Date: 7 May 2020
Alright folks, I am set to return to work soon and I am so nervous! But the child in me won't go away until I finish this. So here we go: home stretch.
(ps the old chapters are pretty much all revised! Ch 1-23... take a look! I'm really too lazy to deal with 24-25 since it's passable by my low standards haha, even if stylistically it might be a little immature.)
Thank you for reading, and please stay safe!
Ch 27: Betrothed
"Nausicaa!"
"Keep up, dear!" Nausicaa hollered cheerfully over her shoulder, as she flitted through the trees and shrubs of the Sea of Decay.
Asbel grumbled and grunted his way through the foliage, going as quickly as his body would allow. Did the woman have wings on her back too, that allowed her to glide her way through the forest floor? He seemed to be getting caught on every other branch, and trailed a good twenty feet behind her. On impulse, he checked behind him to see if they were still being pursued: an insect hovered another thirty feet in the distance, wings agitated, causing Asbel to emit another exclamation of surprise and hurry onward at a slightly faster pace.
They sprinted along until Nausicaa led them back to the opening to their underground hideout. Without even stopping to breathe, the girl jumped into a hole in the ground, no bigger than three feet in diameter, and Asbel followed suit. The two of them tumbled their way through sand slides, tree roots, and petrified branches, until they finally arrived at the base of their cavern. This was Nausicaa's preferred path when she didn't have her glider, as it didn't involve sinking through ten feet of sand and was a slower descent than a sudden forty-foot vertical drop.
By the time Asbel got to the very bottom, Nausicaa was sprawled on the floor, staring up at the ceiling, panting heavily as she regained her breath. He arrived about fifteen seconds after her, and feeling similarly exhausted, flopped down onto the refreshingly cold, sandy floor next to her. The air was silent save for their heavy breathing and Nausicaa's gleeful laughter.
"That was fun! I'm so glad you came along with me." She exclaimed in between breaths. The man sent her an incredulous glance.
"Fun? You're completely crazy," he replied, still panting and blankly staring up towards the sky.
Nausicaa sat up and affectionately observed the man next to her, grateful that he had been willing to accompany her on her adventures in the Sea of Corruption. A deliciously naughty idea crossed her mind, and mischievously she tugged his mask up until it covered his eyes.
He uttered a grunt of frustration but before he could open his mouth to complain she covered his lips with hers, silencing him. Without making another sound he savored the kiss blindfolded, and decided to concentrate on the touch of her lips. A hand slipped around her neck to hold her in place until he properly kissed her back. When she finally drew away, he ripped off the mask and beheld a Nausicaa with a very satisfied smile on her face. For a short moment they exchanged warm glances and contented smiles.
"I still don't understand how you can be so comfortable in the Sea of Corruption." Asbel remarked.
"I've just gone regularly my whole life."
"Do the insects not intimidate you? We were literally chased for twenty minutes by an angry yanma protecting its eggs from us."
"They're merely doing their job to protect their kind and the Sea itself. As long as you don't get in their way or harm them, they have no reason to be aggressive with you." He sent her a curious glance, while the corners of his lips curled upwards.
"You love it, don't you? Being out here with them."
"Yes," she chimed, then looked a little suspiciously at him. "Is it too much for you?" He had followed her several times this last week now, and had encountered plenty of exciting things in the Sea with her already. However, she had noticed that every visit he seemed more tired than the last. He was also a fair bit clumsier than she was, which made things difficult when trying to observe insects up close without being caught. Today she nearly got to show him the pearly lucent eggs of the yanma insects before he stepped on a twig and startled the sleeping mother nearby.
"I'm not as agile as you are, running through the forest." He sighed. "And I most certainly don't have as strong a connection with nature as you do."
The man loved being with her on her adventures, and certainly enjoyed learning the mysteries of the Sea of Decay. Nevertheless, trekking through the forest floor every day had turned out to be rather exhausting, and he wondered if he could stay near her without having to fully participate on her explorations all of the time. Presently a better idea crossed his mind.
"How about I help you with other aspects of your work?" He suggested. "I'm best at making things and using my hands."
