"What's one good way to say 'I love you?'"
Lux licked her lips and placed a delicate hand beneath her chin in thought. She leaned back against the desk and crossed her legs.
"Tough one, Shauna. You'll have to be more specific," replied the pepper young blonde.
Shauna was much older than the pretty face of Demacia, but the Night Hunter couldn't confirm whether or not she was wiser. She knew of the tales of the light mage - her abstract wit and cleverness, her clarity as a leader, her skills on the battlefield - and knew the girl had much to offer.
That included information regarding Shauna's one weak spot: love.
The Lady of Luminosity was happily courted with none other than Talon of the DuCouteau residence. She couldn't have thought a more odd pair than themselves even if she tried. Knives and blades and gloom versus bright and shining and magical. They made a bizarre couple, and yet they made it work. Who else could Vayne come to other than Lux herself?
"Pray tell your need for specifics," replied Shauna shallowly. Her arms crossed as she leaned against the door frame.
Lux smiled radiantly, and Shauna was momentarily shocked at how this girl wasn't covered in suitors from across the land. It was no surprise that Lux was a beautiful woman, but at the age of 23, Lux was currently in her prime. The sunlight glistened upon her sparkling blonde tresses which tumbled down past her shoulders. Blue eyes twinkled with every word she spoke. Though a small woman, Lux made do, dressing in a fit of tight blue jeans and an embroidered poncho of sorts. Her loose shirt was tucked in at the waist, giving her legs length. Lastly, her shoes, though seeming to be easygoing brown flats, gave the final touch; a simplistic look, which fit her simple character.
Shauna, at around 35, had really stretched her limit thus far. Truth be told, in essence, she was only a woman. She didn't want to live the remainder of her days alone hunting werewolves and vampires and ghosts (oh my). Although her life depended on her craft, she desired more than just that. After over 15 years of the same old same old, Shauna was undoubtedly ready for a change in scenery.
"Well," the light mage began, lifting herself off the wooden desk which resounded with a loud 'creak.' "Every person is different. And, every situation is different. Can't really give you advice that'd help me; it wouldn't be the same for you."
Vayne sighed and furrowed her eyebrows. The fun thing about wearing shades all the time, Shauna thought, was that nobody could see the fact that she was constantly annoyed. This was one of the times she was especially thankful for that fact. But alas, she'd submit.
"There is this... woman."
A momentary pause. A particular everyday library-goer most likely wouldn't be able to notice the slight change in Lux's features. Vayne, a hunter with a trained eye, noticed every difference. The half-second eyebrow raise, the subtle parting of Lux's delicate lips, the fidget of her hips. Vayne saw it all; the initial reaction was always the most hurtful.
She hid her embarrassment, lifting the fabric of her cloak to conceal her reddening neck.
"A woman," echoed Lux hollowly. She shook her head rapidly, seemingly knocking herself out of a transparent trance. "And who might she be?"
Shauna swallowed hard; audibly, in fact. It was hard enough to bluntly come out of the closet to a somewhat random 23 year old (alongside the fact that only two other people in the entire world knew), but now she had to name names?
"Could we just leave it at that?" Shauna requested shyly. The strength in her voice had subsided to a mere whimper, like cat and mouse.
Lux tilted her head to the side, and her eyes softened. Vayne became lost in the swirls of blue irises.
"Shauna, I know this is hard. But you've known me since I was a girl," Lux proclaimed, advancing towards the older woman with a slow gait. "And you know that I only have the best of intentions."
Lux then lifted her hand and lightly hovered around the Night Hunter's shoulders. Finally, her palm landed on Shauna's skin-tight leather suit, and Vayne felt static.
"Anything you tell me won't leave this room. Your secrets are safe with me," she finally said. With her other hand, she lifted Shauna's scarlet shades to reveal a thundering mess of crystallizing eyes. Lux could tell she was close to tearing up, and it nearly broke the light mage's heart.
"I only want to help you."
It must've been hard, Lux thought, to be gay in Runeterra. The blonde had heard of Shauna's effervescent parents; kindhearted, generous, and genuine souls who only wanted the best for their young child. Lux liked to think Shauna would've grown more accepting of herself had the tragedy of the Vayne family ceased to occur. Though most of the Demacian townspeople were actually quite advanced in regards to non-heterosexual relationships, and considered themselves allies of the community, Vayne never stayed in Demacia for more than a few days at a time. Lux hadn't noticed it herself until it became an unavoidable pattern: the Night Hunter would arrive in Demacia when she required funding, when she was summoned by the Demacian nobility, or on her parent's day of death. She avoided this town like the plague. Her constant traveling had only resulted in the burial of her own being.
Vayne lifted her eyes, staring cautiously at the young mage who uttered words of comfort that couldn't possibly be true.
"I appreciate your words, light mage," she replied rather coldly. An anti-climatic response to boot.
