Kai stepped through the portal and into their chambers. Ren, his sweet wife, lay asleep, her breath soft and even. He hated that he hadn't been there to witness her flight with Sunkiath. Worse still was the heaviness of her sorrow, it clung to the air, undeniable now that he was near. She didn't want the King to die.
"Sorry, love," he whispered.
He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before slipping away to wash the blood from his skin and change his clothes. When he returned, he didn't sleep. He sat beside her, watching the rise and fall of her chest, memorizing her every detail as if afraid she might vanish. The thought of Luther replacing her with Nimoieth gnawed at him, a slow and vicious torment.
Morning came quietly. When Ren's eyes fluttered open, she found him there, his eyes closed now in restless repose. She leaned over and kissed his lips, soft, warm, a promise and a question all at once. When did he return?
"Mmm… my delicious wife," Kai murmured with a sleepy grin.
