Wayfinding | Aaravos x Reader |

CHAPTER 37

"I - uh - of course . . . thank you, my lord."

"Viren," he muttered, glancing away with his bottom lip jutted into a pout. "You can call me, Viren."

"Viren." You grinned teasingly, finding it curious how one of the most powerful men in Katolis seemed to squirm under your faintest look. "I should help my brother prepare for tomorrow. But I do appreciate all of this."

"Right, right . . . I'm sorry I can't make it to the anniversary-"

"Shh, no. It's alright. You've done more than enough for me and my family thus far. I still don't know how to repay you-"

"There's no need for that," he hummed blithely, folding an arm behind his back. "I will see you at our next lesson then."

With a bow of his head, the man dismissed you. As you left, however, you were almost certain you saw a foreign fondness saturating his silver hues. Given his status and poise, cordiality was not something the mage often delivered. But as months passed, it became a common trend with you. And yet, you would not accept it as the truth - even if the courtiers jested about it.

There was no way the Lord fancied you.

And if it was true - you had no plans to humor it.

But, it would be a blatant lie if you said you didn't savour the attention.

"(Y/n)."

You froze dead in your tracks. The hefty doors that you failed to hold onto, slammed shut and shoved you forward in the hallway. Goosebumps raided your flesh as silence consumed the palace. "H-Hello?" You called, unsure of what else you could do. There was not a being in sight and Viren was still occupied in his study.

His study.

'Good dragons - his study . . .' You trembled as you gaped at the barrier.

Seeing as you were sightless, there was no way you could have figured it out before. But now, with the scenery in full view, things were crystal clear. The room - it used to be a mere wall. And that wall beckoned you not once but a thousand times using the voice of someone both ethereal and arcane. That wall was also where you learned the prophecy of your demise and the unrivaled entity that would cause it. At some point, a few years prior, you heard that the palace was being renovated to accommodate the needs of the courtiers. You assumed that was when the Lord's study came to be. But that epiphany scratched a wound you would have preferred to keep under-covers.

The whispers, the bug - it was obviously him - the man from your youth. But what was he implying? Was your growth and fall really in Lord Viren's hands? Or was there a greater peril you should be wary of? You tried not to rack your brain over it, especially when you couldn't even investigate your reservations without being labelled a paranoid. Yet, your breath grew shallow with each passing minute.

How was it that you knew so much - learned so much - but knew nothing all at once?

Something was coming - something beyond human comprehension. And all you could do was sit around with gut-wrenching anxiety while you anticipated its arrival.

As if offended by your train of thought, thunder bellowed above your head. Tiny specks of rain freckled the kingdom, but the shadows that bestrewed the sky promised the making of a proper storm. Sensing the threats, you scurried out the tower and followed the path of the battlement. Before you made it to the east tower though, the beating of strong wings caught you off guard. When you took a gander over your shoulder, the familiar sizable bird landed on the ledge and cawed in greeting.