Chapter 4: Izetta
Izetta didn't quite remember when her feelings fell together like tiny interlocking pieces.
She only remembered those pieces scattered around her, popping up every time she saw the Archduchess's beautiful smile, but she could never figure out how to really fit them together.
There were happiness there, adoration, respect, the desire to protect...
But those things just filled up her chest from time to time, and she didn't quite understand why or how they were there.
She just took everything for granted.
She had always liked the princess ever since they first met.
Izetta assumed her affection for Finé was just the same as everyone else's in Eylstadt.
Little Finé was a natural born ruler.
Sometimes she held Izetta's hand and pulled her out to play with the local kids. At first Izetta was horrified, but Finé told her it would be better for her to make more friends than not. Finé assured her she didn't have to reveal her magic if she didn't want to.
That was when Izetta realized that she was never welcomed in that village.
The children picked on her, called her names, and insulted her peculiar red eyes.
For the whole first day she hid behind Finé's back, and Finé would scold anyone who dared to bully Izetta until they backed down, using physical force when necessary.
Even in that age, her charisma and will of iron shone through.
She didn't even need to tell anyone she was a princess; the kids seemed to hesitantly respect her just from her demeanor alone.
She would solve playground fights, and proudly told Izetta afterward that her father taught her how to play an intermediary role in a dispute.
She looked so mature and amazing, that Izetta wondered why she even bothered with an outcast like Izetta.
Especially because the bullies just wouldn't leave her alone...and Finé would always be there to defend her.
"Say that her red eyes are weird one more time, I dare you...!"
"Stop! We give up!"
"Aren't you the girl from the villa? You might be rich, but you're stupid! Why are you siding with her? No other kid has red eyes like her, she must be cursed! She's a demon!"
"So what? Why do you care? You're the demons for bullying her like that!"
"She's scary! Run!"
"I'll tell Mom!"
"Run back home and never come back, you creeps!"
She never minded coming back to Izetta with scrapes all over her body and dirt covering her expensive skirt.
Then she would hug Izetta and give her a tearful apology...
As if she was trying to make up to the fact that her people could not treat Izetta like she did.
As if she was trying to assure Izetta that she would never, ever betray her or hate her.
And that was honestly all that Izetta needed.
One person.
Just one person who could be her hope.
But everything ended when the villagers showed their true colors to Izetta and the young witch saw death for the first time.
She only survived because Finé protected her, then she ran back to her grandmother while her forehead was still bleeding, and fled.
She never saw Finé again ever since.
Izetta...the cursed child...
She knew that, as a witch, she would continue to bring sorrow to everyone around her.
But as long as she believed that Finé was safe and well in a castle somewhere, she could move on with her life.
She became more careful as she got older, she could control her magic to the point that she could stay in one place for extended periods of time.
Then she moved to a small village at the western edge of Eylstadt, between the Duchy and Westria, and the people there began to accept her as one of their own. She chose that place because the ley lines were sparse in that area and it helped her hide her magic, and the people there were easy-going in nature, Izetta lived and worked in a tiny inn and the owner never even interviewed her for the job.
However, a nation had already set their eyes on Eylstadt...a strong imperialistic nation called Germania.
Within days they invaded their neighboring countries, interned and slaughtered countless people, including the village that Izetta resided in.
And they all died because of her.
Those murderers literally came there for her, and they didn't stop at just intimidating people, they burnt their houses and shot their heads to lure Izetta out.
"The girl with the red eyes...! Where is she?"
"We don't want to waste time here. We know she is here."
"There is a girl here with eyes as red as blood. Hand her to us now. Or we will wipe this dirty village off the map."
Izetta, the cursed child.
You would never find peace wherever you go.
But Izetta refused to accept it.
That was probably the first time in her life she didn't care what happened to her if she revealed her magic.
She wiped out an entire platoon in her anger, but the place didn't have much ley lines that she heavily depended on, and there were too many of those soldiers that she was easily cornered.
Without her magic, she was just an ordinary girl.
She was captured and put inside an ice-cold tube, and before she fainted, the last thing she heard was that they were going to transport her in a train to Westria before flying her off to Germania.
