Chapter Text
Furina held her fiance’s hand tightly, bare hand against bare hand, trying to lose herself in the sensation of skin touching skin. Peruere, oh her dear Peruere, held on just as tight. Maybe trying to reassure Furina that everything would be alright, that they would be able to get out of this together, just like they had always done.
They would survive this crisis long enough for their wedding, at which they would finally be wives under Egeria and Fontaine’s law. Then the happy couple would go to the countryside, adopt as many children as their little house and big hearts could keep, and raise them to be people of good. And finally, they could grow old together, loving each other until death took them apart.
But Furina wouldn't lie to herself; that dream was out of reach. Death would not be the catalyst to their separation after the world gave them the mercy of being able to live a life together. What would break them apart was Celestia’s unforgiving hand.
The war between the Prince of Khaenri'ah and the heavenly principles promised to leave no one unpunished. No immortal or human would be left indifferent to this, the soon-to-be fallen nation would serve as an example of the consequences of human hubris.
Egeria had warned Furina, that the heavens had deemed everyone in Khaenri'ah sinners. Meaning that her Peruere was a sinner too and for the crime of merely existing, she had to be punished. Furina possessed no way to protect the woman she loved.
In a way, she wished Egeria hadn’t warned them about this. It allowed the couple to spend these last few days together and make good use of every moment, every second. But Furina couldn't help but think about how these beautiful moments would forever be tainted by fear and anguish. Her last memories of Peruere would be while she knew her beloved was running out of time. Peruere pretended to be stronger than she truly was; like the possibility of death, or perhaps a fate even worse than that, wasn't something that bothered that beautiful mind of hers. Trying to convince Furina that she was being silly for worrying about it. Pretending she was ready to face this punishment as if she wasn’t a young human with so many more years to live.
But Furina knew her darling far too well and could see the fear hidden in her eyes. Peruere was scared of the unknown future that was awaiting her, all the while Furina cursed the heavens for being unable to give her fiance some peace of mind.
Furina felt Peruere caress her face, wiping away the tears Furina hadn’t realized were streaming down her cheeks.
“I love you,” Peruere whispered, a sorrowful smile gracing her lips. Maybe trying to reassure Furina once again, even if it would just fail like every other attempt. Or perhaps, she wanted this to be her last declaration. That these final words of hers would have meaning and be remembered with fondness and love, so Peruere would have no regrets once she was gone.
“I love you too,” Furina replied, with no hesitation. “Forever and ever, I will never love anyone else the way I love you now. You are my one and only.”
“You promise?”
“I swear.”
Thus, the two of them lost themselves in their slumber, intertwined and holding one another as if to never let go. That same night, the heavens came down on the foolish mortals who dared to oppose the divine with a devastating punishment. A fate worse than death. The complete erasure of the nation was once known as Khaenri'ah.
It was when the morning came that Furina soon realized her love was no more, forever stolen away from her by means she could never have anticipated nor even stopped. And her heart, metaphorically, was ripped to pieces.