"She used you...and she will use you again if you let her," Farah sighed. The space was a vacuum of violet and shadow. The place of dreams and horrors. Its void was forever echoing yet also permanently silenced, at least to the rest of the world, except to Kaid. There was hardly ever a night now where Kaid knew peace, or where dreams were just a mirror into the future. His near death allowed him to walk amongst ghosts, but in doing so he'd be forever haunted by them.

"Mother, I know what I'm doing," Kaid assured her, knowing she was just worried. She didn't know Jessamine. All she knew was the end, when this window was opened to each other. If she just got to know her, the real her, maybe she'd see. Maybe she'd see why this was all worth it. And maybe there was a part of her that was right, that she could see right through all his dedication. Jessamine was all he knew. Would he still feel the same if she hadn't been the one to rescue him from Caladin, even if it was all built on a lie?

"I know what it's like, Kaid, to fall prey to such: to believe a person in her position could love you more than she loves power. What sacrifices will she truly make for you? This world is hunting you down, and maybe she can offer protection, but what will be the price for that?"

"You act as if I didn't use her too. I used her to get out of Caladin. I used her to better the lives of her people. I used her to get answers. Mother, I wrapped my fingers around her neck. I could feel the blinks, the faint pulse seconds away from slaughter. She was not the one who awakened the monster inside me. All she did was be there for me when it finally went raged before falling back to sleep."

"Kaid, I can't stop you. But you know Mara told you to stay away. It's one thing to have to witness my child suffer, it's another to watch consequences unfold because of his own actions," Farah hummed. She tried to be supportive. She knew her son was suffering in silence, as he had done for nearly thirty years in Caladin. Her bias might blind her, but she knew all she could do for her son was support him.

The air shifted slightly, at least for Kaid. There was no wind in this place. But he could feel the hairs on his arm rise with awareness. It could be in his sleep he developed a chill, but he knew better than that now. It was time for his haunting, for unknown, restless souls to reach out to him.

"She's back," Farah scowled slightly.

"I know. I'll speak with her," Kaid blinked, and his mother was gone, as if she disintegrated to dust. The void remained empty, for a moment. It wasn't until the violet, purplish hues faded, and there was nothing but black. Consumed in shadow, the figure rose from the floor. Her face was scarred, as if someone deliberately carved her face like a totem of wood. Kaid didn't recognize her. He thought after her many visits, maybe he would. But this woman was a stranger to him, and she saw him the same.

Yet, she kept coming. There must be some way to help her. There had to be a reason she was reaching to him.

"He's coming," she whispered, the same warning she'd whisper over and over again.

"Who?" Kaid asked, for what felt like the millionth time.

"He's coming. You have to stop him. You have to stop him before it's too late. You have to remind him of who he is."

"Who. Is. He?" Kaid rose from his seat, which was nothing more than a granite stone to rest upon. Luckily, everything here felt light as feathers. Walking was like gliding across clouds. He had no idea if in his actual sleep if he moved like he did in this state. He certainly hoped not, because sleepwalking seemed rather embarrassing to Kaid.

"Tell him I'm sorry. That it is all my fault, not yours," she added, the first time Kaid had heard that.

"Not...mine?" he questioned, although he knew he wouldn't get a direct answer. He never did with the mysterious figure. But it was odd she mentioned blame being associated for him. Kaid didn't know this woman, so he had a feeling he wouldn't know whatever person she spoke about in warning. Whatever it was, it felt important if she felt the need to constantly make contact with him. That, or, perhaps she was a restless spirit, her mind fractured and broken with no solution in sight.

At that, she burst into tears, falling to her knees like in a prayer. She wailed like a widow would upon the news her husband was slaughtered in battle. Or a daughter learning the fate of her parents, forever orphaned. Kaid took a deep breath before walking closer, feeling nothing but his heart race in his throat. Kaid wasn't frightened by much, but all of this was still so new to him, he didn't know what to think.

