Melody of Blood and Night

Twenty-One

It crushed him. Leaving him broken in ways he didn't quite understand. But the tears wouldn't come. He wanted to scream, but no sound would escape his lips. As if they had been sewn shut. He had never imagined a feeling could hold such power. An emotion could be that deadly, as he raised the flaming torch in front of him.

Zaivian had felt his heart freeze, like the barren soil in the peak of winter. No more a beating organ of life, but merely a broken device of never-ending torment.

Never did he expect that out of every wolf in a sheep's clothing, he had been surrounded by, at the end it to be his brother who would abet-no, orchestrate his downfall.

Now, every step he took towards the ledge, only made him realise just how close he was to rock bottom. He had been foolish. Naïve.

"Open your eyes, Prince!" Caelan's voice echoed in his ears. He had been so blind, to everything except himself. A self-absorbed idiot, not seeing what had always been in front of him. He had never wanted to see. Ignorance had been bliss-

He winced, eyes darting to the newly acquired cut on his forearm before he began searching for the culprit. But the only feasible perpetrator seemed to be a jagged boulder to his left.

Blood. He stared fixedly, as it gathered like dewdrops on spring leaves in his wound, not quite enough to ooze out. It had to be the reason. It had to be why Kaius, whom he had treated no less than a blood-brother, would do such an abhorrent thing to him.

Zaivian could never forget the day his father, The King had told him he was getting remarried. He had been upset, to say the least. But all of his petulance had vanished the moment he had held the crying, red-faced newborn in his arms, a year later.

He had looked into those large, dazzling eyes, as verdant as a newly unfurled leaf, and Zaivian had known that he would love the little boy forever.

Maybe that was the reason for his self-astounding lack of hatred. Or for the soul-crushing sense of betrayal that flooded his heart every time Zaivian thought of him.

He sighed. A strange bitterness, bubbling up within him as he stared at the cut in his arm. It hurt. So much so that he wanted to curl up into a ball and cry until his eyes were as dry as the Dunes of the West. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to hate the one who had yearned to rob him of life.

"Oh. I didn't realise you were here. " Zaivian halted, stepping onto the ledge. His voice sounded foreign. Dead. "I'll just-" He gestured back to the path he had followed.

"No. Stay." Aedlyn interjected, regarding him with a stare of complete blankness, "We were just leaving."

"But-" Caelan began, but Aedlyn shot him a levelled look, stopping him mid-sentence. "Right." He sighed, stepping towards the sloping end of the ledge.

Aedlyn followed suit, but not before stopping next to him, "I'll be waiting." She leaned in, whispering in his ear, soft enough for only the two of them to hear before squeezing his shoulder.

Zaivian couldn't help but look at her. Into those magnificent ocean eyes. They were as breathtaking as always, a vivid expression weaved within. Something about her touch had sent warmth blooming through his chest. Letting him know he wasn't alone.

He had come here to be alone with his thoughts. Cry till there were no more tears left to shed. But then, he had gazed into her eyes. Something in them had told him she understood.

And this proved that she had indeed. Leaving to give him the space Zaivian had needed. But it had been futile. Because from that moment onwards, his gaze had been hooked onto her. Following her as she had climbed down the side of the cliff with the ease of a mountain lion.