05-22-2017, 07:37 PM
"She doesn't want to see me," she said, and it repeated through his mind a number of times, each one stabbing at his temper. He'd never expected her to fail him as a wife, so maybe he shouldn't have been surprised that she'd failed their children as a mother as well. He grit his teeth and said nothing, though. He would not speak ill of her to their children. To anyone. It wasn't anyone else's business.
"I need you," Jinju added, and he melted the stiffness in his muscles enough to reach again for her, to brush a cold cheek with the heat of hers in offered comfort. "You have me," he promised softly.
He straightened as the young stallion neared, sharing a silent conversation with him in their eyes. "I will not let you down," Aten promised, and he nodded solemnly. "I trust that you won't," he replied, and he meant it.
If the young man had shown anything about himself thus far, it was that he was fiercely loyal and had a good head on his shoulders. He also better understood by now that they were not much of a kingdom, really, not in the traditional sense. A pack, a unit, a family. Strong and wild and free. Ruan wasn't much of a king, had never aspired to be such a thing, and he felt Aten knew enough of their home now to represent them at Jinju's side. Helping to keep her safe, while at it.
"I can and I will. But please remember I can take care of myself too," Jinju spoke again, and he smiled at the chill in her voice. His fire-child had always had a spirit that could never be broken, no matter what seemed to happen in her life. He chuckled softly, "I know. You are very powerful. It won't hurt to have Aten at your side, though. He's a good man." He shifted around on his feet and lined himself with her, shoulder-to-shoulder, with a light touch at her neck. "We'll go tomorrow afternoon," he answered her other question, "C'mon, let's get you home so you can rest."
He nodded again to the young man, hopeful that he was correct about him and his loyalty. "Thank you, Aten. She'll come for you after our visit, and you can find me at anytime."
"I need you," Jinju added, and he melted the stiffness in his muscles enough to reach again for her, to brush a cold cheek with the heat of hers in offered comfort. "You have me," he promised softly.
He straightened as the young stallion neared, sharing a silent conversation with him in their eyes. "I will not let you down," Aten promised, and he nodded solemnly. "I trust that you won't," he replied, and he meant it.
If the young man had shown anything about himself thus far, it was that he was fiercely loyal and had a good head on his shoulders. He also better understood by now that they were not much of a kingdom, really, not in the traditional sense. A pack, a unit, a family. Strong and wild and free. Ruan wasn't much of a king, had never aspired to be such a thing, and he felt Aten knew enough of their home now to represent them at Jinju's side. Helping to keep her safe, while at it.
"I can and I will. But please remember I can take care of myself too," Jinju spoke again, and he smiled at the chill in her voice. His fire-child had always had a spirit that could never be broken, no matter what seemed to happen in her life. He chuckled softly, "I know. You are very powerful. It won't hurt to have Aten at your side, though. He's a good man." He shifted around on his feet and lined himself with her, shoulder-to-shoulder, with a light touch at her neck. "We'll go tomorrow afternoon," he answered her other question, "C'mon, let's get you home so you can rest."
He nodded again to the young man, hopeful that he was correct about him and his loyalty. "Thank you, Aten. She'll come for you after our visit, and you can find me at anytime."
