To Bewitch a Devil

247 Two I have loved in one

“I did, but I don’t know how I came back, or why it is happening now,” Neera had a fair idea of what and who was behind it, but she shoved that idea out of the way. “But this has happened, and I am happy beyond words.”

Zavian gave her a blank stare, and disappointment sank in her.

“Are you not happy to see me, Zavian?”

Zavian rubbed his hands over his face and closed his eyes for a while. Neera let him be. If he had to digest it all, she would give him all the time to do so.

“More than anything, I have always wanted to spend forever with you by my side,” Zavian started. Neera wanted to hold his face and kiss him, but she waited for him to speak. ” I couldn’t handle life without you. I mourned you for more than 500 years, and then, Neera showed up.”

“I know, Zavian, I know,” she rubbed a hand on his knee.

“And she was human, she gave me reason again live. I wanted her to bring you back to me, to connect the resemblance between the two of you because I was so sure she would. But I ended up falling in love with her, while never forgetting you.”

“I know, Zavian, I remember it all.”

“Lilah,” Zavian called. “Neera…what do I call you?”

.....

“I am both to you.”

“Both,” Zavian paused for a moment. “Two women I have loved in one. Different pasts, different moments.”

A tear slipped from Zavian’s eye, and Neera was not prepared for the sudden way he grabbed her close and tightened his arms around her in a hug. He squeezed her to himself as if she would disappear from his sight again if he let her go.

“How is any of this real?” He asked over her shoulder.

“It is, it will take time to come to terms with, but it is real, Zavian.” Neera said as she stroked his back. “Take it as a stroke of good luck, and we get another chance together. No one gets that lucky, but we are. We are, Zavian.”

Her hand made soothing circles on his back, and the weight of the world on his shoulders dropped at her feet. Zavian’s silent tears poured on her back, and his grip on her remained firm, and everything hit him all at once, a grief once mourned, a love once celebrated, another love rebirthed, only to lead him back to the start, back to where he realized life was only worth living with Lilah and Neera in it.

Footsteps came from behind, and Neera raised her head. Azriel hovered at the threshold, unsure. As Neera saw the confused look on his face, she put a finger to her lips in his direction.

The irony of it, when there were words left in her that could tear her and Zavian’s worlds apart.

....

Penelope’s joy was infectious.

The Queen, her best friend, had sent a special request for her to come over to the castle. There was even a royal carriage waiting for her outside the gates, the guard had told her. So she abandoned the half-washed dishes in the soapy water and sped to her chambers to get changed.

She browsed through the gowns Azriel had gotten her, a dozen already, and she had begged the seamstress to keep the remaining styles until she was sure of what she wanted. So, she had the chance to wear one of them, and she picked the red one, flashy and bright against her pale skin.

She settled for her sandals, considering she had no proper shoes for the occasion. So when Penelope stepped out of the maids’ quarters and hurried to the gate, she stopped short when Azriel galloped over to her on his majestic stallion.

His eyes raked over her slowly, and there was a pleased smile drawn on his lips.

“Finally,” he said. “Not the occasion I would have loved for you to wear it, but you have blessed my sight today, Pen.”

Penelope gave a bow, the loud fluttering in her tummy making her wonder if pigeons had built their nest in there.

“I am grateful, my Lord,” she said. “I have to go now. There is a carriage waiting outside for me.”

“No, there isn’t,” Azriel said.

“But,” she looked in the direction of the gates. “The guards said so.”

“And I sent them back.”

Something deflated in Penelope. “Why, my Lord?”

“Because,” Azriel hopped down his horse, his eyes appreciating her beauty again. Her hair was longer, and the way it tumbled down her back in dark waves was already driving him crazy.

“Because I want to take you there myself.” He finished.

He expected her to be ecstatic, filled with joy that he would personally escort her, not the same deflated look on her face.

“Uhm... that was a carriage, my Lord,” Penelope said.

“Yes?”

“And...this is a horse, my Lord,” Penelope said.

“And?”

Penelope looked discomforted. “I would have loved those soft seats, my Lord.”

Azriel blinked several times. “You know, Pen, many women would kill to be seated up close to me like that, yet you get that privilege several times.”

“I must be very lucky then, my Lord,” Penelope said.

Azriel almost didn’t catch the sarcastic edge to her words, with the way she kept her face straight and her voice leveled.

“Alright then, let’s go,” he held out his hand to her. When she raised her gown to move, Azriel frowned at her footwear.

“Don’t you have something more matching to the dress?” He asked.

“No, my Lord.”

“My mistake,” Azriel said. “I should have gotten shoes to go with the gowns.”

“It’s okay, my Lord. I tend to forget to use hand cream when I wash plates because I’m so used to them.”

“So, you are saying even though I am used to women’s dresses, it’s understandable to forget sometimes?” Azriel deciphered, and Penelope kept on the same straight face.

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