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The moon shone gold, tinting the clouds in oranges and pinks despite the deep, shimmering blue of the night sky. Though the leaves in the garden swayed gently with the breeze, she felt nothing but the fabric of her dress brushing against her dappled shoulders.
At first, she didn’t know who was with her, only that she was safe in the large presence that had beckoned her over to the metal circle etched out between the contained gardens on the balcony floor. She didn’t hesitate to stand and walk as though on air over to him.
His hands were warm, rough and calloused, though they held her as softly as the muffled music that they swayed back and forth to.
She found she couldn’t speak, couldn’t quite look up at his face. The familiar hot rush of embarrassment warmed her cheeks and crest as she stumbled and suddenly got pulled closer. His hand swept over her shoulder and up her neck, fingers brushing over the line of her jaw to lift it, make her look into smiling red eyes—
Ri’kara woke with a start, blinking up at the gold ceiling as her hearts thumped painfully against her ribcage, the last remnants of a blush still lingering across her crest and face.
That dream again.
She lay there for a few moments until her body finally remembered that it could move, and she could carefully pull herself up to sit against her pillows. Butterflies fluttered in her abdomen as her panicked heartbeat began to calm into a regular rhythm.
It never let her see who her partner was, who had decided she deserved to be treated so gently, not that she needed to see him to know. For a moment, she wondered if her prickly companion was even capable of being so caring, of smiling in the way he did at the very end when their eyes met—
“Stop it, Ri’kara...” She rubbed her face with both hands and sighed, pulling back the sheets abruptly to get out of bed as though she could somehow outrun the lingering yearning. “Even if he did care, which, let’s be real, it certainly wouldn’t be about you.”
He had been gone for a month. The distance had, at first, been a welcome reprieve from the grip of infatuation. She’d hoped that it would be the perfect opportunity for whatever that dance together had dragged up to disappear, but as the time had passed on without him...
“Besides, there’s no way he’d act like that. You’re making a Protoss up based on what you apparently want to happen one day, that’s all. It’s just fictional, it’s not him.”
Angrily, she made her bed, stepping into the washroom to bathe and filling her head with as much nonsense as possible just so she could push it all away for a while. Almost mechanically, as though she were filling out a checklist, she completed her morning routine, pulling on her usual outfit and gathering her cords into their rings.
Pulling open the curtains that covered the balcony doors, she lit some incense and sat with her legs tucked under herself, letting the sun and the smoke fill her pores as she watched birds fly by.
“I shouldn’t miss him this much.”
Rubbing her face where the dream-hand had brushed up against it, she sighed, scowling.
“I shouldn’t miss him at all.”
Once the incense burned out, she stood, brushing down her robes and looking around her room.
“I just need something to do; I’m missing being busy, it has nothing to do with him. Maybe I’ll try and run into the Hierarch, he’ll be around at this time…”
She made her way to the door, pressing a button on the console mounted to the wall just next to it before stepping out of her room and letting the door close behind her. Outside her room, the corridor was still a little gloomy, the sun not quite making its way far enough around the tower to fill the high, arched windows.
Her guard, Verinis, had already appeared in an alcove close by, the last blue shimmers of a warp dissipating in the soft shadows. As they caught her eye, they smiled, offering a short bow and a wave.
“Good morning, Ri’kara. What is the plan for today?”
She smiled back, happy for some company. “I’m going to see if I can find the Hierarch; I need something to do before I go mad.”
“Val’ka is not back yet?”
“No. He won’t be for a while, I’d imagine. The Highlord always wants him for something.”
They nodded, beginning to follow her down the corridor to the elevator that would take them to the ground floor so that they could make their way over to the capitol buildings and start their search.
The Hierarch was hard to miss, especially in his armour. The weathered gold and sleek lines of the white metal panels shone in the sunlight as he strolled down the corridor, nodding and smiling warmly at whoever bowed as he passed them by.
“If you could stay here for just a minute, Verinis, I’ll catch him.”
“Alright, good luck.”
Ri’kara had to jog to catch up to the long strides of the much taller Protoss, but she managed to get into step with him, craning her neck a little to look up into his face.
