Alec glanced down at the golden watch in his palm, watching the morning desert sunrise glimmer across it with a beautiful shine. There were still remnants of dark and dry crimson, streaks of his blood in the nooks of the contraption. Alec had never seen a watch before, not until now. He had heard of them, once upon a time, in a moment of passing.

Zarya had once promised him a watch once, for his birthday. Which birthday? He couldn’t even remember now. He could hardly remember the look of her face, what color her eyes were. All he remembered were hair strands as beautifully golden as the sun in front of him.

“You wanted to speak with me?” Jessamine’s voice carried down the hall towards the balcony. Alec immediately slipped the watch in his pockets, turning to see his sister. She didn’t look tired at all, despite the long day yesterday.

“Yes, I went to your room early this morning but the servants said you were already out and about,” Alec mentioned.

“I was up early, needed a walk to keep my head straight,” Jessamine lied, slightly. She and Kaid had agreed to spend the night alone, given he was exhausted and she wanted to keep it a secret. Yet, neither could sleep that night. Jessamine had to sneak her way out and make her way to Kaid’s humble abode to spend the night with. It wasn’t until in his arms could she fall asleep.

“You never seemed to sleep well as a child,” Alec hummed, before straightening up slightly, “I would like to return to Vitross with you.”

Jess’s face was undecipherable. Whether she had just gotten good at hiding her emotions from her brother, or she truly didn’t know how to feel a single thing anymore…Alec wasn’t sure. In truth, she didn’t know how to react. She should have expected such but was feeling wary. Alec had worked with Lungor, still possibly worked for them even if it was blackmail. He could be an avenue for Lungor to use given things had gone sour here.

Jessamine would let him in, how could she not?

“Of course, Vitross is your home,” she smiled faintly, keeping her distance.

“If you must know, I have no intentions of going for the throne-”

“I know. You wouldn’t get very far if you tried,” she warned him, “So, what do you wish to do? Vitross has changed greatly since you’ve left.”

“Well, you need a Guardian,” he answered, “and while I have gotten a bit rusty, I can assure you, sister, I will be the best fighter to protect you. Should threats arise, of course.”

Jessamine almost laughed softly, but immediately stopped herself.

“Kaid is my Guardian,” she corrected him.

“I, well, he’s staying here is he not? He’s a wanted criminal. He should be hiding somewhere,” Alec stammered slightly, not realizing he was coming back with her. How? Why? Vrah had assured him this wouldn’t happen. Alec believed his window of opportunity had been growing closer. How wrong he was.

“Consider him pardoned,” she hummed.

“Just like that?” Alec asked, seeing her nod, “I thought you hated him.”

“Seems like I was rather convincing,” she replied, “In all honesty, I thought he hated me. I couldn’t fault him for that. Nobody could hate me more than myself, though.”

Her last words held this sorrow in them, Alec seeing the torment in her blue eyes identical to his own. She had hated herself. All the torment she caused on others, the dictating, the schemes she had done with Payne was caused out of hate for herself. Hate for the things outside her control. Yet something had changed with Kaid entering her life.

“You shouldn’t hate yourself, sis,” Alec assured her.

“Most days lately I find myself tolerable, that’s a good start,” she agreed, taking a deep breath, “of course you can come back with me, Alec. It is your home, always has been. We were both tormented by the invisible weight on our shoulders, weight caused by Payne’s doings. No more. He is gone, and we can start anew.”

Alec nodded slowly, still displeased Kaid would be joining them. Still, it opened the opportunity to grow close to his target. How could he grow close, when all he felt was utter hate for the man? Alec thought his sister held the same true hatred he had, but that had just been improvising a facade, something she was clearly good at. Could her love be just as deceiving? He could be walking himself into a trap, returning to his home.

“Jessamine, what did Kaid give you? What did he have to offer that made everything different?” Alec asked, mostly out of curiosity. It was clear from what Vrah told him that everything changed from the moment Jessamine pried Kaid from Caladin. Jessamine had confirmed that had all been Payne’s doing, presumably because the man could control time. They were using him for his power.

