Annndddd your queen is back!!
Hello chicken nuggets! Hope you all have or had a good day!
Because this chapter is quite entertaining yet a little angsty.
Anywhore, ONWARDS!!!!
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|Arthur's POV|
The three of us walked on in silence, with Nico holding Cecilia's hand tightly. He looked as if to be in a trance of some sort. His dark eyes glazed over and face completely unreadable. The cavern we'd left not too long ago still pulsed with aether rhythmically and could be felt even from this distance. Neither of the two had spoken a word since we left, all of us consumed by our thoughts and replaying memories from a time long before this one. One that brought back so much guilt, pain and anguish. But for me...loneliness.
Yet that's not all I'd felt at the moment.
Never is my life had I been so nervous. With Nico finally materializing back into the physical world, I feared how the others would react. Namely, Tessia and gramps. Let alone Sylvie and my mother. All four having been there when Nico kidnapped Tess and only days later seen her condition and the daunting sight of our dead twins.
To that extent, even I most of all couldn't forgive him for that. And I know that even if I wanted to retain some semblance of a friendship with him, there would be a strain between us. A wall that would be the blockade between him and I. Though, I understood his rage, his anguish. And like me, he resorted to a sick form a revenge, even if it was greatly influenced by Agrona and his mind games. So even then, it wasn't entirely his fault.
That bastard Agrona manipulated his memories as he did Cecilia, making me out to be the antagonist in all of this. Bet that horned bastard didn't expect me to be able to undo his handy work on the minds of the two people that were forced to followed me into this new life.
Slowly, I'm pulled from my thoughts as the house comes into view. Luckily for some reason or another, there weren't many, if any people outside today. As we approached the house, I stopped and turned to my two companions with a light sigh.
"First off, let Cecilia and I do the talking, Nico. Everyone will be at your throat in an instant because of what you did." I stated calmly, while Nico gave a curt nod in understanding. His hands trembled lightly, and as if sensing his apprehension, Cecil took hold of his hand. The corners of her lips lift into a sad smile as she gives him a reassuring nod. With a steady breath, his eyes settle on me. Turning back around, I quickly open the door and walk inside.
Almost immediately, a wheat blond blur slams into me full tilt as a playful giggle resounds in my ears. Catching her with ease, I let Sylvie wrap herself around me like the koalas in my previous world.
"I was only gone for an hour-"
"I always expect the worst when you leave. Ya know...? To keep my sanity." She mutters into my shirt before she leans away to peer up and the incredulous expression plastered on my face. "Don't look at me like that. You know it's true...and I'm right. What the hell is he doing here?" Her sudden change in demeanor was expected, but still startling as her face contorted into one of complete and utter hatred. Her once rounded pupils now narrowly slitted.
"A-Arthur?" At hearing her voice, my eyes redirected themselves to hone in on my fiancé, and my chest ached at the expression on her face. She was backing away, stepping back into the house on trembling legs. Yet before she could fall, I was by her side in a split second. Completely blocking her view of Nico in the process.
"Tess, slow down. Take a breath and I'll explain everything." I kept my voice low, slow and steady, taking hold of her shoulders to keep her from falling backwards. Even then I could feel the quick breaths she was taking didn't slow down in the slightest and I could tell she was slowing slipping into a panic attack.
"Cecilia, take him back with you. I'll handle things here." I didn't wait to hear or see Cecilia's confirmation as I picked Tess up bridal style and godstepped into our room. Slowly, I sat her on the bed, moving to sit directly in front of her in an attempt to get her full attention. Worry ebbed away and became stronger as the far-away look in her eyes intensified as her breath hitched, tears slipping down her face as she stopped breathing all together.
"Tessia, baby, look at me. All eyes on me." She flinched under my touch as my hands nestled against her tear stained cheeks. It seemed my touch brought her back to the present as her eyes dart around the room, frantically taking in her surroundings, yet her eyes seemed to stay locked on either the door, or the windows.
She was looking for escape routes.
"Art-" she gasped quietly.
"I'm right here, Tess. Look at me, I need you to take a deep breath okay? Breathe with me?" Her eyes finally settle on me, as if I'd only just appeared within her line of sight. She watched as I took a deep, heavy breath, which prompted her to do the same. Together, we sat in momentary silence as I monitored her. Taking her hands, I started rubbing circles over her knuckles, murmuring softly to her in reassurance and watched her as she slowly came down.
"W-was he really..?" She cut herself off before she could finish, fear welling up in her eyes as she looked up at me. I felt a pang of deep seeded guilt and pain at the look she was giving me, and I couldn't help but pull her in close. Wrapping my arms around her as she settled sideways into my lap, curling into herself as she leaned her head against my shoulder.
"...." I couldn't find the will to talk, instead opting to show her my own memories of what happened only an hour ago. She froze at the feeling of my probing inside her mind as I connected her consciousness to mine. Slowly, I showed her what happened. It took only a few minutes to show her everything before I disconnected from her mind, placing a chaste kiss to her head.
"...You forgive him..?" Her voice was soft yet hoarse from her crying. She peered up at me, expression completely neutral as she waits for my response.
"No. Even if he was being manipulated, it was ultimately his choice to try and take not only your life, but the lives of our children....I could never forgive him for that." I shook my head as she nods in return, laying back against me as she tried to stop her body from trembling.
"A-and you promised Cecilia that you'd bring him back, right? Because that's her fiancé??" I hummed in confirmation at her question, feeling her breath stutter in her chest for a moment. I let my aura flare out calmly around us, distracting Tess' senses in order to keep her from spiraling again. Low and high pitch hums reverberated through the room, filling the air with soft vibrations and just that quickly, I felt the tension in Tess' body relax.
Pain gripped my heart at her small sniffles. I should've known better than to immediately bring him here. If anything, I should've sent him back with Cecilia immediately upon leaving the cave and simply shared the information with gramps and my fellow Lances.
'Well at least you know where you went wrong. Seriously Papa. I could strangle you right now.' Sylvie's voice echoed in my mind. Her tone that of pure disappointment. I could practically see her shaking her head with a sigh of exasperation.
'I know....I'm an idiot.' Was my curt reply as I released a sigh of my own.
"Can we stay like this...for a little longer?" Tess' small voice drug me back to reality. Looking down at her, the scene reminded me of when we were little. Back when I first found her in the forest. She looked just as small and helpless as she did then.
"We can stay like this for as long as you want." I muttered into her hair, placing kisses wherever I could. Giggles bubbles up from her as she struggles in my tightened hold, trying to get away from me as I smothered her in affection. It took a few minutes of her squirming before she gave up and went limp, letting me have my way as I sprinkled small pecks everywhere.
"I wish you were this affectionate when we were kids." She sighs while having no other choice but to sag against me.
"He was emotionally constipated when you were kids."
"For fuck sake, Regis!"
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Your favorite failure is back!
Heh, hi guys...
I know this update literally took...for fuckin ever to be published, but in my defense...working and going to school fucking sucks.
I might drop out at this rate :(
Wish me luck!
See ya!
(1,555 words)