Windless Land, Chapter 2: The World We Hide
A/N: Thank you everyone for all your support for this story! I’d honestly written it for an English assignment a while back and I haven’t had as much fun writing for this blog since. I really hope you all enjoy this next chapter, and we’ll see if a third comes about. Also, I highly recommend reading the teaser. I did my best to explain everything, but I do think it better contextualizes the story.
Pairing: Abyss Prince!Aether x gn!adventurer reader
Prompt: Having accidentally indentured yourself to the Abyss, your next few months become very busy. Truly, what have you become?
You shook out your wrist, taking a small break. Your diary entry was finished. You didn’t expect to update it for a while.
True, it had been a few months. It had never felt like it. But there were some things you had neglected to mention. Not that you didn’t like your fellows, but you didn’t want to risk writing things that someone could possibly see. Especially embarrassing things. You weren't exactly good at the rules here yet, but you didn’t want anyone knowing the way Aether’s eyes met yours and the way your heart sped up and butterflies rioted in your stomach. You didn’t want anyone knowing the way his attention had first made you nervous, but now gave you comfort. You didn’t want anyone thinking you didn’t trust them, and you definitely didn’t want anyone to know how you felt when you were allowed to hang onto his arm as you walked.
He consumed your thoughts. A lot. Your mind was a flurry of your Prince… your Prince? He was always in the back, watching and waiting and you could never understand why. He was your sovereign and you were his subject. Why would he want you to be anything more?
Your reverie, if it could be called such, was interrupted violently by a quiet knock at the door.
“(Y/N)?” His voice was soft and gentle and brought a smile to your face anyway. “It’s time for your lesson.”
~
Aether was dedicated to his cause. Everyone knew that. He cared for his people and he did not regret anything.
But he was lonely.
The Abyss monsters his subjects now were lacked a lot of the complexity of the humans he’d once known. Quite honestly, he’d been very glad for your presence. He’d missed conversation.
He wasn’t sure he wanted to admit it, but he was grateful it had been you and not someone else. You were perfect. You had such striking eyes, and he loved the way your voice sounded and how it changed to fit your subject. He loved your curiosity and he loved your careful steps and he loved how you were always so thrilled when he offered you his arm and the way you awkwardly tried to mask your elation that first time and he’d had to assure you that it was alright and that he understood.
This strange pull to you was undeniable- that was why you were his scribe. While a historical record was potentially important, it wasn’t a necessity. But he wanted you by his side at all times. In case anything happened, he’d be there to protect you. He didn’t know, really, what this odd magnetism was, but he was not opposed to it.
It was also why he’d decided to teach you languages and histories himself. He was sure one of the heralds could’ve managed it, but he wanted to be near you. He wanted to hear you speak and ask your questions. He wanted to watch the understanding dawn in your eyes. He wanted to sit with you and watch as you played with the edge of your sleeve, avoiding his gaze, until he caught your attention. He loved the way you looked up at him, like you couldn’t bear to hurt him and was hoping desperately that you didn’t. He loved the way he could offer you a smile and your face would heat up.
He loved the way your society felt.
He did not love watching you crumble as he described the fall of Khaenri’ah, but he understood the feeling. He offered you a hand, and you took it. He interlaced your fingers and gave it a gentle squeeze, and he could see you relax a little.
“Was everyone there?” You asked, quiet and horrified.
He nodded. “A lot of us don’t like to talk about it.”
“Do you?”
He shook his head. “It doesn’t hurt me as much anymore, though. I recommend that you direct your questions to me.”
You nodded silently.
~
The loss of Khaenri’ah had been long been an area of interest to you. You had heard it offhandedly as an old legend from older adventurers, and there was one bard that seemed to love singing about the horrors of such a land and how fortunate it was that such a place was gone. But he always refused to give you more information. You searched all the libraries you could, but found nothing.
And now, knowing the survivors personally, you knew that the bard was wrong. There was a reason this tale had been buried, and it was not a good one.
You were grateful for Aether. You followed him around now with your strange hologram-typing device that he’d recently dubbed a “fingertop” because of the way it stored itself in a tiny ring on your finger.
He’d given it to you himself, but you weren’t sure if it was his creation or someone else’s. You hadn’t asked just yet.
The memory he’d bestowed upon you weighed on your mind, but you wrote what you could anyway. He seemed to be looking at you more, but his gaze did not hold concern. It held a sort of curiosity- a sort of wondering.
What was he wondering?
That night was especially cold, but no one let it shake them. One of the mages lit a bonfire, and everyone came together to tell stories and hang out. Aether sat beside you, helping you with translation. It was impressive watching him among his people. He knew them all by name and relevant facts, and it helped you to remember some, too. His conversations flowed naturally between them, as comfortable as if he were their best friend.
You couldn’t wait to actually be able to communicate with them.
~
Aether watched you move on as the days passed. He watched you struggle and he offered you his assistance in any and every way.
He did not like to watch you grieve, but he knew it was necessary.
In time, however, you were closer to normal. He knew that on the inside you weren’t entirely finished yet, but on the outside you were alright.
Your moments were no longer defined by such an event.
You were smiling again- genuine smiles.
And he knew time was on his side.
~
Prince Aether of the Abyss was counting down to something. No one knew what it was, but everyone knew it was far off.
Even you, who followed him around every second of the day, had no idea.
But you did notice something else.
He’d started a second internal countdown. He seemed to be looking forward to something, and that something would be soon. You just didn’t know what it was.
You did know that he seemed to be much more attentive to you. In this, you could fully realize your attachment to him, and why it existed. Now the mission was only to suppress it. Your crush on your sovereign would amount to nothing.
Or, for now, that’s what you thought.