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The early afternoon sun wrapped itself in the high arches of his windows. A blinding shimmer laid across his face. The blue-skinned male remained in his pose, draped leisurely across the bed. Although his eyes were closed, Zephyr was most certainly awake. His head was wrapped in a cloud of thoughts. Each one rushed through his mind like a gush of wind. So much had happened right underneath his nose, without him knowing. The king believed he'd known better. The lying lover that resided in the basement contested that belief. How could he run a kingdom when those who carried his whole trust, a sliver of his soul, could so easily take the hilt of a dagger and lodge it in his back? Zephyr glanced back on the moment he learned of her- could he even say her name? the heartbreak felt too deep- Reylee's traitorous intent. A stranger, that's what the wizard was really, entered his throne room and announced it to all present. As much as the king wanted to deny it, Soana's voice was so genuine. Zephyr frowned. A Yuan-ti was more truthful than his own Devoted. Many thought the Yuan-ti were more snake than man, making them unreliable. In a way, Zephyr could agree. He had slithered into his own home and pierced his heart with venomous fangs. Was it for the better? He supposed he'd needed to rise above this naivety at some point. Yet, it still pained him.
A sharp knock broke him from his thoughts, returned him back to earth. Footsteps quickly made their way up the staircase. Zephyr peered curiously over at the entrance of his room. Bezar's familiar head emerged from the shaded stairs. Zephyr perked up at the visitor. He shoved aside all his thoughts from before, allowing for a simply ease that came with interacting with Bezar to flow in.
"Bezar, what a lovely surprise!" He greeted sweetly.
His advisor did not greet him with the same warmth. Never one to gloss over the details, Zephyr quickly noted his appearance. Bezar's face was pinched, as though he'd experienced something unpleasant. His body was tense. The look in Bezar's eyes are what started to wind up the dread in his stomach. The genasi wondered if he'd be able to handle it. The pity in Bezar's eyes argued he wouldn't.
"Is there something wrong?" He asked, more serious.
"There's been an incident downstairs. I thought you'd want to come and-..." The man cut himself off. Bezar normally spoke with a sureness, annunciated himself clearly. Now, his voice was shook slightly. The confidence was gone. Zephyr shivered.
"What incident?" He breathed. Bezar refused to meet his eyes. Why did he look so guilty? "What happened, Bezar?"
"It's about Faith," The advisor admitted. Zephyr took in a sharp breath at her name. Nails dug into the heels of his palms. He immediately stood up, fleeing from the sun's heat.
"Take me to her," He demanded. The king's voice quaked.
The pair swiftly exited his room, Zephyr right at Bezar's heels. The genasi retained a calm appearance outside. Internally, he was anything but. His head swam with possibilities. Each one was worse than the previous. The coil of dread in his stomach slowly slid upwards, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. It settled around his neck and rested heavy on his collar. Nails dug in deeper, pinching at soft skin. The king's heart was still fragile after Reylee's betrayal. Perhaps it wasn't as bad as he was making it out to be. Yet, Bezar's body language. The eery silence in the palace. There was indeed something dark looming over his palace, his home. He briefly thought of the honest snake. Oh, why does this keep happening?
The two arrived at Faith's personal quarters fairly quick. There was movement everywhere. A guard stood at the entrance of the room. A peak inside showed Bhasir already barking out orders to the other palace guards. Bezar and Zephyr stepped inside. The former bounty hunter paused momentarily, and his face twisted into a grimace. Bhasir didn't approve of him being there. He can't stop me. Zephyr refused to stop so that Bhasir could usher him away. He will not be removed from this, not when his own Devoted was involved.
There was a gap in the wall, like a doorway. Stairways appeared to lead somewhere underground. Vaguely, Zephyr recalled his father explaining the old servant's quarters. As he approached the secret steps, a guard appeared at their peak. Behind him was none other than the palace's guests. The talented noble, Lorelei, was first. She gave nothing away, although the genasi could admit he hadn't gotten to know her well enough to read her. Next was the child. The boy kept his head down, an out of character behavior. Then Zephyr noticed the hand on the boy's shoulder. He eyes trailed up the owner's arm, to connect with a set of piercing eyes. Soana.
Zephyr felt his core freeze. He regretted leaving his heart so vulnerable. He was quickly learning that sometimes it was best to leave the doors locked. Soana's face carried a hint of sadness, guilt, anger. Only for Zephyr to see. Why? What happened? Part of him wanted to beg Soana to explain what was going, but the other half wanted nothing more than to rush down those stairs. He settled on simply standing there silently as the guests were ushered out. The king barely heard Bezar announce he'd be staying behind.
Each step was a heart beat. A loud thump in his ears. Time slowly marched past, only coming to a standstill once he'd found the last step. Zephyr could barely recognize what he was seeing. He felt the rope of dread tighten around his neck, forcing out a gasp. He couldn't move. If he moved it was too real. It couldn't be real. It couldn't be real, please no-
With great hesitance, he slowly glided over to her. His knees gave out just before her. He found his voice had failed him, but he could still shakily reach for her. He wondered if those around him to could see how badly he was trembling. He felt like he lost control over his own body. Gently, Zephyr cradled her head in his lap. He swept a hand across her brow, pushing her wild hair out of her face, and felt sick when he realized she was already turning cold. He could see dirt all over her, and too many bruises. She didn't have those when he last saw her. What did they do to her? His hand came to a rest on her cheek. Faith, his faith. A ray of sunshine, a best friend. Someone he could spill all his secrets too. Keeper of his own joy. She was gone. Zephyr couldn't resist the tears leaking from his eyes. They streamed freely down his face, and dripped onto her. He took a shaky breath. Why did it hurt so much to breathe? The king lowered his head. He didn't want the others to see him cry.
"Oh my Faith, I'm so sorry," He croaked. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you."
He continued to cradle her in his lap, murmuring apologies and sweetness to her. He didn't care that she didn't respond. He needed her to hear him. When Zephyr invited her in, he never intended for her to meet such pain. Yet, all he ever did was attract turmoil and sadness. When Zephyr felt a presence behind him, he knew his time with her was over. Sorrowfully, he leaned down and pressed one last kiss to the crown of her head. He smoothed over her hair again.
"I love you," He whispered. His last goodbye to her.
Warm hands pulled him away from Faith's body. He was pulled into a strong embrace. Lexus' familiar scent curled around him. Zephyr shakily opened his lips, but he realized there was no need to speak. His love was already leading him back to the privacy of his bedroom. The king hid his face as they walked. No one needed to see the tears still trailing down his face. The sun poking through the windows was now an unwelcome guest. He glared bitterly at it, as if it could change for him. Lexus guided him towards the bed. He was too exhausted to fight it. Zephyr huddled against Lexus' chest, and finally he felt safe. Hidden against his love's breast, he allowed all his brokenness to flood out of him. Ugly sobs wretched from his throat. Screams of pain thrown against stained walls. By the time he'd run out of tears, his voice was hoarse. It was just as broken as he felt.