The Reunion

Artemis paced in the far side of his chamber, he was sweating, which was unusual for him. He was worried about someone, someone whom he hadn't seen in a while. It was snowing outside, and frost covered the windows. The winters in Karelja were soft but lengthy, and it was not uncommon to see snow in the late spring.   His steps crunched in the snow as Artemis strode towards the Synagaugas it was about time to give his evening sermon, he was still sweating, even though he was out in the biting cold. He tried to calm his nerves, he hadn't shaken like this since he was inducted as hierophant. It had been at least three months since the last attempt on his life, thyrimian anarchists, he scoffed.   He creaked the doors to the cathedral to allow him in, and not the cold, there were already a small number of Geminists inside, some still shivering from the outside air, the priests had the foresight to set out extra candles, so the air inside was like a big fuzzy blanket to the Kareljans.   As the Synagogue began to fill with people and Artemis began his sermon, his thoughts once again began to wander towards that day, the people, the explosions, and the heat, by god the heat was so bad that he was glad to be back where the temperature couldn't fry eggs on bare rock. Wait, why were the people looking at him like that? Oh god, he was mumbling, he had grown completely distracted by his thoughts.     He asked to be excused and took a quick walk outside leaving his cape inside, the cold might refresh him, he thought to himself. By now Artemis was down at the pier by the Visztula river, by this season it was frozen, so there weren't any vessels to gaze at, a shame really, he'd always enjoyed watching them go by, their cargo safely aboard.   Artemis was about to head back, when he spotted someone, by now the weather had grown from a strong breeze to a billowing blizzard, so anyone who liked the feeling in their extremities would stay inside, but the figure in his vision, was limping. Limping towards him! They might have been caught outside in the winds for too long, Artemis began to approach the person and as he closed in, he noticed something... Vaguely familiar about them.   The person was clearly wearing a hood to protect against the elements, so their face was obscured, though, Artemis noticed something peculiar. There was a bump around where the back of their head should be, almost like, a ponytail...   As he inched ever closer to the figure, they did something unexpected, they called out to him.   "Artemis?"   "Yes, that is in fact my name, though I would like to ask how you know that."   "You mean that you seriously don't remember? you haven't changed a bit."   The figure removed its hood, revealing a beautiful woman with platinum blonde hair tied in a ponytail, completely decked out in both padding and steel plates. Artemis recognized her in an instant and began to tear up ever so slightly.   "A-Aelaria..?"   "In the flesh and blood," she quipped back sarcastically   "But, I thought that you wouldn't ever walk again... The explosion it... it"   "I'm only just beginning my life Artemis, I've realized that I can't live my life as if I'm gonna live forever. And besides, you really expect some thyrimian farm-made explosive to keep your ol' Sackarti gal down?"   Tears began to stream down Aelaria's blushing cheeks, they froze before they hit the ground.   "Artemis, you saved my life by vetoing that court-martial, I-I would've been executed if it weren't for you, and, I've never properly thanked you."   Aelaria leaned in and planted a kiss right on Artemis' lips, Artemis' face immediately turned red, and not from the cold.   "Ael-laria, I had n-no idea you felt this way about me, has this been a fact for a while?"   "Ever since I looked into those green ey-"   Artemis pulled her close, pressing his lips up against hers with such passion, Aelaria was overcome with so many feelings at once. She didn't pull away, just let the cold melt away and let his arms carry her back through the back door to the synagogue. Artemis still had to finish his sermon and let his new lover get settled in under some blankets.   As Artemis returned to the breakroom he saw Aelaria, soundly asleep on the couch, he took care to not wake her and laid next to her, and let his worries slowly become naught but a passing memory.   To him, nothing mattered, but his guardian-turned lover.