Frost Bitten (BxB)

Chapter Twenty-Six

"Asurah? Are you alright? Um...Vex is worried about you, a-and so am I. You haven't left your room in two days and I just want to make sure you're ok."

Vekki's voice was muffled by the door, but I still heard everything she said. And she was right, I hadn't left in two days, or hell, even eaten since then because my mind was...it was a mess. After the revelation about what monsters were thrown in the colosseum...I began to question myself, question Vextian's intentions. If he had been telling the truth...only the worst of the worst were put up against those vicious beasts, and it made sense to make them feel what they caused others to feel. On the other hand though, if he were lying...then why would he tell me such a thing? To make me question myself like this? To make me wonder if he really was an upstanding person?

Gods, what would Joseph think if he knew I was questioning everything about his murderer?

He would probably be ashamed of me. He would be hurt that I was second guessing his killer's motives, and I wouldn't blame him for feeling so. I was disgusted with myself for warring with everything I had come to learn. Vextian was evil, he attacked my people, killed my husband and kidnapped me, so of course he was evil.

Or was he?

And that's what was tearing me up on the inside and what was making me not want to leave this room, or hell, even leave the pod. I was just so lost...so confused, and I didn't know what the hell to do.

"Asurah?" Vekki called though the door again.

However, I still made no effort to speak, or even move for that matter, and eventually I heard her sigh wearily and walk away, her footsteps going quieter and quieter until I could no longer hear them.

And that was another thing that confused me. Why was Vekki so worried about my wellbeing? I mean, she had tried to coax me out of the room to check on me since yesterday evening, yet when I didn't answer, she left and came right back about thirty minutes later. Didn't she have a life? Someone at home waiting for her?

So why was she wasting so much of her time checking up on me?

I sighed and shifted onto my back, my eyes tracing the small designs that were carved into the top of the canopy.

Gosh I wished my parents were here. Perhaps then they could tell me what to do. I felt so...so lost and unsure...and alone. And it was bringing forth such a deep, intense bout of depression that left me slightly breathless.

I dragged a hand off of the pod and held it in the air, my gaze trailing over the expanse of pale, unblemished, porcelain skin. And while my thoughts continued to race on, I failed to notice the door opening, Vextian's familiar form sauntering in with a tray of food carefully balanced in his hands. It was only when he sat down next to me did I notice his presence, my hand dropping back to the pod as a frown formed on my face.

"How did you get in here?" I thought I had locked the door, I added in my head, watching as Vextian stared at me for a moment, before he reached into a pocket and pulled out a key.

"This is my palace, Asurah. There is not a room here that I cannot access." He tucked the key back into his pocket and pushed a tray of food in my direction, his gaze intense. "Please eat."

"I'm not hungry."

Vextian's frown deepened and he sat down the tray of food on the nightstand with a sigh, the man surprising me when that black gaze filled with worry. "Asurah, you haven't eaten in two days, and frankly I am worried for you. Is this...because of what I told you? About the real meaning behind the colosseum?" I flinched slightly when he placed a hand over mine, Vextian's features pinching slightly as he brushed his thumb over my knuckles. "I told you that with the hopes that such a revelation would ease your distaste about it. I-I apologize if my revelation brought forth any ill emotions. That had not been my intention."

"That's...not the reason," I muttered, causing Vextian to pop up. I didn't elaborate further and instead, pulled my hand from him and grabbed the tray of food, my stomach growling now as the aroma of the meal wafted towards me, my sudden hunger making itself known.

Vextian's hopeful expression shuttered and he sighed, nodding his head as if he understood something I didn't. "Well, whatever it is that ails you...I pray you are able to conquer it and feel better. I don't enjoy seeing you so dejected and hurt."

I shoved some food into my mouth and averted my gaze, hating the guilty feeling that was threatening to surface. Why would I feel guilty? This man slaughtered my husband and attacked innocent people just to whisk me away to his castle. I should feel guilty for making Vextian worry about me, it was sick, and wrong, and made me lose my appetite. I slowed my eating down and eventually quit eating altogether, a deep frown on my face as Vextian continued to stare at me from where he sat on the pod.

"I really am sorry about your husband, Asurah. I truly did not mean to kill him."

I looked away from him, my chest growing tight as I sat the tray of food aside, the backs of my eyes burning in preparation for tears. But I didn't let them fall. I couldn't let them fall, after all, I already shown too much weakness to Vextian. If I showed anymore...no, I didn't even want to think about that. Hell, I didn't want to think about anything anymore, especially if it was changing how I saw this murderous bastard.

I pulled back out of my thoughts when I felt a warm hand on my cheek, my gaze flickering to Vextian as his thumb gently stroked my pale skin. "You really did love him...didn't you?"

With that simple question, the dam broke, tears spilling down my cheeks as I sobbed for the man that I lost. I was honestly surprised I even had anymore tears to spare, since I cried basically every night for hours. But...I did love Joseph. I loved him so much that I couldn't imagine a world without him. Hell, that man made my life so much brighter, and made me feel like I was actually here for a purpose, that I wasn't just wasting space. Colors weren't as vibrant to me, anymore, and there was not a person in this universe who could compare to the awful puns and bad jokes I loved so much. Food didn't taste the same to me, and more often times than not, I was having nightmares about that damned dreadful night...the night he was taken so suddenly from me.

I was in such emotional agony, I failed to notice Vextian scoot closer to me, placing his arm around me before he pulled me to his chest, his heart beating steadily beneath his chest as he attempted to soothingly rub my back. I could have sworn I heard him tell me everything was going to be alright, that I was much stronger than I gave myself credit for, but I was in too much pain to actually pay any attention to what he had said. I was just...broken. And eventually, without even realizing it, I passed out completely, still held in Vextian's arms.

A/N: My poor albino babyyyyyy T-T If only he knew that Joseph was alive and was coming right for him. Wahhh