Yet, somewhere along the way in abusing his power, Jessamine’s tides had turned.

Jessamine could say it was a lot of gifts Kaid had given. His hearty laugh could be one, or that curious smile of his. It could be his warm heartbeat pressed against her backside. His kind hands are always giving to those in need. Hell, she could argue it was his thick cock, but that wasn’t a driving force, merely a bonus. Love. Unconditional, forgiving, forever listening kind of love. The chance to be open and honest, to grow, to really begin to change. That was just the few of many things Kaid had to offer and continued to offer.

“Perspective,” she answered simply.

A long, silent pause existed between them. Quiet enough Jessamine swore the heat from the sun released an almost high pitched squeal of burning death.

“Look, Alec, I don’t know what you’ve been told regarding Kaid. I can assure you, I trust him for a reason. I give my support to him for a reason. My faith, diligence, and trust is not given easily to just anyone. It must be earned. Just as you must earn it, he did so as well. Once you get to know him you will see why.”

“I don’t want to get to know him,” Alec retorted, seeing the surprise in his sister’s eyes, “I mean…look, Jessamine, in all honesty, I think he’s using you. He’s using you for protection, for his friends here, for Uhkhtar. I just want to make sure his actions aren’t at the cost of your work, your throne.”

“Only you would view any form of relationship as so transactional,” Jessamine tensed slightly with overprotectiveness, “You should be grateful, practically on your knees thanking him that he’s not angry about his hand. I don’t think I would have stopped him if he wanted revenge. The only reason he stopped fighting you in that cave was because he knew who you were. Think about that. Kaid gave me perspective. Maybe he can do the same for you.”

“I just want you to be careful, Jessamine. The worst betrayals come from the unexpected,” Alec clarified, “I can’t let you make the same mistake as father did.”

“I’ll take your words into consideration. I can’t make the same mistakes as mother did,” Jessamine clenched her jaw, nearly biting her own tongue yet she would have welcomed the bloody taste, “now, I must go finish packing. Your room should be about the same as you left it, minus belongings. Those were donated to those in need. Should you need anything in the time being, please ask Kasssandra. I have a lot of work to get back to.”

And her brother was going to be the worst work of them all.

Alec nodded, feeling the slight lump in his throat as he watched her walk away. He was relieved she showed no signs of reading his mind, of infiltrating all his secrets of guilt and shame. By now, he was beginning to think Jessamine latched to this feeling of safety from whomever could provide it. First their mother, then Payne when she had nobody else. And somewhere, she had jumped from Payne to Kaid.

Alec knew all he needed to do was shatter that trust between them. Even if it wasn’t as fragile as originally thought, it was still fragile. He just needed to find the right kind of pressure to make it crack.

—

There was a bittersweet feeling to leaving Uhkhtar. He certainly wouldn’t miss the sand in awkward places or the sun tanning his skin. But he would miss the people and their joy. He would miss their eager perseverance and overwhelming friendliness to make this place feel like home for him. Kaid had always known it would be a temporary home, though.

Goodbyes were just as bittersweet. Sabine had wished them all a personal goodbye, and by the time she got to Kaid she couldn’t exactly hide her feelings of torment and sorrow. Kaid gave her a warm embrace, knowing he never truly could have given her what she wanted, lips against skin, love she so desperately craved and deserved. It simply could not come from him.

When Kaid stepped near the portal, he could practically smell the salt of the dark sea through it. It made him smile. His eyes opened and he found himself alone, in his room no less. The room was just the same as he remembered it. When was the last time he had been in here?

The only last memory he had was when he had realized the usurper blade had been taken, and his panic attack had sent everything spiraling before his assault on Caladin. Kaid glanced around the dustless room, knowing the servants must have kept this tidy often if it looked so clean. He bent on his knees, glancing under the bed to find that empty lockbox gone. In fact, it didn’t appear to be anywhere.

The second thing he did was immediately unlock the doors on the balcony. The black clouds were back in the sky, covering the sun in a glorious darkness that paralleled the black ocean in the distance. He could smell the ocean from here, hear the crying gulls on their way to the harbor, and taste the salt on his lips. Home. Home at last. Not once did he think he could call such a dark place home.

