Ephemeral Affairs [MXM]

Intruder

About two thousand kilometers Southeast of Thempolis is the Capital of Aarth where the Royal family currently resides.

The sun hangs low and the warm colors enter through the wide doors. Maeve lies beside Nisara, trying his best to convince the child to fall asleep.

"Wait for dada," Nisara grabs the thin air above him with exhausted efforts.

"Your father said he'll be late. Let's sleep and we'll see him in the morning," Maeve kisses the corner of Nisara's tearful eye.

And with a little more persistent convincing, the little prince sounds asleep just a few moments before Nillin enters their bedroom.

Maeve puts Nisara into his crib while Nillin hovers above their newborn, Niran, with tired eyes.

"How is it possible that our sons look just like me? I'm a horrible person for them to resemble. They should look more like you," Nillin reaches down the crib and touches the soft and chubby cheek.

"It's great that they look like you. They'll be very handsome," Maeve wraps his arms around his husband.

"With two children, you must be very tired. What if we ask Mother to stay with us?"

Maeve chuckles softly against Nillin's back, "We have very well behaved children. We have Yasana, Sudra and Bianca helping us. We shouldn't bother Mother."

"I'm just worried." Nillin turns to tightly embrace his loving wife, "I'm sorry that I can't make my own home safe for you and the children."

"Please don't blame yourself, Nillin. I know you're doing your best to control the court and govern our nation... If you need help, I can levitate some of your burdens—"

"I appreciate the sentiment, Maeve. I really do." Nillin softly kisses Maeve's forehead.

"I know raising our children is just as important," Maeve looks up to the tired sapphire blue gems with enduring happiness.

Nillin allows himself to curl the corners of his lips and takes his wife to bed.

He brushes the long silky ebony strands of hair from the shimmering dark skin. Then he kisses the exposed dark skin tenderly.

"I know you're tired Nillin," Maeve places a hand on his husband's face. "Go to sleep."

The King takes the soft hand and kisses the tips of its fingers, "I'm sorry, but I'll have to comply... Thank you for enduring me."

"There's no one else I would want to endure with," Maeve kisses Nillin's on the lips and they sleep soundly.

After a few hours of rest, the youngest member of their family wakes up, seeking something, and wakes his elder brother up as well.

"I'll get Nisara," Nillin says in a low tone as if he is still half asleep.

He takes the boy who is too tired to realize that he's in his father's arms, and quickly returns to sleep.

Maeve changes Niran before breastfeeding him.

"If we know that Niran wakes up around this time every night to eat, should we set aside some milk so I can feed him while you sleep?" Nillin is lying on the bed with Nisara curled up on top of him.

"Thank you for thinking of me," Maeve smiles widely. "But the milk will go bad even if I set some aside just before we go to bed."

"If only my breasts can make milk too," Nillin mumbles bitterly.

Maeve couldn't help but giggles at Nillin's drowsy thoughts.

And without much brooding, Maeve says, "It's good that Nisara has a brother. He won't go through what we are going through."

"Why is that?"

"You work tirelessly for our country, I think it would be nice if you have someone, like a brother for instance, who you can trust no matter what."

"Lexin was like a brother to me... It's my fault things ended this way. I'm sorry, Maeve," Nillin opens his eyes with a concealed sigh.

"I'm sorry for bringing that up," Maeve leans down and lands on Nillin's forehead. "I'm sorry."

"No. I think you have a point. Master Donita just died. Master Leire has turned into a beast. Master Leonida is bedridden while her heir just turned ten. And there is no longer a Master Hienzworth. Master Sinowii is all that is left of my Five Corners, and Nien refuses to partake in any political affairs."

"We can do this," Maeve says softly. "I believe in us."

Nillin wears a smile to put Maeve at ease.

"I'm sorry for being unreliable," Maeve notices Nillin's facade right away and lifts his head.

"Why are you trying to misunderstand me?" Nillin sits up and presses his head against Maeve's back. "I'm the one who is unreliable."

Maeve says nothing and simply ponders about their conversation. Perhaps they're both too tired.

Then he whispers, "Nillin. There's someone coming through the secret passage. I thought all the people who knew are essentially gone or on our side?"

"I don't know. I'll leave Nisara to you. Stay with our children," Nillin gets up and approaches the noise.

"There's a sword behind the clothes in that wardrobe," Maeve tilts his head to the wardrobe closest to the bed.

Nillin quietly rushes to retrieve the weapon, the intruder reveals himself before Nillin pulls out the weapon from the wardrobe.

He leaps and stops his thrust of the sword toward the intruder's neck, "Wylton!"

"My King!" Wylton drops to the floor and kneels before Nillin.

Maeve holds the children close to him, watching Nillin interrogate the intruder.

"My King. I mean no harm. I am here to deliver a message from Master Leire and your Mother."

The tip of the sword glides underneath Wylton's chin, Nillin narrows his brows, "Then do it like everyone else. Not in the dead of night in my private chamber. So tell, who sent you?"

"Really, My King. Here. Here are the letters I'm supposed to give you." Wylton hands them to Nillin who refuses to be distracted.

The intruder glances over to Maeve, "My Queen—"

"Don't look at my Queen. The person you should be convincing is me," Nillin blocks Wylton's field of vision with the blade of the sword.

"I'm sorry about leaving your side during the battle under the mountains," Wylton heaves a deep breath. "But I don't regret it."

Nillin's nose twitches as he grinds his teeth, "And I allowed you to live, but I'm starting to regret that decision."

"Then for old times sake, please just read the letters. Tie me up if that'll ease you to read them," Wylton breathes heavily, hoping Nillin would accept his condition.

"I think it might be important," Maeve intervenes. "Not a lot of people know about Mother. I think Sir Wylton is sincere."

Wylton sighs with relief after Nillin had tied him up and blindfolded him to read the letters.

Nillin begins reading, and the more he reads the more his face turns sour.

"What do they say?"

"Something stupid," Nillin glances at Wylton before moving toward his family. "I know this is Borscht's handwriting, but can you confirm if this is Mother's?"

Once Maeve looks at it, he smiles, "Yes, it's Mother's handwriting. He wrote it in Old Enzumin because he knew only I could read it even if it fell in the wrong hands."

"Well, I'm assuming Mother said the same thing as Borscht. About claiming that clone?"

"Yes," and Maeve pauses and smiles a little. "I think it's a good idea."

Nillin flinches and takes the letters back to return them to Wylton.

"No. It's a bad idea. I don't want another civil war. We promised Lexin."