The Adventurers of Stellaxir (LGBT+)

57 🌠 Esmeralda

After a day spent busily preparing materials and resources and, most importantly, ourselves, for our future confrontation with King Devan, we soon went to bed with full bellies and despite the circumstances, smiles upon our faces. 

This all changed, the following morning, when we opened the blinds to find that the sky was well...black. I knew that it was day time, as the sun was still shining and golden beams illuminated parts of the house. However, they didn't last for long. The darkness that was in the sky began to bleed out, until the entirety of the atmosphere was cold and dark. The colours began to fade even from nature, as the trees looked lifeless and the grass that was usually so green became brown. 

I believed this proved more than ever that my people needed me. I needed to bring an end to the Ebony King's evil schemes. If we didn't stop him soon, then he could take over the entirety of Stellaxir. He could turn the entire place dark and lifeless to fulfill some horrific goal of his. 

The others trusted me to  bring an end to all of this and I knew that I couldn't let them down. Aside from that, though, I knew that I do whatever I could to ensure that the people of Stellaxir were safe. I didn't want this to be the ending to my story but I knew that if it came down to it, I would be prepared to make that sacrifice. This was just the one thing that I would never be able to share with Coralie. I knew that I couldn't hurt her like that. 

Coralie, who seemed to always be able to pick up on shifts in my mood, came to sit upon the end of my bed. 

"Esmeralda...are you alright?" she asked me, "You seem thoughtful. More so than usual. Are you okay?" she asked. 

"That's just the thing, Coralie...I really am trying to be," I said. 

Coralie sighed, then. 

"You're so selfless. You think about yourself all the time. Please just let me help you, Esme. I worry about you. You don't have to go through any of this by yourself. We protect each other, remember? We made that promise to each other," she reminded me. 

"I'm fine, Coralie. Leave me be, for a second, will you? I need room to breathe," I said, as I left the room and walked downstairs to the kitchen.

 It may have been a little insensitive but I knew that I couldn't tell Coralie the truth. She might completely freak out if she knew what I was thinking about. 

Echo soon joined me in the kitchen and helped me prepare breakfast. 

"Are you okay, Esme-" 

"When is everyone going to stop asking me that?" I snapped, "No. In case you haven't realised, there's sort of a big terrible king out there." 

"Woah. What's going on with you, sunshine?" Ferna asked, as she entered the kitchen and sat down at the table with a bowl, to begin to eat some fruits for breakfast. 

I took a deep breath, before I managed to reply. 

"Nothing," I said, "And Echo...I'm sorry." 

Echo gave me a sympathetic smile at that. 

"It's okay, I understand. We're all sort of on edge right now but you don't have to go through this alone, you know?" she asked me. 

I smiled at that. 

"I know," I said. 

 Coralie soon entered the kitchen and rushed over to me. She took my hand in hers and the touch shocked me, but she pulled me away from the room too quickly for me to really register what was going on. 

"We're talking this out. Right now," she said. 

"You're really not going to let this go, are you?" I asked her, with a sigh. 

"Not a chance, Esmeralda," she said. 

"I would answer her questions, if I were you, Esmeralda. You already know that we aren't going anywhere. I certainly am not," Ajax said loyally, as he walked past us and into the kitchen. 

"Listen to me," Coralie said, which caused me to turn back to her. I saw that her eyes shone with tears but Coralie was strong. She was fighting them back, in order to talk to me. "I know that you are struggling right now. You can't hide things from me but...Esmeralda, I promised that I would keep you safe and just like wood elves, pixies keep their promises, too.  I will always be here to support you and cheer you on. You're my best friend, Esmeralda. You always will be. I told you long, long, ago now that I wanted to do whatever I could to help you out and I stand by that. I care about you so much, Esmeralda! I will always care about you. You can't shut me out. Please, don't shut me out. I can't bear it," she said, as a tear flowed down her cheek. 

"Coralie..." I started to say. 

"Listen, please. I am here for you," she said, as warmth became apparent in her expression. "I...I left behind my home to join you on this journey but the adventurers became my home, Esmeralda. You became my home. You must know that I am utterly and entirely devoted to you, Esmeralda. I am and I always will be. So, trust me...trust me enough to know that we will get through this together, just as we have done everything else," she said. 

"Coralie, I trust you. I hope that you trust me, too," I said. 

Coralie smiled at that. 

"Always. Just please don't shut me out," she said. 

"Never again. I promise," I promised, as I moved in a little closer. 

Coralie's eyes brightened and she stood up on her tip-toes so she could plant a feather-light kiss on my cheek. She was about to turn away, after that, but I swiftly wound my fingers around her petite wrist and pulled her in to me, so I could press my forehead against hers. 

"Wait...Coralie," I said. I moved back a little, so I could tilt her head upwards to look into her eyes. 

Then, it was time for me to work up the courage to do something that I had wanted to do for a while now. I simply couldn't lose the opportunity. I moved forwards and searched Coralie's eyes for a moment, to observe that they shone with wonder and then, I moved even closer to press my lips gently to hers.