Lacey arrives at Sora's house to drop him off. She knocks on the door with her foot since her arms are full and after thirty or so seconds, Sora's mom, Almina, answers the door. When Almina opens the door they greet each other happily and make small talk. The woman was short and pillowy with a very soft vibe and her voice was sweet and soft as well. If you asked a person what she was like, they'd say she was like a teddy bear. Like her son, her hair was a deep sea green color. She has a majestic dark skin tone that emphasizes her soft blue eyes. Her horns were short and thick, just like her, but the tips weren't sharp. They were round and blunt which is unique for dark elves since most dark-elf horns are sharp. When they walk towards her table, they pass by black and white family photos lined on the wall. Her living room is quite cozy with a fire going in the fireplace and the family dog sleeping near what can only be Almina's reclining chair. After taking Sora out of Lacey's hands, she puts him to rest upstairs in his bed and walks back downstairs. When Almina comes back downstairs, they continue where they left off at the door. Asking about each other's day and work. Small things like birthday preparation, work-related drama, and taxes are talked about. This goes on for a few minutes before Lacey says, "The boy worked harder than usual today. He'll be fine with some proper rest." Almina sighs a breath of relief before smiling. "I can't begin to thank you and Mr. Alduin enough for taking him under your wing." She gestures for Lacey to enter and walks toward the dining room. Almina was wearing a blue silk gown as both she and Lacey sat at her Mahogany table."Sora had been a very timid boy for the longest time, it really only happened after his father died. The other dark elves his age had taken advantage of that pain and twisted it to their advantage. They bullied my precious little Sora for being fatherless and shy. His uncles aren't around either so when a respectable man came into his life, I jumped at the opportunity in front of me." Lacey sits at the round wooden table near the wall and says, "Well, I'm a little surprised Alduin took him under his wing as well. Let's just say he can be a piece of work."
Sora's mom dismisses her claim with a wave of her hand. "A piece of work? I don't see it." Lacey leans forward and bluntly says, "Ha! You don't see it because you don't live with him. He's always training and doesn't offer help unless you ask for it. He doesn't cook, only cleans up after himself, and to make it worse, sometimes I can hear him crying in his sleep." They both sit in awkward silence at that beautiful table for a little while before Almina clears her throat the breaks the silence. "I, uh, think it's getting late. You should come over again sometime soon. Here, take a pastry for the road." Both women say their goodbyes as Lacey leaves the house and takes a doughnut with her. The street lights cut on and Lacey starts the long trek home. It's a slow walk from Sora's house to her own, She could run there or teleport if need be, but Queen Akal said to give them some time alone. When Akal asks for something, it's an order. When Akal demands something, it better be done perfectly the first time. If she has to yell, you're already dead.
As Lacey walks the roads, she takes the time to breathe deeply, it is easy to forget how beautiful the Capital is when you're always busy. Family businesses are closing down for the night. It is peaceful at night, the brisk air kisses her skin. The stars shine clearly this time of year letting Lacey gaze out into the beyond clearly. Not even a single cloud is in the sky. You can hear nature in the wind, crickets, and other insects. When was the last time she took the time to appreciate her surroundings? When was the last time she spoke to her friends? When was the last time she had friends? "Oh gods, I don't have friends, do I?" Lacey mutters to herself.
Now a little depressed, she sits on a park bench a few blocks away from home and reminisces of a time when she was younger, maybe just 16 years old. She had just picked up magic in The Academy for Dark Elf Excellence. This academy was close to the royal castle and was almost exclusively reserved for the nobles of Dark Elf society. It was a breeding ground for gaining not only connections but also influence. Money and power were the languages spoken in the Academy. However Lacey wasn't like the others around her, Lacey had gotten into the school based purely on academic excellence, but that didn't mean she was treated fairly by her peers. She had no money, no power, no influence, nothing of immediate value to give the people around her. She was often on the receiving end of verbal bullying because of her background as a child from the lower-middle class. Her father was a carpenter, and her mother was a tailor. Only through dedication, hard work, and studying was she able to get into her dream school and receive a quality education. She was wrong. She was oh so wrong, that place was a cesspool for breeding elitist pigs that ostracised others for superficial junk. With every resource in the palm of her hands, that place could only be described as hell.
Lacey grits her teeth together as she remembers how foolish she was. How could she believe that just because she was smart, people would like her? Accept her as a peer. She used to be so naive, but now she knew better. As Lacey's anger grew as she sat on that bench causing her mana to stir violently. Lacey thinks about the first weeks of school. How those morons who she could outsmart as worms treated her. They pushed her to her absolute limit with their torture. By the fifth week, she was fully contemplating suicide, and her grades started to drop. If she hadn't met that person, her first friend, she wouldn't be here today.
