~CLOSED FOR REPAIRS~ Holding Back the Tide (Roland/Leander)

The Dust Has Settled (9)

Leander fell to his knees, despite the jagged rocks beneath him. His beloved kingdom was destroyed, and this, above all else, was the worst of the strikes he'd ever been dealt. He'd walked these pathways for countless years, governing his fellow citizens carefully, breathing in the scent of sea breeze, listening to the tide crashing against the stone, the seabirds screeching to catch the attention of passersby. The silence hit him like an arrow, striking through him and yet depriving him of the release of death. It was miserable. He would never again...

Burning hot tears streaked down his face. He began to shake. He didn't even try to stop them, not as he would have before. He almost wished there was someone here. But there was no one. Not his queen. None of his people. None of his new friends, gods bless them. He came alone, and the city--his most beloved home--was empty. He didn't dare go to the palace. That would be too much.

I shouldn't have come here today.

I shouldn't have gone back to Evermore that day.

I shouldn't have gone to Evermore in the first place.

I should have died here. With the kingdom.

Now what am I? Weak. Alone. Completely useless.

Leander felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Trying to look up at the person, his eyes were too blurred with tears to know who exactly it was(not to mention his glasses had long since fallen off and were in his pocket), but he didn't care. The fact that someone was here, that someone thought to approach him was enough. He stood up and latched his arms around the person as quickly as he could, crying into their shoulder silently. He could faintly hear them trying to console him, tracing small shapes on his back. He wasn't paying much attention.

"...Thank you," he managed to choke out after a few minutes.

"Yeah, no problem," Roland's voice responded.

Why am I not surprised?

"Should we head back to Evermore, or...?"

"..."

He didn't want to leave just yet. He didn't want to admit to himself that it was all over. But his queen was dead. His home was gone. What else was there for him here?

"I suppose we had better," Leander finally conceded, his voice still breaking slightly. Letting go of Roland and attempting to send them home, his hands were shaking, so he had difficulty casting the spell. A young voice distracted him and, he decided, he would have to let it wait.

"Leander!" the young king rushed to his side. "Oh thank goodness you're alright, we had no idea where you'd gotten to!"

"I'm fine, really. Simply... chasing a dream," he responded, thinking that that was the best way to put it.

"I see you went and got the whole team," Roland chuckled at the cat-eared child. "When did you have time to do that?"

"I left when you ran off to Leander," he giggled.

"Evan told us everything already," Bracken confessed. "How did you know where to find him, Roland? Did you see him leave?"

"No... I just figured this was where he'd be," Roland confessed.

He knew I would be here? How?

"That's right impressive lad," Batu growled, seeming genuinely impressed. "Yeh must know Leander a bit better than yeh're lettin' on!"

He gave Roland a quick pat on the back-- or so Batu thought. Leander was shocked it didn't send him flying.

"Ow-- maybe, but... I just thought it was a lucky guess."

Everyone seemed pretty much as shocked as he had been at the sight before them. Any towers or high walls were gone, and even the All-Seeing Eye lay blankly staring off in the distance... it had an eerie kind of inner peacefulness while also being wildly unsettling.

"So... did you want to look around a bit more, or maybe just head back to the castle? We'll stay with you either way, of course!"

"No. I think we need to go back... it can't be healthy, dwelling on what once was, can it?" he sighed, scanning the coral and stone rubble.

"Well said," Bracken gave Leander a rare compliment before turning to the half-grimalkin. "Evan, would you do the honours and bring us back?"

"Right!" And with a simple wave of the king's wand, they were back in the throne room. Mostly everyone had somewhere else to be; Evan almost immediately headed outside to the city to help citizens, Bracken and Tani headed upstairs to continue their research (What in the name of the gods were they trying to accomplish? Leander thought to himself), and Batu headed to the barracks... or so he said. More likely, he was heading for the bar.

"I'm sure you've got work to be doing," Roland sighed, sounding a little dejected for some reason, "so I'll just head up to my office..."

Any other day, Roland would have been able to slip out the door and head to his office, but Leander stopped him.

"How did you know where I'd gone if you hadn't seen me leave?"

Roland was hesitating. Perhaps he was thinking of a way to phrase it, or maybe he didn't know how he knew. Or maybe he was too embarrassed to say. Leander couldn't tell what he was thinking, unlike he could with the rest of the crew. He'd known them for long enough to figure out what was on their mind, but Roland was always a mystery.

"It was almost too easy, I guess..." Roland responded slowly. "Where else would you have gone that you wouldn't bring anyone with you?"

With that, Roland slipped out the door and left a gaping Leander behind. He really knows me... but how?

Or am I just that predictable...?

A/N: I KNOW guys, I'm so sorry. 3.5 months is a little much for a wait. I finally got past my block though, so I should be able to work out a few chapters.

ONCE AGAIN, I AM VERY SORRY.