Aurora reached for the metallic doorknob, hesitating.

An increasingly large part of her wanted to run away and hide in her room until the immortal finally let go of Arakiel, but whenever she thought about what they might be doing, she got upset at first and then angry afterwards. Eventually, it boiled over into fury, but then she recalled what the seelie was capable of and lost heart once more halfway across making it here.

With every iteration, she gained further ground, however.

This time, she had reached the door as the experiences mounted, intensified. She needed to do this right now, even if she really just wanted to crawl somewhere and hide beneath her wings until it was over. Nonetheless, she couldn’t deny herself any longer.

It had been a little over a day since Nyanna and Arakiel returned and not only didn’t she let him go, she also forbid Aurora from visiting him. She wasn’t quite sure what happened between the two, but she had an inkling, given the way the seelie had glanced at her in the morning – it made her blood boil.

Shaking her head, she channeled that indignation into courage, even if the very notion of willingly facing her defiler once again made it sink once more.

She ground her teeth and recalled their bond, the very thing that let her endure all of this to begin with. She recalled the past weeks and the months prior – they passed by in a flash, for she had lived through them vicariously.

Aurora felt so guilty for having given in to despair, for having shied away from her duty. She had to make this right now… and through him, she would save herself.

His fight against Nyanna’s lackey… it had called many things into question. It broke her heart several times over for she had constantly cursed herself for being unable to help him, but from that brokenness a new – or perhaps an old – thought had taken root.

Aurora had nurtured it well.

Had she been able enchant him properly, he would’ve never got hurt – of this, Aurora had no doubt.

Arakiel had shared authority with her, he wanted her to stand beside him. She knew it to be true and although she really, really didn’t want it… sometimes a bit of introspection helped.

It put things into perspective – and hers had been from a position unseemly her station.

Aurora li Arakiel was a fragment of the Seraphim of Dawn, she had reminded herself. She was his guiding light, his dawn – and for the time being, she was his aurea.

That last part she brushed aside quickly lest she ponder on it too much. It held implications that she couldn’t face just yet, but face it she would need to do eventually.

She was a child no longer.

What had happened in these weeks… what had happened in that one night – it was time to face it.

She turned the knob and opened the door.

A strong scent of roses immediately crept up her nostrils while her eyes looked over a relatively small but comfy chamber.

The heart’s soft crackle alongside the last few rays of sunlight lit up Nyanna’s room. A simple bed with comfy looking linens, several carpets that covered most of the paneled floor and a few candles on a nightstand next to a wardrobe and several other pieces of nicely-decorated wooden furniture.

The seelie most likely hadn’t changed much if anything of the former occupant besides the fact that she currently sat on an armchair that faced the hearth, another chair with a lower backrest having been placed in a little bit of distance.

She held a small crystalline goblet with a reddish liquid inside it, her rose-colored eyes with the golden traces in the lower irises turning over towards Aurora while a little smile hushed across her lips.

The fae wore a sleeveless white dress with a low neckline, but a long skirt that reached all the way down to her ankles.

It was fairly similar to what Aurora had chosen to wear.

She felt most comfortable with this one-piece dress with an exposed backside that let her wings do their thing. The clothes she had worn on that particular night… she had given them over to the fire. Even the cloak. She might not be able to forget what had happened, but she could at least erase some of the traces.

“Take a seat, little courageous dove,” Nyanna offered in kind words while motioning over towards the other chair that looked almost as if it was designed for someone with cumbersome wings like her.

She felt sick in her stomach and for a moment, her legs refused to move.

But for Arakiel’s sake, she had to do this. Aurora forced herself to do it.

She was his guiding light, his seraphim…!

“You expected me,” Aurora concluded in a shaky voice with mustered courage. She then made her way over towards the wooden chair. It didn’t look too comfortable, which fit her just well. She wasn’t comfortable in the slightest, but courage burgeoned inside her nonetheless.

“Expect is a strong term,” Nyanna responded in an amused tone. “Wondering might be more fitting term.”

Aurora took a seat and immediately tensed up, but she look her defiler in the eyes nonetheless; met the gaze and although she wanted to shy away, she would not, could not.