And when she woke up again, in a strange twist of fate, she saw a familiar figure right in front of her.
She thought it was a dream, there was probably something in that tube that sedated her.
But she didn't care if it was a dream.
She would give anything to see Finé's face again.
The plane flew right over a ley-line-heavy place when Izetta regained consciousness and her magic went right into work.
She couldn't hold back her tears when she could hold and touch her beloved princess again.
Danger still lurked in every corner, but Izetta never felt happier in her life.
She was here, right beside Finé, helping her in a war when she desperately needed Izetta's help.
Izetta knew she was being selfish.
The Princess was too kind, she would never let Izetta interfere if Izetta didn't take her own initiative.
If Izetta got hurt, Finé would definitely blame herself.
So Izetta would not let that happen.
Magic alone was not sufficient to win the war.
Her quick thinking and superhuman reflexes proved invaluable in the battlefield, and there were times when Izetta thought she was really going to die.
But when she remembered how much she loved Finé's smile, she thought it was all worth it in the end. She also fell in love with Eylstadt, with its spectacular landscape intersected with gorgeous mountains and rivers, its warm-hearted people, and the streets that smelled like freshly baked pies. She wanted to protect them all.
Izetta was also happy to be able to share a roof with Finé, although it got really awkward more times than she could count.
For example, the Archduchess was not as dignified as she appeared to be, and Izetta learned this little fact the hard way.
Finé occasionally went out of the shower completely naked, and when Izetta saw that for the first time ever, she nearly experienced an absolutely different kind of dying.
That definitely made her learn to knock on doors before getting inside a room at all times.
"Princess, I'm very sorry to barge in...! There is something I need to..." The witch instantly froze like a statue, "...tell...you."
Even the drops of water from her mesmerizing curves were still wetting the carpet.
She casually dried her long golden hair with her towel and asked the stunned redhead on the door like it was the most normal thing in the world, "Oh, Izetta? What is it?"
Izetta's mouth was locked shut.
She felt like her heart just suddenly stopped beating.
She couldn't stop her eyes from wandering, drinking in every last inch of that breathtaking sight.
She ever saw Finé nearly naked when they were younger, but...
But this felt...different...
So very different that she could never compare it.
It seemed like it lasted forever, but Izetta knew she only had a few seconds left before her blush gave everything away.
"I am very sorry!" she screeched before slamming the door behind her and ran as fast she could to the opposite direction. She didn't stop running until she reached a balcony at the farthest corner of the castle and she would definitely fly away further if only Landsbruck had any ley lines. She stayed there until nighttime and made everyone worried. Finé even apologized to her and said that she was so used to casual nudity in her room that she forgot Izetta never really knew that before. Izetta remembered how easily Lotte undress her when she first arrived in the castle, and now she understood why.
However, that perfect image never really left Izetta's mind.
Finé loved wandering around her castle in her nightgown, and that gave Izetta a constant reminder of that flawless shape of her body.
She thought about it so much she dreamt about it sometimes.
And that made her wonder what the heck was wrong with her.
For the inexperienced, clueless Izetta, this was far more confusing then deciding to throw herself into battle.
Friends don't think of each other's bodies like that...do they...?
Then one night she had a very strange dream where the Archduchess was naked on the top of her body and she woke up so fast she almost fell off her bed.
Dreams were open to interpretation...but if she was to tell somebody about it, anyone, especially those who were protective of Finé, like Bianca, would definitely make her stay away from the Archduchess at all times.
Why am I like this?
How could she have such thoughts of the girl who had saved her life?
Was friendship not enough for her?
Just how selfish could she be?
But her mind and body continued to interrelate, she couldn't deny the attraction she felt for the beautiful Archduchess, and the mysterious tiny pieces in her chest began to arrange themselves, interspersed with hesitation and doubt.
She still couldn't quite understand it though. After all, she never felt this way with anybody else. This never appeared in any of her grandmother's teachings.
But she was not surprised.
She found out when she was young that there were still so many things she didn't know out there.
She remembered when one of the bullies teased her, "Where are your parents?" and she realized she didn't even know what the word "parents" meant.
