Reflection
Title: Reflection
Description: Lyta and Nathair meet by the lake on the 25-year anniversary of the Great War.
A/N: Day 10 of Advent Drabblender 2011. Sort of an alternate ending to Soulmates (which isn’t anywhere near complete and doesn’t need to be read first).
Prompt: Picture here.
Lyta walked closer to the edge of the lake, shivering as her boots crunched on the frozen crust. The clearing was calm and peaceful, and she could hear the ancient voices of the pine trees as they sang their winter songs. She watched the great white orb that was the moon rise from her soft bed of clouds, trailing her silver scarves playfully over the water.
“Watch your step, now. It’s much too cold for a midnight swim.”
She turned to look at the tall, broad-shouldered man who had emerged from the winding path, and held out her hands in welcome.
“Hello, Nathair.”
He smiled at her, and the lines that had accumulated around his eyes and mouth since they had been young rebels together did nothing to hid the brightness of his eyes.
“It’s good to see you again, Lyta. Are you well?”
“Very well.” She squeezed his hands, then dropped them, looking past him. “Didn’t Malina come with you?”
He shook his head. “Negotiations over the mines are proving difficult. She didn’t feel she could get away this year, but she sends her love.”
“Well, tell her I’m sorry not to see her.” Lyta sighed, seeing the phantoms of the past in the frosty exhalation of her breath on the wind.
All ten of them hadn’t been in the same place since the five-year anniversary of the end of the last war, when this tradition of meeting on the eve of their victory had started. It had been a complete disaster, but somehow, Lyta found herself coming back year after year.
As if he had heard her thoughts, Nathair shook his head and said, “More of them should be here. Reisha and Darrian, at least, since they’re so close. She should know Jalen won’t be back, not after…”
She nodded. “Yes. Not after she married Darrian and he married Ami, and Zacch swore twenty years ago that he would never see them in this capacity again.”
Lyta glanced towards the edge of her clearing, where Queen Serenitatis Divine sat bundled in her warmest clothes, talking animatedly to Zaccheus, King of the Elves. She lowered her voice and continued, “No, Jalen wouldn’t be here, but Seren is, any year she can get away. Which is almost every year.”
Her voice and smile were fond when she talked of the young queen. Of the original ten, only she and Kentan, Malina’s erstwhile lover, remained with Seren. Kent had abdicated in her favor and served as her prime minister while Lyta, now that the dryads were secure, filled the role of chamberlain.
Nathair looked out across the shining expanse of the lake, wishing for simpler times. It was strange, how closely the threat of death and darkness spreading over the land had united them, only for things to fall apart in the aftermath. And yet, by all accounts, they were victorious. They had triumphed over evil, saving countless lives and restoring the two human kingdoms which now ruled in peace with each other and in harmony with the dryads, elves, and naiads.
He was one of the lucky ones, having married Malina when Lyta had married her childhood friend Kenan, who had waited for her all the years through the war. Kenan was gone now, and while she had cried in Malina’s arms the first year after his passing, Lyta seemed perfectly content to manage Seren’s palace. Ameliya and Jalen had made their home in the underwater naiad colonies, writing thick scholarly tomes and advising the monarchs of that realm. Reisha and Darrian ruled the other human kingdom, and Zaccheus ruled alone.
“Zacch kept his word in more than one way,” Nath said quietly. “He still has no consort, and the throne beside his sits empty.”
He worried about his old friend, but it was more and more difficult to get away from his own duties, and Zaccheus seemed to grow pricklier with age.
“Not age. Loneliness,” she corrected him. “He does not have a partner who he trusts, who can support him through all the difficult moments and laugh with him in the bright ones, and who makes him smile when he forgets how to.”
Nathair looked down into her wise green eyes. “You should come visit,” he said suddenly, hoping it wasn’t a mistake.
“Well, I could,” she said, a little doubtfully. “But Seren might need me…”
The corners of his mouth quirked up crookedly. “Always living for other people.”
She shook her head, but the expression on her face was sad rather than angry. “You never saw that what they needed was also what I needed, Nath.”
“Is it still?” He had waited so many years to ask her this question. In the first few years after the war, he hadn’t dared to ask. Then, when he was ready, others had always been around. He had a feeling Malina hadn’t stayed away this year just because of the possibility Kent might come. But he knew that whether he asked her, thanked her, or cursed her, his wife would merely smile her lovely smile and continue to do as she pleased. “Do you ever wish things had gone differently?”
Lyta gazed down at the slowly-undulating surface of the lake, which showed their reflections standing side by side. The ripples erased the years from their faces and took her back to a time when she had hoped they would spend the rest of their lives together. She knew it was better, kinder, to lie, but they had always been honest with each other. “Every day.”