She was Aurora li Arakiel, a fragment of the Seraphim of Dawn, the consort-servant of Arakiel il Kalanaar, after all.

Nonetheless, she found it impossible to speak up right away. Her throat cramped and in order to not show, she pretended to study the seelie who had touched, had kissed her against her will.

Even now, the thought disgusted her… but not as much as it had once done.

Nyanna returned her behavior and looked Aurora over for a good minute of silence while occasionally taking a small sip of her drink. Every iteration seemed to displease her more.

Eventually, she tossed the remaining wine into the fire. It sizzled and vaporized, causing a rather fruity, albeit slightly acidic scent to permeate the air.

“Even my favorite wine has grown stale,” Nyanna lamented with a sigh. “A place like this isn’t meant to accommodate my unified soul.”

Be gone and never return, Aurora wanted to cry at her, but even had she been able to, that might’ve not been the smartest idea.

The seelie was very moody, or perhaps capricious might be a better term.

“Where will you go?” Aurora found herself asking instead, wondering how she had actually managed to speak up – yet she took every little tiny victory as it came. Step by step – until she was at the place where she needed to be.

To her surprise, Nyanna actually responded in earnest. “We don’t know yet, but we’ll probably return to our Everqueen. It’s been over a century since we left and I suspect a few things have changed… given how the planes themselves have changed thanks for your… father I presume?”

Aurora met her question with a silent, sulky stare while she sorted out her inner turmoil. Her indignation helped.

The seelie might want to rile her up, but she wouldn’t be able to.

“Oh, right – you said you didn’t know,” the immortal seemingly recalled, giving her an apologetic smile. It reeked of mockery. “Anyway, the planes have changed majorly which is exciting, but we need to see how things are going overall. For all we know, the Evercourt might’ve fallen to mortal invaders already.”

“When will you leave?” Aurora queried a tad too curtly, having asked the question instinctively once again.

She wondered why she did so, but judging by the fae’s grin, she had expected something of the sort.

Nonetheless, every word helped her. Step-by-step.

“Soon. I cannot leave you and Arakiel in good conscience just yet.”

Aurora tilted her head, gawking at the seelie. Her mind tried to make sense of it, but she ended up wondering could the seelie possibly say something like this.

Nyanna chuckled heartily. “Don’t give me that look, dove. Think what you will, but I care about you and your beloved champion as you call him.”

“Is that why you hurt him at every turn?” Aurora accused. She felt her wings spreading just lightly as she bend slightly forward. Her left leg began to bobble about nervously.

Just like that – a major step.

It was now or never.

“I am not only hurting him, dove.” Nyanna returned with a chuckle.

“I have a name – I am not an animal!” Aurora interrupted, her wings spreading wide while her expression darkened. In addition, her hands slightly curled, forming to what could become fists at some point.

The seelie’s expression darkened as well while her tone turned to a mixture of mock and threat. “Do I need to put you in place again, servant?”

Aurora flinched slightly as her wings retracted a little. She didn’t know what exactly had overcome her, but she definitely knew that she couldn’t stand up to the seelie, especially given the way she was now.

Nonetheless, she didn’t back down completely.

“Good,” the fae noted approvingly. “I don’t mind you being vain, but a servant like you should be humble.”

“I am… not your servant,” Aurora stated, had to say. She had to correct this record.

“You are correct,” Nyanna affirmed, but then added. “Only partially.”

Aurora looked at her, dumbfounded. “What…?”

The other immortal fixated her, the words carrying a certain finality. “The reason I’m tolerating your existence, little dove, is precisely because I don’t perceive you as an independent actor. You are Arakiel’s property, who I’ve decided is a suitable candidate to one day become my husband for this flesh. By extension, that means you’re my property as well.”

Her words struck Aurora right across the face and she felt appalled by its mere utterance. “Arakiel will be a Monarch! He’s no one’s property!” She exclaimed loudly, her wings spreading once more to properly relay her outrage.

A grin formed on the fae’s lips. “You’re correct, little dove. And I will be his queen – while you will be our obedient little seraphim. I wasn’t talking about him, I was talking about you.”

