Night,
The gathering started in the palace, and everyone was happy to celebrate the Golden Rabbit’s stay in Solkanaia kingdom. They threw fireworks, even the commoners outside the walls of the palace celebrated with fireworks, with a buzzing event in the market and a lot of offerings and dance rituals they can do.
The sky above the imperial city was alive with color—bursts of crimson and gold and silver that painted the darkness with light, each explosion followed by a thunderous crack that echoed off the walls of the palace and the rooftops of the surrounding buildings.
The streets below were filled with people, their voices were rising in songs and cheers, their laughter carrying on the night air like music. Lanterns hung from every post and window, their warm glow competing with the brilliance of the fireworks, and the scent of roasting meat and sweet cakes drifted through the air. It was a celebration unlike any other, a night of joy and gratitude for the arrival of the Golden Rabbit, the pet of the saint herself, the third highest creature of their world.
The sky was showing colors that the heavens was pleased to their welcoming of the golden rabbit. And Qazaethel was watching on Eiravelle’s balcony. She watched as the world celebrated and create more noise while here, in Eiravelle’s place, she felt peaceful.
The balcony was small and intimate, tucked away from the main thoroughfares of the palace, and it offered a perfect view of the celebrations below. The fireworks reflected in Qazaethel’s eyes, painting her face with shifting patterns of light and shadow, and for the first time in days, she felt the tension in her shoulders begin to ease.
She had spent the afternoon with Eiravelle, had held her while she cried, had kissed away her tears and promised her that everything would be alright. And now, watching the world celebrate while she stood in the quiet of her lover’s chambers, she felt something she had not felt in a long time. Peace.
Eiravelle approach and gently give Qazaethel a back hug. She was wearing a simple robe, it seems like she and Qazaethel had another love making session this afternoon that Qazaethel left her hickeys and marks on Eiravelle. The omega’s arms wrapped around Qazaethel’s waist from behind, her cheek was pressing against the sovereign’s back, and Qazaethel could feel the warmth of her body through the thin fabric of their robes.
The marks on Eiravelle’s neck and shoulders were visible in the dim light—small, dark bruises that spoke of passion and intimacy, of a love that had found expression in the most physical of ways. Qazaethel had been careful with her, had been mindful of her pregnant belly, had touched her with a tenderness that surprised even herself. But she had also left her mark, had claimed Eiravelle in a way that was primal.
"Qaz... I thought you left." Eiravelle said, and Qazaethel give Eiravelle a soft smile and shook her head. The words were sleepy, contented, and they carried a warmth that made Qazaethel’s heart ache.
"I would never leave without waking you first, dear." She said, and Eiravelle smiled and tightened the hug a bit. The omega’s body was soft and warm against her, and Qazaethel could feel the swell of Eiravelle’s belly pressing against her lower back. Their child. The life they had created together. The thought filled her with a sense of wonder that she still could not quite comprehend.
"Aren’t you going back to the dragon wing? To prepare for tonight’s event?" Eiravelle asked, and Qazaethel’s face was suddenly wrapped with worry that she turn around and gently pull Eiravelle to her embrace, still mindful of her omega’s pregnant belly.
She did not want to go. The thought of leaving this quiet balcony, of returning to the noise and the chaos and the endless demands of the court, made something cold settle in her chest.
"I felt like I don’t want to leave you, Eivy. It feels suffocating and noisy." Qazaethel said, and Eiravelle raise her gaze and pull Qazaethel in a gentle kiss. The kiss was soft, sweet, a brush of lips that tasted of honey and tea and something uniquely Eiravelle.
"I don’t mind if you stay." Eiravelle whispered against her lips, and Qazaethel felt something loosen in her chest. She could stay. She could stay here, in this quiet corner of the palace, with the woman she loved and the child she would soon meet. She could stay, and forget the world outside, and pretend that they were the only two people who mattered.
Qazaethel smile and lean more to capture Eiravelle’s lips. The kiss deepened, became something more than comfort, and Qazaethel felt Eiravelle’s hands fist in her robes, pulling her closer.
The fireworks continued to burst in the sky above them, painting the world in shades of gold and silver, but neither of them noticed. They were lost in each other, in the warmth of the embrace, in the love that had somehow found them in the middle of a world that had tried so hard to keep them apart.
***
In the royal dressing room of the Phoenix empress, Dawn took the half of the room to put on her robes. The servants was careful not to hurt her, while the other half belonged to the golden rabbit. The dressing room was vast and ornate, its walls lined with mirrors and its floors covered in thick carpets that muffled the sound of footsteps.
Servants moved with quiet efficiency, carrying trays of jewelry and boxes of cosmetics, their hands gentle and their voices low. Dawn stood before a massive mirror, her arms were raised as two servants carefully draped her in the robes of the Phoenix Empress—layers of silk and brocade in shades of crimson and gold, embroidered with phoenixes and dragons in flight.
The robes were heavy, weighted with jewels and tradition, and Dawn felt the familiar burden of them settle onto her shoulders.
The golden rabbit was supposed to choose to one of the holy dresser of the church, but she choose Arielle to dress her instead. The priestesses had been horrified, had argued and pleaded and tried to persuade Ruthina that tradition demanded a holy dresser, an omega who had been consecrated to the church.
But Ruthina’s decision was final and they couldn’t go against it. She wanted Arielle. Only Arielle. And so, despite the protests and the raised eyebrows and the whispered gossip that would surely follow, Arielle had been given the task of dressing the Golden Rabbit for her welcome celebration.
"Your holiness—" Arielle wanted to call her that, but Ruthina shook her head and look at Arielle at the massive mirror. The rabbit spirit’s reflection smiled back at her, bright and warm, and Arielle felt her heart stutter in her chest.
