Author's Note: I am so sorry for the late update. Truthfully, I finished the original manga and was struggling on whether to finish this since it really messes up what I was planning to do. But, I love the story and decided to stick with it. I do have a general idea of where I want to take the story but I am also writing three full length novels right now. That being said, it may be a while between updates.
I'd like to give a shout out to all my followers and reviewers: Thanks Le Gasp, H.S. Law, DayDreamMerry, ThatOver-CookedEgg, VioletCamellia, Annabelle, RenRuki fan, MtnDew, NightlyRowenTree, and solangetheangelofthesun
Disclaimer: None of the characters or original story line of Dawn of the Arcana, to include Nakaba, Loki, and Adele belong to me. Also, I have changed the rating to T because there are a couple of intense scenes.
Chapter Two:
Loki skidded to a stop just on the edge of the courtyard. Nakaba and Adele conversed with a merchant over a spool of silk. Everything seemed fine. She was even smiling. Loki collapsed against a tree and took a deep breath. Adele finished his sale and he and Nakaba moved on. Loki debated following but remembered Nakaba's order. Reluctantly, he turned and left.
Nakaba turned and looked behind her. Something pulled at her and she searched the crowd for the source.
"Is something wrong, Nakaba?" Adele asked.
"No," she answered, turning back to him.
"Good. We need to hurry. Our meeting with the traders is soon."
"Of course, cousin."
Adele took her hand and thread it through his arm. Weaving through the multitude of people, they made their way to the guildhall where they were meeting a group of traveling merchants. Adele wanted to invite them to the palace during the celebration party for his and Nakaba's wedding. Although the wedding had been small and quiet, Adele wanted the whole kingdom to know he had stolen Belquat's princess. Nakaba rolled her eyes at the idea. Caesar did what he needed to do. He didn't lose Nakaba to anyone. Of course, now with Louise pregnant, Nakaba knew they would forever be apart.
Nakaba shook her head. The last thing she needed was to show weakness in front of Adele. The prince didn't seem to notice and they continued on.
That evening, Nakaba once again sat on her balcony, staring off at the grand city before her. She felt Loki shift subtly behind her and instead of turning to acknowledge him, she continued staring ahead. Loki, for his part, respected the silence Nakaba sought. Although he ached to tell her of his vision, he decided it was better left to his knowledge alone, at least for now. He was just turning to retire for the night when she called to him.
"Loki," she said without turning around. "Do you think I am doing the right thing?"
Loki stared at her speechless. Nakaba had never doubted her path and the fact that she did so now had his mind racing at the reasons. He took a step in her direction.
"I think that you have always done what you thought needed to be done, Princess," he said softly, the words caressing her skin.
Nakaba turned to face him. "I want your honest opinion, Loki. Not what you think I want to hear."
He studied her for a second. "Yes. This kingdom is your birth right and you should be able to claim it, however you see fit." He lowered his eyes at her intense stare.
She hopped down from the balcony wall and approached him. As she neared, Loki lifted his head and watched her progress. She moved with such sinewy grace that he was mesmerized.
"You are the most loyal person anyone could ask for."
Her words threw him off and the spell of her body was broken. Her words did not sit well with him. He didn't want to be remembered as the princess's loyal servant. Controlling his features, he decided not to respond to her comment. Greeted with his silence, Nakaba reached up and ran her hand down his cheek, her fingers sinking into the silkiness of his hair for a moment.
"Good night, Loki," she said gently. "I will see you in the morning."
Her words were as good as a dismissal and bowing, he left the room.
For the next two weeks, the palace was enmeshed in a flurry of activity as it prepared for Adele's celebration. Nakaba busied herself with the affairs of state, greeting visitors and seeing to their accommodations. Although the kingdom was not yet hers, or Adele's for that matter, she was still burdened with the task. Silk steamers hung from light posts, buildings, and nearly every other exposed surface. Venders built kiosks outside shop doors in the hopes of bringing people in.
Loki watched all of this from the outskirts. Nakaba did not need him and had dismissed him more than once. It was just as well. He did not really want to contribute to something his entire being disagreed with.
Her turned and headed for the palace gates. His need for fresh air and solitude took him to the forest surrounding the palace. Although Senan was gripped in spring's embrace, a chill still permeated the air. Loki lifted his head into the wind and closed his eyes. The breeze ruffled his midnight locks and tickled the fur on his ears. After a moment he sighed and lowered his head.
