Chapter 28
"Don't be afraid, my love," her mother whispered as flames erupted around her, scorching the edges of the plum dress she always wore. It licked over her brown skin and fanned out from her crimson hair. "This is for the best," she said, sliding her hand to Sana's cheek.
"Mama, no!" Sana cried, wrapped her hands around her mother's wrist, ignoring the heat of the flames against her palms. "Wh-what's happening?"
Her mother smiled, but sorrow filled her violet eyes. "You must live, Sana," she said as the fire grew around her. "One day you will forgive me."
"Mama! No!"
Sana gasped, jerking awake from the hazy memory of her mother's last moments. She hadn't dreamed of that moment since she was a child, and she never understood what her mother meant. She had nothing to forgive her for. Not when it was her fault she died.
Wiping the tear that rolled down her cheek, she frowned, sitting up in her bed.
Good afternoon, Sana.
Sune greeted as he fluttered to her shoulder.
Sana's eyes grew wide. "A-afternoon?"
"Ah, my Lady! We were hoping you'd be awake by now," Eula said, smiling as she and Kezi walked in the room, pushing a tray of tea and the succulent aroma of roast chicken and vegetable soup made Sana's stomach growl. "You must be starving."
"I-I am," she said, slipping out of the bed and slowly shrugging her robe over her shoulders.
"But how...when...I-I don't remember coming to bed last night," she murmured, sliding a hand to her head.
"I just remember flying home with Rhyel and—" she stumbled back against the bed as Kal's glowing eyes floated across her mind.
Sana, it's okay.
Sune cooed, pressing his head against her cheek.
"Did... did I faint last night?" she whispered.
You did. The mountain air was a bit too much for you, too soon.
"Of course it was." Sana cringed as she hid her face in her hands. How could her body be adverse to flying? It was the only thing she'd ever wanted to do and she was... she was bad at it.
Worst of all, she made a fool of herself in front of Rhyel, and she couldn't even remember what happened. "Is Rhyel... angry? Did I embarrass him?"
"No, my Lady," Eula said, crossing the room and sitting beside her. "Lord Rhyel was a state worrying about you. Stayed by your side all night, he did." She patted her hand. "I've never seen him like that before."
"I'm sure he was just worried," Sana said, sighing as tears pricked the corners of her eyes. "He probably thinks I can't handle flying and if I can't do that, how can I be a General or the Lady of this House?"
"Mm, no. He most certainly wasn't thinking that," Kezi said, shaking her head as she set the table in front of the fireplace. "I got the feeling it was more a case that he didn't want to lose you."
Sana frowned, looking up at her. "What do you mean?"
"Like if you didn't wake up his life would have no meaning." Kezi shrugged. "You know, that sort of thing."
A laugh choked from Sana's lips as she wiped a stray tear. Kezi sounded like Kal and his ostentatious beliefs about the love she deserved. "I don't think so, Kezi," she said, shaking her head.
If Rhyel felt that way and stayed with her all night as Eula said, then why wasn't he there now? He probably got tired of looking after someone so weak and unable to handle a simple flight that he left and gave up on her.
So much for being fond of her. She bet Rhys felt the same about her now, too.
A soft knock tapped against her door, and Eula grinned. "I bet that's my Lord," she said, standing. "He did request to have lunch with you when you woke."
"How would he know—"
I told him, little flame. He asked me to inform him the moment you woke up.
Sana's heart thumped as Rhyel stepped into her room.
His blue eyes swept over her, and a warm tingle ran down her spine at the tender smile that graced his lips as he crossed the room in a few determined strides.
Her breath hitched as he knelt before her and slid his warm, calloused hands around hers. "I'm so glad you're awake."
"Yes, I-I'm sorry I made you worry," she said, looking away from his too warm and too comforting gaze. Shouldn't he be upset with her? He wasted his time watching over her all night because of her absurd weakness for flying. Why would he do that for someone as incapable as her?
"Please don't apologize," he said, caressing the back of her hands. "Would you like to have lunch with me and we can talk about what happened?"
"Y-yes, I'd like that."
"Alright," he said, standing and turning to Eula and Kezi. "You may leave us and please inform Zena and Oziel that I won't be joining them for lunch."
"Yes, my Lord," they said, bowing before leaving the room quietly. Kezi flashed Sana a smile and mouthed 'nothing without you' as she closed the door.
Sana shook her head before she looked up at Rhyel. "Won't Zena and Oziel be upset you're not joining them?"
"No. I spent all morning with them and I wanted to see you," Rhyel said, holding out his hand to her. "Would you like to eat?"
"I would," she said, standing and sliding her hand over her arm. "But why...why would you want to see me after what I did?"
He frowned as his hand fell to his side. "What you did?"
"Yes, I-I fainted." She looked down at the floor and cringed. "It means I can't fly," she whispered. "That I'm weak."
"It doesn't mean any of those things," Rhyel said, sliding his hands to her shoulders. "You can fly, Sana. You just need to keep going out with me to get used to it."
Hope pierced through her dejected thoughts as she looked up at him. "You...you'll take me flying again?"
"Of course I will," he said, taking her hand. "But before we do that again, I think you should eat and I...I have some things to tell you."
"Oh, okay," she said, letting him lead her to the table. "What do you need to tell me?"
"Well," Rhyel said, pulling out her chair and placing a napkin over her lap.
"I don't want this to alarm you, but as the Lady and future General of this House, I think it's important that you know," he said, taking a seat in the chair opposite from her and filling her bowl with the creamy soup.
