Kindred Spirits
By Misha
Disclaimer- Not mine. I am just borrowing them for a while and will return them unharmed.
Author’s Note- Another request fic. This one was for Lia/Whitlock, which is an adorable pairing. The request was for grown-up Whitlock and Lia, but I decided to do a combination fic and develop their relationship as they both grew up. At the start of this, Whitlock is 15 and Lia is 13.
Pairing- Whitlock/Lia
Summary- Lia and Whitlock immediately bond over being the youngest rulers and form a relationship that develops over the course of five years.
Rating- PG
Words- 1991
“Don’t you want to join the party?”
Whitlock looked up from his notebook to see Princess Lia watching him curiously.
“I’m not much for dancing,” he said with a shrug, “so I’m going over my plans for tomorrow’s battle.”
“There is a disadvantageous to being one of the youngest in the room,” Lia agreed, “Lord Raydan has retired for the night and I don’t really know anyone else.” She looked wistfully at the dance floor. “This is so different than life in Ducitora. There are lots of celebrations there, but the mood feels different.” She looked grave. “Of course, it could be because no one there fears death, so they don’t have the same motivation.”
“The fears make everything a little sweeter,” Whitlock agreed, “not knowing if you’ll live to see tomorrow makes you appreciate the moment.” He nodded to the people celebrating around them. “Everyone here knows they could die tomorrow and it just makes them determined to appreciate tonight.”
“Except you,” Lia said pointedly, referring to his notebook.
“Well, I can hardly celebrate the same way as everyone else does.” He reminded her. Besides most of his friends had taken off. Val had announced her intention to go to the Tavern, early he’d noticed Sei and Dom leaving together, and Kenna slipping out with Prince Diavolos. Raydan had retired early and Annelyse was busy dancing. He didn’t blame them, they deserved to enjoy the night, but it left without much to do. “Besides my work… It relaxes me.”
He wondered if that made him really boring, but Lia smiled encouragingly. “Then no one you are so absorbed in it. May I see what you’ve been working on?”
“Of course.” Whitlock handed the notebook to Lia, who took a seat next to him.
“This seems similar to something my mother’s army has,” she told him, pointing to a drawing, “but hers is slightly different. May I make a suggestion for improvement?”
“Yeah, that’d be great,” Whitlock said, leaning forward eagerly, the noise of the hall fading as he focused on the delight of sharing information.
—
“Queen Kenna tells me that you’ll be rebuilding your city of inventors,” Lia comments a week later at the wedding banquet. Once again they’d found themselves on the sideline of drunken revelry.
“Yes,” Whitlock confirmed, looking up from his trusty notebook, “though I’m going to be leaving a few people here at Stormholt to oversee the building of the castle.”
“As part of the new peace, I have agreed to share Ducitora’s wisdom and resources with the five kingdoms,” Lia said slowly, “it occurred to me that you might be interested in some of our blueprints.”
Whitlock’s eyes lit up as he remembered the incredible technology that he had seen during his brief visit to Marosi. “I would like that very much,” he told her eagerly, “we have so much to learn from you. Your tech is incredible.”
“And we are happy to share it with our new friends,” Lia assured him, “once I arrive home, I will send those blueprints.” She paused, biting her lip. “Do you think I could also write to you? I mean, we’re both so much younger than the other rulers, maybe we could support and advise each other?”
“I would like that,” Whitlock said eagerly. He motioned to the revelry going on around them, “it’s an odd feeling sometimes, being so much younger than everyone else, even though we’re technically all equals.”
Kenna and the others treated him with respect, but that didn’t mean age wasn’t still a barrier and not just because he didn’t participate in the drinking and other revelries, but also because he was in a different place in his life. Kenna was married now, he was sure some of the others would follow, but he was a long way from thinking about marriage or children. He had never even kissed anyone.
“I have a guardian,” Lia reminded with a laugh, motioning to where Jorrin hovered protectively. “Queen Kenna and the others have been very claimed, but they are still in a very different place in their lives than I am, and that’s why I’m glad that I have you to talk to. It’s nice to know I’m not alone.” She smiled shyly. “I will look forward to your correspondence.”
“Me too,” Whitlock said and then blushed, “I mean, I’ll look forward to hearing from you.” He motioned to his notebook. “Would you like to see what I’m working on now?”
“I’d like that very much,” Lia told him and once again, he handed over his notebook and began to explain what exactly he had in mind. Though this time, he was a lot more aware of her presence and that he had been that first night. He was also aware, suddenly, of just how pretty she was.
—
True to their word, Whitlock and Lia began to correspond regularly and Whitlock found himself eagerly awaiting each new letter.
Sometimes Lia would include blueprints or information that she thought he might find helpful, but mostly she just shared her thoughts. As the years passed and the letters continued, he began to feel like he knew her quite well.
She poured out her loneliness and frustrations, writing about hosting banquets where no one allows you to have more than one glass of wine or complain about the way Jorrin constantly hovered. How hard it was to make friends when everyone who was seen as your equal was so much older.
