A Court of Heritance and Destiny

Chapter 9 Etera

"The prince held his word, ten years, five months and two weeks later, he returned to his lover. Ready to place all of life's hardships behind him and be with him." Ikarads voice was a constant blanket of sound around her, if it was him rambling about some new training activities he had found out about, or him reading one of her favourite books. Etera needed the sound, something to drown out her own thoughts before they became too loud. "Honestly, I need a second book to this one, one that only documents those ten years." She looked up at him, her head in his lap, a fire cracking before them. "Like, we get a full year detailed with how they fall in love, and then he just needs to leave for a war, and nothing?" Her mate shook his head.

Etera raised her hand, placing it on his cheek. She had no idea how long they had been there. A day, a week, a month... Days and nights blended together.

"Don't you want a book with what he experienced during those years? Or atleast one with the story of how they adapt after." Ikarad placed his hand over her own, "but maybe we don't need that, it is a fantasy story right?" She had the energy to give him a small smile back. Just for a moment, but that was something.

She felt so detached, from her body, mind and feelings. She had been like this before, but back then she had also been removed from reality. Everything just happened around her without her grasping or understanding what was going on, but this time she felt almost overly aware of everything. The sad tone in which Ikarad spoke, her own exhausted body, the way her powers were so far away for her to reach. It was like her mind was trapped in a box, isolated from reality, watching as it happened, unable to act on anything.

She lost the strength to hold up her arm, and Ikarad slowly placed it down over her chest. His grey blue eyes glossy with tears.

"We will make it through this, love, you and I." He said and Etera knew that it moved her heart, the bond that rested there stretched and tugged from his side. Reminding her that he was there. "Together, as always." She blinked, hoping that he would see her answer. He started to move his fingers through her hair, slowly moving her to fall asleep in his lap.

"Rest now love..." Etera closed her eyes, but she could not sleep.

Ten years, alot could happen in ten years.

Even more in twenty, or filthy, seventy.

She had been here with him for seventy years. It felt so short, and still so long. She had been on missions, hoping to stop conflicts and wars before they happen. She had learned how to use her powers, how to be a spy. She had flown over mountains and seas. She had faced the worst of pain over and over, as her back healed and the dead skin was removed or when she had been so sick that even the thought of moving made her want to scream. Then it was that day when she sat in that bathtub...

Etera opened her eyes again, finding Ikarad leaning down over her. Her chest cramped with each breath, the cry grew in her throat.

"Hey... Hey..." He lifted her up, holding her towards him in a warm embrace. "I am here, you are safe, I am here..." Tears burned, just like the white hot stones and metals they strapped her to. "It was just a nightmare..." She wanted to say that it wasn't, that it was a shadow of a feeling from all those years ago, one she tried hard to ignore. But all that came from her lips was a muffled cry. And within that. Four words.

"I am so tired..." Her tears started to fall, one after the other, with no real end insight. "But I can't rest." When she did she was back there, in the darkness, or in the water. If she paused and looked around she felt the shadow of what she missed, who she longed for.

"I know, love, I know..." Ikradad held her swaying back and forth with her in his arms. "But you can rest, I will watch over you..." His own voice was just as thick as her own.