by snapshot » Thu Feb 24, 2022 2:36 pm
Trias came to the islands when Lana was still in training. He met Nuria and her apprentice Archipela at the jetty, and said he had felt the pull of the sea. Nuria smiled softly, and turned and led him on the Long Swim.
The Great Lion had called another child to their terra home.
Trias was brought before Mar and Lana to be assessed, like every other lion that came to join the pride. Mar had Lana take the lead for the first time. She had watched Mar conduct assessments many times by now, and it was her turn to put those skills into practice. She asked the standard questions, and then took a moment to consult with the Great Lion, then with Nuria and Archipela, then with Mar.
Trias passed the assessment, and was welcomed into the pride.
"Well done," Mar said to Lana, approval in his tone. "And congratulations, for you have welcomed the first new member into the pride under your reign."
"You're still king, Ada," Lana pointed out.
"Perhaps in title. But this pride is ruled by three, now. Myself, your mother, and you. You're still training, but none of the decisions you make are trial runs. They have real affects on the pride. And while your decisions pass through my approval, they are still yours. Queenship does not start with the ceremony, it starts with the first small decision you made with my guidance. So, Trias is the first new member of your reign, just as he is one of the last of mine."
Lana considered that, and saw things a little differently.
She next saw Trias during fishing. He had grown up in the forest, and had never fished in a sea before. When he struggled to catch a lobster, Lana offered to help, and he was glad for the assistance. They worked together, Lana teaching, Trias listening intently, asking detailed and thoughtful questions. He was a quick learner, and soon caught his own lobster, which he proudly held up for Lana to see.
They became friends after that. Lana helped Trias learn the island, and Trias was always happy to be a sounding board while she worked on the practice issues Mar gave her to mull over to prepare her for when she would officially become Queen. Trias got along well with Lana's good friend Avior too, and with her siblings. Soon enough, it was like he had always been part of the pride.
Their friendship grew. Truthfully, neither expected it to become anything more. But they gradually went from friends to close friends to best friends. They were each other's person. They laughed and played and teased each other, and they had long conversations about everything and anything, and they were there to support each other after a long day.
One night, a couple years into their friendship, after Lana had become Queen, they lay on the beach together and were watching the stars. And as they looked up at the sky, silently, just enjoying each other's company and the peace of the sea and the stars... they both realized that the depth of the connection they shared was special.
"Lana," Trias said, turning his head towards her. "What would you say if I told you that I thought I might love you?"
"I would say that I would hope so, given how long we've been friends," she replied, tilting her head to face him as well with a light smirk.
Trias snorted. "Of course, but, I mean... another kind of love. Not just the love between friends."
Lana considered this, gaze roaming over his face. He waited, patient, watching her eyes move.
"I would say that I think I love you in another way too," she said, gaze coming back to meet his.
"Would you be open to exploring that?" Trias asked. "If not, I'll be content with what we have. You're my closest friend. But if you are... well, I've always believed that courting should start with a close friendship."
"I'd love to," Lana said, smiling softly. "I've always thought so too, and you're my best friend too. I can't imagine walking through life without you anymore."
NEW PROMPT BELOW
"Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be able to walk through the sky," Lana commented. "There's a story Ada likes to tell, of a lion who loved the sea so dearly that they wanted to walk through the stars in order to see it better. The Great Lion loved the lion's curiosity, and sent one of his messengers, the Great Bird, to gift the lion wings. But when the Great Bird arrived, she found that the lion had injured their back, and therefore would not be able to wear wings. The Great Bird consulted with the Great Lion, and then carried a message to the lion: chose your dearest friend, and I will give them wings with the Great Lion's blessing, and they will be able to carry you both through the sky." The lion had several close friends, and had a hard time choosing. But they had one friend who was missing a front leg and couldn't walk properly. So they said to the Great Bird, "give the wings to this friend, that they can move freely." And the Great Bird said, "but this friend is missing a leg, and would not be able to carry you to the sky." And the lion said, "I can love the sea just as well from the ground as from the sky. My friend needs the wings more." So the Great Bird gave the wings to the friend. The friend, upon hearing about this, worked to make a special sling so that they could still carry their friend into the sky."
Trias listened closely. A story of two friends who loved each other deeply.