CONSORT OF DARKNESS × THE SANDMAN

CH. 10: FLY AWAY

CHAPTER 10: FLY AWAY

Morpheus

"I kept a journal, for a while," my realm was in ruin. Because of my absence, it fell into chaos and with none of my power, I could do nothing.

"A chronicle of everything that happened in your absence, but slowly, the words began to fade. Sometime after you left, all the books in the library became bound volumes of blank paper. The next day, the whole library was gone. I never fond it again," Lucienne told me as the glass crunched beneath my feet and all I could think of was her.

"If she were alive, she would have kept it so."

Lucienne looked confused at my statement, "you mean Lady Arcadia, my Lord?"

"If she were alive in my absence, none of it would be so. She would have protected you all," but that was the past. It had been another forty years since I had seen Arcadia, no knowledge or even a whisper as to where she was. Perhaps her family told her the sourer truth pf what had happened, and she was decidedly done with me.

And yet even though I knew I did not deserve her, I still missed her. I missed how she treated our kingdom, and how she treasured every living creature. How on the brightest of days, her hair reflected the sun and even when it stormed, her hair still held the smell of the wildflowers.

"And yet, you stayed, while others fled," I commended her, "the royal librarian of an abandoned kingdom."

"I never felt abandoned. I knew you would return," she proclaimed.

I began to pick up small shards of glass and knew that I needed my work to begin. Even as I started to lift up all of the broken pieces, I could feel that it was too much.

And collapsed.

"You need rest, my Lord," Lucienne was worried.

"Perhaps while you regain your strength, I may call upon Nemesis or Lady Arcadia to fix-"

"No," I spoke, gathering myself back up, "Nemesis would refuse, and Arcadia. . .she owes me nothing."

"She is our Queen, my Lord. She may have died, but even so, she is back, and you are still her lawful husband. Has death ever affected the love a God has for their partner?" Lucienne was right. Unlike humans, death did not part those like us, and I searched for no one else while Arcadia remained in her grave.

"I cannot ask that of her without my tools."

Lucienne questioned, "your tools?"

"My sand, my helm, my ruby."

"Why? What happened to them?"

"They were taken from me. By my captors. And then taken from them. I know not where, nor what I am without them," I expressed, suddenly realizing how I was the lucky one when I was with Arcadia. I put all of my powers into those three items while she held all of hers within her own being. Even if she had no control, she was still a child of Nyx and Erebus - both of whom greatly detested our union.

Now, I see, for good reason.

"There is only one sure way for me to find my tools. I must summon the Three-In-One," I explained, and Lucienne visibly looked shaken.

"Surely it hasn't come to that."

"The Fates see past, present, and future. They know all," it is a dire situation and I do not have much of a choice.

"Yes, but they speak in riddles. They never tell you what you want to know, only things you should never know," Lucienne expressed.

I smiled lightly at this, but Lucienne did not take this so kindly, "my Lord, this is no laughing matter."

"The Fates predicted that Arcadia and I would have three strong children, Lucienne," her shoulders sank, "perhaps I can use their false allegations against them."

Three Children Strong, is what they said. It was not even something we had asked of them but a gift to celebrate our union. Arcadia was happy, for she had always wanted children, but my joy had faded once she had passed.

"Perhaps just this once you can ask one of your siblings for help," Lucienne urged, "Destiny would certainly know where your tools are, or Desire. . ."

"My siblings have their own realms to attend to, I have mine. We do not interfere in each other's affairs," although they certainly became more involved with Arcadia. Destiny had called her a living sun, and Desire did not stop their own thoughts about her from flooding out. It felt nice back then, but now, it is just like before.

"You may not, but they've certainly been known to. Perhaps just this once you could tell them what happened to you."

"I am quite sure they know what happened to me. And not one of them came to my aid," Lucienne had finally dropped it, giving into my idea about the Fates.

"The Fates aren't cheap, you know. They cost a bloody fortune," Lucienne grimaced.

"And at present, I cannot muster the power to summon them, let alone pay that cost," we were back at my dilemma, until. . .

"Dream? Hello?"

My head whipped up to see her. It was Arcadia, and she was in this destruction of a castle with a look of worry in her eyes. Lucienne was left speechless, only staring at her.

"Arcadia," I said, "how-?"

She said nothing but embraced me. Her light was welcomed immediately by me, and I could feel her shaking.

"I am so sorry, I tried to come back, but my memories and-"

"Do you remember?" I asked, pulling back.

"Only a little, but I have learned more about my powers now. My mother had me trained extensively," I could feel Lucienne staring and turned to her, "Arcadia, this is Lucienne, she is our-the royal librarian."

"Lucienne. . .I think I remember. You greeted me when I first arrived here," Arcadia recalled, to which Lucienne shed a few tears but quickly wiped them away.

"I-I apologize, my Lady, it. . .it has been far too long without you here," Lucienne expressed.

"It is good that our Queen is back," but before I could correct her, Arcadia interrupted me.

"Yes, it is."

"Arcadia, you do not owe us anything. I do not wish to take advantage of our past," I expressed.

"It is not something I owe, but a due kindness. You kept me sane in that prison, and I wish to get to know everyone again. . .and you, if you would allow me," she expressed, and despite knowing that history is doomed to repeat itself, I wanted to be selfish.

"Of course, my Lady."

/// don't worry, I won't be planning anything bad. okay, I wil, but no one is going to die.