The lavender field was in full bloom again, its silvery blossoms catching the moonlight like a thousand glowing embers. Charlisa had returned there often over the last few weeks, sometimes with Kael, sometimes alone. But tonight felt different. The air hummed with a softness, the breeze scented with possibility.
Kael was already there when she arrived, seated on a smooth boulder in the center of the field, his wings folded neatly behind him. He looked up as she approached, a slow smile spreading across his face.
Kael stood tall, nearly seven feet, his form lithe but powerful. His skin bore an earthy tone with subtle stripes like shadows across bark. A mane of raven-black hair fell in thick braids down his back, streaked with silver at the tips. His eyes, a deep storm-grey, shimmered like metal under the moonlight. From his back stretched a pair of scaled wings, deep indigo with flecks of lavender—wings that only unfurled when he was alone, or at peace.
Charlisa's appearance was like dawn's first light beside him. Of Indian-European descent, her skin held a warm golden tone, glowing softly under the moon. Her hair was a long curtain of wavy mahogany, often tied back with twine or wildflowers. Her eyes, dark brown with hints of amber, held a calm intensity that made even the wildest beast hesitate. She wore a tunic made of bark-fiber dyed in soft moss green, with a belt of woven grasses and beads.
"I wasn't sure you'd come," Kael said quietly.
Charlisa sat beside him, brushing her fingers across a sprig of lavender. "I almost didn't. I've been... thinking."
"About?"
"About how far I've come. How far we've come."
The silence between them was filled with the soft rustle of lavender and the occasional trill of a nightbird. Then Kael shifted to face her more directly, his expression earnest.
"I've waited a long time to feel like someone truly sees me," he murmured. "You don't just see this world—you feel it. You belong here, even if you didn't mean to."
Charlisa turned toward him, the warmth of his presence grounding her.
"I don't know if I was meant to come here, Kael. But I do know I was meant to meet you."
Their hands met in the space between them, tentative at first, then firm. Kael's fingers, calloused from years of woodwork and weaving, curled protectively around hers.
He leaned in slightly, his forehead resting gently against hers. "I want to build something with you, Charlisa. A future. Not just in the village—but here, in this field, under this sky. I want this place to always be ours."
Charlisa closed her eyes for a moment, allowing his words to settle deep within her. She had been cautious, mindful not to lose herself in sudden emotion. But Kael had never rushed her. He had offered presence, patience, and protection.
When she opened her eyes, she found his gaze waiting.
"I want that too," she whispered. "I want to root here—with you."
He bent forward, their lips brushing in a kiss as soft as the petals around them. It wasn't rushed or fervent. It was gentle, deep, like a promise sealed in breath and warmth.
Around them, the lavender swayed like witnesses to a sacred union.
When they finally pulled apart, Charlisa rested her head against his shoulder, his arm wrapping around her in quiet strength.
They sat that way for a long time, saying little, needing nothing more than the beating of two hearts side by side.
And in the hush of the lavender field, beneath the stars of Orayana, love took root—steady, simple, and true.