A Pain We Share
Syndra sat alone beneath the weight of over a dozen blazing lights and over a thousand pairs of eyes.
She was on trial.
The mage gazed directly in front of her, ignoring the weight of the gazes around her. She felt nothing. If she could feel anything, she would have only felt cold.
Cold, because there was no power to protect her.
Cold, because there was no warrior sitting beside her.
Somewhere in the background, Syndra heard the crowd roar in anger.
Another person had taken the stage, rallying the country against her.
As she stared, snippets of the speaker's words reached her tuned out ears.
"... And that monster took away my brother!" The speaker cried out.
The crowd roared again, violent and hungry for vengeance.
Finally, Syndra shifted slightly to stare at a different spot of the desk in front of her.
The pattern of speakers and the crowd's response was the same as it had been for the past one hundred speakers.
Before this one, it was a widow; her husband slaughtered by Syndra when his regiment was sent on a mission to capture the mage.
The regiment was annihilated.
Before that, it was a young boy. Both his father and mother killed by the sovereign when they too were sent to capture the mage.
They became stains on the floor.
Finally, Syndra's thoughts snapped back to reality.
The crowd was roaring once more; chanting and calling for a verdict.
Alas, the judge at the front of the court waved and immediately calmed the crowd.
When at last, the cries of the audience died down, the judge spoke.
"We have heard... from personal accounts... the actions and crimes of the Dark Sovereign..." The man spoke up.
He took a brief pause before speaking again.
"As such, I now open the floor to any individuals that would like to speak on behalf of the... Dark Sovereign... in defense of her actions."
A deathly silence settled upon the entire auditorium as nobody stood up to offer such a thing.
Nobody...
Until Karma rose from her seat.
Instantly, the crowd drew a collective breath as one of the most influential elders began moving towards the stage. Even the judge's jaw dropped open as he watched the enlightened one stepped up to the stage.
It wasn't until Karma greeted the judge with a stiff bow that he regained his composure.
Wordlessly, he nodded; quite clearly still shocked by the elder's actions.
Syndra too, stared with momentary surprise that the enlightened elder was speaking on her behalf.
Karma allowed the audience to wait a few moments in complete silence. As she did so, she ran a scanning gaze across the crowd. A gaze that seemed to make eye contact with each and every single person in the room. The very aura of the enlightened one commanded the attention of every set of eyes and ears.
Finally, she spoke.
"My people... My friends... My children... The anger you feel... The pain you feel... Your desire for revenge... I too share in your burdens." Karma began in a soft, quiet tone.
"But there is a point in which these desires become obsessive. They blind us to the truth. They hinder our quest to find eternal balance."
The enlightened one paused to allow the weight of her words to sink in.
The audience shifted uncomfortably as the realized that this was mildly true.
"I do not condone the actions of the Dark Sovereign." Karma finally spoke again, causing the crowd to return to its rapt silence.
"But at the same time, I understand the reasoning behind those very same actions." Karma continued.
"But even if I do understand the reason behind those heinous crimes... Why do I now stand here before you in defense of this mage, rather than with you?" Karma questioned rhetorically.
The enlightened one opted not to answer her own question and continued with her elegant speech.
"Lath Tera Sah, Aliha Oune Nala Vi... In the ancient tongue, it is the last words of sacred text. It means to accept one's enemy as one's friend."
Karma paused once again before continuing.
"I do not accept the sovereign for the crimes she has committed." Karma finally continued in a blunt fashion, "But... Does that mean that I cannot forgive? Does that mean that she does not deserve a second chance?"
Another pause...
"Change... comes to everyone. It comes in the most surprising fashions. It comes when least expected. But if there is but one constant in the world, that constant is that everything... Everyone... changes."
Karma took a deep breath in preparation for her next words.
"As many of you know... A few days ago, there was an assassination attempt on both mine and Elder Kwan's lives."
Karma scanned the crowd for hints of recognition.
Murmurs of heated conversations confirmed her words.
Karma silenced them by continuing.
"Many of you believe it was the Dark Sovereign that made the attempt on our lives... Many of you believe that it was our Captain of the Guard that protected out lives..."
Karma paused again so her words could sink in.
"This... Is incorrect."
Instantly, the crowd burst into heated conversation; demanding to know what the truth was.
"The truth..." Karma paused until the side conversations vanished.
"The truth is... We stand here before you... by the Dark... no... Syndra's... aiding hand."
