Love

Ironhand 9880

"Master I have a question for you." Sirene said as she bathed in a pond, deep in the Dragontail Mountains.

"Oh?" Eigengrau asked. She was also naked, and relaxing in the pond, as much as one could with all the water within a few feet of her frozen.

"Have you ever loved someone?"

"What brought this on, Apprentice?" Eigengrau asked, smiling.

"You're a filthy liar and won't tell me how old you actually are, but surely there must have been someone. I've loved and lost so many times over the years, and it hurts every single time." Sirene continued, only her head visible above the water as she laid back against a rock.

"There are many who have loved me, the most dangerous of all being Mira Frost." Eigengrau answered cryptically. "But there are a few I have loved. To be loved by Death, so few have had that honour, but you are one of them."

"I bet you say that to every Sirene." Sirene said with a smirk.

"Of course." Eigengrau replied, closing her eyes again. "What good is it if you can't love yourself, least of all?"

"Okay but who else?"

"It is not Vordea, before you ask. She is my closest, dearest friend, but I do not see her that way. Not to mention her... tastes."

"We're just going to move on past that." Sirene answered. "So who, then?"

"A very, very, long time ago, there was a man." Eigengrau began, her voice soft for a change, instead of monotone. "Steely eyes, a weary expression, shoulders that had borne weight for far too long. He was the first person I ever loved. For forty wonderful years, I abandoned my duties to spend every second with him. He was well and truly 'loved by Death'. Nothing else mattered except for him."

Sirene made no reply, and simply continued to sit and listen.

"I knew he would not live forever, I knew he did not want to live forever. For him, one lifetime was enough. He always called me his beautiful corpse." Eigengrau said, which caused Sirene to unexpectedly snort at that comment. "Do not worry, I found it amusing as well. No, the day he died was the worst day of my life up until that point. I took solace in that I was able to personally take him to Hell. I insisted on it, and Vordea saw no reason to object, for which I was grateful."

After Eigengrau finished, the two of them sat in silence in the pond for several minutes, before eventually Sirene spoke.

"Did you ever have any... ummm... children with him? Can you?" Sirene asked.

"I have had many children over the years with my male lovers yes." She replied, her voice still soft and gentle. "All of them powerful demi-gods associated with death. Alas, I cannot create new life with the wonderful female lovers I had as well."

"So you've had both."

"Of course. Death does not discriminate, neither does my love."

Sirene opened an eye and noticed Eigengrau had moved slightly closer.

"Do you... love me like that?" Sirene asked, curious.

"Only if you want me to." Eigengrau answered, her voice back to normal. "Even if you do not, I will love you as a daughter for all of your days."