“Hierarch, there you are.”
“Ah, Ri’kara.” he looked a little surprised, stopping and moving into a small alcove. “What can I do for you?”
She tucked herself into the space next to him and played with her hands, looking a little embarrassed. “Well… I was just wondering if you had any work for me.”
He gave her a mildly amused look, a chuckle punctuating his next statement. “Work? I thought that Val’ka had given you plenty when he left.”
“I… have already gone through everything I was told to in his absence, but I was wondering if there was anything else? Or perhaps something that you would like me to do for you?”
She peeked up at him, trying not to sound too hopeful at the prospect of taking her mind off things with a mountain of scrolls or crystals.
His face softened with his voice as he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Ri’kara, I appreciate the offer, but you should enjoy the time that you have to yourself. We ask much of you already, and I feel it would be selfish to ask for any more than necessary.”
The Tal’darim wanted dearly to try and negotiate, but despite the kindness in his eyes, she knew that he would continue to insist if she tried to push, so she backed out of his grip and bowed her head. “… Of course, Hierarch. I apologise for bothering you—”
He lifted both hands gently in a calming motion. “Not at all, and I promise I will summon you the moment he comes back.”
Something in the way he said it made her hearts drop through her abdomen, as though he had known what she was trying to run away from, as though he had known about the dream that had been plaguing her—
Too quickly, she shot back; “I don’t miss him, if that’s what you’re implying.”
Artanis’ brow raised, his head tilting a little to the side. “I meant that I would summon you so that you could return to your duties as soon as possible once he returns. You must be restless to ask for more tasks to complete so soon.”
“… Yes.” The warmth of a blush began to creep across her face and crest, and she cursed to herself. “Obviously, of course that’s what you meant, I...”
His eyes were on her, something hanging in the silence between them. What if he figured it out just from that exchange? Would she be punished? Would he decide to tell—
Brushing down her robes, she pushed the train of thought from her mind before it could spiral out of control. “I apologise. He insisted that I would miss him, that’s all. I wouldn’t want him to wrongly assume he was correct if you told him anything.”
It seemed to be a good lie. Artanis took a moment before letting out a soft laugh, and he nodded.
“Of course, I will not say a word. I doubt you would hear the end of it.”
She let herself laugh in turn and then glanced down the corridor where Verinis was waiting. “That is true. I will… take my leave, Hierarch, I apologise again.”
“It is no trouble.”
She bowed as low as she could without getting on her knees and quickly turned to walk as quickly down the corridor as she could without jogging again, cursing herself with every step she took for being so stupidly highly strung.
Verinis gave her an odd look when she stopped next to them, tilting their head.
“You know, you become a very pretty shade of purple when you blush, Ri’kara, but what could the Hierarch have said that would have got you in such a state?”
“Nothing! Nothing, I just… Blush easily, especially when it’s warm. I hate it.” She couldn’t help but blush a deeper purple at the compliment.
They laughed softly. “Well did you at least get something to do?”
“Ugh, no; he insisted I continue to rest.”
She began to walk back the way they had come, letting them catch up.
“Rest is good. You are always running around after the fifth Ascendant; I think it makes sense that you should have a break once in a while.”
“I’m not used to it; I never had any sort of a break on Slayn unless I was sleeping...” Ri’kara shrugged. “it’s driving me a bit mad, honestly. He hasn’t been gone for this long.”
“Maybe you should call some of your friends. I know for a fact you have not seen them in a while; they surely miss you.”
“I know, but they’re always pretty busy themselves.”
As they got to the bottom of the steps and into the large, sunny foyer, Ri’kara felt an odd shiver down her spine, fear gripping her as something brushed against her shoulder and she quickly spun around on her heel with a yelp.
Ialdir had appeared behind her, a mischievous smile dancing across his eyes as he began to laugh.
Verinis was quick to get between them, however, a deep frown on their face as they quickly held their spear out in front of them.
Ri’kara had to quickly steady herself, putting a hand on their arm. “Verinis! It’s ok, it’s fine, he’s a friend.”