From one moment to another, she felt the ring around her neck once again. Perhaps she felt it truly for the first time, how it always stifled her just a little bit, just a smidgen. It was so tight that she had always felt its presence whenever she breathed.

But what had once been a source of comfort – it was now testament to a fact…

“I…” Aurora tried to object, but there was nothing to object about. She was Arakiel’s aurea – a highly prized slave… but a slave still.

That realization – it stung.

It stung so bad and Aurora didn’t know how to handle it.

“Leave him alone!” She then plead in her mounting desperation while her mind scrambled to find a solution. “He only needs me! He doesn’t need you!”

Nyanna laughed out loud at her words for a brief moment, and then turned exceedingly serious all of a sudden. “Half-correct, little seraphim. He is far too delectable a snack to just let go. Both of you are. I would be the laughingstock of the entire court if I let such a chance slip through my hands – and rightly so!”

The seelie got up and began to burn in a kind of flame that Aurora had never seen before, a flame appeared to be made out of a whole kaleidoscope of mixing colors that constantly moved about. They were mesmerizing to behold.

Aurora visibly gasped. Even more, however, she felt threatened, but her soul refused to rush out and defend her. Once again, it left her defenseless.

The iridescent seelie walked over towards her. She got up, taking a defensive position yet her wings of all limbs failed her, shying away into a resting position.

Nonetheless, her posture held a sliver of defiance, the last traces she might possess – but she’d cherish them with her life!

“Listen, little golden one. We can go about this two ways,” Nyanna spoke up, holding out her hand. It showed two fingers. “You can keep up this attitude while trying to be something you are not, in which case I will clip your wings, break your body and throw you to a pack of rabid wolves that will ravage your little body for all eternity…”

The seelie lowered her middle finger, leaving only the pointing finger standing while Aurora had more or less stopped breathing, her entire body having tensed up to the point where it hurt.

What would the seelie demand? What would she say!?

“Or, you can continue to remain at Arakiel’s side like I originally intended for you,” the seelie then went on as her tone brightened up a little. “I find your little dynamic quite fascinating, I must say; which is why I am willing to tolerate your presence.”

A bit of tension lessened. This second option…

The seelie let out a small sigh. “I admittedly hoped he would handle you like my sister’s prey took care of the silver one, but variety is the spice of life, isn’t it?”

“W-what do you mean?” Aurora inquired, grasping onto that strand of hope that the seelie had thrown her way.

“Ezekiel was his name, correct? He might not nearly have as much innate potential as Arakiel, but his mindset is excellent, if a little narrow,” The fae continued while she began to slowly circle Aurora. “That slave of his will never threaten my sister’s position… with you, I am still uncertain.”

The tone made Aurora dash forward, away from Nyanna and when she swirled around while raising her arms as an admittedly feeble defense, the seelie hadn’t moved from her spot, but her eyes looked downright amused. Her voice reflected that sentiment.

“You are a bit more independent, which can be a good thing… but I need to ensure that it is the right kind of independence,”

Independence.

The word resonated with Aurora’s inner self.

Yes… she wanted to be independent, wanted the freedom to choose – it was something the accursed seelie had tried to take away from her.

Even more so, it was something that Arakiel had taken from her.

But she had been a child back then. A means to shelter her.

This was different.

Aurora had blossomed, had formed her covenant.

She was Aurora li Arakiel, a part of the Seraphim of Dawn, the very being which…!

It defied any and all reason that she should be forced to bow to such a lowly fae…!

The indignation…!

The…!

Rekindled, her soul’s fire began to rush out, filling her with the power she would need to choose her path forward and although she already knew where it was headed, it had to be her own choice! She had to regain her freedom to choose it!

Aurora flared up in gold, for it was her color, her claim to the dawn’s light.

“I will not dance to your tune any longer, seelie!” Aurora cried out as her wings unfurled in full, brushing the ceiling and the nearby wall, but she didn’t care.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

She focused the other immortal in what might be a vain attempt, but she couldn’t stomach it any longer.

“I am not an animal, not a pet! I am Aurora li Arakiel, a rising Aspect of the Seraphim of Dawn! I am his – not yours!”

