The fight with Meliše exhausted Ceremus, forcing him to exert more energy than usual. He had to admit that he had greatly underestimated the sorceress, and he only had his hubris to blame for the outcome.
If he hadn't had that sudden burst of energy earlier, he knew there was no way he could've won. He realized that he'd gone far too long without fighting and desperately needed to getting stronger again. He made a mental note to thank his mother when he returned.
Hael stared at him expectantly, and the king was delighted to see how relieved he looked to see him in one piece. Relief softened Hael's face for only a moment—then his brow furrowed, his jaw tightening as his gaze flicked behind Ceremus. His hands twitched at his sides, as if resisting the urge to reach for his weapon.Though she looked a little beaten up, she was still faring a lot better than Ceremus, which puzzled the guard.
"What is going on?" He asked, his gaze now directed at her. "What is she still doing here?"
What he really meant to say was why she was still alive, but Hael had the presence of mind not to say such things in front of her. In spite of everything, he still had manners and Ceremus found this strangely endearing.
Meliše chuckled ruefully at his words—or better yet—lack of words. "You truly are an amusing fellow." She said.
Hael narrowed his eyes at her before giving Ceremus an accusatory look. "I'll explain later. Right now, I need to clean up and tend to my wounds."
The guard's gaze softened before stepping back. "Of course; I'll go have it prepared for you right away." He said. He gave her a wary look before leaving.
The king, the sorceress, and the bird remained in silence before Loki broke it. "So? What happened in there? I assumed one of you would have to die before the veil could be lifted.
Veils were a tool used by powerful sorcerers as a means to entrap their prey. One of the rules that pertained to veils was their duration. A veil could only be undone once their prey was dead, they themselves died, or they willingly undid it. Loki had a hard time believing that Meliše would willingly undo the veil herself, yet it was the only possible explanation for why they were both here. What he wanted to know was why.
"You're quite the clever bird, aren't you?" The sorceress said, earning a surprised look from the king.
"I have a direct connection with the goddess Dianae, so of course I can understand the divine bird." She explained. "I had a feeling there was something different about him but couldn't put my finger on it before. Makes sense now."
"So?" Loki asked again.
Meliše glanced at the king, who looked like he wasn't in the mood to talk. An evil smile formed on her face as she shrugged her shoulders. "Ask your king over there. Just when I was on the cusp of defeating him, he suddenly surrendered and said he wanted to bargain with me." She laughed.
Ceremus shot her the deadliest glare Loki had ever seen. Even Loki felt the ominous energy surrounding them, despite the gaze being directed at the grinning sorceress. Despite her words, Loki knew not to trust them. He had grown to know the King of Trojas over the past five months and was aware of his character. That stubborn and cold man would never accept defeat, let alone surrender himself.
"Why did you spare her, then?"
The two turned to look at Loki, and Meliše let out a gasp of disbelief. "How could you believe him over me?"
The bird ignored her and looked at Ceremus expectantly. Which caused the king to sigh.
"Though it would have brought me great pleasure to end this witch's life, I thought that we should at least know why she wants the shield and sword and how she became aware of our possession of the weapon." He explained.
Loki blinked for a moment before nodding his head. "That was a wise decision to make King Ceremus."
"What was a wise decision to make?" Hael spoke behind him. They all turned to look at the white-haired giant, who still had a conflicted look on his face.
Ceremus pursed his lips into a thin line before answering. "I will explain everything to you later…you have my word."
"... Alright. The bath is ready for you."
~*~
Ceremus entered the steaming bath, letting out a content sigh as he felt the warm water touching his bare skin.
After ordering one of his men to keep an eye on Meliše and promising her a slow and painful death if she were to try anything, he followed the guard to the bathing room, looking forward to washing off the blood and sweat on his body. He didn't, however, expect his guard to accompany him inside the bathing room.
"Are you planning on bathing as well?" He asked him with a raised brow.
Hael shook his head. "You are injured, are you not? It will be difficult for you to clean yourself on your own. Let me help you." He said.
Ceremus frowned. "I don't need any help—" he stopped mid-sentence when he saw the look on Hael's face.
It was clear he was still upset with him, and he didn't want to hear any refusal coming from Ceremus. The king shut his mouth and let the guard do as he liked.
Hael grabbed a bar of medicinal soap first, coating the piece of cloth in hand until it lathered before stroking it against Ceremus' skin, simultaneously healing and also cleaning his body clean. Though he felt a little odd about their current position at first, he closed his eyes and quickly got used to the feeling of being pampered by Hael.
They spent the next ten minutes in silence and after Hael was sure he had covered his entire body with the soap; he let it sit on his skin so Ceremus could get the full benefits of the product. He then moved to his hair, gently washing the inky waves on his head, messaging his scalp, and adding moisture to each stand.
Despite being a warrior, Ceremus was a man who took pride in his appearance and liked to take care of himself. Hael had become used to his entire routine, and knew all the steps the king took in his regiment. Once he had cleaned his hair, he rinsed the soap and moved to his face. His rough hands carefully messaged the tender skin, going over his forehead, his nose, his cheeks and neck, making sure not to go near his eyes and cause them irritation. Hael showed him so much attention and care that Ceremus felt his heart swell with every movement he made.
