Locked Legacies

Chapter XXXI: Against the rules

To farewell his parents and siblings Augustus would have time the next day, right before getting on the dragon and heading to the battlefield. That is why he simply had dinner like any other day, at the usual time and with, of course, the usual people. Yet, this time, no one even mumbled; there seemed to be no right words to say in that kind of situation, especially after Rainer's death. Not even Elliana dared to speak up, too intimidated by the looming silence that was only broken by the sound of cutlery and glass. Unlike every evening, Meredith had no tension between the youngest siblings to deaden, no argument to break off, so her eyes only traveled between the son that was leaving, who, unsurprisingly, was barely touching his food, and the empty seat next to him. As a matter of fact, everyone occasionally glanced at the desolated chair, feeling the pain of his absence more than ever.

The shared heavy-heartedness made that meal one of the least memorable but... Perhaps it was the last dinner he would ever share with his family, so Augustus would never forget it. Elliana, Gabriel, and even his parents would erase it from their memories. But the man held onto it for dear life for the next months. Not only because, despite the context and whatever conflict there was among any of them, he was sharing time with the people he grew up with, but also because it had given him time to reflect. His dim and darkened gaze was on the spot Rainer's plate used to be in when he realized; that emptiness beside him was a simple reminder that life, in its beautiful and imperfect longevity, was short. And, as in that dark moment he captured something that had been by his side all along, that dinner taught him not to hold unnecessary grudges.

That was how he then found himself hurrying through almost empty hallways, his heart desperate to unburden itself. His mind had been cleared of the fog that had reigned over it for the last few weeks; now he understood that, if he didn't listen to himself at that precise moment, he might never be able to do it.

In just fifteen minutes of being driven purely by yearning and a little bit of ache, he saw it. A wave of relief washed over him when he realized he had not lost his chance; at the end of the corridor, cracking through the darkness from under the door, was the light of a flickering candle. There was she, probably doing tasks during remote hours, just like the first time they had met. The dancing light was just the same as that past evening, yet everything else was so different.

Without thinking twice, just like he always did, he ran to the door, swinging it open with determination; it wouldn't even matter if it were Faylinn's father, or whomever else— not at that point.

"Fay..." the man breathed heavily, her name barely audible as it rolled out his lips.

But she could have heard that nickname from miles away, so she looked up. Immediately after meeting his green eyes in the mild darkness, her concentrated and apprehensive frown softened. "Gus," she simply answered.

At that moment, they both knew. Whatever topic they had argued over was forgotten and whatever gap separated their worlds was closed. Perhaps it was the way his voice was soft as he said her name, or how his untucked shirt and desperate panting showed he had searched the whole castle to find her, or a connection created in both of them as a result of fear for his life, but in that second they knew that nothing else mattered.

With glassy eyes that reflected the soft flame, and a couple of soft steps, the man approached her, muscles still tense and jaw clenched as he tried to slow down. Even though his adrenaline had lowered, he could hear his own heartbeat, drowning whatever worries plagued his mind with its rhythm.

Led by an impulse, the woman dropped whatever needle and thread was in her hand and stood up. The way the man's silhouette seemed soft under the warm light was completely captivating in her eyes, so she didn't dare to mirror his steady footsteps; her only intention was to make the most of the moment and, right then, she was unwilling to shift her focus from that man. Though she thought she didn't show it enough, he made her overflow with admiration and endearment; something inside her melted at his presence, yet burned her every cell. And, in that room, holding that gentle yet breathtaking gaze, she was engulfed by that sensation.