Nyanna smiled at her outburst without moving just yet. “Good,” she praised surprisingly. “So your fire hasn’t burnt out just yet.”

“...what?” Aurora found herself asking, perplexed.

She had expected the seelie to attack her, to strike her, to demean her, to humiliate her… but not this… approval?

“It seems I was worried over nothing,” the seelie returned as her iridescent fire subsided. Then, she slowly moved over towards Aurora, who remained as if frozen. “Listen well, little seraphim,” she went on in a serious tone. “The wounds I inflicted upon our Monarch, they are deep… but they will scar eventually. In what kind; that will be up to you.”

“Why… why hurt him?” Aurora found herself asking yet again, but she noticed how she did not shy away from the seelie.

In a way, she was trying to comprehend her, to understand her.

“Mortals’ lives are fleeting, Aurora.” Nyanna responded almost casually. “They constantly need motivation, and vengeance is the strongest and most impactful force there is.”

“You are cruel.” Aurora stated as the seelie reached out a hand towards her head, her eyes meeting Auroras.

She evaluated her, tested her. Aurora did likewise.

The seelie did not treat her as an equal, but she treated her differently. Her earlier stand, it changed something.

“Perhaps I am,” Nyanna responded as she began to gently pat Aurora’s hair and for some reason, she didn’t shy away. “But where I offer our Monarch an admittedly harsh and strict goal to strive towards, you can offer him comfort, support… solace.”

An understanding?

The seelie stared intensely into Aurora’s eyes, who returned the gesture. “This is the place I intend for you, little seraphim. You will be the only other female I allow near him and when we will eventually meet again, I will reward you with a place at our side.”

Silence followed, briefly broken by the hearth’s fire reaching another log.

In that silence, Aurora realized something, something that made her restless.

Nyanna then retracted her hand and took a step back, speaking up in a soft tone. “Think about it, Aurora.”

A smidgen later, she added in an inviting manner. “He is on the balcony, third floor.”

Aurora immediately rushed past the seelie who didn’t stop her. Her wish to meet Arakiel once more hastened her steps, her soul responding in kind.

Out of the room, through several corridors, up a set of stairs until she reached the house’s highest floor. Here, she had previously been denied entry but now, the accursed oaken door with the two paneled squares opened without fail, giving entry to another corridor which was a little more luxurious than the levels below.

For all Aurora cared, it might’ve been empty.

Over yonder to her left, she suspected the balcony as it’d face across the river towards the keep that had partially burned out over the past days.

She rapidly approached another door and flung it open, revealing a sizable bedroom that smelled of roses, sweat and some blood.

Partially torn clothes lay scattered around the bed, but she looked past them, uncaring.

Instead, she spotted her beloved over there, just through the door with the embedded window. He sat on a small stool, his arms resting on the balcony’s fancy railing. Arakiel wore nothing but a pair of shorts, exposing his back which was covered in bloody scratches, far deeper than anything Aurora would’ve ever done.

Hurrying over towards the door, she suddenly hesitated as the backdrop of the Three Rivers’s in the evening briefly entered her conscious field of vision. She shoved it away in an instant, instead focusing solely onto her Monarch-to-be.

Feeling stupid, she grabbed the door’s knob, turned it and then opened the door.

These worries, they weren’t important.

Arakiel turned towards her without getting up as soon as she opened the door, inviting a fresh breeze inside the room, one that fluttered past her wings.

His green eyes widened slightly at her sight but as soon as she stepped outside, he looked away, dejected. The shoulders were a little slumped and his overall posture lacked tension, almost as if he had lost his will.

It was as she had feared.

Aurora approached him slowly, carefully while the winds gained up in speed, swirling her golden hair all around. It partially obstructed her vision, even got to her mouth where it stuck, but she cared not.

She could still see him, after all.

And he needed her.

“Arakiel,” Aurora began to say softly as she knelt down next to him, carefully reaching out to his shoulder. It was cold and he slightly flinched at her touch.

He did not turn towards her. If anything, he looked away.

Neither moved for a while – only the wind hushed past.

Down there, very few people moved about, for the curfew was still in place, the people still oblivious to what had happened.

Aurora did not know, but she could draw her own conclusions at this point.