They glanced at her, then at the few in the foyer that had looked towards the direction of the disturbance. It took a moment, but they relaxed, stepping to the side and bowing to him curtly.
“I apologise. You should know better than to go out of your way to startle someone.”
Ialdir gave them a look that made the Tal’darim freeze for a moment. The expression of mild disgust in his deep green eyes, as though her guard were little more than an insect that had crawled across his foot, was decidedly familiar.
“Fine; I was only playing around with her, wasn’t I, Riri? No need for such a reaction.”
She nervously nodded, glancing at Verinis apologetically. “Y-yes, he… does it sometimes, I’m sorry.”
There was an odd silence as Ialdir looked at her expectantly, his eyes boring into her in that way that they always did when he was expecting her to go somewhere with him. Lacing her fingers together, she spoke again.
“Ah… You’re ok to go for a while, Verinis. Ialdir will be plenty of protection.”
Their own eyes held thinly veiled concern, but they nodded, stepping back. “I will wait here until you come back, but you know the rule.”
She faked a smile, nodding. “Yes, I know, I won’t be too long.”
Verinis bowed, turning on their heel and ducking through a doorway close by. Ri’kara felt odd, exposed all of a sudden as she watched them disappear, as though them leaving had left her vulnerable to… something. She couldn’t quite grasp what.
“Now that has been taken care of.” Ialdir took her arm a little roughly, though he punctuated the move with a smile. “I know a spot where we can spend some time.”
He pulled her out into the afternoon, along to one of the many walled gardens that were scattered around the large citadel buildings. She found herself wishing that he would let her walk by herself, but something about the way he held her kept her quiet, only able to break away once he had seated himself on a bench wrapped around a drooping tree.
Instead of sitting down, she leant herself against the wall, tucking her arms behind her to keep them from being grabbed again.
“Won’t you sit with me?”
“I’d like to lean for now, I’ve been sitting for too long already today.”
Another lie. She didn’t feel like having him so close and inclined to touch her as he usually was. It seemed to work on him, thankfully, though he shrugged in a way that made her feel oddly guilty.
There was a long, strange silence that made her feel even more tense. Ialdir was usually so talkative, so willing to fill the air with whatever he felt like talking about, sometimes to the point that he forgot to let her get a word in edgeways. Why had he even brought her out here if he was just going to sit and… pout in the way that he was?
Gently, despite the atmosphere, she decided to try and strike up a conversation; “I didn’t realise that you’d been assigned to the Tal’darim council. That must have been an odd change of pace from the citadel—"
“I hadn’t been.”
“Oh?” Had she upset him? She tried to go through their brief interaction, wondering if there was anything she could have done or said that would qualify. “Well… Why did the Executor bring you along? I was just curious, you know, I thought he had his own guards.”
“I don’t know, why did you decide to disappear when I was looking for a dance partner?” He snapped in a way that made her jump slightly, her hearts stuttering. He scowled up at her, filling the shocked silence with a sneer; “Off with your Death Fleet representative doing who knows what in a side room?”
Ri’kara blinked, the sudden flip causing her mind to momentarily go blank. The dismissal of her question, the odd implication, the way he glared at her, it reminded her starkly of—
“Well?”
“I… took him to get some air because he asked. I think it’s understandable that a party like that would get too much if one were not used to—”
“Or he just wanted to get you alone.” Suddenly, he stood, getting close, too close. She couldn’t even step back, pressing herself into the wall she had been leaning against and shrinking slightly. “I don’t trust him, Riri. What if he tries to hurt you? I wouldn’t be there, and I could never live with myself if you were left battered again like you were.”
“V-Val’ka is here to do a job.” Her voice wavered for a moment, fear snaking up through her ribcage to constrict her hearts. She had to shake herself to steady her next response; “So am I. Ialdir, there would be no way he could get away with putting his hands on me.”
She inwardly winced at the way she had phrased it, for a moment thinking of her dream again, then of how Ialdir might take it. It seemed to take an age, seconds like hours ticking by as his green eyes flickered back and forth between hers, looking for something. Did he really think she was lying?
