Chapter Forty Six

Azazel

Azazel didn’t know what he had done.

He didn’t understand why he had asked the white-haired girl to stay with him in exchange for her lover to run back to the kingdom that caused the ruin of his world.

He was damning himself by allowing it to happen.

He couldn’t help himself though.

Every time he looked into Aerilyn’s eyes he felt a knot form within his chest.

He had never felt something like that before.

She made him weak in the worst ways possible, especially for a king.

The smart decision would be to get rid of her.

Let her return to Orissa so that he never had to see her again.

He couldn’t do it.

He paced his room, knowing that Aerilyn was escorting Everett to leave the kingdom.

Too many emotions bubbled to the surface as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

His mind raced and his body warmed.

He felt anger towards himself for doing this.

He was so fucking selfish.

He ran his fingers through his hair, roughing up the perfectly slicked-back pieces.

The room continued to feel warm as he undid the top three buttons on his dress shirt and made his way to the window.

He opened it up and let the cool air hit his cheeks.

In the distance, he could see the wagon and horses waiting on the path as Everett and Blaise were led to it.

He couldn’t see her face, but Aerilyn’s hair was prominent in the small group of people. She always tended to stand out from everyone else. Especially in the darkness of Korth.

As the prince stepped into the carriage, Azazel found himself exiting his chambers.

His feet led him while his brain fought against the movements.

The mixture of emotions was going to make him lose his mind.

He made his way through the dark twisting hallways, the lack of decoration after the attack oddly itched at his mind.

He noted that he needed to work on making the place home once more when he had the time to do so.

Without thinking about where he was going, Azazel stopped at the large palace doors that stretched from floor to ceiling.

His eyes locked with hers as two guards escorted her back inside of the palace.

The girl’s eyes were red and her cheeks were wet with tears.

The sight made him frown.

He took a step towards her and she paused to step back, bumping into the guard behind her.

“Aerilyn, can we go for a walk? I think we both may need some air,”

he offered, holding his arm out for her.

He could see the hesitation written across her features, a small crease forming between her brows.

Finally, she slid her arm into his without a word and followed him back out the palace doors.

He didn’t know what to say.

He wasn’t good at comforting anyone when it came to emotions.

Especially when he was the cause of such negative emotions.

For some reason though, he wanted to try for her.

He refused to let her hate him forever.

He didn’t want her to be completely miserable.

At the very least, she had Rosette to keep her company. His sister had been overly excited to hear that Aerilyn was going to be sticking around.

The child had grown to love the girl and Azazel couldn’t help but adore the connection between them. With their mother being so sick, Rose didn’t have a strong female role model and he knew Aeri would be that for her.

“I wish I could wake up and this all be a dream,”

her voice broke him from his thoughts, the words cutting deep into him.

“I know, doll.

I don’t want you to be miserable forever though.

If there’s anything I can do to provide you comfort, I’ll do it,”

he moved his eyes to see if she’d look at him.

Of course, she didn’t.

When she didn’t speak, he tried to find the right words for her.

His hands felt damp with sweat, but he didn’t make any move to wipe them off on his slacks.

“I had the maids move your things into a more suited chamber.

It has a view of the garden and it’s a bit larger.

I thought you’d enjoy it better than your other one,”

he kept his voice soft, something that was rare for him.

He had no idea why he was showing her so much kindness, it made him want to gag.

“Thank you, Azazel.”

He stayed quiet as they continued to walk, the breeze blowing at the strands of hair that had fallen around his face.

He felt like a mess when anything was out of place.

He tried to ignore the disorder of his hair and button-up, his mind going too fast to keep up with everything.

The conflict of his moral compass was beginning to get to him.

“Rosette was quite happy when I told her you’d be sticking around.

I’ve never seen her adore someone as much as she adores you,”

he tried to give her more positive thoughts.

He noticed that this time she smiled, even if it was slightly forced.

“I adore her as well.

I love helping her torment you,”

she used her free hand to rub her fingers under her eyes to clear any tears staining her cheeks.

