Aj's eyes opened

for the first time

in centuries.

A single tear fell

from its perfect eye.

Was there any other path?

The massed host

surrounding Aj tensed,

weapons ready.

Ocean thundered against rock and rain hammered the tight-closed shutters as Hassani quietly pushed their apartment door open. A small lamp sat in a hole between entry and kitchen. Strange shadows faded and swelled to the rhythms of the current flowing through the lamp's thread from the faintly-bubbling watter in its basin.

Her husband's chair creaked. "I thought maybe you wouldn't make it back this time."

She didn't see him at first, huddled as he was over a sprawl of sketches beside the half-built model in the dining room.

"Sorry to disappoint." She leaned the stupid sword and her cane against the door as she hung up her dripping cloak.

"Watch your step. Damn 'pillar escaped again. Should have seen Avani huddled up with it trying to stay awake until you came back. By the time I got her to stop crying and sleep, it crept off."

Hassani leaned against the door, weary heaviness sinking in under the cold and wet. "What do you want, Denault? Don't you ever get tired of this?"

"Tired of what, Hassani?" He used her name like a parry to her use of his.

"I saw this young couple on the trolley on the way here. The day was perfect, all the other young people clustered outside at the railings, but they only had eyes for each other." She stared down at the water puddling at her feet. "I couldn't look at them. You never once looked at me that way."

"Nor you I, if we're going to play at blaming. Menials can afford to marry for love and create useless offspring." He tossed his carving knife onto the table. "You're Kin now, our daughter carries Dynast blood in her veins. She wears Jaxe's Paleness to prove it."

"And the Paleness your great-grandmother wore besides, yes I know. That all doesn't mean we can't be happy, does it?"

"My parents never stooped to such romantic drivel. I can't imagine yours did either."

"No, they hated each other since the day their marriage was arranged." She walked around the wall between them. "When I was a girl, I hoped I'd be the exception when all the adults around me seemed miserable together."

"When I was a boy, I wanted to be a wandering swordsman like Deai. Roam The All, fight monsters, see wonders." He laughed bitterly. "When I became a man, I put away such childish, romantic things. Isn't it time you did too?"

"You could still train with Deai. You can carry a sword so-"

"It's not about a stupid sword!" he shouted, launching to his feet. He glanced guiltily down the hall towards Avani's room. When no sound of tiny footsteps came, he tapped the spread blueprints and ledgers and continued quiet, tired. "These are my weapons to fight our way to the top now. We're both good at what we do, you could be even better if you got over this sentimental soppiness."

"Denault, please, it doesn't-" She leaned across the table to take his hands, but he shoved her back.

"You're dripping on them!" He snatched up the top-most document and leaned it towards the lamp. "You've smudged it! How can you be so careless?"

Trembling and biting back tears, she turned away. "My orders are urgent. I'll just grab my things and get out of your and Avani's way."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Hassani, look, I..."

She walked towards the door, but paused at the quaver in his voice. He cleared his throat and continued, all business again. "Surely you can stay for another day or two?"

She half-turned, a veil of dripping hair obscuring her view of him. Thunder boomed outside.

It took great effort to steady her voice. "There's no point, husband. You were right earlier today. It's best if I go about my business and you see to yours."

His turn to approach, taking her shoulders and gently turning her towards him. Long fingers brushed wet hair from her face. Her shaking redoubled at his touch.

"You're shivering," he said, face softening.

"Because it's cold out there." Only half a lie.

"Stay one night at least. The trolleys won't run until morning anyway, maybe not even then if this storm keeps up."

"Tell me you want me, then." She took his hands in hers. He tried to pull away, but she held tight until he looked her in the eye.

"Tell me you want me to stay."

"I meant leaving now is certainly folly-"

"Tell me you want me."

"Only an idiot would go out in this-"

"Do you want me to stay? It it so hard to say it?"

"Of course I do." He tried to pull away again, but she clung to his hands.

"Then say it. Just say 'Hassani, I want to you stay.'"

"Fine." He looked her in the eye, gritting his teeth. "I want you to stay."

"Say my name." She pressed up against him and looked up into his eyes. With her thigh pressed between his legs, she felt him stir. When he tried to move away, she moved with him until his back hit the wall.

"Hassani." His voice cracked, jaw clenching and unclenching. Even through her own shivers she felt him tremble.

"Tell me you want me to stay."

For several long minutes she held him there, feeling his internal battle: muscles flexing and releasing, eyes growing misty, lips pressed tightly together and quivering. His jaw clenched and unclenched, breathing became heavy. He grew hard through his robes. Finally, his arms wrapped around her, seizing her fiercely. "Yes, Hassani, I need you."

