The light of the Specter Moons saturated the golden yellow grass with their bright glow. The tall trees bloomed with red and orange leaves, along with an extra touch of green to match the fields below them. The landscape was the pinnacle of autumn beauty, and Cassandra couldn't have been more excited to venture out and explore it with Lia.
The fawn was equally as joyous to partake in an afternoon of fruit-picking with her friend. She had forgone her fur cape for the time being, which was strikingly unusual for a woman who was never seen without it. As Lia led the walk through the grass, Cassandra realized just how slender and thin her body truly was. Without the brown hide to drape down her back, Lia's slim figure was in full display, despite how loose her grey gown was.
It was odd to see Lia as she was. But, the more Cassandra thought about it, the more she equated it with her own departure from her typical black robes and jewelry. Lia had remarked that she sought to mentally distance herself from the stresses of her duties during their activities. She wanted to unwind and feel the soft breeze as it gusted around her.
It was about freedom – if only for a moment.
Cassandra glanced down at the similar gown she wore around her own body. Lia continued to lend her more clothing for her to wear, though this one was different. In the past, they were outfits that she hardly ever wore due to them being non-fawn in origin. The garment that the brunette had been given was described as 'an older outfit that never fit well.'
It was the likelihood that Lia would have shared a fawn's gown with her that made Cassandra feel special. For someone who usually kept to herself, abstaining from prolonged interactions with strangers; this kindness was not unnoticed.
In Lia's arms was a woven basket that she had made a few years prior. It was one that she often used during her fruit-picking sessions, and today was no exception. The craft was not excessively large, but the fawn kept against her stomach; her arms wrapped around it.
"Cassandra," she said as she turned her head around with a smile. "How comfortable is that gown?"
"It feels like I'm walking on air," she replied as she followed only a few feet away.
Lia's green eyes studied how well her friend's body performed with the garments she had been given. The soft, leather shoes exposed the top of her feet, allowing ease of movement as she casually walked along the plains of grass. Her pale legs shined in the light; the scars of her dhin bite were still visible along her right calf.
The gown on the brunette's body was just as loose as Lia's – though her slightly curvier nature and well-developed chest produced an added effect that the fawn did not share. Nevertheless, admiration was apparent on her friend's face as she glanced at her.
"You look beautiful." Lia's smile grew wider. "Free."
Cassandra dipped her head with a giggle. "Thank you."
It was a gesture that Lia mimicked as she giggled back, turning her head forward to the tall trees just a dozen yards away. It had been a long walk, with Milo's castle now reduced to a small structure in the distance. The two had discussed the simplicity of using the fawn's teleporting powers to save time, but it was a conversation that quickly died.
They wanted to spend as much time together as possible. What good would there be in rushing such a fun afternoon?
The way to Lia's favorite spot had been filled with jokes and conversation along the way. She had become increasingly more vocal during the last couple of hours – someone completely different from the reserved, anti-social lady she had been in the past. Cassandra could see how happy she was to share this with her; which made the woman wonder just how important she was to the fawn.
I've never seen her smile so wide before. It looks so genuine. Like, this is how she really is. I don't think she's felt like this in a long time – if ever.
"So…" Cassandra spoke as the two neared the first tree. The fruit on the top was visible, but it was so high up. Various shrubs around it also contained fruit, but Lia's eyes were fixated on the selections high above her. "What are we going to take?"
Lia set down her basket on the grass as she stood with crossed one leg over the over. Her hands rose to her chest; fingers interlocked while her freckled nose curled. A sharp pull to the left of her cheek pressed along as she thought about where they would start.
"Hmm…" She swayed her hips around. "Those nertefs on the trees are calling my name. I was worried that I had picked them clean." Her voice heightened in its pitch momentarily as she slowly pointed her finger toward the plump pickings. "But…I am mistaken."
"What about those ones over there?" Cassandra pointed at the smaller, yellow fruits that clung to the bushes nearby.
Lia turned her attention to them, if only briefly. They were so easy to pluck that she seemed to want to reserve them for last. The fawn shrugged her shoulder at the sight of them. "Ullicks are alright. Milo enjoys them, which is odd, coming from a man who says he hates anything sour. We can grab some, but until he starts going out to get fruit for himself, I'm not filling up my basket with his requests."
"Oh!" Cassandra let out a bout of laughter as she listened to Lia, who looked on in curiosity. "You are so petty – I love it!"
