You: “You know there are other moreeffective ways of putting me to sleep, Ardyn.”
He chuckles at your cheek and pulls you in close, kissing you fondly on your forehead.
Ardyn: “Of this, I have no doubt. But it is not this night. I’ve been meaning to tell you this for awhile.”
Intrigued, you propped yourself up by your elbow and looked at him questioningly.
You: “Oh, and what is this exactly?”
Ardyn: “A tale of a young man on his way to becoming a king.”
You: “A fairy tale.”
Ardyn: (smiles slightly) “Of sorts. Will you entertain me?”
When he hears no complaints on your part, he takes in a breath, holding your gaze as the words ran fluidly from his lips.
Ardyn: “There was once a man born to be king. But before he can claim his crown, he needed to prove himself. Blessed with gifts from the gods, this man set out to carry great many selfless deeds across the land. Healing the sick, protecting the weak, purging the evil that plagued the hearths and homes of all corners of the world.”
You: “Sounds like the perfect hero.”
Ardyn’s grin turns wide at this.
Ardyn: “So many had thought. But he did not do it alone. The to-be king had help. He had friends who helped him along the way, friends he would go to the ends of the world for and they for him in turn. It was thanks to their combined efforts that the lands knew peace.”
You: “Until one day there was no more peace.”
Ardyn: “As with all good stories. The evil that ravaged this peace returned tenfold in the form of a great horde. Within the horde, a darkness so horrifying rose from the flames ablaze. It was too much, even for the man, so he begged to the gods for the power to rid it for good and save his people. The gods, however, did not hear his plea.”
You: “What? Why would they do that? Did they not care about the world?”
Ardyn: “The will of the gods is beyond human understanding, the man did not realize this until much later. Despite this, he knew something must be done. Desperate to defend all that he had loved and cared about from an unspeakable fate, the man stood against the darkness…along with his friends. Although he was against their aid this time around, they refused to leave his side. Swords raised, they dove into perilous combat together and an epic battle ensued. The battle was long, hundreds upon thousands of monsters dissipated back into the shadows from whence they came. The heroes appeared to be winning. Then when the last of the evil, the core of the plague stood alone, the man lifted his blade to deal the final blow…”
At this point, you had your head against Ardyn’s chest, so engrossed in the story that you did not notice that his pause held more meaning than just for the sake of dramatic effect.
You: “What happened then?”
Ardyn: “…The evil was…more powerful, more devious than any of them can ever imagine. The companions were turned around, blinded by the darkness that surrounded them. They lost sight of what they were fighting. It nearly consumed them. When it was about to devour them all whole, beginning with the man himself, light shined upon him. A piercing strike and all was illuminated.
When he came to, the man found that the darkness was no more. Victory was finally had. Relieved and overcome with joy, he looked to his friends in jubilee. He searched and searched, but what he found made him fall to his knees. One of his friends, the dearest of his heart laid dead before him. So peaceful, almost as if asleep, but most certainly gone from this world. The gods told him that it was an act of sacrifice to protect him, a much needed action to allow him to fulfill his role as the hero. What did it matter that he had to lose everything to achieve it?
The world finally knew peace, that was of only importance. And all embraced its warm glow, all except the man who became cold as he held his dearest to him. He cannot recall how long he shed tears. It felt like ages.
But from that day forward, the man swore vengeance against the gods and the world who turned their backs on him.”
Your eyes were growing heavy, but you felt a deep sadness at this ending. Such a remarkable story, you can imagine the scenarios he painted. The pictures running through your mind were so vivid, so clear. He really knew how to make you feel like you were living this story along with him.
You: “So the hero became the villain in the end? That’s so cruel.”
He becomes quiet again. You wondered what he was thinking. The short moment passes and Ardyn speaks again.
Ardyn: “…With love ripped away, there’s nothing much else but hate, nay?”
You: “I guess, but…”
Arms snuggled around Ardyn’s form, pressing yourself closer to him.
You: “After all of that, the man deserves some sort of happiness.” (a slight gasp) “Did he ever become king?”
Ardyn nearly laughs at this.
Ardyn: “After all of that, that is what you decided to dwell upon?”
You: “There has to be some sort of perk in all of this!”
Ardyn: “Hmm… What do you think, love?”
A deep yawn escapes from your mouth, but you managed to mutter one final bit before sleep took you.
You: “He’s a king to me…”
And just like that, your dreams claimed you. A comfortable silence filled your shared room embraced in each other’s arms. Ardyn gazed towards the ceiling, rubbing soft circles against your back, he listened to your lengthy breaths and felt the steady rise and fall of your back as your breathed so serenely atop him.
Ardyn: “Thank you, beloved…”
A single tear escapes him as he closes his eyes, a saddened smile betrays him even though he knows you could not see his face.
~My Tumblr Back-Up And Stuffs~ 