The sun beat down hot and heavy on the spectators of the arena, however, none seemed to care. They were too enraptured and enthralled by the magnificent display of violence playing out before them, they loved to see the splattering of blood and hear the shrill cries of agony. The reigning champion, and current crowd favourite, was in the ring today. The crowd cheered with every hit that connected and savoured the sounds of cracking. High above it all in a structure built for shade, Princess Lyra watched down over her subjects and though she did not cheer with every hit there was approval in her eyes. For you see, she and the crowd favourite had been engaged in a secretive relationship for a few months now. It had all started when, after a particularly brutal fight when the gladiator was just starting, the doctor was too far away to offer medical assistance. So the princess herself offered to go, and after much resistance from her father, she was allowed. This meeting sparked a friendship between the two that had grown and developed as they had. The sun had begun to set by the time the fight reached its conclusion. Lyra watched with an ever-growing smile of joy as she watched her. She stood and clapped when the fight was over, the reigning champion claiming another win to their list. The rest of the spectators and royal court cleared the arena but she stayed in that shaded structure and looked down into the fighting put. She spoke softly but still held that princess mask over her true self as there were still others around. “You fought well today, I would expect nothing less of you” Lyra said, addressing the gladiator below with the ghost of a smile on her lips. The gladiator, Aeliana, smiled, her long auburn hair messy from her helmet and her face prickled with small drops of sweat. She looked at the princess and said, "Well, princess, it is easy to win when you have something that is worth fighting for." Aeliana's green eyes sparkled as she continued to look at her in admiration. Lyra smiled "How fortunate it must be to have something so important you would protect it with all you are, my dear Gladiator" She spoke gently, it was always so difficult to speak in code when her love was so close. She hated having to put up the princess facade around others, all she wanted was to laugh and joke with her love, but instead here she stood. Looking down on someone she looked up to. Aeliana looked around cautiously. “I think we should meet in private later this evening, so you can hear all about what is worth fighting for so much.” She ran her hands through her hair as a comb, her mouth positioned in a slight smile. Lyra's expression changed for a brief moment as her real smile broke through the facade and her eyes shone, but as quickly as it was there it vanished. Once again Lyra was composed but she nodded, "I would appreciate that" she said. Later that evening, Aeliana snuck into the castle, estatic that she and Lyra could finally be alone. It took a while, but she finally found Lyra’s room. She stepped in, whispering, “Lyra?” Her eyes shone in the darkness. Lyra was sitting on the windowsill looking out, when she heard Aeliana's voice she turned in an instant "Aeliana" she said, her voice was gentle and kind. No mask at all, just her. She practically ran over and hugged her. As Aeliana wrapped her arms around Lyra, she felt a sudden rush of emotion that made her stomach feel as if it was filled with a fluttering swarm of butterflies. It was a sensation that always seemed to accompany moments like this, when the two of them were alone and free to express themselves without any external pressures or expectations. "I love it when we're alone and we can just be us, Lyra," Aeliana whispered, her voice soft and filled with affection. She had a small smile of contentment on her face. It was true - when they were together like this, everything else seemed to disappear into the background. It was just her and Lyra, the two of them wrapped up in their own world of love and acceptance. "It feels like we can just be ourselves, without any expectations or judgments from anyone else," Aeliana continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "I agree" Lyra said, her voice softened by her love and affection "I hate having to be so stuffy and formal when I watch you fight when all I want is to cheer your name and say with pride that I am the one you fight for". Aeliana leaned in, her eyes fixed on Lyra's face as her lips tenderly brushed against her forehead, tracing a path down to her nose. She paused for a moment, savoring the warmth emanating from Lyra's skin, before carefully fitting her mouth onto hers. In that instant, Aeliana was overcome by a flurry of positive emotions, from the fluttering of her heart to the rush of blood in her veins. Every inch of her being was consumed by a sense of elation, as if she had found a missing piece of herself in Lyra's touch. For a brief moment, nothing else mattered but the feel of Lyra's lips moving against hers, as they breathed each other in. The world around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them, wrapped up in a cocoon of pure bliss. As they parted, Aeliana gazed deeply into Lyra's eyes, a soft smile playing on her lips. It was as if she had finally found what she had been searching for all her life, and now that she had it, she never wanted to let it go. Lyra had the usual dusting of pink on her face that arose every time a moment like that occurred, any time she could feel Aeliana that close just made her yern to be closer, to be done with masks and proclaim their love from the highest mountain. "My Gladiator, My love, My Aeliana" she said as she placed her hand on Aeliana's face, her thumb going back and forth against it. Aeliana gazed lovingly at Lyra as she leaned her face onto her hand and closed her eyes. With her head tilted, her auburn hair cascaded onto her face, obscuring her view. She pushed it to the side, revealing her delicate features. As she looked at Lyra, a rush of emotions overwhelmed her. Aeliana had never felt more in love, more content, or more grateful for the woman sitting across from her. Lyra was her world, and she couldn't imagine life without her. In a soft, affectionate whisper, she expressed her feelings. "I love you, Lyra," she said, her voice barely audible. Her words were filled with passion and devotion, a testament to the depth of her love. Tenderly, she took hold of Lyra's hand, savoring the softness of her skin. She raised it to her lips, pressing a gentle kiss on the back of it. It was a simple gesture, yet it conveyed so much. Aeliana wanted Lyra to know how much she loved her, how much she cherished her. In that moment, time stood still. Lyra watched her love kiss her hand and softly smiled once more "I love you too Aeliana, more than I have words to tell you with or time to explain the full depth of my affection. If you are the sun then I don't want to be the moon, I would rather be the blue sky that holds you" Lyra said softly. Aeliana smiled warmly, but before she could utter a single word in reply, the sudden sound of footsteps coming towards them cut her off abruptly. With a slight furrow of her brows and a disappointed sigh, Aeliana reluctantly turned her attention to the source of the disturbance. Realizing that she had to leave immediately, she leaned in towards Lyra and whispered, "I have to go." Her voice was soft and almost apologetic, conveying her regret at having to cut their conversation short. Nonetheless, she quickly straightened herself up and began to make her way towards the approaching footsteps, disappearing from sight in a matter of seconds.