I Scored Myself A Mate

The palace seemed cold and unwelcoming. The moment Allias stepped inside his thoughts ran wild once again. His disheveled appereance shocked everyone, the staff and Mark who had been waiting for him for hours. They had gathered around him concerned and kept asking him questions. If he needed anything, if he was alright, if they had succeeded. All Allias needed was a moment of peace. Just a second where everything would simply get silenced and the worries that occupied his mind would disappear. 

Theseus was standing right beside him, his eyes like hawks kept watching him all the way back, silent and unwavering he didn't dare to speak. It was better that way Allias thought. He looked at his hands. Blood, dried and sticking on him. How many did he kill after Achlys had told him the truth? How many lives his anger had taken, how long would it take for that castle to get rebuild again? Vengeance? Revenge? Yes, they had gotten that but why did his mouth taste bitter as if a very disgusting medicine had been forced on him. 

He did not reply and the elves that surrounded him kept asking, repeating the same question again and again, their voices sounding distant and foreign. He began walking, bumping onto the people and leaving everyone behind stunned and worried. Theseus this time did not follow him, at least not at first. 

He allowed him to enter their shared room, sit on his bed with his disrty clothing and feel the chill of the cold sheets ho through his tired body. He rubbed his face with his hand, seeing dust and specs of dried blood fall on the polished floor. His expression was too obvious, the tired king showed his emotions so easily. Even the floor that was being mopped everyday could mirror him perfectly. Exhausted, his eyes red from crying while his whole figure seemed to shrink. He let out a sigh, his breathing coming out heavy and long and he closed his eyes.

"What do I do now?" He mumbled to himself. 

He loved him, he loved him so much that he never doubted him. He loved him so much that the news felt like a spear was passing through his heart. A spear held by him. After all this time, after all those days and after all the sorrow Theseus still chose to hide a part of him. Out of fear? Out of insecurity? How could Allias know. 

He had to confront him, he had stand in front of him and let him know he knew about this grave lie he had been keeping from him. Even the thought was painful, imagining the scene, a vision of despair and tears. He could hear their voices shaking, their tones getting heated, their arms in the air as they argued as they took ten steps back again and Allias felt as if he was suffocating, something was stuck on his throat. He couldn't breathe and he kept heaving, his chest rising in desperate need of air. He sat up, shaking he headed towards the window, opening it and letting the wamr air enter their room. He could smeel the flowers. So strong that they were almost intoxicating. He needed air, he needed someone to help him. 

He clawed his neck gently with his fingertips. Tracing lines as he tried to find what the thing that made him feel like he would die soon. It began from this horrible sensation on his chest, that weight that seemed to crush him, make it unable to get off of the bed. Then his hands began to shake and the more he realized it the harder it became for him to breathe. 

He heard the sound of the door opening. The snow white haired man entered the room, lingering for a while on the doorstep as his worried eyes searched for his king. They met, green into purple, worry into sorrow and a clash of souls happened. Theseus rushed to him, his expression showing anguish at the sight of his tortured lover and Allias felt like an utter fool.

You betrayed me but somehow still your presence calms me. He told himself as he felt Theseus caress his back. For now they were silent. Simple gestures and wary looks, that was their communication and for the first time both of them were terrified to speak.

Allias soon calmed down, his breathing returning to normal and Theseus' worry was eased even just by a little bit. His palm remained on his back, the general seemed to wish for their contact to continue. It was some sort of silent affirmation that Allias was not rejecting him. Both of them were seated on the ground, the king looking at his laps as thoughts troubled him again. His hand was warm, still on his body and without even noticing it he knew he loved it. It was comforting, faint but loving. Everything that Theseus did showed love but this kind of betrayal? How was it supposed to be excused. What kind of action coulb be called an act of love to forgive this? 

"How about you take a bath? Then you can lie down and rest a little bit." Theseus whispered gently. He didn't want his voice to be too loud, he didn't want to startle him. 

"Do you love me?" Allias asked him with no actual intention of getting up. He was just sitting there looking at him with his big eyes waiting on his reply as if he had never heard Theseus tell him he loved him again. The he eral smiled, lines of his happiness forming on his face as he answered him with no doubt at all.

"I've always loved you and I always will." He stared, every word oozing with confidence as their eyes met. For a second Allias wished that time would stop now, that the seconds would simply freeze and that smile would remain forever. The echo of his words would linher and calm his beating heart. The warmth of his touch and the sincerity he could so obviously spot would simply get stuck in time, an endless limbo. 

"Theseus why did you betray me then? If you loved me?" Allias asked him and Theseus blinked, still not realizing fully the severity of the situation. 

"What are you talking about? Me betray you? I would never do that" the general told him and he heard the king sigh. He had given him the wrong answer. 

"I know, I Know about the last Avgee elf Theseus, about the last of my people. Where is the elf?" He asked him and Theseus instantly turned tensed. 

"She is in a cabin protected by Joe." Theseus explained knowing that there was no reasong to argue with him. He had been trying to tell him for so long after all, maybe now things would be better even though Allias didn't hear it from him. 

"She is a girl." Allias mumbled, both of them knew what that meant. His gaze traveled in the room, Theseus was now anxious, the king was not saying anything. 

"Allias I am sorry. I tried many times to tell you"

"Then why didn't you?" Allias asked.

"Because there was so much going on that I..."

"So much going on. So from all the nights we spent laying next to each other, all the baths we took together and all the morning we woke up side by side you couldn't spare me five minutes and share this information with me? Please Theseus, don't treat me like a fool." Allias said. The general expected him to be mad, to get up and shoit, argue swear at him but he did none of that. He simply kept sitting on the floor, looking at him and talking calmly something that the general was not used to, that scared him even more.

"I do not treat you like a fool." Theseus said.

"Then tell me. Tell me why even though you say you love me so much, even though you know how important my people were for me you thought hiding this was a good idea? I want to listen." He said.

Theseus gulped. He felt like the actual fool. He was so embarrassed at the thought of sharing this ridiculous fear that his face turned red. He looked away, gathering his thoughts before he spoke.

"She is a woman Allias. We both know what that means. Things were different back then, people wouldn't judge us, there were plenty of us after all. Now though the Avgee tribe is practically extinct. That means no heir to keep the nation going. But suddenly a woman appears. A woman that could give you a child. A woman that the royals would as you to marry and then I would simply turn into a general, a secret lover at best. But you're too righteous. You would never cheat or treat her poorly. That's why I didn't tell you." Theseus said and stood up, preparing himself for the upcoming chaos. He could already hear Allias' screaming but once again none of what he expected happened. 

Allias did not change his stance, nor did he look at him. He was looking down a sad smile forming on his face.

"So you think that little of me." The king said and Theseus' eyes widened.

"What?"

"You think that I, the man who gave my life in a heartbeat to keep you alive would simply toss you aside to produce an heir? Am I really that...."

"No, no wait. This is not what I meant. Allias..."

"That's enough." The king told him and he finally decided to get up. "I think I've heard enough. I am sorry Theseus. As it seems I must have done something terribly wrong to make you think I would act like that. Please send someone to bring the girl here and...let's focus on your brother's matter for now." 

"Can we please talk?" Theseus asked him.

"I am tired, really really tired. Let's just...stay quiet for once." He said and headed towards the bathroom. Theseus stood back, frozen.