"Arielle, please. Just Ruthina? Just like how you always call me." She said with a smile, and Arielle blush more deeply at Ruthina’s admission. The words were simple, but they carried a weight of intimacy that made Arielle’s pulse race.
Just Ruthina. Not the Golden Rabbit, not the messenger of the goddess, not the holy being who had descended from the heavens. Just Ruthina. The woman she had laughed with, had picnicked with, had held in her arms while the world faded away.
"Your holiness, I am just a mere servant meant to take care of you." Arielle said, and Ruthina shook her head immediately and turn around to face Arielle. The movement was quick, sudden, and Arielle found herself staring into Ruthina’s eyes, close enough to see the flecks of gold in her irises, close enough to count the freckles on her nose.
"Of course not! No, I won’t allow it, Arielle. Please, don’t say that." Ruthina said, and Arielle softened. The rabbit’s voice was firm, almost fierce, and there was a light in her eyes that brooked no argument.
Arielle sigh and nodded, "alright alright, I won’t call you your holiness anymore." She said, and Ruthina lunge forward and hugged Arielle. "Thank you so much!" And excitedly kissed Arielle’s cheek, then return to look at herself in the mirror. The kiss was quick, almost impulsive, but it left a burning mark on Arielle’s skin that she knew she would feel for hours.
Arielle’s hand trembled as she finally took the lace of Ruthina’s gown and the way she sees the golden rabbit’s fair shoulders, and her pheromone glands, she felt her chest heating up. The gown was beautiful—a flowing creation of white silk and golden thread, embroidered with symbols of the Golden Rabbit’s own crest.
It was meant to be worn with reverence and care, and Arielle’s hands shook as she adjusted the laces at the back of the gown. Her fingers brushed against Ruthina’s skin, and she felt the warmth of the rabbit’s body, the steady pulse of life that thrummed beneath the surface. She was clearly resisting the urge to mark the omega, and she doesn’t want to violate her, knowing she had went through so much.
Ruthina had been hunted, had been chased across realms, had come to this world seeking sanctuary. Arielle would not add to her burdens. She would not let her own desires override her respect for the woman she loved.
"Ruthina, I think you choose the wrong person to dress you." Arielle said, and Ruthina turn around and look at her. The rabbit’s brow furrowed, her lips pressing together in a frown.
"Arielle, don’t you really get why I chose you to dress me?" Ruthina asked, and frown. The question hung in the air between them, heavy with meaning, and Arielle felt her heart stop.
"I... Uhm... Why, Ruthina?" Arielle asked, and Ruthina turn around and face her again, but this time, she pulled the alpha’s nape and stood in her tiptoe to kiss her. The kiss was sudden, bold, and utterly unexpected. Arielle’s eyes widened the moment their lips crash at each other, but she can’t help but lean forward and surrender to the kiss.
Ruthina’s lips were soft, warm, and they tasted of the sweet cakes she had been eating earlier. Arielle’s mind went blank, her thoughts scattering like leaves in a storm, and all she could do was feel. Feel the press of Ruthina’s body against her own, feel the warmth of her breath, feel the rapid flutter of her heart.
Arielle cupped Ruthina’s cheeks and pull her waist against her. The kiss deepened, became something more than a question, something more than a confession. It was a promise. A declaration. A surrender. When they slightly withdrew, they gasp for air and smile at each other. Ruthina’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright, and she looked at Arielle with a tenderness that made the alpha’s heart ache.
"You like me?" Arielle asked, and Ruthina lower her gaze and nodded shyly. The movement was small, almost imperceptible, but it spoke volumes. Arielle’s eyes lit up in excitement and she smile widely. Then the next second, she pulled the golden rabbit again and kiss her. This kiss was different—deeper, more passionate, carrying all the feelings that Arielle had been holding back for weeks.
Dawn was shocked in the other side to hear them both whimpering that Dawn have to dismiss all her servants to give them privacy. The Phoenix Empress stood frozen in her half of the room, her robes half-fastened, her mouth slightly open, and she wondered if she had somehow wandered into a different reality.
She had heard Ruthina’s confession, had seen the kiss, had watched the two of them embrace with a passion that made her cheeks flush. All she can do was scratch her head and felt confused. She had known Arielle had feelings for the Golden Rabbit—had suspected it, at least—but she had not expected this. She had not expected Ruthina to feel the same way. She had not expected the timid, gentle rabbit spirit to be the one to make the first move.
Arielle pulled slightly and kissed Ruthina’s nose. The gesture was soft, playful, and Ruthina giggled, her hands still fisted in Arielle’s robes. "I like you too." She admitted, and Ruthina hugged Arielle tight.
The words were simple, but they carried the weight of everything that had been unspoken between them. The picnics in the garden. The laughter shared over sandwiches and juice. The hugs that had lingered just a moment too long. It all made sense now. It had all been leading to this.
"Hehe, that feels good. I didn’t know that liking someone and being liked by someone feels good." Ruthina said, and both of them hugged each other tighter this time. The rabbit’s voice was filled with wonder, with joy, with the innocent delight of someone discovering something beautiful for the first time.
Arielle held her close, her heart was full to bursting, and she knew that this was the beginning of something wonderful. Something that she would treasure for the rest of her life.
Dawn, still standing in her corner of the room, finally shook her head and turned back to her mirror. She would have to finish dressing herself, she supposed. The servants had been dismissed, and she could not exactly call them back without interrupting the happy couple. She smiled at her reflection, a small, knowing smile, and she felt a warmth in her chest that had nothing to do with the celebration outside.
It seemed that love was in the air tonight. And for once, in this palace of intrigue and danger, it was a love that would be allowed to flourish.