It never came to her that her magic and nomadic lifestyle weren't the only things that isolated her from the rest of the normal children out there.
She couldn't ask her grandmother because it meant that she would found out that Izetta had been playing with the other children and risked getting her magic exposed.
So she turned to Finé...but when she asked the princess what parents meant, Finé became teary-eyed and hugged her so tightly that Izetta couldn't bring herself to mention it anymore.
Then they got separated for some time, and it was in the intervening years that she found out what it was, and how men and women paired for life to raise a child in something that was called a "marriage".
It felt foreign for Izetta. She never knew such a concept existed before her teenage years.
When she got older and started living in a village on her own, she immediately attracted a horde of suitors.
The nagging older women around her took notice of her good looks and invariable courtesy, so much that they ignored her vague background and were constantly pushing her to pair up with one of their sons.
The same went with the younger women, especially when they started gossiping around her in the inn.
"That man is making eyes on you, Izetta."
"You are so pretty, I don't think any man can resist your charms."
"Don't you want to date one of them?"
"Uh..." Izetta always felt clueless when it came to these things, "Why should I date a man?"
"Silly girl, it's so you can be an item and deepen your relationship, and one day, if things work well, he would propose to you and you could get married."
"Married..."
She had heard that word being mentioned a few times there.
It meant that two people loved each other so much, they were willing to live together forever and raise a family.
"Hey, Izetta, tell us which of them you like the most!"
"Eh...? That's... I...I don't know..."
"Aw, don't be shy. You know, the one who made you all happy and tingly inside."
"The one you miss the most when you lie on your bed at night."
"And the one whom you don't mind spending a lot of time with."
"Maybe even the rest of your life!"
Izetta only gave them a small smile while they were giggling about.
To tell the truth, none of the guys ever made her feel that way.
They were all but passing faces to her, especially the ones with more in-your-face attitude, and it didn't really matter for her when they tried to woo her or hand her gifts.
She was far more interested in the girl who saved her life years ago. One of her neighbors' family member worked as a journalist and she would go to Landsbruck once in a while to conduct an interview with the Archduke or the country's other high officials. There she would share the candid pictures that she took of the princess when she accompanied her father in official meetings for Izetta to have, and honestly nothing could be more priceless to her. The villagers didn't really talk much about the princess, but she knew they adored the wise Archduke, especially since he lowered some taxes and invested heavily in public transport.
She watched how the princess got more and more beautiful alongside the passage of time. She wondered if Finé still remembered about her...probably not. She was just a lowly commoner Finé happened to meet, although for Izetta, Finé was more precious to her than anybody else, much more than those men could ever be.
"You know, the one who made you all happy and tingly inside."
"The one you miss the most when you lie on your bed at night."
"And the one whom you don't mind spending a lot of time with."
"Maybe even the rest of your life!"
For Izetta, her answer might be silly for some.
But she already knew her answer for sure ever since two girls fell into the water that day, ever since she gazed breathlessly into those eyes bluer than the sky.
She also knew who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
And to actually be reunited with her again, to actually have the possibility to live together forever with her, was already more than Izetta could be eternally thankful for.
However...when she found out that Finé had a potential suitor who tried to marry her, she felt like her heart was being broken into countless tiny pieces.
The idea that Finé would be in love and married with a man whom Izetta never knew or saw...was simply unacceptable to her, and it confused her to no end.
I love Princess's smile.
I want her to be happy and being married means she can be happy, right...?
Then... why can't I be happy for her...?
Why do I think so much of her body...?
Why can't I treat her like my other friends, or the men whom I met in the village back then...?
Was it because she protected Izetta...?
She would be grateful for that until the day she died...but she felt this was different.
She knew she shouldn't be musing this when she was right there in the Archduchess's arms, but then Finé's laugh intruded into Izetta's thoughts like lightning.
"Well, if you are so against it, then why don't you take responsibility and be my bride?"
Her heart was threatening to stop at that instant, although Finé probably didn't notice because it sounded like a light-hearted joke in Izetta's ears.