Instantly, the crowd roared to life. The entire procession in shock with Karma's words.
Heated snippets of conversations reached the enlightened one's ears. Words such as "impossible" or "I don't believe it" sounding more than any other words.
Karma allowed the crowd to continue its heated discussions for several more seconds before raising a hand and quietly commanding them to return to silence.
The crowd obeyed within moments.
"For the longest time, I believed that our country stood strong; A pinnacle of triumph as we withstood the changing world and remained resolute... Unyielding in our virtues as the flow of time continued. But I was wrong... Ionia stands as it is today not because of unyielding resolution, but because of acceptance... Acceptance of change... Acceptance of new beliefs... Acceptance of new philosophies... Acceptance of new people."
Another pause...
"Ionia stands not only resolute in the face of adversity, but also adaptive in the face of change. But how can we retain this adaptability if we are so blind as to reject those who strike us? How will we ever know that the people who strike us are actually just crying out for our help? Are these people not as entitled as us to be given the aid they need?"
Karma paused for a final time.
"I do not accept the Dark Sovereign." Karma spoke up in a calm tone, "I will most likely never accept the Dark Sovereign... I will, however, accept what the Dark Sovereign has become. I accept Syndra... A child of Ionia and a protector of my life... Lathe Vi Oune, thank you for your time."
Karma bowed to the stunned, silent audience before turning and bowing to the wide-eyed sovereign and finally stepping down from the stage.
The stunned silence continued to dominate the entire auditorium until the judge manage to force his voice out of his mouth.
"Would anyone else like to speak on behalf of the Dark Sovereign?" the man inquired in an almost incoherent voice.
From her seat, Irelia tensed in preparation to take the stage.
Alas, someone beat her to it.
Although Irelia couldn't see the aging man from her seat, the crowd's explosive response was more than enough to tell her who it was.
Elder Kwan.
Irelia remained tense in her seat, although as she watched the elder take the stage, her hopes soared to higher levels. Elder Kwan was among the oldest and most beloved elders to have ever existed in Ionia. Surely, his words would swing the minds of the people.
After stepping up to the raised platform, Elder Kwan turned to the judge before greeting him with a stiff bow.
The judge immediately nodded back in acknowledgement, though his eyebrow twitched constantly as even more shock registered on his face.
Finally, Elder Kwan turned to the audience.
He said nothing for a few moments, his eyes half closed as he sorted his thoughts.
Not even the children in the audience dared to make a sound out of sheer respect for the elder.
At long last, Elder Kwan opened his eyes and smiled. He gazed out serenely at the entire audience before finally opening his mouth.
"When I first encountered the Dark Sovereign here, it was during the welcoming ceremony that we held for our beloved guard captain... I didn't even know I was speaking with the Dark Sovereign when I was introduced to her..." Elder Kwan offered to the audience in his peaceful and serene tone.
"She was... different..." Elder Kwan continued, a reminiscing smile painted across his face. "So different in fact, that I did not even recognize her for who she truly was until just a few days ago. A few days where she selflessly sacrificed her own health for my safety."
The members of the audience glanced around at each other with meaningful gazes as Elder Kwan too joined Karma in confirming the mage's actions.
"But why is it that I couldn't recognize her?" Elder Kwan continued.
He waited a few moments before answering his own question.
"It's because she was no longer the tyrant people thought her to be."
The elder chuckled slightly and spoke again.
"When I thought of the Dark Sovereign... I expected a devil with horns sprouting out of her head, spittle flying out of her mouth as she lay waste to everything in her path. A demon to the very core."
He chuckled again.
"Alas, now that I look back on the past... I know why I didn't recognize her. It's because she really wasn't the monster I expected."
Another pause.
"No... Perhaps even that is wrong... Perhaps she never was a demon to begin with, but rather a young girl, driven to the very depths of despair as her own people chased her away... Perhaps all she ever wanted... was to have a place to call home, a place with people, no, not people, friends... family..."
Elder Kwan scanned the crowd as his words hung in the air like a thick misty fog.
"And yet I know your pain... I know the loss that you all feel... The pain of having your husbands... wives... daughters... sons... Having them all ripped away from you as the Dark Sovereign swatted them away, one by one... You desire revenge... You seek the balance that you believe will come with retribution..."
The members of the audience nodded their heads in muted agreement. A few of them even having tears leak out of their eyes as the elder sympathized with their pain and loss.
