[Exalted] The Last Daughter -- Dragon-Blooded Sorcery School Quest

You stare at Sola, drinking in her eyes, an almost-painful yearning clawing in your chest. You both want this so much, want each other. And what's stopping you other than your own mutual need to be strong and stoic?

Nothing. It's stupid.

You reach out a hand to the back of Sola's neck, pull yourself the scant distance to her, and kiss her. The contact is literally electric — a faint, lightning hum surges beneath her skin in a way that sets your heart racing as much as the feeling of taking her mouth in yours.

When the first kiss ends, you come away already breathless. You're pleased to see that Sola is too, her eyes bright, her face close enough that you can feel the heat radiating from it. You scramble for something to say, something poised and witty, but that side of your mind doesn't seem to be working properly just now. "Well—"

Sola doesn't let you finish the thought. She seizes you by the front of your robe, hauls you back into her and kisses you with a startling naked hunger. There isn't a single part of you that resists, letting yourself be pulled halfway into her lap, moulding yourself against her lean, toned body. Your hand slips up to thread through her thick dark hair, fingers tightening hard enough that you feel her breath catch.

By the time you both properly come up for air, you truly need it. Your entire body is flushed, your breath coming out in sharp gasps, your clothing rumpled to the point of hanging precariously off one shoulder. Sola takes you in as a smile slowly spreading over her lips. "I didn't know you could let yourself go like that," she says, well-pleased by the development.

"She can, with some encouragement," says Maia. She's leaning against a nearby tree. Charitably, you could read it as her simply having chosen to give the two of you some space. While that probably is true to a degree, you know her too well to take it wholly at face value.

"Found a comfortable place to watch?" you ask.

"Comfortable enough," Maia says, shameless.

You laugh.

Sola seems briefly taken aback — this isn't a side of Maia that she's had a reason to see so much of before. She watches as Maia detaches herself from the tree to walk over to the two of you, leaning down to give you a quick, affectionate kiss on the cheek. "I can give you both some actual privacy if you'd like," she says. "Or..." With a shadow of her old shyness, she looks at the large tent nearby, then looks directly to Sola, a question in her dark eyes.

Something in Sola's surprised expression gives Maia her answer. Maia leans down again, this time kissing Sola on the mouth, slow and careful. It doesn't have the same heat as what you and Sola just exchanged, but it's hardly reluctant on either of their parts either — they're friends as well as Hearthmates, and it's easy enough to get swept up in the moment.

Through a process you can't entirely explain, the three of you get up, maneuver to the open flap of the tent, and tumble into bed together. Each in your own way, you've all been in the grip of suffocating fear, anxiety, or grief for months. At least for a little while, it's indescribably good to be able to drive it completely out of your minds, to lose yourself in one another far away from prying or judging eyes and anyone you have to impress.

After a long period of very involved activity, you all lay together on top of the blankets inside the tent, pleasantly exhausted. The night air is cool against your bare skin, mitigated by the very literal warmth of your Hearth around you. Sola dozes half draped over you, her head pillowed against your chest. Maia lays close against your other side, holding you around the waist. Nearby but safely out of the way, Verdigris quietly dozes on a pillow.

Sola stirs enough to push herself up on one elbow, careful not to lean on your unbound hair — it falls well past your waist when unbraided, by this point. She looks at you and there's something softer in her eyes than she's let you see before. "I've wanted this for a long time," she admits, very quiet. "I'd convinced myself that it was just me, though, and that I was over it, before that night." You know which one she means.

You temporarily extricate your arm from around Maia's shoulders to take Sola's face in both your hands, studying her with a gentle smile on your lips. "Sometimes," you say, "I'm bad at knowing what I want until it's either in my hands or it's already gone forever." You kiss her lightly, then let her go before settling onto your back again.

"So, you're saying that I should have just thrown myself at you years ago?" Sola asks. She lays back in her earlier position, clearly happy where she is. You can't exactly complain about it either.

Maia pauses in the midst of nuzzling into your neck to let out a tired giggle. "Yes, you should have — she can be a little dense."

"It's amazing sometimes, with how smart she is about sorcery or etiquette," Sola agrees.

"She is quite pretty, though," Maia says very seriously, weighing the positives against the negatives.

"That really does help," Sola agrees.

"You know," you say, "I'm still right here."

Sola puts a languid arm around your waist, parallel to Maia's. "Believe me, I haven't forgotten."