Compared to the bright white walls and lights of Caladin, this oceanside was truly a blessing.

Harsh, rapid knocking was heard at his door, making him jump out of his trance. He didn’t hesitate to walk across his room, wondering who was on the other end of the door between them. Yet he could hear excited laughs and giggles, knowing immediately who it was.

The second the door was unlocked and opened, he was met with a harsh force, knocked to the ground with a strong embrace.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“Kaid!” Christine laughed happily, hugging him tightly.

“Divines, Christine, don’t hurt the poor man!” Kassandra walked over, having to pry her fiance off him. Kaid and Christine both laughed in response, happy to see each other. Christine was such a bubbly personality, absolutely contagious and inspiring. Kaid and her were emotional bursts of sunshine when together, but not as troublesome as the duo of her and Kassandra.

“It is good to see you both,” Kaid rose to his feet, seeing Kassandra walk over to embrace him as well. She was not the most tender, but Kaid felt proud someone like her could give him a hug as well. It felt undeserved, that was for sure.

“What happened to your hand?!” Christine asked, almost shrieking at the sight of it. Clearly, the both of them hadn’t been told the news. Jessamine had other things and delegations to make, surely.

“I…well, it was cut off,” Kaid explained, shame and awkwardness showing, “it’s quite ugly isn’t it?”

“No,” Kassandra and Christine answered together.

“We just had no clue, was this recent?” Kassandra asked, seeing Kaid nod, “Who did it?”

“Pestilence,” Kaid lied, figuring it was best to stick to that lie, especially since Alec was unfortunately returning home, “But rest assured, I killed him in response. I would sacrifice an arm, leg, anything to keep Empress Jessamine safe.”

“She must be so happy you’re back,” Christine gleamed, “I mean, are you two…?”

“Oh…” Kaid paused, swallowing down another lie, “No. I don’t think so. We still have a lot to talk about and make up for. There is a lot of work to be done, on both ends.”

“Kaid, you dummy, she’s still in love with you-”

Kassandra interrupted her with a slight nudge, “Kaid, take all the time you need to recover. There’s no need to rush into any rash decisions. Speaking of love…I don’t know if Jessamine told you but Christine and I are engaged.”

“Really?!” Kaid smiled happily, “When is the wedding?”

“Three months! We would have sent you an invite but…we didn’t exactly know where you were. But you’re here now. You must be part of the wedding. We are doing a hybrid Vitross and Skale wedding, truly one of a kind!” Christine practically bounced with excitement.

“I’m sure it will be beautiful, just like you two,” Kaid grinned, seeing the two women blush.

“I missed those cheesy comments,” Kassandra admitted, “and your hugs. It is good to have you back, Lord Protector.”

“How did I get here, and where is everyone else?” Kaid wondered.

“Oh, Bridger has perfected the art of portalling individuals to wherever they are needed. I’m sure everyone else was able to explore their rooms. Jessamine probably asked to be sent directly to her office. It’s quite useful, not having to open multiple portals,” Kassandra answered.

“Will you join us for breakfast!? We can have it just like old times. Kass and I always left an empty seat, thinking about you, wondering if you were okay. And now you are. We can invite Mara too!” Christine beckoned.

“Oh, but of course,” Kaid obliged, seeing out of the corner of his eye Kassandra not pleased about Mara. The two would eventually warm up to each other. It would only take time, and reason to see that Mara hadn’t wanted to hurt anyone that night unfortunately in Skale. She had directly ordered nobody to be shot at, and unfortunately it had been Kassandra that evening.

They walked down the halls, Christine talking his ear off about just anything. First it was about his hair, wavier and curlier than before mostly due to Uhktharian shampoo, and his beard growing back steadily. Then she talked on and on about new ideas for clothes, to make it easier to get dressed without his left hand. It was rather thoughtful of her. Laceless shoes would be easier for him to put on, and clothes that lacked buttons for his fingers. She truly was thoughtful.