Off to his right was a fast moving river interspersed with large boulders. Flicking his tail, he turned and sprinted toward them, bounding from one to another. A thin spray coated him as the current crashed against the rocks. Anyone else would have lost their footing on the slick surface but the Ajin was sure-footed and easily navigated the unlikely bridge. When he finally made it to the other side, he swiped at the dampness on his brow, pushing his heavy bangs to the side.
The forest vibrated with life: birds, rodents, fish jumping from the very river he'd just traversed. The serene scene did little to assuage his loneliness. Leaning against a tree, he sank to the ground, burying his face in his hands. How did he end up in this position? Nothing had really changed since he and Nakaba had entered the palace as children. Did he really think that they would eventually be able to be together?
He debated using his Arcana of Time to try and reveal more of Nakaba's fate but decided against it. Now was not the time. As he was lost in thought, a rustling nearby captured his attention. He jumped to his feet and drew his dagger. Whatever it was did not reveal themselves and Loki started to doubt it was anything more than a rabbit. As he moved to replace his dagger, another Ajin, a pure-blooded wolf, pounced on him, knocking him to the ground. The wolf, barely old enough to be considered a man, gnashed sharp teeth inches from Loki's face. Loki's forearm was the only thing keeping the boy from tearing his flesh asunder.
"What are you doing here, half-breed?" the boy snarled. "Shouldn't you be hiding behind your walls surrounded by luxury?"
Loki wedged his feet against the boy's midsection and pushed as hard as he could. The move dislodged him enough to allow Loki to break free and get to his feet. The wolf-child, enraged by the move began to circle Loki. Slipping into a crouch, Loki pulled his dagger and turned with the boy.
"You need to go back where you came from," the boy growled. "You're not welcome here. The river marks our territory."
"I meant no harm," Loki said, slipping his dagger back into its sheath. Wolves were notorious for jealously guarding their territories. Loki was surprised that other Ajin had moved so close to the palace. With his hands up, he began making his way back toward the river.
"Don't come back!" With his final warning, the wolf-child disappeared into the brush.
Loki turned and approached the edge of the river. Now, he was no longer welcome in the palace or the forest. Typical. Ever since his parents died, he didn't belong anywhere. Except at Nakaba's side. Nakaba was his home and always had been. With his thought going full circle, he dashed back across the river. On the last rock, a movement to his right distracted him and he slipped, plunging into the frigid waters.
He scrambled for the bank, noticing a deer disappearing into the trees. Grasping onto the weeds, he pulled himself out, chilled to the bone. He shook his head and tail to remove as much water as he could before stumbling to his feet. For good measure, he squeezed the excess water from his tail. Looking more like a drowned rat, he made his way back to the palace, cursing his wayward mind.
Nakaba noticed Loki enter the palace gates with his arms wrapped tightly around him. Concerned, she set down the plans she was going over and made her way to him. As she approached him, she noticed water dripping from his clothes. She ran the last few feet and reached out to him.
"Loki!" she cried. "What happened?"
"I fell in the river," he answered, his lips an unhealthy shade of blue.
"You what?"
"I'll be fine once I warm up," he reassured her, forcing a small smile on his face.
"Come on. You need a warm bath." Without waiting for him to argue, she grabbed his arm and dragged him up to her room.
As soon as she had the water running, she threw a log into the fireplace. The fire from that morning had burned down to embers and she stoked it back to life. Once that was done, she returned to Loki who stared at her, incredulous. Did she really expect him to bathe in her room? With her present?
"What?" she asked, her hands on her hips and head cocked to the side.
"I can't do this here," he said, wrapping the towel she given him closer around his shoulders.
"Don't be ridiculous, Loki. You don't have running water in your room and by the time the servants brought you warm water, you'd freeze to death. Get in the tub."
"Princess…" The look on her face brooked no argument and he turned to the steaming tub.
Nakaba came up behind him and pulled off the towel, setting it on the bench next to her. "I'll be right back. Go ahead and get warmed up."
He nodded and began to strip off his wet clothes. Nakaba disappeared into her room to make sure the log took to the flames. A few moments later she knocked on the bathroom door.
"Loki, I'm going to come in and get your clothes," she said.
Without waiting for an answer, she opened the door. The sight that greeted her stopped her in her tracks. Loki stretched out in the tub, his head hanging over the back and his knees barely breaking the surface of the water. His eyes were closed and his hair hung haphazardly across his face. Nakaba's gaze was drawn to his slightly parted lips, his long canines barely visible behind their lush temptation. Without making a sound, she gathered his clothing and brought it out to the fire.
