The chilling cold hugged her body in its comforting embrace as the water wiped away her tear into non-existence. Silence reigned and darkness engulfed her body as the water muted the world yet it did little to console her heart and wipe away the sorrow which lingers in her chest after finding out about Caspian's demise. 

Ruby didn't last long in the water as she finally decided to rise to the surface and cleanse her body. She sat herself on top of a boulder and took out a potion which she used to massage her hair with. She allowed it to settle on her locks before focusing on scrubbing the dirt and grime on her body as well as the blood of the demon who pretended to be her friend. 

She decided to redirect her mind into a different topic than Caspian's death. Sadness and sorrow will do a leader no good. A paragon abandons her humanity to protect those under her care. This includes her emotions and personal desires. Being a leader means putting everything else before you. Being a leader means being brave in the face of danger and hitting back with ten times the tenacity like her mother. 

She had always wanted to walk her mother's path. She wanted people to listen when she speaks, stand when she does, and move under her orders to change this corrupted broken world. All she's ever wanted is to be just like Altria Pendragon. She wanted to stand as tall as her, to roar as loudly as she does, and to live the valiant life she led, but Altria would have none of it. She would often tell Ruby that her path only leads to sorrow therefore instead of following her footsteps, Ruby must forge her own path. She must choose her own fate and never let anyone else govern it but her. That's what she's been preparing her for. 

Altria allows Ruby to do things on her own, to chose what she wanted even though it might end up hurting her. She was not a bad mother because of this because she still cares and looks after her daughter. Her mother advised her to travel the world when she's finally of age to experience all of its pleasures, it's joy, it's sorrow, and it's pain. Altria believes that failure is a better teacher than success because it digs a deeper scar that one will never forget because sometimes joy can be an illusion but pain will never lie. Much like how Aurelius felt when she constantly drove him away. 

His pain is the only true thing back then and every smile he wore is just a mask to hide his loneliness. That is until Ruby accepted him in her life. Ever since they became a couple Aurelius lost his mask around her and became more open and free. He seems lighter and more honest, bold even if he wasn't before. 

Thinking about her most recent relationship, Ruby cannot help but blush remembering Aurelius' great efforts to woe her. She must admit that Aurelius was able to claim a small portion of her heart in such a short amount of time after her heartbreak with Carmilla. She was also able to recover faster thanks to his constant love and affection. Additionally, his cheesy cliche love letters that she so want to throw into the fire helped mend her heart by making it flutter with mixed humor and annoyance. Sometimes Carmilla would visit her at night and they would laugh at his pathetic endeavors of romance. She would loudly read his letters while Carmilla giggles and 'aww' with amusement.  

Ruby heaved a sigh. 

"For how much longer will you be dwelling in the bushes like a common pervert while peeping at me?" Ruby questioned as she continued scrubbing her body mindless of her audience. 

"I'm sorry. I was just so shocked about what happened I'm still petrified. I'm sorry about your friend. Are you okay?" Aurelius said as he stepped out of the bushes while covering his eyes with his hand. 

"I will manage. My feelings are irrelevant. However, you... Why are you still blushing and covering your eyes like a little boy when you've already seen my body numerous times?" 

"Well, my mother told me that it is very important to give your partner privacy of their bodies regardless of how many times you've already seen it."

"Then she is very sensible like your sister. I don't get where you get your idiocy from when I explicitly told you to not go here because I am working." Ruby reprimanded as she glared at him fiercely. 

"I'm sorry! I just wanted to see you so badly." Aurelius reasoned as he pouted cutely at her. 

"If you keep doing reckless and insubordinate things like this I might consider finding a new partner. Your sister might be a better lover than you and a better monarch." Ruby threatened as she submerged her body back into the water to rinse off the soap and potion. 

"Ruby don't do that! It will hurt a lot! Imagine my nephew could have been my son. I will probably kill myself on your wedding day. Huhuhu. " Aurelius complained as tears threatened to fall from his eyes while he directed the maiden a pleading look. Crimson instantly engulfed his face when his eyes registered her nude pristine body. He bit his lips as he watched the water cascade down her porcelain skin which the sunlight made glisten with a celestial glow. His eyes nearly melted as he traced the lines of her delicate curves yet acknowledge the beauty of her firm muscles.

