“I don’t think you know what you’re asking, sunshine.”
He lifted his arm for her to twirl under, her skirts fanning out, sending pieces of decay fluttering through the air. The sun continued its vibrant descent, and Hellebore could not pull her gaze away from her husband’s face, practically glowing in the light even as his exhaustion crept in.
He was beautiful, obviously. He was an elf. She’d have to be blind not to notice, and yet, somehow she didn’t think she truly had until now.
What was she asking? And did she really want to know the answer?
If she did, she’d have to respond.
And she still didn’t have a cure for the irises, which meant he was still dying.
“Answer me, now, why did you volunteer so quickly to come to this tonight?” Taiyo murmured, tugging her closer until she was flush against his chest. Her heart hammered against her ribs, and why couldn’t the dreadful organ just beat normally?
Her mouth went dry, but at least she had prepared for this. “I have every intention of doing exactly what I swore I would do. Once I cure the irises and use them to cure you, well, I’ll still have, hopefully, another sixty or so years. If I succeed, we bothhave a life after this, and I won’t be able to avoid actually being your queen forever. I’m just getting a head start.”
Taiyo’s movements slowed, not ending the dance entirely, but no longer matching the pace of the music in the distance. “So you have been thinking about a future with me.”
“I’m not so short-sighted as to not have even spared a few minutes to realize what happens if I succeed.”
“But even before you knew my life was at stake, you had no interest in building any kind of future of acting as queen, only as my alchemist. What changed?”
Well, she hadn’t prepared an answer to that question. She was silent a few moments, finally able to avert her gaze, ducking it so she stared at his shoulder.
No clever answer came to her lips. No cold justification was hiding deep within her mind.
“I… I don’t know.”
“It’s not a failure to not know,” Taiyo whispered.
Hellebore’s throat tightened and water started welling up in her eyes. She was supposed to know. She was an alchemist; the whole point of her existence was to find answers. The only reason she was there in his arms was so she could give him answers and save his kingdom.
She blinked the tears away and looked back up at him. “You didn’t answer me.”
“I will when you’re ready to hear it.” Taiyo came to a stop, keeping her pressed against him. He lowered his forehead to hers, his breath brushing her cheek. Her heart raced wildly even as his beat a slow, sluggish tempo. His eyes fluttered shut and he breathed in deeply in the final pink rays as the sun disappeared behind the horizon. “Tonight… just let me hold you.”
She could close the distance between them. It would be so easy. His lips were only a breath away from hers. He wanted herto. She could feel it in the slight shake of his arm curled around her back. He desperately wanted her to.
But he wouldn’t do it.
She closed her eyes.
She wanted to.
But she couldn’t do it.
Hellebore took a soft, shaky breath and pulled her head back. Her eyes opened and she reached up, brushing her fingers over Taiyo’s cheek. She whispered, “The sun has set. You’ve overexerted yourself.”
Taiyo nodded without opening his eyes. His hands didn’t leave her.
She had to reach behind herself and gently pull them away so they could leave. She had his hands in hers when he finally opened his eyes.
“I love…” Taiyo’s voice was a broken breath, as faint as the music in the distance. “I love when you wear our clothes and our colors.”
Hellebore dropped his hands. “They’re… They’re just not practical. I’m an alchemist.”
“For now?”
The hope swelling in those two words had Hellebore’s stomach turning.
