Solus found Lith inside the tower, silently lying in bed with his eyes closed. The pain he radiated, the frustration that burned his mind were so intense that she started to cry.
“Oh, gods. I knew that going out tonight was a mistake.” She slipped under the bedsheets, cuddling up to him and holding him tight. “It’s alright, Lith. Now I’m here with you.”
“Nothing is alright.” There was a huskiness in his voice due to his previous screaming. “I’ve lost everything and my fucking mana core keeps letting me down.”
“What do you mean?” Solus asked.
Lith was too tired and weak to speak, so he partially fused their mind to share with her the news from Quylla about his houses and the events in the Tavern.
“The moment I meet Haug in person, I’m going to deck him!” She snarled at his definition of friendly fisticuffs. “Why didn’t you tell me about the auctioning of your properties?”
“Because there was nothing you could do and I know that you love that place as much as I do. There was no point in making you suffer more. Not with everything Bytra put you through. I did it to protect you.” He replied.
“I don’t need your-” Then Solus remembered the nights spent crying between his arms, how Lith had carried the rambling mass of pain she had become from Vastor’s home to Salaark’s, and the words died in her mouth.
“Thank you. Thank you for protecting me and for pushing me to go out tonight. I feel lighter now.” She said.
“You are welcome.” He returned her embrace. “You know what scares me about this damn bottleneck? That while I’m stuck at deep violet, Meln grows stronger with every day.
“As long as I can’t train, the divide between us will decrease until he catches up to me. At that point, when he returns, I might not be able to win anymore. To make matters worse, if my core stops developing, your tower will recover slower than predicted.
“I want you to be free, Solus. I can’t bear the thought of contributing to your imprisonment due to my ineptitude.”
“It’s not your fault. Without you, I would be already dead.” She sobbed a little.
Lith kissed her head and Solus felt an opening. She knew that if she raised her head, he would have kissed her again, this time on the lips, and things between them would have changed.
Yet she also knew that it wouldn’t be out of love, but out of despair and loneliness. A pitiful attempt to fill the Void that replaced his heart.
‘Lith always gives his all to protect me, it’s only right that I return the favor.’ Solus made sure that her thought couldn’t reach him.
‘When something finally happens between us, I want it to be because we love each other, not because I exploited his weakness.’
She held Lith close to her bosom, lulling him like a child until slumber relieved him from his pain.
***
A week after the banishment from the Kingdom.
Whenever Lith wasn’t working in the tower or with Aerth, he spent his time at the lake. Swimming helped him to relax and studying the effects of bodies of water on his Tiamat form was the intellectual spice he needed.
Coming from Earth, he didn’t give a damn if someone saw him in swimming trunks and most women of the Desert appreciated the fine addition to the landscape.
“Oh, my. You know I’m a married woman, don’t you?” A familiar voice said from his back, making Lith turn around.
While he swam underwater, he was deaf and his sense of smell was pointless, but being in Salaark’s palace, Lith didn’t feel exposed.
“Jirni, what a nice surprise. What are you doing here?” He came out of the water, noticing how she wore the deep violet Archon uniform and bore all the insignia of her rank.
“As you have probably guessed from my attire, I’m here on a diplomatic mission. Also, I would really like it if you put on some pants.” Her face didn’t flush and her eyes were sizing him up, her actions and words in stark contrast.
“A diplomatic mission at the lake? Grandma’s office is that way.” He pointed toward the palace as the Voidwalker armor covered him, making Jirni click her tongue in disapproval.
“Grandma?” She raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.
“There’s no point hiding it anymore. I’m distantly related with the Overlord.”
“Good to know. It makes my mission even easier.” Jirni nodded. “I came here for you, not the Ruler of the Desert. You may be a runaway criminal, but the Kingdom is still very interested in you. Is there a place where we can talk?”
Lith led her inside his private quarters inside the palace. He still didn’t trust Jirni enough to show her the tower.
They sat at his desk while a butler served them hot tea and pastries filled with different ice cream flavors. Ever since Lith had come to the Desert, pastry art had improved by leaps and bounds.
The hot of the tea and the cold of the ice cream made the sweets irresistible even to Jirni.
“First of all, let me introduce myself properly. I’m Ambassador Jirni Ernas, on a diplomatic mission for the Kingdom. I’ve come here to discuss the terms of your return and negotiate your sentence. This is for you.”
She handed him a box the size of a soccer ball. Lith opened it, finding Morn’s head perfectly preserved.
“What I’m supposed to do with this?”
“Use it as a chamber pot, a flower pot, burn it, whatever you want. It’s just a sign of the goodwill of the Kingdom and proof that an obstacle to our relationship has been permanently removed.” Jirni shrugged.
“Too little and too late. Under what conditions would I be granted a full pardon?” Lith turned the head to ashes.
“There are actually several options for that.” Jirni replied. “All of them require you consuming your Royal Pardons and using up the I owe you that the Royals granted you after solving the plague in Kandria.”
“Isn’t that already enough?” Lith asked.
“No. The thefts would be of little importance if Morn didn’t make them public. Now they have to be treated as treason.” Jirni shook her head. “Yet what really puts the Royals in a bad spot are the people you killed during your broadcast.
“You turned a fertile land into a volcano, murdered innocent people of the Kingdom with Forbidden Magic, and attacked officers in the line of their duty.”
“I understand. What are my options, then?”
“The first portion is to come back to the Kingdom, help with the war, and share enough of your magical resources to obtain the title of Magus. It would give you enough merits to obtain a full pardon.” She replied.
“What’s next?”
“Come back, help with the war, give up on all spoils you might find, and serve the Kingdom with no retribution until you have fully compensated for your crimes.”
“Next.” Lith said with a scoff.
“This is the easiest yet hardest option at your disposal.” Jirni leaned forward on her chair. “Just marry Princess Peonia.”