In turn, Whitlock shared his own frustrations. That sometimes he found the weight of ruling the city too much, that he missed the feeling of belonging he’d had when he’d traveled with Kenna, even though he knew his place was at the Foundry. He wrote about his mixed feeling about Hex and how he wanted to forgive her and rebuild their relationships, but that he still struggled with anger over everything she had done.
Lia wrote back, sharing her feelings about her mother and how she’d never had the chance to make peace with her and encouraging Whitlock to find some peace in his relationship with Hex, for his own sake. Lia confided that she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to come to terms with her feelings for her mother and she wanted more for Whitlock.
It was funny, but Whitlock soon realized that he felt more connected to Lia, who was an ocean away, then he did to anyone in his day-to-day life. He enjoyed his work and he was committed to running the Foundry, but he found it lonely sometimes.
Even visits to Stormholt didn’t cure his loneliness. He enjoyed the visits and seeing his friends, but while the affection was still there, even those relationships had changed. Everyone had moved on to new roles and new challenges and the others had all found someone to share those challenges with. All except Whitlock.
His letters from Lia were his salvation. When he read her words, he didn’t feel so alone. She might be an ocean away, but somehow he felt like she was with him constantly.
—
“Whitlock!”
His name is shouted with joy and suddenly Lia is throwing herself into his arms. He caught her and held her close until a cough behind them reminded them where they were.
Lia blushed as he set her back on her feet. “I mean, Lord Whitlock, it is a pleasure to see you again.”
“The pleasure is mine, Your Radiance,” Whitlock with a bow. He pauses to take in the sight of her.
Despite their frequent correspondence, they had not met in person since Kenna’s wedding five years earlier. He assumed that Lia didn’t leave Ducitora much, but now Kenna had assembled everyone to sign the treaty that had taken five years of negotiation. The official declaration of peace and friendship between the five kingdoms, Ducitora, the Foundry, and the mountain people. The beginning of a new era.
“Would you like to share a wine with me?” Lia asked mischievously, “we’re allowed now.”
“I would like that,” Whitlock told her, thinking how beautiful she was. He suddenly remembered his manners and offered her his arm.
He could see Jorrin watching them carefully and was prepared to see disapproval, but instead, the older man only nodded in satisfaction.
“No notebook tonight?” Lia teased sometime later, after the banquet.
“No,” Whitlock said and then hesitated, wondering how to tell her that he hadn’t brought it because he wanted to focus on her.
He didn’t have to though, because she smiled, a beautiful smile that lit up her whole face, and confided, “I’m glad. As much as I enjoy hearing all about your inventions, I’d rather hear about you tonight.”
He nodded nervously, again noticing how beautiful she was. But he reminded himself that she was an Empress and that friendship was all she wanted of him.
—
The next week is full of meetings, but Whitlock and Lia managed to spend every free moment together. They take long walks around the ground, share meals and conversations, they talk about his work at the Foundry and her plans for Ducitora’s future and they just enjoy each other’s company.
Five years of letters had created an easy companionship between them and being together in person doesn’t change that. Whitlock feels like he’s known Lia forever and by the end of the week, he begins to dread his return to the Foundry.
On their last day at Stormholt, Lia suddenly paused mid-walk and turned to him, taking a deep breath as she did so. “Is there someone who could take over for you?” She asked nervously, almost hesitantly. “At the Foundry, I mean.”
Whitlock paused, stunned by her question, but finally gathers his voice. “Uh… Yes. Of course, there are several qualified candidates. I’m not irreplaceable.”
“To me, you are,” Lia blurted out and the covered her mouth in embarrassment, “I mean…” She blushed, obviously trying to gather her thoughts. “For five years, your letters have been the best part of my week. I have spent the last few months looking forward to seeing you again and this week has lived up to my wildest dreams, except… I don’t want to say goodbye.”
“I don’t either,” Whitlock admitted. He looked around nervously, waiting for Jorrin to step in and tell him he’d over-stepped and then he realized that Lia’s protector was several feet away, obviously trying to give them privacy. Could it be that Jorrin actually approved?
“I have been reminded recently that I will need to pick a consort,” Lia continued, “someone who complements me the way King Diavolos does Queen Kenna, someone who can share the burden of rule. I am young, yes, but not too young to consider the idea. Especially since I have known for years who I want at my side.” Lia cast a fond glance at where Jorrin lingered. “Even Jorrin can’t find a reason to disapprove.”
She looked at Whitlock hopefully. He took a deep breath, hoping he wouldn’t screw this up. “Lia… Over the last five years, you have become my best friend, my one true confidante. Your letters are the best part of my day. I want nothing more than to be with you always.”
“It’s what I want too.” She assured him, giving him one of the sweet smiles he loved so much.
He nodded and then, casting a cautious look at Jorrin, who met his eyes and then turned around, he leaned down and kissed her softly. It was his first kiss and he was pretty sure it was hers as well.
She wrapped her around and his neck and leaned into him. “I’ve waited five years for this,” she whispered against his lips.
“Me too.” He admitted, before kissing her again, deeper this time. “But it was worth the wait.”
“It really was,” Lia agreed, giggling happily, “we’re going to be so happy together, Whitlock, I know it.”
- End