"I'm not petty." Lia placed her forefinger under her chin as she rotated her body to her friend. There was a somewhat mischievous grin to be seen as she sought to construe Cassandra's words into something more acceptable. "He's always cooking jintep; which is an animal that I am not particularly fond of. Granted, it is very common and healthy to eat, but if I have to suffer through those dinners, then I at least will enjoy my fruits."
She turned to face the trees again but quickly returned to Cassandra with an added comment. "Oh, and if he ever tells you how lazy I am because I don't cook, remind him that half of his dinners wouldn't be possible without me taking the time to acquire his ingredients." Lia chuckled as she stared at the fruits ahead, mumbling to herself, "And I'm the lazy one?"
"You still sound petty, Lia," Cassandra said as she approached her from her left, the last remnants of her snickering still flowing through her teeth.
The fawn closed her eyes and gave a small shrug. "At times."
"Bela knew how to cook." The brunette recalled all the dinners of the past that had been saved due to the blonde's quick thinking and skills inside the kitchen. "I think she secretly enjoyed being in that kitchen all day. She always hung around these two servants; Luana and Sorina."
Cassandra breathed a small sigh as the abuse those unfortunate girls often received came across her mind. She could still feel Luana's blood on her hands. Killing her was something that she wished she could take back, but the past was sealed. Sorina was another fragile soul who was eventually claimed by the bloodthirsty ways of the castle. There was hardly any room for kinship in such a nightmarish place, but even with Bela's fierce attitude toward the staff under her direct supervision, there was always the idea that she held those two in special regard.
"Bela would always take credit for some of the meals that were prepared for us," Cassandra stated. "She wasn't a liar. As much as she wanted mother…Alcina…to be proud of her, she went out of her way to earn it. Dinners used to always be late and she opted to take control of the kitchen. She'd stay in there for hours, sometimes, but I think she learned a lot. One time, she decided to cook for Daniela and me."
The brunette gleamed with delight as she recalled that wonderful plate of bear meat and lamb she had prepared. Coated in a sauce of unknown origin, it was as mouth-watering as ever. Bela had truly surpassed her own expectations that night, as even she was unable to hide how surprised she was at the taste. It was one of those unforgettable times when the three sisters enjoyed each other's company; laughing and talking – lost in the moment.
A rare occasion when the blonde did not seem to desperately search for validation. It was a night when she looked genuinely happy with herself, unconcerned about the tasks she had to do. It made her sister wonder if that was a glimpse of the woman she had been in the past, before their lives were stolen away.
One could only wonder…
Cassandra contained a tiny chuckle as she refocused on the new world and life that she was living; her eyes back on the fawn near her. "It was a perfect meal. I'm sure your cooking would turn out just the same way. You have a lot of talents. I wouldn't be surprised if that was one of them."
"Aw," Lia playfully grinned as she retrieved her basket and held it tight against her stomach. "You are too kind. Maybe, someday, I will cook more often. Maybe you can tell me how good…or bad…my cooking is."
"I'll go easy on you." She laughed.
"Why, thank you." Lia's sarcasm was not to be ignored. Her eyes moved over to the nertefs that dangled above her. "In the meantime, shall we begin? I'll save these for last," she said as she inched closer to the ullicks that Cassandra had pointed out. She held the basket out in front of her, signaling for the brunette to make the first grab.
Cassandra hesitated at first, as she had expected Lia to already begin on her own. "Oh!" She exclaimed as soon as she realized what was happening. She reached out and grabbed the first one that came her way. The yellow fruit resembled a set of large berries, both vertically stacked on top of each other. The texture was firm, but she could feel how juicy the inside was. She pulled it from its branch and dropped it into the basket.
"First one of the day," Lia remarked with a glint in her eye.
The basket was a little over halfway full by the time the two women made their way back to where they had begun. Cassandra had offered to take hold of the weaved bowl, but Lia insisted that she would continue to carry it. She said that she did not want to burden her with the weight and that the basket itself was "something special" to her.
The songs of the birds up above – which were surprisingly called by the same name in this world – played like music as the two navigated past the vast number of trees that surrounded them. For Cassandra, the environment felt like home. She remembered how she had lost her temper with Leta in the same setting just days before. The interaction had been on her mind recently, and she realized just how desperate she had been to break away from the underlying sense of captivity that plagued her.
Even a child's pleas to leave had caused her such anger at that time.
