"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
It had been a few weeks since she’d arrived in Tephra, and she finds that it is rather nice. volcano keeps it warm year round, there’s enough forestry to keep her hidden from the outside world, and the people are pleasant.
But it’s not Ischia. The home she’d worked for, the island she so dearly missed. The seagulls did not have the same melodies the parrots did, and the trees here were not her beloved palm. And as much as she hated to admit it, she was depressed, and overwhelmingly so. One can only put on a happy face for so long before raw emotions take over.
She’s hidden now, in the thicket of her choice. She isn’t one to often lay down, but she increasingly does so now. Sleeping is the only time she feels alright, the only time her emotions aren’t there to torture her. She’s growing thin, her once more rounded bodice growing more gaunt, as she’s lacking proper nutrition. She just doesn’t have the appetite she once did, she doesn’t feel like she once did.
A rustle beneath the leaves causes her ears to perk. “Duro,” She murmurs, standing up. Her bones crack and pop from lack of use, and she flinches at the feeling. “How’re you, love?”
They have been in Tephra for a few weeks now, a few weeks ago there life was ripped apart, changed forever. Although things have settled, and Tephra seemed to have resumed its normal state of life even though a clan of Ischia members fled here. Even though Klaudius pulled that stunt trying to rile up the Kingdom.
Krone was noticebly different, she slept all the time, her body had grown thin, and she tried to stay by herself most of the time. His heart was in a constant state of ache, he wanted his happy Krone back. Sure Tephra was not Ischia, there were no palm trees but the heat was consistent with the island. The beautiful parrots that provided a constant harmony were replaced by seagulls, they did not sound as nice but were just as equally in the sky. Of course, Durotan had stayed in Ischia mainly for Krone, he did not love the island like she did, he understood why she was upset. Not only turned against by her own followers, forced to flee from her only home, rip her children out of the only home they knew.
He shouldn't think about it, he always ends up in a state of fear, fear for Krone. He frantically searches for her, he knew by now that she tried to stay hidden behind the greenery the volcano offered. He scans, in the distance he sees grass that is misplaced, Krone? he thinks to himself, perhaps she was sleeping again. As he nears his name is called, a relief to hear her voice, to know that she had not fully given up on life yet.
Krone, its me he announces his presence, once he reaches her he extends his neck and nuzzles hers. Krone...I am fine but I fear for you. You really have to stop sleeping during the day. Someone had to tell her, she was a queen, she had children to care for. She could not give up on life just yet, and he would not let her give up. Not that easy.
Her wings droop lazily to her sides as he speaks. She’s already growing tired from standing, even though she used to stand all the time. The sun had risen just high enough in the sky for her to assume it was just past noon. How long had she been asleep? It was dusk when she’d dozed off. She shakes her head, looking at Durotan through sad hazel eyes.
“What is there to fear?” She asks. “everything has gone to shit anyhow.” Her tone is biting, and her gaze casts downwards guilty at how she’d spoken to him. Her shoulders move up and down as she sighs, and she fights back her tears again. “What else is there for me, Durotan? The children are nearly grown. I’ve lost everything that meant something.” She glances up at him. “Except you. Why do you wish to be with a beat down shell of a mare?”
Shell.
She thinks to the emerald jewel upon her head, the jewel that had made her queen. The tears flow silently down her russet cheeks. My god, what has she become?
She looks at him with depression filled eyes, what does he say? How do you console someone who lost there whole life? Everything they worked for is now gone. Everything has gone to shit it rings through his ears, she continues on how the twins were nearly grown and she has lost everything. Everything but Durotan, Why do you wish to be with a beat down shell of a mare? she asks and his ears pin to his dome.
Krone! his voice was harsh, but before he could spit out more tears slip down her cheeks. Does he join her pity party? Or does he yell at her, she has to move on with life, surely she was not the first horse to be dethroned, not that it makes it any less detrimental.
Stop behaving like this, you were a goddamn ruler. You would never behave like this. He snorts, he decided to not let her continue on with her pity party, she needed to snap out of it, she was slowly killing herself. Look at you! You are nearly skin and bone, all you do is sleep. You may have given up, but I have not, and I won't let you either. He snorts, but instantly regrets being so harsh. He just wants the Krone to get better again, to be the perky happy mare she once was. The twins might be grown...but we.... he stops and looks away, she was in no state to bare a child. Was it too late?
