Private Tales There Are Worse Poisons That Exist

[Saffia]

Saffia’s fingers intertwined with her stranger's as they wandered through the crowds and stalls, her dark eyes, filled with excitement and curiosity, roaming the bustling night market. "Lets share." she looked up at him with a bright smile, her admiration for him growing with each passing moment.

"You know." she mused, "I don't think I've ever had someone care enough to ask my favourite flower, let alone offer to buy me such treats. Are you as charming and generous with all the girls, ser?" she asked with a soft laugh as she skipped up to a stall, breathing in the scent of cooked meats and spices.

 

[Aerium]

"No, I ask the other girls why they end up with my friend by the end of the night." There was a perfectly valid reason why they do, but Aerium wasn't always so smitten with other girls as he was with her. Purchasing the marinated meat on wooden skewers, he inhaled the spices and the tang of the special sauce they slathered on the spiced meat. He was hungry, but promised more food.

"Truthfully, I don't keep their interests long... like I said, you make me feel alive, whereas with the other girls and even working with my division, I have been merely existing." He made a beeline for a vacant table, placing the wrapped hot and fragrant meats onto the table and inviting Daylily to sit. A quick kiss to her cheek, a promise he will return with more food.

Soon, their small table was filled with chilli spiced porkbelly, a lemon crumbed chicken, two cups of steaming coconut rice, and pear cider for them each. Two napkins were resting on their laps, and as Aerium sat opposite her, he grinned wide at her. "A good variety we have here."

 

[Saffia]

"Other girls are clearly idiots." she whispered conspiratorially as she leaned in.

She made him feel alive. Gods, what was this boy doing to her poor, hopeless heart?

Saffia smiled at the kiss he left her with, the skin there flushing with warmth as she watched him go, and she waited, avoiding the looks of people that said she wasn't supposed to be here.

She sighed in relief when he returned, her eyes widening over the array of foods he'd brought for them. "Indeed." she agreed, inhaling the aromas with a growl from her stomach. "You gadges know how to cook." she observed, her brows rising.

She waited for him to start, and took little bites of everything, each mouthful better than the last.

"So." she said as she ate, her arms folding atop the table as she looked at him. "The General is your mother." she nodded. "That's got to be tough, no? I hear she's a formidable woman."

 

[Aerium]

There, finally she gathered enough courage to even mention the General.

"Yep. You heard right." He grimaced, stabbing a piece of the hot pork and chewing on it slowly. "She made me become a recruit to the Inquisition. My brother used to be part of the Inquisition. Perfectly following my mother's footsteps and I wanted to become a cook. Dreamt of running a restaurant one day..."

And then his brother died. There was a hole in their family and he was guilted into staying to fill that void.

"I don't want to be one... I... I don't believe someone to be that evil because of what they were born into." That way of thinking had always been drilled into the young, when they didn't know any better, but Aerium had been spared of being the golden child when Russ was alive.

 

[Saffia]

Saffia stopped chewing and stared at him, her eyes widening slightly as the words registered. He wasn't just the General's son. He was an Inquisitor. It was a family affair then. Despite his gentle demeanor and the connection they had shared, this revelation cast a shadow over everything. She dropped the next piece of food she had been about to eat, the taste turning sour in her mouth. A soft sigh escaped her lips. "Oh..."

One syllable, laden with so much disappointment, hung in the air between them. She looked into his eyes, searching for some reassurance, some sign that he truly wasn't like the others.

"I don't believe that either," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "I believe people to be evil on account of the choices that they make." She offered a sad smile, her eyes reflecting a deep sorrow. This, had only been for tonight, but still, she had hoped that he was different, that he could be some exception. But the Inquisition was not something she could overlook so easily.

Her gaze shifted around the market, the lively atmosphere now feeling distant and surreal. "I'm sorry... I, this was a really terrible idea." She stood, her heart heavy with the realisation that their night together was tainted by this revelation. "Thank you for a lovely night," she added, her voice barely above a whisper.

She turned to leave, every step away from him feeling like a step away from a fleeting dream. Her heart ached, but she knew she had to protect herself and her people. The line between them, drawn by the harsh realities of their world, was too bold to ignore.