Kaid laid his hand upon her shoulder to comfort, but instead flashes of time rushed through him with visions. He could hear her screams turn into a wail of steam, coming from that locomotive sitting on the Uhkhtarian tracks in the desert. He could feel a power surge in him, hear the echo of gunshots, but most all, feel the vibrations of Jessamine's screams of torture. When he tried to focus on the visions, they just flashed even quicker. And then, darkness. And in that darkness, he felt a blade slicing and sawing at his left hand before dismembering it.

Kaid pulled his left hand off her, glancing down to see it was perfectly normal, besides the stressed vein appearing. When his hand moved away from his view, the woman was gone, leaving nothing but a sense of dread. He would lose his hand, of that he was certain. The consequences otherwise seemed...dire. Some things felt clear, and others didn't. Whatever was to come, it had to be soon, given there was a perfectly good train sitting in Kanaf presently, and an Empress only separated by palace walls.

When put into this situation, would he make the right choice? What was the right choice: following the vision, or disobeying it?

"He is coming...."

Kaid's eyes opened widely, gazing up at the red mud ceiling of his lodging. He immediately moved to sit up from his bed, glancing at his left hand. It was still there, just wrinkled and covered in calluses from recent training. That gold watch radiated from the morning sunlight peeking through his door slit. Kaid let out a deep breath, adjusting the watch's tightness before glancing at the words engraved in the backing:

So long as time exists, so will my love for you. Always.

And time may have wavered from his own doing. But, it still existed. That had to make this promise count for something. Even with all the chaos it created, Kaid knew deep down he would not have chosen differently. He would have, in spite of it all, rescued her over and over again. He would even do so now.

When he got ready for the morning he stepped out into the small kitchen area, finding a cup of coffee already brewed for him. Mara finally exited her room, wearing an embroidered black and lavender abaya dress, her dark hair braided loosely.

"You look like you had another nightmare. I could hear you mumbling through the walls," she observed carefully, seeing the exhaustion in his eyes.

"A small one," Kaid shrugged. He didn't go into detail about the visions, or the void into the passage of time. He didn't think Mara would understand. If anything, he thought they'd find him crazy.

Honestly, he felt crazy sometimes. He felt insane. He thought he had died, and when he came back to life, he felt spite for everyone that had saved him. It's why he had grown resentment in letting Jessamine know he was alive. He thought he should have stayed dead, maybe he still felt that way. Kaid didn't know the difference between his own doubts and belief.

"Any visions?" she asked, knowing he at least had a slight insight into the future, or the past. Most of his nightmares included the trauma of Caladin, or of Payne...really just about anything in his life.

"No. Just...to be honest, I hardly remember any of it. Here, let me fix your hair," Kaid motioned her to turn around, seeing her roll her eyes.

"It's fine, even if it is a bit loose," she stated, but turned around anyways, feeling him get behind to pull the tie out and start over, "when did you learn to braid again?"

"Caladin. A little girl taught me once as a kid, let me practice on her to pass the time. It's been so long, I've forgotten her name," Kaid smiled softly at the memory, his hands tangling in her hair before beginning to plait it tightly.

"Some days I forget you were there for thirty years," Mara spoke, her voice a bit quiet, "I was only there for nearly a year and found it unbearable. I couldn't have imagined any longer than that."

"Yes, well, you also went through a pretty traumatic year..." Kaid mumbled.

"It's not your fault, you know," Mara reminded him.

"I know."

"Yet, you still blame yourself for not being there to stop it."

"And I always will," Kaid retorted, "And there's nothing you can do to stop me feeling that way. I didn't cause what happened, but I should've been there to end it."

"You can't save everyone-"

"I did. Once. And I'd do it again in a heartbeat. If I hadn't played around in my Trial, I could've been there to stop it. And if I hadn't invaded Caladin the way I had, maybe I could have stopped Jessamine's death as well. I should have found out the truth in another way, a way that didn't also put her at risk. I let my emotions get the better of me."