Then she watched how Finé's eyes softened and her voice lowered into a whisper, so pleasantly smooth and dripping with honey that it sucked the air out of Izetta's lungs.
The way that she assured Izetta that she wanted her and nobody else, melted the witch into a puddle of tears.
It was when she fully realized just how much she wanted her Princess.
It was surreal knowing that Finé felt the same, that Finé wished to marry her, that Finé could literally choose any royalty in the world and she chose her.
She couldn't be happier, she couldn't care less if she died now.
Only that death was a very real possibility.
I am a cursed child.
Wherever I go, there would never be peace.
She had an intuition that something bad would happen in the near future...but she could not stop repelling those invaders.
And that's why...
"...They deserve to be happy while they can..." she heard Bianca's calm voice, "This moment might not last forever."
Izetta remained hidden behind a pillar, deciding that she would not reveal herself to Bianca and Lotte, who continued their conversation while they worked.
She had heard enough to understand how much she had hurt them both.
Izetta... the cursed child.
You would bring sorrow to everyone around you...
And one day, she knew she would hurt Finé too.
She knew she would hurt her so much, that not even her father's death would compare.
And yet here she was, still charging toward that deep end.
I'm sorry...Princess.
I love you.
I love your smile.
I love your country.
I don't want to stop and separate myself from you.
I will inundate you with all my heart.
So I will never give up, I will keep going... until the last drop of blood from this body has been shed for you.
When it came the time to choose the dress that she would wear to her dance with Finé, Izetta decided that she didn't want to bother with a corset anymore, so she settled on her white witch uniform.
After all, she adored how Finé called her her white witch.
Perhaps that was the beginning of everything.
The moment that she looked into those sparkling eyes and heard her excited melodious voice that reverberated in her ears for years to come.
"But I believe, that the legend of the Weisse Hexe is real...!"
At that time, she couldn't fathom why Finé liked that legend so much.
Her grandmother had always told her that the White Witch was a traitor, someone who was so thoroughly despised in the witch community, a harbinger of ruin that was also the reason Izetta became the last of her kind.
But apparently, the people of Eylstadt saw her as a hero, and it made Izetta think.
That perhaps...someone like her could also use her power for good, that nobody would feel intimidated if she did something with these powers she hated.
And Finé was the whole reason it came true.
This white dress was the proof.
So she stood anxiously there on the castle rooftop, wrapped in the pearly white fabric in the quiet of the night, waiting for her beloved to come to her underneath the gentle glow of the moonlight.
"She looked so bummed out...maybe we can do something about that..."
When they didn't get to dance in Lord Redford's party, Finé only told her that it was okay.
Izetta should've realized that she was disappointed inside.
Just like when she chuckled after she found out that Izetta was not ready to have sex with her.
Finé was just too kind and patient.
And this time, Izetta wanted to make it right.
She wanted to make Finé happy...even if just for a little.
Their decision to hold a dance for Finé and Izetta was correct, because Finé seemed very enthusiastic about it, judging from how she was arguing so loudly with Bianca while they ascended that Izetta could hear her every word.
"Come on...why can't you lend me one of your royal guard uniforms...?"
"Because an Archduchess should not be wearing a royal guard uniform. You don't need it, Finé-sama."
"I just...like how it looks, you know."
"But you're already wearing a tux."
"That's different! Give me a break, Bianca, I was so busy I didn't have time to change, so I just wore this to the meeting and went straight here. It's all messy now. I shouldn't have worn this there anyway, the women there kept staring at me, although I told them to stop!"
"Gee, I wonder why they stared."
"Bianca...!"
"You don't need to dress up or anything, Finé-sama, just your normal clothes is enough. You're not a kid anymore. Do you still want to pretend to be a princess's royal guard or anything like that?"
"Wha...where did you hear that story from? ?"
"Well, I heard that they always offered you the role of a princess in school plays, since you're an actual princess, but you invariably refused and asked for the role of the royal guard instead..."
"That's...!"
"And that you ordered a gown to be made for Lord Redford's party...but only for Izetta. And everyone wondered why you would order a specially designed, extremely princely royal guard uniform in your size...for... 'spare clothes', in inverted commas."
