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You are not meant to be here.In fact, you do not know when you arrived—when your surroundings had transformed into this dark and dreary room that is both parts opulent and…sad. The bed and its four-post canopy signifies the person residing here is of some importance. Yet, a layer of dust atop the furniture speaks of its disuse.It smells faintly of smoke and iron.Looking to your right, you see an armor stand bearing a regal set of metal plate and an ornate warcape, tattered at the edges. To the left, you note a table with scrolls and papers strewn about, as well as a map of a place you don’t quite recognize. By the bed’s headboard, there is a window that overlooks a war-torn land.The sound of a door opening shakes you out of your stupor.You feel your heart clench.The man who stands there is taciturn, with pale blonde-pink hair and faded red eyes. Asymmetrical black horns, all angles in the way they end in sharp points, jut from the sides of his head while pointed ears hint of his non-human ancestry. Though dressed in more casual garb, you cannot help but feel the weight of his regalia.This man is someone who stands above all others.Yet…there is something about him that holds your attention.While he wears no crown, the burden upon his heart is heavy. You know this without a doubt—and even without the instinctive knowledge, you see it in the bags beneath his eyes and the tightness in the thinned lips of his expression. He regards you warily, but as though he feels the same understanding you do, he makes no move to strike you down.The door closes behind him.“Your business.” He begins. “State it.”You open your mouth to speak, but somehow, there’s a sense that whatever you say is moot. Instead, you shake your head and adjust your place on the bed. “You’re tired,” you hear your voice echo in the lonely room. “You…who are you?”At that, the man falls into a silence. He strides forward, the pale red of his gaze scrutinizing. “Do you need to know?” He then asks. Though his tone is low and level, there’s…something behind it.If you were any other person, perhaps you’d sense a threat. Perhaps you’d feel the might of the regent, the full scale of his presence.But you are not supposed to be here.Or rather, you are here for a specific reason.Behind the heavy air, you feel it—a longing. A lingering fatigue. An indescribable weight that has nowhere to go, nowhere to be set down. All at once it becomes clear to you.You shake your head. “I don’t, no.” You eventually decide to say. It is true, after all. Names complicate things.In this moment, you are here for him, and he is here for you.Swallowing the lump in your throat, you offer a hand.The man watches. He turns.He takes it....He smells of smoke and of iron. Of blood.Somehow…you know this is a man who has taken lives, but though the instinctive gravity wells within your chest, there is a sense of peace to it. It doesn't matter what sins he has committed. His past or his future—you know none of it, only that he is with you now.His hand is hot in yours, and the weight of his body carries with it more than just his frame. You feel your skin against the rustle of his clothes. You envelope him in a tender embrace.There are no words that follow.Your fingers snake through the pale-blonde strands, settling upon his scalp. Unable to help yourself, you deliver small scratches upon the skin, upon the base of the man’s horns. In turn, he holds you close like a delicate treasure, one to keep safe. One to cherish.It’s…warm where you lie. It’s comfortable. You hope the same can be said for him.The regent rests his head upon your chest.You wonder if this is the first time he’s been able to do so. You wonder if this momentary respite granted by forces beyond both of you…helps, even if a little. Eventually, you realize it is better to simply let go of the thoughts. You know this will not last, so you may as well make the most of it.Eyes closing, you stay like that until the evening passes.His breathing, shallow at first, evens out alongside the tension that drains from his body. At this, there’s something inside you that aches....When you wake, you are back where you had been. There’s a profound sense of loss that digs at your heart, but with it, there is also a quiet satisfaction.You hope the nameless regent found peace in the time you were together.