Ymir heard her name being called but she felt groggy and out of energy. Her complexion as a soul jad worsened these days. Anyone seeing her thought of her as some evil spirit.
She could careless as her eyes felt heavy and limbs nimbled, she barely moved her head to show her aknowledgement to her name being called.
"Ymir, you are granted of one day and one night," the underworld agent read the decree monotonously, "But you must pay the price for it.
If you decide to proceed. We will wipe off everyone's memories of you, everyone except that person as soon as you enter the mortal world once again as we can not take risk of any abnormality," Ymir listened without answering, showing no objection. The underworld agent suddenly showed a look of sympathy, but it only lasted for a second and then his monotonous voice rang once again, "And as you leave behind the mortal world once again, the person won't remember you as well. Every single memories related to you will be wiped off."
Ymir looked up, her soul had already turned grey quite a time ago. If she doesn't accept this offer her soul might turn into a vengeful spirit all along and would not be allowed to enter the cycle of reincarnation ever again.
But she had no reason to deny this offer, "I could not ask for more," She smiled in self blame, her eyes creasing as the image of the person she loved so dearly flashed across her mind once again,
"After all I just want to see her living a life she would not regret. And if she remembers me, she may not be able to leave behind the regret or sadness."
The underground agent, long prepared for such answer nodded, "Very well. Prepare to descent to the mortal once again, Ymir. Your time begans from now."
A light blined the vision of Ymir and before she could answer she found herself cushioned by something soft.
Her head had never felt such softness, afterall the pillows given to them as soldiers were very hard.
"Y..y..YMIR!"
Ymir froze and inhaled the familar scent of the person she had on her mind day and night.
Historia still smells like sun and the herbs that Ymir had found when she was a child, a herb that could heal all sort of injuries, a saviour indeed.
"Ymir! Is that you? Or am I dreaming yet again?"
"Ah!", Ymir pulled back from her thoughts and finally looked up.
It was early in the morning. Historia still hadn’t gotten up from the bed. Her clothes were slightly messy, and bedhair was even messier. But the sun had fallen perfectly on her skin, making her glow like a little sun.
"Historia...."
Historia's eyes glisten and lips quievered before she could voice out, "It is you!"
Ymir, like a person struck with love, that she was, just repeated, "It is I."
Tears brimmed, threatened to fall down from Historia's eyes as she touched the face that was now laying on her chest, ever so gently, "How could this be true. I must be dreaming this from missing you so much day and night. After all how could you be in my arms, when you had left me behind."
Ymir panicked, eager to explain, "No! Historia I..."
Historia suddenly sobbed harder and threw her hands on the other's shoulder, punching her but without any force behind it, only grief leaving her voice, "How could you do this to me! You said you would live for yourself. But you didn't.
And then...and then," almost as if her voice was taken away she gulped down the sob and whispered, "and you always said that you wanted to marry me..."
Eyes tearing and jaw clenching so hard, Ymir felt herself breaking down. She could no longer hide the pain, "I want to. I want to, I want to, I want to, want to, I want to, I want to, want to, I want to, I want to, I want to marry you so bad. I want to marry you, love you and mostly, I want to call your name everyday, every moment and I have called for you for so long," a pause and she let it out, "That I came here, to you."
Historia batted her long eyelashes, trying to clear away her vision to look at the other.
The other was still lying down on her body. Ymir's hand was firmly gripping her shoulder and face buried on her neck, a soft touch could be felt.
The tears of the other person trickled down to Historia's shoulder and the soft voice speaking to her was gentle and full of longing.
"My dear Historia, can I be selfish once again, and ask your hand in marriage, once again?"
"Ymir!" Historia whispered loudly, her neck flushing almost in embarassment but also because the other's touch felt ticklish.
Ymir pulled away and locked eyes with her, "Will you reject me?"
"No!" the words left her lips even before she could think of a answer, "Never! I have never rejected you."
Ymir stared at her for the longest time but Historia could not take her eyes off of her as well. Ymir was just like how she was, two years ago, when she had left her behind.
Whereas Historia had changed alot in two years. Her hair felt different, her voice sounded different. But her eyes was that of how it had been, always.
"I thought when you would read the letter I can be at peace and leave the mortal world behind. But my one and only regret, I could not forget it no matter how much I tried. In order to save me from becoming a vengeful spirit, they granted me this one wish."
A surprise emerged in the blue eyes, "You...you are telling me this is reality? Is it really happening? You are in front of me and I'm not dreaming?"
"How could that be...after all I can touch you and feel you," Ymir touched the strand of blonde hair and gently braided it with her own hair.