"That's, that's just because...!"
"Give it up, Finé-sama, we all know you only want to look all gallant and chivalrous in front of Izetta," Bianca said with a playful tone.
Finé made some irritable, unintelligible noises and Izetta felt her face burning.
When Bianca and Finé finally showed up, Finé's reaction of seeing Izetta standing there bashfully was pure shock.
"Wha...I-Ize...Bianca, why didn't you tell me she's already here? Did...did she hear everything? ?"
Bianca gave Izetta a knowing look. "Beats me."
"Bianca...!"
With still crimson cheeks, Izetta watched Bianca half-heartedly apologizing to the grumbling blonde.
In Izetta's eyes, Finé had always been invulnerably gallant and chivalrous.
She didn't even need to try.
She could be a little irresponsible at times, but her irreverent attitude was endearing and she was ready to give everything she had when it mattered.
Izetta had been idolizing her since she was so young.
So there she was, in a dashing black tuxedo, a formal white shirt, a pair of gloves, and a black tie that she wore to her recent meeting, looking more like a hero in Izetta's eyes than Finé probably believed. She couldn't even imagine dancing with someone so dazzling but...
Here goes...
"P...Princess...!"
Izetta's breathless voice cut Finé and Bianca's conversation short.
Finé was staring at her with the reddest cheeks Izetta had ever seen, and seeing that was enough to make Izetta blush herself.
"You girls are hopeless..." Bianca teased, glancing at her watch, "The food will be ready in one hour's time. Enjoy yourselves until then."
With a wink and a flip of her iron-grey hair, she turned on the gramophone and descended quicker than she went up, leaving Finé and Izetta alone with the awkwardness still hanging in the air.
The usually cool and composed Archduchess was now looking more anxious and embarrassed than ever, and this unusual side of her only made Izetta adore her more.
Then Finé seemed to remember that she was the freaking Archduchess and being tongue-tied was something she must avoid at all cost.
"So...um..." she cleared her throat, looking more stiff than usual, "I received your invitation, Izetta."
"Ah...that was Lotte's idea," Izetta blurted out.
"Oh, so you didn't make that?"
"My handwriting can never be that good, Princess..."
"Oh...no...no wonder..." Finé said, her face flushing again, "The letter said that you want to see me wear a...n-never mind..."
What did Lotte write in that invitation letter? ?
Izetta groaned inwardly. She didn't want to think about it, especially now that Finé was so close in front of her, but if the Archduchess seemed so tense because of what she wrote, she made a mental note to ask Lotte about it later (and also thank her because Finé looked positively stunning in that suit).
Now was the time for the two of them.
Izetta took a deep breath. "Princess," she said, and Finé made a tiny wince, "We...didn't get to dance in Lord Redford's party...and it wasn't supposed to be like that. I can't dance that well, but I want to do it with you. Especially now that we... have a chance to do it."
Neither of them believed that this peace would last. They understood it well enough, the sickening anxiety lurking at the back of their minds at all times. Izetta was not afraid to go to the battlefield for Finé's sake, or even die there for her, but she was aware that Finé would be deeply saddened if something was to happen to her, an irreversible injury, or even death. Nothing could go completely smoothly in a war.
Finé gave out a nervous laugh. "You make it sound like something bad would happen..."
"But we all know something bad would happen."
"Stop saying it so casually."
Finé's voice became firmer than before, but Izetta noticed the tiny shake by the end and she felt a wrench in her heart.
"I'm sorry...I just feel so...insecure," she went on, "Even if it would...you never, even once, show in your face that you are afraid of what's coming. You were always smiling and irradiated with joy, always all 'leave it to me, Princess!' ... as if...as if you don't care what happens to you as long as you can fight for me and I feel... so silly and irrational, because I seem to be the only one who feared that every time you go out there smiling, you would come back a dead body. And it would be all because of me. I was jittery, I had nightmares. And when you were out there, in the middle of bombs and gunfire and I don't know what else, there was nothing I could do but wait...and sometimes it was so excruciating that, even though my people need me, I wish I could be there riding that rifle with you just so I could be there to hug your dead body and maybe die together with-"
"Princess...!"
