The Rise of Erigor

Chapter Three

"Amantium irae amoris integratio est"

"The Quarrel of Lovers are the renewal of Love"

Slowly, the woman slid off her bed, approaching the man with widened eyes and an agape mouth. Gently, she rose her hand, reaching out while her eyes seemed to trace him, skimming over his features, and yet, she took in every little detail she could. The way his eyes had softened whenever he looked at her, or how his lips, once turned into a scowl, moulded into a faint, yet soft and loving smile. He looked so familiar yet still so different; his eyes were blackened, the sclera no longer the white it was previously and his irises were red- once blue. The figure only seemed to make her eyes well up with tears and her lower lip to quiver- which she took between her teeth.
As soon as he saw the first tear fall, his darkened eyes softened more- if they could; his body acted before he could even register he was moving. Ellaine was engulfed by his arms, starting to sob into his chest as she held onto him tightly. His hand began to brush back her hair while his lips placed soft kisses on her forehead. "Was work that hard today?" he inquired, even though, deep down, he knew she was crying because of him; it pained him.
In response, she only shook her head while her arms held onto him tightly, her eyes squeezing shut as tears continued to cascade down her cheeks, eventually dampening his shirt. She didn't seem to speak, only crying, almost too caught up in emotions to speak, which was alright; sometimes she just needed a good cry before collecting herself. Gently, the man cupped her cheeks, starting to take even, deep breaths, in hopes that she would join in, knowing it would calm her down. "Please, deep breaths, okay? Draw breath with me, Princess," he muttered, starting to take deep breaths with her in hopes to slow down her hiccups and sobs.
At first, they sounded like gasps and pleas for air before they became slow, even breaths, followed by a sniffle or two. The woman wiped her tears from her cheeks, her sleeves being pulled above her palms while she dragged the fabric over the tear streaks. "Y-You've been gone for so long... You left me!" she exclaimed, pushing the man away with scrunched up eyebrows, her eyes welling up with tears again. "Do you know how worried everyone's been?!" she hissed, her eyes only narrowing more while her hands balled into fists. "You promised you'd visit last week but you never showed up! I kept your secret, Asani, what more do you want me to do?"
Her words felt like a pang to his heart, as if she drove a stake deep into it. "Dearest- No," he began, gently cupping her cheeks, "It wasn't safe for you... Koku was on my tail; I had to draw him away from you." Asani spoke tenderly while he caressed her cheeks with his thumbs, his hurtful expression turning into a soft and loving one. "I promised you I would make this world safe for you; I just need more time. I need you to keep my whereabouts secret for a little longer, okay?" he requested, kissing her forehead afterwards.
However, a sigh left Ellaine while she took his rough hands into her own, her eyebrows still scrunched together, but not how they were previously. "Why can't you just let that go, for now? The world is plenty safe, Revir," she murmured, starting to play with his fingers, tracing his nails before bringing her index finger up his hand and drawing circles on the back of his palm.
The request took him off guard, and he sneered in reaction; how could she think the world was plenty safe for her? He couldn't fathom it- he could lose her at any sudden turn, and the uncertainty is what scared him. "No- No, it isn't. I could lose you to the creatures that plague this planet. I will not lose you to the mistakes of my ancestors," he grunted, his eyes boring holes into the ground beside them. But, he could never muster to look at Ellaine with such hatred. It was one of the few things that kept him, well, him.
"Well, I think you've done all that you can; there's not much more you can do without the help of a Celestial," she explained, reaching up to play with his hair. She began to twist the purple strands around her fingers as the man had let it grow out, reaching past his shoulders. "Can't you just wait until you're Emperor? So we can work on our life. You don't need to obsess over my safety when I can easily protect myself..."
A huff was earnt in reply, as Asani only continued to glare at the floor, "Just- give me more time? I swear, I'll come back to you once I know you'll be safe," he mumbled, holding onto her tighter as his arms snaked around her waist. He sighed while he put his head on her shoulder, nuzzling into her.
However, Ellaine grumbled, pushing him away slightly so she could look up at him, "Asani, I am plenty safe," she replied, laughing slightly while she took his hands. "I swear it- I am safe here in Dunlop and I will continue to be safe when you return to the Palace and become ruler- we can work on improving the planet together!" She exclaimed, flashing him a toothy smile. Her optimism was something he loved about her, being quite pessimistic himself; her words, typically, never failed to boost his mood.
Gently, he cupped her cheek, a soft chuckle leaving his lips as they melted into a warm smile, his worried expression fading away, "Thank you, Princess, you've made me feel quite better about it," he hummed, placing a chaste kiss to her lips. "I'll return home soon, I promise," he spoke as they parted, Ellaine only nodding in response.
The woman's arms laid loosely around his neck, her eyes staring up into his eyes with a loving expression. She was always so expressive around certain people, Asani being one of them; friends and family could always tell how she was feeling by the look in her eyes or the way she would scowl or smile- her lying capabilities with them were almost non-existent.
A yelp left her as Asani scooped her up, laughs erupting from him while he threw her on her bed, "Wasn't expecting that, were you, Princess?" he teased, continuing to chuckle as he pinned her. Gently, he brushed her hair back, his fingers lingering slightly before resting on her bottom lip while his eyes trailed over her body.
Softly, she hummed, nodding as a response, "No, I did not expect this at all," she laughed while her arms snaked back to their place around his neck, "I love you."
"I love you too, Princess."