"Your expressions are extremely amusing. You still gawk at me like a lowly mortal watching a goddess walk upon the earth even though you've already ravished me. It's almost worth the effort of keeping you as my boyfriend." Ruby chuckled as she rinsed away the soap on her body through the waterfalls.

"Ah well, you really are a goddess. Wait. Did you just call me your boyfriend?" A beaming smile stretched across his face. "Ruby called me her boyfriend! I'm so happy I could eat a bat alive."

"Okay first of, ewww. Second, are you bipolar? You were crying just a minute ago about me marrying your sister. Anyway, what are you doing here? I know that you came here to see me but what's your agenda for today? You didn't bring any stags, did you?" 

"Don't worry your distaste for stags has been noted. I came here to bring you your lunch since I know how workaholic you are that you will ignore your meals just to finish your tasks. But I'm not gonna let you cause I'm a good boyfriend. Great even." Aurelius had a proud smile on his face as he raised a wooden basket dangling from his arms. 

"You basically crossed one league into dangerous territory just to give me lunch? My own mother doesn't even reprimand me on my eating habits anymore." Ruby said as she returned to the water edge to dry her body with a white cotton towel. 

Aurelius turned his back from her to give her some privacy as he began setting up the picnic blanket on some even ground.

"But I'm not Mommy Altria, I'm your boyfriend."

"Since when the fuck did you start calling my mother 'mommy'? I don't remember giving you permission to call her that." Ruby scowled, cringing due to his words as she started putting on her undergarments. 

"Plus, how do you find the time to mess around here when you have lots of princely duties to attend to? Like the meeting with the Minister of Agriculture and Budget. I made sure to ask Silvanna about your agenda so that I will know when you'll start to pester me again. I thought you will be coming on Wednesday so I didn't prepare the bear traps yet. Maybe I should also factor in your spontaneity to set the traps earlier."

"Ruby you're so mean, sometimes I doubt whether or not you're just playing badass or are you really a tsundere."

"A what now?" 

"Also, why are you exchanging regular letters with my sister and only send me once a week? Are you cheating on me with her?" Aurelius frowned, putting his hands on his hips.

"That's really a good suggestion. I might consider it."

"Note to self, sister is the greatest love rival, possibly push her off a tower to make it appear like an accident." Aurelius joked making Ruby chuckle. 

"So what did you prepare for me today?" 

"Nothing special. Just the seven-course meal we were supposed to eat in the High Garden before you slapped me and completely abandoned me making me lose my pride and dignity." Aurelius said casually with a goofy grin making her wince. 

"You fucking crossed one league of dangerous territory to give me lunch from when I first rejected you?" 

"Well yes, this will erase the bad memories of the previous event associated with this meal. That way I won't cry anymore before eating quiche."

"Wait, I make you cry before eating quiche? I mean, I didn't know I was that evil."

"Yes, you're the absolute queen of darkness. You basically threw a pot at me before raping me. You popped my cherry and I was reserving it for my wedding night. You need to answer for your crimes young mistress." Aurelius joked making Ruby cover her face with her hand in guilt.

"Don't put it that way it makes me feel terrible. And I didn't rape you! As far as I know you also fucked me even though I begged you hundreds of times to let me rest. That's also basically rape." Ruby retorted throwing her used panties at him.

"Well, I guess we're even. Anyway since I'm a good boyfriend, I want to take very good care of you. No distance is too great to care for your beloved. I told you that if I became your lover then I will court you forever, didn't I? And I'm a man of my words, so please eat up my love." Aurelius directed her with a warm smile but the breath left his lips as he watched her approaching him slowly. Ruby looked ethereal with her chiton dress made out of a singular white fabric with golden linings. However, the despondent expression on her face did not match her beauty.