Description: Lyta and Nathair meet by the lake on the 25-year anniversary of the Great War.
A/N: Day 10 of Advent Drabblender 2011. Sort of an alternate ending to Soulmates (which isn’t anywhere near complete and doesn’t need to be read first).
Prompt: Picture here.
Lyta walked closer to the edge of the lake, shivering as her boots crunched on the frozen crust. The clearing was calm and peaceful, and she could hear the ancient voices of the pine trees as they sang their winter songs. She watched the great white orb that was the moon rise from her soft bed of clouds, trailing her silver scarves playfully over the water.
“Watch your step, now. It’s much too cold for a midnight swim.”
She turned to look at the tall, broad-shouldered man who had emerged from the winding path, and held out her hands in welcome.
“Hello, Nathair.”
He smiled at her, and the lines that had accumulated around his eyes and mouth since they had been young rebels together did nothing to hid the brightness of his eyes.
“It’s good to see you again, Lyta. Are you well?”
“Very well.” She squeezed his hands, then dropped them, looking past him. “Didn’t Malina come with you?”
He shook his head. “Negotiations over the mines are proving difficult. She didn’t feel she could get away this year, but she sends her love.”
“Well, tell her I’m sorry not to see her.” Lyta sighed, seeing the phantoms of the past in the frosty exhalation of her breath on the wind.
All ten of them hadn’t been in the same place since the five-year anniversary of the end of the last war, when this tradition of meeting on the eve of their victory had started. It had been a complete disaster, but somehow, Lyta found herself coming back year after year.
As if he had heard her thoughts, Nathair shook his head and said, “More of them should be here. Reisha and Darrian, at least, since they’re so close. She should know Jalen won’t be back, not after…”
She nodded. “Yes. Not after she married Darrian and he married Ami, and Zacch swore twenty years ago that he would never see them in this capacity again.”
Lyta glanced towards the edge of her clearing, where Queen Serenitatis Divine sat bundled in her warmest clothes, talking animatedly to Zaccheus, King of the Elves. She lowered her voice and continued, “No, Jalen wouldn’t be here, but Seren is, any year she can get away. Which is almost every year.”
Her voice and smile were fond when she talked of the young queen. Of the original ten, only she and Kentan, Malina’s erstwhile lover, remained with Seren. Kent had abdicated in her favor and served as her prime minister while Lyta, now that the dryads were secure, filled the role of chamberlain.
Nathair looked out across the shining expanse of the lake, wishing for simpler times. It was strange, how closely the threat of death and darkness spreading over the land had united them, only for things to fall apart in the aftermath. And yet, by all accounts, they were victorious. They had triumphed over evil, saving countless lives and restoring the two human kingdoms which now ruled in peace with each other and in harmony with the dryads, elves, and naiads.
He was one of the lucky ones, having married Malina when Lyta had married her childhood friend Kenan, who had waited for her all the years through the war. Kenan was gone now, and while she had cried in Malina’s arms the first year after his passing, Lyta seemed perfectly content to manage Seren’s palace. Ameliya and Jalen had made their home in the underwater naiad colonies, writing thick scholarly tomes and advising the monarchs of that realm. Reisha and Darrian ruled the other human kingdom, and Zaccheus ruled alone.
“Zacch kept his word in more than one way,” Nath said quietly. “He still has no consort, and the throne beside his sits empty.”
He worried about his old friend, but it was more and more difficult to get away from his own duties, and Zaccheus seemed to grow pricklier with age.
“Not age. Loneliness,” she corrected him. “He does not have a partner who he trusts, who can support him through all the difficult moments and laugh with him in the bright ones, and who makes him smile when he forgets how to.”
Nathair looked down into her wise green eyes. “You should come visit,” he said suddenly, hoping it wasn’t a mistake.
“Well, I could,” she said, a little doubtfully. “But Seren might need me…”
The corners of his mouth quirked up crookedly. “Always living for other people.”
She shook her head, but the expression on her face was sad rather than angry. “You never saw that what they needed was also what I needed, Nath.”
“Is it still?” He had waited so many years to ask her this question. In the first few years after the war, he hadn’t dared to ask. Then, when he was ready, others had always been around. He had a feeling Malina hadn’t stayed away this year just because of the possibility Kent might come. But he knew that whether he asked her, thanked her, or cursed her, his wife would merely smile her lovely smile and continue to do as she pleased. “Do you ever wish things had gone differently?”
Lyta gazed down at the slowly-undulating surface of the lake, which showed their reflections standing side by side. The ripples erased the years from their faces and took her back to a time when she had hoped they would spend the rest of their lives together. She knew it was better, kinder, to lie, but they had always been honest with each other. “Every day.”