Wayfinding | Aaravos x Reader |

CHAPTER 44

"I'm . . . I'm sorry. I failed to see the bigger picture and I questioned your intentions. I promise it won't happen again-"

"No. Let it. I'd rather you be a skeptic than a witless sheep."

A curve met your lips before you blurted out unfalteringly, "I'd like to continue with our lesson." It caused the male's eyes to widen. But once he soaked up your request, a rich chuckle left eluded him.

"Very well then. Line forty-seven."

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

When the session came to an end, all you could picture was Uzner in a sea-like meadow, burying his toes into damp and welcoming soils. The smile encasing his lips would reign over the radiance of the sun. And you and Harrow would be there, blinking away tears as your brother would race through greenery, hollering at the skies, "Dad! I can walk again!"

That dream, once inhumed in the depths of your psyche, made its debut after nearly twenty-years. And that dream, with each lecture and night you spend with your mentor, could become reality. All you had to do was focus and become the greatest archmage to ever exist - just as you had always wanted.

It was a win-win situation.

Simple and easy.

With teeming joy and an imperishable beam, you gathered your belongings. After lessons were over, the very first thing you wanted to do was barge into the King's chamber and tell your old friend how fate was suddenly kind to you. However, before you could skip off into your jaunt, you spotted a fine note lingering on the cobblestone floors of the corridor. Muddled, you scanned the hallways for its owner. Once you were sure the culprit was not in sight, you grabbed the paper. Honestly, it took you a second to recognize the seal, but after reading through the letter, things became clearer.

It was Viren.

He wanted you to come home.

Which didn't you quite understand because he knew you were in the study. Thank fortunes, he didn't just burst through the lock and door to see you with your starry guru. Still, the sickly feeling of trepidation turned over your stomach. After that, Uzner and Harrow became a back-burner thought as you beetled towards your room.

When you arrived at your destination, you caught a whiff of the spiced orchids that dangled in the air even before your fingers met the cool brass of the doorknob. It was a rare scent that you only ever associated with Claudia, so you were especially unsettled that a good sample of aroma originated from your chamber. When you finally peered into the room, it was apparent why that was the case. The shelves that were once lined with decanters and tomes, all ranked by size, were no longer there. Instead, they had been replaced with lonely, lit candles that insistently dripped with wax. But aside from that small touch, nothing else had been altered. The bed was sharply made. Not a crease was in sight - not even on the canopies that were tied clean to the posts. The far right window was slightly ajar, granting access to peeking moonlight as the drapes fluttered in the wind. Even the cold, brooding silence - that was native to the space - was in attendance.

"Viren?" You called out gently, perching your satchel against a bookcase. While your eyes roamed the empty space, you wondered why he invited you in the first place. Nothing good, you were sure. So you mentally prepared yourself for a quarrel you didn't know anything about. But then, as though to erase your qualms, you felt a pair of lips dust over your shoulder - a gesture you only shared with one other.

"Hello, my love . . ."

"You've had quite the long day, haven't you?" he murmured between peppered kisses. The raspiness of his voice, so close to your skin, sent vibrations to every nerve in your being. "A Lady should never be alone and wander at such an hour. You must be careful."