Lunette- The Tales of Moonlight

Marriages are Fragile

Summary: 

"So?" She prompted again.

He hummed in response, "I know what you are asking but let's not do this."

"I'm concerned about what got you in this state," Cinder pointed, trying to coerce him into speaking.

"Noth-" he appeared to keep on denying, Cinder knew then that he wouldn't be giving in tonight but surprisingly Kai continued, "Just us."

Kai is stressed about the always happening riots over his marriage to Cinder. Having found Kai in a state of dilemma, Cinder coerces Kai into expressing his concerns.

...

Cinder's Perspective-

"Kai," she whispered, standing at the doorway of his dark office.

He didn't nod in response, there wasn't any way to tell whether he was lost in thought or perhaps surprisingly lost in slumber- the silhouette of his bent form, face dropped in the hollow of his long fingers was the only indication of his presence in the room.

She switched to the ambient setting of the room- not too bright but enough to cast light on Kai's wearied frame. She had felt it before she saw that one- Cinder could read Kai easily- not to misinterpret, Kai was a true diplomat at heart, nothing of his face or movement was spontaneous but in the company of his loved ones he had nothing to hide, he displayed every smile, every scowl.

She gave him time to adjust to her presence, taking a seat.

"All good?" She questioned, laying her hand on his lower back, drawing circles to ease the stress.

"Hmm, uhh- yea. All good." He said, trying to sound confident but failing at it, his words sounded rather sceptical to believe in.

"You know you can share your problems with me, right?"

"I know, Cinder. I'm not trying to hide them from you. I just can't bear to tell it to you." He explained, fingers finally leaving his face. She noticed how his hair which had been all prim the last time she saw him, was now pointing in all directions- he must have pulled at them often for such a result. Eyes half closed, and gaze losing focus every second.

"I'd hear out all you have to say, no arguments from my side promise- just someone to rest on," she suggested, Torin had mentioned Kai's distress in recent weeks. He continued to work longer hours in his cubicle, skipping meals unless it was brought to him- Cinder had an inkling of what this was all over, however, she truly wished that he wasn't stressing over it.

"It's all right, love. We have better things to talk about, did you have your dinner?" He asked, very well trying to divert the topic.

"Not yet, I was thinking of having it with you."

"What are we waiting for, let's go then."

"Yes," she agreed, however, none of them bothered to get up. She continued to draw circles on his back and he kept on staring into oblivion, both lost in respective thoughts.

"Your chamber looks so different under the moonlight. It looks divine, like fairy lights cast in a room," she noted, trying to keep a conversation flowing.

He glanced at the ceiling and admitted, "It does look better this way."

The room looked poetic this way, not a place where laws got made, and treaties decided, a brooding four-walled room of significance - The Office of The Emperor. In this light, it seemed more appealing to work here than it was.

"So?" She prompted again.

He hummed in response, "I know what you are asking but let's not do this."