"And yet... As much as the Dark Sovereign has taken from us..." Elder Kwan paused and his expression turned into a sorrowful one, "So have we taken from the real girl that lays beneath the guise of the Dark Sovereign..."
A quiet murmur ran through the crowd until Elder Kwan spoke up once more.
"Because the true girl that lays beneath the woman we know as the Dark Sovereign... Is but a sweet, fragile thing... She is a girl that longs for happiness, a girl that has lived her entire life in exile because we refused to accept her... She is a girl that is rarely seen because of fear."
The audience began murmuring again, but Elder Kwan forcefully silenced them by raising his voice into a powerful, commanding tone reminiscent of his voice back when he was young.
"Because as much as you fear her... As much as I fear her... I know... That the same girl is just as afraid of us. She fears us not for our practices. She loathes us not for our beliefs. She hates us. She hates us for merely existing. She hates us because every time we have come together, we have come not with flowers and gifts and open arms, but rather torches, spears, and swords. All of which aimed at her throat with the sole purpose of taking her head." Elder Kwan boomed in a strong and passionate voice that hid an accusative undertone.
The entire audience shifted uncomfortably at Elder Kwan's scathing words.
Finally, Elder Kwan continued speaking.
"And thus, the Dark Sovereign rose." Elder Kwan concluded, "The Dark Sovereign... The strongest of mages that our country has ever seen... A persona that exists solely to protect and shield a fragile, lonely girl... It is a persona that should have never existed... But none the less, she exists now... She exists because we took a blessing in the form of a young girl... and turned her away as a curse..."
The elder allowed his voice to fade to a bare whisper until silence hung in the room.
"So now, here we stand at the same fork in the path once again..." Elder Kwan finally continued after the silence became unbearable.
"Should we forgive? Or should we continue to seek the vengeance that has blinded us from the truth for so long?"
Elder Kwan turned to Syndra and spoke directly to her.
"Forgiveness... Is a hard task to accomplish..." The elder spoke up softly, "Alas, if we do not try, we are doomed to make the same mistakes once again..."
The elder took a pause and returned his gaze to the audience.
He smiled.
"And thus, I will be the first." Elder Kwan stated with firm resolution.
Finally, the elder turned once more to Syndra and locked his gaze with the mage for a brief moment. When he broke the contact, it was only to kneel down on one knee with a hand folded to his chest.
Instantly, the entire audience shot to their feet in absolute shock. Indiscriminate conversations erupted as each and every member of the audience conveyed their amazement and perhaps even horror as one of their elders bowed his head to one of the two enemies of Ionia.
Ignoring the rising noise coming from the audience, Elder Kwan maintained his traditional bow.
"Syndra... Will you forgive me..." Elder Kwan asked in a humble voice, though he was forced to raise his tone to be heard above the crowd. "Will you forgive me for neglecting you? Will you forgive me for turning you away? Will you forgive me for not giving you the childhood you deserved?"
The elder paused briefly and waited for the audience to quiet down.
"And perhaps most of all... Will you give me... Another chance..." The elder finally requested.
Instantly, the entire crowd ceased their conversations until a deathly silence descended upon the entire auditorium.
Every pair of eyes was set on the lone mage.
Bewildered, Syndra flicked her eyes about the audience. Her throat and lips were dry; the panic was rising.
From her position, Irelia watched as the sovereign unconsciously took a gulp of air.
The warrior recognized the reaction.
Syndra was terrified.
She was surrounded by countless enemies and she was powerless to defend herself.
Irelia strained herself as she stood on her toes, attempting to catch the sovereign's eye.
Syndra didn't notice.
Finally, Irelia faked a cough.
Instantly, Syndra's eyes flicked over to the source and locked on to Irelia's gaze.
It didn't take much to push the mage forward.
All Irelia did was smile comfortingly and nod encouragingly.
Syndra gulped again and finally drew enough nerve to move.
Turning back to Elder Kwan, who hadn't even budged an inch from his position, Syndra bit her lip.
Finally, she nodded.
However, the elder's eyes were focused on the floor. He couldn't see her acceptance. Syndra would have to voice her will.
Another glance at Irelia gave the sovereign another loving smile.
She swallowed apprehensively and forced her voice out her throat.
"Y-Yes." The sovereign whispered. Her voice was scratchy, hoarse, and barely audible.
Elder Kwan didn't budge, his hearing having gotten worse with age.
Syndra cleared her throat and forced herself to try again.
