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Once, Throné never would've imagined waking up to the smell of raspberries every day. Even now, sometimes she feared she was only dreaming, and that when she awoke, she would be greeted only by that foul stench of blood. Yet, Cropdale really was the idyllic repose that Agnea had promised her.
Day after day, she woke with the dawn and joined Agnea, her sister Pala, and their father Garud for breakfast. Pala and Garud were both kind, and more than once Throné saw him sneaking scraps under the table for her puppy. Afterwards, she would wander the village, sometimes with Agnea and sometimes alone, offering a hand to any who needed help. Her days were empty of purpose more often than not, but truth be told, she didn't really mind.
Today was no different. Throné walked the village, trying to memorize all the names of Agnea's friends and neighbors. Everyone greeted her with a smile, and no one paid any mind to the dagger strapped to her thigh, the dagger named for her birth mother. She stopped to help an elderly woman carrying baskets of peaches, and the other woman was more than happy to accept Throné's help.
"You're Agnea's friend, right?" the old woman said as she and Throné crossed the small bridge in the center of the village. "My, you certainly are beautiful."
"Thank you, ma'am," Throné replied, trying to smile. It was nice being in a place where no one knew of her past, but guilt still pricked at her heart. After all that she had done, did she really deserve this peace?
The woman chuckled. "Will you be leavin' with Agnea, then?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, she's a star like her mother now, so she's goin' to dance 'round the world, right?"
"Oh, right." Throné bit her lip; Agnea had mentioned wanting to return to New Delsta and traveling beyond. "I… haven't decided yet."
The two of them soon reached the old woman's home and bid each other farewell. Although Throné enjoyed the quietness of this village, that woman's words only reminded her of that emptiness deep within her. She wasn't unhappy - quite the opposite, in fact - but still she longed for something more. After felling that dark god, she had proclaimed she would travel where no one had set foot before, but whenever she looked toward the horizon, she hesitated.
Without thinking she began to head toward the tavern. After their group of eight had gone their separate ways, Agnea had invited Throné to come with her to Cropdale if Throné hadn't yet figured out where she wanted to go next, and Throné had said yes without a second thought. They had then stopped into New Delsta briefly to adopt the puppy Throné had befriended (and still that puppy needed a proper name, she thought idly), and the trip across the sea had been thankfully uneventful. A month had passed since then, and Throné had not expected to stay so long.
As she came closer to the tavern, she immediately spotted Agnea dancing for a group of children and Gus. She thought of calling out, but instead simply watched, enthralled. Agnea was beautiful, warmer than the sun and more dazzling than the stars. The children clapped and smiled along with Agnea's dancing, and she too smiled brightly at them. Agnea really was like the dawn, bringing hope with every new day. Throné could say she stayed in Cropdale for the raspberries, and while that wasn't entirely false, the longer she watched Agnea dance, the harder her feelings became to ignore. The strength of Agnea's legs, the curve of her hips and torso, the graceful movements of her arms, and that adoring smile of hers - Throné let nothing of Agnea escape her gaze. Stronger than even her longing for freedom, she simply desired all of Agnea.
Before she grew overwhelmed by that desire, she tore her gaze from Agnea's dancing and headed toward the forest path. A few days ago, Agnea had shown her a hidden path leading to a small hill that overlooked the entire village. ("The perfect place to get away from crowds," Agnea had said with a wink.) The trail itself was faint, shadowed by thick, tall trees. Throné rather liked the Leaflands; compared to the spacious and open Brightlands, here was both more verdant and easier to find comfort in the shadows. She let out a humorless chuckle. For so long she had desired freedom, and still she found herself drawn to the darkness.
She came to the summit of the grassy hill, and below she took in the view of the entire village. Perhaps she was romanticizing Cropdale too much, especially in comparison to New Delsta, but this was Agnea's home, after all, and Agnea's bright smile reminded her of all that she had longed for. She sat upon the grass, inhaling a deep breath to taste the lush, crisp air.
However, how that she was alone again, those same doubts invaded her thoughts once more. Her hands stained in blood as they were, did she really deserve to be here in such a peaceful place? To be with Agnea? But Agnea knew what she had done and had still invited her here. To have refused would've been the same as spitting in the face of that kindness, Throné knew.
And yet…
Throné lay upon the grass and stared up at the sky. Already people had moved on from that long night to return to their daily lives. Throné herself might've begun to think of it as simply a nightmare. Just as Agnea had said, every sunrise meant another chance to shine, and for her sake, Throné would steal back the dawn as many times as needed.
She shut her eyes, trying to quiet the doubts in her heart. She was free now, with no collar to weigh her down. All that she had lost, all that she had sacrificed had been for this moment. Where she would go next, she could decide later. She thought of Agnea, that sweet, loving smile of hers, and maybe could even enjoy a peaceful dream for once. She imagined taking Agnea into her arms, sharing a dance and more…
When Throné felt a soft hand on her hair, her eyes shot open, seeing Agnea smiling down at her. Behind Agnea the sky was dark, and Throné felt her cheeks flush upon realizing her head was in Agnea's lap. A part of her wanted to curse herself for letting down her guard and falling asleep someplace so vulnerable, but another part of her was glad to no longer always be on edge. She tried to speak, to quell the warring thoughts within her, but no words came.
