Talia Eventide
My heart skipped a couple of beats seeing Rias stand before me in a dress, something she hated wearing. Keeping to how she wore her other clothes, she wore a slim fit, one-shoulder thigh slit black dress adorned with golden lace covering her right arm and upper areas of her chest. There was a cut out in the lace for a window to see the top of her cleavage and a window to see the golden-lit runes down her back. Through the lace, the markings could be seen all over her body. Through the slit on the dress, I could see clearly to the left leg which to my surprise showed Rias was wearing thigh-high Nottingham lace made of a faint black material.
Underneath that was the thin thigh area of the lingerie made from a fishnet material just reaching an inch higher than the thigh-high Nottingham lace. Under that was the large dragon leg marking coiling around her leg. Moving my eyes away, once again my heart skipped a beat seeing her hair flow differently than just down, it was… different. She had removed the magic from her hair, so it showed the true length. Down to her waist which for this occasion was cut, braided neatly.
Each of the three braids flowed from just below the top of the head towards the back of the hair where they became one flowing down the back with the majority of Rias’s hair. A few large segments of mainly golden blonde hair flowed down the front of her body with a slight glint of golden light from her eyes. A few areas were cut short such as the fringe and the overall length by maybe an inch. Aside from the braid, Rias had tied something into her hair making a ponytail that itself flowed with her hair and braid. It was a thin piece of purple fabric I had conjured with my wraith magic. Spending too much time being awe I had nearly forgotten about the marble box.
Upon opening the marble box held in Rias’s hands, my eyes laid upon a circular crown of four intertwining metallic bands of silver. Lifting the silver crown from out of the marble box, I just looked upon it in a moment of silence. Rias smiled seeing me move my thumb against the silver. The crown though made of silver had glass protrusions woven throughout. The four intertwining pieces of metallic silver were forged in a way that resembled the roots of a silver tear tree, which I had used upon my wraith banner. On the front side of my crown as well as the back were small purple rubies identical to the hue of my eyes.
The more I looked at the crown, the more I loved the glass protrusions which in a way resembled the blade tip of a knife or branches of a tree.
The crown Rias had gifted me matched my outfit perfectly. Similar to Rias I wore a slim-fitting front slit dress with a showing corset, I had silver gothic silver lace tinted with a touch of sapphire and violet sewn into the dress to cover both my arms. The lace did extend up towards my jawline to make up for the back window I had and the chest window. Even under the lace all my markings and tattoos could be seen clearly including the eastern dragon on my back. Similar to rias through the slit in my dress, lace thigh highs could be seen showing the wraith runes down the side of my leg.
“Can you place it on my head?” After a moment of us just looking at one another, Rias carefully placed it on my head. The silver-knotted crown was a nice contrast against the midnight blue to faded purple hair I’ve come to love. Taking another look at Rias, I smiled seeing her embrace wearing makeup that she hated but still used, the black tones of her makeup were a nice opposite to my silver and blue. Though I haven’t got the lines of Numena down my face I had something similar on my neck, the runes of Neo-abyss.
“Now announcing the Empress Rias Eventide and her consort Talia Eventide.” A booming voice announced our entrance as the large oak doors of the throne room opened. Turning to face it I remembered everything that Rias and I have done up until this point in all our lifetimes, from being secret lovers when she was Marin to the same when she was Artura fighting alongside one another. Now it felt all so surreal standing before doors that would lead to a new beginning.
“Talia eventide. That has a nice ring to it.” I smiled interlocking my own fingers with the woman I’ve had and will love in several lifetimes. “Rias… I-I’m nervous.” Watching the doors open slowly even just imagining the looks we would both receive made me feel extremely nervous. I thought I’d be used to this feeling since I had lived as a queen before, being battle-hardened and worn yet that nervousness stayed with me until Rias rubbed her fingers between mine.
“It’s okay, I’ll stay by your side throughout this. I love you.”
Rias and I stood before everyone, the room had stopped moving altogether, now all looking toward us. My stomach dropped in nervousness, there were stares of various emotional states such as Shock, Awe and what felt like anger mainly coming from a few people. In particular, those being my grandmother, the Riel royal family and to absolutely no one’s surprise Corvus, who I had learned was either seduced by the promise of something since he was willing to follow Prince Imra. My mother wore a favourable smile and for a split second, I could see my father wiping away tears.
I had assumed that Wolfgar would feel some anger towards myself and Rias for ruining the grand plan of an ultimate super weapon, but I felt respect from him, giving me a slight nod when I looked him in the eye. Wolfgar was a piece of filth, someone even the demons of the underworld would hate however through that evil he seemed to still be able to respect a person. His wife Ingrid gave a slight wave just low enough so no one could see, her daughter Iris did the same. Shifting my gaze again I saw a familiar face of the past, Orin stood at the back of the room looking towards Rias with a look of respect and a sort of brotherhood-like love.