Either way, he didn’t seem to find what he was looking for in her face, pushing himself from the wall that he had trapped her against. He said nothing, and somehow that was worse.
“… I would have thought you’d have more faith in me. I can take care of myself.”
“I trust you, Riri. It’s him I don’t trust. I don’t trust that guard of yours, either. Why would you let them treat me like that? I’m your friend.”
“I didn’t let them, Ialdir, you just caught them by surprise, that’s all. They’re there to protect me, and they… Haven’t ever seen you.”
“Are you so ashamed of me that you won’t tell anyone about me? Is that it?”
She shook her head quickly. “Not at all! I have mentioned you, but they haven’t seen your face; you haven’t bothered to say hello to me while they’ve been around.”
“’Haven’t bothered’?” He sneered again. “I devote as much of my time to you as I can, Riri, don’t be so ungrateful.”
“N-no, that isn’t what I meant. I just meant that… I know you can be busy, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. I am grateful for the time we do have.”
He once again searched for something in her face. She didn’t dare move despite the fact that he had technically let her go, despite the fact that she desperately wanted to get out of there and run back to Verinis. Her hearts were thundering in her head, drowning out what should have been silence.
Before she could say anything more, try to reason with him, he softened and smiled at her, causing her to freeze as he got close again. He cupped her cheek in his hand first, then slipped his fingers over her jaw and lifted her face by the chin to look at him.
She knew right then in her chest that whoever that dream had been about, it definitely wasn’t about him.
“Good. Well… This guard of yours will know my face for next time, yes? I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t make you let out that adorable little squeak you make when you’re startled…”
“Y-yes… I’ll make sure they remember.”
He nodded, face getting slightly closer still as his voice became lower. “Anyway, how about next time we have a more pleasant conversation, hm? It’s sad that you insist on making me feel so angry when I barely ever get to see you as it is.”
“… Yes, sorry, I was just curious. I didn’t know it would upset you so much... And I’ll make sure Verinis never does that again.” Once again, she pressed herself against the wall, a twinge of disgust squirming around in her abdomen. Part of her hoped the metal would swallow her up like the crawlspace in a ship.
Ialdir let go in the next moment, looking up at the afternoon sky. “Keep it in mind next time, hm? I will see you later. Usual place. Don’t be late, now.”
Somehow, Ri’kara managed to nod. “Yes.”
Finally, he left through the gate. She waited there, uncomfortably frozen until she was sure he was gone. It was only then that she felt safe enough to push herself from the wall.
Dread crawled up her spine and for a moment she was reminded of the smell of Terrazine. Her hearts quickened their pace, suddenly feeling lightheaded as she realised that her odd comparison to Urach wasn’t wrong.
“No, no, you’re being… You upset him by bringing up the party. Clearly you disappearing was a sore spot, you know he’s interested in you…”
For a moment she imagined what the party would have been like had she been his dance partner. That look he gave her, hungry in a way that made her insides squirm with unease, passed across her mind’s eye, and she shuddered involuntarily.
And then there was his sudden outburst. She hadn’t seen him get this annoyed in a while, and he completely glossed over her question…
She would have to get her answers from elsewhere.
Ri’kara waited a moment or two more before exiting the garden cautiously, looking both ways before making her way back to the building she had come from earlier. Everything was louder; she had to try not to flinch as a Judicator brushed past her.
Verinis was already there, worry on their face; she must have been longer than she thought.
Quickly, she waved a hand towards them and smiled weakly before they could say anything. “I’m fine; he had something to tell me, so… I just need to ask something of Kal’narn.”
“… Shall I fetch a messenger?”
“Please.”
It only took a few moments before Verinis was back, another Protoss following beside them.
He was a lanky, amber-eyed Nerazim, his veil swaying slightly as he tilted his head to look down at her. As was usual for her when meeting someone new, she saw surprise pass across his face, though he quickly pushed it aside to bow slightly.
“What can I do for you?”
