His smile is soft in the moonlight, inviting and warm. It is a smile only for her – for while the red stallion was a kind creature to all, there was only one who captured his heart so completely. He’d waited for her, perhaps forever. The haven for his heart. And he’d loved her from the day he’d met her, drawn into her courage and strength. He was the balance for her, for while Katniss was war, Metaphor was peace. Where she was a fighter, he was a healer. Together, they were stronger. Together, they were whole.
Her profession of love is something long overdue, for though he knew it instinctively, Metaphor also knows the sacrifice she makes in telling him. He knows in that moment, that she was raw and naked for him, baring her soul in a way she wouldn’t have trusted herself to do before. He’d been patient with her, knowing it was difficult for her to grapple with her own emotions… and Metaphor had never pressed her. He’d simply been playing the long game, letting her feel safe around him, letting her know he would be there no matter what. But when her words are given to him, it is as if a great curtain was lifted. Heart in his chest, he closes the distance between them again, reaching to gently brush a strand of hair from her forehead, tucking it behind her ear.
I know. Just as you know my heart is yours, and yours alone. It is your love, and my love for you, that has kept me going these long nights. I love you too, more than you could ever know. And now that they were together again, Metaphor knew he could never be torn from her again. He could never let the magic part them, even if it tried with all its might. He simply couldn’t bear the pain to lose her once again.
What is this place? he whispered quietly, wanting to thank the gods of Novus for reuniting him with his beloved once more. It is your home, so it is mine too. Where you go, I’ll follow. Queen or not, he was faithful as ever, steadfast in his commitment to Katniss even when the world around them seemed plunged in chaos. He would stay true to his word, true to whatever kingdom she dwelled in. For where she was, so too would he be.
