You Are Not
By Major Mike Powell III
Sophitia Alexandra idly wondered whether perhaps this was a punishment that was a long time coming, a punishment for her infidelity to her husband, for falling in love and having an affair with her British travel companion, for having passed the Seed of Soul Edge to her young daughter, Pyrrha.
Sophitia Alexandra had regrets. Many of them. Most of all, she regretted having gotten Isabella "Ivy" Valentine involved in this in the first place. The blonde knew long ago that she was never good at holding back her heart's desires, but she just hoped Ivy had said "no" instead of hugging her, giving her a kiss and then, making her forget the Hell that they would soon enough be walking into together…Ivy made Sophitia forget all of it by making sweet, gentle, unhurried love to her.
Sophitia Alexandra felt bittersweet relief as she calmly strode into the bedroom that she shared with her British lover, deep in the bowels of Ostreinsburg Castle. She had just returned from the chamber that housed the permanently-sleeping form of her child, Pyrrha, a visit granted to her by the Azure Knight himself, Nightmare, after returning to report to the master of the castle of her patrol of the adjacent forest…and in doing so, she handed him a Shard of Soul Edge as well as the bloody sword of the traveler that carried it.
One candle on a nightstand on each side of the bed that could very well fit five other people painted the room a rather soothing amber, now that the moon had claimed its place in the night sky just an hour earlier, an hour spent watching over her sleeping daughter, the young hostage of Soul Edge and its vile influence.
Sophitia idly wondered whether she and Ivy were, in a way, hostages, themselves.
In any case, teal eyes followed the blonde Greek's every movement as she entered the bedroom and moved to remove her boots and set down her Omega Sword and Nemea Shield on a weapons rack on the wall. The blonde ignored the presence of her beloved as she slowly slithered the pad of her ring finger on the razor-sharp, perfectly-maintained edge of her sword in order to puncture the skin of said finger.
"I'm sorry, Rothion. This is all the sacrifice I can allow myself to do for you."
Then, the blonde turned on her heel and moved to fall back on the bed. Sophitia landed on her back on the warm, silken sheets and then, rolled over to move into the welcoming, soothing embrace of her beloved.
"Lady Valentine…" Sophitia sighed with bittersweet relief into Ivy's bountiful, warm, soft chest. The Englishwoman hummed in acknowledgement, moving a hand to soothingly stroke Sophitia's blonde tresses, making her nuzzle further into Ivy's huge chest as she threaded her dexterous fingers through the silken blonde locks.
With her free hand, Ivy met Sophitia's own, steady hand and intertwined their fingers, giving each other's hands a gentle squeeze.
The woman in purple spoke not a word as she and Sophitia coiled ever closer into each other, ending up with the blonde partner partially on top of the buxom Brit; their legs entwined, Ivy's purple stocking-clad leg nestled between Sophitia's and their scantily-clad chests partially mashed against one another's.
Blue gazed into teal as Sophitia and Ivy stared into each other's eyes.
"You have come far, Sophie. You no longer look green when you return, much less run into the bathroom to puke the second you pass through the door. You are doing alright, darling." Ivy's thick accent soothed Sophitia's regret-heavy heart and the blonde nodded ever-so-slightly, yet silent tears rebelled against her and left crystalline trails on her smooth, blushing cheeks.
"Lady Valentine…Isabella…you may not say it, but I know, I can tell you-" "Sophitia Alexandra. It's alright. I've said it before and I will say it as many times as I have to. I chose to be here. I chose to remain at your side. We are in this together, Ok, Sophie?"
"…" Sophitia smiled ever-so-slightly. Barely more than a subtle curling upwards of her plush, pink lips. But it was a smile nonetheless, and it was a big progress. "Yes…yes, Lady Valentine. I'm sor-" The blonde was cut off by Ivy yet again, but this time, what silenced Sophitia was not Ivy's words, but her lips.
The Englishwoman kissed the Greek with ardent passion. A kiss full of desire as well as reassurance. A kiss to help Sophitia keep herself together.
A thin string of saliva joined their heated, bruised lips after the kiss was over. Ivy seemed to gaze into Sophitia's soul as she held her beautiful face in her hands.
"Sophitia. Remember: You are not a monster."
The Greek woman's response was another ardent kiss, deeper and longer than the last. The blonde felt the fire ignite within her at her beloved's reassurance.
"Lady Valentine…Ivy…please, prove it…make love to me. Prove to me that I'm not a monster, please…" Sophitia begged, tugging with her middle and ring fingers on one of the strings that were a part of the intricate-yet-skimpy outfit covering Ivy's breasts. The skimpy-clad woman in question was quick to smile at Sophitia before moving in even closer to mash her lips against her Greek lover's and soon enough, start filling their amber-lit bedroom with sounds that proved without a shadow of a doubt that Sophitia was, in fact, not a monster, but a woman driven by the love for her family as well as the love of the woman that had willingly followed Sophitia Alexandra into this darkness.
Sophitia was a warrior maiden with many regrets…but her love for Isabella "Ivy" Valentine was not a regret. In fact, it was the one thing she rejoiced in. She was doing this, she was Nightmare's minion, for Pyrrha's sake…but it was Ivy the one that kept her sane and alive.
The exclamation point of Ivy's reassurance to Sophitia was the cry of bliss that spilled beyond the windows of the bedroom and drove away crimson-eyed ravens perched on the gargoyle statues outside.
After their passion was spent, Sophitia Alexandra fell asleep in the arms of Isabella "Ivy" Valentine and they both knew: they were not monsters. Just warrior women in love.
The Legend will Never Die
FIN