A Dance Of Crowns & Thrones | Book I

Chapter 183 | This Feels Like The End

When neither found the words to speak next, she watched as Matthew exhaled the air in his lung before subconsciously running his hands into his hair.

"I can't be him, I won't ever be that person that you're looking for." His words were tied together so effortlessly in his response.

"Looking for?" Eko repeated. "I have you, you're all I need. You are everything that I love."

"Jesus Christ!" He snapped and then suddenly he shifted the conversation again with his icy tone. "They want you dead and that's the only thing on my mind!"

For it was also the reason for his anger and he hadn't known what to do truly.

She then watched in fear as he breathed in, and he put his hands to his head as his fingers gripped his hairline in frustration, trying to calm his thoughts.

That is when Eko stepped forward in her next attempt, reaching for his hands; and thankfully, her mind raced he let her grasp them. It didn't go unnoticed by her, and she clenched his sweaty, clammy hands feeling ever so softly as they shook.

"Everything," she began as his attention reached her, "everything; Matthew wants to kill us."

"Don't," he stepped back, snatching his hands back from her own, "they want to kill you most of all!"

Eko recoiled now at his wrath, and it was never something he intended to do, to have her stare at him like she had, brimming with tears as she clutched at her chest.

"Please do not do this to me," Matthew only answered, far calmer than moments ago, even if his voice was above a whisper, "I am so lost on what to do already, and you..."

"Me what?" She whispered. 

"You are the Queen of the two worlds!" he only answered. "You have the crystal that will destroy everything for us! Enough is enough of these stupid games!" his demeanour now ending the conversation between them.

"Games!" She roared defiantly, "what games, Matthew!"

"Listen to me very carefully!" He barked at her." I will do everything in my power to protect you and that crystal that you hold. I will lay down my life if I have to. You are far too important!"

"I know that you will, nothing has ever made me think differently, but... I don't understand what that actually means for us!?" She placed her hands on her hips, wrath searing out from every pore in her skin. She wanted to scream at her husband for his attitude.

"It means you stay protected behind those walls until we know that our enemiesc are dead. That you can't be used as a sacrifice and we know what the fuck we are doing going forward!" Finger raised pointing at her like his anger had been kicked up a gear.

"Well! Shit!" She was just as angry as he was at her. "So you're telling me that I am not allowed to step foot onto any battlefield at the moment, and what, you're out there dealing with everything ."

"Yea!"

"Fuck no!" She scoffed. "I won't do it! I won't sit there like some docile fucking Queen, waiting for you to come home unscathed. I know what it's like out there... What they want to do to us! I'm not doing it!"

"H-home?" the words drip out from his mouth; his eyes tell her more than what she could ever put into words in that moment of realisation.

"Yes, home," Eko nodded as though there would be any other conversation when it came to what home meant for either of them. "Home to me. Matthew, I know that there is a ton of pressure on us. On you and me and with allegiant and it's going to run us into the ground and with my network sup-"