Rick took his ti to think about his answer. "I don’t think love can be split up."
’It’s not like I have a set amount that I’m giving to Carmilla, Natasha, Liora, and now you. Every relationship is different and has its own way of working."
"I feel differently about Carmilla than I do about Natasha, Liora, and you. Each one is a different connection."
"But doesn’t that make it less valuable?" Sylvia pushed. "Are you not giving each person your full attention?"
"I’m completely devoted to each person when I’m with them. Just because I care about other people doesn’t an I care about you less."
"Love isn’t a ga with no winners." Rick had a challenging ti finding the right words. "Think of it this way... you love your kingdom, right? You know so of the dragons that live here better than others, right?"
"Does loving the whole kingdom an you love each dragon less?"
"That’s not the sa."
"Not exactly, but the idea is the sa. People think that romantic love has to be exclusive for it to be real, but that’s just a made-up idea."
"Why can’t I love more than one person in different ways?"
"Why do I have to stop caring about the others if I choose to be with you?"
For a long ti, Sylvia didn’t say anything. "I don’t know if I can give you up. Dragons are very possessive..."
"I’m not asking you to be okay with it right away. Please just try to understand why it works for ." Rick looked her in the eye. "You told yesterday that you’re falling for even though you’re scared."
"I already love you, Sylvia. Not because of your flaws, fear, or complicated past, because of everything, but that doesn’t an I don’t love Carmilla, Natasha, or Liora anymore. All of them are a part of now."
Sylvia said, "This will be hard."
"Everything worth having is hard."
Day Seven ca with a feeling of completion. They had spent six days peeling back layers, revealing wounds, fears, and hopes that neither of them had shared with anyone in a long ti. Rick felt emotionally hurt in a way that was worse than any physical beating.
"Last question," Sylvia said as they sat in the garden one last ti. "What do you want from ?"
Rick didn’t think twice. "I want you to be happy."
"Please stop punishing yourself for living when Therion didn’t."
"Please take down the walls you’ve built and let people in again. I want you to know that you are worthy of love, friendship, and happiness, not just duty and responsibility."
"What do you want from in particular?"
"What do I have that your other partners don’t?"
Rick thought about it. "You remind of what I can be."
"I feel safe and protected when I’m with Carmilla. I feel like Natasha pushes and makes sharper. I feel blessed and important with Liora."
"But with you, I feel like I can beco soone who matters in a way I never thought possible. You make want to be worthy of standing next to a queen."
Sylvia’s eyes sparkled with tears that she hadn’t shed yet. "And you make feel like it’s okay to be weak sotis, like I don’t have to do everything by myself."
"She suddenly got up. "Co with ."
She took Rick through the garden to a small building he hadn’t seen before. It was a pavilion with silk curtains that moved in the light breeze. There was a big bed inside with furs and pillows on it, which was clearly ant for sleeping outside on warm nights.
"This is where Therion and I used to spend our evenings," Sylvia said softly. "I haven’t been able to co here since he passed away, but I want to make new mories tonight."
"Good mories. With you."
Rick got what she was trying to say. Not just being close physically, but also being open emotionally. A choice to move on instead of staying stuck in the past.
He asked, "Are you sure?"
"No. I’m scared, but I’m tired of letting fear run my life." She turned all the way around to face him. "Rick, make love to ... not as a test or a prize, but because you want to."
"And for the whole truth... we both want this."
What happened next was calm and slow, unlike the wild blowjob and titjob Sylvia gave after the Trial of Strength. This was about two broken people choosing to be open with each other even though they were scared. Rick held Sylvia while she cried a few tis, knowing that she was letting go of years of pent-up feelings.
Sylvia spoke against his chest when they were finally lying together in a tangle. "You make rember why life is worth living."
"Not just being alive, but really living. I had forgotten what that felt like."
[TRIAL OF MIND COMPLETE]
[ 300 EXP: A STRONG EMOTIONAL CONNECTION HAS BEEN MADE]
[ 150 EXP: HELPING OLD WOUNDS HEAL]
[LEVEL UP: 16 → 17]
[NEW SKILL: EMPATHIC INSIGHT LV.1]
[SYLVIA FLAHEART’S LOVE: 8 → 9]
Rick ran his fingers through her hair. "So I passed the test?"
"There was never any doubt. You passed as soon as you were willing to tell everything about yourself, even the parts you’re ashad of." She leaned on one elbow to look at him. "The Trial of Mind" wasn’t about seeing how smart or wise you were."
"It was about seeing if you could really understand what soone else was going through and what they were afraid of. It assessed whether you could be open enough to share your own fears with soone else."
Rick said, "One more trial to go."
"Yes. The Test of Character. Seven days of moral problems and choices that seem impossible." Sylvia’s face beca serious. "I won’t be giving that one out."
"The Council of Elders takes care of it, and they won’t be accommodating to you just because we’ve gotten close. If anything, they’ll be harder on you because of it."
"I’ll take care of it."
"I know you will." She kissed him gently. "But can we just stay here for now? Just us, and no trials?"
Rick pulled her in closer. "Yeah. That sounds good to ..."
As the aurora danced above them, they fell asleep in the garden pavilion. Two people found comfort in each other even though their situation was impossible. Tomorrow would bring new problems, but tonight, they were at peace for a little while.
That was enough for both of them.
...
After getting enough sleep, both of them woke up at the sa ti and saw that the aurora was still there. Sylvia looked at Rick’s face and then glanced lower, where she noticed that he already had an erection, which made her smile.
"Rick..."
"A-Ahh... sorry... I can’t help it when we sleep that close..."
"Well... I feel the sa way too..."
Sylvia whispers at him. "But, this ti... can you make feel the pleasure...?"
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