#gerbela

The snow crunched under Natalya’s boots as she made it to the outer wall of her sanctuary. The bottom of her black dress had been covered in snow a while ago, and it chilled her as it brushed against the back of her legs. Her long, platinum blonde hair hung loosely off her shoulders, blowing in the cold wind. She had brought nothing with her but a black silk shawl and her trusty leather-bound grimoire. She fully intended to summon a faerie tonight, mainly to spite her brother and sister. 

As she approached the final wall - a towering piece of ugly-faded-orange cement and concrete - she pulled the book out of her shawl. She remembered the law for summoning something as she rubbed a bit of snow off the cover with her thumb; if she were caught, the penalty would be death - only, if she does it within the walls of the sanctuary. Which is why she lumbered through the snow in the middle of the night just to do this. 

She looked back at the wall for a second, a small puff of air leaving her mouth. She then looked back at the town behind her, feeling a ping of guilt in her chest. After a few moments, she turned back, looking determined and continued past the wall.

Natalya’s family was one of nobility, due to some ancestor saving the town a-hundred-odd years ago. Her sister, the current matriarch, was trying to get Natalya to marry, and Natalya has hated every single suitor that has been presented.

Sir Alfred was loud and obnoxious, Sir Matthew was too quiet and shy, Sir Young Soo was rowdy, and Sir Marco was too flirtatious. None were a fit, and she knew Katyusha was getting antsy. So, Natalya’s solution was to summon a faerie and hope the faerie can somehow convince Katyusha to back off. 

This plan was foolproof, really.

She stopped at the edge of the forest surrounding the sanctuary, pausing to look at it momentarily. She took another breath and pushed on, lifting her arm and pushing away a branch above her head. She was surprised to find no snow on the ground, not thinking the trees were thick enough to keep the snow away. She looked up at the top of the trees and could clearly see the night sky, but shrugged and looked back ahead. She decided to go a bit deeper in, just in case. 

She walked for what felt like a couple hours, and eventually made it to a clearing. A giant wall of rocks lay in front of her, with a steady waterfall leading directly into a pond at the base of the wall. She stepped forward, looking at the waterfall mesmerized. She slowly placed the grimoire on a moss-spotted boulder beside her, looking at the scenery before her. She listened to the sounds of the forest around her, not noticing that she couldn’t hear any animals, only the waterfall. After a few minutes, she seemingly snapped out of it and turned back to her book. She took another look around then stepped back to it, grabbing it and opening it to the middle, where she dog-eared the page on summoning. 

She took a deep breath, gathering the courage to go through with it. She knew the risks, but she’d rather die by a fae’s hands than marry a man she could never get along with. Just before she began to recite the spell, she looked back to the waterfall, feeling pulled by an unknown force. She stepped toward it, coming to sit on a boulder just in front of the edge of the pond. She looked back down at the pages and began to recite the spell. 

“O fae o so great,” As she began to recite the spell, a wind blew through the trees, and a chill ran up her spine. “Tonight I need you,” the wind picked up, blowing the leaves, flowers, and weeds wildly. “I fear my life is gone,” She started to feel a warmth blossoming from her chest, and a golden glow started to appear from the ground. “For my hours have withdrawn,” The wind died down, leaving the golden glow and silence. Natalya couldn’t even hear the waterfall anymore. She closed her eyes, continuing on with the spell, “O fae o so great,” The glow was brighter, almost blinding. Natalya could even see it behind her shut eyes, and the wind was back in full force, loud enough to make Natalya sound muffled. She had to shout in order to hear the last line of the spell, “Greet me where I meet fate!” 

Finally, the wind stopped, the glow dissipated, and all Natalya could hear was the waterfall. She opened her right eye after a moment, looking suspiciously at the pond. She opened the other eye and stood, looking around and seeing nothing but the trees and boulders that she had seen before. She looked disappointed when she turned back to the pond. She sighed and sat back on the boulder, book in her lap, with her elbows on her knees and chin in her hands. “Y’know, you could’ve told me you weren’t going to summon anything.” She said to her book, pulling it out of her lap and holding it out in front of her. After a few seconds, and no response from the book, she sighed and placed it on her right on the boulder. 

She tucked in her knees, laying her arms on top of them as she stared at the water. “I want to touch it.” She announced to no one in particular, kicking off her left boot, she reached over and stuck her big toe into the water. A golden glow streaked across the pond, causing Natalya to pull her foot back. She stared at the center of it, waiting for something else to happen. After a second, it began to bubble, as if there was a geyser in the middle of it. She stayed on the boulder, watching confusedly as the bump in the water grew taller and taller. She noticed something green reaching towards the bump and followed it with her eyes, seeing it lead back to the boulder she was sitting on. She jumped up, pulling the book with her and stared at the boulder. The water kept bubbling, loud, and she felt a growing sense of no longer being alone. 

