Lament:

"Are you crazy!?" Burya barked angrily. "Do you have any idea what you're asking for?!"
"Of course I do!" Cítiê bellowed. "I ask that we help to rest the only man I have loved in my life!" Do you think this situation doesn't hurt me? Do you think it makes me happy to even think about such an atrocity?!
A lump seized the throat of all the women present in the room.
"Our beloved will not heal." There is nothing we can do and we must accept it even if it hurts.- Cítiê's chin trembled, while her eyes filled with tears again.- she is doomed to suffer the most terrible pain and then begin to convulse as a result of the poisoning of her blood with the silver. I estimate that he has forty-eight hours to live at most.
Burya left the tent in a fit of tears, Mem trailing after her to try and comfort her, a blizzard was the last thing they needed at the moment, with most of the tents in tatters and scorched beyond belief. Zai began to walk back and forth inside the imperial tent, in which Cítiê took a seat on a comfortable cushion, hugging her legs and holding her chin on her knee as she continued to sob inconsolably.
Umara contemplated all that disaster in silence, compressing her lips and thinking of a solution, she did not want to give up so quickly. Only Sarab was impassive, keeping her face expressionless.
"We have fought in vain," Zai murmured, more to herself than for the others to hear. "If our beloved dies, do you know what that means?"
"Yes," Sarab intervened. "It means that the pair of rats that we have captured today are the heirs to the throne."
"If we don't do something and the Emperor doesn't survive, we'll all be dead very soon."
The next day, the news was not encouraging at all. The emperor was even worse than he had been.
"He wants to see you." – Cítiê whispered, addressing Umara as she left the imperial quarters.
Umara swallowed hard, steeled herself, and with her heart hanging by a weak thread, she stepped through the curtain to present herself before the man who had caused her so much pain.
Umara:
The room reeks of death and pain.
On the bed he lies, pale and haggard; as if instead of two days I had been in bed for months. His body burns like hot coals, his skin sweaty and slippery. His sunken eyes, his glazed gaze.
´´You have come to me, little flower.- he gasped, hardly having the strength to speak.- if I have to die, at least your face will be the last thing I see in this life.´´
I contain my words and my contrary emotions, knowing that in these painful moments I can be anything but sharp with him.
Come.- he whispers panting, extending his trembling hand to me.- come closer.
He swallows dryly and I can feel how dry and chapped his lips are. I don't force him to beg for more, I intertwine his icy, cold fingers with mine, getting closer to sitting next to him, on the edge of the bed.
´´The gods have seen fit to punish me, little flower.- he gasps, upset.
´´Please, my Lord, save your strength, you are too weak, you must not…
-Mister? Do…sir? - he moans brokenly.- do you still hate me, little dove? Does your heart still burn with rage for what I did?
"Your Highness, please calm down." I try to reassure him but he becomes more and more upset.
"Is that what I am to you?" he mutters angrily, clinging to the fabric of my clothes. "I'm no longer your lover, nor your owner, nor even your friend, right? Have I returned to being the vile tyrant, isn't it? That's why you no longer look at me with love... because when you look at me you only see the Merciless!
He gets up, sitting on the bed in the grip of animal rage, I think I'm not mistaken in suspecting that his wolf is struggling to get out, however I don't think that transforming now is the best thing, the change could worsen his condition, so I do the only thing that I could reassure him for a few minutes, I get on his bed, merging his body with mine and claiming his mouth.
000
Alessios:
Honey.
Sweet, soft, exquisite and sensual honey.
Her lips are my weakness. Her hair drives me crazy. In my feverish state I am not able to distinguish if I am dreaming, hallucinating or if I really have her in my arms again. Warm and sensual, defiant and wicked, poisoning me with passion with her tongue, while I tug roughly at her hair, devouring her lips with my teeth as my hands touch her everywhere, holding her fiercely against me.
Perhaps, my wolf always knew that she was different, perhaps among all my destined women she is the most dangerous because she makes me want strange things, things like freeing the rest of the moons and staying only with her.
I believe that my father suffered this same torment, this same longing, this same despair for my mother's caresses.
That would explain a lot.
I never fully understood how it was possible for him to find happiness in the arms of just one woman…yet now I do.
Umara:
I have managed to lay him back on the pillows, with the kiss I took in a large part of the poison that harmed him but it was impossible for me to take it all, since as long as the silver continues in contact with his blood it will continue to become contaminated. I have tried to move away but he does not allow me, his traitorous arms surround me and imprison me with such force that it does not seem that I am wrapped in the fierce embrace of a dying man.
—Release me sir.- I whisper.- I must leave.
"No." He sighs, hiding his face in my neck.
—You must not continue to exalt yourself, it will worsen your condition. Let me go, it's for the best.
"I don't mind dying. I knew that one day death would knock on my door and if it has to come right now I will not waste the tiny moments of happiness that I have left. Have I already told you that I love you, as I have never loved a woman? That's why I don't let you go, I never will. Ask me what you want, if it is to return the others to their countries what you demand, I will do it; but don't abandon me... don't leave me. Ever.
´´Please…" I reprimand him.
"Shhh, little flower. Shut up.- he sighs, accommodating me against his chest, so that I have my back to him. He yawns, placing one of his huge hands possessively on my left breast and very slowly beginning to drift off to sleep.
When Umara left the imperial chamber, she found all the moons gathered on the other side of the curtain. All except Cassandra, obviously.
"How did you see him?" Zai murmured hopefully.
Umara shook her head, making a resigned face.
"Sorry what happened. I'm so sorry you heard...
´´Okay´´.- Cítiê interrupted her.- We all know you're her favorite, what we've heard doesn't surprise us. To be honest, I was hoping that seeing you would cheer up his spirits, your presence has calmed him down and helped him sleep, I am deeply grateful.
Umara frowned.
The way in which Cítiê loved the husband they all shared was so open, noble and pure… that Umara couldn't stop being surprised. She wouldn't have reacted like that, she hated the woman to whom he said those words with all the strength her heart was capable of.
Sarab made a face of utter disgust.
´´Well, I don't want to interrupt the funeral atmosphere, but what that guy said has given me motivation. When he wakes up, tell him that maybe I can help him.´´