What the Heart Wants.

Witching Hour.

Author's Note.  Sorry, this was late, but I had blood hemorrhaging into the inside of my eyes, and it has been hard to see. As scary and painful as my medical recovery is, I still write somehow for whatever reason because I'm an idiot. So here you go, I suppose.

This chapter has the most violence of any chapter in the entire story. While it is written in a PG manner, it is also written in a way so that you hopefully feel the harrowing impact of what is occurring. You have been given adequate warning, so do not give me any guff about it. I am sure all of you are mature enough to handle it.

Next is the penultimate chapter, then the grand conclusion.

Please. Remember to vote on chapters if you like my story, as it tells other readers of its quality and helps more people see my work. Thank you kindly.

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Kiel shot up from his sleep and grabbed hold of his chest because of his breathlessness.

Drenched in sweat, his eyes darted about the small bedroom he had claimed as his own—the daylight sun shining in through the window.

"Ah..." Kiel cried out while shaking, then gasped, making an effort to calm himself.

That dream again, the continuous nightmares of his people passing judgment. His death for his impure thoughts.

"Damn it all...." Kiel uttered and stood up weakly.

He reached over and grabbed his belt, then slid the knife Marianna had given him into its sheath before putting it on and tightening it. Once done, he re-sheathed his gilded sword to his left side.

"..."

He reached onto the top of the desk and took his gloves, after which he put them on.

Once out of the room, he stopped by the bathroom to stare blankly at his reflection. How long had it been...? Two months... three?

His beard was nice and full by this point, and he'd be surprised if anyone from home would recognize him at a glance.

Despite the changes in his life, his cohabitation with Marianna was something he worriedly began to enjoy. Her doting mannerisms had become ever more overt, and he found that he was charmed by her in a way that seemed unnatural.

Kiel shook his head and pushed aside the thought. He was very guarded with his feelings and tried as hard as possible to not think those disgusting thoughts about her. He was scared to, and he felt his upbringing pulling him towards hate, while Marianna pulled him back towards something indescribable.

He walked through the center room, opened the front door, and stepped out into the grassy glade. Marianna was a little bit away from him in her fancy clothes and stomping about in those boots. It was as if she went out so she simply had an excuse to run around in them.

Upon seeing him, she walked over and waved a wing. "Kiel! I'm terribly sorry I didn't wake you earlier, but you've seemed knackered as of late and looked so peaceful that I decided to go for a walk instead."

Kiel was hesitant to return her joy, but he relaxed a little when he looked at her cute face. "Oh, come now... You just want an excuse to stomp about in those boots."