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It was the night before they left for the First, and Camilla lay still next to her partner in every facet of life, staring into his eyes. Palamedes looked back at her, having given into her pleas for a moment of stillness. A moment of no frantic flicking through 'one last book'. No trying to work out how she could fit another dagger into her other bag.
Those crystal grey eyes pierced into her very soul, and as she gazed back, it was as if the world around them had stopped. They didn't know what tomorrow would bring- their first proper meeting of the Duchess of Rhodes, the start of a trial to become a Lyctor, meeting the mysterious Ninth… but whatever they faced, they would do it together.
She reached out to brush his hair back from his face but he interrupted the movement, catching her hand, bringing it to his chest, his gaze softening, lips parting to whisper the start of a promise. "One flesh, my dearest—my Camilla."
Cam gave a rare smile, leaning forward enough to brush her lips against his, and they sunk back into the comfort of each other.
As she looked in the mirror in the pokey, too-warm apartment, Camilla stared into the crystal grey eyes that watched her from her face.
It was wrong, discomforting, and reminded her everyday that, in some way, he was not here. He was with her, but not, and the pain settled down into her gut where it would stay for the day, the same as every other. At least she could breathe, now, no longer drowning in the realisation she would never see him again. That had been a rough month.
She saw the concern in Pyrrha's eyes, still not sure what to make of the mysterious woman from the First who occupied a body not her own. It set her on edge, and she wanted nothing more than to snap and fight at any tiny trigger, her temper fraying with stress and worry.
Camilla had done what she had needed to do to protect him. To protect her Warden. He had not asked, but she had done it anyway, and she would do it again.
As she looked into those eyes, she spoke, softly, barely managing to keep them from shaking.
"One end, my love— my Warden."
She finished the promise, made what seemed to be many lifetimes ago, and it didn't occur to her to muffle the sobs as she sunk to the floor.
There would never be an end... not really. Not for her.