[ Truly, if not for the fact that he had his responsibilities as Lord Speaker to fill his days, he would have found himself overcome by no small amount of loneliness in her absence. Of course, he is not one to dwell on such things, or to allow himself to wallow in periods of despair, not when he so keenly understands the importance of doing one's duty. But the time of their separation was, nevertheless, a lonely one, although by keeping himself busy, he did not have much time to dwell on what and who he was missing.
Even now, a part of him wishes he did not have to urge her to leave, or in the event of her failing to do as he has asked, that he will not have to beseech Estinien to remove her to safety. Selfishly, he wishes to keep her with him, but the part of him (or, well, the entirety of him, as the case may be) that loves her dearly and only wants to see her safe and well cannot abide that selfish wish.
Still, the struggle between what he desires and what is the right thing to do is plain on his face. His emotions threaten to choke him even as he draws a ragged breath so that he might speak to her while he still can. ]
I will not pretend that I have not missed you greatly in your absence, and if only I could be assured of your safety were you to remain. But I- I think too highly of you, and love you far too much to risk you in this fashion. That you have faced great dangers time and again is not lost on me, but I fear what will happen to you if you remain.
[ His head lowers then, his sliding closed momentarily as his emotions temporarily overcome him. If her heart is aching, then so is his, because he knows he will not be able to hold back the influence of the primal for long, and when his ability to keep it at bay fades, he fears that he will become unrecognizable.
Already he can feel Thordan's essence stirring in the back of his mind, and although he cannot discern intelligible words from his father turned god-king, he can hear wordless vocalizations regardless.
His eyes open once more when he feels Alkaid's hands move to position themselves on both sides of his face, and the ache in his heart only intensifies. It is not right that she must see him in this way, and yet he does not have the heart to drive her from the cell.
When she places that kiss on his lips, he cannot stop himself from leaning forward, pulling at the chains so that he might deepen the kiss, even as the chains digging into his wrists protest. They are not the only thing protesting, as Thordan has taken this moment to awaken and express his rage because the accursed Warrior of Light has decided to interfere once more.
Have you forgotten me so soon, my son? Again, the primal attempts to ensnare Aymeric with the lure of the love he has so desperately craved, and with a chastisement meant to manipulate that desperation into action.
As Thordan's words and control begin to pull at Aymeric's will once again, he makes one final attempt to repel the unwanted influence and remain himself, but his mental defenses have already taken several hits and the strain of trying to drive Thordan from his mind plays itself out in the form of a violent struggle. This is one thing he hoped to spare Alkaid from having to witness, but now that the fight has begun, there is little he can do.
His back arches, his head tipping back against the cell wall directly behind him, unwillingly breaking the kiss and the last bit of contact between himself and Alkaid. He strains at the chains holding him in place, but they do not budge, not even an inch. Instead, the pressure of the chains digging into his wrists draws blood, but Aymeric's straining efforts still do not cease.
Why do you fight me, Aymeric? Have you forgotten that I only wish to end all wars and bring peace to our lands once more? Thordan's wheedling words sink into Aymeric's mind, but he still desperately tries to resist just long enough that he might convey a desperate plea to Alkaid, if she is still listening. ]
Alkaid... [ He has just enough presence of mind to not use her true name, not wishing to give the primal more fuel to use against them both. ] Please- you must leave!
[ Then, Aymeric's eyes that had only been glowing dimly up to this point suddenly burst into a far brighter one, signifying that Thordan has successfully broken through his defenses and reclaimed his hold on him once more. But even so, Aymeric's struggle to free himself has not ended; in fact, his furious efforts to break the chains only increase in ferocity, driven by a mindless rage at those who would stand in the way of his goals. ]
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Even now, a part of him wishes he did not have to urge her to leave, or in the event of her failing to do as he has asked, that he will not have to beseech Estinien to remove her to safety. Selfishly, he wishes to keep her with him, but the part of him (or, well, the entirety of him, as the case may be) that loves her dearly and only wants to see her safe and well cannot abide that selfish wish.
Still, the struggle between what he desires and what is the right thing to do is plain on his face. His emotions threaten to choke him even as he draws a ragged breath so that he might speak to her while he still can. ]
I will not pretend that I have not missed you greatly in your absence, and if only I could be assured of your safety were you to remain. But I- I think too highly of you, and love you far too much to risk you in this fashion. That you have faced great dangers time and again is not lost on me, but I fear what will happen to you if you remain.
[ His head lowers then, his sliding closed momentarily as his emotions temporarily overcome him. If her heart is aching, then so is his, because he knows he will not be able to hold back the influence of the primal for long, and when his ability to keep it at bay fades, he fears that he will become unrecognizable.
Already he can feel Thordan's essence stirring in the back of his mind, and although he cannot discern intelligible words from his father turned god-king, he can hear wordless vocalizations regardless.
His eyes open once more when he feels Alkaid's hands move to position themselves on both sides of his face, and the ache in his heart only intensifies. It is not right that she must see him in this way, and yet he does not have the heart to drive her from the cell.
When she places that kiss on his lips, he cannot stop himself from leaning forward, pulling at the chains so that he might deepen the kiss, even as the chains digging into his wrists protest. They are not the only thing protesting, as Thordan has taken this moment to awaken and express his rage because the accursed Warrior of Light has decided to interfere once more.
Have you forgotten me so soon, my son? Again, the primal attempts to ensnare Aymeric with the lure of the love he has so desperately craved, and with a chastisement meant to manipulate that desperation into action.
As Thordan's words and control begin to pull at Aymeric's will once again, he makes one final attempt to repel the unwanted influence and remain himself, but his mental defenses have already taken several hits and the strain of trying to drive Thordan from his mind plays itself out in the form of a violent struggle. This is one thing he hoped to spare Alkaid from having to witness, but now that the fight has begun, there is little he can do.
His back arches, his head tipping back against the cell wall directly behind him, unwillingly breaking the kiss and the last bit of contact between himself and Alkaid. He strains at the chains holding him in place, but they do not budge, not even an inch. Instead, the pressure of the chains digging into his wrists draws blood, but Aymeric's straining efforts still do not cease.
Why do you fight me, Aymeric? Have you forgotten that I only wish to end all wars and bring peace to our lands once more? Thordan's wheedling words sink into Aymeric's mind, but he still desperately tries to resist just long enough that he might convey a desperate plea to Alkaid, if she is still listening. ]
Alkaid... [ He has just enough presence of mind to not use her true name, not wishing to give the primal more fuel to use against them both. ] Please- you must leave!
[ Then, Aymeric's eyes that had only been glowing dimly up to this point suddenly burst into a far brighter one, signifying that Thordan has successfully broken through his defenses and reclaimed his hold on him once more. But even so, Aymeric's struggle to free himself has not ended; in fact, his furious efforts to break the chains only increase in ferocity, driven by a mindless rage at those who would stand in the way of his goals. ]