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“Daddy?” Leana gasped, lifting her face and seeing a man kneeling before her. Wrinkles hovered around his eyes, and on his forehead. His golden hair had turned gray around the temples. Scars touched his arms. Are there more beneath your clothes? His muscles were still there, somehow firmer. His eyes… his beautiful eyes were so serious. They’d always been deep, but something was different. There had always been light glowing from within them, almost. It almost looked gone. And his shoulders would slumped almost in defeat before he dragged her into his arms and squeezed. Squeezed like she would vanish any moment.

“Oh, Daddy…” She clutched him, pressing her head into his chest and weeping. Begging the Holy One this wasn’t a dream. That he was really here, holding her like he had when she was a little girl. Before he left. Leana wept.

Nithel wept, too. But where Leana relaxed in his arms, like a rag doll, he only tensed more. How can I protect you? More tears flowed.

A loud whoosh and fire wrapped around them, in a ring. Nithel’s eyes darted back toward Alessio, and he pushed to his feet, wincing, and holding his baby girl under one arm. He followed Alessio’s eyes to see another man. Nathair.

Leana tensed beside him, likely terrified by this madness. He remembered what it was like. First coming here. But that was books and mirrors. Not fire. “It’s a friend of mine. He won’t hurt us.” Nithel murmured, and her eyes shone with more understanding than he expected.

Alessio shook all over. “You won’t touch them!” His voice scratched loud and passionate, “You won’t!”

“You want him to fill the void your father left.” Nathair.

Nithel’s chest ached, and he looked at Alessio, too. His eyes showed confusion, but also trust, a steadiness he didn’t know how he felt.

Leana looked at Alessio, too. New understanding filled her gaze. Pain, that Alessio’s father was dead… or he’d never had one.

“Oh Alessio,” The Sanke said. “you know better. You know people like them will never understand. You can’t trust kind people, my prince,” He said, “They’ll always ask for more than you can give and then give up on you because they just won’t understand how much they’re asking for…”

Nithel’s chest burned and his nose flared.

“He wouldn’t hurt me,” Alessio whispered almost to himself. “I won’t let you hurt them!”

“You speak like your name, Snake!” Nithel’s voice echoed throughout the room, steady and firm and deep. Like the rumble of a star, for stars do rumble. “True friendship gives without expecting to be given back. Love does what is best for their friend, not themselves. But of course we all fail.” So many thoughts raced through his mind, and he glanced back at Alessio, eyes burning with trust, but also pride, and love, and pain, and longing to embrace him as well. “Alessio is my friend. He is faithful. I want what’s best for him, whether that serves me or not.” Nithel pointed at Nathair, glaring. “You are a snake and a liar.” Nithel’s face wrinkled, and his voice cracked with pain, “Are you the one who hurt him?”

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@this-is-not-an-alien @hannahrenner @ragnarok 🦓