Embers of Sun and Flame (Fuegoleon Vermillion x OC)

Chapter 8 Words and visitations from Thea

The following day Fuegoleon entered his office at the Crimson Lion King's headquarters, only intending to stop by, as the aftermath of yesterday's altercation had only begun. He saw papers scattered all around his desk, chair pushed aside, angled and facing the door as if the person getting up from it had been in a rush. Which was no wonder, so he only made his way to the desk and gazed to the documents, picking one of them up.

Hmm... I don't recognize the handwriting. He thought to himself before starting to read. His hand pulled the chair closer as he sat down and leaned back. But as his head settled to the furnishing of the chair, a faint smell of jasmine lingered in the air, inviting him to sink further in. His eyelids felt heavier than a moment ago, tension leaving his muscles as he took a deep breath.

A smile tugged his lips up, his eyes turning away from the world of legislation and into the distance. Silence and tranquillity enveloped him, until he shook his head. No, I can't stay here. There is much to be done. He thought, forcing himself to sit upright. His hands instead moved to gather the papers, sorting them into appropriate piles and checking a few details before heading back out. But still, the smile remained over his lips, as the memory of the faint smell lingered.

---

Weeks passed. Everybody did what they could, simply trying to secure a point where it could be said that all survivors had been located from the rubble, and the dead had been counted. A kind of routine settled in place, even if it was very different kind of routine from what it had been. But that is what the initial shock of the aftermath brought with it.

Solara had sent a report back home one night, before setting down to sleep. Her heart had pounded in her chest, torn by the unwillingness to leave things as they were, and going back home. But as she had not been confronted about her seals, she stayed, waiting to hear back and trusting that those back home in Thea, could see why she had stayed. Even if the anxiety built inside of her, day by day. And the longer she stayed, the less she wanted to leave. The net, weaved by the golden threads of fate, had wrapped around her too tight for her to simply walk away from it all. To walk away from him.

She tried to rationalize her actions to herself, trying to convince herself that she had acted with good judgement. That she had indeed worked for the best interest of the masses of this kingdom, while still not jeopardizing her own people in the process. But the more she thought and tried to rationalize, the more difficult it became to breath. Weight built up on top of her chest and heavy, dark, suffocating clouds hung over her head.

This worry...It speaks of my actions... She realized one night. If I knew, deep down, that I had acted accordingly, I wouldn't be feeling like this. Though sometimes, you can do everything right, and still fail. But this isn't about failure, is it? I'm weighed down, because I don't have a clear conscience, right? But... if I could go back and do things differently, would I? She pondered for a while, as she stared at the ceiling that night, listening to the silence as she let her thoughts swirl around, looking for an answer. No. I wouldn't. She concluded to herself as she rolled over, the admission that she made herself, eased her anxiety. I would choose as I did. So, it's not the act that bothers me, it's the accountability. And now, she smirked to herself, melancholy painted over her eyes. Now I need to live with the consequences. All I can do, is wait. Worrying over it doesn't get me anywhere. And as strange as it was, the twisting and turning in her chest, the suffocating clouds, faded away. Because, if anything, she had stayed true to herself.

---

"Sir," Randal greeted Fuegoleon as he was making his way down a corridor of the base.

"Yes?" He stated and turned around to face Randal.