She paused in front of him and knelt to meet him eye to eye. Aurelius was astounded when she suddenly cupped his cheeks and engaged him in a heated kiss. The prince's eyes softened with pity as he felt her sadness, her sorrow, and her grief through her lips. The kiss was a desperate attempt to put balm on her wounded heart and he did his best to console her. 

Aurelius sat her on his lap before wrapping his arms around her waist while their lips caress each other with passion and sorrow. Ruby removed his coat and unbuttoned his shirt to expose his strong muscles where sweat dripped down his skin that glistened like ivory. The maiden allowed her hand to explore the tenderness of his beautifully built figure and appreciated the well-defined lines that traced the broadness of his chest and the lengths of his arms. 

Aurelius pulled down her strap to expose her ample bosom and began caressing her soft delicate mounds that perfectly fit his palms. He teased, squeezed, and twisted her buds to allow her core to lubricate faster as his tongue traced the line on her jaw up to her ears making Ruby moan with pleasure and arousal. The maiden retrieved his slumbering python from the comforts of his pants and roused it with the gentle kisses of her fingertips. Aurelius also inserted his fingers inside her panties to tease her clitoris and make her lubricate for him. 

The maiden bit his shoulder, eliciting a moan from him before forcefully inserting three fingers inside her core. Ruby recaptured his lips and began swinging her hips against his digits. 

Ruby lifted her skirt before leading her entrance over his length and taking him inside her body. Aurelius held her waist as Ruby slammed her hips down on his manhood but only a small portion of him was able to enter due to the insufficiency of her lubrication. The prince grasped her breasts once more to feed himself with her sweet pink buds that trembled under his affection to help her pussy salivate. 

When Ruby felt that her juices were enough to allow him to slide smoothly in and out, she began humping him and pleasuring herself. Aurelius moaned with her as her soft warm walls massage his erection and tame his arousal. She constantly constricts around him sending jolts of pleasure to surge throughout his body. 

He angled his lips to hit all the right places that she likes and it seems that he's succeeding because he can hear the loud moans of her ecstasy. He inserted his middle finger inside her asshole while his lips leave butterfly kisses along the length of her neck. Ruby wrapped her arms around his head as she grinds her hips harder against him. 

It didn't take them long to erupt to the depts of pleasure making them moan in euphoria together. Ruby dug her red painted nails on his back while Aurelius squirted a great deal of his seeds inside her womb. Ruby's body spasmed as pleasure overtake her body. Her head fell on his shoulder and her lips released a contented sigh. Aurelius smiled triumphantly as he watched her sexually satisfied face. He softly stroked her hair while sniffing her aromatic womanly scent. 

Something hot and wet fell on his shoulder followed by the weak vibration of her body. Aurelius registered the faint sobbing his beloved emits from her sweet lips yet he said nothing as he wrapped his arms around her body tighter. His hand drew soothing circles on her back as tears profusely cascade from her radiant emerald eyes. He whispered words of comfort to her ears yet they did little to alleviate the pain in her heart so he allowed her to cry and pour all her lamentations out on him. 

It made him jealous to know that her tears are dedicated to another man. Her tears mean that Caspian was dear to her heart making his constrict with poisonous envy. Yet it might not entirely be about that man because it might also be caused by her failure as a leader to protect her subjects or her inability to do anything to avoid such tragedy. Neither is a better option yet these thoughts console his heart the best so he chose to believe in them until Ruby herself confirms it. Right now is not the time to be jealous. Aurelius kissed her hair and did his best to comfort her grieving heart. 

🌹

"Your banana cream pie is surprisingly delicious." Ruby praised as she licked her lips coated with the sweet white substance. 

"Thank you. I was thinking of you while making it." replied the male as he smiled at her warmly. The two are currently sitting side by side with each other on the picnic blanket Aurelius prepared while myriads of dishes surround them. 

When Ruby was finally able to compose herself, Aurelius helped her clean her legs and wiped the evidence of their union from her core before fixing their appearances. Now, the two watched as the waterfall serenely flows on the lake while chatting amicably. The atmosphere is comfortable and the ambiance is perfect. The birds compose their love songs while frolicking in the foliage as the sun bathed the couple in a halo of golden light. 