"Please, just call me Lux! You've allowed me to call you Shauna." Lux spoke as bright as she could allow her voice to be. She wanted to break this ice, this wall which surrounded Vayne.
Shauna nodded her head. "Lux," she said, as though trying it on for size. She then continued harshly, "You must realize by now the risks a relationship like mine would face, should I expose it to a person as important as yourself." The way she spoke was taunting, almost as though Lux were an imbecile for even suggesting it. Lux felt inexplicably small.
"But you don't need to doubt me," Lux continued to argue. Yes, she was an important person. Yes, she was the only daughter of the Crownguard house. Yes, she was one of the smartest, most ingenious individuals Demacia had to offer.
But she truly did not intend to scheme. She truly did not intend to impose, she simply desired to aid in Shauna's conflicts. "I have no ulterior motive. I'm only one person."
Vayne looked away, taking the glasses off the top of her head and hanging them on the neckline of her work suit. She made slow work of the action, taking extra time to unfold the arm of the shades, position them in the center of her torso, and realign the neckline so it didn't stoop too low. It seemed like years before the spoke, quiet and careful like they were in a middle school bathroom stall.
"Fiora Laurent."
It was a tentative silence which seemed to heat the air, fill each molecule with a buzz of electricity. Vayne waited impatiently for the younger woman to respond. Vayne wouldn't dare look her in the eyes at this point.
Vayne was, to say the least, unsuspecting of the blonde's reaction. Lux giggled mischievously.
"She's cute," cackled Lux.
"I'm aware of that," Vayne quipped in response.
"She's super scary, in that sexy, powerful feminine sort of way."
"Indeed, she is definitely sexy."
And the blonde finally broke the ice. Lux tilted her head back and laughed, like an angel transcending upon her very spirit. Vayne couldn't help but chuckle in that uptight sort of way she does.
"How do you know her?" asked Lux.
Vayne began to finally walk into the library quarters, sitting herself down on a beanbag messily (her legs were raised uncomfortably, and her head was very... unsupported. This would be terrible for her posture).
"I met her at a ball when I was 19 years old," responded Vayne nostalgically. "A man was speaking to her, but she looked antsy, like she was ready to bolt. So I marched her way, my little brave younger self, and stole her away for a bit. Turned out she was attempting to show disinterest but the man was so oblivious he couldn't see past her physique."
Lux scoffed. "Doesn't sound too different from today's time."
Vayne smiled knowingly at the younger girl and raised her eyebrows in agreement.
"I danced with her, and we left the ball together," Vayne continued smoothly. "She showed me her favorite garden on the Laurent grounds. Under the moonlight, we kissed there."
Lux felt bubbly. She couldn't stop moving her hands and her full attention was given to the black-haired woman in front of her. The blonde felt like she was invading such a private moment, and for Vayne to share it with a young girl whom she barely knew made Lux feel pretty special.
Vayne tilted her head back, stared at the ceiling. "But she had to leave soon after. She wasn't master of the house yet. She had curfews and rules and tenants to follow. And so when I departed, I promised to send her letters and that I'd return as soon as possible to see her. I was a 19 year old in love."
"Then, I turned 20 during the months of our long-distance fiasco. I had finally returned to Demacia after a really rigorous training trip. In secret, Fiora sought me out in the confinement of my empty house. She tended to my scars and bruises, slept over for the night, and, uh, how old are you?"
"I'm 23, Shauna."
"We had really great sex."
Lux guffawed at this one, almost fell over in her chair. "Okay, go on... I'm sorry!"
Vayne found herself smiling at the light mage's shining reaction to a story she wouldn't dare speak of anywhere else. She felt appreciated; supported, almost.
"We were both aware of Demacia's feelings towards same sex marriage. We knew it wasn't anything taboo. So she asked the following day if I'd marry her," Vayne's face went sullen, her tone dark. As quick as it had brightened, the mood transformed into a downfall of gloomy clouds and sticky rain.
Shauna glanced downwards at her feet, briefly fixed her eyes towards the windows, looked anywhere but at Lux. "I don't know what I was thinking at the time."
Lux's face became intensely sympathetic. "It's okay. You can tell me."
Vayne sighed. "If only I hadn't been such a naive little girl."
"You can't possibly blame yourself for your decision."
The Night Hunter was nearly fumbling over her words at this point. "The blame of telling her I was straight must definitely be put on me."
Lux gasped. She had expected a typical tragedy. The self-loathing hormone-filled teenager left her lover in fear of her heart breaking, and their story ended there or something of that sense.
But most definitely not that.
"It was a childish mistake. After being away from Demacia for so long, the ideologies of foreign lands must've seeped into me," she cradled her head in her hands. "People are so against my sexuality in other places. I became against my own sexuality in the process..."
Of course, Lux had already gathered this information prior, but it made it nonetheless shocking to hear it from the Night Hunter's own voice.
