Worlds of Waves and Shadows

Twenty Six

He watched his daughter calmly shut the door behind her. Her face, a blank slate.

It was familiar, of course. After all, he too had spent years perfecting the mask of cold indifference that Kaenisa presently sported. 

It was flawless. Enough to make him wonder if she had done the same.

His daughter. Cazek still couldn’t believe it. 

But all of that paled into the comparison of seeing her. 

Alive.

The love of his life.

Cazek still remembered the last time he had seen her. 

She had lain there, cold and pale, with her once beet-red lips turned blue and grey. They had haunted him ever since, those golden-brown eyes, staring into the unknown. All the life they had possessed, nothing but a faded memory. 

How they had once sparkled under the sun, the aureate within, gleaming like stars, speckled across the milky-way. 

A sharp pang of nostalgia wretched his heart. 

It was alright. At least Shefali was alive. 

Had he known she had been carrying his child, Cazek would have never lied to her the way he had, even if it had been the right thing to do. 

Regret washed over him, so strong that his knees almost gave out. 

He had missed all of his daughter’s firsts. Her first words, steps, and every other milestone he should have been by her side for. 

By their side. 

He never even had the chance to hold her in his arms the day she was born.

And even though he had known of his daughter’s existence for all of two hours, Cazek knew with absolute certainty that he would readily give or take a life for her. 

He wanted her to have all the happiness in the world, wished to provide her with everything she would ever need. 

And right now, it was space. 

So he cleared his throat and said, “Looks like you two have a lot to talk about. I’ll leave you to it.”

And with that, he strode past his daughter, casting a glance towards her. 

At least, that’s what he had meant to do. 

But her jaw, so tightly set, and her eyes.…his eyes, burning with chilling coldness... 

He had never wanted anything more than to embrace his daughter and tell her it was okay. 

But all he could do was walk out the door, with nobody to blame for it but himself.

----------

Rolan lay in his bed, in the room he had chosen. 

He still couldn’t stop admiring how....luxurious it was. 

If someone had shown him a picture of it and told him that this was an ordinary guest room, he would have slapped the guy.

The mattress beneath him felt like the clouds that were about to carry him into heaven.

And the premium wood around him seemed to be not of this world, with its undulating polish as well as the surprisingly elegant mash of ebony and mahogany, giving the room a royal air.

He sighed, propping himself up onto his elbow’s. 

Then, as if struck with sudden inspiration, he shot up. It was imperative to feel the softness on his skin, he thought, ditching his shirt before lying back down.