Eternal Love

The pungent smell of flesh drifted from Dragu’s plate.

“I want to ask you something.” Dragu said, sitting at the restaurant table. His hand clutched a red gemstone pendant hanging from his neck.

“Oh, really?” Said Ailia, who sat across from him at the table. “You look very serious about this question. May I use the restroom before you ask?” She raised an eyebrow.

Dragu reached out and touched the back of her hand, which was warm. “Of course you may.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Said Ailia, lowering her head.

Dragu laughed, “Oh, stop it.”

Ailia laughed as she slid out of the booth and stood up. She winked at him as she turned and walked towards the restroom.

Dragu's eyes lingered on her until she was out of sight.

He took off the necklace with the pendant he had been playing around with. He undid the loop on the necklace and made a gesture to put it on someone.

A woman sitting across from him saw what he was doing and smiled at him. She was wearing a necklace with an identical red pendant. She tapped the man sitting next to her and pointed to Dragu, she whispered something softly. The man set his food down on his plate and smiled at Dragu, his teeth covered in crimson red. Both gave him a supportive thumbs up.

Dragu smiled back nervously. A second later, Ailia rounded the corner again and headed for their booth. Dragu quickly put the necklace back on and propped his hands on the table.

His gaze was fixed on her again. So much so that he didn’t notice how the other diners she passed also turned to look at her.

She slid back into the booth and gave Dragu a wide smile.

“So, what question do you have for me?” She asked immediately.

Dragu took a deep breath. “Ailia, we’ve been together for almost two years now, but it feels like we’ve known each other forever.”

The other diners began to move in their seats, low murmurs sounding in the background.

“Yes, and the question?” She urged him on.

“Yes, the question.” Dragu took the necklace with the pendant from his neck.

“Your heart is unique, Ailia, and you have a kindness I have never experienced,” he rambled, opening the necklace.

“And the question,” she pressed him further, her eyes not leaving him.

He took another deep breath to prepare himself for the question, and at that moment the scent assaulted his nose. He coughed because of the strong smell and his jaw quivered a little.

“That smell, is that you, what is that?”

Ailia slumped a little, her eyes softening. “You know what that smell is.”

Horror spread across his face. “No, what? But how, you’re not..."

“Human.” Ailia gave the word a second to sink in.

Dragu’s brows drew down.

“I am human, you’ve by been dating a human.”

Dragu’s face contorted, he sat there, unable to speak.

“I know you’re feeling a rush of emotions right now, and have questions that could span a lifetime to ask me, but we have far less than that, we both know that. So let me tell you as much as time allows.”

A diner from a distant table rose and Dragu’s eyes darted to them.

Ailia reached out and touched one of his hands, drawing his attention back to her.

“We don’t have much time, just look at me.” Her kind eyes met his.

“I had a daughter once, but your father, the King of the Eternal Court, took her from me. Strange that he calls himself eternal, when he is nothing more than a zombie.” She spat out the last word like poison.

The word hit Dragu like an electric shock and he jerked his hand away.

“I’m sorry, that was insensitive.”

More diners began to rise.

“My daughter was my world, and when he took her away from me, I was lost for a long time. My family and friends told me to let go, that there will always be casualties in war. A war that my daughter and I had never signed up for, but still got caught in the middle. Where they thought my revenge was impossible, I saw a problem that needed to be solved. I’m a scientist, so my job is to find solutions to problems. My revenge stewed for a long time until one day it became clear to me. How could I make the most powerful eternal feel the deep pain I feel? The answer was so simple that I had to laugh when it came to me. I had to take one of his children away from him. An eye for an eye.”

Half the diners were standing by now, a few taking steps toward them.

“So I studied your kind and created a scentless fragrance that completely masked my human scent. To your kind, I'd be odorless like an eternal. But once I take it off..." The groan of the diners gave an answer.

“I knew that it was forbidden for an eternal to date a human, and that giving your eternal love to a human would be unforgivable,” she glanced at the necklace he held, “the shame would be unbearable. They would be cast out to live alone forever. For the King, that would be worse than losing a child to death, waking up every day knowing that you have plunged your child into a suffering that will never end.” Ailia’s face became sad as she touched his hand again. All the diners were standing up now, their feet shuffling toward her.

“Think back, you’ve known all along. All those dinners where I wouldn’t eat in front of you because I said I ate too unladylike and didn’t want you to see me like that. I told you I was drinking a special tea to warm my body because I like to be warm. I never wanted to tell you who my creator was because I was too ashamed to tell the story. All my secrets, but you always knew the answer, so you never pried further. You decided that the lie was better than the truth.” 

Dragu’s body quivered, his pupils dilating.

“The urge is beginning to overtake you, and you won’t be able to fight it much longer. I’m sorry, I really am. I told myself that I would do anything not to fall in love with you, that you were the enemy. But the heart wants what the heart wants, even a broken one. With all the questions you will have when I’m gone, you should know that the only answer is yes, I loved you.” She gently stroked his hand.

The diners were now a few feet away from their table. Their eyes were dilated and their jaws were open. They clawed at each other, trying to come forward.

“After all you know, do you still have a question for me?” Her eyes were watering now, partly from pain, partly from joy.

Dragu looked down, the necklace still entwined in both hands. He lifted it and held the opening out to her. “Ailia, will you be my eternal love?”

Ailia bent her head under the opening and he released it at her neck. “Yes, I will.” Her face was joyous.

The diners reached their table and Dragu climbed over to join them, a bloody tear falling from his face.