“Arakiel,” she eventually spoke up once more. Again, he did not react.

“Look at me,” Aurora plead next and this time, he slightly turned his head, his gaze one of inner turmoil.

She held up one of her hands which was still aflame in a soft golden aura. On its palm, she wished a flame to warm her beloved and her soul heeded her call.

A small golden flame began to flare up in her hands, one that then wafted over towards him, entering him.

She felt a slight and brief shiver running through his body.

“You… your soul?” He asked in disbelief. “How?”

“It was your gift… remember?” Aurora reminded him in a low, affectionate tone that turned increasingly upbeat. “I am sorry, my love. I let despair get to me when you needed me… but no more!”

His eyes narrowed a little, turning questioning, inquisitive even. Additionally, his back straightened just a little.

“You needn’t worry about me, Arakiel. Instead, let me worry about you… about us.” Aurora went on as she got up, making another step towards him.

Arakiel turned towards her, looking up, his wondrously green eyes trying to discern her motivation. In doing so, he exposed his hands which she grabbed and took a hold of.

They were cold.

“This burden you bear, my love – let me share just a little bit of it. I know you are strong, so much more than I could ever be… but even the greatest people need to rest from time to time, don’t they?” She went on to speak in a soft tone, her own convictions growing with every single word.

Suddenly, all her fears seemed so small and insignificant in light of what she could do, what she could achieve here and now.

In her inner self, she wished to share her warmth with Arakiel, make him see that no matter how dark the night appeared, a new dawn was just around the corner, for she was with him.

Her soul responded in kind.

Through her, Arakiel’s outline began to burn in a soft golden color that spread from his hands all over his body and when they reached his eyes, the familiar golden halo around his irises returned at first, before the green began to shimmer gold.

His grip around her hands tightened just a little while his countenance… it softened, it livened up.

“Our covenant remains intact,” Aurora stated matter-of-factly. “You have not broken your vows, my beloved. And neither shall I.”

Slowly, Arakiel rose from his position until she looked up, not down. Any wounds on his neck, on his shoulders or his chest or back… she cleansed them.

“Tell me, my love. Tell me what ails you,” Aurora whispered as her wings began to shield the two of them from the outside world and when they did, his eyes began to tear up.

None must witness this, none but her.

“I’m afraid, my love,” he whispered back, his voice cracking. “Afraid of breaking my vows, afraid of succumbing to Nyanna’s temptation, afraid of facing you after I failed you so many times.”

She beamed him a smile, but didn’t respond yet.

“I’m terrified of facing my parents, my mother, of telling them that I lost Mellia, that I failed them again! Again, my family put trust in me and I… I failed, again!” Arakiel went on, tears beginning to flow. “And I’m horrified of Nyanna and Alanna… of what they can do – of what they can make me do.”

“I don’t want to lead, Aurora… because every time I do, the people end up dead. Again, those who put their trust in me died because I was too weak! Because I didn’t see the signs! Because I’m…!”

She pulled him a little close and he embraced her, pulling her close.

“I hate myself, Aurora… I hate my weakness, my lack of direction, my absence of will in face of adversities! I hate that I fell so easily to Nyanna, twice!”

“And still, I chose you.” Aurora whispered back as she hugged him tightly. “And I would choose you again and again, my love.”

“Why…?” He asked in an utterly cracked voice.

“Because whatever you do, you always do your best to protect me, always go out of your way to cherish me… always act to honor me. My love, I am proud to be your seraphim, glad to be your beloved, elated to be your guiding light!”

She softened her embrace a little so that she could look him in the eyes that had began to redden. “Even now, even though you gave me authority I didn’t want, I love you, Arakiel. I asked to remain by your side and not once have you acted against this wish, not once did you try to push me away even when I did.”

A small pause, but she spoke the words from her innermost self. “I cannot stress how much you mean to me… and I promise you here and now that I will face whatever challenges lie ahead beside you… as your seraphim, as your…”

She found herself unable to say the word, for it would be a lie.

Unwillingly, she became aware of the golden metal that pushed against her neck in a way like never before. With every breath, it reminded her of her station – and the limitation it’d put on her.

