[Novel] Beaches of Innocence

[nathanialroyale]

Title: Beaches of Innocence
Prompt: 'Do you love ___?'
Rating: (PG-13)
Content Notes/Warnings:

Based Around this Song - In this Moment ~ Scarlet

Warnings: None

Main Character/s: Nilec, Quele, Nathanael Quele
Plot:  Sometimes love is not that simple.
Location: The Coast of Navarre, Camarian Empire.

-

"Do you love him?" the ten year old tilts his head, allowing the sand to fall through his fingertips. Nathanael’s sister stills at the simple question, her bone thin digits dragging over the driftwood. It had been a quiet day of discovery, her brother’s agoraphobia conquered so as to allow them to explore the coast.

Time drags as Nilec’s psyche is assaulted with what the question asks. Swamped by the joyful laughter of the vampire she professed to being engaged, but love was never written into this script. Nathanael’s hand reaches out toward the rumpled form, but before sickly hands can brush the surface of sweater draped skin, the answer is finally said.

"….It is more complicated then that, little brother," Nilec’s pine greens slip from ocean expanse to face the youthful boy with a pulled, tired smile. "I know he wishes I could." Love him.

But before the next question,'Why can you not love him?' is spoken by the child, Nilec webs their fingers between them.

"This is not a time for sadness, little brother. There will be enough of that in days to come. Go on now, say hello to the sea."

The ten year old’s brows are furrowed, un-natural ice concerned but he nods unfurling at last seeming to realize he would get nothing more from Nilec. There were words on the tip of her tongue, apologizes for her vague answers, for the lies that she spun like a web, and so much inward hatred. The Seer just smiles that broken slip of lips that hides the malice and discontent, lying to everyone, even herself.

Nilec now that she had told Nathanael of his future, is a boy, who even so young, knows the future would strip him of everything. It would drive the Prince insane and push him toward that cliff that the Gods had planned for him. Nilec was just one of many who had to give him a forward shove.

"I do not love him, not because I hate him," Nilec whispers as Nathanael giggles, splashing in the aqua waves. "I do not love James because of what I must and I will do to him, for the actions they demand of me against him." It was not demanded by the Gods that Nilec Quele ever feel love, it was demanded, however, to control, to shape, to push and to bleed.

What were the uses of apologizes and hate when nothing would ever change? There was a terrible, simple acceptance in knowing your life was destined by fate.

I, I am the misery you crave
And you, you are my faithful enemy
This hunger seems to feed on me
A sacred sin, a dying breed
And we risk everything

They can never know just what we’ve done
They can never know just what we’ve done
They will never know all the blood we’ve shed
The scarlet cross we bear until the bitter end
And they, they can never know just what we’ve done

Nilec refused to love what she had been ordered to destroy.

But the world would live on, saved, so what was the bleeding of two simple souls to the fate of a world?

Nothing.
Nothing at all.