Presently he glanced around and noticed the holes in the glassy ceiling, from the various times they barged in through the sand layer. It reminded him of an idea that crossed his mind a couple weeks ago.
"Shall we make proper entrances? So we don't have to sink through sand every time?" He proposed. She seemed to like the idea, for he noticed an excited glint in her eyes, illustrating her enthusiasm.
The entire project took him about two weeks, as he ensured the surrounding sand and tree roots could sustain a ten-foot diameter hole gouged through the forest floor. This would be the entrance reserved for her glider and other small aircraft they might bring into their underground hideout. Asbel took her advice to design the entrance to be secluded enough so that no visitors (human or otherwise) could chance on it or fall through accidentally. Interestingly enough, there were certain types of plants that repelled the insects, and Nausicaa brought him on several foraging trips to find the particular plant species before planting it on the periphery of their entrance.
Near the end of the week, they concluded that his main contributions to her scientific work would be inventing things for her, from large scale renovations to the smaller, quirky devices to save her time. Asbel ended up renovating the other entrance as well until it was more of a slide rather than a challenging, gritty, knee-scraping descent.
Things were going well between the two of them; as soon as they returned home Asbel had officially asked Nausicaa's nearest and dearest relations for her hand in marriage, in the presence of the elders of the community. Inevitably news spread like wildfire through the warm-hearted nation, and the entire Valley came together for an evening of celebration to serve as an engagement party for their beloved Princess. The woman herself had stayed in the lab under her tower for most of the day since it was her day off from her paperwork and ruling duties. As a result she was absolutely not expecting the huge feast awaiting her when she emerged out from her scientific workspace. When she finally located Asbel amidst the people crowding around her and congratulating her, she sent him quizzical glance.
"Did you plan this?" She asked him, rather overwhelmed by the commotion.
"No; your people just took the opportunity to celebrate." He replied with a grin. The man slipped an arm around her shoulder and kept her by his side for most of the evening. Once pressed for details about when they would get married, they realized they had a decent amount of planning ahead of them. One of the villagers mentioned that this year's Autumn Festival was approaching in a few months. Asbel was open to the idea of getting married and celebrating at the festival, but Nauiscaa raised an eyebrow skeptically.
"Do we really need more people to know that we're getting married?" She murmured to him when they had a moment to themselves.
"We both have to go anyway," He persuaded. "We also don't have to officially announce anything, although I'm sure plenty of people will already know." She sent him another suspicious glance.
"You seem to be really enjoying all the attention." She mused.
"I'm excited," He admitted with a lively twinkle in his eyes. "I don't mind if the whole world finds out." Asbel leaned in dramatically for a kiss, but Nausicaa playfully jabbed his ribs and watched him suppress a squirm, much to her chagrin, as she loved seeing his cute reaction.
"What is this?" Nausicaa inquired. She was wondering where Asbel had disappeared to and checked the base of the tower to find him working on a curious device. The man had a myriad of tools sprawled out over the table, as well as glass lens and several small scraps of metal.
"It's called a microscope - essentially a complicated magnifying glass that will allow you to look at things up close."
"Really? Can I try?"
"But it's not done-" Before he could finish his sentence she had already plopped down next to him and leaned over to look through the eyepiece herself.
"How did you learn to make this?" She piped, clearly impressed.
"One of Kerlin's books on ancient technologies for science," he explained. "I actually remember seeing something similar in one of Pejite's trading markets. Someone must have excavated it."
"No, that's not how you use it." He remarked, then began to demonstrate: which knobs adjusted coarse focus and fine focus, how to increase the aperture of the light, and how to move the stage.
Nausicaa was hardly paying any attention anymore; at the moment she was more occupied observing him with a smile on her face. His passion for building things could rival her enthusiasm for insects and plants, and whenever he went on monologues like these she would find herself helplessly attracted to him. The only problem was that she would never get around to listening to what he had to say in the first place, which flustered him and made her love him all the more.
"Naus, are you even listening to me?"
"No," she blurted candidly. He sent her a flat look, and sighed.