As she arranged the pieces to dry, she tried to dispel the sight of him vulnerable and utterly masculine. Memories of their night together flooded her mind and her cheeks flared red. A flutter in her stomach had her moving back to the bathroom. Just for a moment, she thought. He'll never even know I was there. Gripping the fabric of her shirt nervously, she opened the bathroom door.
Loki still sat as she'd last seen him. On silent feet, Nakaba approached him. His beauty mesmerized her and the clear water did nothing to hide his attributes. Their only night together had been in the dark and she'd had to rely on her hands to discover what her eyes now witnessed. Loki was absolute perfection and she ached to touch him again, to have him touch her. Unable to stop herself, she knelt beside him and buried her fingers in his still damp hair.
His eyes shot open and turned to her. While her eyes held an apology, the words never left her mouth. Instead, she leaned down and kissed him, pressing her lips urgently against his. He groaned and reached up, sinking his hands into her hair and holding her against him. Like a man on the verge of starvation, he pushed into her mouth seeking everything he had been missing. She obliged him, opening up and granting him access.
Sitting straighter in the tub and oblivious to his soaked state, he pulled her against him, wrapping his arms tightly around her. When he broke the kiss, he buried his face in her shoulder. Panting, she held him just as tightly, stroking his bare back. His muscles played beneath her hands, evidence of his restrained power.
"Nakaba," Loki sighed. "What are you doing here?"
Shocked by his use of her name again, Nakaba sat still for a moment before answering. "I'm sorry. I had to see you, to feel you."
"Are you satisfied?" he asked, pulling back to look at her flushed face.
"Not nearly."
She crashed her mouth to his again, digging her nails into his back in her zeal. They sat there for several minutes, relishing in each other. Her boldness surprised him when she explored more of him, even going so far as to release some of the pressure he'd been feeling over the past two weeks. Afterward, he was left panting and exhausted, his head draped over the side of the tub.
"I think your clothes may be dry," she said, brushing her lips across his brow. "I'll let you get dried off while I fetch them."
"Nakaba," he said, reaching out and grasping her tenderly behind her head. "What am I supposed to do?"
She leaned her head against his arm and closed her eyes. "Dry off and then we'll talk about it."
She stood up and left the bathroom, her heart pounding in her chest. Sure enough, his clothes were dry. Gathering them up, she waited outside the bathroom for Loki to emerge. When he did, he towered over her in all his masculine beauty. Wordlessly, she handed him his clothes. Taking them, he dropped them at his feet. Before she could ask why, he gathered her in his arms and pressed her ear against his pounding heart. With just a towel separating them, the heat from his body was intense.
"This is what you do to me," he rasped. "This is the state you leave me in when you are near. When you touch me, or call my name. When I simply look upon your beauty. It kills me when you push me away."
Nakaba swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Would you prefer me not send you away when I need to attend to the affairs of state? When I am with Adele?"
"I would prefer you choose me, spend your nights in my arms and your days at my side. But I know why you cannot. Given that, yes, I would rather be your shadow. I am ill at ease when I am not near you."
"Oh, Loki! I only wished to spare you."
Loki pulled back and looked down into her watery eyes. Without warning, he kissed her gently and filled it with all the love he possessed for her.
"Do not worry about me," he whispered against her lips. "I can take care of myself."
She nodded and stepped back. "I have to get back before someone realizes I'm gone. Rest here awhile. I hope you don't get sick from being in the river."
He leaned down in a slight bow until she disappeared from the room. Dressing quickly, he made his way to her balcony. Leaning his head against the wall, he replayed the last half-hour.
The next week proved busier than the last with the party taking place on the last day. True to her word, Nakaba did not send Loki away again. He helped where he could, often lifting or carrying things that were too heavy for her. For the most part, he simply stood by her side, a silent sentinel. His constant place at her side irritated Adele to no end and on the morning of the party, he confronted her about it.
"Nakaba," he said, following her to her changing screen. "I'm just saying it seems odd that the man can't find any other way to pass the time. It's not like he's a guard. What possible reason could he have for hanging around you all day?"
"Adele," Nakaba said with tried patience. "I have known Loki my whole life. For all intents and purposes, he is my personal guard. I trust him more than anyone else in the world. If I want him at my side, he will be there."
"Not today."
"Excuse me?" Nakaba swiveled to glare at him.
A wave of nausea and dizziness overcame her and she nearly toppled over. Adele rushed to her and held her up until she regained her equilibrium.
"Are you alright?" he asked, genuine concern in his voice.
"Yes," she said, running her hand across her slick brow. "I just haven't eaten today."
