Children of Fire and Sun: The Rebellion (Updates Resume From July 2024)

Chapter Four (Part Two): Remus (Domhnall)

"The night speaks the truths that our hearts refuse to acknowledge."
— Melisa Nadir, Chantress of the Maiden

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Remus watched Maysa sleep as she lay nestled against him. 

Her arms were curled around him like a delicate vine seeking refuge against the walls of a fortress. Her hair, a black veil that seemed to shield her from the harsh realities of the world, covered much of her face. In repose, she was at peace, even though it was not meant to last forever. 

She is so young, too young. Yet she has to bear so much. He sighed as he gently traced circles on the small of her back. His eyes glimmered not with mirth but with a subtle ache for the girl who trusted him with all the pieces of her broken heart, each piece as rare and beautiful like the rare bloom of the moonbeam flowers, said to grow once in every thousand years. She was the one who clung onto him despite the rumours and the falsehoods.

"What did I do to deserve your love?"

He mused, more to himself than to anyone else. The empty chamber listened to his words, while the gentle breeze of the night caressed his locks. Despite being much warmer than Nostras, Domhnall’s nights were never uncomfortable.

It ruffled the leaves of the flowers that adorned the windowsills of Maysa's bedchamber. Their smells wafted in the air, a potent mix of sweet and piquant. Not at all unlike Maysa herself. 

A wide smile graced his lips as he remembered the day they met for the first time, in that symposium held by Prince Mellor. It was sunny and warm, the halls of the castle’s andron teeming with scholars. He was one amongst the many, eager to delve into the intricacies beyond the mundane. Little did he realise the stars had conspired to give him something past extraordinary — Maysa. 

The little one was a fiery spirit. Her words matched the burnt orange of her attire, cinched at the waist by a simple silver belt. She, the youngest of them, all spoke with such conviction that they all gaped at her with awestruck eyes. There were few who countered, their counter remarks paling compared to her eloquence. 

That was when he knew they were destined to meet, destined to be more than just two scholars who met by chance at a symposium. 

Remus's fingers trailed over a long scar that extended from her neck to almost the entirety of her spine. An attack from a blade that had almost taken her life five years ago. The traitors had infiltrated the castle wholly, with Airon carrying a bloodied Maysa in his old arms. When he had arrived at Domhnall with his forces, he had been shocked. Airon had handed over the bundled up Maysa, bloodied and battered into his arms, his words a heartfelt plea. 

"Please save our princess."

He fulfilled that plea. His eyes glazed as he wondered about those desperate days spent by Maysa's side, watching her struggle to breathe. When the fever caused by her wounds raged, he would whisper into her ears words of comfort.

This very chamber would be full of the smell of herbs and the footsteps of harried healers who were not too sure if Maysa would survive. But she survived. Like the Maiden whom the Domhnallians revered above all, she was reborn, a woman of strength and substance. 

Remus removed a strand of hair from her face. He wondered if she would need him like that, like those desperate two weeks of their lives five years ago. 

"Remus, are you awake?"

A gentle pat against his chest. He gazed down at her with a grin. She stared at him with wide eyes in the dark, her lips still in a sleepy pout. Remus could not help it. She looked too adorable, like this. He leaned over and pulled both her cheeks, earning a frown from Maysa. 

"Mmm," she grumbled. "Don't do that. I am not a child anymore."

"Oh, but you look like one when you wake up." Remus's eyes danced with mirth. "Besides, I enjoy these half-hearted protests of yours, because you clearly enjoy getting your cheeks pulled by me."

Maysa nodded. "Yes, only by you. If anyone else tries to do this, I will cut off their hands."

"What about your husband, my sweet?" Remus laughed. "Will you cut off his hands too?"

A shadow passed over her face. "Do we need to talk about marriages and husbands?"

"Well, someday you will get married. Domhnall needs an heir, after all."

Maysa sat up, letting the blankets covering her fall and crumple around the two of them. She faced her friend and said, "Is this the reason people need to get married? To produce children?"

"Well, marriage ought to be a union of two minds. An alliance of equals, not an arrangement to produce children," he said, his gaze thoughtful. "But it is not the case for us. We cannot follow our hearts."

"I will never get married," Maysa leaned against his shoulder. "if it is not to the one my heart yearns for." 

He kissed the crown of her head. "Pray, who might be that fortunate soul?"

Instead of giving him an answer, she hid her face in the crook of his neck. Her warm breath tickled his skin. He draped an arm over her shoulder, pulling her closer. They did not speak for a while, sitting in that comfortable silence. Sometimes it spoke more than words could. 

"Remus?"

"Yes?"

"I want to join the search for Lysa Trellis." Maysa said. "Do you think it is the right idea?"

Remus held her gaze. "Do you think it is right?"

"I am not doing this for right or wrong," she sighed. "I want to do this for you. To clear your name. They all know that we are allies, friends. If I do this, it will prove that you are not behind Lysa's disappearance."

"You do not have to do this for me."

"You do not understand," she shook her head. "This is something I want to do. You are the one who keeps telling me to follow my heart, venture down the path which calls for it."

Remus ruffled her hair, earning a lopsided grin from the young princess. "Who am I to stop you, my lady? Follow your heart then. But know this, I will accompany you." 

Maysa straightened in her position, eyes wide. "Edmund Eni will be there, Remus. Do you want to go, despite that?"

"I never cared about others," he said, taking her hand in his. "You will be there, and that matters."

The look of utter contentment on Maysa's face made his heart soar. She embraced him, her heart beating in tandem with his heartbeat. Those onyx eyes glimmered with happiness. 

And that was everything he needed to stay alive for. 

~•~