The Bride He Hates

Chapter 140: Return of Emotions

Lyanna had been pacing their chambers for over an hour when Azrael finally returned, exhausted and frustrated.

"The council wanted to discuss..." He began.

"I don’t care what the council wanted." Lyanna interrupted him sharply. "After dancing with three other women, after comforting Eve privately, you chose the council over coming to me."

"I didn’t want to. Cassius made it impossible to refuse without..."

"There’s always an impossible situation." Lyanna said. "But it isn’t only that. Tonight, I watched you hold other women. I watched you be gentle with Eve than necessary."

"You said you could handle this." Azrael said, his frustration spoke up. "You said you can be practical..."

"I was wrong!" Lyanna’s voice cracked. "I thought I could watch you court other women without feeling anything. But watching you dance with other women hurt, Azrael. It hurt so much I could hardly breathe. And the worst part? I’m jealous, when I’m not supposed to be."

"You’re jealous?" Azrael said, staring at her in shock. "But you couldn’t... You can’t feel emotions. The sacrifice..."

He stopped suddenly, his face turning pale.

"You knew?!" Lyanna whispered, unable to believe what she just heard. "You knew about the sacrifice? About what I lost?"

"Lyanna..."

"For how long?" She asked. "How long have you known that I gave up my humanity to save you?"

"Soon after it happened." Azrael admitted. "I felt the change, how your emotions become distant, especially after that village decision. Naomi told me about Elder Mara. I visited her and she told me everything."

Lyanna let out a hollow laugh.

"You’ve known for so long, and you never told me? Never said anything?"

"You were trying to hide it." Azrael replied. "Elder Mara told me the reason why you can’t tell anyone about it. So I didn’t confront you."

She paused for a moment, thinking, then spoke.

"Does anyone else know?"

"No." Azrael replied immediately. "Just me.

Lyanna sank into a chair, processing this revelation.

"So when I suggested political courtship, when I pushed you to agree despite your objections, you knew I was making that decision because I couldn’t feel anything?"

"Yes. But you’re still you. The emotional distance doesn’t invalidate your judgment. Your decision was strategic and reasonable."

"Then why did I feel jealousy tonight? I thought I could handle watching you with others. But I was completely wrong." She turned to face him.

"The jealousy I felt tonight is the first real emotion I’ve felt since that night."

Azrael knelt before her, taking her hands.

"If you’re feeling jealous, it means the emotional distance might be fading. The sacrifice might not be permanent."

"But Elder Mara said it’s permanent. Then what changed? Why can I feel jealousy now?"

"Maybe she didn’t know or maybe she lied. Tell me, when you felt jealous tonight, did you feel any other emotion as well?"

Lyanna thought for a moment.

"Pain. When I saw you comfort Eve. I felt pain and fear of losing you."

"You will never lose me."

"Everyone saw how gentle and over protective you were with her than as compared to others. The way you held her when she stumbled, and took her away to comfort her..."

"She was having a breakdown." Azrael defended himself. "What was I supposed to do? Leave her crying on the dance floor?"

"No." Lyanna replied. "You did what any decent person would do. But watching it happen while feeling actual jealousy for the first time after so long..."

She stopped, tears filling her eyes.

"I hated it. I hated watching you hold her. I hated that the other nobles saw it too and probably think you’re developing feelings for her."

Azrael pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her as she shook with emotions finally breaking through.

"I’m not developing feelings for Eve. I stopped myself before anyone could misinterpret it. I was careful, I maintained an appropriate distance..."

"But it looked real."

"Because compassion for someone in distress is real. But it’s different from romantic attachment. It’s different from what I feel for you."

He pulled back to look at her face, gently wiping tears from her cheeks.

"Your emotions are back. You are starting to feel again. It’s so huge. We should focus on that."

"But why now? And why jealousy?

"Because you love me. And maybe because seeing me with others broke through whatever magic suppressed your emotions."

"I’ve missed feeling things." She whispered.