"Nakaba, I didn't mean to sound harsh. It's just…today we are celebrating our marriage in front of all the kingdom. I need you by my side. We need to show a unified front and I worry about what the people will think about an Ajin so near my bride. Especially one that looks at you the way he does."
"You're imagining things, Adele. But…if it will make you feel better, I will tell him."
"Thank-you. That's all I ask." He brushed a kiss across her brow and left the room.
Nakaba pressed her hand against her stomach while bracing the other on the wall. Another wave of nausea hit her and she ran for the bathroom. For three days now she had been unable to keep anything down. Even now, the thought of eating anything had her stomach turning. Her door opened and a maid carrying breakfast entered. The elderly woman beamed at Nakaba when she saw the princess exit the bathroom, her face ashen.
"Congratulations, your Majesty!" she said, setting down the tray.
"I'm sorry?" Nakaba said, utterly confused.
"On your pregnancy. I will take this back and get you something to help settle your stomach. You should rest for a bit before the party starts."
As the woman left the room, Nakaba stood in shock. She couldn't be pregnant! She'd only ever been with one person and then, only one time. That meant she was carrying Loki's baby. Her eyes filled with tears, both of joy and despair. She debated telling Loki at all. What would he do? What could he do? She already knew what she would have to do and that it would break Loki's heart.
With no other option, she moved out onto the balcony and raised Loki's whistle to her lips. The silent call reached his ears alone as he worked on the other side of the palace. Concerned, he dropped everything and ran to her.
As he reached her balcony, Loki scaled the wall, dropping gracefully to the floor next to her. He noticed an ethereal glow about her and soaked in her beauty. A moment later, he noticed the tears gathering in her eyes.
"Is everything alright, Princess?" he asked, reaching out to her.
She allowed him to gather her in his arms. "Loki, I need you to keep your distance during the party. Adele needs me to stay near him."
"Alright…" he said, rubbing her back. "Is that all that is bothering you?"
She shook her head.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Again, she shook her head.
"Okay."
"But…I need to." She pulled away from him and looked up into his concerned eyes. "Loki, I'm pregnant."
Loki stared in shock at her words. He couldn't move, couldn't even speak. Everything he had ever wanted was right before him. His greatest dream. For a split second, his lips lifted up into a smile. Then reality hit, as did her falling tears and he knew his world was about to be shattered.
"No one can know," she said, confirming his worst fears. "I have to consummate my marriage. People have to believe this baby is Adele's. It's the only way."
Loki stepped back, trying valiantly to hold onto his composure. He would not break down in front of her. Hadn't he already promised himself that? He bowed low and rested his arm over his chest.
"I understand, Princess," he said without emotion.
"Loki, I'm so sorry!" She cried in ernest now. "I never meant to hurt you like this."
"I know. I'm not angry with you. I will give you the space you need." With that, he turned and headed for the edge of the balcony.
Before he could disappear, Nakaba latched onto him, wrapping her arms around his waist in a death grip. Her shuddered sobs tore at his resolve and he patted her arm before prying her loose.
"You should rest," he said and launched over the railing.
His landing was anything but graceful, his ankle twisting at a painful angle. We welcomed the pain. Anything to take the edge off the pain in his heart. His stomach tightened painfully and he fought back an intense wave of nausea. Making his way blindly to the palace gates, he stumbled all the way to the river. He didn't cross this time. Instead, he collapsed into a bloodless heap, finally emptying the contents of his stomach. Once empty, he dry heaved, choking back the sobs that were suffocating him.
His child, which he would never be able to hold. His child, which he would be forced to watch grow from afar. His child that would be raised by someone else with the woman he loved beyond anything else in the world. Then what? Nakaba has another child with Adele and Loki's chance of ever being with her disappears forever.
The sobs he had so desperately held back broke free as a great cry that echoed through the trees. Had he been cognizant of anything, he would have guessed it was loud enough for the people in the palace to hear. But he didn't care. His heart and soul were being torn to shreds and he had no one to ease his pain. He tore at his hair and screamed some more, for good measure. In time, the pain numbed, only because he locked away every emotion he had.
Looking ahead, he could see the reflective lenses of creatures hiding in the forest across the river. He instinctively knew they were the wolf Ajin. For a while, he entertained the idea of crossing the river and allowing the wolves to tear him limb from limb. Physical pain he could handle and when the wolves finished with him, there would be nothing left. Then all his pain would be gone. But, as usual, he thought of Nakaba and what that would do to her. As painful as it was, he knew he would never leave her, even if it meant he would die inside. Gathering himself together, he made his way back to the palace. There was a party about to start.
