To our little ones || Aonung x Neteyam

Chapter 39: Flourishing desires

The last rays of sunlight of the day went through the windows as Kiri sat on the well-polished wood floor with her back against the shelves of the tiny room she had found during her many days of walking around the Geljo's home, doing her very best to avoid Rotxo as much as she could.

Her dress flowed around her, keeping her warm as she watched the sunset go down and the reddish tone of the sky above turning dark. She reached for the candle holder next to her and very carefully lit it, putting her book aside.

It had been weeks since she had spoken to her family, almost a month since she last saw them, too ashamed of going back to face the disappointment on Lo'ak's face or to witness her mother's tears.

Neteyam had asked her for time, and she was doing the best she could to keep Miles's impatience at ease. He had the papers ready; her grandmother had told her through a letter since Kiri refused of going out of the house, putting excuses not to cross anybody and to give a reason to Mile for her unwillingness to sign the papers after all the troubles they had gone through.

But she was afraid. Terrified, even. Miles had been waiting for far too long and she knew very well she had been pushing his limits too much, causing her to live with her nerves on edge as she woke up every morning expecting him to bang on the front door claiming that he had gotten tired of waiting for her and that he had decided to leave, taking his proposal along with him.

Kiri was tired beyond belief, always walking with hurried steps to avoid Reya and Rotxo, waking up early not to meet them during breakfast, and going to sleep late not to see them during diners. She felt lonely and trapped, even if no one was chasing her inside the security of that home, but it was exhausting to live like a fugitive of her own choices.

But, did she have another option? The mere thought of crossing Rotxo along the corridors made her skin crawl with the memories of his bloody knuckles and his heartbroken expression once he realized she was not going with him. She couldn't blame him for not sparing her a glance the morning after, if anything she believed she was doing him a favor by keeping out of his sight, saving him from the displeasure of seeing her walking around like a ghost that haunted the hallways of his home.

So, she kept quiet. She was not needed so she hid in places where not even Tuk could find her.

A knock on the door made her turn her head as she raised her eyebrows, afraid that she had been caught by a servant going inside a room she was not allowed to, and in her panic, she hugged her knees as if this would make her invisible.

"I apologize for disrupting your peace, however, I...I need to store some books." That soft voice left her panic-stricken. Rotxo sounded calm, but she was not ready to face him yet, so she remained silent, waiting for something to happen. "Kiri...?"

Rotxo opened the door very slowly as if he was trying to avoid startling a bird and he popped his head inside before the rest of his body went in. His arms were full of books, and he couldn't help the smile that curled his lips the moment he saw her sitting on the cold floor surrounded by books and the messy layers of her dress.

"I didn't mean to intrude; I'll be gone in a moment." He closed the door and quietly began to put the books on the shelves under Kiri's stunned gaze that followed him around the room until he stopped, turning around hesitantly. "Don't you think this room is a little...small? To be here every day must be suffocating, is it not?"

"A little..." Kiri mumbled, watching him as he walked until he reached the desk in the corner, sitting on the edge with his hands peacefully resting on his lap.

"Then why do you keep hiding?" He tilted his head, expression saddening.

"I'm not hiding." She mumbled as her cheek turned pink in embarrassment.