Ruin and Revival

Chapter 50: The Festival of the Sun

ARIKA

"Come on, one more sit up," I gasp, breathing hard for much-needed air.

"Done. Good job," I sigh in relief as I lay on my mat, exhausted to the core. Axel pulls on his shirt, the muscles of his upper body moving with grace and precision. His strong arms haul me up with ease, heaving me onto his shoulder. I giggle as the world sways around me, my fists pounding playfully on his toned back.

Ever since that night on the beach, things had been magical. Summer made all the tragedy of the past several years fade, even just a little. The sky and the sea were a constant rich blue, birds sang their beautiful melodies, the mangos were at their juiciest and sweetest. But most of all, Axel had become my sun, my star.

For the past week, he had drastically restored himself, regaining that brawn, that confidence that made him the leader that he was. Slowly but surely, he had recovered that gleam in his eye, that relaxed swagger that had my heart pounding. I observe him now as he furrows his brow, staring at the mountains of paperwork on his desk.

"Don't you have something to do," He grunts. I set down the textbook on our bed, creating indents in the soft white comforter.

"School can wait for now. It's summer after all," I had decided to continue my education, still wanting to fulfill my dreams of becoming a surgeon, even though I knew I would have to help out Axel with his duties.

"When your boyfriend is the Imperator and your best friend's boyfriend is the head of all things medicine, I would say I don't have too much to worry about," Axel rolls his eyes in response, chewing on the end of his pencil.

"Who told you I was going to be easy? I'm going to make Sage work you twice as hard," I smirk as the pillow thumps onto Axel's head. I scream in delight as he tackles me, his laughter full of mirth and mischief.

"Today's the summer solstice," I arch my eyebrows at the man next to me, drenched in sweat from our little skirmish and the suffocating humidity.

"And every year, we have a celebration of the sun. Our ancestors believed that if we honored the sun, the sun would give us harvest, life. But if we angered it, it would bring drought and famine. Hymns are sung toward the heavens, mountains of crops and goods sacrificed at temples. It is a night filled with dancing, food, heat," The last word sends a fiery flame down my spine.

"Oh. And are you inviting me to come, despite the fact that you still have piles of paperwork and that our hold on the borders is slipping," His face darkens at the words, but despite the guilt that gnaws at me, I know he needs to be reminded of his true responsibilities.

"However, I would love to come. We can worry about all that tomorrow," I kiss his lips gently, a comforting caress that barely brushes his mouth.

"I'll have one of my designers put together a costume for you then," He smiles, though the excitement doesn't seem to reach his eyes. I dismiss it. Maybe he just has a lot on his mind.

I slide off the bed, leaving Axel to his responsibilities, dragging my multiple textbooks with me. But as I exit our room, I swear I see a look of guilt and shame on his face.

I meet Bri at the massive city library, book and scrolls from hundreds of years ago hidden with the infinite shelves. It is heavily guarded by Axel, his pride and joy. And for good reason. That much knowledge is lethal if it fell into the wrong hands.

"Did you understand the recent chapter?" Bri whispers as we slide into a desk tucked into the dim lit corners of the study room.

"Nothing," I chuckle. We dive into our studies and by the time I return to the palace, the sun has gone down fully and my headaches from all the foreign concepts that I am still trying to process. I plop my textbook down in my room before heading to Axel's. I find him asleep at his desk, his face resting on a book about politics and communications. A part of me aches for a reason I can't pinpoint.