Embers in the Dark

The Griffin God

A huff escaped Lilly. "I know. But...this was huge, you know? I didn't want to keep it from him because he gets really angry when I keep things from him."

Arthur shut his eyes lightly. He acted like a hypocrite tonight and he hated himself for it. Was he ever going to learn to treat Lilly better?

"I get that, but really, it couldn't have waited a few more hours?" Tora asked.

"I don't know," Lilly answered glumly. "Like I said, he gets angry when I keep secrets. If I had waited, he might have gotten mad about it."

Tora looked over her shoulder, spotting Arthur. She grinned before looking at the distraught Lilly. "He'll get over it."

"Will he? He acts like the things we've done to each other is in the past, but clearly it's not for either one of us. Just when I think things are goin' to be fine, I do somethin' wrong or he does somethin' wrong and...I'm scared I'll lose control and hurt him."

"Did you honestly expect things to be repaired immediately?"

"I don't know what I expected. I haven't had time to give it any thought because things have been movin' so quickly. I found out I'm a demigod and a princess, Darrach is an Atlantean machine tree with a fuckin' soul, my daughter Cahira is alive, I have more powers than I thought I had, my two other soul pieces want to have sex with my husband, Micah killed Eliza and Isaac, my twin children are war maniacs, we're wealthy as all hell, my mother is stuck on one of the islands of Atlantis with three psychos, I have Berserker Syndrome...I mean, it's a lot. I feel very overwhelmed about it all and I just..." Lilly sniffled. "I..."

When Lilly's shoulders began to shake and Arthur heard the distinct sound of his wife crying, he came around and knelt down in front of Lilly, surprising her as she looked at him with watery, wide eyes.

"I'm sorry," Arthur said with a frown, grabbing her hands and kissing them. "I'm a fool, I'm an idiot, I'm-"

Lilly pulled him up between her legs and kissed him madly. Arthur groaned into her mouth as he grasped her face. He heard Tora and others chuckle near them but he didn't care. The only thing that mattered was that Lilly didn't hate his guts.

"I'm sorry," Lilly sniffed as she hugged him. "I'm so sorry, Arthur."

"It's okay, mo bhean chéile," Arthur cooed as he pulled her into his lap. [my wife.]

"I just thought ya would be happy tah hurt Micah, or tah have me hurt him fer ya," she sobbed pathetically.

"I know, I know," he chuckled as he rubbed her back. "I'm happy with the gift, honey. It just caught me off guard and I wasn't ready to handle the feelings that got stirred up."

"Oh, I know exactly what ya mean," she said, pulling back to dry her still tearful eyes.

"Is this what it's felt like your whole life?" Arthur asked in a low whisper. "To run away from the things that hurt you?"

Lilly cautiously eyed the other fighters who were watching them closely. "Yes, but I always bury my demons before I run," she said softly.

"Damn," Arthur said with a smirk.

"Ahem," Tora said, eyeing the arena. "You're up to fight Zongmeng now, Lilly."

Arthur helped his wife up and pressed a soft kiss to her lips before eyeing the fighter who was waiting impatiently in the arena. "Taispeáin aon trócaire, a leanbh," he cooed. [Show no mercy, baby.]

"Ar ndóigh, mo chuisle," Lilly said with a wicked smile. [Of course, my pulse.]

As Arthur watched Lilly make her way onto the arena's dirt, people shouting and cheering while drumming began to commence, he let a smile appear on his face.