Now, as she walked through these woods with Lia; the evolution of her life in such a short time seemed incredible. She felt at peace, for once. Even though she still had to contend with everything she knew about her past, Cassandra was able to finally let go and enjoy the moment for what it was.
The fresh air was unlike anything else. It was so pure and clean, filling her lungs with life in every breath. The sweet scent of the grass and the sap from the trees brought euphoria to her scarred soul. Nature was always a fleeting gift back in her world. A glimpse at a love that was never destined to last.
A peek at a greater joy – only to be shut away when the temperatures got too low.
This here – this right now – was where she found herself in the fantasy that she always dreamed of.
It almost didn't feel real. Part of her even wondered if this life after her death was truly the definitive destination for all living beings. To think that such a thing could exist alongside the dreary hell she grew up in was unimaginable. The mountains that surrounded her region may have been massive, but her world felt so small.
Locwitary was also a small world, but it seemed endless to her.
I get it now; the afterlife is endless, isn't it?
She glanced at Lia as the fawn walked a couple of steps ahead of her, occasionally picking fruits off the bushes and trees as she went along. The woman's slender body caught her attention. Her gown was beautiful; well-fitted to her thin frame despite its looseness, and covered at the top by her curtain of brown, wavy hair. There was so much mystery to this remarkable creature that she was. Cassandra always wanted to know what was on her mind, but her body and face did their best to retain such secrets.
Her feminine appearance masked her assertive personality, but her extraordinary kindness glowed brighter than any flame she could muster. Cassandra glanced at her ivory skin. It was so consistent in tone, without any noticeable blemishes. The fawn turned her head to the side as she glanced at her. Those freckles that lined her nose were so mesmerizing.
They were like a jaguar's spots, or a rattlesnake's diamond scales; so artistically crafted. Her green eyes pushed a little further to the right so that they could fixate on the brunette. "Wonderful melodies," she remarked regarding the birds. "Are they not?"
"So wonderful." Cassandra picked up the pace and caught up to her. Lia's face adopted an almost shy look as she eyed the fruits that had been collected thus far. "Do they often sing like this?"
"Not always," Lia said. "Sometimes, but those moments are quite rare. I've only ever seen it a couple of times since I moved here. Back in my old commune, where the fawns lived, you would hear this kind of singing all day." She lifted her head at the tall trees, watching the flocks fly past the leaves and branches. Their vast array of colors created a living rainbow as they sped past her point of view, leaving just enough time to remind her that they were still organic.
She thought about the progression of time. The many days and nights that had gone by since that horrible day forever shaped her life. All those dead fawns. Her lost mother. The hardships that she herself faced when she was brought to Milo's castle with her infant sister.
So many periods of crying, struggling to come to terms with her new life. Fighting with a man who battled his own sins. Raising her sister as if she was her daughter. Days where she stayed quiet. Nights where she screamed.
All of that preceding the wonderful days that were to come.
It wasn't all bad, she decided. In fact, she remembered smiling throughout those later years. It was so easy to forget when one was so sad, just as it was easy to forget the sadness when happiness was found.
"It was so beautiful," Lia added.
"It is indeed beautiful." Cassandra shared her sentiment as she watched the birds fly away; their songs still carrying in the soft wind.
"Some fawns believe that birds signal good things," Lia mentioned as she walked along the narrow, open path. "It is said that if they congregate in large numbers and play their songs, then it means that this world is offering its greatest gifts to you."
"Do you believe that?"
"I do." Lia gave a closed simper, and she lowered her head back down at the fruit basket in her arms. "As I said: I've rarely seen them sing like this over here, and to be spending this time with you proves to me that they are indeed watching us. I'll be honest and tell you that I haven't been this happy in a very long time. Between us and everything else going on in my life, I'm glad to finally be feeling better."
The wake of recent sadness was palpable. Cassandra placed her hand on Lia's shoulder as she sought to ensure all was still okay. "Is there anything that you need to tell me?"
Lia gave a winded but joyous sigh. "Only a lifetime's worth of things, Cassandra." She turned to her with a smile. "But, there is only so much time in the day. I can assure you that I am excited to share this day with you. It feels great to have a friend."
As it does.
Lia set down her basket again at the foot of the tall tree that held the nertefs she wanted. Cassandra watched as she eyed them the same way she had done in the beginning. It wasn't a look of contemplation regarding how she was going to get them, but when. It spiked the brunette's curiosity, as she wondered what trick the fawn had up her sleeve to do so.
