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fancifulflora · 10 months

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Forgetting the Sky (Sahara Cizîrî x Rêzan)

I've been real busy w life and character studies that I've neglected this for too long. In the spirit of wanting to clean out my to-do list I'm gonna grind to finish this (though I have gotten a lot of progress here and there). It's a writing trade with @galpalaven and I hope that both they and you enjoy it dear reader lol. Also, forgive me, my characterization might be a lil rusty since it has been an on-and-off project for a while,,,))) Edit: forgot to tag the actual blog of the game lmao @ataleofcrowns

Rêzan looked up toward the large, blue expanse that stretched out over the palace and beyond. Not a single cloud was in sight today. And, from the fluttering of his dark locks, there was a chilly breeze in the air.

The Lord Sorcerer could hear the birds chirping away on this day. They freely sang their songs without a care in the world, filling up the afternoon with their music somewhere off in the distance.

It was beautiful.

But it was also so, terribly dreadful.

It felt like months- no- years had passed without a single drop of rain. Without the rainy season, the agricultural regions of Arsur would suffer. They did suffer. Impoverished farmers who were not able to afford the pricy assistance of magi to help irrigate their crops were held behind by the manual labor of digging canals to drain what they could from the rivers.

The very Spirits themselves seem to grow restless, weak even, and priests from all over the country were petitioning for assistance from the Crown.

His Crown.

All at once.

He wished he could do more for her. He'd wanted nothing more than the ability to relieve the responsibilities weighing on her shoulders in their entirety, but he couldn't. He had already done everything in his power to assist as is.

The Lord Sorcerer had recruited magi from the various schools across the empire to help with the water crisis. He made sure to send aid to the priests and helped organize the petitioners so that not a single moment of his love's time would be wasted. Hours were spent in his office, combing through records and books for a cure of some kind or a reason for the sudden lack of water.

His body ached at the mere recollection of the endless work he had been doing to help his Crown.

Yet, nothing ever truly felt enough. A feeling that was all too familiar to the magus, even after all these years of successful, faithful servitude in his position.

Sahara didn't even notice when he had knocked, Rêzan waiting a moment before letting himself into her chambers.

It was an absolute mess.

There were piles of scrolls and tomes scattered around the room, maps, and missives draping themselves across the sitting pillows and huddling together at the end of her bed.

Her bedroom resembled the inside of a mercenary's tent rather than the resting place of the Crown of Arsur.

With her back turned to him, Rêzan took slow and quiet strides toward her. The magus paused, checking to see if she would take note of his presence.

Silence.

Just the scribbling of her pen to fill the air between them.

Moving in, his delicate fingers locked together over her face, covering her eyes. The Lord Sorcerer could feel his Crown tensing under his touch, then relaxing upon recognizing his familiar presence.

The sudden gasp that escaped her made his heart skip a beat or two, the smile dancing on her lips pulling at the corner of his own.

"Did I surprise you, beloved?"

"You- you constantly surprise me, my love," she replied in return, her heart slowly returning to a normal rate. The endearment directed towards him rolled off her tongue so naturally- so easily- that it made the tips of his ears turn red. He averted his gaze turned from her, finding himself unable to meet her eyes as his own found their way to what she had been working on.

A letter. A rather strongly worded one at that.

"Oh, were you writing to the Mîrs?"

Her hands moved to his, pulling them down and letting his fingertips rest against her shoulders. Lord Rêzan did his best to hold his tongue upon seeing the way his Crown's shoulders slumped at the mere mention of the Mîrs. It wasn't going too well it seemed.

"I'm afraid so. The reports from Marabad didn't appear to be consistent with the reports from the royal army we received yesterday. The situation in Penewar has apparently turned for the worse as well."

She pointed her finger accusingly at two open letters sitting on the far end of her desk, glaring at them as if the parchment had somehow managed to offend her personally. In a way, Rêzan supposed they did.

Looking back to his love, the magus took note of the Crown's weary eyes, her sunken cheeks beneath the glimmer of distilled sunlight that dusted her cheeks. Though there still was a shine to her face, her normally glowing features seemed dull and drained of life.

"Sahara?"

"Yes?“

"When was the last time you took a rest from your duties? Have you had anything to drink recently? Have you had anything to eat?" Worry laced itself throughout each and every question. From the way his grey eyes scanned up and down Sahara, she knew there'd be plenty more questions to answer unless she put an early stop to it.

The Crown whipped around in her seat, looking up to shoot the man an incredulous look.

"Rêzan."

He blinked at her raised brow.

"I…um. Have I said something wrong?"

"Surely, you, of all people are not in a position to be fretting over me with such questions."

Her pointed words stole a small chuckle from him. She certainly had a point there, that he couldn't deny.

The bags under his eyes were probably not making a very convincing foundation for his concern. The magus knew full well that he had little room to talk, the countless times Sahara has had to pry him from his work recounted in his mind.

Still, he couldn't help but be concerned. He was the Crown's Sorcerer after all, he could afford to push himself to his limits. It was his duty to. But his Crown? He couldn't allow her to do the same, he needed her to be alright.

Their whole country did.