But this… it had been her wish, had it not?

Back then, she hadn’t been herself, however – not as she was now.

Her mind went into a brief spiral and Aurora lightly tightened her grip.

“You hate it… don’t you?” He asked in a coarse voice as his hand ran over the golden collar around her neck.

She wanted to affirm, but hesitated still. After all, he had made his stance clear.

“I hate it,” he then said all of a sudden. “Right now, I hate it so very much, but a part of me wants to keep you like this, Aurora. And that I hate even more.”

Arakiel shook his head, going on. “You’re an immortal, you’re the epitome of what I, of what every Kalanite despises… and if Nyanna has shown me anything, then that my, that our worries are grounded in truth. The best immortal is a dead one, the second best a tamed one.”

“But I am your immortal,” Aurora found herself replying, stressing.

“I know, I know…” Arakiel returned in a low voice as he gnashed his teeth, tears still curling down his cheek until they met his scruffy, dark beard. “But what would the others say? My family? Ezekiel? Why would you bring this up now?”

“Arakiel, my love… how about this?” Aurora suggested as she began to brush away his tears as conviction formed in her mind. “Let me prove it. Let me prove my love, my devotion for you – and in return, grant me the freedom to make that choice for myself.”

This was the time, the place.

“The doll on strings,” Arakiel muttered as he brushed strands of her hair aside, fastening it behind her ear. A shiver ran down Aurora’s spine. “I never wanted that for you, Aurora. I always wanted you to be happy, to feel safe and secure… but I need you to be mine.”

It warmed her heart so immensely to hear him say it even if she had known it all along, as did just about everything about her exchange. No matter how she looked at it, she couldn’t imagine anyone else. So, she once again spoke from the bottom of her heart. “I know, my beloved Monarch-to-be… I know. And I want to prove to you that I am now ready to make that choice for myself. In this regard, you have sheltered me long enough… let me be my own.”

“We had a ceremony before the Transcended. If we aim to undo it, we need to pay for it.” Arakiel responded, but Aurora shook her head slightly, even if she couldn’t exactly say why.

Nonetheless, hope burned strong, stronger than it had ever been.

Through this, she would make him see.

“My love, if you truly wish for that to happen, then help me cast off this… burden,” Aurora returned, her mind having at last found the path forward. And through her, he would find the way forward as well… for it was her duty to guide him.

“How…?”

Aurora turned towards the setting sun, still holding his hands. “Stay with me until the dawn. Then, I will free us both.”

Aurora and Arakiel remained silently side by side all throughout the night until twilight set in. They watched the mostly empty city down below, where only the occasional person hushed from corner to corner to not draw any attention.

Further in the back, the Middle Kingdom’s royal keep towered on its little plateau that crossed over all the three rivers, but its rooms were as silent as the rest of the city.

She barely took note of it.

All she cared for was Arakiel’s warmth, the soft winds caressing hair skin and plumes and the quietude. It allowed for introspection, allowed for thoughts to germinate and bloom.

More importantly, it let her mind grasp and support her rather spontaneous decision in full.

As Arakiel’s slave, she could not fulfill her duty of serving him adequately for it took away her free will. It took it as granted when it was not.

What he thought, she couldn’t tell – but not once did he order her to stop, or suggest something along those lines.

And then, when the east slowly gained a reddish, golden hue, she got up and faced it, once again calling out to her soul and as it eagerly surged throughout her, she welcomed the bliss and happiness it brought instead of the dread that it used to bring over the past weeks.

This power… it was hers, for she was an immortal, a seraphim.

She was what Arakiel loathed, what he hated – what those like him despised.

It was about time she accepted this, even if she didn’t want it.

“Look… let today be our dawn, my love.” Aurora spoke softly as another breeze of air caused some of her long golden hair to flutter freely.

He did not wear her soul, yet she could make out his amber eyes that gained a glint of green in the shadow nonetheless. He looked her over with a complicated, unsure expression – but something held him back, something stopped him from taking this moment from her.

For this, she adored him even more.

Aurora loosened her left hand and gently swayed it over to the left, towards the slowly rising sun. Arakiel’s eyes followed it, just like her own.