"Yes." She repeated, this time slightly louder.
Elder Kwan heard her, but again didn't move.
He wanted the entire audience to hear her.
Syndra gulped again and glanced at Irelia for further reassurance.
The warrior beamed at her, with a look that held all of the patience and love in the world.
It was all that Syndra needed.
Steeling herself, the sovereign straightened her posture in her chair and spoke up in a firm, resolute tone.
"Yes." Syndra spoke, this time loud and clear for the audience to hear.
The stunned silence that followed was quieter than any other that had settled before.
-clap-
Everyone in the auditorium turned their heads to the source.
It was Karma.
-clap-clap-
The enlightened one continued, with the barest of all smiles on her face.
Moments later, Irelia joined the enlightened one in applause. Finally, the rest of the audience imitated Irelia and Karma until the entire auditorium echoed with the sound of shocked and stunned applause.
As the applause finally died down, Irelia couldn't help but sigh with subdued amazement.
"You know, he is an elder for a reason." Karma spoke up with a sideways glance at Irelia.
The warrior could only shake her head with admiration as she silently agreed with Karma's statements.
At the floor of the stage, Irelia watched as Elder Kwan bowed to Syndra, the judge, and finally, the audience before returning to his seat.
It took the judge at the front table a significant amount of time before he finally recovered from his own shock and finally regained the voice to speak.
"Would anyone else like to speak on behalf of the Dark Sovereign?" The judge inquired.
Irelia was already standing by the time he finished speaking.
It wasn't until her booted foot made an authoritative knock on the wooden floor of the stage that the audience realized the significance of her taking the stage.
Again, the urgent, hushed conversations surged to life throughout the entire audience. If one thought was running through their minds, it was utter confusion.
What could the most celebrated warrior of all Ionia possibly have to say on behalf of the Dark Sovereign?
Perhaps even more important, why was she defending her?
Irelia answered both of those questions without even speaking.
The warrior took her time crossing the stage as she made her way to the center of the floor.
She walked slowly.
She walked with an air of self confidence.
But underneath it all, her heart was racing.
Her own emotions, however, became irrelevant the moment Irelia stepped in front of Syndra's seat.
She could feel the weight of the mage's gaze bearing down on her back.
Irelia stopped in her plodding march, directly in front of the mage.
Then she turned so that she was directly facing the sovereign.
The pair of Ionian's instantly locked their gazes with each other. Syndra's gaze begging... searching for desperate reassurance. Irelia's gaze warm with support and self confidence. After a few moments of staring straight into each other's eyes, Syndra finally broke the contact, opting to gaze at Irelia's feet instead.
Abruptly, Irelia resumed her march. Only this time, she was not marching to the destination she previous had in mind.
She was walking directly towards Syndra.
As her booted feet made authoritative thumps on the wooden floor, Irelia could hear the audience's hushed conversations grow louder and louder as she drew closer and closer to the mage.
Everyone was wondering what she was going to do.
The guards at the sides of the stage tensed as the distance between Ionian hero and Ionian enemy decreased. They were worried that the mage would lash out at the warrior... or perhaps even the warrior would lash out at the mage.
Both were wrong.
Finally, Irelia stopped. She was standing directly in front of Syndra.
The mage shifted slightly with discomfort as she kept her gaze locked on the toes of Irelia's boots.
Then Irelia moved.
Before anyone could stop her, Irelia reached out with her right hand; gently lifting the mage's head with her fingertips as she gently caressed the mage's chin. Doing so caused the mage's eyes to lift and lock once more with Irelia's gaze. Her gaze said nothing, but held all of the warmth in the world.
Irelia's eyes fluttered to a half close and she tilted her head slightly.
It was clear to Syndra what the warrior was about to do.
Syndra mimicked her.
Not even half a second later, Irelia's lips pressed against the sovereign's in a light, yet powerful and meaningful kiss.
Instantly, a collective gasp resounded throughout the audience; each member rocketing to their feet as they stared in disbelief. Seconds later, the audience roared to life as they began frantically yelling at each other and at Irelia.
Irelia smiled inwardly, but the warmth and joy evaporated instantly when a strong set of hands grabbed her shoulders. Instantly, the warrior's eyes ripped open. Before her, she saw Syndra reaching out in attempt to regain contact with her as a guard pulled her away.
The warrior instantly surged forward and caught the mage by the wrist. Preventing them from being separated.
