The morning air flared my nose, and I jerked myself awake, albeit barely, clutching my head. My mind rumbled, assumingly from the last night’s wine I had. I could not remember much of what happened. Some vague moments came to me, but nothing concrete. ‘Weird dreams.’
I noticed my breaths were ragged and a weight on my chest, which could have explained the former. I looked down. A small head lay on top of my chest, moving in unison with my breaths. The scalp was covered in red, flinty scales apart from a voluminous strip of black, silky hair running from his forehead to the nape. I clutched my head again. ‘Not a dream after all.’
I knew I had to face the reality of the situation. There was no going back or backing off with this. I remembered what had happened the night before. The golden eyes inscribed themselves into my mind again, and I had to smile.
Something was beginning anew, and something had definitely ended, a long time ago. I thought of Sophia for a moment. I tried to consider what she would think of all this. I could only hope she’d be considerate enough.
The small head on my chest moved a bit, and I caressed the silken hair slowly, as my son let out soft breaths, seemingly in wonderful dreams. I could already feel the Link forming, the small tendrils grasping at my mind, shoving little pricks up my spine. His mirth and tranquillity were intoxicating.
I inched up, trying to keep my son asleep. Eventually, I picked him up and he squirmed to settle in my grasp, until I deposited him back into the bed. I looked at his gentle face, oblivious to any harm or terror of the world I’ve learned in the past centuries. I would try to keep it that way. ‘Like a father should.’
I moved with the softest steps I could muster and grabbed my coat. I escaped the room of peace, to my chagrin, just signalling to the Guard to keep an eye on my child as I let him have more time sleeping. I made my way across the halls to Medusa’s room. There was a discussion to be had, and I did not know what to expect from her. Much as I had experience, women were a completely different sort, and Nazjar were vastly different in that regard as well.
I stood outside her chambers, taking shallow breaths. I eventually steeled myself enough to make the next step, and knocked on the doors.
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“Cerolus?” I opened the door ajar, looking up to the face of the man in front of them. I pushed the doors open, letting him in, mulling over how this all would go.
His eyes were stern, unmoving, unyielding. He gently trotted towards a chair and sat down, sipping himself a glass of water from the table. He looked at me, and I had to keep close to something to grab onto, lest I lose my bearings.
The silence in the room was suffocating. Neither of us dared talk. I took notice Korthonas wasn’t with him when he came in. “Korthonas?” I asked, the remainder of the question needing not be said, or at least I hoped it didn’t.
“Sleeping, still,” he simply answered, gulping the glass of water in one go, “I thought it would be better if I let him sleep a bit more.”
Korthonas asked to sleep in Cerolus’ room. Rather, he begged. It didn’t take much persuasion for me to yield, just looking at his eyes was enough. At that moment he reminded me of Cerolus, frighteningly so. I had hoped that would only cement my plans, and put them in motion sooner. I was out of options.
“Please, Cerolus, I need your help,” I slowly slithered towards him.
I wanted to sit down, and explain everything. I imagined this scene going two ways, good or bad. I shuddered to think about the latter, so I didn’t. I focused on my hopes.
Cerolus was the first one to talk, instead. “Why not say anything sooner? Why not send a letter?”
I didn’t know the answer to that. I was hopelessly lost, addled. Everything flashed in front of me, thoughts and memories rushing back to when I learned I would have a child. I never even considered it for a moment. Thoughtless.
“I thought I’d handle it alone, without anyone else,” I moved back, trying not to look at him, instead gazing out the large window, looking in the distance. “I was wrong.
“You must know how our policies work, Cerolus,” I glanced towards him, and he simply nodded, not saying a word to what I had just said. I hoped he understood in the least.
“My daughter doesn’t want him in the Palace. I’m even starting to lose any attachments, as I always did.” I reminisced about my other children and the differences between them and Korthonas. In the end, I had little doubts it would be the same.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“I need you to take him,” I said those words and the world around me fell apart. The line hung in the air, freed, lingering between us. I looked at him as he sat silently, brows furrowed.
He stood up and stepped towards me. He took my hand, and everything from years ago flooded back in an instant. I hadn’t felt so vulnerable near anyone else, yet I knew it was futile and fickle. I needed to forget all of that, and forget him, in a way.
“Of course I will,” he answered slowly, each word seeping into my mind. I looked towards him in confusion. ‘It was… that simple? Done? Just like that?’