It got so unbearable for Izetta that she had no choice but to interrupt her rambling with a heartfelt embrace. It worked... she heard Finé's single sharp intake of breath and then...silence.
For a while they just stood there, with Izetta's arms wrapped around Finé's waist, enjoying each other's warmth seeping into their bodies. Izetta could feel the Archduchess's heartbeat against her chest, and she understood...
She understood Finé's fears, she understood that if Izetta herself hugged this body and couldn't feel this calming heartbeat ever again...it would utterly shatter her, a damage so irreparable and devastating that she could die. However...
"...Izetta...aren't I stupid...?" Finé whispered, "Someone who is entrusted with the lives of many people cannot focus on just one person..."
"Princess..."
"Even if..." she choked out, "...Even if... that person is the one she loves the most in the world..."
Izetta couldn't reply. It was what she loved about the Archduchess, it was what made Finé Finé. Her willingness to sacrifice everything for her country... Izetta included.
But Izetta didn't mind.
She wanted this peace to last forever, so she had to fight for it.
"Princess, I'm right here," she inhaled deeply, taking Finé's pleasant citrus scent in, "I'm right here with you. Our worries are irrelevant at the moment. We have each other now."
She pulled back and flashed a smile at her. She took a step back, pulled her white skirt out from her body and curtseyed.
"...So can I...have this dance, Princess...?"
Finé gazed at her in awe for a few moments, a look that Izetta adored so much, befofe giving her a slight nod.
Finé held out her hand, just like a few months ago when they were outside Lord Redford's mansion, and this time, Izetta accepted it.
Finé's hand reached her waist and they started slow, with the soft waltz music from the gramophone playing in the background, the gentle notes soaring and covering them. Izetta had seen Finé dance once before, with Bianca during their practice. She was perfect and graceful, as if she had learned to dance since she was little. Then again, Finé was royalty, and it had always bothered Izetta that there was this uncrossable social gap between them, although the Archduchess always treated her as an equal, irrespective of status and wealth. In her nervousness Izetta tried to remember her footwork, and made her first stumble over Finé's foot.
Finé paused a bit and giggled. "Izetta, please be careful." She looked like she was enjoying it a lot, and Izetta felt relieved.
"Princess...you're much better than I am, I cannot hope to compare."
Finé let out a bubbly laugh, resting one hand on Izetta's cheek and pressing their foreheads together. "Who cares about that?"
Finé brought them to turn a circle, feet gliding on the floor, eyes twinkling with happiness as Izetta was carried away, and they both laughed in a delightful symphony, their voices playing a wonderful background to the romantic music. Izetta was a bit slow to catch up, but after a while they were in sync, two equals in the dance, like a pair of pixies under the moonlight. Izetta thought it was more about their minds than their bodies, like how much her feelings for this woman in front of her were overflowing, pushing her to match with Finé's elegant movements, trickling into her smile as their noses brushed against each other and the sparkles in her eyes seemed to bounce out into Izetta's world. There was something deeper, how they fed off each other's energy, how their bodies pressed close and moved around in fluid motion. Izetta could sense it buzzing in her veins, feeling light-headed with it and the way Finé smelt, the way she engulfed all that Izetta could see or feel. It was amazing how Finé could make her fuzzy and floating inside, more than when she was flying. Izetta was still clumsy with dancing, of course, she missed out a few of her steps, bent her arm the wrong way, and turned in entirely the wrong direction when Finé tried to spin her...but they didn't think much about it, all they cared about was having as much fun as they could to make up for the time they had lost...and the time they would lose.
They spun again until Finé effortlessly turned her around and let Izetta fall back against her chest, their arms twisting but staying interlocked. Izetta tried to pull away, but Finé suddenly swept her off her feet and Izetta almost lost her balance. In less than a second Finé smoothly leaned down and held her body by the waist underneath her, and Izetta caught her shoulder with one arm. It surprised her a little bit, but from Finé's grin she knew the Archduchess was definitely planning this all along.