"Alright, figure it out on your own." He retorted, a little put out, but did not chastise her further. He had noticed the look of admiration on her face and knew it was not the microscope she was interested in anymore.
As he was cleaning up his tools he felt her lips first against his temple, then his cheek, then a trail of kisses along his jawline that sent a shiver up his spine.
"Its taking all my energy to restrain myself from pinning you against a flat surface right now." He declared, almost as a warning, which only encouraged her.
"Oh really?" She whispered tantalizing in his ear, before deliberately placing her lips where his earlobe met his jaw. The man gasped at the stimulation and gave up trying to hold himself back.
Without a moments hesitation he whirled around and took hold of her delicate frame, swiftly lifting her up and depositing her on the table next to them. His eyes gave away his passion and he leaned forward, until her elbows were on the table, completely immobilized between his arms.
"Are you satisfied now?" He growled, breathing heavier than usual. Meanwhile the princess was fully enjoying every moment and she returned his gaze with a knowing smirk. She decided to act unfazed, although her heart was racing and her entire body was aching for him to touch her.
"Asbel, you do know this is my work area." She teased.
"You started it," He replied gruffly. "Where did you learn this?" He rumbled, eyes dancing with fire.
"Learn what?"
"Bewitching people." He replied, right before taking her face in his hands and pressing his lips to hers. The man hungrily devoured her lips, and Nausicaa was helplessly overwhelmed by the sensations and emotions aroused in her. Not fully satisfied with their position, he swiftly pressed her down against the table, being careful not to hurt her, and reached to clasp both of her hands and pin them by her head, their fingers intertwined. Registering the surprise in her eyes, he kissed her again, a little gentler this time, his lips coaxing her until he felt her mouth respond by parting slightly. Nausicaa could think of nothing except the sensation of his lower lip running over hers pleadingly, and his inner lip caressing hers when she gave him access. She whimpered softly in pleasure and her fingers dug into the back of his hand, eliciting a growl of appreciation from him as he deepened the kiss, thoroughly ravishing her of all her senses. When they finally drew away both of them were breathless and a little annoyed with each other.
"Alright, you win." She conceded, finally sitting up and noticing the slightly dazed expression on his face as well. He licked his lips one last time and sent her a smirk.
"You were persistent; I had to play along." He returned what sounded like an excuse, and helped her off the table. The girl emitted a slight snort. Satisfying their hunger for each other reminded them that they hadn't yet eaten lunch, and together they headed upstairs.
"We might not get any work done once we're married." She mumbled jokingly as she was halfway up the stairs, and the man chuckled in response. Bringing up the topic naturally reminded them of the preparations that were taking place.
"You doing alright with the planning for the ceremony? Do you need any help?" He asked cordially. They were about two weeks away from the scheduled date. The couple had split the workload evenly: she would manage the planning for the ceremony in the Valley, while he would attend to any pertinent details in the Autumn Festival. This year the festival would be hosted in his home country of Pejite anyway.
"Oh, I can't complain," Nausicaa replied. "I'm getting help from just about the entire Valley, and if there's some minor detail that I absolutely can't decide on, I get Teto to randomly break the tie." Asbel frowned at the last remark.
"You know you can also ask me..." He reminded, a little concerned that her furry companion might be dictating a significant portion of the event.
"Only if you're interested in choosing the types of flowers to put above the canopy." She droned sarcastically, but brought up a couple questions about the ceremony proceedings anyway, just so he had a say in the matter as well.
"Are you sure I can't come with you?" The Pejite pleaded, watching her hastily throw some basic necessities into a pouch. Eventually he decided to help her, knowing exactly which items she would need but were most likely to forget.
"Asbel, that would defeat the whole purpose of the ritual." She replied matter-of-factly.
It was long-held custom in the Valley: two days before a wedding, the bride would retreat to a secluded hot spring in the east Valley, often accompanied by one or two close relatives. It served multiple purposes, but symbolically was a time of cleansing, reflection, and rebirth when she returned for a new life with her husband. This time she could actually use a day off to rest and rejuvenate her body in time for presenting herself at the wedding , something she didn't often pay attention to.
