" Please do go on and delight me with this marvellous tale of where you decided that it is the greatest idea of all time to enslave the Mythrian Queen," Sarcasm dripped from every word, and the rather unmistakable expression of disapproval made him reluctant of sharing anymore.
" I think....I'll stop here," Corvin muttered under his breath. Fool.
" Oh, no please don't. I want to tell this story for the next ages to serve as a lesson for your progeny. They have a right to know where they come from...," More mockery and most likely there was more. Knowing, Dakran, there was.
" You know as well as I do, that she was never truly my slave. She wasn't well, not physically nor up here," Corvin pointed at his head. It made sense, she had lost her husband and son in a very short span of time. That would turn anyone upside down in the blink of an eye.
" So, I took the choice away from her," Corvin took a deep breath in, " She wanted to die and I would like to think that in some way I helped her realise that she didn't truly want that. I don't shine very brightly when it comes to dealing with women. It was a learning curve, " Corvin scrubbed his face, and turned to Dakran, " Do you think she will pull through?" He asked with furrowed brows, eyeing the castle entrance, once again ready to bolt.
" Does she know?" Dakran's question took him by surprise. He'd caught on to him rather fast, all things considered. All his efforts went into concealing what he felt for as best as he could. Now his mind was in shambles over what happened to Iris, his body slowly caving into exhaustion. It was no longer a priority, his emotions seeped through every crack as his grip on himself was slipping.
" No, I never told her and I don't think I will even if I get a chance to," Corvin half-heartedly mumbled and faced the northern gate. A mistake that he will most likely regret further down the road.
" Oros. Tell me what happened?" Dakran pressed on. He wasn't in the mood to go over the events again. Since he left Caral that was all he'd thought about, over and over.
" Simele. We went during Simele. It is a good time to visit since they have the ancient law of no violence during the celebration. The king made us wait for five days under false pretences. On the sixth day he called upon us and, " Crorvin thrilled his lips, " I knew that there was a good chance that we both or at least one of us wouldn't make it out of there alive. I just hoped it would be me. He sent a missive asking the Hessian army to join forces with his to fight off the Shikari that invaded their lands. But when we got there, I realised that he didn't need any help and he was merely scoping. He was planning to take Hessia, which became clearer during the audience when he refused to hear us. Iris killed one of the guards and swore to burn Caral to the ground if he ever dared to touch Hessian soil. We left and Arvun gathered his guards and followed us. We fought and held our ground but when Iris got injured the flame broke out, uncontrollably and burned the palace grounds and everything on it. It happened fast, and I barely escaped their reach before they engulfed everything. She collapsed, shortly after and I left with her. I only stopped over Neith Gorge for a brief respite, " Corvin rubbed his temple, in an attempt to soothe a headache. He did the same, as one was creeping up on him as well.
" We should go check on her and then have some rest," Dakran patted him on the shoulder as they both turned around and began treading back towards the castle. People were already out and about. The repair of the wall had been completed and the southern gates awaited to be placed back in their final resting place, guarding Redkite, as they have done for many generations.
" You should've told me that you were going. I would have sent help, " Dakran hummed, and kicked a rock.
" No. Too many have perished. We need to heal. We still have a final battle," Corvin sucked a breath as he set foot on the first step of the castle and had a long look at the corridor ahead of him.
" I know. We have sent scouts along the southern border and they reported strange sounds coming from the forest. Not beast or human. I'm curious as to what they are waiting for, and why they have stopped attacking," Dakran mused out loud, and halted in the doorway and looked at Iris lying on the bed, unmoving. Her listless body made his skin crawl with an unnerving feeling of apprehension. The flames that Corvin spoke of were an asset and threat at the same time.
Eisza ceased her vigil for a moment looked at them, and shook her head, " Nothing as of yet, " She whispered, as she pushed herself off the bed and collected the grubby clothes off the floor.
" You go ahead. I will follow once I will know for sure which way is she heading, " Corvin added, in regards to Dakran's previous order to return home at first light. He couldn't leave without knowing whether she would live or not. She deserved a proper burial if she didn't. Even if that meant that he would be the one to throw the first fist of dirt over her argent skin.
Nodding, Dakran patted his shoulder and signalled Eisza with his head to go, " Unbelievable, " Eisza scoffed, as she walked past him with her nose in the wind, " Plonker, " She hissed over her shoulder, while Dakran chuckled. Plonker or not he loved Iris, and he had made many mistakes.
Not all that is broken, needs to be repaired. For there is beauty in imperfection. Perfectly imperfect.
He sat on the edge of the bed and watched her as he did many times, admiring, marvelling. She had sacrificed everything and in the end, even herself. She deserved the peace she sought with such desperation. Even if it wasn't with him, among the living.
Weary, he lay next to her on the bed and closed his eyes, intently listening for that heart to dredge enough strength and beat strongly as it once did.