Warrior Love

Chapter 6

I sit on the balcony of my chambers, the cool night air brushing against my skin as I gaze up at the stars. The kingdom below is still, quiet in the night, but my thoughts are far from peaceful. I let out a sigh, my heart heavy as I look at the moon-my only constant companion these days.

"Is it wrong to still feel the weight of what happened?" I ask softly, my voice barely a whisper carried away by the night wind. "How am I supposed to move forward when my heart is still bruised, when trust feels like something so far out of reach?"

I stare up at the sky, as if hoping the stars will have the answers I need. "Why does it feel like I'm not enough? Why was I so easily replaced?"

I laugh softly, though it lacks any real humor. It's a bitter sound, and I wonder if I sound crazy-talking to the stars as if they could answer. But I can't help it. My heart feels lost, floating somewhere between the past and the future, uncertain of where it belongs. I still think of him sometimes-the man who appeared in my dreams, who spoke to me when I was at my lowest. His face, his voice, they're etched into my mind, even though I know it was all just a dream... or was it?

I run my fingers through my hair, shaking the thoughts away. "But it's foolish," I tell the sky. "He's just a figment of my imagination. Or a memory of someone who never really existed. I can't keep thinking about him... not when there's so much at stake. I have to focus on my kingdom, on the people who need me."

I close my eyes, the weight of the crown I wear suddenly feeling heavier than ever. I wonder if I'll ever be free of it-if I'll ever be free of the doubts that cloud my heart.

...

I watch her again from the shadows of the night, hidden among the soft winds that swirl around her balcony. She doesn't see me, of course-she never does. But I see her. I see her as she looks up at the stars, lost in her thoughts, and my heart tightens.

I don't know why I keep coming back to her. I've always been the one who watches from afar, the one who keeps his distance, but when it comes to Zara, it feels impossible to stay away. There's something in the way she carries herself, the quiet sadness in her eyes, that draws me in like nothing else ever has.

I listen as she speaks to the night, her words soft but full of emotion. She talks as if she's speaking to the stars, but I know she's speaking to herself. She's trying to make sense of everything, trying to heal the pain that lingers in her heart. She doesn't realize it, but her words echo in my own soul. I feel every ounce of the heartbreak she carries.

"I wish I could tell her that she's enough," I murmur to myself, though I know she can't hear me. "That she's more than enough, that no one-least of all Kaelen-deserves her. She deserves someone who sees her, truly sees her."

But I know better than to speak my thoughts aloud. If I did, if I revealed myself to her now, it would only cause more pain. She would never be able to accept someone like me-an immortal god-into her life, especially after everything she's already been through.

I've seen the way she doubts herself, how she questions her worth. And it pains me to know that I can't be the one to give her the comfort she deserves. All I can do is watch over her from a distance, silently wishing I could ease her suffering, but knowing that I can't.

She deserves to be loved, to be seen for who she truly is-beyond her title, beyond the political games she's been forced to play. She deserves a love that's as pure as the wind itself, untainted by the world's cruelty. And somehow, I wish I could give that to her.

But for now, I am nothing but a whisper on the wind, a presence she can never truly touch. And though the pain in my chest grows with each passing moment, I know that's all I can ever be to her-an echo in the breeze.

I watch her, knowing that one day, when the time is right, I will reveal myself. But until then, I will remain here, hidden in the winds, watching over her with a love that I can't yet speak.

The wind shifts suddenly, a familiar, unsettling weight in the air. My attention snaps away from Zara, and I turn my gaze to the edge of the balcony, where I feel a presence-a sharp, tense energy.

She's here.

Lirae, my betrothed, stands at the far corner of the balcony, her eyes narrowed and her jaw tight with a mix of anger and hurt. Her presence is like a storm that I can't avoid. The calm of the moment vanishes in an instant, and a cold gust of wind sweeps across the balcony. She has seen me, though I'm not sure how. The night is dark, and I am barely a whisper in the breeze.

"Zephyr," she calls, her voice brittle, barely more than a hiss.

I close my eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply. This is the last thing I wanted. I know what's coming, and part of me wants to disappear, to vanish into the wind and leave everything behind. But I can't. Not when she's standing there, her eyes filled with a mixture of rage and resignation.

"Lirae," I speak her name softly, turning to face her fully. "You weren't meant to see this."

She steps closer, her face a mask of controlled fury. "I never thought I would be the one to witness this. But it's clear now, isn't it?" Her voice is steady, but there's an edge to it. "You've been hiding it from me. All this time, you've been watching her, haven't you?"

My heart clenches. It's a truth I can't deny, and yet, I can't bring myself to say it aloud. I know that Lirae knows-knows that I am not in love with her, knows that my heart lies elsewhere, with someone I shouldn't even want.

I want to apologize, to explain, but the words feel hollow. How can I explain to her the depth of my feelings for Zara? How can I tell her that my heart has been taken by another, even if I can never act on it?

Lirae looks at me, a sad smile playing on her lips. It's a smile that doesn't reach her eyes. "I knew," she says, her voice softening. "I knew all along. You've never loved me, Zephyr. Not the way you loved her... not the way I wanted you to."

I open my mouth to speak, to try to salvage what little remains of our relationship, but she raises a hand, stopping me. "Don't bother," she murmurs. "I never expected your heart to belong to me. You've always been bound by something higher than us. I understand that now."

She takes a step back, her shoulders slumping as if a weight has been lifted from them. There's no anger in her anymore, only acceptance-a quiet, resigned acceptance that breaks my heart even more.

"I've known this for a while, Zephyr," she continues, her voice quieter now, almost as if speaking to herself. "That there was someone else, that your heart wasn't mine. But I stayed by your side anyway. Because I thought... I thought we could make this work. I thought you could learn to love me."

She looks at me, her gaze steady but tinged with sadness. "But you can't, can you?"

I stay silent, unable to find the words to contradict her. She's right. I can't love her the way she deserves. I can't pretend. Not when the wind carries my heart in another direction-toward Zara, toward the woman I can never have.

Lirae sighs, and for a moment, I see something break in her. "I'll step aside," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's what's best for both of us, isn't it? You can't live a lie, and I can't keep pretending."

She turns to leave, but before she does, she pauses and looks over her shoulder one last time. "I knew it from the start, Zephyr. I wasn't your choice. And I never will be."

I stand there, watching her retreat into the shadows, my heart aching more than I care to admit. She was never the one I wanted. And yet, her words cut deep-words of resignation and defeat.