A Renewed Bond
By Olemgar/rodrigulino
Story contains: Spoilers (Unicorn Overlord), Male/Female, Romance.
Year 908 of the Hallowed Chronicle
With Zenoira’s defeat by the hands of the Liberation Army
The continent of Fevrith was finally allowed a brief respite and a moment to heal.
Two years have passed since Alain was crowned the king of Cornia
And with it, came the responsibilities that accompanied such power.
All his time and effort were spent on the reconstruction of his kingdom,
alongside mutual support programs he conceived to help the surrounding nations with their own needs.
It was gradual, but the nations and their people were slowly recovering a modicum of normalcy to their lives.
With the help of King Gilbert, the tensions between Cornia and Drakenhold slowly became a thing of the past, the two nations becoming akin to sibling regions.
With the guidance of the elven twins, Rosalinde and Eltolinde, Elheim’s culture slowly shifted to one of coexistence with their neighboring human friends.
Alongside Scarlett and Pontifex Sanatio’s guidance, relations between Cornia and Albion improved, establishing a peaceful existence with the holy customs of the land.
And with many conversations and efforts with king Morard, the relations between humans and Bestrals were no longer ones of sheer distrust and hatred, but rather ones of newfound camaraderie.
Alain was hailed as the wisest and kindest ruler in generations. Bringing such change didn’t come from a mere whim.
And yet, he had barely time to himself. All his efforts in the past two years were almost completely devoted to the betterment of his people and friends, so his own needs were barely met, save for very brief breaks and rare visits of close friends.
And so, one day when he felt his mind slipping and was on the verge of exhaustion, Josef, his right-hand man, offered to take hold of all matters for a few weeks.
With suddenly with more time on his hands than he could ever hope to burn through, he suddenly remembered an old promise of his. One he had never forgotten, but never had found time prior to that circumstances.
And so, the king traveled under the guise of an ordinary merchant to the kingdom of Bastorias to the north, where he sought someone that mattered to him more than he could ever hope to put into words.
The one on whom he had bestowed the Ring of the Maiden.
___________________________
It was late at night. The stars shone above the white-covered lands that were Bastorias, the great kingdom of the Bestrals. It was the middle of summer, and yet the weather was just above what a southerner would call chilly, for that was the warmest of shifts one could hope for in a land known for its blizzards and harsh environments.
And yet, right now, Alain wouldn’t change this situation for any treasure in the whole world. He was bereft of his signature armor and weaponry, instead covered by simple coats and silks he had bought from some merchants back the capital of Cornia. His hair had grown a bit since the last time he came here, but besides that detail he looked just the same as all these years ago. His face was a bit flush from the cold, but due to the bowl of hot stew in his hands, he lacked for naught.
“By the Father! You have no idea how much I have longed to taste this once again. It has been far too long.” Alain brought down the wooden spoon to the warm bowl, taking another taste of the Fish Stew prepared just for him. “It brings back so many memories.”
“Indeed it does.” Ramona nodded, taking a spoonful herself. The Wereowl was wearing her usual purple robe, warming her up from the usual weather of the region and offering up some basic protection in the case of emergency. But above all else, it really accentuated the color of her feathers, the same way her glasses did for her beautiful eyes.
A couple years may have gone by, but she looked just as beautiful as when Alain first met her during the siege of the capital of Bastorias. In fact, she looked even more dashing now, taking a sip of her stew, her figure completely radiant amidst all the snow surrounding the area around them.
The two always tried to make time to meet up with one another, as they promised once Baltro and the Zenoiran souls had finally been put to rest once and for all. They got to meet up for a couple days here and there, but due to the duties for both sides, they could never remain for long. This was the first time since the end of the war that they had so much time to spend with one another.
When receiving the letter that Alain was coming soon, Ramona prepared in haste the arrangements for their little meeting. She found a secluded spot amidst the mountains, where none would disturb them and they could camp out in peace. She even prepared a camping tent for the night, to make sure Alain wouldn’t freeze during the cold evenings.
Now, they were sitting around a humble bonfire, each one sitting on top of a cut log across one another, while a pot boiled and prepared more of the stew for them both.
“Say, Alain, have things in the capital gone smoothly? I have heard about some of the complications you had with thieves trying to take advantage of the people still recovering from the long war.” Ramona asked while taking some more of the stew.
“Mmmm, that certainly has been a problem.” He took another sip of it before laying down the bowl by his side. It is sad that some people will still try to take advantage of one another after such a precarious era…” His voice was somber, but not completely so. “I’m just glad that the Rock Rats have since reformed and helped combat such threats. Although Bryce is in dire need of a new name for his band.”
