June 9, 2084, 09:00
The iron elves kingdom
Evdokia smiles when she sees where he's waiting for her. She walks a little faster the few miles left between them, taking long strides across the brick floor, a bouquet of red roses cradled in her arms.
The wind blows softly her way, it's refreshing, she thinks.
"good morning, love." She hands him the roses, and she knows he likes them even if he pretends he doesn't.
"how have you been? I've been well. " she says, and she waits silently, allowing him to speak.
She imagines she can hear him speak. She does her best to keep her face composed. She'd rather not cry, but she breaks that way.
She chuckles through tears. "look at you, making me cry and shit." She smiles as she stares at him.
She wipes off her tears, wanting to present herself to him at her finest.
"Uncle Cilia is doing better, although, the doctors have said we shouldn't expect much, his time is coming soon." She has her lips stretched out in a thin line. She exhales heavily as she looks up at the sky along with him, her fingers fidgeting with a daisy flower she picked up on her way to him.
"Ah, I also visited the Atlantic empire last week, Ira is saying hi, apologies, king Ira." She lets out a fainted laugh, "it's crazy how much has changed ever since we first came back, am I right?"
This have really changed much from the time they first came back till now. Between fights that took place, and the peace they've taken oath to fulfil. Not so long after the moonfolk's where back on the surface, Thomas took his own life and Ivar died shortly after that from the pain of his loss. Evdokia thinks he didn't deserve any or this pain, but she could do nothing to stop it from happening.
After Ivar's death, the clans went into shambles and fell into never ending fights that affected them greatly, and they've lost lives more than they could count by the time they realised how fucked up things have gotten to. They're still recovering from this war up until this day, but Evdokia never shied away from offering her help in getting them back up on their legs, and they gladly took it.
As for the moonfolk's kingdom, it took rebuilding the sky castle about two years, then it was all set for the official coronation of Evdokia. It wasn't as happy as she wished it was. No. Not when he wasn't on her side when the crown settled perfectly on her head, where she likes to believe the slope from his neck till his chin fits the most.
The Atlantic empire stayed as strong as ever, connections between the two kingdoms as close as it can get, especially now that Ira has taken the throne, his father believing it was about time for him to take a step back. Ira met a siren at one of the balls his father hosted, and now they're expecting their fourth child. Third girl.
As for YuNing, well, he settled in amongst on of the fairies lands, the closest to the sky castle as he was a regular visitor. He started learning more about magic with every passing day that they've become the most famous wizard in their lands. Evdokia guesses it runs in his blood. Around ten years ago, he happened to meet a woman of his kind, a fairy that rose from the ashes and became a phoenix. They held their wedding in the sky castle, where Evdokia insisted she would present the wedding herself. It was one of the happiest years of her life since they came back. She never forgot to bring over a red rose with her as he wouldn't miss this.
Ufuk has found his parents home and joined the Archura nation before the end of the year twenty twenty one. He was the first of them all to settle down and find his place.
Valodya is still beside Evdokia the entire time always and forever taking care of her. He does allow her some privacy when she comes to see Jean.
"YuNing's third child should be born by tomorrow. Honestly though, the family image fits him a lot more than I expected. " she chuckles to herself. "you should see Ira's wife too, her belly is starting to look like she's giving birth to an actual octopus. "
She still expects a laugh on his behalf, even if it has been seven years, she still doesn't think she'll ever get used to how empty her side is without his warmth.
"I should get going now." She says, after thirty minutes of keeping him company and talking about all the things that he missed from her last visit, "I'll see you again soon, my darling. You'll be waiting for me till then, right, Jean? Jeanie?" She snorts at the ridiculous nickname he acted that he hated but deep down she knew he liked being called it by her.
A subtle whistle of wind finds the roses bouquet and blows one of the roses at her chest.
She smiles.
"I'll take that as a yes." She kisses her finger tips and places them at the tombstone, where his name is carved by her own hands and dagger.
She thought at this point she'd take his hand, intertwine their fingers and walk away together into the sunset. But he never held her hand back. She imagines he does as she dusts herself off and looks at where he's lying beneath the dirt.
She wonders how can someone have such a grip on her heart. How she has allowed herself to become this weak.
But oh no, she let him win, she let him in and win her heart, and that's on her. But she wouldn't have it any other way.
Jean was her first and he was her last. And Evdokia believes as he died for her, she would burn good for him.
*
The end