Azazel chuckled, recounting the times the two of them had teased him over little things.

“How would you feel about going into the village? We can get a drink and I can show you that it’s not so bad here,”

he attempted, nodding his head towards the path that led into the village streets.

The sounds of people that filled that air were a comfort to him.

Aerilyn paused to consider the offer, her own eyes drifting to the cobblestone walkway and village lights.

“I would like that,”

she nodded quickly, grasping his bicep tighter before they began down the path.

Azazel hadn’t shown her the village before then.

He was nervous about letting her wander alone.

He was unsure if it was fear for her safety or his people that would’ve surely faced her wraith.

The walk wasn’t far, it took them ten minutes to reach the outskirts of the village.

All of the buildings were close together with an array of businesses and homes stacked upon each other.

The mixture of wood and brick composed each building in a way to provide stability.

The place had been built from scraps, but it stood stronger than anyone had expected.

There were several groups of people in dark clothing, most of the women in dresses, wandering about the streets.

They all chatted, too lost in conversation to notice the two of them walking silently.

One thing Azazel prided himself in was that his people were well taken care of. They were never starving or living on the streets. He took the time to wander into town to check on them weekly.

When he saw the sign for Luna’s Pub, he pulled on Aerilyn’s arm to lead her into the building.

As the door opened, the sound of music and cheers filled the air.

The heat of the sweaty bodies wrapped around them instantly.

The smell of alcohol burned his nose, but the horrid smells were the best part of the pubs.

He glanced at Aerilyn, watching as her wide eyes took it all in.

They stepped further into the pub, pulling her towards the bar through the thick of people.

“Well look at what we’ve got here.

Our king has brought a pretty girl with him!”

Azazel recognized the voice immediately and couldn’t stop the smile that curled on his lips.

Luna, the owner of the pub, stood behind the bar with her purple hair pulled up into a ponytail on top of her head.

Her black dress had silver stars lining it, representing her name further.

Aerilyn’s cheeks reddened, looking as if she wanted to protest.

“This is Luna, the owner of this lovely place,”

he explained to her, trying to help her feel a bit better about their surroundings.

A look of understanding washed over her features and her shoulders straightened.

“I’ve known the king since we were children.

He’s always been a thorn in my ass, but you learn to love him.

Though, I’m unsure what such a beautiful girl like you would be doing with him.

His attitude is horrific,”

Luna laughed loudly, her eyes sparkling in delight.

The woman always shined with positivity, it’s what kept so many customers coming back.

“I can agree with that, his attitude is worse than a woman’s,”

Aerilyn shot back but the tone of her voice was joking.

Luna glanced between the two, a smile on her lips.

“I like her already,”

she winked at Azazel.

“What can I get you two to drink?”

She questioned and Aerilyn looked up at him for guidance.

“You’ve never had alcohol?”

he asked, trying to confirm his suspicion.

“I could never afford it before,”

she explained to him, shifting her weight uncomfortably.

Azazel didn’t know much about Aerilyn’s past and had never pushed her for more information.

“Two coconut and rums,”

he nodded to Luna before he reached into his pants to pull out a handful of coins and placed them on the bar.

It was more than enough to pay for several drinks, but he always tipped Luna generously.

“What the hell are you about to have me drink?”

Aerilyn squeezed his arm hard, pinching him hard.

“It’s a mixture of rum and coconut milk.

It’s sweet and I assumed that would be a good starter drink for a first-timer,”

he teased her, poking her cheek.

He found himself cringing back at the action.

He didn’t want to be this comfortable around her.

He wanted to rebuild all of the walls and keep her shut out, but something in his mind wouldn’t allow it.

“I’m sure that’s just an excuse for the princess to have his sweet drinks,'' she purred, attitude laced in the tone as her eyes rolled dramatically.

He held his stomach as laughter escaped him, memorizing how her face looked in that moment.

He was thankful to see her tears had faded away and she no longer seemed upset.

He knew that it probably wouldn’t last for long, so he relished it.

“How dare you?”