"But it's not a hard and fast rule is it?" He pressed, not quite willing to give up yet. He handed a jacket to her, to which she nodded and gratefully accepted.
"It's tradition, and not one I'm about to break - Obaba may be blind but she most certainly is not deaf. She will know if you try to pull any tricks."
She finished packing and glanced out the window to see Tersa waiting for her down below. The woman looked back longingly at her future husband and sighed. Who was she kidding? Two days was a long time for her as well. The man read her expression and swiftly enveloped her in a warm embrace, one arm wrapped securely around her waist.
"Just two more days," he whispered. "And then you'll be mine." Then he tilted her chin up and claimed her lips for a gentle kiss that lingered for several seconds. They exchanged affectionate smiles, and Nausicaa tenderly ran her fingers through his hair, which he always seemed to enjoy.
"I'll be back soon." She breathed.
Originally she wasn't sure what she would reflect on during two full days of solitude, but it turned out to be the perfect environment for introspection. Emptying her busy mind was a little challenging at first, but half an hour into soaking in warm water, surrounded by lush green foliage and a giant rock wall for privacy, her thoughts wandered easily. Obaba's words from that morning echoed through her mind:
"Reflect on how you've lived your life the last twenty years, and what will need to change. This is a new role entirely; do you think you are ready?"
The old crone was right: this was a new role entirely. In two days she would not just be leading her people and mastering the Sea of Decay - she would have the additional responsibility of keeping her partner happy. This would be her first long-term commitment to a single person. The last six months had shown her that living as partners was no easy feat, given their different personalities and her free-spirited nature. The girl was undeniably fierce, untamable almost, and probably would have difficulty playing the role of the regular domestic housewife. She wondered if she could really pull this off; she'd likely spend the rest of her life learning how to give Asbel all the love and attention he really deserved.
At times like these she wished she could ask for the wisdom of her parents. She sighed, a little darkly this time; Nausicaa missed them both terribly. Her heart ached that neither of them would be able to see her happily married.
"Tersa, can we visit my parents tomorrow?" Nausicaa called over to her best friend.
"Of course."
They would spend the next two nights in a humble-looking hut adjacent to the spring, dedicated as a place of meditation for anyone looking for relief from the troubles of the world. On the first night Nausicaa stared out of the window at the rolling hills and windmills of her nation, bathed in the moonlight. The entire day of quiet rumination had bestowed upon her a strange mix of feelings: slight nervousness of making a marriage work, excitement to be united with her lover, and tranquility now that the distractions of her everyday life had been removed. Nausicaa let out a long, drawn-out exhale and promptly settled into her bed; it felt foreign to her and she missed Asbel dearly. Somewhat absent-mindedly, her hand felt for the pendant she wore around her neck. She smiled to think of the family she would be marrying into, and gratitude eventually overtook all other emotions in her soul. Marrying Asbel would be full of rewards and blessings, despite the challenges.
Her next day had been similarly pensive and restful. First she spent the morning next to her parents' graves, calmly telling them about Asbel and her latest developments in her busy life ruling the Valley. The remainder of the day ended up being a thorough cleansing and pampering of her hair, skin, and nails. The prior week she had discovered a section in Kerlin's herbal medicine books devoted to skincare, and being the adventurous type, packed a few essential oils and flower petals to experiment on herself. Even Tersa participated in the facials and manicures, out of curiosity and much to Nausicaa's delight. The Princess intended to look immaculate by the time she showed up to the ceremony tomorrow noon.
As the day progressed, her excitement for the ceremony increased, until she was a jittery ball of nervousness by the time she went to bed. All throughout the day her thoughts wandered to her betrothed: was he as nervous as she was? Right as she was wondering if he would be able to sleep tonight, she heard sounds by the window. Hands gripped the ledge and a messy tuft of brown hair appeared, followed by the hazel eyes she knew so well, full of mischief, scanning the room before meeting her gaze.
Her eyes widened and she struggled to stifle a laugh, afraid of waking Tersa in the next room. Stealthily she reached out and pulled him through the window; the house was built on slanted ground, which meant he could barely propel himself over the ledge without help.