Izetta's smile grew as Finé's face hovered above hers. "Will you let me go, Princess...?"
"Not before my White Witch gives me a kiss," she said, and Izetta could feel the fan of her breath across her cheek.
The temptation to wipe that grin off her face proved irresistible.
"Do you even need to ask?"
Izetta circled her arms around Finé's neck and pulled her down to close the little space there was between their lips. She closed her eyes and tilted her head, running her fingers through the golden locks of the Archduchess's hair as she lost herself in the long, delicate kiss and the addictive taste of Finé's lips on hers. She let Finé explore her, both inside her mouth and elsewhere, and the sensuous feeling deep inside her abdomen when one of Finé's hands crawled to her chest nearly made her cry out in pleasure. But the Archduchess was patient, she tested the waters, something she never dared to do before, and while she kept Izetta's mouth busy her hand was experimenting...brushing a thumb back and forth against Izetta's right nipple and she couldn't help but flinch.
Izetta couldn't describe how good it felt for her.
She stayed still, twisting her tongue inside Finé's mouth, wanting so badly to convince the Archduchess with her muffled moans that yes, it's okay to touch, and she was desperately wishing for more.
Before she realized it Finé was pulling their posture back straight again, but they couldn't stop kissing as they turned, their tongues twirling against each other as the music was replaced by wet gasps and whimpers in their ears. Finé couldn't seem to hold herself back anymore, and one would wonder just how much she had been doing it the whole time because all of a sudden she was pushing Izetta to the wall and pinning her against it, fiercely deepening their kiss as Izetta's head was tipped backward. In the midst of that blinding passion Izetta's arms found Finé's shoulders and wrapped themselves around them, their kiss quickly became more urgent and desperate, sloppy and filthy, teeth biting and tongues meeting halfway, and Izetta could feel Finé's breathless words against her throat.
More.
Izetta, more.
She could feel the Archduchess bucking her hips and thrusting her knee between Izetta's thighs and the witch's heart leapt to her throat.
She remembered this happening in one of those erotic books she received from Elvira, as she explained some of the scenes beside her.
"Izetta...listen up, okay? You would feel this strange sensation between your legs..."
Finé's thigh slowly moved against her, giving Izetta more friction that made her painfully aware of how slick she already was down there.
"You would get wet, and it's a good thing. That is what we call arousal. It makes you more sensitive to the Archduchess's touch."
She supposed this was what it meant to get more sensitive...but it was leaps and bounds better than Izetta imagined. Finé's mouth suddenly left hers and moved to her neck, so nothing was silencing Izetta's moans anymore and they were pouring out of her mouth freely as Finé hungrily sucked on her skin.
"...And it means you are ready to be taken by her."
Ready...?
She was not just ready.
She was itching for it.
She was craving it, desperate for it...
"P...Prin...cess..."
"Izetta..." she exhaled, needily biting the pulse on the witch's neck, "Sorry...I can't...stop..."
"What about dinner...?"
"Let's skip it."
Izetta couldn't agree more.
She kissed Finé's forehead in approval and before long the Archduchess was already bridal carrying her to the closest empty bedroom in the castle. They didn't have the patience to choose, what was at issue was the need to lie together and relieve this barely controllable desire for each other's bodies right at that instant.
But as turned on as Finé was...she was deeply in love with Izetta. She put her on the bed gently, pulling off her dress with a glance and a whisper, "Is this alright?" before Izetta gave her a quick nod and a kiss to tell her that she wanted this as badly as she was. When she saw how Finé sensually opened her tux and unbutton her shirt, Izetta felt like her blood flow had been cut off from her brain and went directly to her lower body.
That night was long, and yet so short. Izetta remembered it happening like in her dreams...Finé's hot naked body pressing against hers and she felt like the luckiest girl in the world.
But aren't I a cursed child...?
Do I deserve to be happy...?
But something in Finé's warm smile...the way she slid her hand over Izetta's stomach, travelling down and dipping between her legs...the way her fingers worked their magic, making Izetta's breath hitch with her back arched on the bed and her hands shakily clutching on the sheets...the way they filled the room with breathy sounds and the fresh smell of sex and sweat... the way Izetta came with a blinding rush in Finé's embrace and the word "orgasm" now had a whole new meaning to her...