He gasped, pretending to be offended as Luna approached with the two drinks.

They were white from the coconut and she had put small pineapple slices on the rim of the glass.

“Thank you, darling,”

she nodded her head to him as she picked up the coins and placed them behind the counter.

“It was nice meeting you…”

Luna trailed off.

“Aerilyn.”

“It was nice to meet you, Aerilyn.

If he’s ever being an ass and you need an escape, my door is open to you,”

she waved before moving on to the next customer.

The comment made Azazel roll his eyes, but it made him feel good that someone had accepted Aerilyn.

He wanted her to feel like she could belong there.

He grabbed both of their drinks before motioning to a booth in the corner.

He led the girl to the seats and sat down, placing her drink before her.

She smelt it hesitantly and made a face.

“This smells like it could be a poison,”

she noted and he shook his head with another laugh.

He was allowing her too many laughs tonight, he didn’t like that.

“It’s not poison, doll.

Alcohol may cloud your brain a bit, but it won’t kill you.

Who knows, you might even enjoy yourself,”

he shrugged before taking a large gulp of his drink.

She copied him while taking a drink as well.

He didn’t look away as her face twisted, seeming to debate whether she liked the taste.

“This isn’t terrible, but I’m not sure why someone would choose to drink this.”

“Well, love, you’re going to find out shortly why people don’t mind the taste,”

he gave her a wink before taking more sips of the drink.

The music continued around them at an upbeat pace, with groups of people laughing and dancing.

A group stood in the corner playing several different instruments that carried the tune through the air around them.

The pub made him feel human.

He didn’t feel like the king when he was there.

“Do you dance?”

She asked, noticing his attention was on the dancers.

“I’m not terrible at it, but it’s not my favorite activity,”

he continued to sip on his drink, watching as she lifted hers to her lips.

“I used to love it as a child.

Musicians always played in the streets and everyone would stop to listen to the magical sounds.

My parents would have to drag me away to get back home,”

Aerilyn spoke up, surprising him.

Another fact about her past that he learned that night after she’d been so closed off about it before.

“I would’ve loved to see that.

Why don’t you go join them?”

He motioned towards the people all spinning and clapping.

She looked between the people and him before grabbing her drink and finishing it off.

He was surprised, his eyes widening before she slid out of the booth.

He leaned back to watch before she stepped in front of him, pulling on his arm.

“You have to join me,”

she pouted out her lower lip.

Azazel froze, his lips parted to deny her request, but the look in her eyes caused him to give in.

He swung back the rest of his drink before he allowed her to tug him onto the dance floor.

He knew he’d regret the entire situation later, but the alcohol clouded his brain.

Aerilyn was smiling.

It was a rare sight to see and Azazel decided to cherish every moment of it.

She stopped once they were mixed into the dance floor where people knocked into each other and spun about.

She moved up onto her tippy toes and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, swaying with the music.

He tried to hide the surprise at her sudden touch and slowly slid his large hands over her waist.

Her head tilted back and her eyes fluttered shut as she became lost in the music.

Azazel had never met anyone like her.

She continued to surprise him with every conversation and gesture.

She began to shake her head back and forth, her braid swaying as she got more into the music.

He swayed his hips with the music, his shoulders bobbing with each beat. He wasn’t the best dancer, he somewhat exaggerated that, but he knew how to move.

The music suddenly changed into a slower pace and her eyes opened once again, pausing to adjust to the new beat.

The two slowly swayed to the new song, not saying a word as they stared at each other.

The eye contact could’ve ruined him.

His heart was beating a bit too fast and he disliked the feeling.

It didn’t last long when Aerilyn quickly let go of him and took a step back.

“I- I need another drink,”

she stuttered and began walking towards the bar.

He felt a stab of pain from the slight rejection before he reminded himself that her heart was still with Everett.

Her mind was still with the prince and Azazel didn’t want to take advantage of her pain.

He followed her to the bar as she was ordering another drink for both of them before she turned to him.

Her expression had changed entirely causing a nervous wave to rush over him.

