64.

“Arlon made the right decision.” Chay doesn’t usually lessen Connie’s temper, but he felt the need to do it now. It is the first time in a while since he and Arlon actually agree on something. He can’t just let that slip through his fingers.
“Right decision, you say?” Cesilia raises her eyebrows as her hands hold onto her own, warm mug.
“Yes. Nerys isn’t who we think she is.” Chay nods towards Elai, as a way of telling the boy to start talking.
Elai hesitates for a moment. The twins intimidate him to the absolute extreme, and he’s afraid that if he tells them Nerys is an Amias, they will lose their shit.
“She’s Elai’s aunt.”
Elai’s eyes shoot up at Arlon, who had already dropped what the boy couldn’t say. “Arlon-“ He wants to get angry at his lover for telling them without Elai’s permission, but there is no use in that. Now they know.
“Huh? Nerys? The Amias bloodline didn’t have-“
“Nymeria Amias. Apparently she used nameless magic to give herself a new appearance.” Elai sighs as a way of giving into it. It is not as if they could every appreciate another Amias-named person. It is of no use to try and hide it, or disguise it.
“Then how do you know it’s her?” Connie frowns at the boy next to him.
“I.. I’m not sure. She looked like her normal self to me. Maybe it’s because we have the same blood..”
“If your knowledge was blood related, your whole family would know where and who Nerys was. She wouldn’t have been able to hide behind magic.” Chay nods and smiles at Elai. The words are reassuring; at least it isn’t blood related. Now Elai can relax knowing neither of the twins will make a fuss about it.
“We still could have used her help.” Connie is as stubborn as always. If he has an opinion, even a tiny one, it is difficult to get him to think differently.
“Her offer still stands. If I really need her, I will send a crow.” Arlon is being serious, even though he does not think he will ever accept the offer she had made. He won’t say it, but he doesn’t trust anyone from that bloodline. Not even his lover. Not completely. It shouldn’t be surprising, they’re at war because of that bloodline, yet Arlon doesn’t feel sure enough to say it out loud.
“I think you made the right decision.” There is more to that sentence. Elai takes a sip of his water first, shoulders shrugging and eyebrows lifting a bit.
“But I do want you to allow me to spend some time with her.” Elai’s eyes shoot up to meet those of Arlon, the man’s face expressionless.
“You do not need permission from me, sunshine. Do however you please.” The small smile that appears on Arlon’s face is enough for the boy to melt. If they hadn’t collided the way they did, Elai’s pretty sure the king would’ve hated the idea. Now there is respect, a mutual understanding. It’s nice. Different. He does not view Elai as one of a lower class. That is what is so warm about Arlon. That is what captivates him.
“You sure that’s a good idea? What if they’re already working together? They share blood, you know.” Connie presses down the wrong buttons.
Elai glares at him, head slightly turning.
“What? Just because my best friend is balls deep inside of you, doesn’t mean I have to trust you.” Connie is bold. Too bold. Elai can feel his ability rage in the pit of his stomach, and he has to tense up his muscles to be able to control himself. He understands Connie. He does. But hearing it every ten minutes is getting tiring. He’d love to knock some sense into the warrior, if he was able to.
“I do not desire your trust.” Elai snarls. He does. He’d love for Connie to trust him, to be able to laugh with each other and not feel guilty afterwards. It’d be a pleasure to survive a day without the nasty comments from Connie, without constantly being reminded of the blood that roams deep in his veins.
“Good, cause you won’t-“
“Connie shut it.” Arlon’s words are harsh, eyes glaring at his friend.
Connie obeys as quick as he can, head looking down at his empty mug. If Arlon has power over someone, it is Connie. The friend doesn’t say another word, doesn’t protest, doesn’t sigh or whine or glare. He just sits, hands pressed down against his own thighs.
Elai watches the phenomenon with his lips pressed together. At first it appears to be out of character for Connie to shut his mouth. Elai had seen him become louder and angrier, has seen the warrior rage against his own best friend to try and get his point across. But those arguments Elai had witnessed, those endless talks they shared, had never been about a spouse.
And this was. This was about Elai.
Elai had not thought of Arlon’s past for quite a while now. He knew enough to be able to maneuver around it, to be able to not bother Arlon with it and pretend it doesn’t exist. But now, now that he sees the look on Connie’s face, a look he can name all too well, it is reappearing right in front of his eyes.
The look on Connie’s face is a look of recurrence. This has happened before. A spouse. Eryx. Now that Elai understands what had gotten the group so quiet, he detects the same exact look on the four faces. They share a history that Elai will never be a part of, and it pushes them into a corner of everlasting pain and suffering.
That is what made Connie shut up. He had a flashback.
Elai feels himself sink into the ground. Arlon was acting the way he acted towards them when he was with Eryx. Ah. Yes. Elai is Eryx.
He is portraying the dead lover. The one who abused him and-
“I’m sorry.” Elai excuses himself as quick as he can, chair falling against the ground when he stands up. Arlon parts his lips to talk, to ask, to wonder, but Elai sprints off as fast as he can. The tavern grows further and further away from him, and the boy doesn’t stop running until his feet crossed the bridge. The water running below calms his ears, the ringing being shut out pretty quickly.
It was wrong.
This is wrong.