"But... please forgive . I am truly sorry."
Maelona stared at her silently, her face blank, emotions colliding violently beneath the surface.
Slowly, Kaelith stepped forward. He lowered himself beside Chad and knelt down as well, bowing his head until it touched the ground.
"I don’t need your forgiveness," Kaelith said quietly, his voice worn thin.
"I... I understand it now."
He lifted his head just enough to look at Maelona, his eyes dull with exhaustion rather than defiance.
"I caused so much pain and suffering," he continued, forcing the words out. "But it had nothing to do with her. Every choice I made was mine alone." His lips curved into a weak, self-mocking smile.
"If there’s anyone to bla, it’s . I am at fault here."
His shoulders sagged further as his voice dropped.
"Just like you said... I’m a coward, Maelona. Nothing more than a coward."
Maelona’s gaze fell to the floor, her chest tightening painfully.
/Even now, he’s protecting her... Maelona. He loves her. That’s all./
Aether’s voice echoed softly in her mind, not accusing, not comforting, only stating a truth she could no longer deny from the very beginning.
Maelona nodded faintly, a weak, shattered smile forming as she rubbed the tears from her cheek. She stood up from Aether’s lap, steadying herself before speaking.
"Yeah... right," she muttered under her breath.
"I..." She sighed deeply, as if letting go of sothing she had clung to for years. "Just take back what’s yours, Kaelith. That’s all."
She turned slightly away from him. "I want nothing else."
Kaelith’s expression twisted painfully... That was sothing he couldn’t accept, but...
"He will."
Chad’s voice cut in firmly.
Kaelith blinked and turned toward her, "Do you even know what we’re talking about?" he asked. "She’s asking to return and rule the High Elves." His voice wavered. "That ans you, too."
Chad nodded calmly. "Yes. I heard... most of it," she said, drawing in a steady breath. "And anyway, accept it, Kaelith."
"Huh? Have you lost your mind?" he snapped. "This is sothing—"
She interrupted him, "Just like Maelona said, this is your responsibility. Not hers." Her eyes hardened. "And stop being overly protective of like this. I’m not so fragile flower that shatters at a single gaze. I’m strong enough to protect myself."
Kaelith gave a strained smile. "Chad, this is—"
"Do you want to protect your tribe or not?" she asked flatly.
"That’s not—"
"Yes or no." Chad’s tone dropped, deadly serious now.
Kaelith bit his lip as he hesitated.
Chad smirked faintly, "The reason you put Maelona on the line in the first place," she said slowly, "was because you knew she was the perfect replacent for you."
Her gaze sharpened. "You trusted her because you knew she wouldn’t betray you or your tribe. And now, all she’s doing is giving that trust back to you."
"She did her best. Now it’s your turn... No. It was always your turn. You should have taken responsibility from the beginning."
Kaelith clicked his tongue in frustration. "Darling, you don’t understand these people," he said hurriedly. "They’ll speak ill of you behind my back—"
"So what?" Chad shrugged sharply. "Didn’t she go through all of that alone?" Her voice rose slightly. "Was she not even a person to you, Kaelith?" Her eyes burned.
Kaelith flinched. "N-No, it’s not like that—"
Chad inhaled deeply, calming herself before turning to Maelona. "If she could handle all of this alone," she said quietly, "why can’t I? When you will be with ."
She turned back to Kaelith, "Or..." Her voice lowered dangerously. "Would you leave too, like you did her?"
"O-Of course not!" Kaelith exclaid imdiately. "No way! Never!"
Maelona’s lips twitched faintly.
Aether smirked softly, watching the exchange without intervening, as if he already knew how this would end.
Chad nodded once, her gaze steady. "Then?" she asked calmly, though her eyes held quiet pressure.
Kaelith hesitated again, his brows knitting together as if he were weighing every possible consequence, every unseen future. He looked torn, trapped between fear and responsibility.
Noticing this, Chad shot a final nail to the coffin,
"If you truly love —"
"I’ll take it."
Kaelith didn’t let her finish. The words spilt out of him without hesitation. A broken, weak smile tugged at his lips as he accepted his fate.
Maelona’s lips twitched visibly. For a brief mont, she genuinely wanted to punch this asshole right in the face.
Liora and Kaelen, on the other hand, blinked in disbelief. If they had known Chad was the switch that could end all of this, they would have done it a long ti ago instead of enduring such a painfully drawn-out drama.
Both of them sighed almost in unison, exhaustion written plainly across their faces.
Chad smiled softly before turning toward Aria. "Please forgive , dear," she said gently, starting to bow her head.
Before she could, Aria stepped forward and held her by the shoulders. "Take care of my father."
Chad nodded slowly.
Kaelith turned to his daughter next. His eyes trembled as his voice broke. "I-I’m so sorry... dear. I didn’t realise what you were going through—"
"Shh."
Aria hugged her father tightly, hushing him instinctively. "There’s no need to apologize," she whispered. "You did what you could. I know that.... I’ve always known."
Kaelith’s shoulders shook as he wrapped his arms around her, pain and love crashing together in his chest.
Aether watched quietly, his gaze fixed on Aria’s face, which glowed with relief and affection.
"Since everything’s decided," Kaelen said calmly, breaking the silence, "why don’t you sign the docunt and finalise everything?"
Kaelith exhaled deeply and nodded. He picked up the docunt, but before signing, he glanced at Chad. She nodded back with a reassuring smile.
Only then did he sign.
Kaelen stood up and took the docunt, his expression turning formal. "Kaelith Zephyr, the King of the High Elves, shall officially begin his duties from... next week."
Kaelith blinked, confused. "Next week?"
Kaelen winked. "I can’t disturb newlywed couples, right?" He laughed lightly, noticing Chad’s faint blush, before turning and walking out of the house.