She pressed her back into the bar, crossing her arms over her chest while staring at him.

“Why did you do it? Why did you decide to make me stay? Why not just let me go with him? Why do you want me here?”

She spit out every question, speaking a lot faster than she usually did.

The questions took him by surprise.

“I want to protect you, Aerilyn.

You aren’t safe there anymore.

After what Mortianna said, I fear that you are no longer safe anywhere on this continent.

If you went back to Orissia and they found out about your powers, they’d kill you,”

he admitted, running his fingers through his hair by habit.

She didn’t say a word, she only stared at him.

He took a deep breath, trying to find any courage that he had for this conversation.

He moved closer to her and this time she didn't pull away.

“I know this because…”

he lowered his mouth to her ear, “I’m just like you.”

She pulled her head back to look up at him, tilting her head in confusion.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

She pressed her lips into a tight line.

He looked around them to make sure there weren’t too many eyes on them.

He took her hand in his, letting his power flood into his fingertips.

His skin warmed against hers as he pressed a single fingertip against her palm.

A small flash of light formed where he had touched and a gasp escaped her.

“Just like you,”

he whispered.

Her power flickered within her palms in response to his and she finally met his eyes again.

“I want to hate you, Azazel.

I want to despise you for everything you put me through.

You’re the reason I lost two of my friends.

You made me give up Everett for your selfish desires… But I can’t hate you.

I want to understand why you do the things you do, I don’t want to blame you for your stupidity.

Maybe we can grow to be friends.

I just ask that you don’t lie to me and don’t try to play me like a fool,”

her tone was stern, her fiery personality showing once more.

“I won’t lie to you, love.

I want to be friends, I want you to come to like it here.

I know this isn’t what you wanted with your life, but I just hope you can learn to love this kingdom the way I do,”

he nodded in understanding, forcing a small smile on his lips.

With that, Aerilyn picked up their new drinks and handed one to him.

“To friendship,”

she held up her glass towards him.

“Friendship,”

he repeated, tapping their glasses together and taking a sip.

The rest of the night became a blur.

They drank and danced until both of their feet ached.

They seemed to form an understanding between them for the time being.

Azazel only hoped it would stay that way.

When it was finally the dead of the night, the pub cleared out as customers drunkenly stumbled back to their homes.

Aerilyn was also not the most stable on her feet.

Azazel had cut her off after four drinks, but it was obvious that she probably only needed two.

“Az, it’s also so blurry.

Everything is spinning,”

she giggled, tripping over her foot as she stumbled into him.

He slid his arm around her waist to keep her upright as they walked side by side back to the palace.

“We aren’t far, just hold onto me and you’ll be back in bed soon,”

he reassured her as she stumbled again.

In reality, it was going to take forever for them to get back to the palace at the rate at which they were moving.

“Carry meeee,”

she whined, stopping in her tracks and throwing her arms up toward him.

The man couldn’t help his laughter as he nodded, scooping her up.

She wrapped her arms and legs around him, her head pressing into his shoulder as she burst into more giggles.

Aerilyn was rarely happy and hearing her giggles made his insides warm in delight.

“Hold on tight, doll,”

he rubbed her back as he continued their walk back to the palace.

The guards were waiting for them at the entrance, opening up the large doors for them.

Aerilyn had gone silent during the walk and he assumed she might’ve fallen asleep.

He tried to stay as quiet as possible as he made his way through the palace to her new living quarters.

His room was just down the hall, ensuring the best protection he could for her.

He was careful to open the door, cradling her small frame against him as he made his way into her room.

He pulled back the blankets on her bed and gently set her down on the silk sheets.

Azazel tucked her under the covers, making sure they pulled up to her chin.

She was so peaceful in her sleep.

She looked so innocent and delicate.

Like a glass that would shatter with any sort of touch.

He wanted to reach out and caress her milky skin but forced himself to step away.

He headed to the doorway, glancing back at her one last time.

“Welcome home, Aeri,”

his voice was just above a whisper as he pulled the door shut behind him.