"Historia, I want to marry you. Come with me and free me, will you?"
"Yes. The answer will always be yes, to you." Historia wrapped her arms around the other and embraced her tightly, wanting to never let go again.
"Last time I let go of you, you vanished from my life. All these days, I can not remember a night where I hadn't dreamt of you, helplessly begging you, to call my name. Call it again."
Ymir returned the embrace and called her name with a clear ripple,
"Historia, my dearest."
The embrace seemed to have lasted for a lifetime or maybe for a fleeting moment.
.
"Why must we sneak out! I'm the Queen you know!"
Ymir looked at the guard who was bored out of his wit and tsk-ed.
"How could these weak ass guards could protect the royal queen if something were to happen?" she thoight to herself though answered to the other, "Well it is precisely because I don't want the others to think the queen has gone crazy from the work load. So crazy that she had summoned her lover back from death to marry!"
Historia felt blood rushing to her face, her ears felt hot, "L-l-lover..."
"How can she be so cute still..."
Ymir peeked at her and pinched her cheeks slightly before grinning, "Ready your majesty?"
"Hu?"
"Now! Let's sneak away before the guards get aware of your absence!"
Ymir held Historia's hand tightly and easily escaped from the palace. They were both trained soldier and Ymir had previous experience of sneaking away so this wasn't any difficult task for them.
"Now to the hardest part!"
Historia huffed loudly and looked up, "And what is that?"
Ymir gave her a mischievous smile, "Stealing away the wedding clothes!"
"We can not!"
"We absolutely can! Come with me!"
The sun above shone brightly and Ymir's tanned skin seemed to be glowing under it, Historia was captured with the sight of it and without even realising she had already followed the other's footsteps.
.
"You thieves! Get back here! Return me my clothes!" The salesman fused and decided to let the guards know about the two teenage girls before seeing a gold hairpin being left behind at his desk.
"Oh!" The salesman expressed his surprise as he couldn't understand why the two girls would run away like that when they had left behind way too much payment for the two clothes.
How do you explain this?
Holding the hand of your beloved, dashing forward on the street, feeling your breaths shortening, your chest tightening, smile threating to escape your lips; the feeling of doing something mischivious with your partner whom you can trust your life with, ignoring the eyes of the crowds, moving toward unknown; how do you explain the nature of this sense of freedom, as the wind hits your hair and makes your vision so blurry that you can only see the sight of the person who is running along with you, wearing a white wedding gown?"
What silly secret keepings! Ymir will never know that they never stole the wedding gowns actually and Historia will never know that she won't ever remember this person again in this life.
.
"Are you tired from all the running?", Ymir gave her a look of challenge and Historia returned boasting, " Even though you had given me your spot, I was still listed on the top 10, don't look down on me hmph!"
Ymir laughed out, "Then polish your skill again your majesty and lets go to the mountain to tie our knots!"
.
Historia doesn't know how they finally got to the mountain. All she can remember is the voice of Ymir, the laugh of Ymir, the eyes of Ymir, the touch of Ymir and Ymir only. If anyone were to ask her now what color was the sky, she probably won't be able to answer at all.
Two years of yearning, and finally she could see this person again.
"Here you go! I made this flower crown to match with your veil! Let me put it on you, come here." Ymir affectionately pulled the other closer, to stand face to face.
Heliotrope
As Ymir put the crown on her head she spoke gently, "When I was young, a person had come to me and told me that they offered me this flower because it means devotion and eternal love. I don't know meaning of any other flowers except this and I believe I don't need to. This is perfectly befitting."
Slowly tears trickled down Historia's face as she grabbed the hem of the others dress, "When you say eternal, do you really mean it?"
Without the slightest hesitation Ymir offered, "I mean it."
"Historia, this is my wedding vows to you", Ymir exhaled the deep breath and took the other's hand, sliding the ring made of the same flower,
"As you stand before me, wearing a white gown, ready to be my wife; I present you the flower of devotion and eternal love, as a promise that I will come back to you, as long as you want me to; and I will marry you again and again, no matter how many times I am given a chance or two.
And this is the only thing that I am so sure of, that I will never regret about and this is something I will come back to fulfil over and over again.
I will love you regardless of your name, identity and appearance, regardless of who I am or what I become. I will love you in your every version for I know I am, who I can be standing in front of you.
I am eternally your wife."
A breeze swept by, taking away the stream of tears with the force. The white heliotrope ring seemed to have blosommed at its highest, resting on Historia's pale skin.
Ymir looked at the crying beauty, as the sun shone on her, her tears akin to pearl glistened and her blonde hair shone like gold threads, Historia in the white dress seemed like a god who had descended all of a sudden.