He felt less ashamed about his hand when so many seemed willing to help, even in minor ways. He didn’t want anyone to think of him as handicapped or disabled. He didn’t want to admit that himself. Yet, he couldn’t help but find peace in his friends wanting to help in all the ways they possibly could. It was very apparent that Kaid had left a positive mark here in Vitross, despite what he originally thought.

That was only made more apparent when stumbling across the main hall, seeing little Kai rush over.

“Uncle Kaid! Did you see the giant portrait of you!? You look amazing,” Kai pulled at his hand, “This place is ginormous! I could spend weeks exploring the place.”

“No, what are you talking about?” Kaid questioned, seeing Christine and Kassandra exchange smirks to each other.

He turned the corner to Mara, who appeared glancing at the very large portrait with admirance. She studied it like it belonged in some gallery, some high honor only a few artists could really be bestowed. Yet, Kaid remembered standing in this spot, perhaps maybe three years ago and glaring at what portrait used to be here: Jessamine’s father.

The pale, blonde creature of a man had been replaced by mocha skin and royal black attire. What man once stood with a shrouding darkness and dominance about him, was a man now with a stance of pride, protectiveness, and most of all kindness. Kaid glanced at the portrait of himself, finding no flaws. The artist even got the small smile right, showing a dimple despite the beard.

He was everything a Lord Protector should be.

“Was this you?” Kaid glanced over at Christine, seeing her nod and blush, “It looks fantastic!”

“Oh, I’m so pleased. I spent months on it, questioning every little bit of it. Jessamine really wanted to highlight your kindness, quite a difficult thing to show in a painting,” she smiled, “I realized it was that softness in the eyes you possess. That was the best thing to showcase of you.”

“Christine, you are rather talented. I must admit, I believed to be staring at Kaid’s imposter,” Mara laughed, complimenting her as well.

“I certainly do not feel deserving of it,” Kaid admitted. Ironic. Jessamine had felt the same feeling when Kaid had stepped into her life. All the peace, joy, comfort he gave she had not deserved. Kaid would argue otherwise, just as he wanted to argue here that a painting of himself was not right. He didn’t do anything to overtake a spot amongst these walls, especially the one that of the previous Emperor.

Yet it was clear Jessamine had been the one to ask for it. More proof that truly, she did not despise or hate him. She wanted to glorify him, highlight him and his sacrifice for Vitross. Whether he deserved it or not, he couldn’t argue. It was a verbal disagreement he wouldn’t win in the slightest. He could feel all the eyes on him now merely disagreeing with his statement.

“Jessamine wanted this placed here at the entrance to the great hall, so that everyone could be reminded of the reason she continues to sit on that throne. The citizens come and go to beckon Jessamine, just as you recommended at your first Council of Jurors so long ago. She wants them to know you are the reason behind that, behind it all,” Kassandra explained, “Whether you are deserving of it or not, that’s not up to you. Paintings are perceived in many different ways. So are people.”

“We shouldn’t let all this talk of bravado get to his head,” Mara teased, winking at her friend who only smiled in return, “Now, I’m starving. Kaid has been raving about these Vitross kitchens for so long, it better be worth it.”

“Oh, it certainly is,” Kaid’s stomach growled in delight, all of them walking with smiles to the dining area.

They talked and talked all morning about what had happened in Uhkhtar: Pestilence, Jessamine’s singing, the duel with Shailud, the cutting off of his hand. Of course, some details were left out with certain specifics. They were able to share about all the growth Uhkhtar had experienced, the benefits of working with them and how greatly Jessamine had worked this all out. Whether she planned it all from the start or improvised along the way, it didn’t matter.

As long as she got what she wanted, Kaid didn’t care her methods of getting them.

The afternoon was long, spending its entirety showing Mara and little Kai the rest of the palace and all its wonder. Kai was certainly excited to be spending his childhood here. The library was certainly his favorite place to visit, same as Kaid’s. But the garden was a special favorite for him to study all the plants and vegetation growing. Both him and Mara were desperate to go into the main city, but it was best to leave that for tomorrow.

Just the feeling of being home was a wondrous emotion to swell in his heart, just like the waves he could faintly hear crashing in the distance.