“I’d like to pass on a message to Executor Kal’narn. A question, that’s all.” For a moment, she hesitated, thinking about how she would word it to make sure it wasn’t insulting. “I was curious to know how often Ialdir is charged with escorting him to events; it was a surprise to see him there.”
“And that is all?”
“Yes… If he asks, the fifth Ascendant wished to know, and that’s all I’ve been told.”
He nodded, bowing again and turning to leave. As he disappeared into the crowd, Verinis’ eyes rested on Ri’kara, their head tilting with curiosity.
“… He wouldn’t answer if it was me asking. Even when I worked with Eryga, he never liked me.” She shrugged. “I was just curious.”
“I was not going to say anything.” They rocked back and forth on their feet, tapping their spear against the floor. They always did that when they were thinking of something; Ri’kara only hoped that they didn’t try to jump to any conclusions.
The messenger was back within the hour, appearing again before them in a way that momentarily made the Tal’darim jump.
“Did he answer…?”
The messenger nodded after his short greeting bow. “’Ialdir offered to escort me for that event only. My usual guard had been injured in an accident.’”
The response only raised more questions, her mind racing as she tried to find some explanation that made everything merely a coincidence. His guard injured just before Ialdir conveniently stepped in to cover for him…?
“Will that be all?” He prompted, tilting his head.
“… Yes. Thank you for your help.”
He bowed slightly, turning to leave.
Verinis glanced between the two, their eyes finally resting on her, though they still said nothing to begin with.
“It’s fine, it’s nothing.”
“Are you… sure? This… Ialdir seems… Well, he certainly is not one for good first impressions.”
“It is fine; he is usually better about that, I’m sorry.” She faked a laugh and an embarrassed smile, trying not to think about the look that had passed across his face when he regarded them. “I think he might be trying to court me, that’s all; nothing to worry yourself with… I’ll go back to my quarters if that’s alright with you.”
They hesitated, but nodded, gesturing for her to lead the way.
“I suppose… you are not interested then? Not that Tal’darim feel anything.” They winced at their own wording. “At least that is what I have heard.”
“We do. Just not things like that. Or we couldn’t before. It’s a little complicated.”
“I am sorry, I—"
“It’s ok, you’re not… entirely wrong. I’ve had it explained to me, but I won’t bore you with all the how and why; what’s important is that we can now without Terrazine.” She made sure to shrug as nonchalantly as she could muster. “A few of my friends have already; I personally haven’t felt it yet, though. I might never from the looks of things.”
Verinis shrugged in turn. “Nothing wrong with that.”
“I suppose so.” Ri’kara laced her hands together. He’d be disappointed, that’s for sure. She found herself wondering what his ‘disappointment’ might turn out to be. After that outburst at the mere thought that she might be involved with someone, she didn’t enjoy the idea of having to reject him.
As though Verinis could read what she was thinking, they patted her gently on the shoulder. “If you are worried about letting him down, do not be. He can be as disappointed as he likes; the heart wants what it wants.”
She nodded, not wanting to pursue the topic further as she folded everything over in her head. What could she even do? He hadn’t really done anything that anyone else might notice but be a little moody, and if she told Verinis what was really on her mind regarding his appearance with Kal’narn, they would probably think she was being a little too paranoid. A paranoid Tal’darim who hadn’t quite managed to get over the trauma of her life on Slayn.
“I will be a summon away.” Verinis broke the silence as they got to her door, offering her a reassuring smile.
“Thank you. I’ll let you know if I need to go anywhere else today.”
The door closed behind her, and she sighed, pressing the heel of her hand to her forehead.
No, she would just have to handle it herself. She had managed with Urach, keeping him relatively happy, and though he did beat her, there was no way Ialdir could get away with the same. She had said it herself; nobody could get away with putting their hands on her now.
“He’s probably not even capable of hurting me. I can handle him... He was probably just there at the right time to help Kal’narn anyway.”
She moved to her desk and took out another incense stick, suddenly dying for something to smoke that didn’t smell like death.
“He’ll be pleasant next time. Just don’t bring anything to do with work up and it’ll be fine, he’ll be himself again, I’m sure.”
