Ravensblood Forest Keep me caged, My downside locked away

I edited my last post to match the revised timeline! :)

Dakarai was clearly in an emotional state. Olive very rarely saw her king like this and to see him to vexed displeased her greatly. Dakarai was a soul meant to live a happy, fulfilling existence… and here he was, pained and suffering. At Blackfeather Woods’ hands. At Ceannasach’s hands. At her hands. Olive relished his touch even though it was fleeting; felt the electric enmity that sparked from the tips of his fur. Immediately the seraph wished to disappear within the wilds again, to abscond away with her husband and live a life that was untouched by strife. When it was just them two, nothing was ever wrong.

Her heart crumbled as she felt the hurt in Dakarai’s words, listened to his low growl and watched his distant stare. Olive wished to comfort him with touch, but her thin limbs remained where they were — some problems needed to be talked out, rather than cuddled out. Olive let her mate speak his peace, let the silence settled between them for a moment, and then responded in a soft and loving aria. “I know, my love, I know.” These were not just words. She did know. Arturo had never been a friend of Dakarai’s, even from his ceremonious arrival at their borders.  Olive and Dakarai were not an easy couple to corral and lead, but did they not pay their dues to the family? A frown braced itself upon her lips. “You’ve been treated cruelly, like a criminal.”  Dakarai was the opposite of a criminal — an angel, maybe, sent to save her.  “Your only crime is loving a reckless woman like me.” Olive took a long, drawn out breath and bit her lip. Olive could feel the emotions welling up inside her; an automatic response to seeing her husband so distraught. Up until now, the fae had been content with ignoring the strife amongst Teaghlaigh and focusing on the task of convalescing. 

“Oh, Dakarai, for once I have no words. I put you in danger. I put our children in danger. I- I am sorry. I am so sorry.” Olive quite purposefully left out the sentiment “I put myself in danger.” Danger was only real to those who feared death — which Olive did not. Yes, the woman had been distraught by the deaths of both Furiosa and Palisander, of course, and it had haunted her  endlessly… but not for the fact that they had crossed over. It was the horrible manner in which they perished that plagued her. Some wolf or some creature had slain them out of spite, and that was what bedeviled the grey woman. Olive had an inborn aversion to pain and the evil which caused it. But death? No, death would never cause her disquietude. Her body was a vessel for her soul, which was eternal and infinite. In fact, Olive often thought that her body limited the potential of her spirit… contained all in one place, stuck on earth, only able to do what her corporal being would allow her to do. Olive would never wish to cause the death of another, but her own death she did not fear.

Even if she were to die, Olive knew she would meet with Dakarai again in the heavens — one day. It was the thought of living upon earth without Dakarai that had driven her to such desperation. 

Olive sighed once more, hoping the deep exhale would loosen the tightness in her chest. “I fear Ceannasach feels similarly towards me.” Olive had been at Arturo’s side when he founded Teaghlaigh… could he really hate her? That was a question that Olive did not wish to know the answer to. Arturo’s feelings regarding Dakarai were more than enough. “But to have y— you, here, now…  You were gone, my king. But now, you are back. Despite all that has happened…”

“… I would do it again.”