Still, the guards attempted to pull them apart.
The group struggled against each other until one of the guards made the mistake of grabbing a tuft of Syndra's hair.
The moment Syndra's pained cry hit Irelia's ears, the warm glow evaporated from the warrior's eyes. In its place? Livid fury.
Not even a full second after Syndra had cried out, Irelia let loose a blood curdling roar of absolute rage.
-CRASH-
"ENOUGH!" Irelia screamed. At the same time, four blades phased into existence beside the warrior. Each blade pointed with lethal intention at the heads of the guards surrounding them.
Everyone in the auditorium froze.
Silence reigned supreme for a few seconds until Irelia finally spoke.
"If you enjoy having hands..." Irelia growled in a seething, low voice, "If you enjoy having heads... You'd better let go... And you better. Not. Touch. Her. Again." Irelia finished through gritted teeth.
The guards clinging to both Ionian women subconsciously gulped with fear. Each guard gazed at the blades hovering beside their necks.
The blades didn't shake with hesitation. Nor did they shake with fear. They stood rigid and frozen in the air.
It wasn't until the guards gazed into the depths of Irelia's eyes that they realized that Irelia was deadly serious.
Her eyes were cold. Emotionless. Hardened like blue chips of ice as the glared at each of the guards in turn. Killing intent oozed from her gaze. It was a gaze that had never been used against a fellow Ionian. It was a gaze that Irelia only gave to those she viewed as enemies.
Finally, the head guard glanced at each of his men in turn before finally tossing his head in surrender.
They released the pair of Ionians.
Instantly, Syndra shot out of her chair and smashed her face into Irelia's shoulder. The warrior could feel Syndra's heart beat racing beneath her skin.
Wrapping her arms around the mage, Irelia smiled inwardly as her heart swelled with pride. Not only did the mage withhold her anger, but she also instinctively trusted the warrior.
After allowing their warm embrace to remain for a few moments, Irelia finally pushed the mage back by the shoulders.
Syndra instinctively glanced up into Irelia's eyes.
"Don't worry... Okay?" Irelia whispered quietly.
Syndra gave her an uncharacteristically weak smile in response.
Finally, Irelia guided the sovereign back to her seat on the stage. When she finally coaxed the mage back into the seat, however, Syndra refused to release her grip on Irelia's hand. Glancing back, Irelia caught a gaze which she knew all too well. A gaze that begged "Don't leave me...".
Biting her lip, Irelia glanced at the center of the stage where a speaker was intended to stand before returning her gaze to the seated sovereign.
Still, Syndra refused to relinquish her grasp.
Finally, Irelia made her decision.
Rather than abandoning the mage alone in her chair, Irelia chose to bend the rules based on the mage's desires.
She returned to Syndra's side...
And gently seated herself directly on top of Syndra's lap.
Instantly, a murmur rand through the crowd as they watched Irelia take her comfortable position atop Syndra's legs.
Needless to say, Syndra was equally surprised as the audience. None the less, she instinctively wrapped her arms around the warrior's chest the moment Irelia wound an arm over the sovereign's shoulders. If the two were in a different setting other than a court procession, they would have easily passed as a young pair of lovers. Granted, through their being in a court didn't change the fact that they were indeed in love with each other. But that wasn't the obstacle in their way. It was getting the rest of Ionia to believe such a harsh truth.
From her seat, Irelia briefly gave the sovereign a warm squeeze before opening her mouth in preparation to speak.
Alas, the judge spoke before she could.
"Ahem... Miss Lito, if you wouldn't mind taking center stage?" The judge inquired in a strained voice.
Irelia twitched slightly as she turned to stare at the judge.
His intention was clear.
He wanted to separate the pair.
He wanted to separate them because of what it represented.
Irelia shifted slightly in her seat before glancing at the audience and then finally returning her gaze to Syndra.
The audience was quite clearly uncomfortable with her choice of a seat.
Syndra, on the other hand, was visibly content with the warrior perched on her lap.
Irelia allowed herself a wry smile.
She liked her seat just as Syndra did.
Finally, Irelia turned her head and gazed at the judge at the front of the room.
"I'm quite comfortable here. Thank you for your suggestion." Irelia replied in a firm tone that subtly dared the judge to request such an action again.
Thankfully enough, the judge understood the message and nodded meekly in acceptance of Irelia's decision.
The entire audience including Karma and Elder Kwan shifted uncomfortably with Irelia's open display of defiance.