"I’ve missed this version of yours too." Azrael said. "The you who feels everything intensely, who is passionate about everything, who lets emotions guide decisions instead of just logic. I love the practical and strategic version of yours as well. But I’ve desperately missed the emotional version underneath."

Then Azrael pulled her into a passionate kiss. And this time, the kiss didn’t feel empty. Lyanna could feel everything now; her love and desire for him, the relief of being complete again, and the overwhelming gratitude that finally her emotions were back.

She was running her hands through his hair, lost in the sensation of feeling him completely, when urgent pounding at the door shattered the moment.

"Your Majesties!" Victor said. "There’s an emergency! Lady Eve has been attacked!"

They broke apart immediately. Azreal opened the door to find Victor standing with blood splattered on his coat.

"What happened?" Azrael asked.

"Lady Eve was returning to her chambers from the ball when someone attacked her in the east corridor." Victor informed them. "There were about four to five of them who attacked her with silver weapons. We arrived in time to drive them off, but she is injured and terrified. She’s asking for you both."

"Where is she?"

"The healing room. The healer is treating her wounds, but she won’t calm down."

Azrael immediately walked towards the healing room with Victor and Lyanna following him. They burst into the healing room and saw Eve lying on the bed, and a healer treating cuts on her arms and shoulders. She was crying, her whole body was trembling, and her gown was torn and covered in blood.

The moment Eve saw Azrael, she let out a sob and lunged off the bed towards him.

"Your Majesty!" She cried, throwing herself into his arms before he could react. "They tried to kill me! They said I didn’t deserve to court you."

She buried her face in his chest, sobbing, her hands clutching his shirt strongly.

"I was so scared! I thought they were going to kill me and...

"You’re safe now." Azrael said. "No one will hurt you."

Over Eve’s shoulder, Azrael looked at Victor.

"Did you catch any of the attackers?"

"No, Your Majesty." Victor replied. "They fled."

Eve sobbed even harder now.

"I don’t want to be here. I just want to go home but I can’t..."

"You’re safe, trust me. I’ll assign you personal guards, increase your security, and find everyone responsible..."

"I don’t want guards!" Eve cried, breaking the hug. "I want to stop being afraid! I want to stop being a target! I want..."

She collapsed against him, her whole body shaking with fear.

Lyanna stood at the door, watching Azrael hold the sobbing Eve with protective tenderness.

Her mind was racing because all this was too perfect and convenient. Eve was attacked immediately after a ball where she had stumbled and required comfort. And then injured just enough to need care but not seriously hurt. Then throwing herself into Azrael’s arms, creating an image of a victim seeking protection from a strong king.

And Azrael, despite everything, was holding her, comforting her, and making promises to protect her.

"Your Majesty." Lyanna said. "May I speak with you privately?"

Azrael looked up, still holding Eve.

"Can it wait? Lady Eve is..."

"No." Lyanna cut him off. "It cannot wait. We need to talk now."

Eve’s grip on Azrael tightened.

"Please don’t leave. I’m still so scared..."

"Everyone else is here." Lyanna said, looking at Azrael. "The healer needs to treat your wounds and Victor will assign you guards. You’ll be safe. But I need my husband now."

The emphasis on "my husband" was intentional. Azrael gently pulled himself out of Eve’s grip.

"I need to go. Victor will take care of you. Don’t worry."

"But promise me you’ll come back." She said, looking up at him with her tear-filled eyes.

"I promise." Azrael said.

Watching him make that promise, amd then watching Eve’s small satisfied smile before she hid it behind her tears, Lyanna became sure that Eve wasn’t the naive, innocent girl she had been pretending. She wasn’t the victim. She was the threat.

Azrael followed Lyanna out of the healing room and closed the door.

"What do you need to talk about ?" Azrael asked.

"Everything. Starting with the fact that you just promised to protect a woman who planned her own attack just to gain sympathy from you."

"What? Are you serious? That’s a serious accusation." Azrael said.

"I know." Lyanna replied. "But my every newly returned emotional instinct is telling me it’s true."