The Folly of Love
He loved her. She loved him. That was all that mattered.
Or so it had seemed. He should have known that she would not be content to sit in his palace, not entirely a prisoner, but unable to leave. He had thought her love for him would keep her with him, for awhile at least.
After all, he had trusted her, trusted her with many things. Things he should not have revealed. He should have learned better after last time. He should not have trusted her with his greatest secret. But alas, he did, and was more the fool from it.
In the end though, he was not angry with her for stealing his secret. He had known that she would take it. It was her destiny to find out his secret and use it. But he had thought-no, he hadn't thought because if he had thought, he would have known that it was her destiny to leave him-he had thought her love for him would be enough. Enough to make her stay, enough to change fate and destiny even.
Love had made him a fool, yet again. He should know better than to entrust mere mortals with his heart, for even if they did not betray him they would eventually leave this world, leaving him.
Mistake after mistake. First, Nelsor, then Sharma. Sharma. Oh, how it hurt him to even think of Sharma, after all that Sharma had done to him. Sharma had come to him, wooed him, and then betrayed him. Not just by stealing the Treesong, or half of it rather, but by using it to cast out his name and become immortal. It hurt him more than he cared to admit to anyone, even himself. And even after that betrayal, he still felt bad for Sharma. Yes, even though Sharma had achieved his goal of eternal life, it was eternal torment, and he felt responsible for that.
But her.
After his initial rage lessened, he was almost able to admit to himself that she had done the right thing. She had to do it; it was her fate, and still though, she was his Fire-Lily.
But that is not what hurt him the most. He knew when she left that he would never see her again. That was why he had kept her close to him, to protect her.
For the first time, Arkan wept.