Regardless, Irelia didn't allow their discomfort to distract her from her objective.
A short breath, and finally, she spoke.
"There was a time in which I would have stood beside you..." Irelia voiced in a strong tone.
"There was a time in which I too would have sought the revenge you seek... Alas, that time has come to pass."
"Syndra..." Irelia continued, "To you all, you know her as the Dark Sovereign. But not to me. To me, she is Syndra. Plain and simple. She is no demon. She is no monster. She is just Syndra."
Irelia paused and took a deep breath as she weighed her thoughts while the audience shifted in discomfort with Irelia's casual use of the Dark Sovereign's real name.
"I first met Syndra on the fields of justice at the Institute of War. I had to fight against her. She didn't win. But she didn't care. The sole thing she did during that match was attack me again... and again... I didn't think much of it at the time, but... now that I look back on it, maybe I should have."
She paused again before speaking one more.
"Maybe if I did, I would have noticed her cries of loneliness and exile. Maybe if I did, I could have put an end to such misery years before I finally did just a few months ago."
The warrior paused and allowed the audience to understand her words.
Seconds after she stopped speaking, murmurs began running through the crowd. Murmurs of "did just a few months ago".
Finally, Irelia brought the audience's attention back to her once more.
"Yes. I put an end to it months ago." Irelia confirmed.
Before the murmurs could being again, Irelia continued her speech.
"For the longest time, I too believed that Syndra was an evil witch, hell bent on the destruction of Ionia."
She paused and scanned the audience. Several of them were nodding their heads in agreement with Irelia's thoughts.
"But I was wrong... The truth is, all of those flashy displays of power... all of those hollow threats... all of those empty words were mere ploys to gander attention. Attention... because no one would ever listen to what she really wanted."
Irelia took another breath before continuing.
"Because the truth is..."
Irelia reached behind the sovereign's back to where the sealing device was engrained in her flesh.
"She just wanted a person to love her. A person to hold her and give her the warmth she needed."
Irelia fumbled with the device as she slowly tapped out a code that would release the rune.
Finally, the guards noticed what it was that she was doing.
Instantly, they started forward with fear plastered all over their faces.
Irelia halted them in their tracks with a deathly glare.
Desperately, they turned to the judge for help.
"Stop!" the judge instantly cried out.
The audience members shot to their feet as they strained to see what the judge was demanding an end to.
"Stop! What are you doing!" The judge cried out, this time panic infected his voice.
Irelia stared at the judge with a cool gaze as she continued to input the release code for the device.
Finally, the audience caught a grasp of what Irelia was doing.
Instantly, they began panicking in their seats. Some members even going as far as to attempt to flee out the door.
Irelia pressed one last key...
And the device relinquished its grasp on the sovereign's flesh.
Every member of the audience, save for Karma and Elder Kwan, gaped in horror as they watched Irelia remove the device and carelessly toss it to the floor.
Everyone froze with terror.
Finally, Syndra blinked as she felt the rush of unhinged power return to her fingertips. Slowly, a wide, childishly joyful grin spread across her face.
Irelia smiled back at her.
Syndra raised her hands to the ceiling in a stretching motion, simultaneously willing forth some magic to collect in her fingertips as she always did whenever she stretched.
"GUARDS!" the judge finally shrieked in complete and utter terror.
Instantly, the floor flooded with a swarm of guards.
Before the guards could close in on them, however, Syndra moved.
"Irelia!" Syndra declared joyfully and abruptly brought her raised hands back down and clamping them down around the warrior's body in a vice like hug. The mage allowed her collected energy to dissipate in a glowing purple aura as she practically strangled Irelia with the strength of her hug.
The sovereign entirely ignored the masses of guards that were now swarming all over the stage.
Thankfully, none of them seemed to know what to do. It was a moment in which indecisiveness was a blessing as the guards awkwardly watched the pair of Ionians embrace each other.
...
...
...
When Syndra finally released the warrior, everyone in the room including the guards seemed to be eyeing them with a mixture of awe and embarrassment.
The sovereign blinked and swiveled her head around as she finally realized exactly how many people were staring at her and Irelia.
"What!?" Syndra snapped in an annoyed tone.
Irelia cleared her throat awkwardly and glanced at Syndra through the corner of her eye.
"What?" Syndra repeated, this time staring at Irelia.
Irelia's face had flushed a bright crimson as she finally answered Syndra.