"There was a breach in the wall last night. "
Sana's eyes grew wide as she gripped her spoon. "A breach? Is... Is everyone okay? Was anyone hurt?"
"No, no. Everyone is fine," he said, pouring himself a bowl of soup. "It wasn't a terrible breach and the wall is being mended with a tempered stone to prevent it from happening again."
"That's... that's good and thank you for telling me," Sana said with relief that no one was hurt. She ate a spoonful of the hearty soup and frowned. "But how did it happen? I thought the wall was already fortified by a protection weave."
"I'm not sure. The protection weave has kept the border between this realm and the beyond safe for decades," he said, shaking his head. "My uncle said the weave wasn't powerful enough anymore and the new stones would prevent another breach."
"Your uncle?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "Lord Dante?"
"Yes, he arrived this morning with the stones."
Sana shook her head as she gripped her spoon. "I know why I fainted last night."
"You do?" Rhyel said, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes," she said, scooping up a spoonful of the delicious soup and savoring the taste on her tongue.
She should've known he was near. She only ever dreamed of her mother when he visited her father. But it had been years since she'd seen him and she forgot what his abilities did to her.
He may have come in a hurry, but Dante must have foreseen the breach.
He could've sent word so his presence wouldn't have been so abrupt on her mind.
They used to have a system before he disappeared out of her life.
He'd alert her father of his impending visit and she'd bathe in witch hazel and lavender to mute his aura's effects on her body, preventing her from fainting or falling in his presence.
Sana shoved another spoonful of soup in her mouth as she fumed over Dante's presence. Part angry that he would show up unannounced, happy that he was here, but also furious that he didn't even try to tell her his plans for her betrothal to Rhyel.
"Sana?" Rhyel said, pulling her from her thoughts. "Are you...angry?"
"I—" she said, looking up from her soup as her knee bounced under the table with her hand clenched into a fist beside her bowl. "I, um, no," she said, shaking her head and taking a breath. "I'm sorry."
"You don't need to apologize and it's alright for you to be angry," he said, eating a spoonful of soup with a slight grin tugging at his lips. "But I'd like to know what's put you in this mood I've never seen before."
A blush burned up Sana's cheeks as she looked away from his teasing gaze.
"Um, it's a little strange," she said, swirling her spoon in her bowl.
"I'm not sure why it happens, but after my mother died, Lord Dante's seer abilities began to have an odd effect on me.
" She took a deep breath. "I see visions of.
.. my mother and if I'm not prepared for his arrival, I'll faint from the shock to my system. "
Rhyel nodded. "Yes, he did mention he has that effect on you.
" Sana's heart thumped at the fire that burned behind Rhyel's eyes, reminding her of her dragon.
"I wasn't pleased to know that his unannounced presence would harm you," he smirked.
"Which is why I've forbidden him from seeing you unless you wish to see him. "
A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips and it warmed her heart that he'd think to protect her like that.
"Thank you, but as upset with him as I am, I.
.. I still wish to see him. I want to know why.
.." she said as her lip trembled. "Why he.
.." She grabbed her napkin, covering her face as tears pricked her eyes. "I'm sorry."
"Sana, it's alright," Rhyel said, getting up and kneeling before her with concern dripping in his voice. "What are you trying to say?"
"After all these years," Sana said, wiping her tears as she looked down at Rhyel. "I-I just want to know why he lied to me."
She hoped and prayed to the Gods that Lord Dante would do as he promised and take her away to live with his family, but he didn't. He stopped visiting. Instead, her father traveled to visit him.
Lord Dante never sent word for her. Never took her in as his own like he promised. He abandoned her to the servitude of her family.
And slowly she forgot what he promised and the warning signs of his presence. The suffocating heat, the blackouts, and her mother burning. It was as if he willed it out of her mind to help her succumb to her life as a servant.
Until now, and while it angered her, she just wanted to know why.
Why did he do this to her?
Rhyel wrapped his hands around hers and the warmth of his touch blew away her rattled thoughts. "If that is what you wish," he said, squeezing her hands. "Then you will get your answer, my Lady."
"Thank you," she whispered. "I-I'm sorry for all the trouble this has caused," she said, staring at his hands around hers as she bit her lip. "You... you should have been fighting to secure the breach with Zena and the warriors. Not tending to me for something I could have prevented."
"But you didn't know," he said, sliding his fingers under her chin. "And I would've done it even if I knew what caused your fainting spell."
"But why?" she murmured. "I was a burden to you last night."
"You were no such thing. You are the Lady of this House, Sana," he said and a warm tingle ran down her spine at the tenderness in his eyes as he brushed his thumb across her bottom lip. "Your safety and wellbeing is very important to me. Never think you are a burden to me."
"O-okay," she whispered. "I'll try not to."
"Thank you," he said as he pulled away from her and stood. "You should finish your soup and then, if you're ready, we'll speak to my uncle."
"Y-yes, of course," she said, and her heart sank when he pulled away from her. Reminding her that his kindness was nothing more than his duty to be loyal to her.
She shouldn't be thinking about that, anyway. Not when she had so many burning questions to ask Lord Dante.
A/N: Right... A lot going on in this chapter.
And it would seem Rhyel has given in to his uncle's wishes not to tell Sana, but I love that he forbid him from seeing her unless Sana wanted to ?? That made me swoon a bit not gonna lie.
Along with him reassuring her that she wasn't a burden and my dude needs to stop caressing her lip like that!
It's confusing our girl and she's got even more shit on her mind with Lord Dante's visit.