You give a huff of mock indignation. Still, you put one arm back around Maia, and use the other cradle Sola against you. You can't really be annoyed with them, when you're taking so much comfort in both their presences, the way that all of your breathing is synching up with one another.

As you begin to drift off, you hear yourself say: "I'm glad you talked us into coming out here."

If Sola gives any response beyond an affirmative hum, you don't hear it before sleep takes you.

---

When Tepet Usala Sola wakes up, she has the pleasure of finding herself in Ambraea's arms. For the first time in well over a year, she doesn't immediately think about her troubles. Instead, she merely finds herself contented with the sight of her still-sleeping lover.

When Sola had first met Ambraea, she'd been pretty, but still in the grips of a residual adolescent gangliness and not quite grown into her looks. That had slowly changed over the years in a way that was impossible to ignore. Now, the woman who laid beside her was a tall, voluptuous beauty, her black hair shining with a glassy, crystalline lustre, the rows of tiny quartz crystal chips neatly set into her face and neck shining prettily in the newly risen sun. Asleep, Ambraea was robbed of her intimidating aura. Just a young woman.

Someone — presumably the last of them to fall asleep — had thrown a blanket over top of the pair of them. It's when Sola recognises this that she realises that Maia isn't with them, and connects that to the sounds coming from outside the tent.

Slowly, not without a certain reluctance, she slips out of Ambraea's embrace, managing not to wake her. From there, she scans the tent for her clothing. It is, predictably, strewn around the place more than a little. The interior of the tent is neither large enough nor well furnished enough for this to really be a problem, however, and Sola's able to locate her tunic from the day before, as well as her boots. The tunic falls well past her knees, which is enough for whatever modesty is necessary given last night's sleeping arrangements.

Stepping out of the tent, she finds Maia sitting by the newly-rekindled fire, apparently in the process of boiling water for tea. She's perched on the same rock she'd occupied the night before, using a knife to slowly take slices off of a golden plum, savouring each one.

"Good morning," Maia says, noticing Sola immediately. She's taken the time to wash and dress herself in a new outfit — Sola wonders how long she's been awake.

"Good morning," Sola agrees. "How many of those are there?" she asks, nodding toward the plum.

In response, Maia bites into the fruit, holding it in her mouth to temporarily free up a hand, so that she can bend down to the basket at her feet and toss another of the fruits to Sola, who catches it easily.

"Thank you," Sola says, taking a seat near Maia. "When did you get up?"

"An hour or two before dawn," Maia says, shrugging. "I couldn't get back to sleep. You both looked so sweet lying there, I didn't want to disturb you."

"Alright," Sola says, accepting the explanation. Not bothering with a knife, she bites into her plum, savouring its sharp flavour.

Maia watches her as she eats, her expression a little furtive. Sola gives her time to work around to whatever it is that's bothering her. Finally, voice quiet, Maia asks: "Are you really going to be alright, going back home all on your own?"

"I won't be on my own," Sola says. There will be servants, as well as her cousin again.

"You know what I mean," Maia says.

Sola does, admittedly. She's leaned hard on her Hearth in the months since she'd learned the terrible news from the North. She'd needed it so much that she hadn't even been able to bring herself to object to the coddling. Things were different now, though, at least a little. "You both helped me through the worst of it," she says. "I'll be good. Well, I'll be fine. I have to be able to stand on my own feet at some point. And I'll still be able to sense you, even if we're apart."

Maia nods, a small smile coming over her face. "That is one of my favourite parts," she says.

Sola looks at her sidelong for a moment, choosing her words carefully, before she asks: "What about you?"

Something guarded comes down behind Maia's eyes. "What about me?" she asks.

"You don't seem happy at all about going back to your family," Sola says. "You've never sounded happy when you've talked about them. I know you don't like getting into details about this or whatever's waiting for you. I'm allowed to worry about you too though. Now and then at least."

Maia softens, slicing off another piece of plum and chewing it thoughtfully before she answers. "You are," she says. "I love my family. I'm devoted to them. They can just be... severe. I'll be fine, though." Then, deliberately changing the subject, she says: "I'm glad that you and Ambraea finally did something about this."

"Was I that obvious?" Sola asks.

"Not to her, apparently," Maia says, "but, I saw the way you looked at her, sometimes. And I heard the way she talked about keeping up her training with you. I'd started to think neither of you were ever going to say anything."

