𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 // ꜱᴀʀᴀᴡᴀᴛ ✕ ᴛɪɴᴇ

xvi

"I'm not sure I follow." Tine cocked his head but maintained eye-contact.

"The Duke, that you so blindly fell for is feigning ignorance about the fact that he could kill you." Lian pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"What makes you think that?" Tine was having a hard time believing the man, it was all so sudden.

"The reason that man's been avoiding you is so that he won't feel bad about the fact that he taking 50 years off your life." Lian's voice was filled with desperation for Tine to understand, though it certainly felt out of character.

"Sir-"

"- It's just Lian. I am a very old mage, three hundred and twenty three." He cut Tine off, saving the curiosity. "I worked with the Dukes in the palace, and there was one Duke who met his soulmate, like Sarawat."

Tine's heart tugged at the word soulmate. He knew he felt a strong connection to Sarawat which was rather odd since he had never considered himself to find men attractive, let alone see a future with one. "Was he cured?"

"Yes he was." Lian replied, the man had a flare for the dramatic. "But the curse took 50 years off from his soulmate's life. However all was in vain since the Duke killed himself after 20 years without her."

"But how do you know I-"

"It's set in stone. And it was written in very fine print, under the terms and conditions." Lian didn't intend on leaving until Tine fully understood everything. "The terms in which Sarawat is very aware."

"Well..." Tine's eyes began prickling. "I'm sure he's trying to find ways to reverse the curse.... Right?"

"Tine, pardon my harshness.." Lian sighed, relaxing his shoulders. "There IS no cure, at least not in the 300 years I've lived. Even if there was, it's not like he's even trying."

"How do you know that??" Tine clenched his fist as the tears fell from his eyes inevitably.

"If he was trying, he wouldn't be working this hard to hate you." The older man shrugged.

"Then I'll find that fucking cure myself." Tine stated with a firm voice as his lip quivered. He slipped his gloves off and tossed it into the weed bucket before walking away.

Although he didn't know where he was going, he just let his legs lead him anywhere, he couldn't think. Tine walked fast as the tears painted his face.

How could Sarawat keep this from him when this was regarding his life. What could be going on inside that man's head? Tine couldn't help but wonder.

-Tine

My heart broke more than it already had, but not because he could put me at risk but because he didn't think I deserved to know.

It hurts.

Every cell in my body told me that I would be willing to die for him if I could be with him.

My feet came to a stop but my nerves tightened upon laying eyes on the door that loomed over me. It was Sarawat's office. I wiped my face of any evidence of my sadness.

We can talk about this.

I can convince him to let me help.

'Knock knock'

My hands cringed into fists after the knock. I almost wanted to take them back.

"Come in." My hands trembled against the door knob as I twisted it to push the door open.

"Sir, if you're not too busy, could we ta-"

"-I would appreciate it if you'd cease your trips to my office, there's no need for you to be seeking my audience unless I seek you out myself." His cold words bounced off me, I'be been hearing this for the past week.