Beside him stood a few figures that I recognized, the primordial dragons each of them with their own emotion. The alive ones anyhow, as Sifta renounced her primordial dragon life apparently and Quinn was dead killed by Sifta when she was Skuldlach or so she says to her sisters who are blind to the truth. Redeemer seemed angered to be beside her siblings, Aries seemed to pout like a child and Akron was just watching.
Finally, my gaze landed on two people I once fought beside, two people I loved like my own family. Who I considered to be my sisters. Monarch and Lyra, in her former life she was Nimue or as the annuls call her the nightingale. Lyra gave a brief nod with a smile opposite to Monarch who nodded firmly whilst giving the bow of knights.
“It's good that we have this opportunity to meet on such occasions such as this. Things like this don’t happen often for any of the realms, there is a lot I want to say but I'll keep it brief as I know you all want to go on mingling and whatnot.” From how Rias is talking and her rubbing my hand, I can tell that she is nervous to speak before a large crowd. “When I was told the summit would be held here, I was at first taken aback as many of you no doubt were. Something of this magnitude is never an easy task to accomplish in a short amount of time, I firmly believe that however with the collective help we accomplished this.” She paused raising her biomechanical hand before everyone.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“From the efforts of so many, this entire continent was rebuilt, remade and as a whole this continent was brought back to life. The summit used to be an event to end a year or begin a new one or sometimes an event to see progress but in ages long forgotten this was an event, a pastime used to celebrate the achievements of those hard workers. From the dwarves to the demi races to the elves I’m eternally grateful.” The room's silence was tuned with shock hearing that the elves had helped with this mainly the silver elves of course. The driving force behind the elves' help was Elinore and Lithran.
“Now there is something that I would like to address, which I know has been on the minds of most of you, some things more noticeable than others.” Rias took a deep breath keeping her arm steady before everyone. “Two years I didn’t die in fact I escaped my execution. I'll spare you all the details of what happened. All you need to know is I don’t regret what I did. Yes, as it is probably quite noticeable I have indeed lost my left arm replaced by something biomechanical, even these don’t outweigh the obvious that is before you.” Rias looked from the crowd of people towards me.
“Talia is my consort some of you well a lot of you won't agree with this but it’s the truth and I love her with all my heart.” My face slowly began to burn with embarrassment “My heart belongs to you.” Rias whispered only loud enough for me to hear making my face burn even brighter with embarrassment. ‘I wouldn’t be this embarrassed if we were alone’. My thoughts dragged me away as Rias began to finish her speech.
“I do believe there is something I bet you are all dying to know right? It is true that like the king’s guard and queen’s guard of your kingdoms or the Valkyries of the eldritch or the saint’s knight of Pthulminth, I do have my own special group of individuals.” A walkway above the throne itself made around the great tree which housed the throne stood nine beings wearing various outfits them being the leaders of the sororitias. “These people are all known to you by the names they have chosen to be called or through their exploits and achievements. My nine grand commanders of the sororitias.”
I had to admit it was quite amusing seeing the nine grand commanders standing just barely into the light for all these to see. However my amusement didn’t last, remembering a few moments ago when Rias whispered into my ear returning my face to a beet red colour. “As the ruler of Numena, I hope you all have a great time here in Numena whilst the Summit is going this week and a half.” Rias finished her speech hearing applause from all even the people considered our enemies, this was probably just to keep up appearances so no one would grow suspicious of them at a time like this.
The moment no one was looking at either me or Rias, I kept hold of her hand and ran as steadily as possible towards the upper area of the throne knowing exactly where there was somewhere more secluded. Running from the large dark oak doors of the throne room seemed more of a challenge than me running in heels up the marble steps on the left side of the room, through the bustling laughter and talk our steps nor could Rias’s quiet laugh be heard. After I touched the upper floor with my heels, still holding Rias’s hand I took a left turn towards a balcony which was Vacant.
I wanted to be alone with her for two reasons, so obviously we could talk alone and so I could watch the fireworks that were bound to happen today. The fireworks would also happen on the last day of the summit just with the change of the year. Standing on the balcony I looked over the entire city of Eventide, hearing the bustle of streets full of people celebrating. Watching all the people celebrating in the night market made me not fully hear the sound of the balcony doors locking.