"Me too," Sola says, a self deprecating smile coming over her face. "She already had you — she just seemed so devoted, I didn't think there was room for anyone else."

Maia's smile grows a little more sentimental than before. There's something a bit sad in the expression, though. "Fortunately, there is," she says. "I'm happy you'll have each other."

"Are you going somewhere?" Sola asks.

"Not forever," Maia says, "but I have my debt to work off for House Peleps. And Ambraea is... not going to be able to stay unattached much longer. Whatever her options are, it's probably going to be for the best if I keep a bit of distance for a few years, until things aren't so complicated."

Sola frowns. "Have you talked to Ambraea about this?" She can't imagine that Ambraea will take it well — whatever Sola might hope for with her, she's not trying to take Maia's place, and she doesn't think she could to begin with.

"No, not yet," Maia says, not meeting Sola's eyes. "I will, before we part ways at the Imperial City. I just... don't want to spoil her mood. I'd like that trip together to be nice for her. She's under enough stress. I should be able to see both of you again for a good length of time time before I have to leave for Voice-of-the-Tides Prefecture, regardless."

Sola looks at Maia quietly, her pensive expression, the way she fidgets with the knife rather than reapplying herself to the rest of the plum. Sola has a strong feeling that however much Maia might want to keep things focused on Ambraea's feelings, Maia isn't under any less stress, somehow. As the silence stretches on, Maia finally looks back to Sola, an uncomfortable awareness of her own transparency passing between them.

"Well, I hope you do enjoy the trip," Sola says. "We all have to take the good that we can, right now."

Maia looks down again, a relieved gratitude coming over her for Sola not prying into whatever this was. Fast enough to be a little startling, she gets up, and flings both her arms around Sola's neck, hugging her tightly. "I'll miss you too, you know," she says, keeping both the fruit and the knife well clear of Sola.

Getting over her surprise, Sola returns the hug. "I know," she says, "I'll miss you, too." The embrace ends as quickly as it began, Maia stepping back to give Sola her space.

In the months since she became Maia's Hearthmate, she's been seeing a side of Maia that she hadn't been allowed to, before. When she'd first met Erona Maia, Sola had seen a quiet, shrinking, nervous girl, a patrician seemingly terrified to find herself surrounded by Dynasts. A hangeron scurrying in Ambraea and L'nessa's wake. The impression had improved once Sola had seen her skill, disquieting as it might sometimes be, her quiet, bloody-minded loyalty, her unflinching determination.

There's very little of that shy, flinching creature left in the version of herself that Maia presents to the world now, for all that she's still skilled at using her size and her training to fade into the background when it suits her. She's quiet, polite, deferential to her social betters, but there's a muted confidence to her, now, subtle, disarming intensity. She's competent, reliable, a useful friend and an unpleasant enemy. In private, though, with Ambraea, and now with Sola, she's genuinely caring, funny, sometimes outright sweet. It's been a pleasant surprise.

Sola considers the slender, elegant figure that Maia cuts, her appealingly soft features, the oceanic darkness of her hair and eyes. They'd been to bed together as of last night, and exchanged far more than just a kiss. Sola carefully examines her feelings, searching for anything new that might have blossomed there after the experience. She finds little beyond a renewed appreciation for Maia's dexterity.

"About last night..." Sola begins, not sure how exactly to phrase the question.

"It was nice," Maia says. "I mean, I enjoyed it." Her tone shifts as she chooses her words delicately. "You're my Hearthmate, and my friend. We can share Ambraea, and maybe a bed now and then without changing that, can't we?"

Sola smiles, feeling a bit of relief. She cares for Maia, and she'd hardly said no the night before, but there isn't that spark of passion she has for Ambraea. "We can do that," she says.

"I think the water's boiled," Maia says, getting up.

Sola takes a very belated second bite of her plum. "I can make a proper breakfast if you give me a chance to wash up first."

"You should have time," Maia says. "Ambraea's a heavy sleeper without someone to wake her up at the right time."

It's unsurprising to hear. Sola grins. "She really is an Earth Aspect."

---

You wake up alone in bed, but to the sound of familiar voices outside the tent, and to the smell of cooking food. As you reach for something to cover yourself with, Verdigris noses up to you — you give her nose a gentle stroke, and let her slither up onto your arm.

Stepping out of the tent, you find Maia and Sola in mid conversation. Sola is tending to a pot of what looks like rice porridge cooking over the fire, while Maia is in the process of sending a third throwing knife sailing into a nearby tree, making a neat line with the other two.