"Do you normally shift your body to get up there?" Cassandra asked.
"No," Lia replied. "Not if I want to fall back to the ground." She held her hands at her sides as she took a slow breath. A sparkling blue flame began to appear from underneath her palms. The fire was not connected to her body – merely hovering an inch or two away from it. The tails of the energy drifted upwards, as if something was pushing against it.
Lia confidently raised her eyebrow as she glanced back at her friend. "Would you like to see one of my favorite displays?"
Curious as to what she was about to witness, Cassandra nodded vigorously with eagerness. She cautiously remained where she was, aware that Lia's energy carried the potential of a devastating force. Unless the fawn told her to do so, she did not want to risk injury.
Lia steadied herself as she stared up at the tree. She kicked off her sandals as the same fire that surrounded her hands manifested along the bottom of her feet. Her gown waved as an unseen wind drifted its bottom across her soft legs. Locks of wavy brown hair fluttered around as the energy grew.
Amazingly, Lia's feet began to levitate from the ground, and the fawn lifted herself a few feet into the air.
Oh my…
Cassandra covered her mouth, speechless as to what her friend was able to accomplish. She laughed with shock, unable to keep herself still. "That's incredible! How can you do that?"
Lia concentrated on keeping her body stable. Her arms and legs pushed against the forces that distanced them from the soil. The effort was not seamless, as the fawn seemed like she was in the early stages of physical exhaustion. For right now – she could control it.
"Only a few surges can perform this," she told her, slowly drifting another foot or two higher. "I'm expelling my force out from my hands and feet, balancing it against Locwitary's own energy. The way I am pushing it is causing a negative balance, thus, the two repel one another. It is an advanced art of our magic. Dangerous if not done correctly. It's taken me years to get to where I am now, but I still have much to learn."
That comment alone caused Cassandra a great wave of concern. "Dangerous? Please, I do not want you to get hurt!"
"I will not, I promise. I know my boundaries and I do not recklessly exceed them." Lia hovered higher in the air as she made her way to the top of the tree. Cassandra could only watch as her friend reached out and plucked several nertefs at once using her powers. "Grab the basket," she instructed.
Cassandra took hold of the container and held it out, while Lia carefully brought the group of fruits down to her in a controlled manner. Lined up like a serpent, the collection of nertefs swam down in a wavy pattern before they each landed inside the basket. Particles of blue sparkled from around them before the magic released them. The brunette could feel the warmth that the small orbs carried. They were extensions of the fawn's essence. The embodiment of a being so enthralling.
Lia continued to pull more fruits from the tree and send them down to Cassandra, who collected them in the basket until they reached the top. As soon as her friend called out that the capacity had been reached, the fawn slowly lowered her body back to the ground. Her feet landed without a sound as she gazed back at her, eyes still flickering with a blue shudder.
Cassandra lost herself in the abyss of their glow. She stepped forward and placed her hand against the left side of Lia's head. Her thumb caught the roll of the fawn's cheek as it pulled into a smile. A soft hum and then a giggle from the woman endowed with such remarkable abilities; eyes still blue. Her eyelids shut only to reopen a few seconds after.
Cassandra still couldn't take her own eyes off of them. She had not been so captivated by another person's eyes since…
"You were crafted so elegantly," she told Lia, whose warm hand still formed blue particles in the air as it reached up to touch hers. "I've never seen anything so perfect." The solid, bright sky-blue aura behind her gaze dimmed back to the strong forest green it had always been.
"Spoken by a woman who is perfection." Lia's hand came off hers and moved to grace Cassandra's soft, yet pronounced cheeks. She stared into her eyes, studying the unique shape of her eyelids. Her attention gravitated toward the brunette's right eye, which had always stayed locked in a lower hanging. It set her apart from any other woman that Lia had ever seen, and the way it added to the shape of her face was worth all the attention it got. If it was an ocean, she would dive right in.
She didn't care if she drowned.
Cassandra lowered her head with a nervous giggle, as Lia removed her hand and stood there momentarily. It was like she was waiting for something, but did not know exactly what it was. The same could be said for the former, who felt the resurgence of something so alien to her that the only thing she could equate it to was the way she saw herself at the Maiden of War statue in that window to the past.