A large part of me didn’t hear it, or refused to acknowledge it was over that quickly. “But don’t you have a wife? A family? What are you going to do with him?”
A thought ran about my head and I grimaced. “Don’t you dare hurt him.”
Cerolus looked at me, opened his mouth, closed them, gaped for a while, then opened them again, each action seemingly eternal. “What?”
I blanked.
“Of course I’m not going to hurt him, how can you think of that even?” he appeared shocked at my hasty thoughts. “And of course, I’m going to take him in, I’m not leaving him without anything, Kreshor be with me.”
He laughed a bit, tension leaving the air around us. “And here I was, coming here to talk you into allowing him to stay with me.”
I stood there, beyond words. Then I hugged him, my tail coiling around his legs. “Thank you,” was all I managed to let out.
He tried to caress my head briefly, then gave up, holding a hand on my back, instead, silent.
“You’ll need to say goodbye to him, Medusa.”
I anticipated as much and feared the moment. I tried to prepare myself, but I didn’t think I was ready. ‘Perhaps I would never be ready, but I have to do this. For his sake.’
I looked up to Cerolus and his red swirls that brought back so much. I kissed him briefly, and he didn’t resist. But he did back away slightly. Whoever she was, he was going to take good care of her. All the more hope I was doing the right thing.
“Sorry,” I said, looking at his face. I thought he’d protest again, but realised I didn’t want to do anything more this time, no matter how good I felt.
“I think you should stay with him until the Circle ends, Medusa. He’ll understand, eventually,” Cerolus said sagely, stepping away from me and going through the still open doors of the chambers. He glanced back at me. “You’re a good mother, Medusa. No matter what happened here.”
He left, and I slowly slithered back to the floor. I wiped away the tears from my eyes. I couldn’t remember the last time I cried. ‘I was a good mother.’
That was all I could hope for.
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We were all back into the dome, readying ourselves for the meeting to commence again. I looked down into the Well, taking a glance on what Sarron was doing. He glanced at me with defeated eyes then looked down again, barely holding himself upright.
I motioned for the Guards to release him. I considered this much enough. I still had unfulfilled rage and anger, but it would just have to pass.
Medusa looked at me as she made her way inside, then glanced at the Well. “You want me to help?”
I thought about her way of helping with this situation, but in the end, was against it. ‘It wouldn’t feel right. Correct.’
We all sat down, ready for another day of decisions. The only thing on my mind was my son, and almost nothing that the people around me said caught my attention.
Hours passed in a slow debate until we reached the point we ended with last night.
“So, Lord Cerolus,” Malkorok started slowly, “what do you propose about the Elf agenda? I believe it would be a good opportunity to welcome her into our lives,” he stood up, pacing slowly around his chair, “namely, your life.”
The Dendrin on my side took its time, then added, “This one believes that to be a course of action most suitable at the present, and agrees with the Dragonheir’s proposition.”
Medusa and I looked at each other. I thought about my situation getting further complicated by the minute, and she seemed to have similar qualms. In the end, though, she sent a nod of approval towards the group.
It would seem that I would have to rise to the occasion and deal with everything. ‘Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad.’
“Then it’s agreed, Lord Cerolus will take miss…” he gestured my way.
“Ophelia,” I added with a sigh, trying to find some reassuring thought.
“Right, Ophelia. Lord Cerolus will take miss Ophelia to his home, possibly under the guise of teaching her their customs. We shall make arrangements for further diplomacy with the Elven in due time, every country on its own.” He went up to me and shook my shoulder, “the Elder Circle thanks everyone for their presence, and I believe we have finally reached the end of this meeting.”
“Good luck,” he sent my way, as we slowly trickled out of the dome, Sarron slowly walking to my side.
“Did I miss anything?” He asked, relieved of the smell after the bath he took, now in fresh clothing. He even looked proper now and lost that obnoxious arrogance he presented himself with. ‘Slightly better. Workable with, I think.’
“Nothing in particular,” I responded back, “I believe we could spare one more evening here. You can go sightsee or meet the locals. Maybe even get to know these people,” I gestured around me as Drakkar passed by our sides.
He gulped audibly at the sight of Guards who seemed to have a mocking expression on their faces, “Perhaps. Maybe I’ll just go to my room instead.”
“As you wish,” I added, and went back to my chambers, quivering with anticipation.
‘Perhaps I will manage this all, somehow.’