Rêzan studied her gaze, the golden shine of her eyes melting away his anxiety ever so slightly. Deep down, he knew better. He knew of her strength, her resolve, and he knew of her capabilities. He also knew that, at the end of the day, Sahara could handle herself. His Crown, if anything, was resilient.

It was just one of the many qualities that he found so enchanting about her.

"Forgive me, my Crown," He leaned down, gently prying the pen from her hand. Fortunately for him, Sahara relented, her gaze following his movements as he slowly placed it to the side for emphasis. As if to put on a little show for her, the magus slowly raised her hand to his lips. Drinking up the beautiful red on her face and feeling rather emboldened, Rêzan brushed his lips against her bare knuckles. "I hope you will be able to indulge me, just this once."

There was a pause. Sahara pursed her lips a little.

"I suppose we both could use a break." Sahara relented, putting down her papers and stretching her limbs out. The emphasis on her words made it clear, however, that if she were to rest, then so would he.

An arrangement he was happy to agree to.

"Shall I ask for some refreshments then? The servants are just outside. Perhaps you would like something to eat, if I am to assume that you haven't already. It must have been-."

Sahara raised her hand to slow his words as she considered the idea for a moment. But after a long second of contemplation, she shook her head.

The Crown turned her attention from him, beginning to clear away her desk. "No, there's no real need to trouble them just yet, I do think I'd like to rest my eyes if I can, however."

Rêzan looked around to survey the damage his love had done to her room, "I believe that can be arranged…" His words trailed off as he made to help clear the rest of her chamber, moving to the center of the room and holding out his palms.

There was a flutter, a surge of energy through him. It was as if he had given life to the papers around the two of them, sheets flying around and falling into neat piles. Scrolls coiled themselves up once more, stacking atop each other, though he knew they would still need to sort them later.

For now, though, it would suffice.

"You really must teach me how you do that later," Sahara breathed in amazement, brushing past the magus and seizing the chance to lay on her now-restored mattress. The brief touch alone sent a small shiver down Rêzan's back, the magus feeling his face warm a little.

"Hmm… I suppose I could. It would simply depend on how your magic lessons are going."

The Crown gasped in mock offense while Rêzan made himself comfortable on a seat nearby her bed.

"My magic lessons are going perfectly fine, I assure you! …Unless," she hesitated, looking at him with slight concern and pulling her lips into a tight, small frown. "Did Perjin say otherwise in their reports to you?"

"What?" The idea seemed ridiculous to the Lord Sorcerer, "Not at all. I, however, am certainly pleased to see that you are aware of your impressive growth though."

Sahara groaned at that, earning herself a laugh from her Sorcerer. Unable to hide her face without losing some of the golden pigment to the pillows, she opted to switch the conversation instead. With a few scoots back, she patted the space in front of her in invitation. There was a noise that sounded reminiscent of a cough, her golden eyes evading the inquisitive look directed toward her.

"Will you not join me? Or did you intend on continuing to tease me from a distance like so," Her voice was soft now, almost inaudible.

"I was hoping you'd ask, actually," Rêzan shyly admitted, the confidence dying a little in his throat as he joined his love. His prior teasing seemed to have burned up what little forwardness he could muster now.

It was one thing to trade easy flirtations and teasing words across the room. It was even easier for the two of them to raise each other up with earnest compliments too.

But it was a whole nother thing to be so close.

They lay there for a while, neither daring to say a word, fearing what would happen should someone disrupt the peaceful bliss that blanketed them. The comforting silence hung there for a long moment, a welcome guest in the couple's eyes. And though the silent squeeze the Lord Sorcerer gave Sahara's hand spoke volumes, the peaceful silence remained, at least for a short while longer.

”Are you feeling a little better?“

The Crown squeezed his hand in response.

“Oh, most definitely, I must thank you for checking in on me. I think… I think I needed this.“

”I am glad to do it,“ He craned his head a little, gently pressing his lips against the top of her head. She was a balm in his arms, the Sorcerer feeling his very worries wither under her presence. The feelings of warmth Rêzan got from cradling her very sunlight in his embrace was one he found himself growing steadily addicted to over the years. ”Truly.“

The couple closed their eyes, their frames slotting together in perfect alignment. It felt like the very heavens themselves came to a standstill, all craning themselves to try and bear witness to the beautiful sight laid out before them.

No amount of filtered sunlight through the curtains nor candleglow could shine through their eclipse, the shroud of their dark hair shielding the other from the world outside.

Spirits, it felt like hours had dragged by, the magus almost dozing off when he heard the soft tones of his beloved's voice coaxing him back to reality.

Sahara had pulled back from him by then, turning over in her bed and staring up at the ceiling.

”My love? Did you hear me?“

”Hmm?“ he responded rather weakly, still a little weary from being denied a well-earned nap.

It took a long pause of silence before Sahara could find the words, and the strength, to continue.

”Do you…Do you think that we've done enough? That there will ever be an 'enough'?“

Rêzan didn't even have to ask to know what she must have been talking about.

The drought.

No matter how hard they'd try to forget, the drought would forever linger in the back of their minds. At least, until the situation was handled and the two finished doing their part for Arsur.

