Work Text:
Lake Víd sat about half an hour's ride east of the Palace of Askr. The morning sun always glinted off of the still waters, creating a soft glow to match the crimson skies. It was a perfect spot to fish, to picnic for a lazy afternoon, to relax a day away.
Azura had learned to avoid it.
She’d first been brought to Askr some few years ago. Back then, the Order of Heroes was still a paltry militia, barely a dozen strong. Back then, she could be certain that she could have a day to herself there, a chance to unwind from the constant skirmishes with Embla. It was the perfect place to practice her singing without attracting an audience.
But as the years passed, as the Order of Heroes grew from a dozen to a hundred to hundreds, more and more of its members learned of the quiet lake of Víd. And eventually, every time Azura went there to practice her singing, there was some couple or another. A swordswoman and her two companions were the most frequent visitors, but they were far from the only ones.
Azura had never been much of a social woman, and that was doubly true when she was taking time to practice. Her preferred spot becoming one of Askr's premiere date destinations quickly became something of a hindrance to her hopes at solitude.
But, all was not lost. Lake Víd was only the endpoint for several source rivers, some of them flowing all the way from Nifl. Azura had heard tell that once, such a river served as the main passage between the two neighboring nations, being less treacherous than the mountains and the fields of snow. If she were a more scholarly type, she might have wondered exactly why travel had stopped along the rivers.
Instead, she took an extra quarter hour to find a good place along one of the rivers to practice. It didn’t take terribly long - Víd was bordered by a dense forest, and the same was true of more than a few of the rivers that fed into it. It had only taken a good long walk for her to find a clearing near a river’s shore.
Azura stood next to the flowing water, and took a deep breath as she closed her eyes. This was where she was the most in her element. Her voice came to her easier near the water than it ever had on any stage, any battlefield.
When her lips parted, and the words came from deep within her chest, it almost felt involuntary. The soft movements of her body and the tone of her voice weren't some carefully considered routine. They flowed just as the river did.
Her song was one of flow, of the passing of time. It was one that was resonating particularly strong in her mind, lately, as the Order of Heroes embarked on yet another campaign just as their previous fights against Embla had ended. She'd heard another argument between Queen Henriette and the Summoner, and it was the latter's yelling of things repeating over and over that had brought her song about.
Her voice carried out over the water, filling the silence around the water with music. Her body twirled on the shore, her feet feeling each clump of dirt that her steps disturbed.
Yes, she'd been right to go just a little further out for her practice. The quiet made for the perfect environment. Out here, with only the noises of the forest and the river, she was free to let her heart sing out with-
Azura heard a rustle in the grass, and spun around. Behind her was a woman in a blue dress, who had just taken in a gasp.
At first, she felt a gaping pit form in her stomach. No, not here too. Was nowhere quiet?
Then, she took a deep breath, and forced that gut reaction back down. Before anything else, she needed to take stock of the situation, and keep calm. That was how she kept control of her conversations.
After a moment of awkward examination, Azura recognized the woman standing near her. It was Ninian, one of her fellow dancers in the Order of Heroes. They’d only had a few passing conversations before today - she struck Azura as one of the more shy members of the musically inclined.
As if in desire to prove her thoughts correct, Ninian spoke first, but only after a small bout of stammering. "Lady A-Azura… I’m so sorry… I didn’t think anyone else would be out this far."
So Azura wasn’t the only one who was seeking a peaceful place. But that explanation left a bit to be desired, she felt. "You heard me, didn’t you? You could have kept moving."
"I was going to, at first, but…" Ninian sighed and took a step forward. "Forgive me. I heard your song, and… I liked the sound of it. It reminded me of… times long past."
Azura paused for a moment. That wasn’t the first time she had heard words like that from people who had listened to her sing. Some few admirers of hers had said it brought them back to their childhoods, or some such. She’d always dismissed it. Boorish men trying to charm their way into her bed. But when Ninian said it, it didn’t come with that false charm that she’d heard so many times before. From Ninian, it was tinged with a very specific sort of melancholy.
And even with all the other times she’d heard such lines, Azura couldn’t help but be reminded of the only other time they seemed to ring true.
She decided, just this once, to pry a little more.
"What sort of times?"
Something about the tone of her voice must have snapped Ninian out of her memories, as she began to shake her head. "Oh, nothing so sad. Just… my brother and I performed together, once upon a time. Nils would play the flute as I danced. I haven’t seen him in quite some time, and now that I’m here in Askr…" She shook her head again. "Well, I try not to worry about that. We’ll see each other again one day."
Azura pursed her lips before she turned back towards the river. With one smooth movement, she sunk to a seated position, and gently patted the ground next to her. The invitation wasn’t lost on Ninian, who sat next to her.
