The Morality of Mortality (Jurdan)

The Morality of Mortality

My hopes dwindled with each passing day. My letters remained unanswered as did my prayers for her return. I spent my nights in her rooms drinking in the vanishing smell of her from her coverlets, falling asleep holding on to her doublets. I knew that she had figured out my trickery and was choosing to stay away out of her resentment for me- I could hardly blame her.

In her presence I had so often been cruel, mistaking my devotion to her for contempt and now our truce was over, short lived as it was. The brief reprieve from our feuding had passed but I would have done anything to have her admonish me again.

I tried to forget her eyes and the way they glowed amber in the sunlight, the way that her hair frizzed from the sweat of her swordplay, I tried to forget the odd curve of her ears and the scars on her hands and they way my weight felt on top of her. But I could never forget.

It made me hate her all over again.

One night I found myself summoning a ferry, captained by a stout goblin. I dressed myself in a pitch dark cloak with the hood covering my hair and most of my face. The goblin didn't ask of my business, which I was grateful for. I didn't really know what I was expecting to do. I couldn't drag her back to Elfhame unwillingly, she would never forgive me.

My legs were unstable as I stepped foot onto mortal soil, I knew in a short time I would be able to hold her in my arms and beg her-humility be damned- to come home. I followed the streets to the apartment block I was told she resided in, located hastily by the Shadow Court. It was tall and bland, a concrete tower block with the distressing tang of iron hanging heavily around it.

As I climbed the stairs I rehearsed all the things I would say to convince her to come home, running them over in my mind until I got them as close to perfect as they would ever be. I came to a stop outside her front door, and knocked as loudly as I dared.

"Who's there?" A small voice asked from behind the wood.

"High King Cardan. Now identify yourself and let me inside at once." The was a clank and a rattle before the door swung open . There stood Oak, a little taller than the last time I had seen him.

"Oh hi, Cardan. Jude's in the bathroom."

"Fetch her for me, Princeling." I demanded, impatiently.

"She's been in there a while, she wasn't answering me. Can you reach the Cokes in the fridge?" I strode into the residence and looked around, it was a pokey space, barely enough room for two people let alone four. Oak pointed me to the fridge, a peculiar object that hit me with a shock of cold air. I passed him what he needed and walked back into the more open space.

"Where is Vivienne? Or the pink haired girl?" I asked.

"It's date night, Jude's meant to look after me. She kind of sucks at it." He explained.

"Where is the bathroom?" He pointed down a shallow hall, where I saw a dim orange light leaking out from under a door. I knocked on the door and when there was no answer I knocked again, louder. "Jude? Jude I command you to open up." Still, there was no noise from the other side of the door. I rattled the handle and banged against the wood.

"Cardan? What's going on?" Oak asked, his voice quieter than I had ever heard it.

"How long has she been in there?" My voice was harsher than I had intended.

"Like a half hour? I could hear her before but she's been quiet for a while." I slammed my hands against the door once more before trying the handle again.

"Oak, I want you to call Vivi. Tell her to come back immediately. Then go and wait in your room until someone comes to get you, okay?" He nodded and did as he was told.