@noxwarrior asked : 💏 ( kissing meme / selectively accepting ) 03 … kiss goodbye .
she’s grown accustomed to his company - just as much as the scions are part of her group, so is ardbert, even if she is the only one capable of seeing him. when in private she postpones sleep to talk to him, finding that the other warrior of light hides quite the other sides behind that stoic and stern face she had met back in the source. amaya simply accepts him as part of her life now, perhaps even more than she lets herself believe.
the burden of the title of Her champion is something not many can imagine and she may talk to friends about it but... for the first time, there is someone who truly understands the grasp of it. she talks about how she had thought her life would be, of her old wishes, all cast aside to throw herself into battle.
if they do not talk about her adventures, she usually listens to his. hearing stories of his group, has a strange feeling to it. there is something incredibly cruel to see someone smile with sadness due to a happy memory ...because in the end all that happiness would lead to tragedy. every victory has only made the great loss later even more terrible. but what comfort can be offered to a ghost? there are no graves to visit, no great memorial because him and his companions are viewed as villains... all she can offer is to listen. to remember.
it’s after the defeat of emet-selch that she seeks a more quiet moment away from the celebrations, simply enjoying the cold night air. ardbert is next to her, silent as well - there is not much need to speak. but she does notice it when his gaze suddenly trails away, how a familiar smile colors his face - sad, and... perhaps even a bit flustered. amaya understands and just laughs, her hand touching his, not minding the light it causes.
“your friends?” he does not need to vocalize his answer, when he looks at her she knows she’s been right. “ardbert.” the au ra notions him to lean a bit down, only for her to press her forehead against his. “go. I can manage... it’s fine if you rest.” with a smile she presses a kiss to his head. eyes closed as she tries to hide the tears. “I’ll tell people here the truth about you - about them.” just as she had promised emet-selch she would not forget his people, she would not forget her friend and the warriors of old.
...when she opens her eyes again, she’s alone ( though somehow she feels warmer, a little bit more whole ). still, there is no holding back those tears now... it would be terribly lonely without him.