They stayed that way for some time, listening to the babbling of the water. The sound was always soothing for Azura, ever since her youth in Hoshido’s royal palace.
"There was someone I used to perform with as well," she eventually said. "Not a sibling of mine, but…" she shook her head. She didn’t have to explain that relationship just yet. The wound was still rather fresh. "He was a dancer, much like you. All he ever told me was that he learned from his mother, but he was as skilled as they come."
"A little shy about practicing, though." Azura glanced at Ninian, with a wry grin on her face. "Much like you."
"Wh-" Ninian shook her head, even as red began to creep up her neck. "It’s not that I’m… shy about practicing… and what about you? You came all the way out here just to sing!"
The tone of her words betrayed Ninian’s light amusement at her teasing. Azura chuckled at her followup. "I happen to need a more quiet atmosphere to sing."
"And I... suppose you think I can dance just anywhere, even in the... raucousness of Lake Víd?"
They both shared a little laugh at that, before Azura continued. "That’s true enough. With all the dragons that seem to have made a shared home there, it would be difficult for anyone to practice a craft."
Ninian closed her eyes, her blush refusing to leave her face. "I can… hardly disprove that, Lady Azura."
Silence blanketed their conversation once more. The only sounds in the air were of the running river, and the wind blowing through the grass.
Once, long before she had been brought to Askr, Azura had someone to share moments like this with. These moments of silence and comfort from the river. But now, even though she never wanted for company, she often felt nearly as alone as she had in Hoshido’s royal palace.
But as she looked next to her, at someone who shared in that loneliness, she felt some of that warmth returning. Only a flicker - a brief spark in her soul. But perhaps that was enough.
Azura stood back up, stepping towards Ninian. At first, it earned her a quizzical look. "Will you… be heading back to the palace… Lady Azura?"
"Not just yet." Azura offered a hand to Ninian. "I’d have you listen to something, if it pleases you." It was a little impulsive, true. But sometimes, the flow of water was exactly that.
Ninian seemed to agree, softly taking her hand and using it to help herself to her feet.
Azura said nothing at first, only walking backwards into the shallows of the water. Her body shivered at first as the river’s cold embrace wrapped around her ankles, but she paid it little mind.
When the two of them were both standing in the water, feeling the flow and ever-so-slight pull of the current, Azura closed her eyes. "When I sing, it is to a song I feel deep in my heart. Do you have a song like that?"
Ninian didn’t move much, but Azura could feel the affirmation before she even spoke. "Every… every time I dance. I… used to…"
Azura shook her head. "I know. I used to share mine, as well." She noted that Ninian hadn’t let go of her hand, and raised it slightly. As she opened her eyes, she said. "Would you share yours with me? Only for a moment."
Ninian’s eyes widened in an instant. "My… song? Lady Azura… are you certain?"
"Very much so." Azura’s face remained serene, showing a soft anticipation. "We both have a certain gap that could be filled with ease, it would seem. Why not make an attempt to fill that gap? If nothing else, it will make for good practice."
Ninian chuckled, her hand covering her mouth. "A rehearsal? Are… are you planning a duet with me?"
"Hardly. But who knows? Perhaps we make the duo to end all duos. There's only one way to find out, isn't there?" Azura stepped a few feet back from Ninian. The water barely lapped at her back foot as she took her stance.
"If you truly want to…" Ninian took a few steps back as well, before taking her own stance. "Then I… suppose I could lead…"
Azura only smiled in a tacit invitation. She was certain that any dance Ninian would lead with, she could follow with ease.
When Ninian began to twirl on her feet from complete stillness. Her certainty began to waver.
But it wasn't enough for her to back out - not nearly enough. Her feet moved in an opposite circle to Ninian's. Where she stepped clockwise, Azura stepped counterclockwise. Ninian moved to her left, and Azura, to her right.
Her feet kicked up a few splashes of water as their rhythm and movement both sped up. Even without a song in the air, they were both able to move to a precise set of steps, as though they could imagine it perfectly.
Though the bulk of Azura's focus was on her own footwork, she couldn't help but steal a glance or three at her impromptu partner, watching as her dress flowed alongside her body.
There was no question that Ninian’s skill as a dancer surpassed hers. The largest strength of Azura’s dancing was in how her movements reinforced the tones of her voice. Everything about her dance was in service to her song, but it made it difficult to showcase without that song.
Ninian’s dancing was different. Her movements were more precise, with a more practiced grace. Her dance was one that almost didn’t need music to accompany it - it was an enchanting show all its own, and one that Azura had difficulty keeping up with. She pushed herself, forcing her body to move fast enough to pace alongside her.
And then, her voice rang out as well.