Alarak had limped himself over to where he was supposed to meet his aide, a sliver of dread underneath the uncomfortable pain in his bad leg the closer he got; he knew that seeing her would undo him as seeing Artanis the day before had.
Artanis… Those blue eyes upturned in a soft, welcoming smile that quickly fell to a deep concern as he had taken in the state of him when he had arrived, the crinkle and slope of his brow with the frown he had given. He couldn’t help the way that an odd warmth had spread inside his chest, the way his hearts had jumped. It was as though his body had known that there, in his presence, he was safe.
Absence had apparently made his symptoms worse.
Seeing the phase-smith even from a distance had made his hearts squeeze in the same manner; he hadn’t seen her face as she bowed the moment she heard him say her name, and yet he was already experiencing another torrent of everything he had been trying to escape.
Then, she straightened to look up at him with those large pools of tired red, and that warmth was back tenfold, spilling over his ribcage and filling him with that same promise of safety as she gave him a similar gentle, warm smile.
How dare she.
How dare both of them. What gave them the right to hold such a power over him, to be able to manipulate his emotions just by being in his presence?
“Welcome back, Val’ka.”
Even her voice had a grip on him that he could not describe. He only nodded, resisting the urge to scowl as he moved inside, not bothering to wait for her or her guard to follow.
She had to jog a little to keep up with him, concern written all over her face. There was no doubt she could see the bandages, had noticed the irregular rhythm of his walk, but he didn’t bother to speak, letting the tense silence become heavier and hoping that she would get the hint to keep quiet herself—
“Are you… Alright? You’re hurt.”
“I am fine, Ri’kara. It is none of your concern.”
She blinked, her frown deepening, scrunching the little bump between her eyes.
“You look like you’ve been in a warzone—”
“I do so hate repeating myself.”
Hurt flickered across her face at his tone, pitting guilt with the rest of the horrible mix in his chest, and he tore his gaze away from her face, continuing to walk quickly to where Artanis had told them to meet him despite the nagging pain turning to a sharp agony. He wouldn’t be able to do anything about the damned thing until later.
She didn’t bother trying to keep up with him, bringing relief in equal parts to hurt. If he had to spend another moment like this, with too much happening in his mind and his heart at once, he may as well have allowed the latest assassin to get his wish.
“Ah, Val’ka.” Artanis looked past him as he walked through the door, one brow raised. “Where is Ri’kara?”
“I’m here, Hierarch.” Ri’kara was in a few moments later, leaving her guard by the door and shooting a soft glare at Alarak. “I don’t know what’s got into our fifth Ascendant, but I thought I’d just let him have his tantrum.”
The Templar looked between them as they glared at each other, a little confused, but decided to brush past it and begin with what they were dragged there for.
Ri’kara jumped a little at the knock on her door, gathering her robes properly around her waist and covering herself before rushing over to see who it could possibly be at that late hour.
Cautiously, she let the door slide open just enough so that she could peek up at her unexpected visitor.
Alarak stood on the other side, tilting his head slightly to look at her through the same gap, and she immediately sighed.
“Couldn’t you have called me? It’s late.”
“I would prefer this to be face to face.”
With another, louder sigh, she opened the door completely and wrapped her robes about her more tightly. “Alright, fine, come in. You’ll have to excuse the mess.”
He nodded, stepping over the threshold and looking about himself a little, taking in his surroundings in the way that Tal’darim tended to do. She felt a little shame at the haphazardly stacked projects by her desk, and the parchment that was still strewn all over the table and hanging from the bookshelf, splattered with ink and oil.
As the door closed, he broke the silence, speaking in that soft tone she hadn’t heard since before he came back from Slayn. “You have certainly made yourself at home.”
“I made do with what I had to work with.” She shrugged, busying herself by clearing a space around the table, having to get onto her tiptoes to shut the curtains across the balcony doors as she went. “Everything’s too tall. I still have to pull a chair into the washroom… Hopefully I can get permission to weld a stool around the base of that stupid sink.”
He only chuckled, sitting himself on the floor where she gestured for him to do so.
“You’re obviously not here to listen to me talk about that, though. What do you need?”
