Halfblood [King|Alber × Reader]

Two

"It took me years to finish this," he says. "Part of you is Lunarian, so you have a chance to see it. Although I didn't expect you could."

"Something is missing," you whisper.

"And it always will," answers King. "I'm surprised you sensed it, but you can't understand. You're only a Halfblood."

He turns around, but you suddenly feel anger boiling in your mind as his disappointment and grief filter through the last sentence.

"You said you don't care if I can't. It's about whether I want it or not," you say.

"Don't you dare use my words against me!" snaps King, and you shiver from his sharp voice.

The man frowns for a moment from your reaction, then shakes his head and walks back to the bed.

You see as he takes off his gloves, throwing them above the nightstand.

"Come. Your wings will need time to recover. I'll set them right."

When you don't move, he looks at you with displease.

"I told you why it's important, so don't push my patience," says King with a harsher tone. You bite your lip and go closer, sitting on the bed after he asks you.

Your fingers dig into the skin of your thighs while waiting, your eyes locked on the wall over the pillows.

As you watch the carving for around half a minute, you feel your muscles straining in your arms as they want to follow the pattern again.

But you tremble when he suddenly touches your back. King tsk-s silently as he feels your shudder, and his movements become slower and more careful.

He gathers your hair and places it over your shoulder.

You reach for it with your left hand, silently playing with the locks. The man runs his fingers over the upper part of your wing gently.

It connects him to his lost past, even if you aren't worthy of having them in his eyes.

Your head drops from the slight pain as he moves the broken part. The wing is stiff and rigid.

King whispers something to himself that you can't hear, then he checks the left one. Your eyes are wide as you prepare yourself for what may come.

"Who did this?" he asks.

Your fists clench.

"You can't expect honesty from me if you don't return it," says the Lunarian. "I don't like reminding you, but your life is only in my hands now. As long as you stay here, I want balance. For that, you must answer my questions, so I'll answer yours."

You freeze as he rips the back of your shirt. You scaredly cross your arms over your chest. But King stops as he sees the mark and the scars on your back.

You hear as he takes a step away.

"Mariejois," he says silently.

You nod and feel the slight shaking of your hands. You straighten your back.

"Maybe you look down on me for being a Halfblood," you whisper, your stomach turning from using this word. "But it was enough for the World Nobles."

King doesn't react, and you push your tongue to your palate to feel its numbness.

"I never gave up on escaping," you continue. "The Celestial Dragons took my wings as a punishment, then took my voice."

You turn around and feel your eyes burning as you stop your tears, not to show weakness. King's face is emotionless and serious as you talk again.

"Don't think you're the only one who hates humanity."

Suddenly the man smiles, and your heart drops as you see it. He comes closer again and leans down, his hair falling like molten silver. You recoil as you feel his scent so close.

"Don't let their hate spread," he whispers softly.

King touches your face and turns it away. Your heart misses a beat from the sadness in his words. You don't have enough power to resist.

His hands arrive at your wing again, and you feel the grip growing stronger, searching for the right direction. You cast down your eyes.

"This won't be easy, Half-"

"[Y/N]."

His thumb brushes a black feather, and he waits for a few seconds. Your heart beats faster again, but it falls back to the shadows as he answers. His voice is quiet and distant.

"Stay still, Halfblood."

And you hear the snap of your bones.

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Several hours later

You're sitting on the carpet, watching the carving of the walls again. You memorized the order of movements and keep repeating it, but you stop whenever you reach the turning point.

King disappeared after he secured and tied both your wings, but he told you not to touch anything.

Even if it hurt, it was a different kind of pain from before. Now they are truly healing, returning to the form they were always supposed to take.

You hear the man entering the room. He walks closer to you and watches your attempts for a few minutes.

"Can you see the four main strokes?" asks King. The edge of his tone faded away. Wherever he was, it helped him regain his calm.

You let down your hands. When you see the mask hiding the Lunarian's face, that strange loneliness appears again.

You rather close your eyes and turn away.

"I think so."

"Name them."

You lour confusedly and lean closer to the carving, trying to see more of it.

The impressions come into your mind from earlier, when you first followed the ornament.

You answer before thinking about it.

"Stars, forest, mist, flames."

He looks at you surprisedly.

"Almost," he says with apparent disbelief. "Sky, earth, blood, fire. Your hands follow the last two."

"I don't understand," you whisper.

King takes his mask and gloves off, then steps to the carving, gently placing his bare hand over the middle of the circular pattern.

You can't believe the amount of care and tenderness in a single touch.

He looks at the spirals of books and the windows in the distance. You shiver as you notice the edge of a deep scar, showing up for a second by his sleeve as he lifts his arm.

Even a man like you isn't perfect.

A slight smile plays on his lips.

"This place holds everything I could save from the Lunarians' world," he says, turning back to you. "And if you can see it, I will help you understand."

King's calmness turns disturbed like a lake's surface after the first raindrop in a storm. It happens every time he looks into your eyes, a human's eyes.

"The dance of the Sun and the Moon."

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