The King's Maze (Yami x Reader)

Black Magic

Xxx
The sun rose over the horizon of the maze with a clarity that had not been seen in years. The light stretch its fingers through the clouds that fought to keep their hold over the sky. Most were burn away but a few lingered and floated off to the parts of the maze where the light would not reach them. Cracks of blue crawled out from the white light to fill the spaces the grey clouds had dominated. The Demon King Yami watch the spectacle from a tower high above the castle as the residents began to stir awake. Here he could feel how full his domain had become. How change had taken place and continued to take over. He wouldn't have minded change if it were subtle and slow but as he thought it over in his mind, he realized that it had been and was now snowballing to the end. If he thought long enough, he could pinpoint exactly were the change began. Yami hummed as a morning breeze swept by, now with a hint of warmth in it. It all started with a girl wondering in my garden and me being an ass...

He flinched remembering what his first words to you were and brushed them away with shame. It had turned out alright, if it had not, he would be mate-less and not any happier with how he live or how he ruled the maze. Now, his castle felt like a home even with the unwanted guests brought here days ago. Persona had not slept by his side since their union and though it bothered him, he did not say a word. The sprite she befriended was in poor shape when his followers brought him and the wolf back from the west. The wolf would live and was easy to heal. He only suffered from a few bruised ribs, a twisted ankle and a minor head wound. Werewolves were sturdy creatures that could heal faster than most and the patrol did have a doctor that specialized in shapeshifters. The sprite was a different story.

Truthfully, Yami wasn't sure that they would make it in time to the castle to heal Yugi. Yami's shadow form had return first ahead of the group to get everything ready for when the group arrived. Keeping Persona away was impossible and it frighten him how she didn't weep when she saw the state her friend was in. He could sense the sorrow, but her face remained blank. She followed the group of doctors and attendants to their work room but was asked to wait outside till they had finished their healing. The wolf stayed by her side waiting to hear how Yugi was doing until Milda took her away to her room to sleep. Persona only went when the wolf promised to fetch her if the sprite woke.

The next day the sprite wasn't any better and the healers did all they could for him in the night. "The rest is up to him", the doctors said to her and the wolf. "His body is so small that we cannot use the proper amount of magic to heal him without over doing it. We cleaned and bandaged his wounds, but he could use some more healing magic. He'll need watching over in case his health should turn for the worst."

After that, Persona and the wolf kept watched over him, never leaving him alone. Yami only saw his mate in passing. She ate with her other friend and would fall asleep at the sprite's bedside. The maze kept Yami busy, but it was also guilt that kept him away from seeing her. Guilt and worry that when the sprite would awaken, he would point at him and remind Persona of the person Yami was and what he had done. I did what I had to at the time, Yami told himself. The fight against the witch Anzu happen during his first year as the new king. He had to set an example that no one was to challenge his rule. The burning had also pleased the natural citizens of the maze who had liked the former ruler. Why am I defending this now? I did what I had too, and I will not apologize... Except he almost did and to Persona, but she wasn't the one he needed forgiveness from. The person he had to face had been asleep for four days and showed little signs of waking...

A knock at the door pulled the king from his thoughts and asked them to enter. The goblin Kirk bowed and announced that Seto and the wolf Joey had made it to the south and that the vampire Clyde was secured in his room. Persona advocated that he be given his own room and treated as a guest to encourage him to work better and to build trust. The vampire seemed fond of Persona but stilled coward at Yami, not that he cared.