An alien feeling that she had been feeling for a while. It spoke inside her chest but she didn't understand the words. She could only sense it. There was no method of interpretation to be found.
Breaking the stillness, Lia extended her hand toward the filled basket and rotated her palm upward. A single nertef rose from the pile, enveloped in blue. As her forefinger curled, the fruit lifted higher into the air, spinning slowly as Cassandra looked on.
Lia turned her head and glanced at Cassandra with a long smile and a giggle of her own. "Would you care for a taste?"
"Yes, please." Cassandra reached up to take hold of the nertef, but it suddenly elevated outside of her reach.
"Uh uh." Lia dragged the fruit around in the air before she brought it closer to Cassandra's face. "This way."
Without saying anything else, Cassandra kept her eyes on Lia as she opened her mouth, baring her teeth. They clamped down on the nertef, pressing down as she heard the fruit crunch under her bite. The warmth of Lia's powers was felt across her cheeks as she indulged in the treat. As she chewed down on the sweet, delectable product of the forest, she understood why Lia enjoyed these things so much.
This is so delicious!
She went for another bite – while Lia looked on with parted lips. The fawn giggled as she watched Cassandra wipe the stray juice off her nose and swallow the portion that she had inside her cheeks. The brunette grinned, taking the nertef out of the air and into her hand.
Lia ceased using her powers once she saw Cassandra now in possession of it, figuring that the woman preferred to handle it herself. It was only when the nertef was held out to her that she realized what was being offered. Again, there were no words spoken between either of them – just a soft series of giggles that conveyed amusement, if not a slight nervousness.
The fawn's green eyes narrowed in on the fruit in her hand, and she slowly stepped forward. Her lips remained parted as her hands started to raise, only to fall back down at her sides. Her movements were almost like a slow dance – methodical, yet, adapting to every second that passed. She leaned forward, her mouth opening for a bite of her own.
Her teeth landed on the same spot that Cassandra had bitten into, and the brunette saw those green eyes drifting from the nertef and onto her. With the fruit still in her mouth, Lia pushed out another giggle, her breath escaping through the corners of her lips. She bit down until her lips touched, staying there for a second before Cassandra pulled the fruit away.
Lia's eyes still would not depart from her as she chewed on the piece, swallowing it and wiping her lips with the back of her thin hand.
Cassandra smiled back with a short laugh; born from the lack of anything else to say. She lowered her eyes as the chuckling subsided, but when she looked up, Lia was still staring at her.
Sensing her friend's nervousness, the fawn spoke, "Did you enjoy it?"
"It was better than I thought."
Lia took another step closer to her, holding out both her hands as she did so. Cassandra instinctively took them, feeling that familiar, warm energy pass through onto her. "Nothing else like it. They are the best," she replied. "Today has been great."
Cassandra glanced down at the bucket of fruit, moving her stare to the forest behind them. The collection of tall trees still could not shield the view of the mountains that loomed over the region. The blue sky and the shining Specter Moons above bloomed over this beautiful moment. It was something that she had always dreamed about.
"Thank you for this day," she said, as Lia wrapped her hands around hers and lifted them up mid-way between them. She did not even have time to realize that their fingers had interlocked.
"You're welcome."
That was when Cassandra suddenly felt Lia's lips press against her own.
Is that...?
The moment was brief as Cassandra jolted back, releasing her grip and leaving a stunned Lia standing before her. The brunette's face was littered with shock; her eyebrows raised, and eyes wide as ever. She stammered on speaking, unable to form any words.
Lia was just as unnerved, watching as her friend took another step back. She also did not know what to say. It was one of those rare moments when she was completely unprepared for the situation in front of her. "Cassandra…wait!"
Cassandra's fingers rose to her lips, touching them as she glanced back at the fawn. "I'm sorry, Lia! I…I can't…"
"Just, wait!" Lia's breathing began to pick up. Her anxiety had grown. She took a careful step toward Cassandra, worried that she bordered on scaring the woman away. She paused again, fighting to decide on the best thing to say, though, in her heart, she knew this may have been unsalvageable.
Cassandra tried to calm herself. She was close to hyperventilating, but as the seconds passed, she found herself able to slow her breathing down. Lia did not get any closer. "I'm sorry," she repeated her words. "I don't…I can't…"
Lia gently raised her palm to help relax her friend's nerves. "Talk to me, okay?"
