By the end of the day, I was back in my room in the castle, sulking on my bed. Kore was off somewhere else in the castle, probably in his own room, probably pacing angrily. My room was being guarded more heavily outside the window, and my door was locked, but I hadn’t seen Zuer since Mauriz brought me back.
Being alone got me to thinking. Thinking about the past few days, and all that had happened. My eyes teared up and I threw the covers over myself, crying. “Why do I have to be so stupid and careless...” I sobbed beneath the blankets, wishing I could disappear. Everything bad that kept happening.... It’s all my fault.
Someone knocked on my door and I held back my sobbing.
“Whitefire, can I come in?” Zuer’s voice was almost welcoming.
I bit my lip. “No! Go away.”
The door creaked open and I heard him step into the room, but I couldn’t hold back my tears any longer, and I started to cry under the covers again. “Leave me alone!” I choked out, expecting him to go, but instead I felt him sit on the bed.
Zuer reached over and pulled the covers off of my head, so I buried my face in the pillow next to me. I heard him sigh.
“Come on, Whitefire. Tell me what’s wrong.” His voice was quiet as he spoke to me, and he made me sit up next to him on the bed.
For a while I couldn’t get myself to quit crying, so he put an arm around my shoulders, letting me bury my face in his shirt.
“I’m an idiot! That’s what’s wrong!” I cried.
Zuer pulled me onto his lap. “No...no...that isn’t true.”
After a while, my sobbing calmed, and soon I was curled up half asleep in his arms, my face wet with tears. He didn’t let me go, even after he knew I’d fallen asleep. Looking down at me, he smiled, shaking his head. “Silly girl...”
Laying me back down in my bed, he pulled the covers over me and wiped the tears from my face. He paused, hesitating before leaning forward and giving my cheek a soft kiss.
He left quietly, the door creaking again as he shut it slowly, and locked it before standing outside the door for the night guard.
