Chapter 97: I’m Just Here

In the Eastern palace,

Eiravelle was crying as Qazaethel gently lay her down her bed. The room was quiet, lit only by the soft glow of a single lamp on the bedside table, and the curtains had been drawn to shut out the world beyond.

The celebrations in the main palace continued, the distant sound of fireworks and music a faint echo through the walls, but here, in this small chamber, there was only the sound of Eiravelle’s sobs and the rustle of the blankets as she settled into the bed.

Qazaethel don’t even know how she’ll able to comfort the omega but she sat on the edge of the bed beside Eiravelle and gently tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and smile. The gesture was tender, careful, as though she was handling something infinitely precious and fragile.

The smile was small, a little uncertain, but it was genuine. It was the smile of someone who was trying, who wanted to help, who was willing to do whatever it took to make things right.

Qazaethel brought Eiravelle’s hand against her lips and plant a soft kiss on her knuckles. The omega’s skin was warm and soft, and Qazaethel could feel the slight tremor that ran through her fingers.

She held the kiss for a moment longer than necessary, her lips lingered against Eiravelle’s skin as though she could transfer some of her own strength through the gesture. Then she lowered the hand and looked at Eiravelle, her eyes full of a tenderness that she rarely allowed anyone to see.

"Sweetie, look at me." Qazaethel said, and Eiravelle slowly raise her gaze. The omega’s eyes were red and swollen from crying, her cheeks wet with tears, and she looked so fragile that Qazaethel felt her heart clench with pain. But she doesn’t want Qazaethel to see her eyes so she looked away and held her pregnant belly protectively.

The gesture was instinctive, a shield, a way of protecting herself and her child from the world. Qazaethel noticed it, noticed the way Eiravelle curled her body slightly away from her, and she felt a sharp pang of sorrow. She had spent months trying to break down the walls that Eiravelle had built around herself, trying to show her that she was safe, that she was loved, that she did not need to be afraid. And yet, here they were, and Eiravelle was still hiding.

"Qazaethel... I am wondering... Why do you like me?" Eiravelle asked, her voice trembled as she asked the question. The words were small, barely more than a whisper, and they hung in the air between them like a fragile thing that might shatter at the slightest breath. Eiravelle’s hands were still resting on her belly, her fingers splayed across the curve of her pregnancy, and she looked at Qazaethel with an expression that was equal parts hope and fear.

She did not understand. She could not understand. She was nothing special. She was just an omega, plain and ordinary, with a past full of pain and a heart full of scars. Why would the sovereign of Solkanaia, the hybrid ruler, the most powerful being in the realm, love someone like her?

Qazaethel did not answer immediately. She looked at Eiravelle, at the omega who had changed her life in ways she still could not fully comprehend, and she felt a wave of emotion wash over her. She thought about the first time she had seen Eiravelle, standing behind the counter of Lord Thane’s shop, her hands covered in flour and her smile bright despite the exhaustion in her eyes.

She thought about the way Eiravelle had given that child money to buy food, the way she had crouched down to talk to the little one, the way her face had lit up with genuine joy when the child had smiled. She thought about all the moments since then—the quiet conversations in the garden, the shared meals, the nights spent holding each other in the darkness.

She thought about the way Eiravelle looked at her, not as a sovereign or a dragon, but as a person. As someone worthy of love. And she knew, with a certainty that settled into her bones, that she loved Eiravelle not despite her fragility but because of it. Because her fragility was a kind of strength, her kindness was a kind of power, she was the most beautiful, and most precious thing that Qazaethel had ever known.

"Do you want to know?" Qazaethel asked softly, and Eiravelle nodded as tears continued to silently stream down from her eyes. The tears fell onto the pillow, leaving dark spots on the white fabric, and Qazaethel had to resist the urge to reach out and wipe them away.

This was not about wiping away tears. This was about giving Eiravelle something to hold onto, something to believe in. This was about answering the question that had been trembling on the omega’s lips for weeks, perhaps months.

"Remember when you were selling sandwiches? In Lord Thane’s shop?" Qazaethel smiled softly. The memory was vivid in her mind, more vivid than any battle or conquest or political triumph.

