Echoes Of War

32

Amidst the quiet murmur of the stables, Killian approached me with a sincerity that mirrored the depth of our connection. His eyes, pools of concern, reflected the unspoken turmoil within my own.

"I'm sorry, Kel'enas," he began, the words carrying a weight of regret. "I wish I could have protected you."

A sigh escaped my lips as I offered a reassuring smile. "Killian, it's okay. I chose to face Ileana on my own. I can handle it."

His expression tightened, an underlying worry etching lines on his features. "You shouldn't have had to face her alone," he insisted, his hand reaching out as if to shield me from unseen threats.

I pulled away, a sudden fierceness surfacing. "I'm not a coward, Killian," I asserted, my voice cutting through the quiet air. His hands retreated, understanding flickering in his gaze. "And besides I've been on my own far longer than-"

"It's not about being coward, you're far from it. You don't have to do this alone, you have me, all of us around." He explained gently, a hand hovering in the space between us. "You can lean on me."

"I don't know how to, it's always been me and my thoughts alone, no else......so I don't know how to do that." I explained feeling exhausted and tired.

He grabs my hands and kisses them, "I won't give up on you. Not now, not in the future either, so if we've got to learn this together, so be it." I chuckled a little and regretted it due to pain in my side.

"Promise?" "You have my word my Queen." I smiled and slapped his shoulder.
"Don't let Remington hear you call me that, or else he'll grow a second head." We laughed and pulls me closer and hugs me.

In that moment, the unspoken support of my allies surrounded me, forming an invisible shield against the uncertainties that lay ahead. Together, we faced the challenges that awaited, drawing strength from the connections that had grown amidst the trials we had endured.