Cassandra closed her eyes and gulped as she collected herself. There was a whirlwind of thoughts and feelings swimming through her body. Everything had happened so quickly. There was no time at all to process any of it. "I'm alright." She inhaled a long breath. "It's just that…I'm sorry. I can't do this. I don't feel that kind of way."
Lia's eyes went to the ground as soon as she heard that. She was clearly disappointed – if not terribly upset. Shaking her head, she struggled to make sense of it all. "Are you sure?" She glanced back up at Cassandra with uncertainty. "When I held your face, I thought I could feel the same feelings I had."
Her hand rose to touch Cassandra once again. "If I may, could I –" She immediately halted her attempt, curling her fingers back into her palm as she realized how desperate she sounded. With a sigh of defeat, Lia lowered her arm and set her eyes back onto the dirt, closing them as soon as her head was down.
"Lia, I'm so sorry…" Cassandra did not want to see her hurt, but to accept the kiss was something she did not feel comfortable with. Whatever it was that Lia had felt or believed, she knew the fawn had committed herself to it, and to see her act fail had to have been heavy on her heart.
"It's fine," Lia muttered as she shook her head again. "I'm just so stupid. I should have asked you first. I should not have just pushed myself onto you without your approval." From what Cassandra could see, her face winced, but the sound of her voice made it sound like she wasn't about to cry just yet.
"I'm not mad or upset or anything, I…" Cassandra paused as she took another look at how Lia was. Part of her wished she could have made her happy in that regard, but she had to be true to how she felt, and it wouldn't have been fair to the fawn, either. "I just wasn't ready."
Lia lifted her head again, hoping for some form of validation for what she believed Cassandra had felt. "Are my powers correct? Do you feel anything towards me?"
The brunette kept quiet as she thought about what had been asked of her. All she could do was shake her head and bite her tongue. An exhalation broke out from Lia's nostrils as she took on the waves of disappointment that were beginning to come her way. Cassandra covered her own mouth with her hand as she let the seconds pass, waiting for anything else that she could do to repair the damage.
"Lia, I don't know what I want, alright? I'm still coming to terms with the loss of my sisters and all the lies I was told. I'm trying to get back to my world and rectify the horrible things I've done. Love is…it's just not something I ever think about."
The fawn sighed again as she approached her sandals and placed them back on her feet. As soon as she was back up, her arms were crossed and her gaze was unable to remain on the woman across from her for more than a few seconds at a time. "Would you rather a man? Would that have made a difference?"
"Nothing makes a difference, Lia," Cassandra spoke softly, trying to remind her that there was no hostility on her end. "I'm not ready for anyone."
Lia nodded with regret. "It was selfish of me to keep asking you. I'm sorry."
"Are you upset with me?"
"No." She turned her eyes to Cassandra, who could see the strain that had formed on her brow. "I'm not. I'm just upset at myself, not because I didn't get what I wanted, but because I was foolish enough to let my desires get the better of me. I thought you felt the same way, and I've wanted to kiss you for a while. Today, I thought I could finally try, and it turns out I made a terrible oversight."
"You acted on your heart, and that's not –" Cassandra began to walk closer to her, but as soon as she did, the tears in Lia's eyes became noticeable. The fawn fought hard to keep them at bay, but as soon as the brunette was within arm's reach, one of them released and trailed down her left cheek. She watched as Lia's chest shuddered with anxiousness, knowing how fragile she truly was in this regard. "Hey, it's okay," she tried to calm her down.
"I'm such an idiot," Lia stated as she stared at the fruit basket. "I ruined such a great afternoon, all because of my idiotic ambitions."
Cassandra carefully took her by the hands, cautious as to not elevate the pre-existing feelings that Lia already had towards her. She looked her directly in the eyes with great firmness. "Stop! Stop putting yourself down like that. I'm not going to walk away from you. You didn't ruin anything!" Her amber eyes looked down at the grass under their feet. "Please, let's sit and talk, alright?" She offered.
With a breath, Lia nodded and crouched down, taking Cassandra along with her. The two women sat side-by-side as the landscape and the castle loomed in the far distance. It was them and them only in the middle of this vast land. The perfect place to lay out their hearts and talk about what was on their minds.
Lia wiped the tear that had come off her cheek as she crossed her legs. "I'm sick of crying, you know? I've never cried this much in so many years. It's so exhausting."
"Yeah," Cassandra replied with a laugh. "You're telling me. I'm finished with crying too."
