Azra sighed, his shoulders slumped " In my tent!" he mumbled and looked up at Arkathira. Iris followed his eyesight and glared at the bloody thing. The man was right about one thing. It was the source of all of their problems. A God's creation, coveted by powerful entities and the cause of so many people's deaths. She hated the damn to its core. Reluctantly, she turned to Azra.
" Do you want to take my place?" she suddenly asked, her eyes searching his face for an answer as they strolled back towards the camp.
Azra turned to look at her and smiled " Mother, you have suffered enough. It is time for you to have a peaceful life. Like you and father hoped to have!" he glanced at Arkathira again. He sounded truthful. And stupidly self-sacrificial, just like his father.
" I think that was Seth's plan all along! To relieve you of your duty! He wasn't all that bad, after all, and place me in your stead. The memories are his. I think he was hoping that if I take your place as Dumach. This foolish game would stop." he grew wistful and sighed. He seemed sure of himself and accepted a fate he hadn't chosen for himself. It was a cruel path and lonely. She wished he wouldn't do this, but her time would end, and there was none better suited as her replacement than Azra.
Iris hummed, turned on her heels and began moving her feet " We need to heal the veil between realms! Otherwise, this ", she let out a shaky sigh " His sacrifice would have been in vain!" she sniffled and hugged the book.
" I'm sorry, mother! He asked for your forgiveness before ....!" Azra paused and scratched his head, looking at Iris " Father said he loves you!" Azra grumbled glumly.
Iris puffed her cheeks and closed her eyes, hugging the book tighter to her chest. Ian made the ultimate sacrifice to save her and everyone else. Now, it was her turn! Hope, she still had hope. After losing the man who loved her and stood by her side. It was time to get him back. The so-called father could shove his kingdom right where the three suns didn't shine.
" How do we heal the veil?" Azra broke her thoughts. He seemed worried. If they couldn't heal the veil between realms, all the sacrifice had been in vain.
" I'm hoping this bloody book will give us some answers!" Iris smiled and patted the book. A new resolve to a new life, free to make her own choices, where she wouldn't run anymore.
Iris wasn't ready to give up on Ian. She had to try something and bring him back. Even though she knew the harsh truth, she had heard it spoken by Ruma. Ian surrendered his soul willingly to darkness, and in return, he gained eternal life. Life, that was no life!
" Daughter!" The man that claimed to be her father called the moment she entered the outpost. Iris closed her eyes, not a moment of peace.
Iris let out the breath she was holding " What is your name?" Iris curtly asked without turning around.
" You can call me father or Your Grace!" he moved in front of her with his eyebrows raised, playing with his beard. She met his gaze and glared in contempt. She had no intention of doing any of those things. He was nothing more than just a stranger to her.
" Your name?" Iris gave him a hard stare.
The man chuckled " You're so much like your mother!" he paused for a beat and sighed in resignation " But ", he licked his lips and scratched his beard " Lund!" he finally gave his name and ruffled her hair. As if she was a mischievous child.
Iris growled and swatted his hand " You know I'm not a child! " Iris frowned and glared some more at Lund, hoping to deter him from such forthcoming gestures.
Lund chuckled " I know, but I've missed you so much! I can't help myself!" he sweetly smiled at her, turned on his heel and looked at Gaerfyrddin.
" Think about my proposal!" Lund finally sullenly said and looked at her over his shoulder. A genuine smile played on his lips, making Iris narrow her eyes at him.
" Your people await your answer, Khiah! They want their princess back. And I want my only daughter by my side! I will not leave Ellora without you!" he decisively said as he sauntered toward the camp. He had more to say. More preaching, more lectures. He seemed too determined to take her with him.
" He wasn't worthy of you!" Lund shoved his thumb in his sash, draped across his chest" Your so-called husband! N'gatarkan blood flowed through his body, and his kind left nothing but destruction in their wake!" his voice held disdain as he spoke, and he grimaced accordingly.
Iris scoffed " Do you hear yourself?" she questioned in disbelief.
" His sacrifice proves otherwise. Ian is nothing like his kind! He made the ultimate sacrifice. He gave his own life for others, for me!" Iris swallowed a sob and followed Lund into his tent, determined to change Lund's mind about Ian. He deserved at least that much.
" It is the least he could do to mend the damage N'gatarkan and his spawn had caused upon this realm and others." Lund brooked and took a seat in his plush chair decorated with dark red fabric, folding his arms in front of him, pinning her with his gaze.
" It wasn't his mistake to mend! Our kind should've fought harder, but you fled! Ran like cowards to save your own lives. Isn't that what you did?! An entire realm brought to its knees by one fucking man!" Iris fiercely ranted, panting and hugging the book, holding Lund's gaze. It didn't matter what Lund believed. She knew Ian better than anyone and what he was made of. He was anything but that.
" Now, leave me!" she barked and sat on the bed.
" This is my tent!" Lund informed from his chair, amused, picked up a glass of water and raised an eyebrow at her, and Iris jumped to her feet.
" They all look the same! " Iris hissed and turned on her heels, and walked out of the tent.
People's gaze followed her as she walked around, looking at the tents, trying to remember which one was hers. Azra peaked his head out from one of the tents.
Iris didn't wait for him to call her and made her way to where he was as fast as she could. She couldn't bare the eyes that followed her everywhere.
" Princess!" a man called from behind her.
Iris closed her eyes and cursed under her breath, and turned on her heels, only to see Gaelin wearing the same polite smile. At first glance, Gaelin seemed affable, but she knew better than to let herself fooled by sweet smiles and tactfully chosen words.
She gagged but stilled herself and swallowed at the thought she would have to marry him.
Gaelin looked at her from head to toe " I would like to have a word with you!" he looked around " In private!" he whispered when he noticed that people were looking at them with their ears perked up.
Iris's looked from the corner of her eye to a group of people that were staring at them and nodded. Gaelin bowed and turned around, and walked in the opposite direction from where she was going. Gaelin was just as tall as she was, with dark hair, blue eyes and polite to the point it was just grating every single nerve in her body.
Gaelin pushed the tent flap open, held it for her to walk inside and pulled a chair to sit down.
Gaelin waved at the chair, picked up a glass of water and handed it to her. He didn't say much. He just kept his eyes on her and finally took a seat himself. Deafening silence surrounded them as Gaelin clasped his hands in his laps, pursed his lips and opened his mouth a few times to speak, but nothing came out.