God of Discovery [high fantasy, slow build, mlm]

Past mistakes, part 2

D'Argen was sitting on the toppled chaise, the wooden frame digging into his ass uncomfortably but easy to ignore. He was staring down at his hands, trying to pick the dried blood out from under his nails.

It was a lost cause, especially as his hands were completely stained in it. Every fold of skin was darker than the skin around it. If he could see colours, he could probably compare the blood to the rouge Yaling sometimes used on her cheeks. Or maybe like the gloss Abbot often put on his lips. It could have been orange, or brown, or another colour altogether as he twisted his hand around and the light hit it a different way.

But that was all wishful thinking.

Even without being able to see colour, he knew what blood looked like. It was more than a stain.

It was easier to focus on cleaning the dried flakes and trying to guess their colour than thinking about what had just happened. How he had missed it. Lilian had been acting strange since Sky Mountain. They were quieter, more severe, and their cries on the summit still echoed inside D'Argen's head.

Yet he had ignored it all.

Lilian said they were fine and D'Argen believed them. They smiled and D'Argen smiled back. They walked away and D'Argen let them.

He had gone to Acela to report. He had spent a night with Vah'mor to catch up.

He had left Lilian.

He thought they were safe. Now, that they were back home.

But Lilian did not believe that. Was it... was it something about the castle? Did they somehow forget they had returned to Evadia? No. Lilian had probably spent most of the night with Vain in the apothecary with those voided mushrooms.

That had to be it. The mushrooms.

Lilian must have successfully made them release their spores and more hallucinations to happen.

D'Argen glanced up at that thought to look for Vain and ask him. Then he remembered, Vain was inside Lilian's sleeping chambers. His hands trembled.

Earlier, when D'Argen was trying to hold Lilian down and a crowd was gathering at his back, Simeal had been in that crowd. The court physician had slipped through and done something, her mahee surrounding both D'Argen and Lilian. D'Argen was not sure what happened but he was pulled back and Lilian was picked up.

Lilian started screaming almost immediately, thrashing in the physician's arms. Simeal almost dropped her. Lilian kept on muttering something about "home" though their eyes remained focused on where D'Argen was collapsed on the ground, unable to move.

"Fine, fine. Here, help me," Simeal said and though D'Argen thought it was directed at both Lilian and him, it was Vain that moved first. The scholar was my Simeal's side and the two carried Lilian into their sleeping chambers.

Then the doors closed.

D'Argen was not sure what happened to the rest of the crowd outside the main doors, but they were now closed and only D'Argen, Yaling, and Abbot remained in Lilian's receiving chambers.

Yaling was standing right beside D'Argen, a firm grip on his shoulder that felt more like it was there to ground her rather than the runner. Abbot was collapsed on the ground right by his feet, leaning slightly into D'Argen's legs to give contact but not pressure.

The doors clicked open and both D'Argen and Abbot shot to their feet. Vain closed them gently and leaned back against the doors. He looked tired. There was blood visible on his cheek and forehead, a swipe of an errand hand maybe.

"Lilian wants to talk to you," Vain said, looking right at D'Argen.

The runner was moving forward without even thinking. Only Vain, still standing in front of the closed doors, stopped him from advancing further. He looked down at the shorter man in confusion.