“… To apologise.”
She stopped in her tracks, unable to help herself from blinking at him. He’d carefully knelt as they had often been taught to do, hands folded against his lap, and he had clearly noted her shock as he rolled his eyes.
“Oh do not look so surprised, Ri’kara.”
It drew her from her little reverie, at least, and she frowned at his exasperated tone. “Hmph. I suppose the Hierarch put you up to this?”
“No. It may be a foreign concept to you, but I do occasionally feel remorse; I have extended an apology to him as well.”
Ri’kara hesitated, put away the bundle of tools and parchment and came to sit down next to him, gesturing for him to continue.
“Alright then.”
Alarak sighed a little, shifting in place. “It was… Uncharitable of me to have directed my anger at you; I simply allowed my emotions to get the better of me. I regret being so harsh towards you when you had done nothing to deserve such treatment.”
It was strange to see him with that slightly ashamed expression in the ensuing silence; if this had been when he first arrived, he would not have even considered being wrong about the way he was acting, but now… The little Tal’darim shuffled a bit closer to him, making sure he was looking at her so that he didn’t flinch when she gave his arm a friendly pat.
“… Thank you. We were only trying to help you; you looked horrible when you came back, and you’ve been acting so… prickly these past few weeks. I don’t know, you usually look as though you haven’t slept at all when you come back from Slayn, you’re usually a little abrasive until you feel safe again…”
“As you have pointed out, I was still not justified.”
“I know. It was just… We were more insistent than usual because of your new injuries—”
He gently lifted a hand to cut her off. “As I said, you can spare your concern, though I suppose it was not without merit. Regardless I have tended to my own wounds countless times.”
“Still, it was worse than usual, and… it worried me- us.”
She cursed herself a little for the slip, and as his eyes narrowed into a little smug smirk, she knew he’d caught it.
“So you had missed me.”
Rolling her eyes, she tried her best to stop his infectious expression from pulling at her own features, exaggerating a disapproving tone even as the mood of the room lifted. “Not at all. Especially after your little tantrum.”
“Oh please, it was hardly a ‘tantrum’. But, if you insist, I will make the effort to control such outbursts in the future; is that what you wished to hear, Ri’kara?”
“Yes it was, Alarak, and I’ll hold you to that.”
“I am sure you will.”
Then, as she let herself give him a smile, his own smirk shifted into a proper smile of his own, an expression she had only ever seen in…
Her hearts stopped. She couldn’t help but stare at him, feeling her face and crest get hot. It was exactly like her dream, better, even, seeing the bump between his eyes scrunch and his eyes upturn in a way that shaved years off him.
He noticed her sudden change immediately, the expression dropping into his usual resting frown as he tilted his head and raised a brow. “What?”
Quickly, she waved a hand in front of her face and tore her gaze away. “… Nothing, nothing.”
For those few fleeting moments, she had wished so dearly for him to have smiled like that on the balcony, to have him hold her like that again in that soft, back and forth dance…
I’m doomed.
“You have a bizarre penchant for inexplicably turning purple. Are you well?”
Ri’kara shook herself, letting out a nervous laugh to try and ease some of the tension in her body. “Yes, I am, don’t worry, I’m… I might just be tired, that’s all.”
“Then say so.” Carefully, he stood himself up, using the table and the chair behind him to steady himself as he did so. “I will take my leave; I expect you to be ready early tomorrow.”
“When don’t you?” She stood, pressing her cold hands to her face briefly to try and stave off the blush. “I’ll be ready, don’t worry.”
“As though I would worry.” He shrugged, moving with her to the door and stepping out into the hall.
Briefly, he looked back, but the smile he gave was his usual; slight, more of a smirk than anything else. She couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
“Goodnight.”
“… Goodnight, Val’ka.”
She watched him disappear down the corridor before stepping fully back into her room and letting the door close. That smile was seared into her mind’s eye, the same butterflies that always plagued her after that recurring dream fluttering in her abdomen.
“Well, I…” She spoke aloud just to break the spell she had seemingly been put under. “I guess that answers that question.”