After The Match

"Antani wait!" Ellamir rushed after the upset Antani. Even from behind, Ellamir could feel how losing devastated Antani. 

They made their way through the swathes of crowd, all staring at the out of place dark elf going after their defeated princess. 

"Go away, Ellamir. Just give me some time alone!" Antani's eyes were red, a dam of tears threatened to break. 

Ellamir caught up and grabbed Antani by the wrist, Ellamir reasoned, "You want some time alone? Fine, right after we have your wounds healed." 

The plethora of cuts and pierces from the viciousness of Alara's spear covered Antani's body. Antani faced an opponent equally as agile, rendering the mobility advantage of her clothing moot. 

"Just leave me the fuck alone!" Antani snapped her wrist away with so much force that it surprised Ellamir, accompanied by a booming shout. What had Antani done? Antani would hazard a guess that Ellamir seeked to comfort her and how does she respond? By shouting at her face. 

Antani's ragged breathing contrasted Ellamir's which was calm. One of them needed to be, lest they would just both start to shout at each other. Antani gazed at Ellamir's eyes, the awkward pause between them allowed Antani's frustrations to simmer down a bit. Antani was close to venting her frustrations at Ellamir, to pour all her rage on the woman, on her lover. 

"I-I'm sorry for shouting at you." 

"Think nothing of it. Come one, let's get you healed."

+++

The lovers had made their way back into the Arena. 

Orange light bathed Antani from the outstretched palm of their cleric. Soon, the wounds she received had closed, as if she didn't engage in such a brutal battle earlier. 

Even Yulia and the others were pensive on how they should act around the clearly distraught Antani. 

Antani was about to walk off again, this time Ellamir would let her. Ellamir knew that Antani would reach out if she wanted the comfort Ellamir would bring, and she would be there when Antani needed. 

A few distance away from the party, Antani turned around to extend her hand to Ellamir. No words needed, Ellamir took her hand and accompanied Antani. 

"Will Antani be okay?" Gloria frowned, like the others, she wanted to show her support even if Antani lost. 

"She will, Antani's strong. She'll get over this in no time, in fact, she might even be back to her regular self tomorrow with Ellamir by her side." Yulia watched as the two lovebirds held hands, walking side by side. 

+++

Inside the Queen's palace, Antani had her own personal room given to her by her mother. Antani planned on spending the night alone, she didn't want Ellamir to witness firsthand how pathetic she is but ultimately decided she needed Ellamir's touch even more. 

The high-end room had its walls varnished brown, fit for a tribal princess. 

On the large bed, Ellamir had her arms wrapped around the morose Antani. 

Antani's fingers wedged between Ellamir's as it rested near her waist. 

The dam that Antani was desperately holding back, finally flooded. Where had she gone wrong? Could she have prepared better? Prepare was all she ever did, devoting all of her vacant time into honing her skill with the sword, and yet her sister's natural talent trounced her in the end. 

Ellamir could hear the faint noises of crying. If she could, Ellamir would take Antani's sorrow just as she had done whenever she would experience Antani's touch. Maybe words could ease her lover's pain? 

"Antani, even if you failed, you're still the Queen of my heart." 

Amidst the stream of tears, Ellamir's words managed to extract a giggle from her. 

"Really, that's the best you could come up with?" Antani snorted. 

"I am trying to cheer you up. Just accept my damn words." 

"In that case, thank you. It feels so shitty, you know. Having the dream you've trained for all of your life, suddenly slip through your fingers."

Antani felt a soft kiss on the back of her neck. It was Ellamir's own way of saying that she's not alone, and in case the kiss wasn't enough…

"I just want you to know. I'm here for you, Queen or not, I'll remain forever by your side." 

Just as Ellamir intended, her words rejuvenate Antani's weary heart. But that doesn't mean that Antani would pass on the opportunity to tease her lover. 

"Good job. That's a bit better than your first line."

Ellamir smiled, "Oh, shut up." 

+++

In a celebration victory hosted by Alara, a bunch of her friends and other guards were treated to free ale in the palace's dining hall. 

The clamor of the women matched a rowdy tavern full of adventurers as the Amazon warriors drank in the name of Alara. 

"Why the long face, Queen Alara?" Ale in hand, Moja teased as she sat right next to her friend.

"Stop it. I'm not crowned yet, don't call me that." Alara said. She  wasn't even in the mood to drink her mug. 

"As you wish." It wasn't easy for Moja to guess. Antani and Alara were close until the whole 'Antani sacrificing herself' debacle. The prospect of killing her beloved sister in order to keep her destined throne must have rattled Alara. 

"Your sister, she has matured, I like her. Tell me, my friend, are the rumors true?" The gorgeously toned woman with black skin questioned. Her long black hair fashioned into exquisite tribal dreadlocks, a hairstyle popular among the Earth Splitter tribe. 

Alara chuckled, "Why do you ask, so you could swoop in and woo my sister? The guts of you to ask me in my face, Zareli." 

"You know me, Alara. My intentions are pure. I would never hurt your sister." The confident Zareli reasoned. 

"Unfortunately for you, it's true. Antani's taken the dark elf as her lover and not only that, she's planning on participating in the festival with her." 

Moja spat her ale in surprise, "What!?" 

"By Artemis, we must stop them! Your sister is too precious to waste away with that underground dweller!" Zareli suggested. 

"I am letting Antani be. I don't want her to end up with that woman as much as you two but I will not deny more things from her." 

"Then I have no choice. I must challenge that dark elf for Antani's hand." Zareli's mind now made up, she drank all ale in her mind with one gulp. 

"I'm not taking her side or anything, but why would Ellamir do that? She already has Antani." Moja reasoned. 

"So that's her name. Well, if she doesn't then she's a coward. And cowardice is unbecoming of a warrior princess' consort. This Ellamir WILL accept my challenge whether she likes it or not." Zareli confidently declared.