You don't immediately announce your presence, taking in the sight of them together as they talk, relaxed and enjoying one another's company. You can't entirely describe the feeling it gives you yet, but it's nice. You want to keep this.

"I did see the Palace Sublime more than once," Maia is saying. "From a distance. It's hard to miss if you've been to Sion. Huge fortress of a building, not much like anyone expects." The city Sion is the Prefectural Seat of Incas Prefecture, home to the headquarters of the Immaculate Order.

"Are you looking forward to seeing Sion again at least?" Sola asks.

"It might be nice," Maia allows. "My family lives in the countryside most of the time, but I went to primary school there. Of course, the Festival of Illustrious Innovation is happening right now and will be finished by the time I get there. If you're going to go, it should really be during that. Hello, Ambraea."

Maia adds the last as you make yourself known. Rather than throwing a fourth knife, she makes it disappear in a whirl of wind, crosses over to you, and goes up on her toes to brush a kiss against your lips.

"You have good timing — breakfast is ready," Sola says, giving you a smile that makes your stomach flutter in a way that it hadn't before.

Both of them are fully dressed, and seemingly ready to greet the day. The forest around you is pleasantly sunny in a way that tells you that Sola has had to renew her spell while you slept. The air is full of gently chirping birds and beams of dappled light lancing their way through the trees. "How long did you let me sleep?" you ask, checking the position of the sun overhead.

"Not too long," Maia promises you. Then she casts her eyes downward, bows her head, and adopts a deliberately servile tone: "We set aside some hot water, if my lady would like to freshen up before her meal is served to her."

"You have gotten very comfortable making fun of me," you tell her. Still, you cross over to the bucket of gently steaming water and to it up and carry it in the direction of the stream. Rice porridge made over a fire, and washing yourself with a cloth and bucket in the woods — this must be what being a peasant feels like.

A short time later, you've washed, changed, and settled down to eat Sola's breakfast porridge. While her cooking trends toward the bluntly practical, the seasoning and pickled vegetables makes it entirely pleasant. Or maybe it's just knowing that she actually made it for you.

You're most of the way through your meal, and Maia — who finished earlier than you did — is most of the way through braiding your hair for you, having already combed it out. You've often appreciated how much she enjoys doing this, but with the amount of tangles she's had to carefully work out after last night, you are especially grateful.

"So," Sola says, examining her cup of tea, "we had sex."

You give an amused scoff. "Nothing escapes your honed, tactician's mind," you say. "Was it so forgettable that you thought I might need the reminder?"

Sola gives a shocked sort of laugh. "That's about the last word I'd use. I'm just trying to broach the subject."

You finish off your tea — middling quality, but refreshing nonetheless. "Well, we can consider it thoroughly broached."

"I think," Maia says, putting the finishing touches on your hair, and getting to her feet, "that I'm going to go make sure that none of the spirits have eaten one another." She kisses you on the cheek, giving every evidence of good cheer as she leaves far enough to give you and Sola some space.

Sola gives her a grateful look, before looking back to you. "It wasn't... just sex, though," she says. She seems certain, but there's a very slight edge of vulnerability to her tone.

"No, not for my part," you say, relenting in your teasing and setting your cup and bowl down beside you. "You... mean a great deal to me."

Sola follows your example, setting her tea down, walking around the low fire to stand over you. She reaches down, tilting your face up toward her. "Careful, don't get too effusive. You'll make me blush."

Her wry tone and the feeling of her sword-calloused hand against your skin again sends heat creeping up into your face. You amend the statement: "You mean a great deal to me, and you make me want to pin you against something again, when you look at me like that."

Sola lets herself smile, well pleased. "Well, if you'd like to try, there's no reason why we can't work in some sword training. We'll see who ends up on her back this time."

You laugh, reaching up to take the hand she has against your face, holding it tightly in yours as you rise to face her. "I'd like that," you say.

Article:

After you go back to Chanos, Sola will depart for Lord's Crossing, and you and Maia will travel together as far as the Imperial City, before she continues onward to her family in Incas Prefecture.

Your trip with Maia will be as enjoyable as traveling with her always is. Late in your journey, however, you will encounter someone you don't expect, someone who one of you knows a great deal. What are the circumstances?

[ ] A young man has a misadventure with some proscribed literature

[ ] You embarrass yourself in a tea house

[ ] You see someone in trouble, but a stranger has it well handled