The time didn't pass half as much as he thought, with around 20 minutes before he needed to meet her at the town fountain.
'It's a good job that I left the dress last night—otherwise, it would be too late! She's going to be so beautiful...'
Lucifer felt amazing in his new outfit.
The feeling of Fallon's dirty paths being repelled by the enchantments on his clothes felt nice.
Even in his past life, dirt and dust ruined so many of his outfits, but it also made him wonder about the limits of their resistance to dirt.
'What about blood, food or even wine?'
These were the mundane thoughts going through his mind as he passed the inner gate to the town and gave the nod to the guards.
It wasn't Jeff or Mike at the outer or inner gate tonight, so he passed quietly.
He could hear the late evening workers and wives packing their things, muttering and gossiping about him with his enhanced hearing which made him feel good.
"Oh, my~ look at that handsome boy in the fancy black tunic."
"Fufu', do you think he will meet his lover?" Another lady whispered, picking up the heavy box of unsold fruit and loading it into the shop door.
"Well, with that face, I wonder how many young maidens want to be his lover?"
"Oh my~ the impure, so impure magret!"
"If I were 30 years younger, he could make me impure all night! Gyahahaha!"
He smirked at their words, remembering that women tended to be just as perverted as men, but they handled it far better and more discreetly.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Lucifer felt he must have been on the uglier side in his past life, but even the image of his face was blurred when he tried to remember.
It felt like something was slowly erasing the past, Lucifer—he was slowly becoming this new Lucifer and embracing his second life as a vampire.
He walked past the blacksmith and saw the church and adventurer's guild before his body stopped moving.
His body was frozen solid as images of two lives overlapped, one a fantasy-like world with a beauty standing beside a fountain feeding some cute red birds.
The other is a more modern world with a beautiful woman sitting on the stone fountain and feeding pigeons.
'eh...'
Both women looked at him with a brilliant smiles that could make the sun blush and hide in inferiority.
Lucifer felt both pain and excitement in his chest as it began to beat rapidly.
Ba-dump Ba-dump Ba-dump
The memories were on his tongue, her name, face, eyes...
Yet the only name and face that came to mind.
Was Gwendolyn.
'It can't be a coincidence...'
'Did the gods allow me to meet you once again?'
'Alicia.'
Lucifer remembered his wife's name as memories of their passionate years flooded his mind while he stumbled towards her.
His shiny black shoes were now slightly dirty as the polish faded from dragging the dirt and stones as he reached out.
[Gwen's Side]
Gwen sat with a gentle smile as the birds fluttered away, eating all the feed she had while looking back at the handsome man looking at her with a strange look.
Something she had never seen in her life...
Yet it was nostalgic...
She saw affection, passion, lust, fear, loss, and despair all in the mere passing of a few moments before images she couldn't understand flashed in her mind.
A strange world where magic didn't seem to exist, a handsome older male with piercing blue eyes and soft blonde hair.
He was a little bit chubby, but under the fat were powerful muscles, and his caress made her feel like the most precious woman in the universe.
...
'It's funny that both men are called Lucifer...'
'No... He said Argentus! It's him! That handsome face... the strange world...'
'My name? I don't know...'
Her body stood from the Fountain, her beautiful red velvet dress like that of a noble with a low collar and soft black cotton shawl.
She didn't understand why he seemed in so much pain, his hands reaching for her, yet something inside screamed.
To hold him and take his hand!
'Mmm... I was going to without your shouting.' Gwen scolded the hysterical voice, gently wrapping her white-gloved hands around his.
His body stepped forward, almost falling, before wrapping her in his arms—the sense of security and warmth caused her chest to feel full.
If the date were to end here, Gwen would be happy!
A feeling of bliss washed over her—she looked up at his ruby eyes, feeling that the face of this young vampire and the man she married were identical.
Unlike him, her memories were fragmented, rather than being able to conclude it to be true.
'It would be nice if he was my husband in our past life and chased me here once again...'
'My lovely vampire~ fufu, even when my face and body are scarred... You still want me?'