Historia as holding the hands of the other and putting on the flower ring she made tediously spoke nasally, "Ymir...I am not good with words but I've always wanted to marry you as well, no less than how much you have wanted.
I wanted to be your partner, I wanted to be called by you. Everyone has called me by my real name yet I didn't feel like I was ever called.
I missed your presence more than ever and when I read that letter, I too regretted, not marrying you when we had all the time of the world. But I guess we were too young," she looked up at the other with a smile that perfectly blended with the tears streaming from her ocean like eyes. It reflected the sun as she continued,
"This wedding vow is to you, Ymir, the person I wanted by my side for a lifetime.
I am yet young and foolish. I don't know what the meaning of marriage and love is.
But I do know, I wanted to embrace you, I wanted to see you smile, I wanted to hear your voice, always and forever.
I knew, from the very first moment I saw you, that you are someone I will always want to look up to.
And while I thought I had the lifetime to tell you everything, you were taken away from me.
Ymir, I could never be me, if I hadn't meet you and I know I am who I am because I have loved you.
I always want to be at your side because I feel myself the most when I am with you.
I feel my heart clenching as I call your name and as I tell you this, Ymir, your wife Historia, will always remember you regardless of how many times or lifetimes passes between you and me beacause I love you, I will always do."
A tug at heart and a pull in the hand, the lips that waited to meet, finally met.
Kiss, perhaps is the confession of soul.
Ymir had to bow her head slightly to capture the other's lips on her. It was soft and it had the taste of sweet cake she had tasted a long, long time ago.
It was the first time she had tasted something sweet and this kiss was the last time.
Historia felt her breath unable to leave, as she was being kissed so dearly. The soft touch of Ymir's lips and cool touch of her tongue inside her mouth left her unable to breath. She could only shed tears of contenment as she felt like she finally found her soul once again, that had left her two years ago.
Historia didn't know what was ocean, but if Ymir had to explain, she would tell her that it was of the color of her eyes and it tasted like the sweet kiss they shared mixed with the tears.
They pulled away and panted heavily locking eyes, "My wife is so beautiful," Ymir blabbered out, watching Historia getting redder from embarassment.
"The sun has been set. Ymir, let's go back to the palace?" Historia looked up at the other eagerly.
Ymir smiled, with a hint of melancholy, "But I want to see the stars with you tonight and tell you about everything of my life. I will cut open my heart for you to look at my wound" She touched the others cheeks and put their forehead together, their nose almost touching, "I want to whisper the words of love to you and also..."
Historia eagerly waited for the other to utter the words but it was still left unsaid. So she asked, "Also what?"
Ymir flushed red and whispered, "Also want to kiss you more."
Historia felt her heart racing and ears getting warmer.
"Me too. I too, want to."
The long night passed at a glance as Ymir told Historia about the world and life she had on the other side of the wall, that was more than half a century ago. She also told her about everything she experienced in these two years.
Historia listened to her, with amusement and told her everything she also experienced in all these days after they were separated.
However, beyond the words of sadness they shared warmth and words of their desired future, with each other, of the life they each dreamt of.
Ymir listened and looked at the glimmer of the other's eyes, unable to tell her that actually it was the last time they could be together, like this.
A talk of lifetime, could not hold a night back. The night passed in a blink of an eye.
As they watched the sunrise together, Ymir gently soothed the others, "You are tired, why don't you close your eyes and sleep for a while?"
Historia let a yawn out and saw the other opening her arms.
She threw herself on the other's embrace and let herself be indulged in the Ymir's sweetness as she held her tightly.
Ymir held her against her bossom, wanting to never let go.
.
It was finally the time, for Ymir to go back to the underworld as promised. She saw herself disappearing slowly as her beloved laid on her arms.
She kissed the other's temple for the last time and whispered, "I love you, my wife, Historia. Live well and forget about me."
.
"Your majesty! You are the only royal blood left! How can you lie down here like this, in a mountain! What would we do if something were to happen to you?"
Historia looked at the head of the guard saying something to her she couldn't hear.
She just found herself in a wedding gown lying on top of the mountain and feeling immense pain on her chest, she felt like a chunck of her heart was taken away.
She couldn’t hold back the tears no matter how much she tried, and found herself holding a ring made of a unknown flower like a precious jade.
.
A girl, wearing a white wedding gown, walked at the path of reincarnation as a Carnationsflower ring had blossmed in her fingers; the color pink was vibrant and looked beautiful, matching with the smile she had on her lips all the time.
_End_