Chapter 10: the path and the blessing

Chapter 10.1

-Will you stay with me for a while?-

-Yes, of course...-

I accompanied Zeyana to her room, under the relieved gaze of the palace workers, who had probably been worried about their empress, imagining that she had committed some madness. I smiled at Benjamin, one of the stable workers: I had had the pleasure of getting to know him and helping him over the last few days, occupying my mind with work, so that I managed to be quite clear-headed most of the time.

-Her Majesty, should we call the doctors?- asked one of the guards present in front of the entrance to Zeyana's rooms. They were looking at her with alarm, probably because of my presence at her side.

-I want to be left alone... just bring us something to drink and eat.-

-Her Majesty-! –

One of the guards stepped forward and looked at me for just a moment, trying to hide the hostility he felt towards me and avoiding explicitly saying he didn't want me around the empress. The man reminded me a bit of Tynov in terms of size, but his tough look, in this case, was just a facade; under the empress's gaze he would have trembled like a lamb, which he did when Zeyana abruptly sent him away.

-IYou are free to return to your usual duties or take a day off... as long as you don't remain perched in front of my door.- The empress's voice was not aggressive, but imperious, and forced everyone to follow her commands without further ado.

-Okay your majesty, I offer you my most humble apologies...-

And so departed most of the crowd, who had made that wing of the palace a little too narrow for my liking; now we could finally breathe. Zeyana's frustrated expression let me know that she had been informed of what had happened during her "absence." She had worn her hardest mask, the one that didn't allow any emotion to reveal itself in her attitude or on her face, but I knew her, I was able, more than the others, to decipher her gestures and her looks.

Once we entered the imperial chambers, finally alone, Zeyana turned towards me, grabbing my hands, bringing me towards her, and then hugging me: -I'm so sorry... I never thought they would accuse you... -

-No... It's okay. After all, I'm dangerous when I'm alone.-

-Alex...- She left a kiss in my hair and continued to gently caress my back, while I had my head resting on her shoulder and I wrapped my arms around her waist. I felt comforted by her warmth.

-I missed you.-

She cupped my face with her hands, looking at me closely, then kissed my cheek, rubbing her lips against my skin. She let out a quiet sigh of relief near my ear, sending shivers through my body.

-I love you- her eyes, which reminded me of the ocean and which had seemed cold with the guards, became warm from the first moment they rested on me. I saw no hesitation in her and it was so reassuring.

I blushed, turning my face away so as not to give her a chance to see the effect she had had on me with two simple words. Zeyana continued to leave very light kisses on my neck and in a short time I lost myself in her arms, forgetting everything except her who was like a warm refuge in a storm... and who knows... maybe it would have been the refuge I was looking for always and that I had never found before then.