Later, at Claire and Elena’s room in Fort Maria…

The lamps that once weakly lit the room in smouldering shades of yellow and orange had their fire crystals snuffed out, save for the one set upon a little table by the bed. It revealed upon the floor, under its dying glow of light that remained weak but true against the otherwise all-consuming darkness of its surroundings, another broken bowl stained with blood. And near it, two pairs of undergarments strewn haphazardly alongside a set of red cleric robes and a hooded red longcoat.

“Elena, I…”

With her heaving bosom tucked under the sheets of her bed, Claire lay defeatedly against her pillow as she averted the sight of her beloved mistress who lay next to her in this cramped bed usually meant for one. Instead, her brown eyes gazed tiredly and tearfully upon her darkened surroundings. That now, much to her own growing disgust, had her feeling perversely safe.

“Yeah, what’s up?” Elena asked in reply, as she smiled warmly at her beloved servant who continued to look away. “You’re feeling better now, I trust?”

“I love you, Elena, I…”

Elena smiled. And then, her elvish ears twitched and she frowned when she recalled a past conversation in this same room, and what those words could also possibly mean. Even so, there was nothing to apologise for. Nothing too serious, anyway.

“Love you too, Claire.”

With those words of Elena’s gracing her ears, Claire could not help but smile. And with her back still faced towards her mistress, she closed her eyes shut, letting the tears formed upon the sides of her eyes coalesce into teardrops that quickly flowed down her cheeks.

“Elena…? I can’t help but wonder…”

“Hmm?”

“Maybe, this isn’t worth it…”

“Huh?”

“You know what I mean,” Claire answered as she opened her eyes anew, her voice a quiet whisper into the darkness before her as she looked weakly towards the floor. “Look.”

Leaning in closer, with her chin still nuzzling gently upon Claire’s shoulder, Elena’s eyes followed the direction of her servant’s gaze, towards the pile of broken shards and bloodstains strewn upon the carpet.

“You should do the right thing, Elena…” Claire rasped tearfully, as her lips curled into a bitter frown. “And get rid of this broken, and unseemly thing that’s causing you so much trouble, and so many problems…”

“Never.”

“Why not?”

“You don’t have my permission to die, Claire.”

“Permission…?”

“You forgot?” Elena asked, her words gentle and soft as Claire shifted herself around so as to gaze into her mistress’s crimson eyes. “I hope not. I mean, you swore an oath to be by my side, no?”

“I did…”

“Yeah. And back then and there, you said it best yourself,” Elena added, smiling as she did. “Remember?”

“Without you… my life would have been forfeit…” Claire uttered slowly but coldly, tears rolling down her cheeks anew as her mistress embraced her. “And that… if the day comes when you don’t want me, I’ll just… ”

“I still want you, Claire.”

“But, I’m…”

“No buts,” Elena chided, as she gently pressed a finger upon her beloved’s lips. “I know damn well enough, what I want.”

“Elena, I…”

“Promise me, Claire.”

“Promise…?”

“Promise me like you did last time,” Elena said yet again, as both she and Claire gazed into the pain writhing in each other’s eyes. “Promise me… that you’ll endure this… no matter what. For yourself, and for the both of us, and for Anna…”

“Anna…”

Claire closed her eyes shut, placing a hand upon the undeathly coldness of her chest as the name of her little sister rasped tearfully from her lips. So much had happened, in recent times, and in a way it felt like the ties of her past were but a dream from another life, lost forever in another story. It had been far too long, since that little picnic at Purity Forest. And she remembered so lucidly, the monstrous chains, the ethereal flames, and the fiendish glow of the black heart of her little sister who had become Hellbourne. But also, her promise to her, that she would master it all for their sake. That someday, and somehow, she would be strong enough so that they could be family again.

“Yeah, Anna. She’s out there, working hard for you,” Elena added, both playfully and gently. “Now, you’ve got something of your own to compare. It’s a curse, maybe… but you can’t be slacking off now, eh?”

“Anna…” Claire rasped anew, her eyes still fixated upon her mistress’s despite the tears blotting out her vision. “For you, and for Anna, I’ll… bear this curse. Elicia willing, for all three of us…”

“Elicia willing, indeed! And with her as our witness, I’ll...”

Before Claire could shy away, Elena kissed her beloved upon her lips. Slowly, together, they exchanged one kiss after another, their tongues moving in to caress each other passionately and feverishly between kisses, as if held in a loving embrace of their own. And they did, for what felt like an eternity, as they held each other close within this cramped but soft space that the coldness of their naked bodies shared between each other.

“Elena…”

“No backing out!” Elena declared triumphantly when their lips finally parted, her own cheeks blushed a necromantic green as she beheld the bright red blushed upon Claire’s. “This promise you’ve made to me, is sealed with a kiss!”

“Sealed with a kiss…” Claire uttered slowly, tasting the words as they rolled off her tongue, before a smile formed upon her lips. “I like the sound of those words, my love.”

“Me too.”

“Do you… like those words more than what we just did?”

“I dunno, actually,” Elena teased, as Claire smiled playfully at her. “Let’s find out.”

It was with these words spoken between them, that in the darkness and for the rest of the night, they embraced and kissed with renewed fervour.