When the water settled, she looked back to it. There seemed to be nothing new, and she squinted her eyes confusedly. “What the fu-” Suddenly, a man came from where the bubbles were, slowly rising out of the water. The surface of the water went to his hips. He was - muscular, to say the least, with blond hair and striking blue eyes. He looked at Natalya, and she placed her fist on her chest, feeling that same warmth in her chest as she did before. The two stared at each other for a moment before the man spoke, voice deep and smooth and with an accent unlike her own. “I am Ludwig.” She stared wide-eyed for a moment before clearing her throat and speaking. “I’m Natalya.” She lowered her arm and turned fully towards him. His eyes scanned her for a moment, making Natalya want to shrink back and hide. She instead just readjusted her skirt. “Is there a reason you summoned me?” He asked, eyes boring into hers. She cleared her throat again, feeling slightly scrutinized. “I uh… I don’t really know. I just…” Her words were lost to her, and she bowed her head. “Needed someone?” He asked, sounding more casual and polite. She looked back up at him, thinking over his question for a second. “Yeah, just… needed someone.” He nodded towards the boulder. “Sit, tell me what you need, and I shall provide you with what I can. Even if it is just to be an ear.” She looked at the boulder, then back to him. She decided to listen to him, sitting on the boulder with both her boots off, and her feet in the water. 

He came to the edge, his arms folded beside her legs and his head in the middle of them. “Well. My family is nobility.” He nodded at that. “And, my sister married young. My brother also married young. And because I’m now older than they were when they got married, they want me to get married as soon as possible.” Ludwig raised an eyebrow at that. “That hardly seems like any reason you should get married. Did they marry for love?” She nodded. “Okay, and have you fallen in love with anyone?”

“Oh god, no.” He unfolded his arms and held them out in front of them, looking exasperated. “Then you shouldn’t get married!” She pointed at him, “Exactly! And they act like it’s not such a big deal? Like,” And she rambled on about her family while Ludwig listened. She eventually got off the rock and sat at the water’s edge, her legs up to her knees now in the water. 

She was laughing at something he said when he placed a hand on her knee. “So, what do you actually need from me?” Her laughter faded, and she stared at the water. “I… I just want them to get off my back. Let me live my life.” She looked at her knees, folding her hands in her lap. “I know they won’t do that until I’m married.” Ludwig stared at her, a sadness to his eyes. He then looked down at the ground, an idea coming to mind. He looked back at her and placed his hand on hers in her lap. “I’ve got an idea that just might work.” She looked at him, her right eyebrow raised. “What?” He squeezed her hands.

“Marry me.” She widened her eyes, then closed them as she chuckled, shaking her head. “Ah, you’re joking-“

“I’m not.” She opened her eyes and looked at him. He looked serious, like he was trying to protect something. “You said you wanted them to leave you alone, and the only way they’ll do that is if you’re married, or dead.” She furrowed her brows in confusion, “Where do you come in-“

“Because I know your feelings on the matter, and I would never ask anything of you. You summoned me to solve your problem, and I’ve come up with a solution.” Her mouth hung open slightly, nothing but aborted sounds leaving her lips as she was struggling to deal with what he was asking of her. He squeezed her hand again, looking defeated. “Just… think about it. Please.” He leaned back, turning around and walking towards the middle of the pond again. When he reached it, and was about to sink in, she lifted a hand. “Wait!” He stopped, turned halfway towards her. She stood, hands by her sides, with a nervous, yet fierce, look on her face. 

“What… What If I were to say yes? What would you promise me?” He smiled, turning fully towards her. “To never hurt you, to give you whatever you wish, even if it is just my ear, or my time, or my love.” She felt her cheeks heating up, and he chuckled at the expression she was making, which was akin to eating a sour lemon, only she had wide eyes. “Do you want to know what I’d give you?” Her tone came off as nervous, and her hands, now balled into fists, were trembling slightly. He shook his head, “I’d ask for nothing in return.” 

Her shoulders drooped and her body relaxed, the tension leaving her bones as the nervousness and anxiety melted away. She stood tall, faking confidence, and half turned away from him, sticking her left shoulder and chin out to him. She said with a slight nod, “Then. Then I say yes.” He quirked an eyebrow, now becoming playful. “Yes to what?” He asked, teasing her. She became nervous again, starting to tense up again. She sputtered, motioning with her arms to him. “T-to your question!” He furrowed his brows and tilted his head. “What question?” He unfurrowed his brows and chuckled lightly as she sputtered and flailed once more. “Your proposal? You asking me to marry you?” He nodded, faking as if he just got it. “Ahh, I get it now.”

