The Guardians of Deities

28

Hours had passed since she flew away back to where she was from, but only when the first rays of Sun started to show, the King returned to his chambers. He was ready to give himself to the dreams, when he noticed his dagger on his bedside and got confused. That artifact didn't belong there, and then he saw the folded parchment by its side. He noticed it was recent, the vanilla scent could still be smelled and the ink had recently dried.

He could recognize her scent anywhere and, at first, he thought the worst, Arline had been taken from her chambers and kidnapped but she wasn't as fragile anymore and could defend herself. He decided to open it and kill his curiosity.

"Dear Merrick,

By the moment you read this letter, I'll be far away from Reiska. There are no amount of words or actions to show you my gratitude for everything that you have done for me, but I am undeserving of the rewards that you have granted me.

I don't belong to your kingdom and I could never perform my duties the way you expect me to. You deserve a better ally than someone who can't trust their abilities, I hope you find one.

I need and crave peace and I think I know where I can start looking for it, hopefully you will understand. Please don't try to look for me, despite your desire to make me change my mind.

Yours truly

Arline Cole."

That letter sent him into a spiral of emotions which he couldn't control. The tiredness left his body and mind and instantly headed to her room. He found the necklace, her sword and the tiara of the Huntresses, all settled on her bed. She hadn't taken anything and that made him even angrier. Arline had left with just her body and soul and returned everything that she had earned.

Merrick's heart started pounding and racing, he locked himself up in his old bedroom. Rage blinded his mind and took over his emotions, and began tearing down that room, slashing curtains and breaking the colored windows. He had his tantrum and for the first time in his life, he let his true emotions show.

He was angry at her, he wanted to hunt her down and make her return and come to her senses, but his sadness and regret overtook his wrath when he realized how distant she had been since they visited Larsin and not even once he had tried to make her feel at peace. Merrick sensed she had been lying to him in the past days but he had been too short-sighted to notice like he always did.

The King spent the entire day looking through the broken windows of his torn room, while his entire Council was looking for him, but he couldn't care less because his Huntress had abandoned him and she had taken a piece of him with her.

"Don't tell me you've been here all day?" Lara said while entering the room, with Aidan as her tail.

"What happened here?" His friend asked him as he looked around at the mess of broken glass.

Merrick didn't talk, not even directed his gaze towards them. He just threw the neatly written note for them to reach it and stared at his dagger.

"She abandoned me" the King finally said after they finished reading, their silence was what gave away their surprise and disbelief "All because I wasn't here"

"This isn't your fault Merrick" Lara tried to calm him down "Arline hasn't been the same since the battle and-"

"I don't care Lara" he cut her off with a calm and cold tone in his voice "If I was in my room she wouldn't have left"

"Merrick" Aidan couldn't bare to look at his friend like this, he needed to talk to him and need to understand everything that had happened until then.

"Leave" his orders came out sharp and Lara and Aidan knew better than making Merrick angry so they obeyed him.

When they left the room, Lara searched for Michaela. She needed to know what had been happening to Arline in the past days and why she hadn't spoke about it, and who better than her best friend in the Order.

"What troubled Arline so much?" Lara asked her after she told her soldier what had happened, to which Michaela wasn't even surprised.

"She had been dreaming with Pelagius" Michaela explained "And visiting Larsin that night only worsened things" She sounded regretful as she spoke, believing she was breaking Arline's trust as she unmasked her problems for the rest to hear.

"What do we do?" Lara sounded more worried than anyone could have expected. Arline had become almost like her little sister and knowing she could have helped her with easing her mind made her almost as sad as Merrick.

"No one can know she left because of that, we say that you sent her on an expedition... somewhere" Aidan came up with that idea too quickly but it was effective "Regarding the King, let him grieve her, I will help him recompose" he added "And Arline is with Zeydar, that creature would give its life for her"

"Don't tell me that you blame her for anything" Lara became defensive, she knew Aidan wasn't as fond of Arline as the rest and thought the Frontlord of the King held a grudge against her Huntress for her past actions.

"She is guilty of choosing her sanity over Merrick's desires" he explained "I wish I could be that brave" Aidan confessed.

"Aidan" Lara called for him one last time "Don't let him find her, she needed to leave"

"Are you asking me to challenge the King?" Lara hesitantly nodded "Wonderful".

Merrick sneaked out of the castle while everyone had dinner. Everyone had given up the idea of looking or asking for him, so no one expected him to make an appearance during the evening.

He went to their usual spot and hid among the shadows. His fury was still palpable and the only noise was made by the light strokes of water on the shore, and even that reminded him of her.

The King whistled to the sky and within seconds Aska came down from the dark sky. He had been hesitant to do this the entire day but he could blame his emotions for not thinking in the moment. Merrick got inside his dragon's mind and ordered her "Track her down". Aska was so obedient and loyal to him that as soon as he made the request she flew over him to search for Arline and Zeydar.

"I hope you didn't do what I'm thinking" Aidan surprised him.

"What I do is none of your business Aidan" Merrick straightened his posture and spoke with a bitter tone.

"In fact it is" Aidan started approaching his friend "Not only because I'm your Frontlord, but because I'm your friend" Merrick stayed silent "Be grateful"

"What on hell is that supposed to mean?" Merrick wanted to asphyxiate his friend for even let him consider the idea to be grateful for her departure.

"At least she told you why she left, she wants peace" Aidan was unfazed by his friend's rage and sat down by his side "I just want to know, you have cared for her this long, why not confess your feelings to her?"

Merrick was out of words and started to consider punching Aidan for asking a valid question, but he contained himself and put his head down "I didn't know how" he regretted "I need her back Aidan" Merrick sounded desperate.

"No, you want her back" Aidan corrected him "And despite you being the King, you can't have everything you want" he turned his tone to the one of a counselor "Fake your emotion and play the role of High Monarch that you have desired since you were a child"

The King knew his Frontlord was right and he was indeed acting like a child, a very spoiled child.

"If she needs help, she will come back to you" Aidan was being naive about his conception of Arline.

"Arline would die before asking for help" Merrick shook his head and said knowing her better than he wished "That is what troubles me"

He then returned to his chambers. He needed to rest and clear his mind to play the game of being a King, and in order to do that, he had to make an attempt to forget the person who had forgiven him countless times after endangering her life to help him earn such position.