"Hello, Lacey." A voice called out from the darkness to her. The voice stirred her from her reminiscing. She knew this warm and soothing voice well. His deep voice didn't match his face at all, and neither did it fit his personality. One could say his entire look was a lie, and you couldn't dispute it. Although most knew him as the Leviathan, to her and other members of High society, he was simply Sebastian.
Sebastian walks out from under one of the pine trees in a blue tailored suit. He looks up at the moon with his ash-green eyes and smiles gently. His milk chocolate skin glows in the moonlight while his ash-gray horns glisten beautifully. "On nights like this, it is good to catch one's breath. With everything that's been happening, the beauty of life can slip past you. Wouldn't you agree, Lacey dear?" Sebastian says softly.
Lacey states bluntly, "We're not kids anymore, Sebastian. Ugh, hearing you call me that makes me want to start smoking again. Maybe then I can shave a few years off my life."
Sebastian puts his hand on his chest and pretends to be hurt. "Your words wound me. Strictly speaking, you are dear to me. I never did like how the others treated you. Especially since we are alike in many ways."
Lacey turns to Sebastian and glares at him. She stands up and says, "We're nothing alike, Sebastian. Maybe at one time, we were alike, but you've changed. I don't know what happened to you, but you're much more, unnatural. You are sick, a perversion of everything this country stands for. You and your so-called prophesies"
The smile on Sebastian's falters for a second before growing to an even bigger size. He closes his eyes a strikes an open pose. The pose seems inviting, you can say it is akin to a pose that a god would take to welcome someone in their arms, a hug. However, the unnatural level of calmness on his face doesn't match the situation, creating a creepy aura. Sebastian whispers just loud enough for Lacey to hear him. "I know you, Lacey. You may not like me, many do not, but there will be a time when you see things for what they are. I am just ahead of the curve. Clairvoyance is a curse and a blessing. The universe sings to us, a soft whisper, a screaming horn. If you can hear its voice, it can drive you insane." Sebastian chuckles softly shaking his head. "Everything that I do will make sense one day. I've seen what will come but no one wants to listen. I want to save you, Lacey. While you reject me now, you will see in time that I am your best friend."
Lacey shakes her head. "Still pretending to know the future, Sebastian? I still don't have a child and I've been celibate for years." Lacey sighs, furrowing her brow. "Just admit it Sebastian, just admit that you lied."
Sebastian shakes his head, turns away from her, and calmly says, "Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't it won't come to pass. I just wanted to see you again, Lacey. The next time we meet, you will be with child, and that is okay."
The mana around Lacey begins to stir violently, her anger reaching the boiling point. The ground around her begins to tremble as she gives a very low grunt. As Sebastian disappears into the night, fading into a mist that is carried away by the wind, Lacey jumps as high as she can into the sky shouting obscenities. The higher she flies, the colder it gets. When reaching the peak of her jump Lacey releases all the mana that had been building up inside her. It was like a bomb went off in the night sky. Windows shook on the ground in response to the sudden change in air pressure. As she starts falling to the ground, Lacey crosses her arms and begins doing breathing exercises. Whispering to herself, she says, "I shouldn't have lost control like that. I'm a spy for the queen for goddess's sake. I'm better than this." The ground was fast approaching as she finally unfurled her arms. Gracefully and without a single sound, she lands, not stirring even a single speck of dust. With one final deep breath, Lacey composes herself and finally goes home.
Lacey finishes her walk home quietly. Nothing else of note happens, just the moon shining, maybe a dog barking, and the occasional person on a late-night stroll. When Lacey gets home, Alduin is nowhere to be seen downstairs. She sits on the couch, glancing around at the space. "Maybe he went to bed." Lacey thinks to herself.
As she sits there alone, she thinks about everything that's transpired here in her home. That's when she smells it, the distinct smell of wine. She notices ten empty bottles of wine are on the countertop and she hears the toilet flush as the shower come on. Lacey runs up the stairs and knocks on the bathroom door softly.
"Alduin, are you okay in there? I saw the wine bottles downstairs." Lacey softly says through the door.
"I'm…okay. You can come in."
Lacey carefully twists the doorknob, entering the bathroom. The sight before her was both majestic and sad. There he was, Alduin, completely naked. His fine muscles were perfectly sculpted underneath his skin. His skin wore the scars of battles that were fought and won, before his eye awakened. Yet he was sitting there in a fetal position underneath the shower. The hot water poured over him as he appeared to try and hide himself. In the time Lacey had known Alduin, she had never seen him like this. He looked broken.
"Hi, Lacey. Sorry about the nakedness, I just kind of wanted to see you. You've been so nice to me, Lacey. So, so nice." Alduin says his words slowly. They aren't slurred but they aren't fully formed either. His southern accent is also more pronounced. It's easy to tell that he is very drunk.
Lacey clears her throat before saying, "Alduin, I, uh, think we should get you laid down. You're really off your rocker right now."
