As Basileus and Varya walked down the hallway outside of the emperor's chambers, she cuddled into his arm with a smile on her face as she affectionately traced the necklace that adorned her.
"I can't believe you gave this to me," she said quietly. "I've never seen such a beautiful gemstone in my life. It looks like fire, was that intentional?"
Basileus kissed her temple.
"Of course it was," he said. "Basilians are known for being prideful of their auras. But my mother refused to wear it. She only liked practical things."
All the more reason it saddened her that it was a dying race. Perhaps that meant she had to help repopulate. The idea caused her face to feel warm.
He watched her admire the necklace and he felt truly happy.
There were a few things about Varya that reminded Basileus of his kindhearted and tender mother, but that was where they differed. When he and Varya were finally publicly together, he couldn't wait to shower her with gifts.
