Chapter 16: Rael’s assistance
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I stepped into the hallway just in time to catch a glimpse of Lira storming off. Her head was down, her strides quick and unrelenting. Hana trailed after her, looking flustered as she tried to keep up.

“Lira, hold on!” Hana called out, her voice bright with concern.

Lira didn’t stop. Her fists clenched at her sides, and she didn’t even glance back. The tension in her frame was so intense, I almost felt it from here.

Hana finally reached her, tugging at her arm to say something in hushed tones. Lira barely slowed, but after a moment, the two rounded a corner and vanished from sight.

Something had definitely happened.

I frowned and turned toward the room they’d just left. The door was slightly ajar, and through the gap, I could see Nessa sitting stiffly at the table.

I hesitated for a moment. Protocol dictated that I knock before entering, but Nessa hadn’t requested a formal meeting, and I could sense something off in the air. With one last glance down the hall, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

She didn’t turn when I entered, her ears flicking slightly as she sat motionless, her back to me.

“Nessa?” I asked, leaning against the doorframe. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” she answered curtly, her voice carrying a defensive edge.

“You don’t look fine,” I said, crossing the room and stopping near the table, folding my arms. I wasn’t buying it. She hadn’t looked up once.

“I said I’m fine,” she repeated, her tone much sharper now.

I studied her for a moment, taking in the way her tail twitched anxiously behind her, the tension in her posture. After a beat, I sighed and stepped back toward the door.

I closed it slowly, deliberately, making sure the click echoed in the room. It was a small gesture, but it gave me a moment to let the silence hang between us, letting her know that I wasn’t just passing through.

I turned back to face her. “You know I could always tell when you were lying, you know that?”

Her ears flicked in irritation, and she stiffened in her chair, but she didn’t answer right away.

I waited a beat before pushing again. “What happened with Lira?”

Nessa’s shoulders tightened, her fingers tapping out an absent rhythm on the edge of the table. She hesitated, then glanced over her shoulder at me. “Rael, you’re not my Duke. You’re under no obligation to know anything.” Her voice hardened, the words laced with authority. “You should know your place.”

I sighed, but I decided not to argue. I was already too used to her pulling rank, but this time, it wasn’t going stop me.

“I’m not asking as a lord,” I said, brushing off her tone. “I’m asking as your friend.”

Her gaze softened for a moment, a fleeting crack in her otherwise impenetrable façade. But she didn’t give in just yet.

“Are we really alone?” she asked, her voice quieter now.

I stiffened, instinctively scanning the room and listening for any sign of intrusion. I paused for a moment, my ears flicking toward the door and the hall beyond. Silence. Not even the faintest footstep. I gave the room one last glance, checking the corners. Nothing.

I nodded. “We’re alone.”

Nessa let out a long, shaky breath. For a moment, she didn’t speak, just stared down at the table, her fingers still drumming softly, as though trying to steady herself. I could see her trying to keep it together—just barely holding the pieces in place.

But I’d seen this before. The cracks were starting to show.

She exhaled again, deeper this time, and I could feel the weight of the moment settling in. “It’s not just Lira. She’s struggling, yes, but...” She paused, her voice catching slightly before she pressed on. “Everything is falling apart, I. I’ve tried—Gods, I’ve tried to keep it together, to hold things in place, but it’s breaking. One piece at a time.”

Her tail twitched nervously behind her, and I could see the muscles in her back tighten with every word. Her composure was slipping, and the frustration was bubbling over now, more raw than I’d ever seen her.

“I expected it to happen,” she continued quietly. “Lira’s been through so much. It’s only a matter of time before she broke down. But then... she didn’t. A few days passed, then a week, and I thought maybe... maybe she was really handling things. I thought, for once, things were going well.” She shook her head, her lips pressing into a tight line. “I should have known better.”

I chuckled softly, my lips curling into a knowing smile. “Sounds familiar. Strong-willed, stubborn, and always pretending like everything’s fine when it’s not. You two could be twins.”

Nessa’s ears flicked back in mild irritation. “I’m not sure I like that comparison.”

I chuckled softly, leaning casually against the wall. “That is good to know. Now I know where to press going forward.”

Nessa didn’t respond right away, but I could tell that despite her irritation, there was something in her eyes that softened. The harshness in her features faded just a bit. But only just.

The weight of the conversation loomed between us, and I could feel Nessa’s mind racing as she worked through her thoughts. After a long pause, she sighed, her posture relaxing a fraction.

My eyes narrowed as I watched her, the casual demeanor slipping as my focus sharpened. “You’re still doubting, aren’t you? About them.”

Nessa’s ears twitched, and she turned to face me, her posture defensive. “Doubting?” Her voice carried a challenge. “What do you mean?”

I gave a small shrug, folding my arms across my chest as he leaned back against the wall. “I’m just not convinced about any of them,” I said matter-of-factly. “The summoned. Sure, they’re Felinor, but to think they’re really from noble bloodlines? That’s a bit much, don’t you think?

Nessa let out a soft, tired sigh. “I get it, I,” she said, her voice calm but edged with a thread of frustration. “It does seem like a lot to swallow, I admit. But I checked them out before bringing them here. They’re the only ones with the heightened senses. The only ones who reacted that way. On top of that...” She hesitated for a moment, her expression hardening slightly. “The markings, the smells—everything checks out. It lines up with what was promised.”

I raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. “I still don’t like the idea of making people out to be something they’re not. Would it not be kinder to let them figure things out on their own.”

Nessa’s eyes narrowed at my words, the edge to her voice sharper than usual. “You think I’m making this up?” she snapped, her tail flicking with agitation. The sudden outburst caught me off guard, but I almost flinched, almost. I raised my hands in mock surrender.

“I didn’t say that Nessa,” I replied coolly. “But pushing them into roles before they’re ready—might be a bit much. Even for you.”

For a moment, there was only silence between us, the weight of her frustration hanging in the air. Nessa took a slow breath, steadying herself, her posture shifting as the tension in her body eased. “You’re right,” she muttered under her breath, then sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping. “It was never supposed to be like this.” a pause, her voice quieter now, tinged with uncertainty. “Originally, the plan was to keep these few hidden and find a way to marry off Lira.  My father, well he covets Li Shaun—” She shook her head, a faint frown crossing her face. “His goal was to take it for himself. But now... now I’m not so sure even he will want to.”

I raised an eyebrow, surprised by her admission. My mind raced, and for a moment, my thoughts turned inward, wondering just how long her family had coveted that city. But he remained silent, not wanting to disrupt her fragile state.

Nessa’s gaze turned distant, her fingers still tapping a quiet, nervous rhythm on the table. “When I look at her—Lira—I don’t see the young stranger I thought I would. I see her... The way she walks, her expressions, even the little things, the way she reacts to everything, the way she tries to mask how vulnerable she really is. It’s all too similar.”

She looked up then, her eyes meeting I’s with an intensity that made me shift, just slightly, under her gaze. “How can you not see it, I? How can you not see the resemblance?”

I leaned back against the wall, crossing my arms and hesitated, my expression unreadable, before finally speaking. “I see it,” I admitted, my tone measured. “I won’t lie, Nessa—there are moments when I look at her and think, maybe she is her daughter. Maybe everything adds up. But that doesn’t change the fact that right now, she’s a stranger. She’s lost, confused, and trying to figure out where she fits in all of this.”

Nessa’s ears twitched, her gaze unwavering as she regarded me. “It doesn’t have to be that way,” she said softly, her voice carrying a rare gentleness. “She doesn’t have to stay a stranger.”

My brow furrowed at her words, my tail flicking in thought. “That’s easier said than done, Nessa. She’s not exactly... open to any of this. Not to you, not to me, not even to herself based on what you have been telling me. More expectations will on exacerbate the issue.”

Nessa leaned back, her hands gripping the edge of the table as her frustration gave way to something softer—something almost like regret. “Do you think I don’t know that?” she said quietly. “I’ve seen it in her eyes. The fear, the confusion. The way she looks at herself like she’s trapped in someone else’s skin. It’s... cruel.”

I watched her carefully, my ears angling slightly forward as she spoke. “So, what do you want to do about it? You can’t force her to accept all of this overnight.”

“I don’t intend to force her.” Nessa’s voice dropped, and her gaze fell to the table, her fingers curling into a fist. “But I can’t just stand by and let her flounder either. She’s... she’s important. To Li Shaun, to my family’s legacy. And—” She hesitated, her words catching before she finally let them out. “To me.”

The admission hung in the air between us, thick and heavy, daring to be spoken. Finally, I thought, she’s breaking through the walls she’s built. I softened my expression, easing off the wall as I stepped closer. “You care about her,” I said quietly, encouraging her to continue.

Nessa’s lips pressed into a thin line, her ears flicking back slightly. Her jaw tightened as if she were trying to hold the words back. “Of course I care,” she said, her tone defensive, almost sharp. “She’s the heir to Li Shuan, the one holding together the fragile pieces we have left. She’s... she’s...”

Her voice trailed off, and I leaned in, keeping my tone gentle. “She’s what, Nessa?”

Nessa flinched, her shoulders stiffening as she looked away. “It’s not important,” she muttered, her words clipped.

“It sounds important to me,” I pressed, not letting her retreat.

Her ears flattened further, and she let out a sharp breath, the truth seeming to claw its way out of her. “She’s my—” Her voice cracked, and for a moment, I thought she might stop again. But then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she said, “She’s my niece, Rael. I know it.”

There it was—the moment I’d been waiting for. Nessa was beginning to falter, and I could see it in her eyes. This wasn’t just duty or responsibility. To her, Lira was family, the last fragile thread tying her to the past she’d believed lost.

A soft smile tugged at my lips as I fought back my own emotions. I still had my doubts about Lira personally, but she wasn’t a bad person. More importantly, Nessa needed this and no one—not a single soul—would take this from her. If anyone dared to try and break it, I’d make sure they never got the chance.

Nessa’s gaze met my once more, the weight of her verbal admission still lingering in the air between us. She looked now as she had been feeling since being assigned to this task, lost. 

In that moment I knew she needed help and there was no one else here on her side. “Do you still trust me?”

With some hesitation, Nessa answered, her tone firm but edged with a trace of uncertainty. “Of course.”

I nodded, my eyes softening as he watched her. There was something raw in the way she said it, something unspoken but clear—she trusted me, but that trust was tangled with everything else she was carrying. I could see it, even if she couldn’t.

I took a slow breath, stepping closer. His presence was steady, grounding her in the quiet storm of her thoughts. “Alright,” he said, my voice taking on a quieter, more determined edge. “Here’s what we should do.”

 

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