Chapter 63: Comfort and dreams
Prinz led Varion through the quiet corridors of the Grimwald palace, one arm wrapped firmly around his waist to support him. He was walking steadily enough, but she could feel how heavy his body had become and how warm his skin was beneath his clothes. Neither of them spoke much on the way, Varion looked too tired, and Prinz was focused on getting him somewhere private.
When they finally reached her room, she guided him inside and closed the door behind them. The space was large and elegant, with a massive bed draped in soft white and silver sheets. Without wasting time, Prinz helped him sit on the edge of the bed.
"Arms up," she said quietly.
Varion obeyed without complaint as she carefully removed his formal coat and the rest of his clothes. Once he was bare, she helped him lie back against the pillows. He let out a low groan the moment his head touched the bed, one hand pressing against his chest where the Hero's Egg had settled.
Prinz didn't waste any time. She stripped out of her own formal dress, letting it fall to the floor before climbing onto the bed beside him. Completely naked, she settled in close and gently pulled his head against her chest, burying his face between her breasts. One hand came up to run slowly through his crimson hair while the other rested on his back.
She channeled a gentle bit of ice magic through her palm, letting the chill seep into him. It wasn't strong enough to cause discomfort, but it was steady.
Varion let out a shaky breath against her skin, his arms sliding around her waist and pulling her closer. He held her tightly, like she was the only thing keeping him grounded right now.
"…You feel nice," he mumbled against her chest, voice rough.
Prinz smiled softly and continued stroking his hair. "Just rest you goof"
For a little while, he stayed still. Then, slowly, he shifted his head from side to side between her breasts, nuzzling deeper into the soft warmth with a small, tired sound. Prinz let out a quiet giggle at the motion, her fingers pausing in his hair for a second.
"You're ridiculous," she murmured, though there was clear affection in her voice.
Varion didn't stop. If anything, he did it again, slower this time, and let out a weak little chuckle of his own.
"I love your boobs," he said, voice muffled against her skin. It was half-delirious, half-genuine, and completely unfiltered.
Prinz laughed again, the sound light and warm in the quiet room. She wrapped her arms around him a little tighter, one leg sliding over his to pull him even closer.
"I know you do," she said, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "Now stop moving around so much and go to sleep."
Varion hummed in response, and started to drift to sleep while Prinz ran her fingers through his hair.
Prinz looked down at the man resting against her chest, her fingers moving slowly through his crimson hair. The steady rhythm of his breathing was slowly evening out, though his body was still running much hotter than it should have been. She kept the cooling magic flowing gently from her palm, letting it seep into his skin as she held him close.
Her golden eyes softened as she watched him.
'He really did all of that for me today…'
She hadn't expected him to stand up to her father so directly. Not like that. When her father had started pressing him, she had been ready to step in and handle it herself, she had been doing that for years. But Varion hadn't backed down. He had met her father's pressure head-on, without a shred of hesitation. That moment had done something to her. It wasn't just that he was strong. It was that he was willing to do that in front of her family, for her.
Prinz's hand paused in his hair for a moment as her thoughts drifted.
She had spent the entire week preparing, obsessing over every little detail because she wanted everything to be perfect. Not because she was worried about what her parents would think of her, but because she had been terrified of how they would treat him. She knew how her father could be. She knew the complicated history the name "Nava" carried in this country. And yet Varion had walked in head held high, holding her hand like it was the most natural thing in the world.
A small, fond smile tugged at her lips.
'You're so stubborn… and so gentle at the same time you dummy.'
She glanced down at his face, half-hidden against her chest. Even now, feverish and exhausted, he was still holding onto her waist like he didn't want to let go. The sight made something warm and protective bloom in her chest.
She had always been the one who teased, who pushed, who took the lead in their relationship. But right now, seeing him like this, vulnerable in a way he rarely allowed himself to be, she felt something shift. She wanted to be the one protecting him for once. Not because he needed it, but because she wanted to.
Her fingers resumed their slow path through his hair.
'Today was terrifying… but he never once made me feel like I had to face it alone.'
The memory of him standing in front of her father, voice steady as he said he would protect her no matter what, still lingered in her mind. And then that skill, Aegis, appeared right after. She wasn't naïve. She knew what that meant. It wasn't just power reacting. It was his heart, his genuine soul deep desire to keep her safe, being recognized by the world itself.
Prinz let out a quiet breath, her hold on him tightening slightly.
She had wanted to bring him here to do things properly. To introduce him to her family the right way, because she was serious about him. Because she wanted a future with him. But after everything that happened today, she realized something else.
She didn't just want him in her life.
She wanted to stand beside him through whatever came next — even if that included things as heavy as a Hero's Egg.
Her gaze softened further as she looked down at him, her thumb brushing gently along his temple.
'You really are something else, Varion Nava.'
She leaned down and pressed a slow, lingering kiss to the top of his head, letting her lips rest there for a moment.
-Varion dreamscape-
Varion opened his eyes and instead of being in Prinz's arms, he stood in a place that felt impossibly familiar.
A wide courtyard of smooth white stone floated among endless clouds and stars in all directions. The air was cool and rich with stardust; it was carrying a quiet, ancient peace that sank straight into his bones. It felt like home, more than Earthland ever had, more than the Cardinal World ever could. The feeling was so strong it almost hurt.
Varion looked around, disoriented. He had never been here before… and yet something deep inside him recognized every inch of it as safe, like nothing could ever harm him here, like he wanted to stay here forever.
Then he spotted something, at the far edge of the platform stood a tall, majestic silhouette.
The figure was blurred, like he was seeing it through a blurry window, but its presence was undeniable. In one hand, the silhouette held a beautifully forged sword, its blade catching the starlight as it was slowly extended toward a shorter figure standing before it that had golden hair.
Varion couldn't make out the smaller person's face but something about the scene made his chest tighten painfully.
'Dad…?'
The thought hit him with crushing force. Even though the figure was little more than a blurred outline, Varion's soul screamed that it was him. The longing that had been buried for so long surged up all at once, raw and desperate.
He started running.
His bare feet slapped against the white stone as he sprinted across the courtyard, reaching out with one hand. The closer he got the more familiar the energy was and made him run even faster.
"Dad!"
The word tore from his throat, raw and broken. He didn't care what was going on. In that moment, nothing else mattered. He just needed to reach him. He needed to see his face again.
The silhouette didn't move. It simply continued holding the sword out to the smaller figure who reached out and took it carefully, as Varion closed the distance.
He was almost there, he was an arms length away from touching then everything cracked like broken glass.
The dream shattered and faded away.
Varion shot up right, panting tears rolling down his cheeks.