"You were holding me for at least two minutes..." Irelia finally replied.
Syndra blinked again.
"So what?" The mage inquired dumbly. The sovereign clearly didn't understand that such displays of affection were typically not shown in public.
Irelia didn't reply as she turned to the guards milling about on heave stage.
"Can you guys... Like..." Irelia stuttered and made a shooing motion with her hands.
Finally, the guards understood her request and filed off of the stage in a mildly disorganized line.
Irelia sighed with relief.
They were alone on the stage once more.
The warrior cleared her throat and attempted to restore her composure.
"Ahem... So... As I was saying..." Irelia attempted to continue, but her voice abruptly cut off; her embarrassment along with the hurricane of emotions swirling about in her mind getting the better of her.
As her face flushed crimson yet again, Irelia helplessly buried her face in her hands and heaved a shaky sigh.
Matters only got worse when Syndra snuck her arms around the warrior's stomach in a small hug.
"What's wrong?" Syndra whispered as she rested her chin on Irelia's shoulder.
The light question, and perhaps more so the contact, made Irelia's face flush even more.
"It's just..." Irelia wheezed as she desperately tried to catch her breath and reestablish her composure, "I can't..."
Wordlessly, Syndra released the warrior from her embrace and shifted Irelia in her lap until they could gaze into each other's eyes.
After a few moments of silent gazing, Syndra smiled and brushed a few strands of hair out of Irelia's face.
Finally, she grinned encouragingly.
It was an odd sight, really, the mage on trial being the one to encourage the warrior forwards.
However, Irelia gathered only one thing from the mage's actions. The mage was perfectly content with having her powers back and having Irelia by her side. The presence of hundreds of Ionians surrounding them did nothing to bother her.
The warrior silently prayed that the rest of the audience recognized the sovereign's change in attitude. Perhaps what Irelia wished for even more fervently was for the Ionian citizens to realize that Syndra was withholding the entirety of her powers. Not even a hint of hostility was being directed towards the audience. In fact, there was absolutely no hostility emanating from the mage in any way at all.
Inwardly, Irelia absolutely beamed with joy. It was such a drastic change in comparison to when Syndra first step foot back in Ionia a mere week before.
At long last, Irelia recovered from her emotionally streaked high of embarrassment.
Heaving one long, calming breath, Irelia briefly shut her eyes and sorted her thoughts for a final time. When she opened her eyes once more, resolution reflected strongly within her sapphire eyes. Finally, she returned her gaze to the audience and spoke.
"Perhaps now you can see what truly lies beneath Syndra's tough exterior. Maybe you thought she hated you all, but here she sits. Her powers are entirely at her command. She could destroy everything here in an instant."
Irelia paused briefly.
"Any yet, she's not." Irelia finally added in a decisive tone.
"I hope that you all will give her a chance... I hope that you all will give us a chance... Perhaps then, some of you out there will be as lucky as me and get to know her well... Thank you for your time..." Irelia finally finished.
With that, Irelia slowly pushed herself to her feet.
Behind her, Syndra reluctantly watched as the contact between them diminished until only their hands lay clasped together.
Irelia smiled at the mage and leaned down before planting a light kiss on the sovereign's forehead.
"I'll be back soon, okay?" Irelia whispered confidently.
The moment she spoke, however, Irelia noticed a movement out of the corner of her eye.
It was a guard.
He had another sealing device in his hand.
Angry, Irelia turned until she was directly facing the guard; glaring daggers with her eyes as she burned the man alive with the intensity of her glare.
The man fidgeted and shuffled about in clear discomfort as he was scorched by Irelia's glare, but he remained determined to accomplish his objective.
Irelia released her glare and sighed.
They were still unwilling to trust the sovereign.
The warrior understood completely that the audience and the guards were fully justified in their fear, but it angered her none the less. She knew that the moment she left the mage, they would force another seal onto the mage.
Irelia bit her lip and glanced back at the sovereign.
Syndra gazed back with a mild twinge of sadness in her eyes.
She too knew of the inevitable fate that would befall her.
Alas, Irelia chose to make a statement of such an action and instantly made her move.
Without releasing her grip on Syndra's hand, Irelia stooped down and gently picked up the old sealing device that was previously mounted on Syndra's flesh.
Syndra watched her wordlessly.
When Irelia returned to her full height, she gazed directly into the sovereign's eyes.
Behind the sapphire blue of her eyes, Syndra could visibly see how torn Irelia was in taking such an action.
