Furina's POV
I took another sip of the bottle of fire-water in my hands, hoping it would quell the intense fear inside me.
Wriothesley...
He knows...
He knows, but how much?
I asked him about his relationship with Neuvillette not only because I was truly interested, but to try and give myself some time to prepare for whatever it was that he could say.
Maybe he didn't know much, only some superficial information.
Maybe he didn't know anything and was simply insane and talking nonsense.
But it appears I was wrong and he didn't give me much time to think.
"I know that you are not Focalors, Furina." He said.
His voice was soft and surprisingly gentle, but that did not help soften the blow that those words spoke out loud gave me.
"Wha-What- I-"
"Don't. Please don't try and deny it. I know that you were told to act as archon while Focalors tries to stop the prophecy. I know that you are no god." He interrupted me.
Ah...
For those words to be spoken out loud.
It both terrified me and felt like a great relief.
Even though I was filled with fear knowing that the secret I had kept hidden for so long was out, deep down I couldn't help but feel like I was finally done now. That everything was over.
Even though I knew damn well that I was not done.
I had my head bowed while he spoke, trying not to look scared half to death, so I was shocked when I was suddenly enveloped in a hesitant hug.
"Furina, I... I want to tell you- No, I need to tell you that you are doing well. You are doing your best and that's enough." He whispered.
Enough...?
It is enough-
"Fontaine will be-"
"Just continue doing as you did till now, Furina." He cut me off.
Ah...
He won't tell me.
He either can't or is refusing to do so.
But...
"How long into the future did you return from?" I managed to ask.
"Five years."
Five years...
"And the prophecy-"
"Soon."
Soon he says...
It was a terrifying thing to know but at the same time, it made me smile.
In five years Fontaine still stands.
Or at least he was still alive and so was Neuvillette.
Neuvillette would not have just watched Fontaine fall.
While the lack of explanation left room for doubt, I chose to believe in the best instead of the worst.
Because he said I was doing enough.
And for once...
I'll trust someone for once, consequences be damned.
I finally managed to move my arms and return the hug.
For a moment I allowed myself to be weak.
Because clearly, I was not the only one who needed it.
Returning to the past, huh?
And after five years...
Countless memories that he holds which his loved ones now do not share and perhaps never again will.
A single different step in the past can erase something that was oh-so-natural for you in the future.
And...
Mates...
Neuvillette's mate...
I had asked him about that before. I few decades into us knowing each other.
"Will you ever find a mate?" I had asked.
"A mate, Furina? Whoever would I mate with? There are very few whose lifespans compare to mine."
As a human, Wriothesley is clearly not included in this' very few'.
But somehow they managed and that was now gone.
Everything was gone.
A relationship that existed for who knows how many years out of those five and a bond that could not be broken had now vanished.
He is surprisingly put together considering everything.
Aside from that...
"You do not seem to hate me." I muttered.
"Why would I?" He asked, confusion apparent in his voice.
"I lied to all of Fontaine. I promise that I would make sure everyone is protected and yet-"
Suddenly, he pulled back from the embrace, looking straight into my eyes.
"Listen, Furina. All these years you've done everything you could, everything that was expected of you, and much, much more. Do not undermine yourself and above all, do not for a second think that you have done nothing for Fontaine."
His words were said so sincerely I almost believe him.
Almost.
"But still-"
A loud, tired sigh interrupted my words.
"Well, aren't you as stubborn as always? Will it take Neuvillette reassuring you of that for over a year for you to finally understand that you are not hated?"
Neuvillette?
"He... He doesn't- He won't despise me?"
I always thought he would surely hate me for deceiving him for so long.
"He doesn't even hate you for being an archon, and trust me, that's something. Why would he hate you for protecting Fontaine for 500 years?"
"I lied to him-"
"And he deceived you- Will deceive you. You're even. Happy now?" Wriothesley grinned.
No, I'm not.
I don't think I can be truly happy before I know for sure that Fontaine is safe.
But...
Neuvillette will deceive me?
"Neuvillette doesn't lie." I said confidently.
"He lies by omission." Wriothesley corrected me.
...
Touché.
"You're not gonna tell me what he left out that time, will you?"
As an answer, I was met with a simple smile.
Sigh...
Okay.
While I had the urge to pry the answers from his brain, I also knew that if he didn't say anything, it was probably for the best. Changing the timeline too much could result in a catastrophe.
"You are far calmer than anticipated, Lady Furina." he remarked.
'Well, I am quite the experienced actor.' I thought.
"I've seen weirder." I said instead.
I was not calm, perse. I was just still busy processing it all.
The reaction he was expecting would most likely come later, in the privacy of my bed.
Though...
"I could say the same to you, Duke Wriothesley. You are awfully calm considering what happened to you."
"Hmm? Oh, the dying thing? That was something of... Been there, done that, kind of. Though, the back to the past part is new." He grinned.
Been there, done that?
That must have quite the story behind it but-
"No, that's not what I meant. I was talking about the fact that you still have your memories and others do not."
I could clearly see as the meaning of my words hit him.
At first, he just froze, but moments later the bottle fell from his hand, its contents spilling onto the floor.
His eyes that till now had been filled with almost childlike glee were now filled with endless loss.
Ah...
He hadn't thought about that...
Or perhaps he had been subconsciously avoiding the truth.
Suddenly, a small laugh slipped past his lips. A small laugh that soon turned into a sob.
"Right... Yeah... Right. No one remembers anything..." He muttered.
His hand reached up, clasping at the crook of his neck so tightly I'm pretty sure I saw blood seep from where his nails broke the skin.
Tears filled his eyes but even through that, he managed to somehow smile.
"Then I suppose we'll just have to do it all over again." He grinned.
And that grin...
It was so painful to look at it broke my heart.
We'll do it all again, but it will never be the same.
I knew.
Wriothesley knew as well.