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Chapter 53 - Erosion
Luella
Battle-weary and surrounded by ruins, Metheus and I slept fitfully that night. Our muscles were aching, but the images from the fight still bothered our thoughts. Knowing that he was right next to me was soothing despite the horrors we had faced. Breathing. With the color on his cheeks. His honey-colored skin looked healthy, compared to the deathlike pallor it showed the last few days. He was so handsome. Beautiful.
Finally, he was asleep on his belly, softly snoring. Restless, I traced the muscles on his arms with my fingertips. I learned every sinew by heart, the way his taut back sloped down to his narrow waist, and the way he could fill an ample space on our bed and still look so vulnerable in sleep. My heart was full of him, and I wondered if he felt the same. He was a man of dignity and responsibility. He was the kind of man who would never leave or even go astray because he had principles he abided by.
My hand rested on the back of his waist, tenderly caressing the skin. He startled me when he reached for my wrist. Then, he pulled me towards him. It was how we slept, with my head on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm that signaled he was sleeping. My heart still hammered in mine as different thoughts fought inside my mind.
The Ninurta was imprisoned within a dead medium’s body. Ari had turned out to have a streak of violence in him. He could be a mastermind, and he could also do the deed. Yet, Metheus had forgiven him, enough not to have him hang on the gallows.
Because of Erishkigal’s curse on me, I continued to be a void to the Ninurta, too. I was a space he could barely see, a power he could not absorb. The future would need someone like Metheus and me. That thought led me to my dream of having children. The dream seemed so far away, out of reach.
In the morning, I was not surprised that Metheus had already risen. I knew he would quickly see to the ruins that the battle had left behind, see what could be done now and what plans could be set in motion.
I wanted to help. After cleaning up and dressing for the day, I hurriedly looked for him. He was in the rubble that was the Great Hall. His upper body was bare as he helped rid the hall of rubble. There was a gaping hole in the wall facing the courtyard. Other than that, the rest of the Great Hall could do a little cleaning. Like the night before, I found myself content with watching him, all strong muscle and length. He -
“Are you hungry, Your Majesty?” Francilia asked, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, breaking through my dangerous thoughts.
“I am fine, Francilia.”
“If you are, you must know that meals are being served in the courtyard and the gardens beyond.”
“How long do you think it will take for the Great Hall to be rebuilt?”
Wide-eyed and shaking her head with the enormity of the task, Francilia said that she did not know. “It will certainly take time, Your Majesty. I heard King Metheus saying that we might all have to go to Queenspell and settle there for a while.”
“It makes sense,” I said.
At that point, I did not care where I stayed as long as it would be with Metheus. I would be happy anywhere he was.
#
Eating outside was more pleasant than I thought it would be. It reminded me of picnics on the grass with my siblings. A wave of nostalgia and longing came over me as I realized that I might not see them ever again. Each of us had managed to uproot ourselves from home. Our mother fought to reclaim the throne that had been passed on for centuries. At least, Samuel took over our father’s throne. Did my mother still expect me to take hers?
Would our lineages be passed on to our nearest kin with no children to pass any of our thrones to? Would Metheus’s throne be passed to Rowali? I did not mind at all. Would my place in Queenspell be passed on to the nearest cousin? My brow furrowed in concentration. Both my father and mother were only children.
“We have to go to Mogochislenia as soon as possible,” Metheus said after he had finished with his meal. He leaned back on his wooden chair, looking at nothing in particular, it seemed. Yet, when I followed his gaze, I saw that it was focused on one of the servants. For some reason, the elderly woman looked familiar.
“I agree.”
Metheus reached across the tiny wooden table separating us and squeezed my hand.
“You need to be at a place you could be at rest. At peace. Then, we can try to conceive again.”
My heart soared. I thought my husband had no plans to revisit that goal. I thought he did not care whether or not we had a child.
“However, we needed to settle a few things,” his voice became grave again.
“What is it?” I asked, afraid at how his smile suddenly faded into something like worry.
“Look at where I am looking, my darling,” he said.
I felt like he used the term endearment to soften what was to come. I followed his gaze, and I saw the same woman was still there. She was then flanked by two guards. Metheus’s men were bringing her to us, each of them holding an arm.
“What are you doing?”
“Look at her closely, Luella,” he said, the whole sentence said in one breath, the l’s blending together.
