Vida
Vida’s Apartment, New York City
“Look Colter, I’m not up for any drugs, if you want to go, feel free to go” Vida said worriedly, her paranoia getting the better of her as her mind told her that Colter could also be just some drugged out junkie messing around with her feelings.
But the gorgeous man in her apartment clasped her hand in both his hands and smiled at her wryly, “Look, I am not in a position to ask you to trust me” but as he said those words, Vida felt the affection and the warmth spilling out from him, he was not lying. “Trust me.”
She sighed and pulled her hand away from him, shaking off the blankets that she used to cover her naked bodice, she stepped out of the bed, feeling Colter’s stare at her all the time and grabbed her clothes.
“Please, if by flying you mean taking drugs, I don’t want to take part in any of it” Vida said her back turned, putting on clothes while Colter chuckled from behind her. “So, there are drugs in this kingdom of yours as well?”
“Drug means the same word in my language, Vida. I get your intonation” Colter said still slightly laughing, “Yes, we do have illegal substances where I live.”
Vida just grunted in reply, from behind her she heard the windowpane slide open, “Alright I’m ready no-“
Before she could even finish, Colter’s arms were around her waist, kissing her lightly on the forehead Vida pouted and closed her eyes.
Seconds later, she felt her face being whipped by the cold night breeze, there was a slight whiplash at the velocity of how they had ascended, but Colter was supporting the back of her head gingerly with his free hand.
“JESUS CHRIST” Vida shouted out as she opened her eyes and saw her new surroundings. The moon shone brightly in the night sky. The stars were out and glittering in the big blanket of darkness called space.
Towards the east she saw the hints of the sun rising, it was a scene that was befitting of the novels she read religiously. In a way, she felt like how Wendy had felt when Peter Pan took her to fly.
“You were serious” Vida said nervously, her voice had shaken because of how high they were from the ground, “Jesus, you aren’t human”
Colter laughed at her response, “You humans keep saying Jesus, I should learn about this word soon enough.” He pulled her higher in the air and they were spinning elegantly in the night sky that was about to greet the dawn.
The exhilaration filled her heart and Vida gave out a scream as Colter suddenly stopped in mid-air.
It was the skyline of New York City, Vida saw everything. It was a gorgeous sight, she saw the sky lights, the traffic and even the tiny people that were about the size of ants. New York City never slept and so to see it at this view, at this angle, Vida felt a sense of amazement. Not many people get to see this, and she had been near the top of the Empire State Building. This moment beat that.
“Wait. So, if you’re not human, then why did you get here?” Vida asked curiously, holding on tightly to Colter who had only laughed.
“You are not a prince cosplayer, you are an actual prince!” Vida exclaimed, “You need to tell me everything!”
“I will tell you everything” Colter promised her, “But I need to depart. I have to leave you for some time”
“Because it’s forbidden...?” Vida asked ignorantly, remembering what he had said earlier.
Colter shook his head, “No, if that were the case I will have to slay you right here and take your heart out as a trophy”
“Wow, are you guys just a bunch of sickos?” Vida commented, channeling the energies that Tessa had given to her all these years, “I mean, come on dude, you fuck me and then you rip my heart out? Not even metaphorically, you mean it literally!”
“I can never do that to you, Vida” Colter answered, “I just need to check in on the situation of the kingdom, of my people and of my family. I feel that chaos has descended and they need me there more than ever”
Vida hearkened back to the visions that Tessa had and the nightmares that Colter had. Sheer terror gripped at her being as she held on tightly to Colter, “NO!” she screamed like a petulant child, “Don’t go, you might now even come back”
“I will come back, Vida” Colter comforted her, “I just really have to see if what was shown to me is coming to pass. Visions can be deceitful creatures, but once I have ensured that nothing is going on, I will find myself back to you.”
Vida stared into Colter’s eyes, again, her fierce amber eyes meeting his calm emerald ones, “Do you promise?”
The prince laughed at this and kissed her on the forehead, “Yes. I promise I will come back, I will find you and we will live out the rest of our lives together.”
Feeling secured, Vida could not do anything else but to nod her agreement at what was happening. Colter had to leave and check in on his family, something that Vida never had, she had no choice but to let him go this moment and hold on to the hope that he will come back.
But the sight and the memory of him going through a nightmare filled her soul, coupled with Tessa’s dark visions, she could not help but worry at what could potentially happen next. After finally meeting the love of her life, it was as if destiny, in its most fucked up of ways wanted to separate them painfully.
“You better keep your promise!” Vida said with childlike innocence, “Because I will be waiting for you.”
Colter simply smiled at this and moved in to kiss her, while they hovered in the air. His lips had pressed on to her once more, the warmth of the feeling filled her soul, her being and her existence. She wanted to stay like this forever, but knowing that their time right now was limited, she did all she can to make it count.
She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders and kissed him passionately, as passionately as she can, while Colter repaid her fervor with double the effort.
It was romantic in a way to Vida, kissing underneath the night sky as the darkness slowly welcomed the dawn. It was a kiss that lovers gave when one of them was going away to face uncertainty.
“I love you” they both whispered underneath their breaths as they slowly descended from the air.
---
Colter
Vida’s Apartment, New York City
He slipped into the windows of her apartment easily, he carried Vida in his arms without much effort and set her down on the floor. Her eyes showed innocence and separation anxiety. The heartache struck him badly, his chest was beating hard and his fears were scattered all over the place. Yet he knew that this was something he needed to do.
He worried badly about what was happening to the kingdom and he would never be able to live with himself if he just let it pass. If he checked in on the kingdom and found it in relative peace, then he could live with that fact. But had he passed on checking in and realized that they were in a state of utter chaos, he would not be able to live with himself, Vida’s presence or not.
As hateful as his father had been to him, he could still not let go of the people that loved him. The common folk who always looked up to him, the Queen who always took care of him when his family could not and even Vergil, his childhood friend who had always stood by him and in his thoughts, allowed him to reach the portal.
“I owe them that much” Colter thought to himself as he set Vida down on her apartment floor.
With a bitter and sorrowful smile, Colter turned away from the woman he had just made love with, the woman who knew what he was, the woman who had been in his dreams before, the woman who he was irrevocably in love with.
Colter felt her sadness filling the room, slow exhales and tears were audible in the bare apartment, Vida was crying silently, holding on to the memento he had given her previously.
“Please Colter…” She begged, while the prince’s back was turned, “Please take care of yourself always. I don’t have a clue about what might happen, I don’t know what you will see when you get there, I do not know if you will even come back, even though you promised. But stay safe, okay? I do not wish for any more harm to come to you.”
Colter smiled, “Thank you, Vida” he whispered to her, tears welling in his eyes as he stepped out of Vida’s apartment door and out of her life.