The air in the grand bathing room was warm and heavy with the scent of flowers. Lysara lay in the large stone tub, half-submerged in water so clear it shimmered like glass. Hundreds of delicate petals floated on the surface white roses, soft lilac, and golden bloomroot. Steam curled in the air, making everything feel far away, as if time had paused just for her.
The faint sound of dripping echoed across the tiled chamber, a quiet rhythm broken only by the occasional splash of water when one of the maids shifted.
Two maids worked in silence. One gently combed through Lysara's long, dark hair, while the other used a soft cloth to wash her shoulders and arms. The queen's eyes were half-closed, her head resting back against the smooth edge of the tub. She looked like a painting still, graceful, untouched by time.
The light from the high stained-glass windows painted soft colors across the stone walls. The scent of heated oils, wildflower steam, and the sweetness of bloomroot infused the air with a dizzying calm.
Then the large wooden door opened with a low creak.
The maids froze.
Malakar stepped into the room. His black cloak flowed behind him, and though his expression was calm, the power he carried seemed to pull the warmth from the air.
"You may leave," he said quietly.
The maids bowed and left without a word, vanishing as if they had never been there at all.
Lysara didn't move.
For a moment, there was only silence as Malakar walked closer, stopping at the edge of the bath. He looked down at her, his face unreadable.
"Are you angry with me?" he asked, his voice low.
Lysara opened her eyes and looked at him. "Angry? No. Why would I be angry? You always do what you want. You never ask, never care how it affects the rest of us."
He said nothing, just knelt down beside the tub. His hand reached out, and his fingers gently traced the side of her face,from her temple, down her cheek, to her jaw.
"You're still so beautiful," he said. "You always have been. Your face... it was the first thing I ever loved."
She turned her head slightly, but didn't pull away.
"You look so much like him," he added softly. "Kael has your eyes. Your quiet strength."
Lysara's chest rose and fell with a quiet breath. Her voice trembled just slightly. "Then why did you hurt him?"
Malakar's jaw tightened. "I did what I had to. He was losing control."
"You drugged him," she said, her voice sharper now. "You used him."
"I protected our name," Malakar said. "I protected our kingdom."
Lysara sat up slightly, water sliding down her arms. "You protected yourself. You couldn't stand that he made a choice without you."
His hand lowered into the water, resting on the edge. "I love you, Lysara. I always have."
She looked away, her face filled with sadness. "Then maybe you shouldn't come here with soft words and gentle hands. You can't rule with cruelty and expect to come home to peace."
He stood slowly, his voice quiet. "You are the only one who sees me for who I truly am."
A silence settled between them.
Then softly, almost like a whisper, she said, "You broke something, Malakar. In him… and in me."
He reached out again, brushing a lock of wet hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered on her cheek.
"I will try to fix it,"malakar said. "the right way."
Lysara closed her eyes, just for a moment.
"I don't know if that's enough," she whispered.
Malakar stood there, silent. But something in her words cracked the pride in his chest.
She looked up at him, eyes filled with quiet fire.
"Go back to your throne, Malakar. It's the only thing that ever truly mattered to you."
That pierced deeper than anything else.
His expression shifted,tight, wounded. Without another word, Malakar turned sharply and stormed out of the room, the sound of the door slamming behind him echoing like thunder through the steam.
.
.
.
Far from the palace, where the sky kissed the sea and the waves rose and fell in endless rhythm, Kael stood at the edge of the shore, waves crashing beneath the cliff where he stood. The wind howled, whipping his hair across his face, but he didn't move. His eyes were on the horizon, though his thoughts were far from the sea.
The sky was layered in thick clouds, painted in tones of gray and bruised blue. The sea below churned restlessly, its foam-tipped waves striking the rocks with thunderous force.
He had been there for what felt like hours, still as stone, as if the storm around him matched the one inside.
His jaw clenched.
He missed her. Her laugh. Her warmth. Her love.
The wind howled louder, echoing the scream trapped in his chest. He clenched his fists until his nails dug into his palms but even that pain wasn't enough.
He had married another.
He had touched another.
Against his will.
His heart ached.
"I betrayed her," he thought.
He shut his eyes tightly.
"She trusted me… and I let her down."
A shudder ran through him.
"I let him win," he whispered.
His father's voice echoed like poison in his mind: "She is human. She was never meant to stay."
But Ivy had stayed.
In his heart. In his soul. Even now.
A tear welled in his eye.
"I miss you so much it hurts," he whispered into the wind. "I can't sleep. I can't breathe. I'm buried in this lie and I can't find my way out."
His chest tightened. "I see your face when I close my eyes. I feel your touch in every silence."
He exhaled shakily, trembling not from the cold, but from the breaking inside him.
And then he moved.
He vanished, leaving the wind behind.
He reappeared outside Ivy's cottage.
Watching her.
She was in the garden, kneeling in the soil, her hands still as she softly spoke to her flowers.
The trees swayed behind her, sunlight flickering through the leaves. The wind carried her voice, too faint to make out, but filled with quiet warmth.
She felt it.
A chill ran down her spine as the breeze shifted.
Her breath caught. Slowly, almost fearfully, she rose. She turned.
And her heart stopped.
Kael stood at the edge of the garden. His cloak hung loosely over his shoulder, his hair tousled by the wind. He looked pale, worn from sleepless nights. But his eyes… they were fixed on her, filled with longing and pain. As if seeing her both revived him and broke him.
She didn't speak. Couldn't.
"Kael…?" she whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief.
He said nothing. Just looked at her, guilt written across his face.
Then she ran.
Straight into his arms.
He caught her, holding her so tightly her feet left the ground, as if he feared she might vanish if he let go. Ivy buried her face in his shoulder, clutching him like he was the only solid thing left.
"I thought something happened," she choked, her voice breaking. "You disappeared. I waited… every night…"
Kael's arms shook as he held her. He pressed his face into her neck, his breath ragged.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I wanted to come. I needed to. But I was… scared."
She pulled back just enough to meet his eyes. "Of what? Of me?"
"No," he said softly. "Of what I've become."
His hands gently cupped her face, thumbs brushing away the tears that hadn't yet fallen. His voice broke with regret.
"I've made mistakes, Ivy. Things I can't undo. But I never...never stopped thinking about you. Not for one moment."
Her eyes searched his.
"Then why did you leave me alone?" she asked.
He looked away, jaw tightening.
"Because I thought I was protecting you. But in trying to do that… I hurt you. And I'll never forgive myself."
She reached up and placed her hand over his heart, steady and soft.
"You think I needed protection from you?" she whispered. "All I ever needed was you. Just you. To stay."
He closed his eyes, her words breaking something inside him. He pulled her closer, clinging to her like she was the only truth in his world.
"If I could go back," he murmured, "I would choose you. Every time. Even if it burned the world."
She rested her forehead against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.
"You're here now," she said. "That's what matters to me. Just… don't go again. Don't shut me out. If something's wrong, let me carry it with you. I'm not weak, Kael. I'm yours."
He exhaled like he'd been holding his breath for years.
"You're everything," he said. "The light I never thought I'd have. The only thing that makes me feel alive."
He pressed a kiss into her hair, his hands trembling as he held her.
"I don't know how long I can hold this peace" he whispered. "I don't know how much time we'll have. But I swear on every piece of my soul… I'll make every second with you matter."