"We're both alive, aren't we? Isn't that all that matters?" Mara questioned, patiently and tenderly, "Kaid, you can't stop suffering. If that were so, I would end yours right now. I'd give you whatever you dreamed of, I'd let you come to this party to see her-"

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Something is going to happen, Mara. And if something happens when I'm not there, I'll never forgive myself," Kaid insisted, finishing her braid with the tie, backing away to let him know that he finished.

Mara turned, offering a thankful look in her eyes, "What if something happens because you do show up?"

"I'll be discreet."

"Kaid Al-Yami, you are anything but discreet," Mara laughed softly, "all will be okay. I swear it. And once it is over, I'll let you know everything about what happened. About what dress she wore, what made her laugh and smile...and if Shailud falls prey to her party. You know, I take back what I said about her. I was wrong."

"You were right, that she lied to me."

"Sometimes we lie to the people we love," Mara mused, taking a step back, "How do I look?"

"Mm...beautiful. And no, I'm not lying," Kaid smiled softly, seeing her blush in return.

"You...you're a good friend Kaid. I hope you know that. You really are like a brother to me," Mara admitted tenderly. Mara was never a sentimental woman. It's what made her so perfect in being the leader of the Confederation. But, she had to admit that Kaid really had touched her heart. She never met a man so full of heart and passion. It was clear to see his influence everywhere he walked. And it was no surprise all the other bachelorettes in this city, Sabine especially, took a liking to him. Sadly, they didn't know much about his true self.

"You nursed me back to health. That's such a sisterly thing to do," he pointed out, seeing her roll her eyes, again.

"Don't make me vomit while being all lovey-dovey," she insisted, "Thank you, for braiding my hair." Mara turned to see Kai's door open, seeing him wear a very nice emerald kaftan. He looked like a very charming lad, like Sebastian looked in his dress uniform.

"Green? Interesting choice," Mara smiled, taking her son's hand.

"It matches the Empress' dress. She's wearing green too!" he said, rather excitedly.

"Sounds like you have a crush," Kaid teased, but did see his nephew's cheeks grow red with a fiery blush. He really did have a crush on her. Then again, who didn't? Kaid was almost jealous that he wouldn't get to see what she looked like. No matter what, she'd look more beautiful than what Kaid could conjure in his imaginations. He wondered what could have changed in two years without seeing her. She probably didn't transform as much as Kaid did, cutting his hair short and shaving his beard. He looked ten years younger in the mirror. He had a feeling Jessamine was a woman who would age even better, like a fine Arillian red wine.

"Can we go, mom? I have a lot to prepare for," he urged, although the party didn't start for another six hours or so.

"Alright alright," Mara nodded, looking back at Kaid, "If I see you at that party, I'm killing you myself. Got it?"

"Yeah, understood, your highness," Kaid bowed teasingly, "I'll just spend most of the time in the shop."

"Writing poetry, I hope?"

"No. No poetry tonight," he admitted, waving to them as they left their homely residence carved into rock, "have fun!" He sipped his coffee, feeling his left wrist tremble slightly as he watched them leave his sight. No. There could be no poetry tonight, not while his muse was only going to be half a mile away...and there was nothing he could do. Resisting temptation had never been his strength, especially when it came to Jessamine. Tonight, he'd have to be strong enough.

Mara held her son's hand firmly, Kaid's worry lingering in the back of her mind. What if he was right? If something were to happen, Kaid would be a welcome sight to fix any problem they faced. Shailud was looking for him though. If they believed him to truly be here, Mara was worried any sort of problem would be created deliberately to lure him out. If something were to happen to Jessamine, she knew he'd take the bait.

But, what would she do if Jessamine was under attack or duress? Would she help her, or get her son out of that situation? Jessamine had Kiev, but was that enough? Would Kaid forgive her if something happened and he wasn't around to contest it? She was fretting for nothing. Jessamine had this under control, she had to believe that.

