Chapter 384: An Understatent (Ch.384)
narx stepped into his room, a quiet sigh of delight escaping him as the first thing he set eyes on was Neveah, curled up on his bed, still sound asleep.
"This is a sight I could get used to." narx murmured to himself.
All the strain narx had been feeling eased away just like that and a small smile settled on his lips as he shut the door behind him.
"Narx." Neveah mumbled in a tone heavy with sleep, turning over on the bed so she faced the door.
Her sleepy eyes were fixed on him and narx winced apologetically.
"I didn’t an to wake you." narx said as he walked over to the bed.
"I don’t mind it... I do not sleep so deeply anyways." Neveah replied with a slight shake of her head, her gaze trailing narx as he got to the bed and took a seat by the side.
"How are you feeling about all this... truly?" narx asked the question that had weighed heavily on his mind.
All of this had happened too quickly and was just so sudden, even for narx. He could not begin to imagine how the one caught up in the middle of it all would feel.
narx knew Neveah would always put up a strong front, but he was deeply worried that she was not as fine as she let on.
The image of Neveah sobbing still tore at narx’s heart and it was deeply concerning that after that brief outburst, she’d go right back to keeping everything bottled up.
"You were out with Kaideon then?" Neveah guessed from narx’s question.
"Hmm, Jian called." narx confird.
"He has made it clear to Jian and I that the dragons of the keep are not in his good books...with the cliff and poison incident, and a host of others."
"Knowing Kaideon, he’d hold a grudge about it for a century at least, he has always been very protective of those he cares for." narx added with a helpless sigh.
Neveah chuckled quietly, her hand moving to rest on Kaideon’s lap.
"Is soone feeling grumpy?" Neveah asked in amusent.
"It’s just... he’s not wrong. I do not think I could ever say how sorry I am for what happened at the beacon."
"I keep saying I never wish to see you hurt, conveniently forgetting that I have already dealt you a great hurt, endangering your life for my duty."
"I keep thinking about how I can make it up to you but I know nothing can compensate for the pain I put you through. I’m sorry, my love." narx apologized earnestly, taking Neveah’s hand into his.
"Damn...he really got into your head, didn’t he?" Neveah asked.
"It’s no fault of his, he only speaks the truth. And he has every reason to dislike ... I would dislike
too if I were him." narx replied with a shrug.
"Well, Kaideon’s feelings are well justified, but his opinions are not mine."
"Listen Narx, I do not dislike you... and I would never. I also do not regret what happened at the beacon because all that has happened brought us here... to this." Neveah reminded, gesturing towards their entwined hands.
"Yes, my life was in danger and yes, I was hurt. But if it was not , it would have been His Grace..."
"Speaking from the perspective of a king’s guard, I guess I only did my duty before even knowing I would be a part of it." Neveah asserted.
narx was quiet for a long mont, just staring down at Neveah.
"What’s that look for?" Neveah asked with a raised brow.
"By the Creator Neveah, you are perfection." narx breathed out the words, like they were taken right out of his heart.
Neveah rolled her eyes at the complint, though she could not deny that warm feeling it stirred in her.
"I’m being serious, silly." narx said, pinching Neveah’s nose gently.
"I’m the farthest thing from perfect, Narx...but it doesn’t hurt to hear it." Neveah replied with a small smile.
"You know, you can call him Jian... You are in the position to overlook formalities." narx chipped in out of the blue.
"Uhmm, no thank you. It was hard enough getting ’His Grace’ out." Neveah declined imdiately, much to narx’s amusent.
"I do not understand what it is with the two of you and holding onto this grudge. It’s been almost a year already." narx pointed out.
"It’s not a century yet, we’re good then." Neveah replied blankly.
"Now you sound like Kaideon..." narx murmured, trailing off for a mont before he continued.
"You are so skilled at changing the topic. You didn’t give
an answer yet, how are you... truly?" narx asked his original question again.
"And it’s okay to not be fine, Veah. You just found out that the father you have known all your life is not truly yours." narx added before Neveah could claim to be fine.
Neveah fell silent at that, narx had known exactly what she was about to do.
"Well...he was not a very good father, anyways." Neveah replied with a shrug.
narx picked up the deeply seated pain woven in Neveah’s tone which she tried to conceal.
"Veah, you know you can talk to , right? About anything...you have to let
be there for you."
"Not always... I wouldn’t ask for too much, just yet. But at least at tis like this when I know you do need ." narx said, his thumb rubbing soothing circles over the back of Neveah’s hand.
Neveah sighed heavily, narx’s soft and understanding approach weared down her defences and Neveah could not help it.
"If I claid he was not a good father, it would be the greatest understatent... Alpha King Lothaire was a terrible father...an even more terrible man." Neveah admitted in a quiet tone.
"Did...he hurt you?" narx asked slowly.
"For as often as everyday of my life." Neveah replied, her voice cracking slightly before she sucked in a deep breath to calm herself.
"Co here." narx murmured, drawing Neveah closer to himself so her head was laid on his lap.
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