No, she remembered the first memory of meeting him in that strange world, even then she was full of wounds and scars, couldn't speak or even understand him...
'Ah... You were always so gentle and loving, weren't you?'
'Even if this is but my selfish dream.'
'Lucifer...'
'I cannot let you go now.'
'My heart is set on you.'
A golden ring flashed around her eye momentarily, just like the strange woman with wings in her fragmented memory.
Followed by her face becoming more affectionate and filled with a slight hint of obsession as her arms wrapped around his back tightly, grabbing onto him.
"If this is not a dream, then Lucifer, please accept my love and become my beloved."
[Back to Lucifer]
For a woman to confess this way was seen as crass and vulgar to most believers of Celestia, but for Lucifer, who was immersed in both the past and present feelings.
Their eyes, lips, face and atmosphere.
She was her. He was convinced.
So the moment he heard those words from her lips, he did not speak but lifted her chin with his thumb, stroking across her cheek with his fingertips as her shiny red lips glistened in the last moments of sunlight.
The distant sounds of bars and restaurants slowly opening for the evening shifts are accompanied by the shuffling of feet.
In the crowd, Mike and Jeff were with the blacksmith about to hit the cheap alehouse when they saw the sight.
"Gwendolyn... I cannot imagine a life without you waiting for me to come home or standing beside me."
"Whether the gods ordained us to meet once again, or it is a mere accident."
"I will make you mine; you will never escape this time—even death shan't take you from me!"
Lucifer stood still for a long time, staring into Gwendolyn's eyes before gently wrapping his arms around her slender frame.
There was no hesitation in her embrace, only warmth and tenderness.
His lips sealed hers as if something destined to happen; their bodies both felt a strange sense of "completion" when they kissed again, different from their past kisses.
It felt magical...
Was it their memories, destiny or his awakening that triggered this? Lucifer didn't care...
His mouth opened to taste the delicious sweet tongue of Gwendolyn better, no longer seeing them as different Alicia was Gwen, and Gwen was Alicia. They would both be his most precious women.
He drank greedily from her lips as she indulged in his flavour, tasting him like she had been dying for weeks.
After a few seconds of passionate kissing, they finally broke away.
"My beautiful lady, the time is ripe. I should much like you to join me for the evening. There is much to do," Lucifer said, taking her hand in his.
"And what exactly might that be?" she replied.
"Oh, my lovely maiden, we must have a drink and meal first." He gave a wink, offering his arm like a gentleman, as she wrapped both arms around his right arm, hooking his arm like in the memories with the older human Lucifer.
Slowly the pair holding each other with an affectionate aura oozing from their bodies walked towards one of the more expensive restaurants in the town while Bernard, Jeff and Mike stood with shocked faces.
"He went for it, aye... Good on ye, laddie." Bernard smiled at the happy face Gwen, feeling like his granddaughter finally got her happy moment.
The two guards were the same as if seeing their older sister marry; at first a bit angry, but the man she held onto was such a nice lad—he helped them carry the wolves slain in the forest and donated most of the edible meat to the guards when he returned from his hunts.
"I'm glad for them both—I hope they can get married without issue." Jeff thought, remembering Lucifer was a vampire.
"Mmm, but there is always Lupera."
Bernard took a sip of his silver hipflask, a bitter smile as she watched them vanish.
"Aye, it will be sad to see er' go."
"What do you mean, Bernard?" Jeff asked with a curious tone.
"Do you think a lad of that calibre would stay here? That boy is destined for great things... His spear mastery and will to improve are beyond anyone I know—somehow, I think he will take Gwen to where she should be... As the prince-- The wonderful woman she is...."
The moment Bernard slipped up, Jeff giggled with a fun smile patting Bernard on the back while they began to bicker.
However...
"So you seek to return... Oh, Princess... How foolish you are..." A dark, gruff voice, nothing like the usual camp voice of Michael, sounded in a whisper.
Michaels's face frowned, a glowing communication sigil in his right hand slowly fading into particles of light before he rushed to catch up with Jeff and Bernard with a smile, joining in their debate.