"Mom, I heard something weird last night..." Kai spoke, making Mara glance down with concern, "Shailud and the...Lungor prince were talking."

Slight relief filled her at his words, glad he didn't overhear anything inappropriate, especially since he was escorting the Empress around, "What were they talking about?"

"Something about a surprise. Is it the Empress' birthday? Should we get her a gift?" he asked, almost excitedly.

"No..." Mara shook her head. No. It wasn't her birthday. Hers fell around the end of the third season in the autumn. It couldn't be related to anything regarding her birthday. "Did they say what the surprise was for?"

"No. Whatever it was, Shailud agreed it was a good..." he paused, trying to remember the word, "distraction."

"Distraction," Mara repeated, seeing her son nod.

It didn't bode well. The words didn't sit well in her stomach and all that optimism she shared with Kaid was flushed out, as if she had been gutted like a fish. Jessamine had come here in hopes to catch Shailud planted on his heels. It felt like maybe he had been on his toes this entire time. And if Mara heard her son correctly, the Emperor's son Vrah could be in on it too.

It didn't sound violent. The men couldn't be that stupid to try something like that with her, even if she lacked certain protections here. It was one thing to form a weak alliance with her. It was another to try and break that entirely and think they could still come up on top. If they tried to surprise her, distract her, certainly she'd see it coming. She had to.

Kaid knew Mara was right. If something happened, Jessamine could handle it. He just didn't want anyone getting hurt, especially because of him. Kaid felt no guilt for the Time Paradox. Maybe he should. If everyone wanted to hunt him down and hold him accountable, surely he must've done some damage, unintentional collateral damage, that is. Even so, Kaid had a feeling anyone else in his position would have chosen the same. They would have done anything to save their world, or the person closest to it.

He had faith that everything would be okay.

However, when he got to the blacksmith shop, he noticed the lock on the gate was not fully secure. Mara was only just here practically last night, going over inventory. And nobody would dare steal from them and get away with it, this shop was practically centered in the main market. Kaid walked in, noticing everything looked just as he remembered it. His books were still all strewn out in his office corner. No tools were laying around in a mess. Yet, he had the feeling something had to have been different. None of the weapons still waiting to be polished were taken. Scraps of iron and steel still were on the floor in heaps.

When he approached the dampened forge, he smelled it, an aroma from memory: rotten eggs and smoke. Graphite. When he stepped away, the stink fainted, and it didn't come back. His mind went to the memory of him and Vrah leaning against the broken fortress wall in Uhkhtar, before it was blown up to attack their wards. It wasn't used heavily in smithing but they did have a large barrel of it when some weapons needed a bit of spark for heat treatment. Kaid moved to the large wooden barrels in the back, removing the lid and found the entire barrel practically empty. The graphite was gone.

Kaid pulled the ledger away from Mara's desk, opening it to see her recent count. Graphite: half a barrel left. Now, there was none left. Someone took it overnight, perhaps thinking nobody would be here to notice. And whatever their intentions were, it couldn't have been good. Any use of graphite for explosive purposes was strictly forbidden, which meant this person wouldn't care. Maybe they wouldn't be alive to be punished, or maybe it would be their punishers that would perish in this act.

"Forgive me in advance, Mara," Kaid sighed, moving to run back home. Kaid didn't have much to dress for a party, but he had just enough to conceal most of his features to blend in. All he needed was enough to cover his face...and his blades.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jessamine felt the band that firmly held her blades loosen slightly around her thigh, adjusting them to rise further up. She could hear the rustling of people approaching the beautifully decorated courtyard, already music was playing for people to enjoy. Servants ran all over with extravagant drinks. Dinner was supposedly going to be a nice lamb roast. None of it seemed to phase her.