She remembered the smell of fresh bread, the warmth of the shop, the way the light had streamed through the windows and caught the gold in Eiravelle’s hair. She remembered the way her heart had stopped when she first saw the omega, the way she had felt something shift inside her, something she had not felt in centuries.

"Yeah? What about it?" Eiravelle asked, and Qazaethel never left her gaze on Eiravelle. She wanted the omega to see her, to see the truth in her eyes, to understand that this was not a lie or an exaggeration or a kind word meant to soothe her. This was the truth. This was the most honest thing she had ever said.

"Before that, I bought a floating paper and wished to the three supreme Gods about love... And then I saw you... At first I was skeptical... Especially when I found out you’re Arielle’s sister." Qazaethel started explaining and Eiravelle listened without breaking eye contact.

The omega’s tears had slowed, replaced by a look of quiet wonder. She had not known this. She had not known that Qazaethel had wished for love, had not known that she had seen her before their first official meeting, had not known that the sovereign had been watching her from the very beginning.

"But then I saw you were very kind, the moment you gave that child money to buy food. I was instantly drawn to you and that’s the reason why I asked you so suddenly." Qazaethel chuckled, and Eiravelle finally smiled. The memory of that moment was clear in both their minds—the child, the money, the way Eiravelle had crouched down and spoken to the little one with such warmth.

It was a small thing, a simple act of kindness, but it had changed everything. It had made Qazaethel believe in love again. It had made her believe that there was still goodness in the world, still beauty, still hope.

"Y-Yeah, I remember that clearly." She answered, and Qazaethel gently wiped her tears. The omega’s skin was damp beneath her thumb, and she wiped the tears away one by one, her touch was feather-light. "I am just here... Even though I was deeply brokenhearted when you wished to marry Kariv." Qazaethel said, and a frown suddenly paints her face.

Which made Eiravelle frown too. The memory of that time was painful for both of them—the engagement, the hope, the betrayal. Qazaethel had watched from the sidelines, had seen Eiravelle’s joy, had felt her own heart break. She had thought she had lost her chance. She had thought that the omega she loved would belong to someone else forever.

"But I am glad you never married him." Qazaethel added. The words were simple, but they carried the weight of everything that had happened since. The pain, the betrayal, the slow healing, the love that had grown in the aftermath of destruction.

Qazaethel was glad. She was grateful. She was relieved. If Eiravelle had married Kariv, she would have been lost. She would have been trapped in a life of misery, bound to a man who did not deserve her. And Qazaethel would have spent the rest of her existence alone, wondering what might have been.

"Hehe, how could I marry him when he broke the engagement? He humiliated me... That’s why I went to you and... Ask you to take away the pain. Remembering what I did felt like I am bad... Because I used you, Qazaethel. I used you to ease the pain I was feeling and I am sorry because you don’t deserve that." Eiravelle sobbed, and Qazaethel gently move slightly towards Eiravelle and pull the omega in her warm embrace.

The confession tumbled out of Eiravelle’s mouth like a dam breaking, the words she had been holding inside for months finally spilling free. She had used Qazaethel. She had gone to the sovereign not out of love but out of desperation, seeking comfort in the arms of someone who had always been kind to her.

And she had felt guilty about it ever since. She had felt like a bad person, like someone who took advantage of another’s kindness. She had felt like she did not deserve the love that Qazaethel had given her.

"Shhh~ don’t cry... I’ll always be here for you, Eivy... I know you didn’t mean it." Qazaethel replied, and Eiravelle shook her head and held unto the fabric of Qazaethel’s royal robes. The omega’s fingers clutched at the silk and brocade, her grip was desperate, and she pressed her face against Qazaethel’s chest as though trying to hide from the world.

"No! You deserve so much better. You were one of the people who treated me with kindness and respect and I hurt you." Eiravelle wailed, and Qazaethel gently ran her hand on Eiravelle’s back to soothe her sadness. The words were a confession, a plea, a cry of anguish.

