Hopelessly Devoted ~ Garroth x F!Reader

Ch. 10: The Basement

*this chapter will experience more modifications soon*

After playing with the Lord's boys for a while, you couldn't tell if the hysteria was purely from the moment or potentially a combination of that and Garroth's lack of sleep. You enjoyed it nonetheless, since he so rarely allowed himself to let loose.

Once Levin was distracted while playing with Malachi, toppling down even more of his towers, Garroth stepped out into the hallway with you so as not to interrupt their playtime.

"I should mention," Garroth started, "when I got to your door this morning, it was boarded and taped up. I'm not sure why, but perhaps your house is being treated as a crime scene. Ever since I had a guard relay to Lord Aphmau what happened, she's wanted to heighten your security."

His explanation was concise, but begged new questions. "Do you want me staying at the Guard Station from now on then? And how did I get there last night?"

"It seems like we have a lot to go over. Want to discuss it all in the basement? Away from the boys?" Garroth suggested.

"Yeah, that would probably be best."

At the bottom of the stairwell, Garroth checked in with Lord Aphmau. "Levin and Malachi are upstairs playing. Is it okay if ____ and I talk in the basement?"

"Of course. Oh, and while you're down there, can you ask Zoey if she can check up on the boys?"

The Lord stepped aside to reveal a staircase leading down into the underground level of her house. As you walked by, she reached for your elbow to grab your attention. "Thank you so much for playing with them. Zoey needs a break sometimes."

You nodded your head. "No problem, I was more than happy to."

Stepping into the stone-walled basement, it wasn't as dark as you'd expected it to be—there was even a window that let in natural light. A storage area sat in a corner with two rooms across from it, one door surrounded in green wool.

Garroth pointed to the latter, plain doorway. "That's Lord Aphmau's guest room." Then he motioned to the green doorway. "And over here is Zoey's room. We should tell her the boys are upstairs playing."

You entered after Garroth knocked, since Zoey was working away at her desk and couldn't answer the door. Her workspace was surrounded by shelves of potions, so you figured she was a Magicks User. But what area did she specialize in? Barrier Magicks? Maybe Witchcraft? You scratched the last guess, because she didn't don a pointy hat like Lucinda's. The only pointy thing about Zoe was her ears.

Her head perked up at the sound of your footsteps on oak wood as she jumped from her chair, her dirty blonde hair whipping behind her head. She patted out her leafy green dress that fell around knee length.

"Hey, Zoey. The boys are playing alone upstairs, so Lord Aphmau wanted to see if you'd check on them." You defensively put your palms out in front of your torso. "No rush or anything, though. I can go back up there if you need me to."

Zoey giggled. "It's my job to watch them, ____. I'll be right up there," she replied enthusiastically.

Heck yeah. You'd managed to buy some one-on-one time with Garroth. You couldn't shake this new epiphany; you actually craved his companionship. Which wasn't very hard to find in general, considering he was your personal body guard who you couldn't seem to get rid of.

After Zoey left, Garroth walked you into the guest room. Another large window poked out of the hillside, giving the basement an above-ground vibe. You sat down across from Garroth at the small table under the window.

"Do you think Lord Aphmau would let me stay here?" you wondered aloud.

"I'm sure she would, but I'd rather you be at the Guard Station. Both places are stocked with knights outside, but I think it'd be best for me to resume post around my station and I want to keep you close."

Something about his statement warmed you more than you thought it was meant to. "Yeah, that's probably best. Is this serious?" you blurted out, unaware of the lack of context.

"Hm?" His brows knit in confusion, likely with some contribution from his exhausted mental state. "You mean . . . The attack?"

"Mhm. Is Phoenix Drop going to be alright?" you asked while fiddling with your thumbs.

"Anything concerning your safety is of the utmost importance to me. I won't stand to let any threat slip into the town I'm sworn to protect. Not without a fight." Garroth's eyes set in serious pallor, his jaw set.

"Do I need to leave the village? So that I don't put you guys at risk," you shot out quickly, then bit your tongue.

"Of course not. I don't think that would be any safer. Not for you, at least." His expression softened, which almost led you to believe that he protected you for more than just his village's sake.

You melted into his gaze, then snapped out of it, peering out the basement window above the table. It was hard to make out the structures of the village—they were obscured by the tall grass and trees that sprang up in front of the glass. You took in the details, etching them into your memory. Memory was all you had left of your last permanent residence.

You couldn't bear to watch the destruction of another village. Despite Garroth's affirmations, you were sure your presence here posed a threat to the other inhabitants. You'd come to care far more deeply for this community than you'd ever imagined you would—but there was no way you could stay.

__________

Big Skip again, sorry 😖

I'm rewriting another story arc, so the next chapter that's published isn't the chapter following this one.

You're welcome to continue reading, but I'll have to give you a slight disclaimer. The details don't quite line up yet with chapters 1-10. During the rewrite, I completely changed the plot. I've done a little bit of editing to connect the parts, but there may be a few loose ends you don't understand.