When the Sun Fell |✔|

24

Elowen stood in front of the door, staring at it.

The guards on either side watched her, but she ignored them. To her, they were just statues. Fixtures that would always be there in place. She could not take them in, because taking them in would make her realize just how many eyes were truly on her.

She raised her hand, about to open it, when one of the guards spoke.

"He wants to be alone."

Elowen turned to the male.

He seemed to have a look of regret on his face as he stared down at her. Elowen tried to maintain her composure, to not lash out at the pity she saw in this man's eyes. He had no right to pity his future Queen.

"Let me in."

The male nodded his head, turning back to open the door. She brushed past him, not bothering to spare a glance in their direction as she heard it shut behind.

She saw him. He was in front of her, standing on the balcony. Her heart clenched as she realized the warning that was now too late. She couldn't have backed away from the guards' words, but he had been trying to make her stop in his own way of protecting her from what she was seeing now.

Theros' head rested on the balcony railing. It was down, laying on his folded arms. He was on his knees, the empty bottle of whatever he had consumed broken beside him.

She inhaled deeply and continued forward.

"Theros."

He did not turn his head towards her at the sound of his name. She hesitantly stepped closer, trying to see his face.

Her hand came over her mouth without thinking as she saw his own bloody hands. And the tear stained face.

He finally seemed to register her presence.

His head turned slowly to look up at her. Elowen knew that it was only because of the drink, only because of the alcohol that he had consumed, that he allowed her to see such a vulnerable and broken look in his eyes.

"I miss her."

Elowen felt her heart lurch at the painful words. She realized that it was not because he had so openly admitted his feelings, that she felt such pain. Not because of the content of it. Her heart was breaking because of how shattered he seemed to be.

She had no idea how to put him back together. She had no idea of how to fix something that had always been broken, and now was damaged even more.

Slowly, Elowen lowered herself to be next to him. His eyes were lost and far away as he looked at the balcony that was next to his own.

"I know," she whispered, "I'm sorry."

He laughed, a flat, humorless sound. His gaze turned to meet hers as he shook his head, "I should be saying those words. But I can't say that. I don't think you deserve to hear that lie."

Elowen met his own sad smile as they both looked at each other. She wanted to reach for him. To touch his face and take his bloody hands. To clean the wounds that he had made to himself.

But she was starting to realize they both could not heal the other.

He had no way of repairing her own loss, just as how she was incapable of bringing him back.

She had begun to think that this marriage would become a companionship. Something that would allow each of them to have a partner as they both walked through the darkness of life.