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As long as it didn't involve boats, Arnice found that she had grown fond of traveling. She wasn't inexperienced with traveling; as an agent of the Curia, she had traveled around the world on their orders, and she hadn't cared much about anything back then. But with Lilysse, traveling into the unknown was actually rather exciting.
Yet no matter how far they traveled together, the nightmares still followed Arnice. In the darkness, Lilysse's hand slipped from hers as memories shattered, and an overwhelming urge to destroy consumed her. Maybe the power of the Nightlord truly was too much for her to bear. Maybe Lilysse's memories were forever lost.
Arnice forced her eyes open, and much to her relief Lilysse was beside her. In this nameless inn of a nameless village, there were two beds, but Arnice and Lilysse always preferred sharing a bed whenever possible. Even after leaving Hotel Ende, some things didn't need to change.
Carefully Arnice touched Lilysse's cheek, and she couldn't remember the last time she had seen such a peaceful expression on Lilysse's beautiful face. A year they had spent apart, Arnice trying to break the power of the Nightlord to her will as Lilysse searched for lost memories, but finally they were united, and the world was open to them.
Lilysse stirred, her eyes slowly opening. "Arnice?" she said, blinking in confusion. "What's wrong?"
A soft laugh fell from Arnice's lips. "Nothing, really. I was just thinking about how cute your sleeping face is."
"That's not fair," Lilysse replied with a mock pout. "You always fall asleep after I do."
Again Arnice laughed. Her heart hadn't felt this light in a long time. "That's a side of you only I get to see," she murmured, her lips close to Lilysse's ear.
"Honestly, Arnice!" Yet Lilysse drew closer to Arnice, their fingers lacing. "When did you become so forward?"
"I'm just really grateful we can be together like this," Arnice whispered, planting a soft kiss on Lilysse's hair.
"Mm." Lilysse cuddled more against Arnice, a faint blush upon her bright cheeks. "I am too."
Arnice threaded her fingers through Lilysse's hair. Just being able to embrace Lilysse like this was more than she ever could've asked for. None of the villages she and Lilysse had passed through had been particularly large or prosperous, being the sort of villages that were unlikely to be marked on any maps, but that also meant the Curia was less likely to find them. She couldn't imagine the kind of chaos the Curia was in now with the loss of their Pope, but she couldn't bring herself to care either. She had saved Lilysse from sacrifice and the world from being purged into eternal night. That was enough for her. She and Lilysse had no set destination in mind, just going wherever the road took them.
Lilysse shifted, looking up at Arnice through half-lidded eyes. "We've really traveled far, haven't we?"
"Yeah, I guess we have."
"It's like we're on our honeymoon." Lilysse paused. "Oh, but does saying that mean we're married?"
Arnice chuckled. "If you say we are, that's good enough for me."
A mischievous smile came upon Lilysse's lips. "But you haven't given me a ring yet."
"Well then, I suppose I'll have to keep an eye open for the perfect ring. Only the best for my darling Lily, after all."
Lilysse's arms tightened around Arnice as her smile softened. "Even when we were in school together, I always fantasized about marrying you. It was an impossible dream, I knew, and yet…"
"This probably isn't what you imagined, huh?"
"It's more than I ever could've hoped for."
A gentle silence fell over the two of them. As long as she had lived because of the blue blood's curse, Arnice had never really imagined a future for herself. She hadn't felt truly alive until she had met Lilysse, a meeting orchestrated by the Curia, but even then she had been too afraid to desire a future for herself. She felt something like a laugh at her lips. But now was different. Maybe it was simply arrogance. Maybe it was the Nightlord's powers were hers and hers alone now. Whatever the reason, as long as Lilysse was by her side, the future belonged only to them.
"Arnice," Lilysse said gently, but Arnice couldn't help but notice the touch of worry in her voice. "We'll have to confront the Curia again eventually, won't we?"
"Yes, but it'll be on our terms, not theirs." Arnice tried to smile. "I won't let them separate us again, I promise."
"What about the demons? Won't they realize you're the new Nightlord soon?"
"I'll do my best to make peace with them too. Since I'm the Nightlord now, they at least have to listen to what I have to say."
Lilysse's eyes grew wide, but then she smiled. "You've grown really confident this past year."
Arnice couldn't help but laugh, weak as it was. "I don't know if I'd say that. But if I want to stay with you, then I have to believe in myself as much as you believe in me."
"Is that so?" Lilysse pressed her forehead against Arnice's shoulder. "I'll always believe in you, Arnice, no matter what happens."
In one way, on this quiet night, Arnice could imagine that she and Lilysse were the only ones in this world. No one would bother them, no one would try to tear them apart. But things would never be so simple. As Lilysse said, someday they would have to deal with the Curia and demonkind, and even beyond that was the difference between mortality and immortality. It was no mere nightmare; years, decades from now, Arnice, an eternally youthful demon, would watch Lilysse grow old and eventually pass away.
And yet, even if they had only one human lifetime left to spend together, as Arnice stared at the peaceful expression on Lilysse's face, she could accept those worries with a smile. "Lily," she said as she tucked a strand of hair behind Lilysse's ear, "where do you think we'll go next?"
"Where, indeed," Lilysse replied, a playful gleam in her eyes. "Although, I hear we're quite close to the sea. Maybe we'll have to cross water again."
Arnice groaned. "Ugh, I was afraid of that…"
"Well, you're the Nightlord now, aren't you? You could spread your wings and carry me across the sea."
"It might be a long flight, and probably not that comfortable. Are you sure?"
"Of course, as long as I'm with you." Lilysse cupped Arnice's face between her hands, and their lips came together for yet another kiss.