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Lapis felt extra energized this week.
Oddly enough, that worried her.
Life as a queen was hardly exhausting for the former soldier. Despite Alear's worries, her time at court handling public requests and meetings couldn't compare to the battlefield, much less scrounging forests for enough herbs or berries to cover for a bad harvest. Plus, she had dealt with Broadian court politics while serving under Alcryst. She still felt out of her element, but learning was hardly tiring.
Annoying and tedious? At times, yes. But not tiring.
So there shouldn't be a reason for her to walk with an extra spring in her step. Colors in the garden felt a little brighter. She heard whispers and gossip from castle servants that she assumed were meant to be quiet. Even her training went flawlessly. She kept up her sword exercises even in peacetime, not wanting to let her new throne make her go soft. But for the first time since the war, she lost track of time, having to be called to dinner by a surprised servant instead of obeying her natural limits.
This shouldn't be a bad thing, really. Maybe a part of living in Lythos was absorbing the natural divinity infused in the soil...
...divine power. THAT'S why it worried her. She felt infused with a little bit of divine energy. The only obvious source of divine power she knew was her husband.
What truly scared her though was an offhand comment from Vander, during the anniversary of her death.
"To the end, Queen Lumera always gave to others. She even passed due to having drained her divine dragon powers, transferring most of it to the Divine One throughout his slumber, making her vulnerable to dark magic she otherwise would've withstood."
The thought of such sacrifice moved her, but once she combined that thought with her sudden burst of seemingly-divine energy...
She felt a pit in her heart. He wouldn't... Would he?
---
"Alear." Lapis said flatly, bursting through the closed door to their bedroom.
"Lapis?" The Divine Dragon replied, sitting up in the bed and tossing the book he was reading onto the nightstand. "What's wrong?"
"I need to know something." She said, walking right up to her husband. She gazed down, her eyes steel and a grown on her lips. "Are you transferring your dragon powers to me?"
While still modest, the former soldier could be quite blunt when speaking with someone she is close to. She knew sometimes there was room to be stable and polite. And at other times, she needed a straight answer.
This was the latter.
Her heart sank and his reaction: he broke his gaze, turning to the side and running his shoulder with a hand. That spoke louder than any words could. "I..."
"You are, aren't you?" She said, lowering her head and gazing at the marble floor below.. Her voice started to waiver. "I felt like... I had too much energy. More than I should. I know that's a good thing, but I couldn't help but worry for some reason."
Alear sighed, his hand ruffling his own hair. "I found my mother's notes in her chamber after coronation. One of the things I found was a journal she kept... And instructions on transferring draconic energy. It requires your target to be asleep. I thought..."
"Queen Lumera died doing that." She interrupted, her voice cracking. His own heart cracked just the same. "I heard from Vander. She transferred her power, her lifespan to you. It cost her everything. And you're doing the same..."
"I'm not transferring anywhere near as much as she did." He lifted a hand to her chin. Unconsciously, her head moved to nuzzle his hand, though she still didn't meet his eyes. "My mother spent a thousand years giving me the power to succeed her. Human bodies can't withstand nearly that much power. I barely spent a minute."
That brought her pause. A minute to make her feel so... 'spirited' all week? It was almost terrifying. "Still... It's your life force." She lowered herself to her knees, clutching her hands over her chest. "I just... I almost lost you already." Her breath hitched. Come on Lapis, keep it together. You're a queen now.
She took a deep breath, managing to steady her speech. "You already DIED in the war. The fact you're here, that I can touch you, be with you... It's literally a miracle."
She finally lifted her head, her eyes started to brim with tears. "I just don't want to lose you. Right after I just got you. Right after our future began. So... Why? You, doing this, it's..."
"...terrifying. I know." He finished, moving he's hands to her neck. He gently pulled her head to his chest, holding her in a loose embrace. "That's why I'm doing this. I'm terrified of losing you. Not anytime soon... But eventually."
"Wha...?" She managed to get out, tilting her head upwards.
"Back during Celine's last visit, Chloe mentioned a recent book she finished. It was about an immortal being dealing with the death of her lover. They were married for decades, but she outlived him. And she had to deal with it."
He took his own, shaky breath. "I know she meant well. She was so excited talking about it. But... It hit close to home. I just... I don't think I could be like her. If you pass on... I don't think I could deal with that."
"Every dragon I know has been alone for millennia. My mother, my sister, even Tiki. They've had to see everyone they love pass away, either slumbering or missing. Growing old and leaving. I didn't have time to worry about this during war but now at peace... It's my greatest fear."
The tears returned to her eyes, and she could see his own eyes dampening. "So, I panicked. It thought... maybe it would let you stay with me longer. That I'd have more time to prepare before saying goodbye. Even if it cost me a few days of my life."
He lowered his head, tears spilling over. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I'm sorry I didn't ask you about this, did it behind your back. I'm supposed to be your husband, but I didn't even think to ask if you WANTED to live longer. All because I was scared by some novel." He chuckled humorously. "Some king I am."
Lapis pushed herself up, climbing onto the bed with him. Gently, she put her hands on his side, tugging them both so they lay face-to-face on their side. She moved her hand to his face, brushing his tears from her cheek.
"You don't have to be sorry that you're scared." She replied. "You should've asked me, yeah. But honestly... It's touching. Always thinking of me. All the power and influence you can want, and all you want is to spend more years with little-ol' me."
"I honestly never thought about it... Leaving you alone well before your time. It's just not something I'd ever reasonably wonder before." She admitted. She shifted closer, wrapping an arm around his waist. Her reciprocated, putting his arms around her own midsection.
"I don't want you to hurt yourself, or push yourself... But I also don't want to hurt you decades from now, leaving you. I... I can't give you a firm answer about it now. But... I think it's alright if you do it sometime, after asking. Just... don't hurt yourself. Please. I'd never forgive myself if you left me just for this.
"I won't. I promise." He blinked his few years away, bringing his lips in for a kiss. One she gladly met.
The future was still uncertain. They were still new to life together. New to the intricacies of their shared life. She didn't exactly expect to end up marrying the Divine Dragon after all. And he barely even expected to marry at all. Undoubtedly, those worries would persist for years to come.
But for now, the two could feel at ease, and just relax in a mutual embrace. They were together now, and that was enough.
---
Lapis woke up the next day feeling as refreshed as last week.
But this time... She didn't mind it.