Silver Eyes Chronicles: The Journey Begins Trilogy: Book One: The Reunion

Chapter Thirty-One: The Proposal

Ronan

Ronan watches Naria come into their room, that sense of foreboding having been with him since she left. Having heard of the dwarves arrival along with Reyten and his healers has only put the young man in a state which can only be described as worry and dread.
With the amount of time that has passed since Naria left with Elebeni, Ronan fears the worst.

Now that he sees her, his fears are confirmed. Her face is devoid of all emotion, save for her eyes which are bright with unshed tears.

"Naria?" he asks, softly and uncertainly.

She looks up at him as if seeing him for the first time. Then she goes over to him, throwing her arms around his neck, sobbing.

"She's dead, Ronan! Kirena's gone!" she sobs, brokenly.

He holds her tightly, burying his face into her hair. "I'm so sorry, my love. I'm so sorry."

Her head rests against his shoulder, her tears staining his shirt. He rocks her gently back and forth, trying to comfort her.

In truth, he doesn't know what to do, of what to say.

For the first time in a long time, he begins to feel the idea of helplessness.
And he doesn't deny that he hates it. Looking down at his beloved wrapped tightly in his arms, he can only wonder.

Whatever happens, I am not going to give up on you, Naria. Not now. Not ever, he vows, fiercely, disregarding his own former feelings.

With his beloved still in his arms, he gently picks her up and carries her towards the armchair by the fire. He then sits down, settling Naria on his lap. Her head leans against him, her tears dampening his shirt, her slender shoulders trembling.

"Shh, shh," he says, softly, gently rubbing her back.

Naria continues crying, her grip tightening on him like he is an anchor against grief. And to him, he will make sure that he will do all he can to comfort her. To make sure that she is going to be all right.

"Ronan, I don't know what to do. I can't do this anymore," Naria says brokenly, her face buried in his shirt, her voice almost muffled.

"I know love, I know," Ronan says, the only words he can offer to her, pulling her closer to him.
But in her tone, he can already hear the unspoken words and emotions behind them; all of which leading up to this breaking point.

Naria's legs lift higher up until they're up to his chest.

"Do you know the worst part of this?" she asks, removing her face to look at him.

"What is it?" he asks, gently, biting his lower lip, his hand touching her shoulder.

"The worst part is, I've promised her that I wouldn't let any harm come to her. And I've failed," Naria says, her eyes becoming more red rimmed. "I've failed her."

"Naria. It's not your fault. None of it. Don't you dare blame yourself for this. If there is anyone to blame for all this, it's Nayuna. Not you. Never you. You are not to blame for any of this," he says, firmly, his hands gently cradling her face, but his eyes are as fierce as a hawk's gaze.

"How do you know?" she asks, looking up at him, her moonlit eyes shiny, making them seem larger than usual, like looking into the depths of a pool. "You know nothing of this."

Ronan is silent, with many thoughts now going through his head. Oh, my love, if only you knew how much I understand what you're going through, he thinks, painfully. If only you knew.

But right now, all he wants to do is comfort her. And right now, with Kirena's death fresh in her mind, he realizes that he can't do anything. Not yet anyway.