Unrequited Love

“Oatmeal again?” Synora griped over her breakfast. "I'm tired of eating this stupid oatmeal."

“Well, I was going to go to the market this morning, but I can’t in this rain, can I? So, I guess you’ll just have to eat your stupid oatmeal… or starve," Caspian clapped back.

“This storm is so strange," Sarai remarked, peering out the window. "It's been six straight hours and no sign of it letting up."

“My wolf didn't even sense it coming," Caspian added. "Steele usually picks up on these things days in advance. It's as if the storm materialized out of thin air."

"What's even stranger is all the townspeople gathering outside in the rain," Sarai noted, her brow furrowing in confusion.

“I want to go out and play in the rain!” Synora exclaimed, her voice filled with childlike excitement.

“They're not playing... they're just standing around in the middle of the road," Sarai explained, her tone tinged with concern.

Caspian joined Sarai at the window, his curiosity piqued by the growing crowd and their exuberant chatter. Some were coming out of their homes with a strange look on their face, as if they had just seen a ghost.

Eager to see what all the commotion was about, Sarai walked outside and Synora eagerly followed suit. Stepping off her porch, she proceeded towards the crowd who abruptly shifted their attention to her.

Amidst this vibrant swarm of lycans, a figure emerged, slowly breaking free from the crowd that readily parted for her like a curtain. Suddenly, the rain ceased to fall and a break in the clouds appeared, as a ray of sunlight pierced through the darkness, painting a golden path on the damp ground.

The light, so soft yet radiant, seemed to dance with an ethereal glow, choosing Visenya to bestow its warmth upon. Sarai gasped as her eyes met her beloved daughter, standing there in the midst of the crowd in nothing but a drenched nightgown and silk robe to cover her. Her feet were bare, and her eyes looked as if she had cried the sorrows of a hundred lifetimes, all in one night.

"Vee!" Synora cried out, her voice filled with elation, as she darted right towards her sister.

Visenya bent down, gracefully receiving Synora in her arms. She held her little sister tight, cherishing the warmth of their reunion, and planted gentle kisses on the top of her head.

"I missed you, Vee!" Synora wept, her tears a testament to her deep longing. "I missed you so much!"

Visenya cupped Synora's face between the palms of her hands, her touch comforting and reassuring. "I missed you too... terribly."

With tenderness, Visenya kissed Synora's tear-streaked cheeks, wiping away the remnants of sorrow.

Visenya rose as soon as she caught sight of Sarai approaching. "Hello, mother," her voice cracked with emotion.

Sarai, still lost in a dreamlike daze, met Visenya's gaze with disbelief. "Is this real? Are you really here?"

"Yes, mother," Visenya affirmed, her voice filled with a mix of conviction and reassurance. "I'm really here."

They threw their arms around one another, as irrepressible tears streamed down their faces, a testament to the depth of their love and the longing they had felt during their time apart. Synora still clung to her sister’s hip, afraid that the moment would slip away too quickly.

Visenya peeked over Sarai’s shoulder, locking eyes with Caspian who seemed a bit hesitant in his approach. Visenya extended her hand towards him, a silent gesture that spoke volumes. His hand met hers and with a gentle tug, she pulled him towards her.

Caspian wrapped his arms around them, creating a cocoon of comfort. The grey clouds vanished from the sky, giving the sun its moment of glory, and in that moment, Visenya’s worries and stresses seemed to melt away. They stood there, embracing each other, feeling the strength of their heartfelt connection that only a united family can share.

"Let's get you inside," Sarai proposed, her tone filled with concern and warmth.

They guided Visenya into their cozy, little home, a sanctuary away from the turmoil of the outside world. As soon as she stepped through the door, a sense of comfort enveloped her. It may not have been her true home, but it was the closest she could get with her family gathered under the same roof.

Without hesitation, she drew herself a nice, warm bath, hoping it will help ease her troubled heart and mind. Sarai had managed to salvage some of Visenya's clothing, the few pieces that Lazarus had allowed her to take from the palace. As Visenya stepped out of the lavatory, a flicker of pride illuminated her face, as if she had reclaimed a fragment of her lost identity.

"Are you hungry?" Sarai asked, motioning for her to have a seat at the table.

Visenya sat down next to Synora, running her hand through her little sister’s hair as she walked by. Sarai placed a hearty bowl of stew in front of Visenya, and for the first time in almost a year, they all shared a meal together.