All those things convinced her that this life she was leading was completely worth it.
And as she opened her eyes in the wee hours of the morning, feeling her lover's arm draped over her naked body and her tiny breathing on the back of her neck...she realized that this moment was more magical than anything that she had ever accomplished.
Not even beating the Germanians could ever compare.
I don't regret being born a cursed child...
I don't regret being born a witch...
It was the only reason I got to meet Finé after all.
"Morning, Izetta, uh, whoa..."
"Morning, Bianca..." she yawned, "Did you have a good sleep...?"
"Yeah...well...uh..."
"That's great, I didn't really get a lot of sleep..."
"I...I think so...?"
"Why are you looking at me like that...?"
"Why are you going out of your room looking like that...?"
"What...?"
"Have you looked into the mirror...?"
Izetta shook her head cluelessly.
Bianca groaned and dragged her to the nearest bathroom, showing her all the hickeys and love bites that covered her neck and chest.
Izetta nearly fainted.
"Wha...how did this happen? ?" she screamed, "What are these? ?"
"Elvira didn't tell you? Those were from how much Finé-sama was kissing you."
"Why are there so many of them? ?"
"So I assume the plan was a roaring success, huh. You're not a virgin anymore?"
"That's not important! My usual clothes won't cover any of these up...! Bianca, help me...!"
"What? Me? Lotte's the one who knows where all the other clothes are put!"
"Where's Lotte?"
"Give up looking for her. She's still irritated that you two didn't show up for dinner last night. I've told her you definitely wouldn't, and she didn't believe me."
"At least lend me something...!"
Bianca pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Just...follow me."
Several minutes later, Izetta was dressed in one of Bianca's dark blue royal guard uniforms.
It felt more comfortable than she thought, and when she wore her choker, the high collar was enough to cover everything up.
"Thank you so much, Bianca..." she sighed.
"That outfit actually looks good on you...although it looks a bit too small in certain areas."
"I don't mind it!"
Bianca smiled and handed her a pair of boots.
"Now, wear these and make a surprise for your Archduchess."
"Wha- I don't think I want her to see me in this..."
"She'll love it. Trust me."
There was a lingering hesitation when Izetta accepted the boots from Bianca.
Bianca is in love with Finé...isn't she...?
Although she doesn't want me to know...shouldn't I say something about that...?
Believing Bianca still had some issues with it, Izetta opened her mouth and said, "Um...Bianca-"
"Say, Izetta," the royal guard interrupted her, "Are you...um...are you free this afternoon...?"
Izetta blinked at her. "Er...yeah...?"
Bianca scratched her head. "Can you...uh...accompany me for something?"
After everything Bianca had done for her, there was no way Izetta could refuse. "Of course...! Where are we going?"
"I don't know...to town...I'm just...not good with this sort of thing. I need your advice."
Izetta wanted to laugh. Now it was Bianca's turn to ask for her help?
"Advice for what?"
"Lotte's birthday is in a week and...I want to buy something for her. But I don't know what...maybe a collector's item or something...?" she said under her breath.
"Ohh!" Izetta's eyes lit up, "Let me help you! Please! I'll go with you!"
Bianca didn't seem to expect that much enthusiasm from her. "Geez, thanks. You're the best, Izetta," she beamed, "Should we go and see Finé-sama?"
"I really think we shouldn't..."
"Believe me, soon she'll want you to wear this in the bedroom every night."
"That's impossible...!"
With a cheerful laugh and a matching outfit, they walked out to the castle gardens, chatting happily along the way.
It was yet another peaceful day in Landsbruck, the capital of Eylstadt.
They were blissfully unaware, that the Germanians would attempt to attack the nation again with a powerful witch of their own.
And everything would soon change.
THE END
A/N: Hello everyone, this chapter concludes The Season of Peace! This probably won't be my last Shuumatsu no Izetta fanfic, I still have a lot of ideas in store! Thank you for reading this far, and I hope you would kindly leave a review for this story!