For a full moment Aira said nothing in response to what he told her even as though what he said was all she could think about.
’Staying in his room’ sounded easy but she was also aware that things were not as simply as it sounded.
If she agreed the thought of having to lie down beside him every night was already catastrophic.
Worse if the weird heat she sometimes felt suddenly decided to descend on her at a time that she was unprepared for it.
The worst would be her falling into his arms again and sleeping with him a mistake she had sworn to herself to never commit again.
"No!" she whispered under her breath even before she realized that she had actually given him an answer.
Glancing over at him only to watch him reach for the cup beside him on the table drinking up the contents in one gulp before placing it back.
Gesturing for the servants to fill it up back even as he picked it back up but this time he simply held it without making any move to drink from it as he turned his gaze back to Aria who hadn’t looked away from him.
"I understand!" he said even as he slowly took a sip with red eyes heavy lidded almost like he was savoring the taste of the wine on the tips of his tongue before he set the cup back and focused on the food on the plate.
’Is there even any use to eating?’ Aria wondered since blood was their main source of nourishment only to realize that apart from that since they did everything else like humans did then there was no reason why they couldn’t pretend to enjoy human food too.
"What exactly do you understand?" Aria said the moment she could bravely open her mouth to speak as she stared at Zyren who had not a strand of any expression on his face.
Hard to believe that he would simply take her no for an answer without pushing back like he usually did.
"...I understand that you have a better way to survive the fight so I’ll wait until then!" he continued.
"You looked a little pale so I thought you were without any other options. My fault!"
Her eyes widened ever so slightly at what she heard even as she turned her gaze away from him and back to the food in front of her which she had no intentions of eating.
Her stomach hurt more than usual and the nausea that came with it. The thought of eating anything was the last thing on her mind as she spoke in a low voice at the servant that was serving her and waiting for instructions one which platter to serve from.
"Leave it! I have no appetite!" she said not surprised to see the servant maid instantly flick a look at Zyren with a low bow to accompany it asking with that gesture if it was okay almost like her words didn’t matter in the slightest of ways.
For a second Zyren didn’t speak and just it seemed like he wouldn’t he simply nodded to show that he agreed to which the servant girl instantly backed off almost like she had been chased away and not that she had willingly left on her own.
Eating was a much noisy affair than previously. The excitement on their face was palpable as some even extensively discussed the fight almost like it was something they would like to reenact.
The table was harmonious even as Aria say quietly on Zyren’s lap as she waited for it to be over.
Sometimes she even heard some people whisper under their breath how they couldn’t see her hurriedly die in the upcoming match since it was the only viable result.
Soon, Aria didn’t even have the strength to keep listened as her stomach hurt so badly it was all she could do to stand there and pretend that she was fine.
But still the last thing she wanted to drag everyone’s attention to was the fact that there was something wrong with her so regardless of how much it hurt she waited until Zyren was done before getting on her feet.
"I’m tired!" Aira said with a low bow in Zyren’s direction as she asked permission to leave even before he did.
Something that earned her dirty looks but which she couldn’t bring herself to care about. Not even sparing a glance at lady Vivian as she darted away and headed out of the hall the second she got the permission she asked for.
Heading straight to her room without paying attention to anything else jot even the guards whom she usually greeted at the front of her room as she stepped in and slammed the door before her racing straight to the bathroom where she threw up until there was nothing in her stomach.
Rymora had walked silently behind her as she entered and even as she headed to the bathroom Rymora had followed closely behind her helping Aira hold her hair up to ensure that she didn’t soil herself.
It took a while before Aira was done, gee face much paler than before as she settled back on the bed like she had collapsed on itz
Her body was weak but she felt much weaker still as she struggled to speak even though her mouth felt like it would rather remain shut.
But still she struggled to say the words that needed to be said to Rymora who stared at her with a concerned expression on her face.
Her gaze on Aira but deep in her mind she coupdn’t help but think of her own problems especially since instead of going to Lord Drekh’s Villa like she was supposed to. Instead she had headed back to her room and shut the door instead.
The thought of having to touch a bloody vampire in such a way made her stomach clench. It didn’t help that thinking of her lover made her feel even worse.
"I feel weak but I can still stand! I don’t think this will be enough!" Aria whispered with a face full of concern as she focused her gaze on Rymora eyes full of tears with a pleading look on her face.
Aria was terrified! She had tried to act brave but reality was slowly dawning on her in a way that made her entire being shake in fear.