It wasn’t a conscious choice from Azura to start singing. Moreover, it wasn’t a song with any actual lyrics, or any serious structure. But as she moved alongside Ninian, mirroring her steps as best as she could, the notes flowed from her without any prompting. The song was a high-spirited one, a far cry from her usual fare. She briefly wondered if it was the sort of song that Ninian would perform with her brother, back in Elibe.
As the song progressed, their mirrored movements drew them closer together, until their hands met, fingers interlocking. Azura’s voice slowed as they approached each other, but maintained its high, happy tones. Though it had no words, she knew the song was of warmth, of two lonely souls meeting, and finding some form of completion.
The both of them smiled as their movements slowed, and their steps grew closer still. The fabrics of both their dresses swayed in the breeze, brushing against each other every few seconds.
Their bodies barely had any distance between them now. Any closer, and Azura would feel Ninian’s flesh pressing against her own. It was the arc of her song, she knew that much. A song that never lost its lighthearted joy, even as it turned from a free spirited dance to something much more intimate.
When their bodies moved together, their chests meeting and started to press against each other, it only felt natural for Azura. She could see the smile on Ninian’s face, and knew that it was natural for her.
So it was only natural for their lips to meet as well. A perfect kiss, to serve as a perfect coda to their song.
If they had been performing for an audience, perhaps that would’ve been the end of it. A chaste peck, a pair of smiles, a wave goodbye as the curtain fell.
But this was a practice, for only the two of them. Here, their hearts could be open in ways they never could on a stage. Here, Azura didn’t have to try and justify her arms clutching tight around Ninian’s shoulders. She didn’t have to ask for an explanation when Ninian’s hands slid down the small of her back. And she certainly didn’t have to qualify the way their tongues met, and shared a small dance of their own.
Azura’s hand slid from Ninian’s shoulder to rest on her chest as their lips eventually parted, and they shared another soft smile.
"A… wonderful song, Lady Azura…" Ninian’s voice grew more confident with each word she spoke. Her eyes shone in the midday sun, any hint of melancholy disappeared between the pair.
Azura chuckled. "Ninian…" She pressed in against her body, squeezing tighter on her shoulder. "I really think at this point, you can simply call me Azura."
Any pretense of practice or rehearsal vanished in the river’s flow as Azura closed the gap for a second kiss. Her body moved like it was possessed - she was a woman starved of affection, and now that it was here again, she wouldn’t let go.
Ninian seemed to feel the same way, as her practiced movements gave way to a hunger more befitting a dragon. She pulled Azura in by her hips, her tongue invading her mouth as they kissed.
Kissing Ninian felt different from the kisses that Azura had shared with others in her past. Most of them had been rushed in a passionate moment. A few hurried moments of affection with women in the capital. The only exception was… still something she was trying to clear from her memories.
That was proving to be a little easier, now. All the old pains, all the old heartbreak, was fading away under the warmth she now felt with Ninian. She let out a little noise into her lips when she felt her hands squeezing her hips tighter. She could only pull away long enough to whisper Ninian’s name before she was pulled in again.
The dance was long over, but there was still a rhythm to their movement. Ninian’s lips would pull, and Azura’s would push. Ninian’s hands would move upward, and Azura’s back would arch in a perfect response. There was no logic or reason behind any of this, but there was music to it.
Sometimes, that was all Azura needed.
Ninian’s hands came up to caress her cheeks. Their lips opened, and their tongues moved in unison, sliding against each other to deepen their kiss further. Neither of their eyes had opened yet.
Azura’s body began to make its desires known, and she briefly cursed her outfit. Most of the time, her dress was alluring, and made her body something to be desired. But in moments like this, with such closeness and intimacy, it was harder to hide certain parts of her. She didn’t even think to close her legs until it was too late. She felt her modest erection pressing against Ninian’s thigh, and the both of them paused.
For a second, she could feel panic bubbling up in her mind. There had only been a few encounters in Azura's past that had gone this far, and with one notable exception, they mostly ended in frustration and disappointment.
She felt her breath quicken. Had the music been ruined? Was there no chance of continuing forward, now? Was Ninian going to be another girl who awkwardly pulled away, with some half-thought excuse of moving too fast?
Instead, Ninian giggled at the feeling. "You’re tickling me, you know."
The tone of Ninian's voice told Azura how she was feeling more than her words ever could, and she felt every ounce of anxiety fade away.
Azura, after another moment’s pause, laughed. She opened her eyes, to find a smile on Ninian’s face. "I’m truly sorry. Sometimes it has a mind of its own."
"Oh, I understand. It can’t be helped, can it?" Ninian brought one of her hands down, to rest on the front of Azura’s dress, between her legs. "Though… I suppose it could be. If you want this dance to… keep going?"
Azura licked her lips, slightly nodding. "If you want to, how could I possibly say no?"