“Hahaha! Come now, it is not such a bad name.” Ramona’s laugh echoed through the silent mountain clearing. “Aaaaaaah… I have missed this. We spend far too little time together, nowadays. I know you are busy with your kingly duties, but it still hurts having to wait so long for our little meetings every now and again.” Ramona leaned her arms back, leaning herself against the solid truck while puffing out her front feathers. An act that even Alain couldn’t help but blush at.
“Indeed, and I apologize for that. Josef tells me almost every day that I should take more breaks, and yet with so much to do, I would feel like an uncaring ruler if I were to step back when I’m capable of helping.” Alain sighed, leering into the sparkling bonfire. “Still, I am glad that I got to come here. Conversing with you never fails to brighten up my mood.”
“Oh stop. You will make my face blush at this rate.” She laughed softly once more.
And then, a bit of awkward silence permeated, without either of them knowing what to talk about next.
Ramona was grabbing the bowl to take another sip when Alain interjected. “How about Yunifi and Morard? I speak to them on the regular due to our kingly duties, but are they faring well during their vacant hours?”
“Oh, there is no need for concern. My daughter has been in great spirits ever since we returned from the war. The children love her and she treats them adoration, and Morard still devotes some time to spend with theatrics even after becoming king.” She smiled softly, reminiscing on the past years. “Alain. Just a couple years ago, I would have never imagined such a future for us. It is all thanks to you and the Liberation Army that we were granted this new life.”
Alain smiled. “You speak as if you were not a part of the army yourself.” A small giggle passed his lips. “You and the others worked just as hard as we did to bring peace to the land. If not for the Frostblooms and all those in Bastorias, we would not have won the war.” His eyes looked down to the fire, reminiscing. “If not for you, Ramona, we would most likely have lost that day.”
The day of the final battle was one of many dangers, and if not for the combined efforts of the Unicorn and the Maiden, they would have most likely fallen. The elves from Elheim had guided them to the Altar of the Maiden where they could secure the covenant to strengthen the rings and give them a fighting chance. But the covenant would only work if the wearer of the Ring of the Unicorn were to bestow the Ring of the Maiden to the one he trusted, no, cared for most. And that one was Ramona.
And yet, after the battle was over and they had to go their separate ways, Ramona had given Alain the ring back. It wasn’t the fact that the power within it seemed to have dissipated, but the fact that…
“I could say the same to you. If not for the Unicorn, we would have never struck down Baltro.” She answered back, avoiding the look on his eyes.
“No, that is not the case. If I had tried to make the covenant with anyone else but you, I feel like… I would have faltered.” His eyes darted back to her.
“Nonsense! I have seen your resolve, Alain. Even if I were not there, you would have still fought to save your people.” Ramona could feel his eyes on her.
“While I cannot deny that… I do not think I would have triumphed.”
“Huh?” Those words made her finally look at him again.
“While it is true that I was fighting with everything I got for Fevrith and my friends, during the battle, I suffered a dire stroke from Baltro.” Alain rested his right palm on his left arm, rubbing it a bit.
“I remember that. He hit you precisely on your arm and I remember you being about to faint. But what does that have to do with this?”
“...For a brief moment, when my consciousness was fading, I considered giving up.” Alain looked dejected, or perhaps frustrated.
Ramona remained silent. She… never knew that.
“But… When my mind was considering the benefits of just laying down and letting it all end… I saw you.” Alain’s ruby eyes met Ramona’s golden ones.
“M-Me?” She gripped some of the feathers on her legs.
“You rushed over to heal me. The moment I saw your face, that you were still with me there, I knew that I could not give up. If I were to, I would be leaving you alone to fight by yourself, and I hated the mere idea of it.” Alain stood up, heading towards the mature owl.
“Alain…” She could feel her cheeks blushing under her feathers.
Alain kneeled before her, getting into eye-level. “Ramona. While I did give you the ring because I thought we could build a better future together, that was not the single reason.”
“My Majesty, please…” She tried to protest, but she was stopped once she felt his warm hands engulfing hers.
“Ramona. I think of you more than just a great friend, or a trusted advisor, or a beacon of hope. No… Ramona, I love you with all my heart.” He professed it, not allowing his eyes to falter for a moment.
Ramona remained silent for a moment. She kept still, letting him hold her hands. “Alain, I…” Her words faltered. “As flattered as I am to hear this, you know as well as I do that this would not work.” Her words were heavy and her chest hurt by uttering them.
“And why is that?”
“For starters, I’m far older than you. You are barely over twenty while I’m nearing forty years old.” Ramona started.
“And yet you are a Bestral. Considering your average life span, we would most likely die around the same time, if the records are to be believed.” Alain answered.