She had worked her whole life to rule a kingdom. Kirin was an absent father most of the time, but when he did come around he told her she needed to become something. Her mother taught her the ways of queenhood and her father taught her that was her only way to gain his approval.
No one understood it. When you’ve lost everything you’ve worked for, what else is there to do but sulk? When Durotan yells at her she turns her head, ashamed. He was right - there was nothing she could do now, and she needed to end this before it got any worse.
Tears come down in pools down her cheeks. She buries herself deep within his strong neck, letting out a shaky sigh. She needed to start new, that was what she had wanted anyways, right? “Duro...” She kisses the muscle of his shoulder. “Tell me it’s not too late for me. That it’s not too late for us.”
@[Durotan] this is poop but I wanted to get something up for you ASAP <3
Was he too harsh? He just wanted her to return to her normal state, he could not watch her kill herself anymore. His gaze returns to hers when she shifts her head, his heart aches for the mare. Tears pour from her eyes and she pushes herself into his neck.
This is perhaps a step in the right direction? Crying is a start to moving on, he was relieved that she was feeling some sort of emotion. She says his name and his heart yearned for it, the affection she shares puts a smile on his maw. His Krone was coming back
But the moment of joy was quickly ended, tell me its not too late for us the words echoed through his ears. Did she think that!? He was harsh, yes, but he loved her more than anything. He joined and left Ischia all for Krone, he brought her and her twins to Tephra so they could remain a family. He wraps his neck around hers Krone, it is never late. His own heart wanted to release tears, sad she could even muster the words to him. But he had to be strong, for both of them. I love you Krone, I want to have children with you. surely she would need to regain some weight again and get her head straight, but he wanted to raise children with her. Expand there family they already have.
For the first time in a long time, her eyes light up. A glimmer of hope for the future, that she hadn't felt since Brennen had taken her home. She looks up to him, her Durotan, kissing at the strong outline of his jaw.
"I want to have a life with you...I want to have children with you. I want you, Durotan," Her voice is a hushed whisper, as she trails warm kisses down his neck and onto his chest. Memories of their first time (her first time), flood back and a wave of arousal washes over her.
Him. He was the one she'd waited for her whole life. Someone she never knew she needed, someone who cared for her because of who she was on the inside, not because she was Kirin's daughter. Her kisses grow longer, more purposeful. Hazel eyes trail up to the deep brown pools of his; yes, this was love. This was what love felt like...like everything and nothing at all. Like beauty and ugliness. Like happiness and sadness. She was his, and he was hers, and she wanted to give all of herself to him.
The kisses turn into sucking, leaving marks on the skin beneath his coat. She bites playfully, pushes into him with her own body. "Take me..."
His heart still beating fast, every time he is around her he gets butterflies like the it was the first time. He catches her eyes as they light up, it instills hope in him. His Krone was coming back to him, she kisses his jaw and he moves in closer, his chest against hers. His head extends to nuzzle the top of her withers Krone his voice is gentle.
I want to have children with you. I want you her voice is a whisper, her kisses continue down his chest. He cannot help but remember the first time they were embraced like this, the memory of when they shared there love in every way. Exploring each others bodies to the fullest, no inch left a secret. Her kisses turn into sucking....into biting, and then she pushes her body into him take me she whispers.
She needn't say anymore, she knew exactly how to turn him on. A smile tugs at his lips, he presses his body into her before stepping away. He nuzzles her shoulder, trailing down her stomach, his touch stops when he nears her legs. He is already fully aroused, but he wanted to please her like never before, he gazes at her before pushing her legs open. His mouth engorges her sweet lady bits, the flow increases and she only gets increasingly moist. His gaze looks to her occasionally, watching to see when she would climax, he does not stop even when his jaw tires. He continues until she screams out for him, pulling his head back he smiles. He kisses her rump, but she was not done yet, now it was his turn.
He steps closer, lifting himself atop of her, her body was a perfect view. He enters her body, she was warm, better than he remembered. He thrusts into her, although unlike last time he was rough. He wanted her to moan with every movement, each thrust a little bit harder, his own grunts escape his maw. He can feel his climax creeping up on him and he holds nothing back, slamming in and out of her warm body. With one last thrust he slams into her, screaming her name, electricity tingles up his spine and he sits on her for a moment before he plops down. His body was lathered in sweat, he moves up next to her, leaning into her. He nuzzles her neck I love you he never imagined love like this.