It was very clear Hael cared for his well-being; he sensed it with every touch.
"Hael," he called after he had properly rinsed his face cleanser. The guard looked up at the king and hummed in response.
"I spared that woman's life for a reason." He started to say. Hael said nothing in response, patiently waiting for him to elaborate—to which he did. He explained to him all the events that occurred inside of the veil, not leaving a single detail out. He even told him about how he was on the verge of being defeated, and his heart warmed when he saw Hael flinch at those words. Ceremus also revealed how he had received some divine intervention from his mother, which allowed him to win against Meliše.
He was honest with his words, leaving nothing out because he felt comfortable enough to reveal his true and vulnerable self to Hael in spite of his pride and shame at almost having lost.
Hael said nothing for a while as he took in everything he just heard. From the moment he caught her trying to seduce Ceremus, he knew something was wrong. The sudden image of them together blinded him, preventing him from considering why she seemed wrong.
Perhaps it was because he was still upset about how he and the king ended things that night at the temple, and how they had never taken the time to address the problem either. Hael was still on edge and the distraction dulled his senses. He should've been able to sense that she had ill intentions, considering how one of his biggest strengths was his discernment of people. He was unable to see Meliše for who she truly was, and he had brought along a potential threat to his safety willingly.
He failed as a guard, but more importantly, he failed as the person who cared for Ceremus the most.
Hael's shoulders hunched, his fists clenched at his sides. His usual steady breath hitched, barely keeping pace with the storm in his chest. I am undeserving of calling myself his guard. He could've died, and it would've been my fault.
As he tormented himself in his thoughts, Ceremus saw the downcast expression on his face and started to panic. It was the first time he'd seen Hael, the normally warm and full of life young man, look so perturbed.
"... It's my fault." He heard him mumble.
"Your fault?" He repeated, confused.
"I never should've let her come here. You got hurt because of me." He said, his words heavy with anguish.
The king furrowed his brows; he was even more puzzled than before. "How is me getting hurt, your fault, Hael? I'm the one who brought her here, not you."
The guard shook his head. "No, you would've never brought her inside the ship if it wasn't for me." He argued.
The king was about to retort, but the words got caught in his throat. Because it was the truth. If it wasn't for Hael, he would've never let a random stranger board their ship, not even if they were a poor and unassuming woman. Ceremus had good instincts, and he sensed that there was something off about Meliše, and yet he still allowed her to come with them.
So it was just as much his fault as it was Hael's. Why was he taking all the blame when he was in the wrong as well?
He let out a shaky breath as he stared at the guard, unable to utter words of comfort to the man shaking before him. Slumped over in his chair, he gripped the basin's edge with his left hand, turning his knuckles white.
What should I do? He thought. How do I make him realize that none of this is his fault?
In a state of panic, he grabbed Hael's hand, making the guard look up at him in surprise. His blue eyes were cloudy, filled with dread.
That's when Ceremus noticed there was something different about Hael, something he hadn't paid much mind to until now.
"You got darker after our trip to Leacus." He blurted out.
Hael's eyes grew wide. "What?" The remake was so sudden, so random, that the guard momentarily forgot his pain.
"You've tanned," Ceremus murmured, studying him. "Usually, your skin reminds me of black tea with milk. Now, there's a golden warmth to it. Makes your blue eyes stand out even more."
Ceremus knew what he was saying was completely ridiculous, but once he opened his mouth, he didn't know how to stop. Being deep and in touch with his feelings, comforting others, things of that nature weren't his strong suit, so he didn't know how to face such an awkward situation. It was so obvious how uncomfortable he felt that a chuckle nearly escaped Hael's lips.
But the guard couldn't hold it in any longer. Hael's shoulders shook, his lips twitching as he tried—and failed—to suppress the laughter bubbling in his chest. A deep, warm chuckle escaped him, turning into full-bodied laughter that echoed through the bathing room.
A small smile appeared on the king's face, and he was glad to see that the sad look was now gone. He squeezed the guard's hand and only spoke once he had calmed down.
"Hael. I want you to know that what happened to me was no one's fault but my own. I never should've goaded that woman on, and I should've realized how strong she was. I think it's good that we ended up bringing her with us. Who knows what she would've done if she hadn't? Now that we know her plans, we can find out who she's working for and what they want. So you don't need to worry about me, alright?"
The young man pursed his lips before nodding his head. "…I'm glad you made it back to me alive." He said in a soft voice.
"…Of course. Who do you think I am?" He chuckled.
The love of my life. Hael thought, but kept that thought to himself.
"Now help me up; the water has gotten cold." He ordered.
Hael acquiesced and brought a towel as he helped dry the king. Ceremus' eyes never left his person as he watched him intently. Though Hael looked better than before, he could tell there was still something worrying the giant.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
Hael, who was toweling off his legs, looked up with a frown. "What do you mean?"
"I know there's something else bothering you. Out with it." Ceremus said.