‟Tonight shall be the first and last night that we spend together, Gianita, for I do not intend to produce heirs by this marriage. The Prince would still be my heir, even though you're the Empress.‟
‟Then why keep me, Sire, if I am of no use to you...
Shrugging, Cal began to feel his body shuddered with panic. "No! He isn't—he couldn't! He was a victim of your exploits, as much as I was!"
"Who do you think met him in the forest? You could try to hide him from us, my Prince, but could you forever hide him from himself?"
The temperature in the room dropped significantly. Cal's lips quivered in vain as he couldn't find it in himself to retaliate. No, that couldn't be true. It was all lies! Lies!
"You cannot sever the ties between a child and its mother!"
"I never consented to you being his mother! He's a part of me that you had stolen, just like you did with everything else! My body, my honour, my sanity!"
"That is a part of your delusion. You're a coward. None of those ever really belonged to you." Her smile faded into a look of contempt. "Just like your son."
"No, he's mine, only mine. He isn't vile like you!"
"He's my son!" She howled, lunging towards him aggressively, grabbing him by the collar and slammed his head against the wall. "He's my son, you idiot. He's my son. He'll grow up like me, and he'll become me."
Cal bit his lip, arms hanging limply on his sides. Succumbing to his doomed fate, he willed his eyes and ears to shut as Isleen continued chanting: 'He's my son, my son, my son!'
Why was he always allowing her to treat him like crap? Why was he always so helpless against this wench?
Maybe, he deserved it.
His head lolled to the side, catching a glimpse of Junior, still sleeping soundly in his cot.
Junior!
He had to save him... His son. He should never have to suffer the same way that he did. He must protect him. He had to fight back.
The sight of Junior alone was enough for him to regain his strength. His arms trembled as he first raised them, but they slowly steadied, putting a distance between the wretched woman and himself.
"He's my son!" growled Cal, fingers slowly closing around her throat. "You may have hurt me but you shall never lay a hand on him. Not while I'm here!"
Isleen gasped, her eyes opening wide as she choked.
Realizing he had finally seized control, Cal grimaced. "Get lost, you bitch!" He spat before kicking her in the gut.
***
Cal told Dr. Jaeyr about the encounter in his therapy session the next day.
"So, you've seen her again?"
"Yes, in a dream this time," replied Cal. Unlike someone who had experienced a nightmare, he kept a calmed expression, a tranquil smile, and a sense of pride. Truly, he felt like a hero who had slain the monster. "But this time, I was able to fight back. I did more than anything I was capable of doing when she was alive. It felt good. I got rid of her."
The Doctor leaned forward in her chair. "Did she mention anything about your wife? Your current wife, I mean."
"No," Cal answered with certainty. "It was weird, I would have assumed she would but she didn't even mention anything related to Gigi. It felt like she was specifically targeting Junior." Cal explained as if he was answering a question he had on his own mind while the Doctor fiddled with her notes.
"Not that I believe she could still reach out from the grave or anything like that, but you know... After Gigi got into that accident, it turned out that someone was attempting to kidnap Junior. Somehow my subconscious decided to connect the dots."
"Though assuming from how calm you are, Junior is alright, I believe?"
"Oh, yes yes. He's safe and at home." Cal smiled serenely. "He was just being a boy and he was sorry for Gigi. I'm pretty sure I did worse things at his age back in the day. I was quite the rebel, you see."
"My current conclusion would be that your symptoms might not be associated only with your intimate activities, but more correlated to the things you fear. Which mostly revolve around intimacy, but not limited to," explained the Doctor.
"So, would it be alright if I... try to be intimate with my wife?" he swallowed in anticipation as he waited for the response.
"Honestly? I wouldn't suggest it. I feel like it would be safer for you to complete your fifth session before I were to ask you to try anything remotely intimate. Why the sudden urge to get intimate with your wife, Cal?"
"Lots of people are dying..." Cal pressed his lips with a slight frown, shaking his head. "Not lots maybe, but some people. They died very young, and when Gigi got into that accident... I wouldn't want to live in regret if death separated us before I could show her how much I love her."
"Well, do you feel mentally fit to get into such intimacy?"
"I feel marvelous!" he declared with confidence. "It feels like I've gained back some control. If she reappeared, in my dream or anywhere else, I would put her in place again; send her back to the purgatory where she belongs. Would it hurt so much to try?"
"It would be risky," warned the doctor.
"I know... But it's worth the risk."
"I will not formally recommend it, still, but the choice is yours. I think that concludes today's session." The Doctor ended leniently, closing her journal. "You've been taking your pills, right?"
"Regularly." Cal rose up from his seat, grabbing his coat. "Thank you, Jeanine. See you in two weeks."
***
As he returned to Gigi's chambers, he was surprised to see his wife already awakened and seated in bed, with Junior in her lap and clinging to her.
It looked like they were having a moment.
There was a glint in Gigi's eyes as they caught him. She had a gleaming smile that didn't look like what you would expect of someone who was sick and put on bed rest for two weeks.
She looked beautiful even in her sleep but when she was awake? She was shining.
"Sire, you're home!"
.·。.·゜·༺♥༻ ·゜·。.
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(PS: 'Isleen' is pronounced like 'Eileen', without the 'S')