She exhaled, the tension once again leaving her body as she turned to face him. After a moment, she started rubbing her left arm. “So… What do we do?” He looked at her questioningly for a moment before getting it. “Ah, right.” He swam back to the edge. “You need to come into the water.” She looked at him like he just kicked her puppy. “Get in - Get in the water?!” She looked to the pond and then back to him. “The magical people-spouting water? Not to mention, this is an expensive dress, and I’m sure that water would absolutely ruin it, which means I’d have to get naked - “ He stared at her, an eyebrow raised and his arms crossed. 

“The water’s fine, Natalya.” She clenched her jaw, then unclenched it, sighing. “I. Fine, okay. Do I at least get to keep my clothes on?” 

“Yes, of course.” 

“Ok good then -“ She paused, looking back down at him. “Wait. Are. Are you… naked?” She asked, pointing a finger up and down his torso. He nodded his head from side to side, “Ehh, technically yes -“

“It’s not a ‘technically yes’ kind of answer.” She interrupted. He sighed, backing up and reaching his hands out, he started rolling them towards himself, motioning for her to come to him. “Come on, your family might realize you’re gone.” She sat back down on the edge, knees in the water once more.

She pushed off the edge, landing in the pond. She shivered at the cold, but it quickly settled, feeling better. The water went up to her waist, causing her skirt to puff up. She held her arms up, muttering about her stupid skirt. Ludwig chuckled at that, coming closer and grabbing her hands. She looked back into his eyes. The trees around them had hung small lights, illuminating the pond. She stared at him, mesmerized as she had been before. He nodded towards the middle of the pond, coming to stand beside her. He had his left hand on her left hip, and was holding her other hand with his own, moving them to the middle.

Once in the middle, he turned to face her fully, grabbing both her hands and holding them over the water. “Now, memorize what I’m going to say, because you’re going to have to repeat it.” She nodded. He looked into her eyes, looking into them the entire time. 

“You cannot possess me for I belong to myself, 

But while we both wish it, I give you that which is mine to give

You cannot command me, for I am a free person,

But I shall serve you in those ways you require and

The honeycomb will taste sweeter coming from my hand.

“I pledge to you that yours will be the name

I cry aloud in the night and the eyes into which I smile in the morning.

I pledge to you the first bite of my meat and the first drink from my cup

I pledge to you my living and my dying, each equally in your care

I shall be a shield for your back and you for mine 

I shall not slander you, nor you me

I shall honor you above all others, and

When we quarrel we shall do so in private and

Tell no strangers our grievances

“This is my wedding vow to you

This is the marriage of equals.”

He finished, looking at her as if she was his one true love. She stared back, stunned momentarily, before remembering and reciting the vows he had done. She stumbled a few times, but got it near perfectly. After she finished, he placed his right hand on her cheek, caressing it with his thumb. He then looked to her lips for a split second, before returning to her eyes. “May I kiss you?” He whispered, the two having moved closer. Their bodies were pressed together now, the water having pushed them. She stared for another second before nodding. 

He leaned in, and the two kissed. She lifted her hands and wrapped them around the back of his neck, pulling him closer. Around them, the lights burst, making small fireworks. Each time the lights exploded, a new one formed and repeated the previous ones actions. This lasted for a few more seconds before the two pulled away, staring into each other’s eyes once more. 

“We should probably get going.” He nodded, “Right.” He then looked down at himself. “Though I do need clothes.” She blushed and pulled away, stepping back and pressing her arms to her sides. “Ihaveaspellforthat.” She blurted out, covering her face with her hands. He chuckled and stepped towards her, leaning in and pulling her hands away. “Natalya? Clothes?” She nodded, turning and walking to the edge. She braced her hands on the edge and pushed off, getting out of the water. Miraculously, her dress seemed dry, as if it hadn’t even been near the water. The only difference was that there was no snow.

She grabbed the book and flipped through the pages, finding the spell for a wardrobe change. She nodded towards him, face still in the book. “You need to come out so the spell can find you.” 

“Got it.” He walked over to the edge and did the same thing she did, coming out of the water and standing right in front of her. Luckily, she didn’t look down, or she would’ve noticed he was, indeed, very naked. 

She waved her hand towards him in a circular motion, mumbling to herself before looking him square in the eyes. “Got it.” She placed the book back down and lifted both her hands, both aimed at him. “Адзенне, з'яўляйся!” A dark, almost black, purple dust began to spin around Ludwig, starting at his feet. In its place, as it began to move up his body were shoes, simple black pants, and a loose brown shirt. As it lifted off his head, his hair was slicked back, making him look more presentable.