Whenever Loren saw the passive look on Kae’s usually keen face whenever the princess finally did something simple like wash her face in the basin after taking several minutes to stare blankly at it, she felt a pang of guilt. She knew she should not be like this. Loren should be more in control of things; she was the heir to the throne after all. She had the two Masters with her, and the soldiers, she could simply order them to do things for her instead.
And yet here she was, the princess of a kingdom, unable to even wash her face.
“I know that look, Loren.” Kae said, snapping Loren out of her thousand-yard stare.
“What look?”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself, princess. Please. You’ve done enough, more than most people could even bear.” Kae smiled. “You deserve a break, and you’ll get one. Let’s just focus on getting downstairs, and into the Warmaster’s wagon. Alright? You don’t even have to ride the horse.”
Loren stared at Kae. Her eyes were hollow and drawn, the long journey they had endured showing on her face.
“You’ve been very patient with me all this time, Kae. Why is that?” Loren asked. “Every time you catch me sad, you always have something to say to cheer me up. Why do you even bother?”
“Well…” The huntress sat back on the bed heavily, gathering her thoughts. “I think I’ve said all there was to say already. There’s a lot more to you than your responsibility as a princess. Sure, you’re the heir to the throne. But you’re not a cold, far distant ruler. You care, Loren. You care about people, genuinely. Even when it would be a lot easier to do nothing, or let other people handle it, or ignore the problem entirely, you do whatever you can to make it right. You didn’t have to look for Kaiten, but you did. You didn’t have to run off to Sagna on your own to save your mother, but you did. You didn’t have to stay at the Keep to fight the Red Sisters once the dragon showed up, but you did.” The huntress paused to take a breath. “That’s brave, princess. That’s the kind of attitude that inspires people. It inspired me.”
“It did?” Loren asked. Kae saw a spark of life return to the princess’s eyes. Her held tilted a fraction higher, and Loren looked every little bit stronger. Then she faltered. “But the dragon pendant…”
“To the hells with the dragon pendant!” Kae barked. “Loren, your power was all your own. Sure, the pendant was magic, but don’t you remember what you were able to do against Haedria? The pendant was broken by then. It was all you, all your own power. And that’s amazing. You’re amazing. I love you.”
The silence that fell between them stretched for several long, awkward seconds.
“You…what did you just say?” Loren asked.
Kae’s face burned with a bright blush. “I-I said what? What did I say? I-I’m sorry, it just came out and—“ she stammered, trailing off.
The princess broke into a wide smile, then a laugh, then she threw herself into Kae, arms outstretched to embrace her. “Gods above, I was prepared to die before I could hear you say that!”
“I couldn’t have lived having heard you say it only once.” Kae said, chuckling awkwardly.
Both young women stood in each other’s arms, embracing tightly and neither planning to let go. The huntress, ever so slightly taller, lay her head on Loren’s shoulder. The princess’s heart hammered away in her chest, every nerve in her body alive with electricity. There was excitement, eagerness, fear, all swimming together with no words to express them. Kae moved, and Loren looked into her eyes, dark and deep, with an uncertainty Loren longed to wipe away. Their faces moved closer, without thinking. Kae’s hand shook slightly as she moved to brush away a lock of Loren’s dark hair, sliding it behind the princess’s ear with a gentleness as if Loren was made of something delicate and fragile. Something precious. Loren held Kae’s hand, pressing it to her cheek and feeling the warmth of the huntress on her skin. She turned her head ever so slightly, and kissed Kae’s palm. Her dark eyes, half-lidded, darted to Kae’s. The huntress’s heart leapt.
There was a power in Loren’s eyes, a sort of quiet determination, one that demanded without words. It was clear what the princess asked of Kae. The latter swallowed dryly, unsure if she could deliver. Loren saw the fear and hesitation, etched plainly onto Kae’s face. The sides of her mouth quirked up into a gentle, reassuring smile, and she squeezed the huntress’s hand. The touch grounded Kae’s reeling mind, and she smiled back.
The two moved closer together, the space between them alive with energy. Eyes fluttered shut as their lips touched, followed by a fearful, hesitant stillness. Kae felt the smile widen on Loren’s lips, and the princess’s other arm wrapped around to Kae’s back, pulling the other woman closer, closer.
Loren deepened their kiss, leaning forward into it, eager to taste more of Kae. Her huntress. A flood of emotions rushed from Loren, all of her tension and fear leaving her as Kae’s strong arms caught her, holding her upright. Tears fell, drawing tracks down her cheeks. The relief was overwhelming. In her arms, Kae likewise softened the longer they kissed. There was acceptance, reassurance, a place finally carved out for the huntress in the world. And that place was in Loren’s arms.
Time seemed to stop and the world ceased to exist. All that mattered was that they were together, alone, savoring a precious moment of peace with the lingering fear that it would not happen again. When they opened their eyes, parting finally after what