What bothered Jessamine was the fact she didn't feel nervous. She was to perform in front of hundreds, something she'd never done before. Yet, it didn't seem to shake her. There was some steel in her resolve today, something she hadn't felt in quite some time. How could she make an entire population fall in love with someone they were told to hate?

"You know who you are, Jessamine," she whispered to herself, "You know who you want to be."

All because of him.

Why, oh why, did it seem everything fell around him? He was not just the cornerstone for her, but perhaps of life itself. This world would be nothing but plague and pestilence if it weren't for him. Thousands upon millions would have starved to death, poisoned without deliberation. Rich or poor, in death it was equal. But Jessamine had already seen the rich claw their way out from the Time Paradox out of fear.

Payne had believed only the most wicked would have survived his plan. Ironic how it seemed most of those people would have been those with enough wealth to change the Continent. That was probably his intention all along. It wouldn't be the strong that survived, but the greedy, the selfish. Jessamine had to be anything but that.

"Don't you look spectacular," Shailud mused, sneaking up on her quietly from the hallway.

Jessamine moved so her exposed leg was covered, glancing at him. He wore a kaftan, much similar to Kaid's style, only much more elegant. Gold seemed trimmed in embroidery along the black edges. But it was all for show, especially with that emerald blade tucked across his belt for everyone to see unsheathed. He meant to make a message: in his prayers, he was chosen. That blade was the most sure sign for the people to follow him.

Destiny and the prophecy of a 'chosen one' were futile. Jessamine knew by now that a man and woman could control the wheel that steered the world around them. It took effort, a lot of it. But it was possible to change the waves of fate, or rather, circumnavigate around them. Shailud was going to fully embrace it, foolishly.

"Thank you. You look like you've just been waiting for an excuse to dress so elegantly," Jessamine laughed as a tease, although she definitely meant it. Shailud wasn't handsome, at least to her. He reeked of deceit. To any intelligent woman, such a stench would mean to stay clear. Unfortunately for her, she didn't have a choice. All she could do was convince herself he'd be worth all this effort and turmoil.

How much easier it would be to kill him, right here and now, slice a delicate cut across his neck. The mess it would create afterwards, however, would be much more complicated. Sometimes the easy choice in the beginning wasn't so easy in the end.

"Jessamine," Vrah walked over, his eyes dilating at the sight of her, "Divines, don't you look ravishing."

"That makes two of us," Jessamine forced a blush, glancing at him in his royal blue dress uniform.

"I never thought emerald green would look so good, clashing against dark auburn hair, but I've been proven wrong," he laughed.

"Wouldn't be the first time," she teasingly jabbed, moving over to take his hand.

"Well, it's clear who is going to take the most attention at the party this evening," Vrah hummed, not minding it at all. Clearly, he could tell that was Jessamine's goal. Fine. He had other tricks up his sleeve.

"You men act as if you hate it," Jess faked a gasp, "Yet your sex is the one that demands backless dresses, high heels, and makeups to make a woman shine. Yet, she shines too brightly, and it becomes a problem. Universes are created from dying stars, as you might know."

"Dabbling in poetry, I see," Shailud smiled, "hopefully that comes out in your song tonight, Empress."

"Oh Jess, admit it, you like wearing a dress and feeling pretty every once in a while," Vrah squeezed her hand, "admit it, you're just like the other girls."

She hated that comment. Men liked to group women in a box, as if it were some organization project for them to create an orderly list of what they liked and disliked. Men ranked women like cattle. All of them were destined for slaughter, but the best ones were treated differently before meeting the blade. Vrah was no different, and he wasn't fooling Jessamine. She blamed his youthfulness, and possibly never really being in love before. Love felt impossible for an Emperor-consort such as himself. He'd take a wife who he could tolerate, and if his needs weren't met, a concubine could certainly meet them. Jessamine was neither.

"Oh darling, I'm not like other girls," Jessamine squeezed his hand tightly, "I'm worse."