"Then I guess we're both in agreement: no crying."
"Deal." Cassandra raised her knees and moved the fruit basket over to the front of them. "Do you want another fruit?"
"Of course." Lia sniffled as she reached for the first nertef that she could get her hands on. Despite how composed she seemed, there was still a lot going on inside her. "I can never turn one of these down."
"They are quite good."
"Oh," Lia remarked with a shallow voice. "They are the best, remember?" There was a slight grin on her face as she said that. It was like a part of her was fighting to return to the point that they were at just a minute ago. She did not want to wallow in her misery. There had been plenty of moments of that in recent days. After all they had been through, a minute of peace was the greatest thing she could have had.
Cassandra watched as her friend picked up the fruit and brought it to her mouth. She took a bite that started off slow, only to rush to completion as she tore the nertef away. After eating, Lia rolled her lips as she sorted through her thoughts. The air around them was mostly quiet; save for a slight whistle from the young wind. The brunette tried to decide on what she would say next, but Lia beat her to the punch.
"Look, you don't owe me anything," she said to Cassandra, balancing the nertef between both her hands. "You can head back to the castle. I'll take you there myself and save you the walk, if you wish."
"I'm not leaving you alone."
Lia laughed with shut eyes. It was a sudden reaction, just like some of her previous ones before. She bit into the fruit again to occupy her mouth. It was better than sitting there with nothing to say at first. It gave her more time to think.
As soon as she finished chewing, she went for another bite, only to stop and swallow the one she had taken. There was no use suppressing her feelings, she thought. That was all she ever had been doing until now. "That's why I like you, Cassandra. You care about me so much. I want someone who cares."
"Of course I care about you. Milo and Leta care about you as well."
"It's not the same with Milo and Leta," Lia stated with a short huff of breath. She raised her knees up to her chest and swayed the nertef around in her palm. She was still contemplating taking another bite. "Milo's my father, in a sense, and Leta is my sister. That kind of love is so unique, and it can only come from them. I also want a love that I can choose."
And I was your choice, wasn't I?
The brunette parted her lips as she glanced over at the fawn to her side. She knew what she meant, and responding to it was so tricky. The last thing she wanted to do was upset her even more. Despite how stable Lia appeared, she had opened herself up so much that she was in a vulnerable position. Rejection was a harsh outcome, and it seemed that love was something she had been particularly selective about.
Lia picked up on the silence and spoke again, "I don't know what I was even thinking, alright? You're not from my world. We never belonged together to start with. When I figure out how to get you home, I'll never see you again." She scoffed at herself. "It was never going to work, anyway."
Cassandra sighed and scooted closer to her. She realized how their proxemics thus far had been borderline intimate. The constant physical contact between them would have likely increased Lia's feelings with every touch. Nevertheless, that did not mean that the fawn had to be isolated. Her pale hand found itself on top of the woman's thin shoulder, prompting her to look away.
"You didn't make a bad decision, Lia. You were honest and that is why I trust you."
Her green eyes stared ahead at the forest landscape that she had always adored. The numerous trees and shrubs gave life to Locwitary's beauty, but as she sat there with the woman to her left, she knew that kind of beauty was not enough for her. She wanted more.
"You have been the most complicated thing that I have ever seen," Lia remarked as she wrapped her arms around her legs and leaned forward. "I hated you so much, and when I got close to you, you just took me away." She let out the tiniest of chuckles. "In all my life, I never imagined that I could have become friends with someone who has taken part in violence. I judged you based on that, but when I got to see the real you, I learned more about myself. I learned that I am capable of violence. I learned how weak my emotions can be."
"Lia…what are you trying to say?" Cassandra felt a great concern wash over her as she listened to her friend speak.
"I'm saying that I thought I knew everything until I met you," she explained. "Now, I don't know anything. I never knew I wanted someone. Fawns don't do that, you know? We don't enter into relationships. There are no male fawns. We reproduce in a spiritual sense; having daughters with the help of others around us. A mental commitment, if you will, aided by the powers of our sisters to conjure up life. I guess I've been around poils for too long, and their ways have bled into me…"
"You can live whatever life it is that you want to live," Cassandra reminded her. "You taught me that."
Those words brought a sense of comfort to Lia's soul. She eased her posture, angling her head over to Cassandra's hand. Her eyes stayed on the brunette's pale fingers, studying how compassionately wrapped along her shoulder they were. She wanted to kiss them. "I wouldn't give my heart to just anyone. You deserve it. I imagine there aren't too many people like you out there."
