| As Eulalie crossed the already sparse distance between them and enveloped him within her warm, loving embrace, Somnus felt himself melt into it. Slowly his eyes slid shut, letting Eulalie’s love and strength shield him and protect him from the world, if only for a moment. Pressed against her, flesh against flesh, gold against white, his muscles began to relax, the tension seeping from his very being as though being pulled from the bottoms of his hooves. With her, he could breathe. With her, he could think. Indeed, he had not told her much about his family, if at all. He had been fleeting when speaking of the past because he had thought, like a colossal git, that it no longer mattered… Yet it did. Atreus showing up on their doorstep proved that point well enough. Sucking in a deep breath to rally himself, Somnus did not move or even attempt to pull away from Eulalie’s gentle hold. He remained there to relish her warmth, letting the feel and smell of her give him strength to find the words that needed to be said. Eventually, they came, and Somnus did not allow himself time to stop and think of what needed to be said. For the first time in many, many years, he spoke unfiltered, letting out everything. “Atreus and I shared the same father, but we had different mothers. I never did know much about his mother… He would never tell me. All I truly remember about him during my youth was that he was always a little troubled. Our father paid far more attention to me and I believe that made him jealous, so I can only assume that was some form of catalyst for whatever troubles his head.” The dunalino paused for a moment but only to press a soft, adoring kiss to the side of Eulalie’s neck. He could not stop speaking for long, or else he would lose the willpower to just talk without thought. “One day, Atreus left. I’m uncertain as to why. He left and I thought very little of it, oblivious as most children are, although I did miss him for quite some time. Eventually I moved on, leaving my mother and father behind to explore the world. The vast curiosities of the world intrigued me and I yearned to know the secrets that were being kept hidden from me. That was also when I met Ulric for the first time. I had begun traveling with a caravan of guild merchants to learn more about their trade and their skills in diplomacy, and he had been a mercenary hired to keep them safe along the roads. We got along brilliantly.” “I traveled with them for quite some time before finding myself lingering among various noblemen and dignitaries of the world. I learned everything that I could from them; how to negotiate, how to speak, how to address strangers, friends, and enemies alike. I learned that a sharpened tongue could prove far more lethal than a sharpened blade… And then I found myself in Vhallen, and I was quickly swept up into the King’s Court.” The words were becoming far more difficult now, as the pain of losing his King would never truly heal. Oh, how Somnus had loved him, but he knew that his King would wish him to be happy, and happy he was with Eulalie. How very, very happy he was. Sucking in a long, deep breath, Somnus held it for a few heartbeats before letting it out. As though out of habit, he pressed another kiss to Eulalie’s pale skin, but this time to her jaw. A silent worship, a reverent ‘thank you’. “I quickly became the King’s chief tactician and advisor, and we were very close. I served at his side for years. Eventually Ulric found his way to Vhallen and joined the military there. And then Atreus also arrived. Things were very good between us for some time. We did our best to mend the bridges burned by our parents, and we were successful.” But how could he properly explain what had happened next? Swallowing hard, the Dawn King choked on his words but continued to talk. Eulalie needed to know everything in order to understand, and he prayed that she would understand and not hate him for it. “Atreus fell in love. He met a lovely woman named Calliope who only brought out the best in him. She became pregnant and they were happy, but someone slipped a lethal poison into her drink. We could not save her or the foal, but we tried.” But it hadn’t been enough. It was never enough. “I believe it was this that caused his final descent into madness. We did not know who could have done such a thing, and Atreus was distraught. Somehow he discovered the man responsible for what had happened and murdered him in cold blood, torturing him before killing him. We held a trial, as the man responsible for Calliope’s death was a nobleman and had deep roots within Vhallen, and his family demanded retribution. During the trial, Atreus admitted what he had done and why, but… My King and the council gave him the death penalty. I did what I could to sway their minds. I was near frantic in an effort to save Atreus, but they would not budge.” Unbidden, his heart began to beat a little faster, the anxiety of the memories causing his pulse to quicken. He breathed deeply once more, doing his best to calm himself. “They tried to execute my brother using poisons, but he escaped his prison cell and fled. An investigation was done and the soldiers responsible for watching him were discovered to have been torturing him for the days of his imprisonment. If only I had known… We sent out our troops to find him, but no one could. After a few weeks, we gave up. I was grateful, you know? That he escaped with his life, but I was terrified for the state of his mind. No matter how long I searched or the letters I sent to my affiliates, no one could find him. Then, a year later…” Somnus paused and grit his teeth, ears pinning back as he recalled the fires, the screams, the terror, the heartbreak. “A year later, Vhallen was attacked. Our military had turned against itself by one traitor and my King was slain. His last command to me was to get the innocent people to safety and live. I… I have no proof, but my heart tells me that Atreus was behind it. It was too intricate of a plan, too intelligent. I’m certain that he believes I am responsible for what has happened to him. Perhaps I am. All I know is that whatever mended relationship we had is now beyond repair, and seeing him today… I’m worried, darling.” And worried was an understatement. Somnus was terrified of what Atreus might do if he still felt that the dunalino was responsible for what had happened. Oh, he knew that he wasn’t innocent; there was so much more that he could have done in Vhallen to spare Atreus such a cruel hand, but while he had done his best, it hadn’t been enough. As always, it was never enough. |
@Eulalie <3 Novel number one. xD
