Aphmau slowly began to open herself back up to the world. It's evident that she's still in an immense amount of pain. There's no doubt about it. Her eyes have become dull, and she's less talkative.
Some point, after talking to Garroth, they dashed off to O'Khasis. Kandi wanted to go with. I remember the anger in her eyes when she stumbled upon me after they had already left. She didn't speak to many people until they returned, and she was still angry at Garroth when he came back. I remember how she felt it was unfair that Katelyn went to O'Khasis, but she was forced to stay behind. She was a bomb waiting to explode.
I don't know what happened while they were at O'Khasis. They haven't spoken much about it, and it has been weeks since then.
Kandi and I are taking a walk. They have built up the island for the amount of time we have been on it. There's now a worn pathway of how often we travel. I stop Kandi along the walk and point off to a bush that is now in full bloom.
"Kandi, look, the roses are in bloom," I say. We've been so busy that I've hardly noticed how some flowers are beginning to bloom now from how close we are to the summer session. I find it fascinating how plants are aware of the seasons and their duration.
"You didn't notice that before?" Kandi asks, eyeing me slightly from the side. "There are random marigolds blooming a little far off, too. It's that time of year."
I wave Kandi's words off with the wave of my hand. I kneel forward and tuck a piece of hair behind my ear, determined to smell them. Even when she is so far away, roses remind me of my sister.
"Hey, isn't that your sister?"
I look up at Kandi, confused. "Why would you lie like that? My sister shouldn't be here. She has a village to–"
"Alex!"
I swallow every word I was going to say to Kandi when I hear Cadenza's voice. She's happily trotting her way towards us and wraps her arms around me in a tight embrace. I stare up at her, amazing.
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be doing lord duties?"
She only smiles and walks towards Kandi to give her a hug. Sometimes I forget that Kandi and Cadenza were friends before the Irene Dimension and Cadenza took over Meteli. Cadenza doesn't answer why she's here, but she questions where Laurance is. She doesn't enjoy my uncertain answer, but it's an answer nonetheless.
A fifth wheel tags onto our conversation, and I turn towards the guard assisting my sister. He introduces himself, something Cadenza had failed to do moments prior. He states that Vincent had joined them, but he has wandered further off inside the island prior to this. Zack then teasingly states of a newly found relationship with my sister, and this causes her attention to shift towards the three of us. It doesn't last long, however, when the attention returns to a faint Aphmau.
°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
My ears ring from the news. My focus shifts to my uneven breath. I must appear normal to outsiders. I must appear shocked, but my internal storm isn't showing on the outside. Not that it matters much. Katelyn and Aphmau are in some sort of disagreement, and Cadi is separating herself from the conversation. I look down at my hand and see Kandi is holding onto it tightly. My eyes trace up her arm and to her face. Her lips pursed together into a tight, thin, line.
"What about Laurance? Garroth?"
The moment four pairs of eyes turn in my direction is when I come to the conclusion I have accidentally said this out loud and not inside my head. It's selfish, really, thinking of a thing like this after Aphmau has become entirely truthful about this pregnancy. I just can't get the idea out of my head.