Then, she called upon the first rays of the dawn, beckoned them for it was her right to do so. For the second time, Aurora greeted the dawn not for Arakiel, but for herself.

It would be the last time as well.

But this one time, it was hers and hers alone.

Golden motes of light answered her call, converging on her outstretched palm, but unlike normally, she let her soul pull them into herself as she uttered the most important question she had ever asked in her entire life. Her tone was soft, slightly pleading, but also affectionate.

Every single word was steeped in affection, in care and ultimately, in devotion.

“Arakiel… my love – will you grant me the freedom I desire?”

At first, no answer returned… but it was fine.

It was a big, a giant ask, actually.

She drew in more and more light without letting her soul have it.

For the tiniest moment, a sliver of doubt entered her mind.

It was alleviated the moment she saw him reaching out with his own left hand that began to flare up in golden flames as well. With it, he reached beneath hers, supporting it from beneath while his other hand squeezed hers.

“If that is your wish, my aurea – then I shall grant it,” Arakiel responded in a slow, calm, collected tone.

Aurora turned her countenance towards him.

His irises gleamed in gold while his aura befit that of what she wanted him to become.

“Thank you, Master. This is goodbye.”

With his permission, she took the final step and with a hefty push, she shoved him away.

Then, she directed the dawn against herself.

From one moment to another, Aurora flared up in golden flames that blazed high into the sunrise-sky.

She felt her clothes incinerate in an instant, but the gold around her finger and neck remained – for now.

The stone railing beside her began to blacken while the chairs they had sat on turned to cinders, but she did not stop – quite the opposite.

With every mote of light she pulled into herself, her flames burned hotter, flared brighter until at some point, she reached for the gold around her finger. The enchantment succumbed to her cleansing flames and with it gone, she pulled it off, discarding it.

Then, she reached for her neck and when the golden collar with the cut alexandrite gem didn’t bend at her touch, she began to apply pressure to it.

If there was some invisible force locking it in place, it shied and fled before her power, for the golden ring that had marked her as an aurea warped at first and although the metal burned hot on both her palm and neck, she clawed her hand around and with a cry, she began to pull; when one hand proved not enough, she used the other as well.

Under great strain, she bend the golden collar apart, widened it enough to strip it off and then, she liquefied the thing in her hands until nothing but the cut, polished alexandrite gem remained in her hand while a small part of her flames alleviated any physical ails she might’ve suffered in its removal.

Then, a free woman, she turned towards Arakiel who looked at her from a little distance which made her duly aware of the fact that she was stark naked and that the fire shielding her was fading rapidly.

But she wasn’t ashamed just yet.

Focusing on her incoming distress, she wished for light to veil her privacy just like it had done back then. Once again, the sun’s rays heeded her call, tailoring her a dress of resplendent white-gold fabric that began to wrap around her like a wispy one-piece sundress.

Then, spreading her wings to their utmost, she let her fire die down as she slowly, confidently approached her beloved and when he did not shy away, but instead approached her, she found herself smiling.

“You’re beautiful,” she heard him say in an awed, soft-spoken voice.

Aurora reached out for him, for his chin and his scruffy beard which she gently caressed. Lightly tilting her head, she let her hand wander all the way down to his right hand.

He let her do, trusted her to not harm him.

In his hand, she placed the alexandrite after which she enveloped it with both of hers before kneeling down in front of him. Her wings returned to a resting position.

“Aurora li Arakiel greets her Monarch-to-be, Arakiel il Kalanaar, Scion of House Alexandrite,” she vowed in a solemn tone. “Please, Lord of mine, allow me to remain by your side in whatever fashion you desire.”

An answer returned almost instantly.

“Rise, my Seraphine,” Arakiel mandated in a calm, collected tone and she found herself exceedingly smitten with this title. It had a wonderful ring to it.

She got up. He pulled her close, making her trip right into his arms, hugging her tightly.

“I love you, Aurora,” he whispered and she had no doubt that it came from his innermost self.

“Just as I love you,” she returned as one of her arms began to coil around his shoulder. “Let this prove my oath – from the heart.”

Closing her eyes, she tiptoed once more.

A kiss to seal it.