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He wanted to believe she was gone, he really did, but he'd always seen her come back. Flying back in, arguing in front of the senate, she did it all the time. She would come back. It wouldn't make any difference now. They fought proudly, as Romans. If the stories were to be believed, she died proudly as a Roman. He didn't. His fellow praetor didn't.
Amelia Covent always came back.
Romans were afraid of her, of the things she could potentially do as the daughter of the triple goddess. Not him. He'd been her sole defender through all the horrid things whispered about her. Witches were dangerous. Even ones that came from the goddess of witchcraft.
They used to be best friends. Jason met her when he was nine and she was ten, as she just joined the legion. He'd been in awe of her. Because most people had no faith in her, he knew he had to have more. He encouraged her to train, to become powerful enough so the legion would admire her as well. Power was all that mattered to them anyway. So if Amelia was powerful enough, Jason thought they'd accept her. Instead, it drove them further away from her.
He'd been to blame. He'd taken the fight with grace, the only way he knew how to. Because they always came back to each other. Amelia and him, they were close. No one else came close enough at least. Not even Reyna. Oh how stupid he'd been. He didn't see it. He hadn't even considered it for one second. It ruined their friendship beyond repair, and guess who now had all the power she could ever wish for?
See, he had started to like her. In a way she, in hindsight, obviously hadn't reciprocated. He felt awful when he tried to kiss her. Jason hadn't been taught like that, all he'd known was the soldier life. But the outburst from Amelia at his audacity to even think she'd want to kiss a boy...
Jason forever lived with that guilt as Amelia flourished into the aggressor the Romans wanted her to be. Amelia saw no issues with being the villain. She just wanted to get out of the legion, travel to the Ancient lands, and who knew what else. He couldn't apologize. Tried, but... futile attempts.
Reyna gave him a look of sorrow as he excused himself to his home. A praetor's home, something to be proud of. Not if it missed the personal touches of a certain witch demigoddess. He had one singular picture of them left. One where they were training, so not even being just Jason and Amelia. It had something etched into the picture frame, and out of curiosity he picked it up to get a closer look.
The Hanged Man. He swallowed, that had been the tarot card she always pulled when she gave him a reading. But this time it felt different. More real, as her obvious absence lingered in the air. A shiver ran down his spine as he looked around for another sign. He'd find her, he'd have to.
But Jason disappeared.
Amelia returned.
avery speaks! jason thinking about amelia: i fucked up and i want to make it right
amelia thinking about jason: let's give him a fate of death :D