“They look very happy. Three holidays in one.” Rias stood behind me wrapping her arms around my waist at the same moment of gently nestling her head on my right shoulder. ‘Three holidays in one once in a lifetime’. For the common people and those who weren’t nobility, the summit gave them a chance to spend nearly two weeks with their families. For the next two weeks, they wouldn’t have to work much or at all if they didn’t want to. Night markets would take place every night and they didn’t have to worry about getting drunk as they wouldn’t have to work the next day.
The two other holidays Rias was referring to were ‘the rising of the last full moon’ and ‘the two days of the spear comet’. The last full moon just so happened to fall on today taking on the colour of a sapphire-tinted diamond, with sheer luck from Atalanta the spear comet began to move today visible just under the moon. The spear comet was part of two-day cycle in the sky where people could make wishes hoping that one day they would come true under the grace of Atalanta. The sapphire moon was the same in that vein of description just your wish could be fulfilled by any of the sleeping gods from the primordial dream god to lesser gods even Nyx could dip herself into fulfilling a wish.
“Rias. You want to go to the night market, do ya?”
“Well… it's better than being in a room with that many people. Gods, I hate these events.” I could feel Rias roll her eyes just by the way she spoke sounding exhausted. I couldn’t dispute her. I was the same I hated these things with a passion but there was a beauty in seeing friends and family together in events like this, no beauty in drinking however as neither myself nor Rias could get drunk. Not even the Sororitias can be due to them being so heightened through their own training and the fact that Hollow found a way to create a spell that destroys toxins, which was willingly put inside them as it was their idea.
“I know you do but we have to stick it out, on the bright side you can show off your skills tomorrow when that big event happens can’t you?” Tilting my head to the right I gently nestled it atop Rias’s just as I moved my left hand to place over her hands that were still firmly wrapped around my waist. Tomorrow was a special day for all the leaders as they could either enter or send their best to compete in a ‘friendly tournament’. It was a large contest of knights or fighters to fight against each other and see who is the strongest. The catch was they had to collect laurels, essentially golden leaves. You could either take the enemy teams after beating them practically by any means or you could find them around the entire area map, however the easiest way was the steal them through stealth which Nox would probably do.
“It’ll be fun… just don’t go overboard. You can die but it won't be permanent… I still want you to be careful.” I worriedly spoke gently rubbing my hand across hers. Though I knew that the event was practically no different than sparring there was still that risk of something going wrong and someone dying through our negligence or someone’s trickery. It also wasn’t the only fighting event in the summit as one is also set to happen at the end of this as well.
“Don’t worry. I'll be careful.”
“You say that but every time something bad happ- I’m getting worked up.” Forcing myself to stop getting worked up I kept my head on Rias watching the people dance around a makeshift bonfire maybe ten or twelve feet tall. The common people of the night market held their hands together smiling. Dancing around the fire in a clockwise formation singing something I couldn’t quite hear from the balcony. Rias watched with me whilst she carefully made her grip around me firmer, as I watched on I tried to figure out what exactly they were doing this for.
“That dance.” Rias spoke as if she remembered the dance. “As a child when I was in my life as Artura, on days when the comet would fall id run from Camelot’s keep into the streets. There I’d meet with Bedivere alongside Galahad and Percival and we’d dance around the fire holding hands, when the adults asked what we were doing we simply laughed saying we were trying to summon an angel.” Feeling the emotion of happiness that flowed through her words made me want to turn around and ask her to dance but I stayed still and kept watching. Being able to hear the song clearer through concentration, now somewhat able to hear what they were singing, it was one of the songs that I would sing to Rias when she needed to calm her nightmares.
“Looks like the fireworks are going to begin soon.” Everything seemed to change from the dusk falling sky that turned a dark blue filled with silver and gold stars to even the lights becoming dim but still visible, they all still danced but waited for people to step the fireworks which were being set off where I could only imaging was the coliseum. “Looks like I can wish for something else.” A thin loving smile grew on my face as I turned on my heel to face Rias who even in heels was almost a head height taller than me.
This made no difference to me as long as I could wrap my arms around her, Looking into Rias’s eyes I didn’t pay attention to the first two fireworks going off behind us lighting up our surroundings. That hollow look in Rias’s eyes faded as she looked down at me, a loving smile on her face the entire time. ‘I wish that things like this happen more often.’ I began to wrap my arms around Rias’s neck, she in response wrapped one arm around me and the other slowly moved across my leg lifting it up, leaning against the marble balcony I leaned in further to kiss her. Time began to melt into nothingness as we began to enjoy the moment.
Over time Rias moved her hand up and across my leg, she was being incredibly risky in such an open space. Rias’s soft touch and feeling her hot breath on my neck began to make me feel a certain way that I welcomed drowning in the ecstasy of arousal. “Ah fuck… Don’t stop.”