"Bowing," he said like it was apparent.
Nyssa’s head snapped in his direction. "But why? I haven't done anything."
To this, Lex laughed. "Haven’t—“ she gawked at Nyssa’s questioning expression. "Fuck all, I wondered where the humble gene landed in your family, and here it is sitting in front of me," she muttered. "Nyssa, you cannot be serious."
Nyssa broke off another piece of roll and started chewing it. "I don't know what you mean. They have no reason to bow to me. I am no longer a royal. And even when I was—“
"Maybe we leave it for tonight," Nadir suggested, eyeing Lex over Nyssa's head. "Let our Princess enjoy the clean night air and good food."
Dammit, she'd missed her own people.
Even if they had been rude to her before she disappeared, she still cherished the smiles on their faces and laughter in the air. Eventually, Lex retired with a few friends she'd made, and Nyssa tucked her knees into her chest.
People continued to go up to Nadir and chat. Hearing him laughing, finding herself back on that beach and by his side... Every breath she took felt unreal, as though it were a dream. She didn't realize there were tears on her face until she felt Nadir's hand on her leg.
"Okay?" he asked.
She inhaled sharply, pushing the wet from her cheeks and straightening to give him a small smile. "Yeah, yeah," she managed. "It's just..." She swallowed as she watched the fire, and Nadir simply rubbed her leg.
"It's okay," he assured her. "You're okay."
"I know," she whispered. "I..." She turned to meet his eyes, noting the glisten in them and the bob of his throat. "I'm not sure I ever thought I would be back on your beach."
Nadir gave her a small smile, and he reached for her hand. "I missed you on my beach," he told her.
She couldn't help herself from leaning sideways onto his shoulder, savoring that comfort of him again. He kissed the top of her head.
"Everything feels unreal," she managed. “Like a dream."
"What can I do?" he asked.
Memories of her life before the ordeal pouring through her as she looked out to the surf. "Do you know what I really want?" she asked as she laid her chin on his shoulder.
He eyed her, apparently noting the play in her gaze, and he stood. "Come on. I've been waiting for this since you got back," he said as he reached for her hand. "I'll go easy on you with the arm," he winked.
She took his hand, noting the still ache in her muscles but fighting it with everything she had in her. She wanted normalcy, her strength back, to feel the wind around her and not feel it in her bones instead of just on her skin.
He held her hand as they walked back to his shack, and he grabbed one long bamboo stick and a smaller short stick from beside the steps. She hated that he was giving her the smaller one.
And he knew it.
"Don't give me that look," he said as she begrudgingly took the stick. "Your arm is broken."
"Don't remind me," she grumbled. She whirled the stick in her hands as she would have her own sword, which she was reminded had been lost, along with her bow. But she shoved the thoughts to the back of her mind and followed him out to the surf. He pushed the torch into the ground as he'd done before, and he set up.
The smile on his face made her shake her head.
"What?" he grinned.
“Your smile,” she heard herself say, her own lighting up her cheeks.
He shrugged. "You're back on my beach."
And she fought the emotion in her chest.
His smile softened, and he set his feet. "Set up, Princess."
Nyssa did. She wavered when her feet began to sink, but she clenched the little muscle left and held the broken arm close.
