[ The power of speech continues to fail him, only this time, it is not because of the primal preventing him from talking as he will. Instead, it is his exhaustion and weakness that is keeping him silent.
But in his mind, he all but cries out for her, wanting to tell her that she is helping him and has done so this entire time. Lantaa...
His eyelids are heavy and it takes a concerted effort for them to open, but they slowly slide open once more, the unnaturally bright glow of tempering having faded from his eyes. They slide over to meet hers, and contained in them is a pleading look, as if begging her to hear what he cannot give voice to at the moment.
As always, as her fingers brush against his cheeks, he feels nothing but comfort sweep over him in response to her touch. All she has to do is touch him, or speak to him, and he feels a sense of calm wash over him again. Even when his mind or his heart torments him with past guilt and regret, her touch and her voice is enough to soothe him again.
Now, he still can barely move, but as Alkaid continues relaying her versions of key moments in their shared story so far, he tries to summon the will to lift his arm. He can barely manage it, and his entire arm shakes with the effort, but he manages to both lift it and extend his fingers so that they lightly graze against her face.
Her words wash over him, and little by little, with each word, memories of each encounter she speaks of form themselves in his mind's eye, bringing to mind words that were said, moves that he made, and sensations that he felt.
I remember... His mind still feels shrouded by fog, but as Alkaid speaks, more of the fog seems to recede, being replaced by vivid snapshots from his life.
And as the fog rolls back, his vision grows clearer too, and it is as though he is seeing her for the first time. He sees the flush of red on her cheeks, and although he has not the strength to voice a proper reply, he tightens his fingers against hers with as much strength as he can manage. It is not much, but he is trying to let her know that he is listening to every word she says. And with each one, more of his memories come back to life and the pieces of him that were suppressed by the primal's influence come flooding back as well.
He reacts to each story that she tells, his frame tensing when she recounts how the Scions were framed, and again when she mentions Nidhogg and the plan that Estinien and Alphinaud formed. But when she mentions the talk they had as themselves, the first time that both of them put down their mantles and spoke together as people, his body relaxes again and a sigh escapes him unbidden.
She speaks of a moment that had been permanently emblazoned in his mind until King Thordan saw fit to take it, and everything else away, but now that he hears her retelling it, it bursts back into his mind in full detail.
And though speech is still difficult, there is only one thing he needs to say. If he were more in control of his mental faculties, he might remember that she told him her true name in confidence, and that perhaps it is not his place to reveal it, but his mind has zeroed in on one thing only, and so he says: ]
Lantaa... [ His voice feels strained and must sound even worse after his long struggle, but he continues regardless. ]
I- I love you.
[ And then he reflexively tenses as if waiting for Thordan's wrath to fall on him, but as seconds turn into minutes, nothing happens and he slowly relaxes once more. ]
no subject
But in his mind, he all but cries out for her, wanting to tell her that she is helping him and has done so this entire time. Lantaa...
His eyelids are heavy and it takes a concerted effort for them to open, but they slowly slide open once more, the unnaturally bright glow of tempering having faded from his eyes. They slide over to meet hers, and contained in them is a pleading look, as if begging her to hear what he cannot give voice to at the moment.
As always, as her fingers brush against his cheeks, he feels nothing but comfort sweep over him in response to her touch. All she has to do is touch him, or speak to him, and he feels a sense of calm wash over him again. Even when his mind or his heart torments him with past guilt and regret, her touch and her voice is enough to soothe him again.
Now, he still can barely move, but as Alkaid continues relaying her versions of key moments in their shared story so far, he tries to summon the will to lift his arm. He can barely manage it, and his entire arm shakes with the effort, but he manages to both lift it and extend his fingers so that they lightly graze against her face.
Her words wash over him, and little by little, with each word, memories of each encounter she speaks of form themselves in his mind's eye, bringing to mind words that were said, moves that he made, and sensations that he felt.
I remember... His mind still feels shrouded by fog, but as Alkaid speaks, more of the fog seems to recede, being replaced by vivid snapshots from his life.
And as the fog rolls back, his vision grows clearer too, and it is as though he is seeing her for the first time. He sees the flush of red on her cheeks, and although he has not the strength to voice a proper reply, he tightens his fingers against hers with as much strength as he can manage. It is not much, but he is trying to let her know that he is listening to every word she says. And with each one, more of his memories come back to life and the pieces of him that were suppressed by the primal's influence come flooding back as well.
He reacts to each story that she tells, his frame tensing when she recounts how the Scions were framed, and again when she mentions Nidhogg and the plan that Estinien and Alphinaud formed. But when she mentions the talk they had as themselves, the first time that both of them put down their mantles and spoke together as people, his body relaxes again and a sigh escapes him unbidden.
She speaks of a moment that had been permanently emblazoned in his mind until King Thordan saw fit to take it, and everything else away, but now that he hears her retelling it, it bursts back into his mind in full detail.
And though speech is still difficult, there is only one thing he needs to say. If he were more in control of his mental faculties, he might remember that she told him her true name in confidence, and that perhaps it is not his place to reveal it, but his mind has zeroed in on one thing only, and so he says: ]
Lantaa... [ His voice feels strained and must sound even worse after his long struggle, but he continues regardless. ]
I- I love you.
[ And then he reflexively tenses as if waiting for Thordan's wrath to fall on him, but as seconds turn into minutes, nothing happens and he slowly relaxes once more. ]