LUCIUS' POV
"That's quite nice; I can see the brain behind the strategy," Alpha Marko said, and the men nodded.
"But, isn't it weird? You and your Luna sleep separately. I mean, I understand she loves her space, but at least at night, the both of you should sleep together," Alpha Theseus said to me, and I smiled.
"That's what everyone thinks, but I'm quite fine with it. Sometimes she comes to my room; sometimes I go to hers. But if you're mainly talking about intimacy, it's no problem between us. She just loves her space," I said comfortably, and they nodded.
"She's quite a beauty, isn't she?" Roland said to the men, and they all nodded, while I smiled.
I turned around to check if Dusk was okay, but I couldn't find her.
"Excuse me, please," I said to the men and went over to the ladies.
"Hi," they said, all smiling at me.
"Oh, hi. Did any of you see where Dusk went?" I asked, and they smiled.
"She said she was going for a quick walk," a blonde-haired woman said.
"Oh, that's better."
"Would you mind sitting with us?" another asked, and I raised a hand.
"I would have loved to, but the men and I are not quite done with our discussion," I said, and they all gave disappointed looks.
I turned away and went back to the men. If she was having a walk, then it meant she was comfortable.
I hoped so.
~
DUSK'S POV
I tried holding on to a log, but it cracked and showed signs of giving away.
"Where does it lead to?" I asked the girls, and they all looked scared.
"The river from the Palace connects to other Kingdoms!" they said, and I thought it was ridiculous. They could suffer a direct attack from enemies who only needed to swim across the river. But that couldn't be it; there had to be something protecting the Palace.
"Wouldn't you help her?" the girl who owned the teddy screamed, and they all scrambled as I tried to hold on.
"Here!" one of them screamed, and I saw a rope flying towards me. I grabbed it and held on to it.
The girls pushed, and I wondered if I was going to make it.
"Fall back, throw your weight on it!" I screamed, and I was happy they understood it.
They leaned backward, and I could feel myself moving forward.
When I was rolled onto dry ground, I lay on the floor panting.
"Here," I said, handing the teddy bear to the girl who thanked me.
"Why does this river connect to other Kingdoms?" I asked myself because it felt stupid to me.
"Enemies can't invade if that's what you're thinking. The river embodies the charms of our best Royal Sorcerers. Some say the souls of the old sorcerers protect it. Enemies would be making a grave mistake to try and enter it," the girl whose teddy bear I had saved said, and I nodded.
"Oh. Thanks anyway," I said and sat up.
"Follow me. You're wet," the blind girl said, touching my clothes.
"What's your name?" I asked her, and she turned away.
"You don't need to know it," she replied and walked away slowly, using her walking stick to feel her way through.
I stood up and followed her. It was amazing how she knew the way around the castle. She took me to a large hall and sat in front of the fireplace.
"Light it," she ordered, and strangely, I did.
"There... Are you also cold?" I asked, but she didn't reply. It was only after some minutes that I heard her speak.
"Matilda," she said, and I looked at her.
"Hm?"
"My name. My name is Matilda," she said, and I smiled.
"Nice to meet you, Matilda. I'm Dusk," I said, and she repeated my name softly.
"Dusk... It's a beautiful name. A time when everyone's getting ready to rest, a time families gather together and share sweet memories," she said, and in her blind eyes, it seemed like I saw a faraway look.
"What about your family?" I asked, and she closed her eyes.
"Gone," she said simply, and I felt sympathy for her.
"Tell me more about you," I said, and she turned to me, staring at my chest.
"I don't want to."
~
I sat on my bed, thinking of what Matilda had said.
Before she left, she had told me that the reason the other girls didn't want me to go into the water was that it was the lake of souls. It was gracious in a way. It would let you go scot-free the first time you enter it, but the second time you go in, it would suck your soul and keep it.
I sighed, and Lucius came in.
I managed to smile as he sat next to me, but he looked really down.
"What's wrong?" I asked, and he sighed.
"I saw Roland's warriors today. They came in to inform him of something, and it made me think of my men who died. Marcus said they wouldn't resent me, but I resent myself," he said, and I felt bad.
"Don't resent yourself," I said to him, and he looked at me.
"Has someone ever died because of you?" He asked, and in his eyes, I saw the deep depths of sadness.
It was eating him up. First was his father, and the second was his men.
"The Alpha of a Kingdom attacked his own men. Commanded them to die, all because he couldn't detect the enemy close to him," he said, and we stared at each other as though communicating with our eyes.
And the weirdest thing was, his eyes began to sparkle. There were no tears, but his eyes glittered.
This was his way of crying, of mourning, of regretting. The tears never fell, but they made his eyes shine.
I raised my hand and touched his cheek.
Lucius being vulnerable made me feel weird. I wanted to comfort him.
He seldom showed signs of weakness, but this was the first sign of weakness he showed directly to me. This was the first time he looked really helpless.
He had confided in me how he felt.
"Why?" I asked, and with the question came a strong impulse, which made me kiss him.
I kissed Lucius.