Lux moved from her own seat on the desk and came to wrap her hands around the devastated woman before her. She soothed out the black ponytail, rubbed the back of her hand soothingly, and said, "it's not your fault. It was all just a mistake."
Vayne wiped a lonesome tear from her cheek; she declared this'd be the only year she would shed. With defiance, she spoke.
"I left the next day, told her I still wanted to be her friend. She didn't even look me in the eye."
Vayne had never felt so vulnerable. She had fought many foes, conquered numerous fights, inflicted fear into her enemies, and yet while cradled in the arms of Lux Crownguard, she felt devoid of any strength. Her body began to shake as she held back tears with vigor.
"But I still love her, after all this time. Still remember how she was before the scandal, before the duel, before she became one of the most powerful women in Demacia. I still remember her," her voice was cracked and quivering like a dog. "There's no guarantee she'll still feel the same way. But after years of denying marriage, I'd like to think she's still open minded. I don't know. It's foolish of me to be so selfish, is it not?"
Lux had heard Shauna Vayne utter a max of around 10 words per hour before this impromptu library meet-up. She had glanced in the Night Hunter's way, had exchanged friendly political smiles and welcome greetings at important meetings, but this was a whole other person.
This was a broken woman.
Lux hugged her even tighter. "You're not selfish," she began prominently. "It's normal to feel the way you do. Love works in mysterious ways, Shauna, and sometimes, it doesn't leave you alone. So you fight for it, or you kill it off."
"It's hard to make that decision."
The blonde removed herself from the hug and rubbed Vayne's back in circles. "From the looks of it, I think it's blatantly obvious you'd rather fight for it."
The upper corners of Vayne's lips widened into a brilliant smile. "I wouldn't be able to tell you otherwise."
And so with that, Lux put her mind to work. She suggested Vayne reenact their memories as young adults. Return to the dance hall, visit the gardens, rekindle an old spark.
They'd waste no time. It'd begin a week from now; Operation VF ("It stands for Vayne and Fiora." "What an un-clever name for the most brilliant person in Demacia." "Hey!"). Lux would open the ballroom for just the two of them, summon the Crownguard choir to play the most romantic and sensual songs they could think of for an hour or two. And when Vayne took her to the gardens of the Laurent household, she'd take Fiora's hand, say her official apologies and that she wanted to start things off again.
Vayne felt hopeful, for once in her life.
(linebreak)
3 Months Later
Lux brushed the tips of her hair roughly, threading loose strands of blonde out and onto the floor haphazardly. She stared at her reflection in the mirror as a seamstress took her measurements with marked tape which stretched around the width of her bust.
"Oh, Miss Lux, it is an honor that you chose my service," said the graying woman's timid and quiet voice. "I do promise your dress will outshine the other's."
"M'am, I wish not to be the center of attention, I just want something to look nice in."
"Oh, but there isn't any shame in looking the best, either!"
Lux laughed alongside the seamstress, beginning to braid tiny handfuls of her hair. "I suppose you're right."
Lux's eyes traveled to the edge of the table, where the vanilla envelope lay opened. She smiled to herself. To think she had been a part of all this.
She fingered the flap of the envelope with her right hand before promptly picking out the perfumed card.
An invitation.
"Lux Crownguard of the Crownguard house, Shauna Vayne and Fiora Laurent hereby ask for your attendance at their royal wedding."
The first few lines were enough to make Lux feel overwhelmingly giddy. She silently squealed, making sure the seamstress didn't hear her. A small circular picture printed on the card showed Vayne and Fiora grinning ear to ear, Vayne's hand outstretched to fit the both of them on the screen of her phone.
Vayne had given her all the inside details, trusting Lux with the secrets of their ceremony. It'd be held at the Laurent garden, and then they'd return to Vayne's manor for the after party. Flowers imported from Ionia would line the aisle, the must infamous jazz band (their favorite type of music) in Demacia would be playing, and the most prized champagnes and wines would be available for their guests. Lux shivered at their extravagant ideas but didn't find them too out of reach, considering they were both rich and powerful people.
Their guest list, on the other hand, was shy. The entirety of the Laurent family was invited (obviously), which made up a surprising number of people ranging around 100. Vayne had managed to stir up a rather small list which included herself, Lucian, and some other people she didn't know.
It was all the more flattering when Vayne asked Lux to be her bridesmaid. She couldn't believe it herself; this was quite the honor. That being said, Vayne didn't have many friends, but it still made her feel important.
'Why did she pick you to be her bridesmaid? You barely know her.'
'I don't know, Garen, have fun at home while I'm living it up at an after party.'
She packed the card safely inside the security of the envelope and set it aside, tying the ends of each braid she was fiddling with to the back of her head. She grinned to herself in the mirror and sighed contentedly.
She was happy for them.