"I thought you were the one that wanted to adhere to formalities!" She chided in a whisper. "What are you doing here?"
"I was going to wait," He whispered back. "But the more I thought about tomorrow, the more I wanted to see you."
"Are you that bored?" She teased.
"No, there's been plenty to do - I spent about three hours today just going over the details for tomorrow."
He took his time absorbing her appearance; her hair fell a couple inches past her shoulder and framed her face in long, curvy tresses. He wondered if it seemed a little more shimmery than usual, or perhaps he missed the sight of her so much that she looked positively glowing. Upon instinct his hand reached out to lightly touch her face.
"Are you nervous?" She inquired gently.
"A little." He replied, still gazing deeply into her eyes. "Did you do plenty of thinking?"
The woman nodded in response, then turned slightly serious, as if she had more to say. Asbel took the opportunity to sit down on the bed nearby. He mused that this would probably fly completely in the face of whatever tradition they were supposed to follow, but he didn't care.
"Asbel," she started, and sat down next to him. The man hummed in response.
"Why me?" She questioned suddenly. The Pejite turned to find concern lurking in the dark brown depths.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm hardly normal." She stated plainly, with uncertainty in her eyes. "I hear insects' voices, see the wind, and have a strong desire to save the earth from sickness and pollution. I'm annoyingly stubborn and stupidly reckless. I'm probably not going to be that great of a housewife."
The man regarded her in amusement, then gently took her hands.
"Who ever said I wanted a docile, domestic wife, to cook and clean the house and raise the children?" Hazel eyes stared unwaveringly into dark brown, as he gave her the reassurance she needed. "We've talked about this before; none of that matters to me." She looked away, a little worriedly, but he tilted her chin back towards him and gazed at her.
"Your soul Nausicaa - there's a fire raging in it. I've never seen anyone live with as much conviction as you do. Aside from maybe Kushana, who also leads a nation..." He trailed off and chuckled to himself, then turned serious again.
"But you're also completely different from that woman, ruthless and bitter at the world... Your heart holds so much kindness. It's a wonder you walk around not bursting at the seams from all the love you carry within you."
"Jarel saw it; your people saw it. I knew it the moment I met you - you're no ordinary woman, therefore ordinary rules don't apply. So don't try to be anything but yourself, just as you are, because that's who I fell in love with in the first place." His eyes twinkled with affection and he leaned over to place a kiss on her cheek.
"Besides, I think you'd make a wonderful mother, if and when we decide to have children." He commented, his expression softening at the thought. "Though if they take after you I might have to watch for pet ohmus in the house." He ended with a smirk, observing her carefully. The woman was speechless, but her eyes communicated her gratitude. Tenderly she lifted a hand to caress his cheek.
"What did I do to deserve such love?" She sighed, her eyes brimming with affection.
"Just be happy, and do everything you want to do in this life. That's all I ever wanted for you."
Her heart felt like it would burst from such sweet words and she leaned in to place a soft kiss on his lips, before resting her head on his shoulder. The man responded by wrapping both arms around her, and they held each other in silence under the moonlight.
"Can you sleep?" He murmured.
"Probably not." She hummed in response.
"Try to. It will be a long day." A little hesitantly, he removed his arms from around her. He really had just wanted to see her briefly, and felt infinitely happier having done so. He decided to head back before anyone caught him meeting his betrothed the night before his wedding.
"You'll be there tomorrow?" Asbel asked jokingly, as he retreated towards the window.
"Oh, maybe." Nausicaa returned likewise in jest as she watched him leave, making sure he safely clambered over the ledge.
"Goodnight, my love." Nausicaa whispered.
"Goodnight; I'll see you soon." He responded, then plodded onto the grass with a soft thud before disappearing over the hills.
AHHH I am so in love with this couple how on earth will I say goodbye?
11 May 2020 - Hi, so I really can't rush this writing process and I am slowly ramping up my busy life again. It is going to be a splendid ending so stay with me and I promise the next chapter will be beautiful! Thanks for your patience.
Take care, all you readers!