Both Sahara and him cared too much for their country, their people, to allow for it to be any other way.

Though he was naturally observant, Rêzan could easily hear that there was a pained twinge to her words through his time with her alone. The magus rubbed his eyes to refocus his tired gaze on the soft features of her face- the subtle droop of her expression reigniting his worry.

Sometimes, despite his best efforts, he found himself forgetting that she still wasn't completely accustomed to rule. Most days, her demeanor in court and amongst her advisors implied otherwise.

The level of vulnerability she'd show him every once in a while when it was just the two of them, helped to ground the magus back to reality.

Taking a slow breath, he turned onto his back, feeling the cool press of her bed shake the last vestiges of sleep from his mind.

”Are you having a crisis of faith, Sahara?“

It was her turn to laugh this time, albeit a rather weak one.

“Something like that, yes.”

His silvery grey eyes flicked over to Sahara for just a moment before he continued.

“Hmm. You know, I used to have a surprisingly great deal of faith when I was younger. Perhaps not the same type of faith one would have for the Spirits or fate and destiny itself, but in the world. Rather, my place in it, my abilities. Back then, I truly believed that I could do a great deal of good- that one day, I would.”

“Rêzan…”

He smiled at the concern in her voice, his love probably knew where he was going with this, but he continued nevertheless.

”I lost that when the previous Crown became lost to us. I was hopeless, aimless. But then one day… you arrived, caked in dirt and grime.“

“Not the best first impression, I take it.”

“On the contrary, you were radiant. From the very moment we met.“

The two couldn't help but share a look at the mention of their first meeting, the now nostalgic memory warming them from the inside out. His Crown pushed the side of her face against her plush pillow, keeping the hues of red hidden from his view.

Fortunately for her, Rêzan refocused his eyes toward the ceiling once more.

”You gave me purpose, Sahara. You reignited something I had long lost within me. And having spent all these years by your side, witnessing your strength in all its glory, supporting you and being supported, by you, in turn-“

Rêzan had said much, perhaps too much for one to handle at once, but he still felt the need to make his admiration for her clear within his heart- to leave no words left unsaid.

”I swear to you, my Crown, there is not a single soul in this world that I could say I have greater faith in.“

'My'.

It was a simple word, a subtle addition to their respective titles. Yet the power, the hold it had over the couple was unmatched.

The Sorcerer felt Sahara's slender hands cup the side of his face, his sun pulling him in, urging him to look at her.

That beautiful glow in her eyes was stronger, shining brighter through the watery tears that lined her eyes. Sahara was biting down her lip, keeping her emotions at bay as best she could. She leaned forward, their foreheads pressed together.

Then her lips brushed against his own.

She tasted like home, warm and comforting, sweet and safe.

”I apologize, I was rambling again, wasn't I?“ Rêzan laughed, pulling away from her delicate touch to speak and catch his breath. Though his words were faint, near inaudible, he didn't dare raise it in fear that his already weak voice would give out on him.

Sahara leaned back as well, the regained distance between them a mercy for the two reserved lovers.

Though the dark curtains of his hair shielded much of his reddened face from her, Sahara still caught a small glimpse of his beautiful expression.

His gaze was soft, his lips parted ever so slightly. The way he had met her golden eyes just then was worthy of a thousand different poems.

”Oh Rêzan, you know I adore how you ramble,“ Sahara breathed, once again pressing against his lips to sear her affection in his heart.

A low hum against her was the only reply she got from her beloved. As pleased as he was flustered to be so spoiled by the Crown's affections, Rêzan returned her lazy, slow kisses, letting each one linger before he'd seek out another.

”Beloved,” Rêzan breathed, burying his face against the nape of her neck and squeezing her tightly against him to hide from her.

“Yes?” Her breath was airy and light, the Lord Sorcerer doing little to hide the smile he got from hearing her sweet response.

“Have I successfully raised your spirits, Sahara?” A deep blush betrayed his act of confidence, the magus angled his head toward her. “Or shall I continue to sing your praises?”

Sahara looked down at her Sorcerer with an easy smile, finding the remnants of her colored balm on his lips fill her with a renewed flame.

“There is more for you to sing about?” She feigned a look out towards the window before returning back down at her beloved nestled against her. “Well, I'm certain we have more time before we have to get back to our duties, don't we? If you wish to continue singing my praises, then do go on.”

The moon looked at his sun, lips turning playful.

”As you wish, my Crown.”

#atoc #a tale of crowns #atoc creator trade #rozerîn/rêzan #sfw #Fluff #Drabble #this one has been cookin in my head and in my drafts #i know that there are annual floods that happen so just kinda made assuptions and ran w them #hopefully it still feels plausible lol #okokok so i know Sahara and R have this sun and moon dynamic and suffer from the 'and they were both bottoms' dynamic so #i like to think that they take turns being forward-nothing too extreme but enough to prop each other up #compliments passed back and forth...acts of service for one another #sahara is always there to rêzan work so its time for him to be there for her #god im high key proud of this #a month of stewing over ideas and though i normally write 2k max i did 3k worth of poetic romantic fluff #the title is the cutest ref to this pretty poem that was big inspo

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