"No, I'm not! I know exactly what I'm doing. I'm in the shower talking to a pretty woman. Wait, you're, you're the pretty lady. Oh god, I really am drunk." Alduin gets up out of the shower and cuts it off. Lacey turns her head away as she tries to resist looking at the alluring and sexy man in front of her. Alduin simply goes to walk past her and grabs her by the hand, dragging her down the hall. Lacey in shock doesn't put up a fight.
What happened next can only be described as a blur of passion. Alduin went to hug Lacey goodnight and she broke. They locked eyes before starting to kiss. Alduin, even in this severely drunken state, was dominant yet gentle. She could tell from the way he drew her into his arms and lifted her, that he knew exactly what he was doing. She didn't bother to think about the experience he would need to do the things he was doing, she didn't care. As long as his experience helped her forget about the awful night she'd had.
He carried her through the door and laid her down gently on the bed. Looking up at him, she licked her lips, the taste of booze lingering from his kiss. Her eyes fell from his lips to his neck, then his toned chest, and her gaze only fell lower as he sat up to look her over too. She could practically feel his eyes on her body, and it made her shiver.
Chuckling, he gave her a cocky smirk. "Someone's staring." He pointed out, watching as Lacey rolled her eyes. He had to admit, seeing her get annoyed was a turn-on, especially when she was lying underneath him like that, and especially when he knew he'd have her eyes rolling for an entirely different reason in a moment.
"Right, says you, who is also staring." She shot back, unconsciously pouting her lips. They were shiny and swollen from their kiss. Now that she'd done that, he didn't exactly have a choice other than kissing. How could he not?
When their lips met again, she was quick to melt into it. His hands danced up her curves and she knew there was no going back. A man like Alduin had to have excellent endurance inside the bedroom, she just knew it. So she was going to use the hours they'd be up to vent out everything. Her sexual frustration, her desires, her anger. She had an entire night to do so.
She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer. He let out a surprised grunt, but it quickly turned into a breathy laugh against her mouth. He could tell what she was thinking, because he was thinking the same thing.
They weren't going to waste another second.
As the dawn rises and the sun shines through the window, Lacey wakes up in Alduin's bed, but he is not beside her. She can smell food downstairs, meaning he must've already done his daily morning routine and fixed breakfast. As she sits up in the bed she thinks back to last night and blushes. Warmth spreads through her body as she thinks about what happened last night. The way Alduin held her within his grasp, the way he dominated her body. He was powerful and gentle all the same, that night could only be described as complete and utter bliss. Something like that was intoxicating. The only real question was if any of it was real, did it mean anything. Those actions were not born from purity, Lacey herself was taking out her negative emotions and Alduin was drunk off his ass. She shakes her head to get rid of the thoughts. It was early in the morning and if Alduin was the man she knew him to be they would definitely be talking about this later. Lacey walks to her room and gets dressed. She wears an orange blouse with a white and black t-shirt underneath it. They are accompanied by fitted blue jeans and a black leather belt. She quickly puts her hair into a messy bun before going to the bathroom and taking care of her personal hygiene. By the time she got downstairs, Alduin was waiting for her at the table with two plates made. The wine bottles from last night were no longer on the table and the entire downstair smelled of cleaning supplies. Lacey walks over to the table and Alduin clears his throat.
"Lacey, we have to talk. About last night." Alduin picks up the fork and moves around some of the food on his plate nervously. "I…last night, I wasn't in my right mind. I was heavily drunk and depressed. I made a grave mistake." Mistake, the word cut deep into Lacey. It's not like they had feelings for one another, but to share your body and call that a mistake, she felt like she was floating in her seat. Lacey clears her throat and says, "I couldn't agree more. We'd obviously both had bad nights and we were just taking out our emotions on one another. Now if you'll excuse me."
Lacey grabs her plate and heads for the stairs when Alduin speaks up. "I'm not saying that you were a mistake. In a way, you had to trust me in some way to let that happen and I appreciate that, but, I'm a married man. I…I cheated on my wife with you. And after thinking things over, I'm going to be getting married to Akal soon." Lacey turns her head slightly to Alduin, curious about what she is about to hear. "Last night, she gave me an offer that I can't refuse, and all I'd have to do is marry her. Being in such a powerless position, I did something I shouldn't have, and now I've done something bad to you." Lacey sighs, letting her shoulders fall. She turns around and walks back over the table setting her food down.
They eat in silence. Alduin may have explained himself but that doesn't mean that there's no awkward tension left. Lacey could feel his guilt, it was so bad he couldn't even look her in the eye. Where was the warrior that felled thousands? He'd practically shrunk into his seat. It was, sad or pitiful? Perhaps it was both, but all that could be said for sure is that things changed in the house after that night. Just like things are changing all over the world. Yes, there is war, but no one knows the horrors that await them in the future. Well, everyone except Sebastian.