Epiphany

⇞ root ⇞

My heart was beating so loud that I was afraid Nazereth could hear it, maybe even Markheen. Even a few seconds of silence felt like I was deprived of air to breathe on. But then a slow smile spread across his face, relaxing his concerned eyes which still burned bright and warm. 

He softly grabbed my hands again and I was too stressed to even push him away.

If I allowed myself then I could read his feelings, feel exactly what he was thinking of me right then. But I was too scared to allow myself. I was afraid that I would see his disgust, his fear, his regret of knowing me.

"Say something," I mumbled.

"Feel it." He answered softly.

Maybe it was his eyes or maybe the way he said those words, I let myself feel. Love, pure love is what I could feel then. It was a feeling of being engulfed in a warm comfortable feeling where you feel unburdened and safe, it feeling of adoration and desire.

There was not even shock there.

I looked up at him and he gave me an amused look.

When his hand untangled from mine and he gently wiped the tears off from my cheeks I realized I was crying out of relief now.

"You still love me?" I asked Just in case this was not real.

He shook his head still amused and kissed me lightly.

"I thought you were an Empath Zephora?" His tone was teasing one.

Did he know?

And then I broke down in sobs. Nazereth pulled me closer for a hug as I cried my heart out in relief and happiness. I had to thank him and say other things but I could not speak I felt so weak with relief.

"How?" I asked in between the sobs.

Why is there no shock?

"Morel, he showed me some memories I have forgotten. Apparently your mother did that to protect you. Then I remembered the girl I made fireflies for, the one who was running away in a market and thanked me with a peck on the cheek. And little memories here and there."  He had this look which I couldn't fathom anyone would have with the kind of fate I was born with.

I don't know if I should scold Morel or be thankful at that moment.

"My own father didn't trust me, my own kingdom abandoned me and my mother died because of who I am." I clarified to him just in case he might not know everything.

"Do you think I didn't know about the tales and stories of an Empath, the one who would take so much pain that a time will come when she is will be filled so much hate and anger that she will destroy everything." He said simply as if I was not that Empath and it was still a story.

"And I am that Empath." I put the fact in front of him.

Something made me afraid of love, afraid of finding a home and destroying it.

"Yes and you have been so good to me even when I was filled with hate, I can't imagine you as anything but good." The small soft smile was prominent on his face.

"You don't hate me then?" It was stupid of me to ask when I can feel exactly what he was feeling.

"If you will never leave me, I will never hate you." He put forward his condition making me fall in love even deeper.

I sighed as if something heavy lifted off my chest.

"You came to mission knowing who I was," I asked still not over the shock myself.

"Who else but the princess herself can get the Spirit weapon? If I had not been there the fire weapon wouldn't show itself." He explained.

There was a knock on the door and I realized Markheen has been waiting for too long and patiently.