Cry

Charyic was completely exhausted by the time the floor fell away under her staff. She came to an abrupt stop and Esus ran into the back of her.

“The floor falls away here. We need some light.” She whispered.

When he lit the corridor there were rough stairs ahead of them, but when he looked at her she knew he would insist they stop.

“We should stop here for now. You need to rest.” Esus looked exhausted himself.

Charyic tried to smile. “We have to keep moving.”

“If you fall over what happens then, my beauty?” He asked with concern.

She sighed and closed her eyes, leaning on her staff. “Let’s at least get to the bottom of the stairs.”

He looked like he wanted to argue but instead sighed and nodded, “Lean on me.”

He wrapped an arm around her and she laughed and shook her head. “Give me your arm. We’ll trip if you try to help me like that.”

They made their way slowly and carefully down the stairs. At the bottom, the hand hewn corridor became a narrow natural cave.

Esus sank to the floor and reached up to her as he leaned against the wall. “Time to rest, my beauty. Come here, it’s cold.”

Charyic couldn’t argue. She settled into Esus’ embrace with the staff held tightly in her hands and closed her eyes. She tried to relax but all she could think was that she would rather be with Malav. She loved him. Those feelings didn’t end the moment she had heard him… She tried to breathe and not to cry.

Esus stroked her head and spoke softly. “My beauty. Cry if you need to. I’m here.”

She took a shuddering breath and pressed her face into his shoulder before forcing words past the lump in her throat. “I killed for him, Esus. Now I have to cry for him too?”

“You killed for him?” He whispered.

“I-I killed my maid because I thought-thought I needed to escape to save him. Protect him from this-this woman. But he was in bed with her.” Charyic had to stop and breathe before she could continue, tears were running down her face and sobs were trying to break out of her chest. “He was in bed with her, Esus. Planning to kill me. She would have been a better choice. A better queen. He said.” Her helpless sobs broke out.

Squeezing her tightly, and pressing her head into his shoulder, Esus sighed, “Oh, my beauty.”