Finally, the warrior spoke.
"Trust me?" Irelia whispered in a strained tone which clearly exhibited the disgust and agony she felt in even making such a request from her mage.
Syndra subconsciously swallowed in apprehension.
Irelia squeezed them mage's hand lightly in understanding. None the less, she waited for her reply.
The sovereign continued to hesitate.
"They're going to-"
"I know." Syndra interrupted, "I know..."
Another pause.
"It'll come off as soon as we're done." Irelia finally spoke up.
Syndra bit her lip and clamped her eyes shut. She knew full well that even if she refused to have the device reattached by Irelia, it would only be forced upon her by the Ionians.
Irelia was giving her a choice and a chance to make a powerful statement.
Finally, Syndra took a deep breath and gazed back into Irelia's eyes.
She offered no words.
Only a nod.
Moving with clear hesitation and reluctance, Irelia shuffled around until she was directly behind Syndra's right shoulder. When she placed the device back on her shoulder, however, Irelia felt an uncontrollable surge of raw emotion rip through her entire body.
She trembled slightly and fumbled with the device as she attempted to remount it.
As if she could feel the warrior's agony, Syndra blindly reached up behind her and caught one of Irelia's hands.
Irelia stopped moving.
Without turning around or meeting the warrior's gaze, Syndra gave Irelia's hand a brief squeeze before finally letting go.
Behind the mage, Irelia shook her head violently and fought back tears as the mage wordlessly forced her to continue.
"I'm sorry..." Irelia finally choked out, "I'm so sorry..."
Finally, Irelia finished remounting the device.
She clamped her eyes shut as she continued to battle the tears surging to her eyes.
The seal activated slowly, but steadily until the glow surrounding the sovereign faded into nothingness.
When Irelia finally opened her eyes, she was gazing straight into the face of a powerless sovereign once more.
She felt sick to her stomach.
She had taken her partner's most valuable possession.
Finally, Irelia could fight the tears no more. Uncontrollably, they spilled forth and flowed down her cheeks in small, crystal clear rivers.
Syndra said nothing as she reached up to Irelia's face and brushed the tears away.
When Irelia's eyes finally regained their focus, she found Syndra gazing right back into her eyes with an understanding gaze written across her face.
Sniffling slightly, Irelia managed to speak up in a mildly chiding voice.
"I'm supposed to be the one comforting you... Why am I such a wreck..." Irelia managed to choke out.
Once again, Syndra replied with silence. Instead, she reached up to the warrior and pulled her down into one last strong embrace.
When she released the warrior, Syndra gazed into Irelia's eyes before finally giving the warrior a gently push towards her seat.
Irelia fought back another surge of emotions as she blindly stumbled off of the stage.
Had the warrior not been so preoccupied with her own emotions, she would have noticed that the auditorium was deathly silent. Not a soul in the room was prepared to see the mage willingly forgo her powers at a mere request.
It was a message that resounded stronger than any words Karma, Irelia, or Elder Kwan had spoken.
She had changed.
Author's Notes:
Whew, that was a long chapter and it was all one scene. I've got no more teasers for you guys, so I'll just have to keep you all dangling out there in the wind. Sorry!
Now onto some "serious" stuff. In regards to the previous chapter I wrote, I (for the first time) received negative feedback for the chapter. This is particular regard to how I portrayed Irelia's hesitation in aiding Syndra while she was being attacked. I kind of predicted that there would be some resistance to the way that I chose to depict these events, but I opted to go with the way it is mostly because I wanted to create a "starting point" for which Irelia could "grow" from. Now that I look back on it and re-re-reread it, I would actually agree with the argument of my portrayal being mildly unrealistic. I had initially intended the event to be a very jarring event that would severely impact Irelia's outlook on the events to come. At this point, it is very difficult for me to judge as to whether or not I was successful in establishing this goal, or whether I have fallen flat on my face. So, the way things stand, I will keep the chapter the way it is. If, via feedback and criticism, there is a majority of people that would like to see me rework that ending part of chapter 18, I will do so without any regret. Regardless of whether or not I make a small rework, the general course of events and its outcome will remain the same. Thanks in advance for your input. This story belongs to you readers as much as it belongs to me and I owe it to you all to make the best that I can.
As always, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of you who have made this story so successful. I look forward to seeing you all in the chapters to come, and should you have any advice or criticism for me, please do leave your opinion.