The wind and rain fell upon those ruins without mercy.
The drops slid down his grayish-brown eyelashes, crossed his pale cheeks, and settled along his sharp jawline. He appeared to be crying, but his frozen face showed nothing that could be read; on it, there was only a hollow, worn shadow hiding in silence.
He slowly relaxed his arms, as if even holding the rainwater were exhausting to him. A heavy sigh escaped from his lips as he tried in vain to regulate his ragged breathing.
—Let’s go… Let us return.
But Talia did not answer him.
She merely looked at him with empty eyes, and at that moment, the mask of calmness on his face began to crack bit by bit, like a wax statue starting to melt.
—You… You must not stay like this. You have…
His words halted again and again, as if his own thoughts were no longer capable of moving forward in a straight line.
—You bled a lot… And if your body grows colder…
The rain swallowed the rest of his voice.
He approached her with extreme slowness, with the caution of a man approaching a wounded animal, fearing it might flee or break. Then, he knelt before her, resting on a single knee.
His large hands, swollen from the cold, enveloped her mud-covered hand, and she finally felt a faint warmth seep into her frozen skin. He held it gently with both hands, wiped the mud from her skin, and then brought her trembling fingers toward his own warm neck.
Only then did she remember.
She remembered the day he had done exactly the same thing for a small bird that had fallen into the mire. And suddenly, the weeping that had quieted for a few moments returned.
—Let’s go… Let us leave.
He wrapped his arm around her slender back over the thin nightgown, but she twisted away, attempting to push him apart.
She was afraid of him. Afraid of the man capable of raising her up to the sky just by extending his hand… only to let her fall from the heights afterward. She resented him for making her have hope; if she had always stayed at the bottom, she would have never known the pain of the fall.
She knew her accusation was unjust, but she still wanted to hurt him with words.
*Why didn't you leave me to rot in that mire the day you found me? Why don't you leave me in the shadows of the imperial palace? Why did you make me dream of happiness?*
—I don't want this anymore… Leave me alone!
Her body shook violently, so he held her tightly to prevent her from crumbling or fleeing. She burst into tears amidst a bitter helplessness, while his warm hand sank into her soaked hair and encircled her ice-cold neck.
Then, his voice fell upon her, heavy and harsh like metal:
—We have to return now.
Realizing that he would take her away by force if necessary, she turned her eyes toward the small grave. She seemed to see the figure of a baby shivering alone under the cold earth. The echo of the newborn's crying blended once more with the sound of the rain, until she felt herself suffocating. She wished to die just for being unable to carry him and comfort him.
She extended her hand toward the grave, panting violently, and finally her limbs went limp. The entire world drowned in rain and tears.
*“I wish I would drown with him.”*
She whispered between sobs as her vision began to fade gradually.
—Please… Let me sleep like this forever. I only want to escape from this painful reality…
---
### CHAPTER 154
While Tiuran walked up the stairs carrying a skin of cold water, she spotted Daryn Dru Shierkan standing in a corner of the hallway, so she stopped immediately.
The man wore a decorated formal jacket over his heavy armor, as if he were heading to a noble event and not to a palace plunged into mourning. He was speaking with a young assistant, but he turned toward her as soon as he noticed her on the stairs and gave her a brief greeting.
—Good work.
Tiuran lowered her head tensely.
—Is something the matter?
—Nothing important. I only came to learn about the duchess's condition.
He indicated with his gaze toward the nearby bedroom door. Tiuran set the water skin on the floor and moistened her dry lips before choosing her words with care.
—Her fever broke with difficulty this midday… Now she is sleeping after taking her medicine.
—So the dangerous stage has already passed?
Tiuran raised her eyes toward him cautiously. She knew very well that some members of the palace were beginning to murmur about the duchess's capacity to conceive, and although those comments caused her revulsion, she wanted to protect Talia from further harm. Therefore, she replied in a defensive tone:
—Fortunately, Her Highness is gradually improving. She will only need a few months to recover her health completely.
The man furrowed his brow in annoyance.
—That long?
Tiuran was on the verge of furrowing her brow as well. Did he think that giving birth was something simple? Although the birth had been premature, the baby was large for its month, and the duchess's body had not been able to endure it easily. The worst part was that the hemorrhage almost cost her her life. It was natural that her recovery would take a long time.
However, instead of explaining all that, she said with evident coldness:
—This is the normal recovery time. Women's bodies are more fragile than men's by nature.
The man asked again with a slightly condescending tone:
—In any case… She is no longer in danger, correct?
Tiuran hesitated for an instant and then nodded. Seeing this, the man sighed with visible relief.
—Then there is no longer any need for the lord duke to remain by her side all the time.
Tiuran finally understood the reason for his visit and furrowed her brow.
—The healing of the body does not mean the healing of the heart. Her Highness has lost her child… And she needs her husband now.
The expression vanished from the man's face for a moment. Tiuran's body tensed immediately, for she knew very well how cruel nobles could be to those they considered inferior. However, the man finally spoke in a calm voice:
—It is possible that you do not understand the magnitude of the duty that nobles carry. Varkas Laidgo Shierkhan is not simply a husband… He is a ruler responsible for millions of people in the East.
He paused and then continued:
—By his decision, armies move and lords assemble. If he neglects his duty, everyone will begin to wonder: why do we serve him in the first place?
Tiuran lowered her gaze without finding an answer. He added calmly:
—I only protect the authority of my lord duke. So inform him that the duchess is well now… and that there is no longer anything to worry about.
—... I understand.
She bowed with respect, and the man finally stepped back, walking away toward the end of the hallway.
Tiuran took the water skin again and headed toward the bedroom with caution, while the two men continued speaking behind her back. When she opened the door slowly so as not to disturb the duchess's sleep, she froze in her tracks.
The duke was sitting at the head of the bed. He was leaning forward with exhaustion, wearing a loose jacket in a careless manner, while his disheveled hair was brushed back. For the first time, he looked surprisingly young.
Only at that moment did Tiuran remember that he was not yet past twenty-four years of age.
—Why are you standing there? Bring the water —he said in a low voice without raising his gaze.
She approached timidly, while he passed his fingers carefully over the forehead of his sleeping wife, as if he feared she would disappear if he touched her with too much force. Tiuran cast a quick glance at him and suddenly realized that his face was just as pale as the duchess's own.
Then a strange thought assailed her. During the last two days, she had been entering and leaving the room constantly to care for Talia… but she did not remember seeing this man sleep even once.