“Still, I am sure there is someone out there much c-closer to your age than I am. Y-Your Scarlett friend, for example. You would not want to be tied down to someone as boring as me.” Her voice was heavy, yet she stumbled on a couple words.
“Haha. For as much as I cherish Scarlett, I do not view her in that light. She is a precious friend of mine, but I do not see her with the visage of a lover.” Alain smiled. “Not to mention, your age is no sign of shame. It is proof of your wisdom, something I still lack.”
“Even so, I am Bestral, Alain. Not only I am not sure if we could even procreate and allow your bloodline to succeed, but… t-there is also the stigma of a human king settling down with a Bestral, something never recorded in our history. T-That could jeopardize your reign!” She tried her best to stifle the hiccups surfacing.
“Ramona. Being Bestral is truly no different than being a human. We might have different physiology and customs, but at the end of the day we are still friends, are we not? If we can be friends, what is there to stop us from taking a step further? Besides…” He clutched her hands harder on his own.
Even though Ramona was fighting to keep looking at him, she could still feel his hands trembling. Shaking, out of fear. She looked up to him at last.
“...I cannot deny that I am afraid. I am afraid of what the future may hold and what it could do to try to separate us with all its might. And yet…” Alain’s voice wavered, and a tear formed around his eye. “If you were by my side, I would fight for this future to my dying breath. I would keep us together, safe, and above all, happy. With my words as king of Cornia, no, as Alain, I can swear you this much.”
“...” Ramona had no words.
“Ramona. Is there a reason you would rather not be with me? If the feeling is not mutual, then I will retract these words-”
As Alain let go of her hands, she immediately grabbed them back. The surprise caught him off guard, so when he looked up to see her face, he noticed all the tears falling down her eyes.
“Alain… Of course I do not. I just… It is just hard for me to believe you truly feel this way about me. I do love you. With all my heart. But… How can I believe I am allowed to find love and comfort after so long? Why do you feel this way about me?” Tears streamed down her face like a river, her voice was coarse and she was hiccuping repeatedly.
“Ramona. You are the kindest and most caring person I have ever known. You are both gorgeous and courageous. You helped so many people of Bastorias to keep on fighting until their moment of reconquest. You… are the most amazing person I know, Ramona. But above all, my feelings tell me, scream to me, that you are the only one. I want to be by your side, from now, until the moment we depart this world.” He forced up his legs until he was at eye level with her, before leaning his forehead against her. “I love you.”
If there was even a remnant of something keeping Ramona’s tears from falling, they had just been broken through. “I love you too, Alain…” She said and embraced the young man, hiding her head atop his shoulders and crying her heart out.
Alain reached his arms around and embraced her back. At that moment, right there. There was no Cornia. There was no Bastorias. There were only the two of them, so his own tears fell down, allowing himself to join the chorus that no one but them could hear.
__________________________
The moon illuminated the cloudless sky from far above, sharing its light for all the beings sleeping under it. But even at such an advanced hour, two people still remained awake, albeit not basking under its shine.
Alain and Ramona laid beside one another inside the warm tent, the human and bestral sharing the same blanket. Ramona’s feathers ruffled on Alain’s bare skin, feeling so soft and cozy. “You’re so warm, you know that?” Alain said, leaning his head against hers.
Ramona smiled. “Yunifi used to say the same thing when she was younger. Whenever a cold wind struck she would come to my bed and ask for us to sleep together. It felt nice, seeing her smile and snuggle against me at night. Hah, never thought I would ever do that again.” Her voice was soft, but this time it also brought some warmth and care with it.
“Well, I do look forward to many nights like this. Feeling you by my side while we drift to sleep.” Alain snuggled closer, resting his head against her shoulder.
“...Are we going to be alright? You have shown how much you love me, Alain, but what about nay-sayers? People are bound to oppose your choice. For a king to choose a bestral to his side…” Ramona clung to him tightly.
“We will surely face hardship, that is certain. And yet…” Alain looked into Ramona’s eyes. “I know we will be okay. We will carve our own way forward. Together. If we were able to defeat Zenoira, then surely some people complaining shall not be a problem. Don’t you think so?”
“...Yes. You are right. We will overcome this, so we can stay together.” Ramona looked back at him with a smile.
They both looked at each other with care and affection. Their love was bubbling and all-growing. Their faces approached one another, taking in more of their features and characteristics, until none saw anymore with their eyes closed. Alain’s lips met Ramona’s beak into a peaceful kiss.
The first kiss of a life full of love and happiness. One they would share together, not just as unicorn and maiden, but as two kindred souls, lovers till their dying breaths.