Eiravelle had been carrying this guilt for so long, had been punishing herself for something that Qazaethel had never blamed her for. She had been so focused on her own pain, on her own fear, that she had not realized how much Eiravelle had been suffering. She had not realized that the omega had been drowning in guilt, convinced that she had done something unforgivable.

Then she withdrew slightly and lift Eiravelle’s chin up to press a soft kiss against the omega’s lips. The kiss was gentle, tender, a reassurance and a promise. It was a kiss that said, without words, that Eiravelle was forgiven. That she had never needed to be forgiven in the first place. That Qazaethel loved her, all of her, including the parts that were broken and scared and guilty.

Eiravelle felt strange. This kind of love, it was too much yet felt so right for her. She had never been loved like this before. She had never been held like this, kissed like this, and cherished like this. It was overwhelming, terrifying, and wonderful all at once.

She gently wrapped her arms around Qazaethel and when they withdrew, they gasp and catch their breath. Their foreheads rested against each other, their breath mingling in the small space between them, and Eiravelle could feel the warmth of Qazaethel’s skin, could see the love in her eyes.

"I love you." Eiravelle said, and Qazaethel smiled. The words were simple, but they carried the weight of everything that had happened between them. The pain, the healing, the slow journey from strangers to lovers. Eiravelle had never said those words before, not to anyone, not like this. But she meant them now. She meant them with every fiber of her being.

She gently pat Eiravelle’s head and kissed her forehead. "I love you more." Qazaethel said, and gently lay Eiravelle down. The omega’s head sank into the pillow, her body relaxing into the mattress, and she looked up at Qazaethel with eyes that were still wet but no longer full of pain.

"How about you get some more rest. I’ll handle Kariv, I promise. I will make sure he won’t scare you like that again." Qazaethel said, and Eiravelle nodded as she smiled at Qazaethel’s assurance. The smile was small, fragile, but it was real. It was the smile of someone who believed, for the first time in a long time, that everything might be alright.

Qazaethel lean down to plant a soft kiss on Eiravelle’s pregnant belly. The fabric of the omega’s robes was soft against her lips, and beneath it, she could feel the warmth of the life growing inside. "Little one, let your mama rest, okay? So she will get plenty of sleep and she will be healthy. So you will be healthy and happy." Qazaethel said, and Eiravelle just giggle. The sound was light and warm, a balm to Qazaethel’s worried heart, and she felt something loosen in her chest.

"The baby can feel your presence." Eiravelle said, and Qazaethel gasp when she felt the child kick against her palm. The movement was small but distinct, a flutter of life against her hand, and Qazaethel felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes.

She had felt the baby kick before, had felt it many times, but it never ceased to amaze her. This was their child. This was the life they had created together. This was the future.

"Yeah~ In my entire life, their kick is still the most beautiful feeling I have ever felt in my life." Qazaethel kept her smile and tucked Eiravelle under the blanket. The omega’s body was warm and soft beneath the covers, and Qazaethel made sure the blanket was tucked snugly around her, protecting her from the chill of the night.

"I will stay here and I won’t leave you." Qazaethel said, her voice was firm with promise.

"Promise? You won’t leave me?" Eiravelle asked, her voice was small and vulnerable. She looked up at Qazaethel with eyes that were still bright with tears, and there was a fear in them that Qazaethel recognized. The fear of being abandoned. The fear of being left alone. The fear that had been instilled in her by a lifetime of cruelty and neglect.

"I promise." Qazaethel uttered and held Eiravelle’s hand. The omega’s fingers curled around hers, holding on tight, and Qazaethel knew that she would keep that promise. She would stay, she would protect them, and she would love.

For as long as Eiravelle needed her, for as long as she lived, she would be there. She would not leave, would not abandon, and would not let anyone hurt Eiravelle again. And as Eiravelle’s eyes fluttered closed, as her breathing slowed and her grip on Qazaethel’s hand relaxed, the sovereign of Solkanaia made a silent vow.

She would burn the world to ash before she let anyone touch the omega she loved. She would tear down the very foundations of the empire before she let anyone cause Eiravelle pain.

And she would start with Kariv.