time passed, as it always does.

There were insurgents, of course. Some were from the scattered remains of the Sanctimonium, but many were not. There would always be people that couldn't bear the fear of the unknown, and a century of anti-Lunar conditioning was hard to undo.

Aurora had advised King Aelius to be kind to them, and allow the protesters to be free to speak their minds and shout at the gates of the palace as much as they liked. She could understand their position, in a way. And they weren't hurting anyone, just shouting out slogans and taking a few days off work.

In truth, Aurora had expected far more protesters and dissenters than actually presented themselves, excluding the day of the disastrous coronation. Some people were already calling it "the Revelation", which Aurora found distasteful, to say the least, but she could think of no better term to describe the horrors of that day.

Already. Aurora shook her head at herself. It had been over three years since then. Time flies when you're busy, she supposed. Stretching on the rock where she sat, Aurora let out a massive yawn. She was twenty now, but she still felt sixteen some days, when the paperwork piled up and the people filed in. It was overwhelming, at times. But she loved it, and the time she spent running away to her girlfriend was refreshing enough to do it all.

Scribes and Labourers alike hypothesised on why people were behaving the way they were in response to this great change. To Aurora, it seemed as if the intermingling had a part in it.

King Aelius' support had been invaluable, of course. And beyond him, Lady Surya had not been an important figure in the eyes of the public while she had been Queen, but people looking back on her once she had made a respectable name for herself as the Lunar Advisor to the Throne seemed to all agree she should have had that position from the start. And while Aurora didn't want to be narcissistic, she knew that she'd been respected and considered blessed from the moment she opened her eyes, and she thought that her and Nocturne's relationship had a part to play in the good relationship between the twin cities.

Aurora blushed at the thought of Nocturne and shifted where she sat. Late evening sunlight streamed through the leaves. The small silken pouch she had hidden in her dress felt heavy all of a sudden.

Would Nocturne even show up? Had she forgotten? Gotten lost? Or worse, had she gotten hurt somewhere, and was lying injured somewhere in the woods?

Aurora took a deep breath and wiped her hands on her skirt. She wasn't that late. It was fine. It wasn't totally uncommon for Nocturne to get distracted helping some lost creature or taking extra time to whisper encouragement to some weak flower. Still, she couldn't calm her galloping heart.

It seemed like hours before the bushes finally rustled and a lithe figure in deep blue and purple stepped free. "Noct! You're finally here!" Aurora leapt up and wrapped her girlfriend in her arms, squeezing tightly. Nocturne laughed and rested her head against Aurora's shoulders.

"Hey, Rory. I missed you too, sunshine. Sorry I'm so late- Sorell needed my help with something."

"Oh, that's fine. How is the poor dear?"

"Overworked and stressed, as usual. He's trying to get her certifications done so she can Ascend to Priest rank. I'm considering taking him on as an apprentice, actually. She's very hard-working, and a sweetheart too. What do you think?"

"If you're going to choose an apprentice, then Sorell is certainly a very good candidate!"

The two women sat down on the raised stones by the streambank and leaned into each other with full subconscious trust.

Dying sunlight painted the treetops gold and sent splashes of light glimmering all around the little clearing. Flowers in every colour of the rainbow grew all around them. Aurora had chosen it carefully, and the faerie creatures in both Apollo and Artemis had helped her find and prepare it.

As if she could read her thoughts, Diane, who'd followed Nocturne as she often did, caught Aurora's eye, and she could have sword the little moonfox winked. Diane purred and rubbed against Aurora's leg before turning and sauntering proudly out of the glade.

Nocturne and Aurora watched her go with expressions of fondness and amusement. With just a touch of friendly resentment on Aurora's part thrown in, of course. "That little kitten..." Nocturne smiled to herself. "No matter how old she gets, she'll always be a kitten to me."

Aurora was enraptured by Nocturne. Her eyes seemed to catch the light and darkness and spin it into an ocean not even she could comprehend. The small gap between their heights endeared her every single time they curled up together. Her smile was as perfect as the moon's bow, and her lilac scent filled Aurora with such admiration and love. Aurora's heart beat faster.

"This place is beautiful..." Nocturne murmured, and her voice was as soothing as a warm cup of tea by a fire while a storm raged outside.

She fingered the little package she'd brought with her. Her lips parted, then closed again. What do I do? Will she like it? What will she say?

Aurora was not used to being this nervous. She did not like in the slightest.

Before she could say anything, Nocturne turned to look up at her. "You look like your heart's about to jump out of your chest and run away," observed Nocturne. "What's wrong?"

Fire burned up Aurora's cheeks. "N-nothing's wrong. I- I just..." she trailed off, and Nocturne tilted her head up at her, curious.

The object within the pouch was cold in her hands as she brought it out and clasped it to her heart, without Nocturne noticing. She stood. "I just wanted to say that..."

She took a deep breath. It was now or never, and she didn't think she could stand the never.

"I just wanted to say that you're the most amazing person I have ever been blessed enough to know. You are always there to listen, and you always seem to know just what to say. You are so smart, and wise, and loving, and you mean so much to me. I don't know how to describe how I feel for you, because it doesn't seem like a simple 'I love you' is enough."

Nocturne looked startled. Her eyes were locked on Aurora's, and a blush was rising in her cheeks.

"You mean everything and more to me, Noct, and I... I wanted to ask..."

She held out the ring, and Nocturne's eyes went wide. "Rory- I"

Aurora dropped to one knee and offered the ring up as she offered up her heart.

"Nocturne, will you marry me?"