- Chapter 9: Getting Reacquainted -
As a child, Kelda had always loved listening to the stories of hunters and fishermen who had travelled beyond the glaciers: tales of elves, dwarves and halflings; deep jungles and burning sands; buildings that stretched towards the sky; cultures and customs she couldn't even begin to wrap her head around. Ever the dreamer, she would often lie awake at night, imagining herself in some distant land, living in a huge, fancy castle with lots of delicious food and servants to take care of all her chores.
As the years wore on, her fondness for these stories slowly but surely began to fade in pace with her growing cynicism. Even so, her daydreams persisted. Though it might seem childish for an adult to harbour such wistful fantasies, living under the thumb of a spoiled, arrogant man-child had a funny way of making you wish yourself far, far away.
Still, of all the places she could have imagined herself, the netherworld probably wasn't high on the list. But as she gazed around the sleek, obsidian chambers that were to become their private quarters – their private quarters – she couldn't imagine a better place.
"Now all we need are a couple of wolf pelts and bear rugs to spruce things up!" Kelda decided, hand on her hip as she turned to him with an eager expression.
The Overlord couldn't help but smile as he watched her inspect the chambers. Even in all her excitement – a part of her he very much recognized from their childhood – she still managed to carry herself with a sense of dignity. There was a firmness to her voice, an air of confidence about her. The mark of a seasoned huntress, no doubt. Mature, confident, beautiful: that is what she was. No longer a child, but a woman. And what a woman...!
"I'll have the minions bring some over." he answered, simply.
Kelda's smile widened as she proceeded to close the distance between them, pausing ever so briefly before placing a gentle hand against his chest. In her mind, she welcomed the firmness of his armour against her palm – a silent reminder that, yes, he was still real.
"I knew you wouldn't forget about me!" she said as a wistful smile fluttered across her lips, her eyes full of unspoken gratitude.
"I could never forget about you!" the Overlord answered softly as he reached up to place a hand over hers. "Your kindness, your courage, your beauty..."
"Oh, hush!" Kelda grinned bashfully as she rolled her eyes and gave his torso a light shove. "You think flattery s'gonna win me ova'?"
"No, I... I didn't mean to offend you?" the Overlord assured her, only to watch her throw her head back in laughter.
"Offend me?!" Kelda chuckled as she tried and failed to keep herself from snorting. She just couldn't help it. Seeing such a strong, imposing warrior stumble over his own words was just too precious! "Oh, witch-boy!" she sighed as she proceeded to lean against him with a grin. "It'll take a lot more than that to offend me!"
Sensing no anger or hidden meaning behind her words, the Overlord allowed himself to relax. It was almost laughable how, for more than a decade now, he had been trained to become a merciless warrior of darkness and yet all it took was a few words from the right person to turn him back into a stuttering little boy.
Kelda smiled as she watched his glowing eyes staring back at her from within the depths of his helmet. Then, gripped by a sudden sense of curiosity, she reached up to remove it. Realizing what she was about to do, the Overlord instinctively reached up to grab her wrists.
Kelda frowned.
"You won't show me?" she asked with a hint of disappointment.
"No, I..." he began, before hesitating with a sigh. "I'm just... not used to... this!"
Kelda's expression seemed to soften ever so slightly at his words, a hint of sympathy – perhaps even understanding – in her eyes. When she spoke again, her voice, though still playful, had a soft and reassuring undertone.
"Well, you bedda' get used to it then." she said as she began to ease the helmet off his head. "Because I'm here now. And I'm not goin' anywhere."
Taking her words to heart, the Overlord proceeded to take a deep breath and close his eyes as he felt the weight of the helmet leave his scalp.
Kelda's chest swelled with anticipation as she completed the motion, watching the shadows retreat from his visage. Over the years, she had often wondered what kind of face lurked beneath all those layers of cloth and shadow. A kind face? A handsome one? Was it the face of a villain, or perhaps the face of a king? Was it a face of anger and bitterness, twisted and tainted by years of neglect and suffering? Or was it a face of steely determination, every bit as cold and unfeeling as the helmet he used to cover it?
The answer, she found, was none of the above.
What she found beneath that helmet was the face of a man too timid to even look her in the eyes. A man with dusky skin and no hair, marked by strange, swirling patterns of silver. Like the rest of his body, his features were strong and chiselled. He had a broad nose that seemed to bend slightly at the middle. His face was riddled with scars: faded traces of scratches, cuts and claw marks. The face of a warrior, much to her delight. And yet, as she looked into his eyes – like embers in the night, even without his helmet – she sensed a great sadness within him.
It was the face of a man – Or was it a boy? – in desperate need of acceptance. A warrior flexing his muscles in a desperate attempt to hide the cracks beneath.
As she continued to study his visage, taking in every flaw and detail she could find, she noticed his eyes averting in shame. Then, before he could pull away any further, she leaned in and kissed him, letting the helmet fall to the floor with a hollow clatter.
