Chapter Thirteen

By Genavere

Something tickled her nose.

As consciousness slowly came back to her, it became the first thing thought that crossed her mind. Only after did she feel the weird numbness that spread around her body, which made it difficult for her to move a finger itch her nose, and that she felt exhausted.

Maybe it would be all right to sleep a bit longer…

The sensation of something brushing against her nose made her want to sigh, but her body felt unable to do even that. But it made her nose rather itchy, and a sense of discomfort ran through her body at the inability to scratch it.

A soft groan escaped her. Everything felt so heavy, even her eyelids, but if she could see what was causing the discomfort, maybe she could figure out what caused it. How did one open their eyes again, she wondered to herself.

Another brush sent another wave of anguish down her numb limbs and slowly she saw more than felt her eyes begin to open.

The brightness caught her off guard, any gain she had managed with finding the cause of her discomfort disappeared as she clenched her eyes shut at the pain. A whimper escaped her.

Whatever had been tickling her disappeared and before she could try to sigh in relief, a voice instead stilled her breath.

"Yumemi?"

The voice the spoke was deep, breathless, like she was. It felt like years since she had heard that voice. Memories rushed back of Gntarl and everything he had done. A wetness crept down the sides of her face as warm hands quickly brushed them away.

"You are safe, Yumemi. Open your eyes for me."

One of the hands left her face and a muffled sliding sound echoed somewhere around them. Soon, the hand was back and she leaned into it. A slow breath in, she urged her eyes to manage the heavy weights on them and soon the blurry room could be seen.

The blinding light from before was dimmed and she realized the sound she heard must have been him closing the curtains.

Above her, a face leaned over her, one that even blurred, she recognized with her whole heart. "Munto..."

A choked sound came from him and she felt his lips against her hand along with something wet. Was he crying? Carefully, her hand tightened in his and her vision began to clear. "I am home." The words left her lips like a prayer, soft and barely a whisper. She was home.

"Yes," he breathed, his lips came to rest on her forehead and kissed her there, "you are."

The warmth of his breath moved from her and left a cold chill move through her body. Before she could try to vocalize her dismay, something was pressed against her lips and she eagerly began drinking the offered water.

Her other hand slightly to take the cup from him, but a taunt pulled it back. She frowned.

"You have what the nurse called an IV in your hand," he explained softly, pulling the cup from her lips. "Your body needed fluids, and since you were unconscious for so long, it was the only way we could ensure you received them." The bed shifted and she watched him come to the other side of the bed and take the hand with the IV. At first, it confused her why he did that until she realized she could move her other hand unhindered.

Immediately her free hand moved to her stomach. The hand holding her clenched slightly.

"Yumemi..."

"Don't," she barely managed to shake her head. "Give me some time first."

She did not need to see him nod to know he understood her request. There was a burning sensation behind her eyes and her vision blurred again at the gathering tears. "How-how bad was everything?"

Silence stretched out between them as she waited for him, and he tried to formulate what to even say. "There were times we did not know if you would wake." There was a depth in his voice that broke her heart. A break in his demeanor that almost none but her had seen or heard. "They said the crystals did the most internal damage. Your muscles were ripped and bruised from each impact. They feared your bones might have suffered damage."

There was a pause, she felt the shutter that went through his body from his hand.

"They feared cracks and bone fragments, but thankfully you only suffered a few broken ribs." She looked at him as he scoffed. "Only...there should have been none of this that happened!"

Her eyes wondered him, his body tense from so many emotions she watched flicker over his face. The facial hair he had surprised her some, but the hollowness of his eyes made her wonder if her own matched his.

"But I am alive, and here with you," she carefully squeezed his hand, careful of the needle in her veins.

Their eyes locked together. Gold and jade mingled and fused together for a moment before he looked away by closing his eyes. "You are, and none shall ever have the presence to take you from your home again." Their eyes locked together again and a fire grew in his.

He was determined. It was not a promise that he made lightly, even when they both knew that it would be hard to keep it with their royal positions. Enemies would always be around them, but if they were together...

Her hand squeezed his, and carefully she licked her chapped lips. "Do you remember...when you fought to keep the pillar open?"

"Yes," he let out a breath, "It had been one of the hardest things I had done to that point."

She nodded softly, "You thought when I walked away that I had given up on the future."

"Yumemi-"

A light squeeze cut him off. "I am not naïve as I once was, but I still believe in my words from that day." Reaching over with her other hand, she took his and laid it on her chest. Her eyes closed as she took in a breath. "My heart is still safely here."

She felt his thumb caress her skin. The contact brought a warmth to her chest.

"Are you preparing to give me another lecture as you did then and many times after?"

"Not...at this moment..." she let out a breath. "I...just want this moment."

Yet, there was a nagging presence in the back of her mind, one that she knew she needed to address no matter how much she wanted to ignore the hardships that would come after that moment, however long it was, would end. No matter how hard she tried to push it back, a knot formed in her gut and she felt a surge of panic creep up to choke her.

"Is h-he...?"

"Dead," he answered without a need to ask what she meant. "Before you fret, I decreed him a traitor and sentenced him as King of the Heavens. I did not kill him out of anger or revenge."

A moment of silence came over them. "But I will admit, I felt those emotions. I wanted him dead, and I have craved that his punishment had been drawn out more than it had. After what he did-"

"I know," she rested her hand on his again. "I completely understand."

Pressing her lips together, she moved their hands to her belly. The tears threatened to fall again, and for the time being, between the two of them, she allowed them.