Liora nodded and followed her son. Aria gave one last nod before leaving as well.
Maelona said nothing. She simply turned and walked out of the house.
Kaelith and Chad watched her leave in silence. When they finally looked back, their eyes landed on Aether.
Aether stood up and spoke softly, "Don’t worry, Kaelith. You’ll be fine. And I’m here too." He smiled gently.
"So don’t overthink it. Just keep doing your best."
Kaelith nodded weakly and stepped forward, pulling Aether into a tight hug. He patted his back, "Thank you. Thank you for staying with her. Thank you for supporting her. And... thank you for everything."
Aether returned the hug and patted his back reassuringly. "Of course, Father-in-law," he said with a soft smile. "I’ll do anything for you. Don’t worry. You’re my family too."
As he spoke, his eyes shifted toward Chad.
She t his gaze and gave him a small, teasing wink.
[ 4000 AP]
Aether flinched slightly before stepping back, "Anyway, I’ll be leaving... Can’t delay your fun, right?" He winked at Kaelith, the teasing obvious in his eyes.
Kaelith’s cheeks burned instantly. "Idiot. Get out," he snapped, the words carrying both affection and irritation.
Aether chuckled as he turned to leave. Just as he reached the door, Kaelith’s voice stopped him.
"Please... don’t make the sa mistake I did."
Aether halted for a brief second, the weight of those words settling quietly in his chest. He didn’t turn back. He simply nodded once and continued walking, stepping out of the house and joining the group moving softly through the night.
His eyes lingered on Aria as she walked beside her mother, gently hugging Maelona’s shoulder.
With one hand tucked into his pocket, Aether reached out through their ntal connection.
/Say... do you really not hate your father? After everything he did? You and your mother suffered because of him, you know./
Aria’s lips curved faintly as she hugged her mother even tighter.
/Others might not know this... but whenever he visited , he always asked about Mother’s well-being, Aether. He always asked about her first. What she was doing, how she was living, what she might be struggling with. He asked everything so he could help her quietly, from the shadows./
There was a pause before she continued.
/Yes, I hated him sotis. Especially when I was younger. But if there was one thing I was always certain of... it was that he cared about us./
Aether humd thoughtfully, his gaze drifting ahead.
/Then why didn’t he tell her any of that? If he talked to her directly, things might have been different, right?/
Aria’s expression softened further.
/That’s where the problem was. He didn’t want to give her false hope. If Mother knew he still cared, she would hold onto sothing in her heart. Sothing he knew he could never give her... He knew her too well./
She squeezed her mother’s shoulder gently.
/It’s better to be hated than to be soone she hopes for, only to be disappointed again./
Aether fell silent. He nodded faintly to himself before thinking, ’I guess he wasn’t that ignorant after all.’ His eyes flicked back briefly toward the wooden house before he followed them onward.
After a short while, Aether turned toward Maelona, curiosity flickering in his gaze. "Say... did Kaelith ever tell you how he learned that dance?"
Maelona blinked. "I... don’t think so. Why?"
Aether stared at her with a deeply pitiful expression, as if he had just realised sothing tragic.
"What about the dance’s na?"
Maelona tilted her head. "Oh? It has a na?"
"..."
"O-Oi! What’s with that look?" Maelona snapped, "Why are you looking at like I’m more pitiful than you thought?"
"..."
***
anwhile, back inside the house, Kaelith stood quietly behind Chad as she gazed out the window, watching the figures disappear into the darkness.
"Is this... really alright?" he asked softly.
Chad nodded without hesitation.
Kaelith stepped closer. "Co on, dear. You already know people will hurt you, right—"
Chad raised her finger and gently pressed it against his lips, cutting him off. She t his gaze with unwavering resolve.
"I’ll handle it," she said firmly. "And I am strong."
Her voice carried no doubt... Only certainty.
Kaelith let out a defeated sigh, but suddenly his expression shifted. His eyes darkened when a familiar scent reached him from her finger.
Sniff... sniff...
"W-Why does this sll like Aether?"
Chad flinched, her heart skipping a beat. ’Shit—’
Before she could finish the thought, Kaelith caught her wrist and pushed her back against the wall. His expression was dark and dangerous, as he brought her hand closer and sniffed her finger again and again, as if confirming what he already knew.
"Yeah... it’s definitely him." His eyes darkened further.
"Tell what happened in the woods?"
As he spoke, he licked her finger slowly, deliberately, as if trying to overwrite Aether’s scent with his own.
Chad trembled, her cheeks burning red. "I-Iaah~ I didn’t do anything," she protested weakly. "I just talked to him. And it’s just... I kissed—Ngg!"
She flinched when Kaelith bit her finger lightly, his expression turning even more possessive.
"Kiss?" he growled. "Did you kiss him?" His voice dropped dangerously. "How dare you touch him when you have ?"
He sucked her finger as his free hand road along her back, claiming her without hesitation.
Chad shuddered, her eyes turning teary. "It was on the cheek... like a cute little brother—Ahh~"
But that did nothing to soften Kaelith’s gaze. If anything, his possessiveness deepened further. Chad trembled again, excitent mixing with her nerves as she t his dark eyes.
"Oh, darling~" she whispered breathlessly, leaning closer. "I’m so horny right now~" Her lips brushed near his ear as she spoke.
Kaelith smirked and pulled her into his arms, "I need to mark my territory."
Chad giggled softly and wrapped her arms around him eagerly. "Then mark ," she whispered. "Mark every inch~"
Her gaze drifted toward the window, where the towering top of Yggdrasil lood beyond the night sky. Though nothing was visible, for a brief second, a faint rainbow hue reflected in her eyes.
She smiled... softly.
Kaelith carried her toward the bed and closed the door behind them.
And... they fucked.
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