Choking back a sob, she melted into him, head resting against his chest.

"I've been worried," he said, as though musing to himself. "Avani's been morose and even the silly 'pillar barely brought her out of it. I was hoping you'd come back."

Half-listening, Hassani willed the rigid, guarded part of her still holding back to relax.

A fine, elegant hand ran through her hair, the other pressed against her back. She felt him throbbing against her belly and part of her warmed in response.

"We need another child to ensure our line continues." His knuckles brushed her cheek. "If something were to happen to Avani-"

She tried to pull away from him, but he held her too tightly.

"You want me to stay because you're worried about your legacy?" she said, tensing.

A wry smile quirked his lips. "The process can certainly be pleasing as well. But it's bad luck to name a child before their fifth year as you insisted. Even if she has the hardiness of Kin. A second would ensure-"

"You don't even want me, do you?" She pushed against him. "You just want to fuck another Jaxekin into the world."

"Hassani, be reasonable," he said, fighting her. With a step and pull he turned them, pushing her against the wall, his erection jabbing into her belly. He grunted and pawed at her top. "You would be heartbroken if Avani died. This is for you too."

"Stop, Denault. Stop!" She struggled to break free, but for all her training he was a head taller and nearly half-again her weight. He pinned her wrists above her head with one hand, the other tangling in the laces on her tunic. She managed to push off the wall, but he drove her back.

"This is what marriage is for." He gave up on his fumbling and ripped her shirt down the front. "Roaming gods below, fucking that stupid gon is nothing like the real thing."

"Get off me, Denault! Don't make me hurt you!" She writhed and tried to knee him but he twisted and the strike glanced off his thigh. His weight fell against her, flattening her hard against the wall. Fingers jabbed into her belly as he fumbled at her skirts.

"I was about to say the same thing," he panted. "Just let me-"

His hand slipped between her legs and she snapped. Tightening her neck, she slammed her forehead into his nose. His head whipped back trailing an arc of blood. Jerking her hands down, she dropped on the crook of his elbow with all her might and weight. As this whipped his head and shoulder down, her elbow launched up from her hip. Connected. Hard. He reeled, clutching at his face and spitting blood. Instinct and training triggered, launching her at him.

Denault was no fighter. She batted his hands away contemptuously as she advanced. Her fists thudded repeatedly into his gut and jaw. When he doubled over, she grabbed his shoulders, heaved down, and drove her knee up into his face with all her rage and strength.

He collapsed in a heap on the floor.

"You selfish, miserly bastard," she spat, kicking him in the ribs. He groaned and curled into the fetal position, blood drizzling from the ruin of his mouth and nose. "I wish I'd never married you!"

Panting, she stepped back, horrified yet exulting in the hot fury as he lay broken and whimpering at her feet. She hated her smile but couldn't stop it.

Another whimper, behind her. She spun, heat turning to ice instantly.

There huddled Avani, horror and grief contorting the girl's face almost beyond recognition as she clutched herself tight. A low moan escaped the girl's throat, breaking into a wracking, sobbing wail.

"I'm so sorry, Avani!" Hassani reached for her daughter as the sound ripped her heart to pieces. The girl recoiled from Hassani's blood-spattered arms. "I didn't mean-"

"Leave us 'lone!" Avani screamed, darting around Hassani and clinging to her father. She turned back towards her mother, terrified and ferocious at the same time. "Won' let you hurt Adda anymore."

"Avani, it wasn't what it looked like. He was trying to..." Hassani took a step forward but her daughter clung tighter.

"Get 'way from us!" Avani screamed. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! Go 'way!"

"Don't say that, Avani. You just don't understand-"

"Stop hurting Adda! Leave us 'lone. I hate you!"

Though Denault's assault would leave bruises, they were nothing compared to the blades her daughter's voice tore through her guts. Eyes blearing, Hassani stumbled away from her broken family, numbly gathering her things.

Something clattered loudly against the floor as she pulled the door open. She picked up Deai's damned sword and tucked it under her arm, her whole body shaking, tears spattering her torn tunic amid the blood splatters.

A last look back.

Chairs, tables and paintings askew. Avani cradling Denault's head, crying, rocking, soothing as blood soaked her nightgown. Her husband's face black, purple, red, swollen to disfigurement.

Deep inside her, a door closed at the sight, firmly locking away her last girlish dreams. A detached emptiness drained away the largest part of her anguish. She closed the door on her life in Jaxestack.

Thunder rumbled. Waves crashed.

She turned and fled into the storm.