Ninian grinned again, moving her hand upwards to rest on Azura’s stomach under her dress. "I may not be as skilled a singer as you, Azura." She hummed, sinking down and kneeling in front of her. "But… I can still put my lips to good use." With a quick motion, her other hand pulled down on Azura’s panties, exposing her hard length to the cold air.
For a moment, Ninian did nothing. Then she opened her mouth just wide enough to roll out her tongue, taking an exploratory lick of Azura’s tip. She let out a warm breath, almost to comfort her, as her hand took hold of her shaft, slowly stroking down and back up.
She looked back up at Azura, and winked, before leaning forward.
When Ninian's mouth enveloped her lower head, Azura's cold face cracked. She bit her lip and let out a shaky moan, curling her fingers into her hair.
"Ah… Oh, Ninian…"
Ninian hooked two of her fingers under Azura's single legging, and pulled it downwards until both of her legs lay bare. The further the cloth slid down her leg, the further Ninian pushed downwards on her shaft, until her lips were pressed against its base.
Azura looked downward, to catch Ninian’s eyes dancing with a mischievous sort of lust. Even though her lower head was poking into her throat, she was still able to let out a low hum as she started to pull back - as though Azura’s dick was a musical instrument all its own.
There was no way Ninian hadn't done this before. Her head bobbed up and down Azura's shaft with the same grace she had in her dances, only briefly pausing to tease the underside of the tip with her tongue. One of her hands felt almost as soft as velvet as it stroked up and down her length, in time with the bobbing her head.
Azura could hear the soft moans coming from her lips, and she could hear the wet sounds of her shaft being pulled in and out of Ninian’s mouth. But over time, even their passionate voices faded into the sound of the babbling river.
As her fingers threaded through Ninian's hair, her other hand rested on the back or her neck. Her hips began to move, rocking against her face. The warmth of the tongue and mouth caressing her shaft proved to nearly envelop her, drowning out every feeling but the water on her ankles and the woman driving her body higher and higher.
She felt her shaft begin to throb against Ninian’s tongue and leaned her head back, letting her voice sing out louder. In the past, she would’ve been more capable of coherent words - a teasing compliment here, a sultry ask there. But it had been so long since the last time any hands but her own had explored her body, and Ninian moved with an expertise that drove her mad. All she could manage were a few moans and a shaky uttering of her name.
But it seemed to be enough for her. Ninian moved her hands to grip Azura’s thighs again, and pushed her head forward more, more, and more still. Azura heard the strain in her breath grow as she filled more of her mouth, until her tip pressed into her throat.
For someone who claimed to have no special talent in the oratory, Ninian seemed a master. She could even take the time to smile up at Azura, who could swear that she saw the lightest bulging down her neck.
That sight, whether real or not, was the killing blow for her. Azura’s moans and body both quaked like a waking volcano. She tried to pull away from Ninian’s mouth smoothly enough to keep from making a mess of her face, but found herself unable to - Ninian’s arms had locked around her hips.
All Azura could do was let her voice cry out to the river as she erupted. Her seed spurted out, ropes of thick cream shooting into Ninian’s mouth, onto her tongue, spilling down her throat. Her voice shook and lowered as she started to soften, her length slowly shrinking in its exhaustion.
Ninian let go of her at last, and made a show of licking her lips. When she stood with a smile, Azura could see the white glistening on her mouth, and licked her own lips in response. Ninian received the message perfectly, and pressed in for another kiss. Their mouths opened once more, and Azura felt her own salty taste flood her tongue.
It was heavenly.
Ninian's lips curled up as they parted from Azura's, tongue flicking out to catch a stray strand of seed.
"Maybe the last part of that performance… should be something we keep between us?" Ninian's confidence in the moment was shaking, her face tinting red once more.
Azura had no words in response, only an elated, cumstained smile that soon peeled apart into laughter. "I wouldn't dare share this with anyone else in Askr."
Ninian pulled her body away, closing her eyes with a bashful smile on her face. Her hands idled in front of her waist.
"I don't suppose…" She slowly pulled up the front of her dress, giggling a little as more of her legs showed, then more, until Azura could see her panties, and the bulge that was straining the fabric.
Ninian bit her lip before finishing her question. "...You'd be opposed to an encore?"
Before Azura knew it, her tongue was wetting her lips, and her fingers were hooking into the deliciously stretched waistband of that delicate fabric. She pulled downwards, and saw Ninian’s length spring forward. She let out a little giggle seeing it - on the smaller side, but just as hard and ready for attention as any other. It was as cute as her.
The babbling river grew loud in her ears again as she grinned up at Ninian. She could feel herself kneeling in the shallows, ready to dive into her. Azura only had a few words to say beforehand.
"Let's make your heart sing."
And she plunged deep into the depths.