It was a passionate kiss, full of unspoken acceptance; A token of her love for him; A reminder that she loved him for who he was, not for what he looked like. (Though, to be perfectly honest, she rather liked the look of all those scars!) Fortunately, the message didn't seem lost on the witch-boy as he proceeded to lean into the kiss, gently wrapping his arms around her waist, as if to keep it from ending too quickly. Kelda responded by snaking her arms around his neck, locking herself against him. Lost in the moment, she didn't even notice when the Overlord waved his hand in a dismissive gesture, prompting the surrounding minions to (reluctantly) leave the room.
Finally, they parted, their breaths mingling as they stared into each other's eyes – blue skies and burning embers.
Still reeling from the excitement of her very first kiss, Kelda leaned in and whispered in his ear. "I think I love you."
Her confession was left hanging in the air, though not without an answer, as she felt his body actually tremble at her words. Searching her eyes for any sign of doubt or deception, the Overlord found nothing but sincerity and affection within them. And so, overcome by a sudden urge to hold her and kiss her, he proceeded to do just that.
Surprised, though pleasantly so, by the sudden show of initiative, Kelda quickly found herself melting into his arms. Like a firework of ecstasy, her mind began to reel with excitement, enough to send shivers down her spine as she felt his hands softly, yet eagerly begin to explore her waist. Never one to be outdone, Kelda responded by introducing his lips to her tongue, gently urging him to let her in. Much to her delight, the Overlord proved anything but slow in this regard.
Minutes passed before they finally parted again, their faces flushed and their breathing heavy.
Still riding the high like a boat on the waves, Kelda grinned as she looked him up and down. She had been waiting twelve years for this. Why stop now?
The Overlord's chest tightened with disappointment – and just a hint of panic – as he felt her push away from him. But then he saw her expression: every bit as loving, eager and yearning as his own. And so he simply watched in silence as she began to lead him by the hand, up the stairs towards the bedroom chamber.
"Come now, Witch-boy!" she said as she laid down on the crimson covers, her eyes silently beckoning him to join her. "I won't bite." she promised, before adding with a sultry smirk, "...much."
Morning, such as it was in the Netherworld, found them both tucked beneath the covers – the Overlord propped against a pile of pillows with his beloved huntress nestled against him, humming softly as she traced the symbols on his bare chest with the tip of her finger.
As he lay there, revelling in the softness of her skin, the warmth of her body and the soothing tones of her voice, it occurred to him that he had never actually experienced bliss before. Not true bliss, anyway. Because nothing he had ever experienced – at least since Torvid and Alma died – had ever come close to what he was feeling right now: This overwhelming feeling of complete and utter contentment.
Still, there was one thing that puzzled him.
"That song...?" the Overlord mumbled as he struggled to place it.
It was a slow and simple melody, low tones strung together in an almost melancholy way, albeit with a hint of calming reassurance. Soft and gentle, like a breeze.
"Wolfmother." Kelda answered softly, a warm smile on her lips. "My mother used to sing it to me before bed."
"Yes." the Overlord all but whispered as the memory of Alma's lullaby finally clicked into place. "I know it."
As if able to sense the childlike wonderment growing within him, Kelda took a breath and began to sing softly:
Deep in the night
under the moon
the wolfmother sings to her children:
Hush, little cubs
mother is here
Fear not the dark
I will be near
Lay down to sleep
slumbering deep
Nothing to fear
mother is here
Entranced by her performance – not to mention the flood of memories and emotions that came with it – it was only after the song had ended that the Overlord realized he was on the verge of tears. Seeing him wipe the emotion from his eyes, Kelda proceeded to sit up and kiss him, gently, on the lips.
"I've missed you so much!" she whispered as she gazed into his eyes.
In that moment, even the Overlord couldn't stop himself from smiling as he opened his mouth to respond, only to be interrupted by the sound of "someone" clearing their throat.
"Dammit, Gnarl!" Kelda exclaimed as she rushed to cover herself. "Learn to knock, will you?!"
Stepping into the chamber without the slightest hint of shame on his wrinkly face, the elder minion proceeded to bow with a grin.
"Forgive the intrusion, Sire, but one of your new subjects has requested an audience with you. He claims it's quite important!"
The Overlord sighed wearily as he turned to Kelda, who proceeded to offer him a wry smile.
"Duty calls!" she shrugged, though not without a hint of understanding.
Nodding his head in reluctant agreement, the Overlord proceeded to shuffle out of bed. Biting her lower lip, Kelda proceeded to watch – with no small amount of intrigue – as he went to retrieve his armour. She would have to remember to remove it more often...!
All too soon, the dark warrior tightened the final strap, completing his transformation back into a walking fortress.
"I'll be back." he promised as he turned to see her off, letting his hand linger against her cheek.
Kelda smiled as she took it and kissed his knuckles, lovingly.
"Don't keep me waiting."
Author's note: I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how I wanted the Overlord to look for this story. I assume that most people reading this already have their own idea of what he looks like beneath that helmet – which didn't make my decision any easier, mind you. In the end, I decided that I didn't want to make him conventionally attractive – to emphasise that OL and Kelda's connection is about more than just physical attraction – which is why I decided to make him bald and give him a broken nose, among other things.
Speaking of conventionally attractive... if you're a Juno fan, you might wanna brace yourself, because in case it isn't obvious yet: I am biased AF.