Dragon Aster Trilogy

22: EMBRACE



Sybl looked at the broad sword in the armory of Toria for a long while, as she recognized it as Lintrance’s. She guessed that they had brought his possessions back to Toria, including all of his weapons, and added them to their current armory. Possibly even Loki had done so himself. A memory flash went through her mind with him attacking her while infected with the Aeger, and she turned her head to the side, trying to get it to leave her mind alone. She hadn’t killed Lintrance, but she might as well of with how her presence had brought his somn into the physical so that Kenshe could. She had sat down to try and think of other things when the door to the armory opened, and Cirrus walked in. He closed the door behind him and then leaned against it. He looked upset, and she had a good idea why.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Sybl looked back at the stone floor. “About what? The part about you being King, or my inability to give you an heir?”

Cirrus opened his mouth to speak, but stopped and looked away. “We don’t know that. But I’m finding out all this now when I’ve come back here utterly blind to find everyone addressing me as ‘Your Highness.’”

“There was no way to tell you without hurting you.”

“We just came from a funeral of a dragoon who I thought was my father. At what time would you have thought it appropriate to fill me in that I was the only one who didn’t know? That my real father could very well still be alive on your world?”

Sybl didn’t answer.

Cirrus clenched his fist, before taking in a long breath to calm himself. “It’s more common than anyone will say aloud. The Line of Solar has always had trouble having children. Usually when alternate arrangements for having a child are made, it’s kept quiet. When it gets out, then it can get as bitter as it did when Yri had Kayla. I’m just another case of such. Dyaus would have wanted my mother to be happy. At least I can’t blame him for her death anymore.”

Sybl pulled her courage together to speak again. “We should split up.”

He walked over and knelt before her, pulling her hands into his. “No, Sybl. I love you, and nothing can ever change that. I won’t let you leave me.”

She held back her tears. “Toria can’t have a King without the hope of an heir.”

“Then I will give the title to someone else. We don’t have to be here. I don’t care about ruling when I have you.”

Sybl shook her head. “I won’t let you do that. There are too many who believe in you—who have believed in you before all this. I would just get in the way. Like my own mother did…”

Cirrus pulled her against him so fast that she didn’t have a breath to react. “Don’t you dare say that! Your mother was a wonderful person—without her—I don’t know. I just know things would have been a lot worse, for many including myself. So don’t you dare let a word that traitor said stay in your head.” He loosened his grip and caught her face in his hands. “Sybl, look at me. Please just look at me.”

She did, and feared that his eyes might drown her in the perfect future that he alone saw.

“Say it. Tell me you love me, or so help me I won’t let you go from this spot.”

There was no way she could not say it, though she let the idea of him holding her forever linger for a while. “I love you.”

He ran his hands through her hair and hugged her again. “Don’t you ever forget that I love you even more, not so much as for a moment. There is nothing on this world or yours that will ever change that.”

His shirt soaked up her tears and she let his kisses on her hair and scent of lavender ease her to sleep.