The room was painfully quiet, and Visenya could feel their eyes planted on her. "I know you all have questions, and I promise to answer each one of them, but not right now."

“I just want to know one thing,” Sarai pressed the matter. “How long do we have with you before he comes breaking down that door and drags you out of here?”

“He won’t,” she looked up at her mother, her eyes filled with certainty.

“Yes... he will,” Sarai argued.

Visenya slammed her spoon down on the table. “I’d like to see him try it.”

“What happened to you, Vee?” Caspian chimed in. “The last time I saw you, you didn’t even know who the hell I was.”

“It’s a long story that I don’t want to discuss right now,” Visenya pleaded. “Look, I left and I’m not going back, okay?”

“Until he realizes that you’re gone,” Sarai stated with firm conviction.

“He knows I’m gone... he watched me leave,” Visenya revealed, her voice carrying the weight of her vulnerability.

“You mean... he just let you go?” Caspian questioned, disbelief evident in his voice.

“More or less... yes,” Visenya answered.

“I don’t believe it,” Sarai maintained, her skepticism unwavering.

“You think I’m lying?” Visenya retorted, her voice tinged with frustration and hurt.

“No... I just can’t believe that he’d let you go so easily,” Sarai exclaimed.

Visenya massaged her temples, desperately trying to suppress the whirlwind of emotions that had plagued her since the moment she left him. “Is there somewhere I can rest? I’m really tired.”

“You can have my room,” Caspian kindly offered. “I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

“You don’t have to do that.” Visenya protested.

“It's fine, I insist,” he reassured her.

Caspian guided her down the hall, leading her into a small room with a single bed, a nightstand, and a window that provided little of a view.

“I know it’s not home, but it’s been a haven for us these past several months,” Caspian divulged. “The bed is a bit lumpy, though. I hope it won’t be too uncomfortable for you.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ve slept on worse,” Visenya replied.

A profound sadness filled Caspian's eyes at the mention of Visenya's suffering. “Vee, I'm deeply sorry for all the trouble I've caused you by showing up unannounced repeatedly. I just wanted to see you... to ensure you were okay.”

"What do you mean? I only recall the last time... when I didn't remember you," she said, her voice tinged with confusion.

"Vee, I came to see you several times," he explained. "I tried to plead with Lucian to let you go. He never told you?"

Visenya shook her head, her mind racing to make sense of the new information. "No, but now that I think about it... I'm pretty sure I scented you once." Her voice trailed off as she sat down on the bed, her thoughts taking her down a road of remembrance.

Caspian sat down beside her, holding her hand in his as he ran his thumb along the back of her hand. "Visenya, I don't care about the things that you were forced to do while you were in captivity. I don't look at you any differently than before. I still love you, and I still have hope in my heart that we can be happy together."

Visenya pulled her hand out of his grasp, knowing it was time to be forthright with him because he deserved that much. "Cas, you are my best friend, and the bond we have is unbreakable, but... I'm afraid that I don't share the same feelings for you as you do for me. You know I love you... but like a brother."

Caspian scoffed. "A brother? I get it... Maybe, if I enslaved you and tear you away from your family, I'd be more your type."

"Don't you dare start this right now," she reprimanded.

"You think I've been blind to it all these years?" Caspian continued. "I've always had to compete with that prick... and even still, after everything he's done to you."

Visenya pressed her hand over her marking, ensuring that it was completely concealed under her clothing and out of Caspian's sight. Yet, she knew if she showed it to him, he would finally understand her unusual fixation with Lucian throughout their lives.

"Please, Cas, I don't want to do this right now," she pleaded.

"Don't worry," he reassured, rising from the bed and making his way towards the door. "There's nothing more to say."

"Cas, please don't be upset with me," she implored. "I need you, I will always need you."

"Like a brother?" He retorted.

"You will find someone who will reciprocate your affection. That's what you deserve," she voiced, her words filled with sincerity.

"There's nobody out there for me, Vee," he sighed, his voice heavy with despair. "My mate is dead, and the only woman I've ever loved will never love me in return."

"Cas..." Her eyes glistened with tears as he walked out of the room, leaving her with a heavy heart to bear.

She lay down on the bed, curling up into a ball. As her first tear rolled down her cheek, a gentle drizzle began to fall outside her window. The clear, blue sky suddenly transformed into a canvas of gray again, mirroring Visenya's gloomy state of mind.