Agnea giggled. "So this is where you've been."
Throné let out a heavy sigh. "Has it really gotten so late…?"
Again Agnea laughed, and no sound was sweeter to Throné's ears, and she gazed up at the night sky. "I don't think I'll ever take the stars for granted again."
Throné's hand went to her throat, but felt no collar. Once, she never would've thought the night beautiful, but a night filled with stars really was different from the darkness she had broken free from, the darkness that the Moonshade Order had tried to force upon the world, and reflected in Agnea's eyes were the stars the eight of them had brought back to the world. Throné lowered her gaze, chewing her bottom lip. Her own eyes probably still reflected only darkness, the darkness that Pirro, Mother, Father, and all the others hadn't been able to escape from.
Agnea touched Throné's hand, jolting her from her thoughts. "Throné?" Agnea said carefully.
Throné said quickly, "I hear you'll be leaving Cropdale soon?"
"Oh, yes!" Agnea exclaimed brightly. "I've been invited back to New Delsta and a few other cities on the eastern continent. And…" Even in the starlight Throné couldn't miss how red Agnea's cheeks had become. "And I'd like for you to accompany me."
"Me?" Throné said without thinking, shooting up from Agnea's lap.
"Well, of course!" Agnea's blush deepened as her gaze fell. "Do you… not want to…?"
"It's not like that," Throné said as she stood. She walked toward the edge of the hill, where Cropdale lay beneath. She wanted to stay with Agnea more than anything, she couldn't deny that, but she couldn't be so selfish either. She had dirtied her hands just to be free, but Agnea was pure and innocent, a true shining star, too bright for one such as herself.
Agnea also stood and came beside Throné. "Then what do you mean?"
Throné stiffened. Agnea was close, too close, and Throné couldn't stop her heart from racing. Their hands brushed, just the faintest of touch, and Throné fought down the urge to lace her fingers with Agnea's. "You're a star, Agnea," she began to say. "After your performance in Merry Hills, the whole world will know your name. But I'm a thief. I've taken more lives than you can imagine. You know what I'm like."
"Yes, I do know what you're like," Agnea said, her voice rising. Throné tried not to flinch; seeing Agnea so hurt made her own chest ache. "You're a kind, strong, brave woman! And who worked hard to be free!"
"And all it cost was my family!" Throné cried. "I sacrificed my own flesh and blood for this freedom!"
"And you also brought the dawn back to the world!" Agnea clasped Throné's hand between hers, and her eyes watered. She had fallen into her natural accent, Throné couldn't help but notice. "That has to count for somethin'!"
"I…" Throné tried to speak, but Agnea staring at her so earnestly silenced her. Agnea had seen her at her worst. She knew of all of Throné's sins. So then, how could Agnea still look at her so adoringly? She managed to force out a simple question, in barely more than a whisper, "Do you truly want me…?"
Agnea smiled, a bright, dazzling smile, and she leaned forward to kiss Throné.
Once, not so long ago, Throné would never have allowed someone so close to her. But Agnea was different. Maybe Throné was being selfish. Maybe she was undeserving. But still she longed for Agnea, and if Agnea could accept her, who was she to argue with such a stubborn star?
When their lips parted, Agnea threw her arms around Throné and buried her face in Throné's shoulder. "I know you can't erase the past," she said, forcing her voice back into that posh city accent, "but as long as you're alive and can see a new dawn, then don't you think you deserve a chance to start anew?"
Throné laid her hand on Agnea's hair. Agnea thought too highly of her, but that Agnea had such faith in her wasn't such a terrible feeling. "If only the rest of the world could be as kind as you."
Agnea pulled back from Throné to meet her gaze and smile, and Throné bent to kiss Agnea, this time wanting to savor the taste of those sweet lips. Maybe she had known all along of Agnea's feelings for her, of how Agnea was constantly stealing glances at her, but she had never dared to hope. She took her lips from Agnea's and then touched Agnea's cheek, carefully and tenderly, and Agnea pressed her hand against Throné's, simply watching Throné with that loving gaze of hers.
Eventually they began to head back to the village together, and Agnea clutched Throné's arm tightly. A smile tugged at Throné's lips; she rather liked how affectionate Agnea could be. "We may have defeated a dark god, but there are still dangers in this world," she said to Agnea. "While we're traveling, I could act as your bodyguard."
"Like Dolcinaea and Veronica?" Again Agnea blushed, but her smile was true. "Yes, I'd like that very much!"
Throné couldn't help but chuckle; for once, she'd be putting the skills Father taught her to a noble cause. "I'll protect you always, I swear."
"Thank you, Throné! I'll protect you too!" Agnea drew closer to Throné, her warmth comforting. "Oh, and Pala and Papa can look after your puppy while we're traveling! She really could use a name, you know."
"We'll decide that in the morning," Throné replied, bending to plant a kiss on Agnea's cheek. "Together."
Again Agnea smiled, that smile full of hope that Throné loved so much.