@cxrsedsouls || Send ‘fly on the wall’ for a Drabble of my muse talking to someone else about your muse
He felt the presence before he even lay eyes on Adair. He could have sensed it even through the plants composing the palace beneath him if he so desired. That, after all, was part of what the king of Seelie could do. But moments of peace and quiet were few and far between, and atop his palace with the cool night air brushing his cheek, he would prefer to remain in his own head for now.
“It isn’t very secure up here, Your Majesty. Especially when you make it a point to sneak out of your chambers instead of sleeping.” The admonishment was gentle. Maybe others would have been too afraid to speak to him so frankly, but the king new Adair would never truly disrespect him. And he was correct after all.
From where he was seated on the edge of a wall, the man’s eyes drifted up to the night sky and a hand clutched his blanket tighter about him in an effort to stave off the wintery breeze. “I only wanted a few moments to look at the stars. This is the only opportunity I ever get anymore to see them.” There was no hiding the wistful tone in the king’s voice, nor the way his usually cool gaze softened as he took in the glimmering night sky. Adair’s voice was equally as soft.
“Because they remind you of her.” It wasn’t a question.
“They do,” he agreed. There wasn’t much point in trying to hide it. At least, no point in trying to hide it from Adair, not when he accompanied the king on his last visit to see her. Even if his guard had kept his distance, there were only so many ways one could excuse stealing away someone from a ball for a midnight horseback ride.
“I’d always felt a connection to the stars, but now...” A sigh left the Seelie king. “She’s the only thing I can think of when I see them. It’s ironic, I can’t even comfort myself with the thought that she might be gazing upon the same night sky herself.” No, the silver streaks that smudged the sky and scattered about the starry landscape was enough of a reminder that the skies of Seelie, beautiful as they were, were wholly different from the one that graced the mortal world.
Adair’s voice spoke up once again. “Your Majesty, maybe I overstep, but why not go to her? You care deeply for her, yes?”
A long silence stretched outward from his statement. He nearly believed the king simply hadn’t heard him speak, but eventually the man let out a hollow laugh.
“Do you think Seelie would accept her as its queen? Do you think the gentry would abide having a vampire rule them? Even though fae blood runs true, do you think any children of ours would not become targets or outcasts? My people may ultimately have no say in who I court, but they are vicious in their cruelty nonetheless. She could handle their cruelty and their callousness, I know she could. She is one of the strongest people I know. But...” His eyes closed with a heavy sigh, a pained furrow creasing its way through his brow. “Who would willingly put someone they care about through hardship like that? Someone even now likely still plots for the deaths of the remaining Seelie royalty.” His mother’s quiet but suddenly shattering disappearance from his life. His father’s silver blood still staining his hands even in his dreams... “I accepted the burden of this crown but that does not mean I would wish the same for her.”
The rustle of clothing told him that Adair shifted, but still the guard remained in position standing guard behind him. “I imagine she already knows the burden of ruling, Your Majesty. Do you not think she at least deserves the option? Instead of you taking the choice entirely out of her hands?” An icy breeze accompanied the man’s words. The king shivered against the chill that snuck beneath the warm protection of his blanket.
“What is even the point of this debate, Adair? She is engaged, presumably of her own choice. She may not love him but the man is kind to her. Wouldn’t it also be inconsiderate of me to insert myself into her own plans with no regard for nothing more than the sake of my feelings?”
“I think,” another blow of air, this time a sharp gust, whistled through, “that you are simply being a bit of a coward.” The silence that followed was sharp, a clear challenge in the air from the usually easygoing and gentle guard. The king’s shoulders stiffened, seemingly moments from turning to face the other, but they quickly slumped once more into a defeated curl.
“Now you truly do overstep,” Aur murmured. But the words held no real heat behind them.