"I didn't know you're also good at baking. What other talents are you hiding from me?" Ruby asked as she took another bite of the creamy dessert Aurelius brought for her. 

"Not much. I mostly focused on combat skills, riding, and a few scholarly knowledge as well as the necessary ruling stuff my father insisted on me to learn like the noble families, geography, politics, and other boring stuff. As for baking, my mother urged me to join her in making pastries as a bonding experience when I got home after, you know, I got kidnapped by the Abyss. What about you? Your mother must be amazing since you're multi-talented."

"I'm not really multi-talented, I just had the privilege of education. But my mother was amazing. She is different from regular mothers who teach their daughters feminine stuff. She didn't teach me how to knit scarves, cook pastries, and doll up myself but she taught me science, math, magic, history, sports, and all sorts of exercises. Hmm, she also taught me how to fight and be deductive plus her physics lessons are entertaining, more so are the chemistry lessons. I feel like it's not chemistry until something explodes." The couple shared a light-hearted laugher at Ruby's fond memories. 

There was a short pause as silence settled in the atmosphere. Aurelius pursed his lips while his heart beat wildly against his chest. He suddenly rested his head on Ruby's thighs. His body was rigid as he waited for her to get mad at him and forcefully push him away but no such thing came. Instead, the girl's hand caressed his soft hair and began stroking it in a steady rhythm. 

Aurelius loosened up after this. His heart felt a little bit lighter and his shoulders felt free. He felt comfortable laying in her lap and so confident. Butterflies began swirling in his stomach as Ruby's slender fingers glide across his locks while a calm look of reverie overtake her beautiful face. 

"My mother is very different from yours. She's not like Mommy Altria nor like you or my sister Silvanna. My mother is what you would call the ideal wife and mother. She is the embodiment of everything high society expects from a royal woman." Ruby noticed the small decrease in the male's energy as he continued speaking but she didn't address it.

"Sometimes I wonder if she ever gets tired of wearing this mask and being someone she's not. She's not even her own person. I love her but... I just wish that she'd be more human than a standard." Aurelius shared with melancholy as he turned on his side. 

"And then my dad would constantly tell me to be this and that and to do which and whatnot. I'm so afraid that if I kept following what he says, I'll end up hating who I've become. I don't want to be bent out of shape." Aurelius hid his face on her lap before mumbling another statement. "I don't want to be someone you didn't fall in love with." 

"Sometimes I wish I could be you. Even just for a day. I want to have what you have." the prince confessed burying himself deeper in her thighs as red reached his ears making Ruby softly giggle while continuously caressing his hair.

"Me? Why do you want to be me? Your life is so much easier, you are born a man. No one will question you when you take initiative. Every door is free for you to access you just need to want it. And then you are destined to be a king. You can rule, you can do whatever you want, and you can even change the world. You can even conquer it if you want to."

"I don't want any of that. Conquering the world is tedious work and changing it is futile. Maybe if you want it, then I will take it for you and put it in your hands."

"Then what do you really want to do?" 

Aurelius rose from her lap and supported his weight with his hands as he looked her in the eyes with an unreadable sincerity. 

"I just want to be with you."

This time it was Ruby's turn to flush bright red as butterflies erupted in her stomach. Aurelius's face inched closer with hers as he cupped her cheeks for another heated kiss. Their lips met and it felt like the butterflies turned to dragons as her blood surged rapidly inside her body. All she can feel is a burning fire in her heart. A strong burning desire that spreads an inferno to her whole body and stirs her emotions like a tempest. 

This time she will no longer deny it. She is already in love with Prince Aurelius Parabellum the Third. 

Author's Note:

If you want to see some great Dyrroth x Ruby fanart then you could visit a few great artist I know in IG like:

Shiva_Fauziah_art
dyruby_moments
ellie_flower_uwu
tippithebat
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carolilu.g
shinon.coo8
gr_dzi
idkwattosay