Those sounds were soon interrupted by the palace bells. A small shockwave of panic hit Kaid’s gut, knowing the last time he had heard those bells was when he had held Jessamine in his arms, her blood pooling like a blanket of crimson across his clothes and skin. Yet he immediately shook the feeling away, seeing a guard approach them on the balcony, enjoying a nice luncheon.

“Sir, Vrah portalled himself here to speak with the Empress. We’ve kept him in the main hall for now, until she is willing to speak with him,” one guard reported to Kaid, nodding politely in his presence.

Two years and it was like Kaid never left. He remembered the days when Guards would spit at his feet, now they practically bended their necks towards his ankles. The respect wasn’t earned easily, that was certain.

“Good. I wouldn’t let the Empress in until I arrive. We should assess this situation together,” Kaid nodded, knowing he had to pull away from his friends now and get back to work. In all honesty, Kaid was oddly looking forward to it.

They walked back in a well paced stride, Kaid finding Jessamine waiting there by the doors. Her gaze was towards that portrait: his portrait. Did she really design it for everyone else as a reminder, or a reminder for herself? All the big decisions made behind these doors, they all had to relate somehow to her cornerstone. Now, she didn’t need to glance at a painting to remember such.

She turned at his arrival, her face somber but her eyes had practically smiled upon looking at him. To think he was back, to know he was back, and even more sense his love…well, this home had never felt so beautiful to her as it had now. Unfortunately, a lot of guards remained in the vicinity with Kiev, making any sort of attempt at romance this morning nonexistent.

“I thought he’d at least give us a day to recoup,” Jessamine sighed, knowing that most of this was her fault. Most certainly Vrah was worried about her. She could sense that emotion through the walls, along with a lingering bitterness at the rejected proposal. “Alec has been in there, seemingly calming him down a bit.”

“I think that’s exactly why he chose to arrive now, not give you any chance to explain yourself,” Kaid scoffed slightly, “Vrah is many things, dumb is not one of them. We will have to see what he will do in regards to damage control.”

“I think it’s best you stay out of it, just for today,” Jessamine kindly looked at him, “while he knows you are back, I want us to focus on the more important issues, like Shailud and Pestilence. Not to say you aren’t important…at least to me.”

“Jessamine, I can try and be on my best behavior,” Kaid assured her.

“Can you now? Tell me, can you resist the urge to not start a fight with him?”

“Depends on what stupid things he says to antagonize me,” Kaid rolled his eyes slightly, before realizing that was Jessamine’s point. Kaid might not be able to control his temper. He was definitely still angry Vrah had even tried to get with Jessamine, then attempt multiple sexual acts with her, and top it all with a shitty proposal in public she didn’t deserve.

Jessamine’s lip held a soft smirk, one he so desperately wanted to kiss away from her. He was finding his promise to her to keep this relationship steady, secretive, and secluded very difficult. Especially when she looked like she was planning her next steps. Nothing looked more attractive than a woman like her with her devious thoughts.

“There is a little passageway, by the painting of the Dangerous Crossing: the one with the ship sailing in dangerous storms. Near the column to the left of it is a small, unnoticeable button on the ridges. Use that and you can listen in all you’d like. The room is quite narrow, though,” Jessamine compromised, “There are plenty of secrets still in this palace you might not be aware of.”

“Yes, it will be helpful to know all these little secret passageways and hidden rooms. I’m sure they offer… decent privacy,” Kaid hummed, although his tone held a bit of mischief to them, “Be careful, Empress.”

Be careful, especially because of the last time she was in that room alone and Kaid was on the other side of this palace. Kaid knew such would not happen today. Vrah would be utterly foolish to try anything especially with no escape. Vrah’s portalist was stuck outside, awaiting his return.

“I will. Thank you, Kaid,” she nodded, glancing at him as he stepped away. As much as she’d wish for him to be in that room, in all honesty his presence would be like a flame to a room of graphite. It was best to douse such fiery passion he had before doing so. And, Vrah felt he deserved a conversation with Kaid.

So, she had to enter a room with a potential enemy. Two potential enemies…

So be it. They should remember what happened to the last enemy to meet with her in that very same room.