Zane⁓Chan: The High Priest's Love: REWRITTEN

THIRTY-FIVE: His Departure and Her Pain

Walking down the hallway a bit, I stopped and turned around to face him but I couldn't bring myself to look up at him, he clearly could tell but waited patiently.

I can do this.

"I'm not going back with you guys" I blurted out and finally looked up at Zane, I could see the surprise on his face as he cleared his throat and took a step back.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Becuase Kia asked me to stay here with her and I've already abandoned her once, I cannot do it again" I answered, he stared down at me and I could see the pain in his eyes.

"I can't lose you again Nana" He whispered.

"Then stay here with me Zane. I cannot abandon my baby sister again after doing it once before. I cannot take Seze away from her siblings either, she wouldn't cope well with it. Stay here with me" I felt tears brimming in my eyes.

He stepped forward and pressed our foreheads together, his hand rested on the side of my face as he let out a breath and I knew exactly what he was going to say.

"You know I cannot do that Nana" I closed my eyes.

"Please" I whispered.

"If this was before, when I was simply just the High Priest. I would Nana but I cannot make Garroth the Lord of O'Khasis. I will not do that to him and I will not force my mother to be Lord when she does not want to be. I cannot leave O'Khasis in the hands of someone who is not a Ro'Meave. I am the one who killed him, I'm the one who has to be Lord. I have to go back" He explained, a tear slid down my face.

"Can't you stay for just a little bit" I whispered.

"I cannot. O'Khasis is being run by the Jury currently but they cannot continue to run an entire village they have no experience running in and I need to start preparations to be Lord right away. Please think about this and come with us" I shook my head with a quiet soft.

"I cannot abandon her again" I whispered.

"Then I guess....this is goodbye" I let out a louder sob and felt him press his lips to my forehead, I didn't move and I felt a tear slide from his face to mine before he pulled away and looked at me once more and turned around walking away.

-3 Hours Later-

Aphmau turned to look at me, a tear sliding down her face as she walked towards me and wrapped her arms tightly around me, I hugged her back just as tight.

"Are you sure you can't come back with us?" She whispered, I hugged her back resting my head against hers as we squeezed each other tightly, a tear slid down my face into her hair.

"I can't abandon Kia again Aphmau" I whispered, she nodded her head and we pulled back as I pulled out two envelopes and held them out to her, she looked down at them.

"What's this?" She asked.

"I want you to give these to Levin and Malachi. And read them to them each, and when their older to give them the second letter in the envelope" I explained, she nodded her head.

"Thank you for everything Kawaii-Chan. Thank you for protecting Phoenix Drop and protecting me only days after meeting me" I nodded my head and smiled at her.

"Thank you for allowing me to be apart of your life for the last year" She sucked in a breath and turned around walking towards the horse I had already got set up for her.

Garroth looked over at me, I smiled at him and he nodded his head, I knew he hated goodbyes so I left him at that and he climbed up onto his horse looking away from me.

Laurance walked up to me and wrapped his arms tightly around me, I hugged him back and he lifted me up off the ground for a moment and squeezed me tight.

"Write constantly Ashida, even if I end up getting multiple letters at once" He said, I nodded my head as he set me back down on the ground and looked down at me.

"I will. I promise and you have to do the same thing" I said, he smiled softly at me.

"How am I supposed to go on with my day without getting a rose from you" I laughed and pulled out a yellow rose and held it out to him, he smiled as he took it.

"It's a special one, it'll stay alive for as long as I am. It'll also let you know if I end up getting hurt" Laurance nodded his head and looked over at Kia who I hadn't even realized was next to me.

She's gotten to know Laurance over the past couple of days and I watched them hug each other for a moment before I looked over to see Zane talking with Garroth.

We had already said goodbye so I knew we wouldn't say goodbye again but he must've felt eyes on him because he looked over at me and stared at me for a moment before I looked away.

"You better take care of her Kia. Or else I may have to come back here and put you up on that shelf again" Kia laughed remembering when she bugged Laurance so much a day after meeting him that he put her on a shelf and walked away.

"I will Laurance. It was nice to meet all of you" Everyone nodded their heads and I watched Laurance get up on his horse and get situated when I felt a hand on my arm.

Looking over I seen Lady Zianna standing there, I smiled softly at her as she grabbed my hands and squeezed them softly, I stared at her trying to stop myself from crying.

"It was an honour to meet you Kawaii-Chan. Thank you for putting your life on the line to save my village and thank you for choosing to love my son no matter how short of time it was" I smiled at her.

"Thank you for taking care of me when I couldn't take care of myself" She nodded her head and let my hands go and pulled something out, I looked down at it.

It was an O'Khasis symbol but it looked to be hold, she grabbed my hand and placed it in the palm of my hand and closed my fist around it so I couldn't try giving it back to her.

"It was passed down through my family. Zane insisted you have it as a memory of O'Khasis" I went to protest but she shushed me and walked away before I could do anything.

I watched as they once more bid us goodbye before starting off back through the portal that had opened up for them, I watched it close a moment later.

"Are you alright darling?" Mother asked, I clipped the O'Khasis symbol to my dress and nodded my head forcing a smile onto my face and let out a breath.

"I'm fine. I'm going to see Seze" I said and walked away from them before they could even respond, I blocked out anything they were going to say to me and I sighed.

Running down the pathway towards where Seze stays I could see her eating in the distance and a felt a tear slide down my face as I picked up the pace.

By the time I reached her I felt more tears sliding down my face and she looked over at me, moving towards me until her head was in front of me and I was wrapping my arms around her head.

Resting my head between her eyes, I felt my tears landing on her face and I knew she could feel my sadness by the way her wings lowered to her side and her tail moved to wrap around her and I.

"I couldn't take you away from your siblings.....you'd miss them far too much so I decided to stay" She could understand me and she could talk back to me in her own language.

"Is it worth your happiness Nana" She spoke back in her language that I underwood thankfully, sitting down in front of her, I ran my fingers over her nose softly.

"I cannot abandon Kia again and I will not leave without you" I responded.

"I'd go anywhere with you. And Kia will understand one day that she cannot ask you to stay somewhere you no longer think of as home. You think of that man as home now" I stared at her.

"Still as smart as ever Seze" I whispered, she let out the quiet happy noise and moved to rest part of her large head on my lap and I couldn't help but smile.

"I missed you Nana"

"I missed you too Seze"