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Brodia and Elusia seem to only agree on one thing, and it’s the temperament of their countries— long cold winters, and short cool summers.
So the weather in Solm is an enigma to her. This is the longest Jade has ever spent in the country, as it isn’t often that she gets sabbaticals. The longer she spends here, the more she enjoys it.
She was surprised to find that she didn’t burn in the sun as easily as she would have thought. A nice even tan had settled over her skin. Dancing from dusk till dawn, going for late night escapades, and enjoying a plethora of foods she’d never heard of, let alone seen. She wonders what Diamant, –with his surprisingly selective palate, would think of Solm’s food. Or how Amber would fare on the back of a wolf instead of a horse. Chaos would be inevitable.
The thought causes her to chuckle slightly, startling the pair of hands smearing cocoa butter across her shoulders. “Sorry.” Her voice is barely audible, still a hint of shyness to her words despite the fact that they had spent the evening together. She chances a glance at the mirror in front of her and finds bright brown eyes staring back at her.
The woman graces her with a smile. Hands leave her shoulders and move to wrap themselves around Jade. “It’s fine…”
This was the second time they’d met up in person. Merra was her name, and she belonged to a group of wolf taming mercenaries. They had been exchanging letters over the last couple of months, although both of their jobs made correspondence difficult at times. The rising tensions between Broida and Elusia meant more scouting missions for Jade, and rumors of war (or even just rumors of rumors ) caused the demand for mercenaries to go up. They were both overloaded with work. And yet they made it work, somehow…
Merra leans further against her, pressing her face against the side of Jade's head. Their tent is bathed in a warm glow, the pleasant noises of the city waking up float into their abode, and her lover's arms are oh so warm. A feeling, –one that she wishes she could put into words, if only so that she could find a way to replicate it, washes over her.
“What are you wanting to do today? I’ve yet to experience the beaches here, and I’ve heard that there’s a nice jeweler near the border. I can help pick out which—“
A squeeze on her shoulder stops her for a moment. Her lover steps back, giving her room to turn and look at her directly. Lately, Jade has felt like Merra’s usually cheery disposition has become melancholy, and at other times, distant. It’s concerning.
Jade presses her lips together, and though words, —verbally speaking them at least, has never been a strength of hers, she wills herself to find her voice now.
“Merra…is everything alright?” Jade's hands move to join hers, giving them a slight squeeze once the question is followed up by silence.
Brown eyes meet hers once again, and her lover sighs. “I won’t be seeing you for a while. I have a long…job waiting for me back at the capital…”
Jade finds herself almost sighing in relief. A long job wasn’t something that the two of them hadn’t dealt with before but why was now so different?
Her brows knit together in thought. They hadn’t had an extensive talk about what their relationship was, what it meant. Jade had assumed that after months of correspondence, and the many times they’d shared a bed, that the two of them were a couple. But had Merra thought differently? Relationships here were different from what she was used to in Brodia, after all.
As if sensing her anxiety, Merra brings one of Jade's hands to her cheek, turning her head slightly and pressing her mouth against her palm.
“I don’t know when I’ll be able to write to you…or how long until I see you again, but I promise that—“ she stops for a moment, her face deeply serious.
“I promise that things will be different after this job…there’s something that I…something I’ll share with you when I’m back…”
She lowers her head slightly, looking more sheepish than Jade has ever seen her.
“If you’ll have me, that is…”
Jade smiles, giving Merra’s cheek a squeeze. Her lover smiles again, before giving her another kiss on the inside of her hand.
A kiss from the sun, one that sends a bolt of warmth through her once again.
She knows she should pry, should ask questions, but she wants to sit in this moment. She wants to let this warmth and softness settle around her.
“Of course I’ll have you…” she stands and pulls Merra into a hug, “and if you’re leaving…that just means we’ll have to dance like tonight’s our last…”
Her face immediately heats up. She’s been reading plenty of romance novels for research lately. And now they’ve begun to rub off on her…how embarrassing.
But Merra’s laugh immediately culls the feeling. She pulls away and takes in her stony (but still red) face, before she graces her lips with another kiss.
“Our last dance…” she murmurs wistfully. There’s a sad look in her eyes —no that isn’t correct. It’s a look of frustration.
“Merra?”
“It’s nothing.” She leans in and gives her one last kiss. Warm and soft and kind. A kiss from the sun itself.
Her lover smiles again. “We should go…”