In Vellai Castle, in a chamber, Dak, who hadn't left Maya's side since they arrived at the castle, sat on a chair and watched her as she peacefully slept.
Thinking and hoping she won't follow Rom's idiotic plan to leave the Kingdom. Even though her brother was choosing to be a coward, he knew Maya wouldn't run away, and she would prefer to fight, and with that thought in mind, he decided to reveal Rom's plans to her in the hopes that he would be able to sway her and stay.
Maya softly moaned in her sleep and squirmed, making Dak focus his attention on her as she stared out the window, lost in her thoughts.
" You're awake!" Dak said, pushing himself off the chair and sitting on the edge of the bed.
" I had a bad dream!" her voice was pleasant and soft.
She pushed herself off the bead and rested on the headboard." What was it about?" he worriedly asked, clasping her hand in his big hand. Hers looked like a child's hand compared to his.
" The witch came after me and possessed me. I tried to take Rom's life." she absently stared at their joining hands.
She looked uneasy at his touch, but Dak couldn't help himself around her and felt the urge to touch her, even if it was just her hand
" I won't let that happen!" he confidently said. Dak stood up and kissed the back of Maya's hand. Maya pulled her hand to her chest.
Dak frowned at the action, he knew it would take time for him to win her heart, but he couldn't feel hurt by the gesture.
" I apologise for my forwardness
!" he regretfully said, sorrow settling on his face, and he observed Maya for a few moments.
Dak understood that pain paved the path to her heart, and the scars left behind will always haunt her, and she might never be able to love him as she loved Sylus.
Rom was right when he spoke about scars, and he understood that he wasn't referring to her body, her referring to her heart.
Maya mustered a stiff smile. Her lips trembled as tears began to run down her cheeks and trickled down her chin, falling onto her dress.
Dak couldn't help himself and buried her in his arms, caressing her back as she sobbed in his chest and clutched his tunic as she quivered and wailed I'm his arms.
The memory of Sylus brought her so much pain, and her dreams of a life with him were gone. The light that shone in her life was now gone. Maya couldn't accept that the man she had given her heart to was no more.
She sobbed in his arms and mourned for the man she had loved, despite the fact he felt torn little by little seeing the woman he had feelings for mourn the loss of another man. There was nothing he could do about it other than wait and hope that one day he would be the one to occupy her heart.
The sobbing slowly faded and turned into a sniffling, and Maya slowly pulled herself from Dak's embrace to look at him.
" Thank you!" she said as she looked at him, her eyes shined with sorrow and gratitude towards Dak.
" My shoulder is yours to cry on!" he jokingly said, kissing the crown of her head. His voice was gentle, and his kiss was tender.
Maya closed her eyes and took a deep breath " You don't have to do this. It is not your burden to carry!" her voice was pleading as she looked at him, wondering why a man like him would even bother wasting time on a woman who was grieving for another man.
Dak hummed and kissed her forehead. He was determined to show her that despite the fact she was hurting because of another man, he was determined to wait.
" No, but I have no plans to let you go! My mind is made up, and even if it takes years, I will wait until you're ready!" he said with determination looking into her eyes; kissing the back of her hand again.
" If you let me, I will try and make the pain disappear, Maya, but you have to let me in! This is not the end but only the beginning!" he continued persuading her, hoping that his words would reach her and she would finally give him a chance to win her heart.
Maya closed her eyes, and a lone tear streaked her cheek " I don't know if I can do that, Dakran!" she softly replied as she opened her green eyes to look at him while Dak took a deep breath in decided that despite what he said earlier he wasn't willing to take no for answers and wait for her to change her mind. He would make her change her mind.
He slowly raised his hand and pushed the luscious fiery red hair resting on her shoulder, tucking it behind her ear, letting his ample hand rest on the side of her face as his thumb gently caressed her cheek.
Her green eyes gleamed with so much pain that he could feel his heartbreak at the sight of the sadness in them, but despite that little fact, he leaned in and gently pressed his lips against hers, thinking maybe making new memories would help her let go of the man that didn't exist anymore.
Maya froze when his lips touched hers, and the memories of the kisses she had shared with Sylus flashed in front of her eyes, and she couldn't help but feel guilty. Maya felt betrayed, and before Dak could go any further, she pulled away and covered her lips with her fingers.
Dak cleared his throat " I apologise. I don't know what took over me!" he made an excuse, fully aware of his actions. It wasn't an impulsive gesture on his part. It was very much deliberate.
Maya looked at him with questioning eyes and wondered what he intended to achieve by kissing her. Still, before she would have a chance to be outraged, Dak began speaking again, " Your brother wants to leave, and he is planning to take you with him. His mind is set on the Oros Kingdom, and I desperately need to sway your heart so that you stay! I know you would follow him without a second thought, but I'm not willing to lose you, and I'm not ready to give up just yet!" he told her the truth about her brother's plans, and at the same time, he let her know his thoughts in respect to her.
Maya's eyebrows knitted together as she reeled from the shock of the news that Dak had just dropped in her lap, and she couldn't understand what her brother was thinking.
" I want to see him. Can you take me to him?" still in shock, she followed Dak with her eyes around the room.
Dak returned with a glass of water " Will you stay? He has been keeping his distance since the day that we found you in the hut. He is feeling responsible for what happened to you! I don't understand how running away would make things better?" he said as he sat down on the edge of the bed, intently looking at Maya's expressions trying to read her thoughts.
" I don't want to run away. Hessia is my home!" she replied while shuffling to get out of bed.
She needed to speak with him and see what he was thinking, no matter where they went, nowhere was try safe, and he was insane to think otherwise.