A smile pulled along Cassandra's cheeks. "I think any woman would be lucky to have you. I couldn't think of a better person for them to choose."
The fawn giggled at such a prospect. "I really hope Locwitary has at least one. I'm sure all worlds do. It just figures that I wanted the one from yours." She took Cassandra's hand into her own, holding it tight. "I just want to thank you for everything that you've done for me. The path that I was on was not a good one, and you saved me."
I… I saved someone?
"Lia…" Cassandra nervously licked her lips as she looked around. "I didn't do anything extraordinary. I was… I was just there."
Undeterred, the fawn kept her green eyes fixated on the woman who had stolen her heart. The one who she struggled with when it came to accepting it back. The feelings she felt were so strong that she knew they were rooted in the rawest aspects of her being. Cassandra was someone who she never knew existed. A figure from a different world who was birthed in a castle of blood and death, yet, managed to overcome the darkness she was injected with and freed from her cocoon.
A woman made of flies – who had found her wings.
"You saved all of us, Cassandra. You just didn't know it." Lia dispensed her warm energy into the brunette's palm one more time. There was a softness to her breaths. She wasn't trying to set up another kiss. All she was doing was finding solace in the truth that their friendship was not going to be destroyed. It was a bond that meant so much to her.
Love didn't have to come in intimacy. It didn't have to be conveyed in romance, either.
I've never saved anyone before. I've always hurt people. But, I've never been any happier than I am now. I can see why she feels for me the way she does. This connection is so beautiful.
"I didn't know who I was until you came along, either," Cassandra said as her other hand joined the bundle that Lia had created. "Quite literally, I might add."
"That woman that was buried in there for all that time; she's what drew me to you. Now, she's free."
She is free. She is me.
"Thank you, Lia."
The fawn's fingers graced the skin of the brunette's palms as she withdrew her hands. There was a tingling to be felt as they left. It had to have been the residual energy still clinging onto her. She did not know what Lia's purpose behind it was. Maybe, she was still digging for any signs that her feelings were reciprocated.
She also could have just been unable to contain the amount of bliss that she felt at that very moment. Anything was possible as the two women found themselves at the edge of time. There were no constraints to draw them back to the lives they had stepped away from. For Cassandra; this afternoon was the greatest one she had ever had. Oddly, she still could not single out the sole cause for the joy she felt inside her chest. There had to be a reason, but nothing could be discerned.
"I'll never forget you, Cassandra."
"I'll never forget you, either, Lia."
"Shall we enjoy this view together?" The fawn tilted her head toward the gorgeous canvas that was Locwitary's landscape in front of them.
"That would be perfect." Cassandra's cheeks rose as her amber eyes glowed in the light of the Specter Moons above. The two ladies turned their heads and admired what this world had to offer. It was all so beautiful. She could never have imagined anything else like it.
A world born just for this very moment.
A moment between them – and only them.
NOTES:
So, a pretty big moment here, to say the least. Granted, it didn't end the way we all hoped. Just like Lia, I'm sure you all wanted to see Cassandra embrace her to the fullest. Rejection is never fun, but at the same time, both of these women are well aware that neither of them truly understands themselves – Cassandra, especially.
As Lia had stated: she was not upset that Cassandra turned her down. She values their friendship so much that she fears losing it. It's no secret how much she likes her now, but the kiss was something she would have thought was impossible for her before Cassandra's arrival. She only acts on her impulses when she is 100% confident, as we've seen in the past.
So, where to from here? Well, the next chapter is going to have a very big plot turn in it for sure. The third act is about to start, and where it goes from here will culminate in this story's explosive final chapters.
You can expect that chapter to release on June 4th. I'm seeking to get these next installments out faster than usual. Call me excited, but I'd hate to have you all wait 😊
Readers of Fragmented Fears, do not worry. A new, vicious chapter is still releasing that weekend as well!
Follow this story on Archive of Our Own to check out the latest piece of artwork created for it!
Thanks for supporting this story and watching it grow up to this point. There is still plenty more to come as this story pushes forward, and I'm excited to have you all with me! I hope you all are enjoying your weekend, and I'm wishing you all the best of life in the times ahead! Thanks for being the awesome folks you are and inspiring me to continue writing. I cannot emphasize that enough!
Stay safe! 😊