 

[Aerium]

Aerium wiped his hands clean before jumping from his seat and running after her. He had seen a hint of something on her face before she had moved, and as his hand gripped her arm and pulled her to him, he found himself sighing. "Daylily..." he turned her to face him, and both his hands circled around her. His face buried into her neck and Aerium let out another heavy breath. "It was not my choice to make. My choice was to study and work for the best chef in Rhagos until my brother died last winter."

He was scared, he realised. Scared that he almost lost this girl so easily, and that she had been the one to run from him.

"I am not like my mother, Daylily. I never have been." And the General threw it in his face even after he became part of the Inquisition. Aerium would never amount to the greatness that Russet was when he was alive. "I almost went home until I saw you... and I knew that I would find something much better than to return to a cold home."

He adjusted his arms around her, softening his embrace.

"I... never felt like this with anyone. You made me feel new, whole, and even I know that I cannot pick a flower and expect them to remain blooming..."

Aerium, with aching heart, stepped back from the beauty. His face, young and boyish, was riddled with forced strength and obvious fear. Two hours of knowing her had changed him, and even if she chose to leave now, she would still change him still.

 

[Saffia]

Saffia gasped as he caught hold of her wrist, her heart lurching in her chest at the fleeting thought that crossed her mind—that she been caught. That this all some cruel trap.. But then his arms wrapped around her and his head rested in the crook of her neck... She eased slightly, though not fully. She was acutely aware of the eyes on them, the possibility that other Inquisitors, or Gods forbid, his mother, might see and wonder who she was. She had people to protect from that, from them.

The mention of his brother caused her brow to furrow, sorrow filling her gaze as she looked back at him. "I... That's awful, I'm sorry." She swallowed, letting a deep sigh spill from her chest.

She listened to him, unshed tears glistening in her eyes as she stared back at him, shaking her head slowly, a soft smile on her lips as he spoke of his feelings. "I will never forget tonight. It really was wonderful..." she swallowed, her voice trembling slightly.

"Thank you for dancing with me, ser. And for dinner..." she let out a soft huff of laughter, though it was tinged with sadness. She stepped in close to him, pressing a feathery kiss to his cheek. "You have a kind heart, please always remember that.."

With that, she pulled away gently, her hand lingering on his for just a moment longer before she turned and began to walk away, each step feeling like she was leaving a piece of herself behind.

 

[Aerium]

So why did it feel as if that kind heart was no longer within him as he watched her pull from him and walked away? Was it not his, that bleeding heart that fell for this girl within an hour, now forgotten in the clutches of her soft hands. He could not keep it, not when it had been beating the loudest for her.

He could go after her, be selfish and take her back into his arms but...

Aerium knew she feared his mother. She'd be a fool not to, but he wished they could have pretended a little longer.

He was an even bigger fool.

Home was not where he wished to go towards at the end of that night, but it was where his feet had taken him. His father, up late reading a book no doubt for his recent study, had not acknowledged his son trudging through the grand home. He knew the General was not home, the light beneath the doors to her study remained dark without candlelight, but he knew interrogations of his whereabouts would come on the morrow.

Instead, he spent the rest of the late hours of the night drawing the beauty he had danced and kissed. Sleep found him when he began to draw a daylily clutched in her hands.

Over the next week, he worked tirelessly on his sketch and committed her to memory.

Even when he went on patrol with Zero, his thoughts were never devoid of the memory that was his Daylily.

"Oi, Tarrent. Did you hear me? Come on. I wanna watch the dancing for a while and rest my head." His friend grumbled, steering their patrol towards the open space in the market. Aerium let out a strained sigh, biting his tongue to chastise his friend for drinking another night this week. He was lucky they were given the tedious task of patrolling the streets this week, and not deployed for active hunting.

 

[Saffia]

Beneath the silver moon, where shadows softly fall,
I met a stranger's smile, a night I still recall.

We danced through the night, where dreams and stars align,
His touch a fleeting whisper, his heartbeat close to mine.

In his arms I felt a spark, a love that couldn't last,
But I'll hold that moonlit memory, forever in the past.

His words were sweet as honey, his eyes a gentle flame,
A moment in the moonlight, a dance without a name.

A night of stolen moments, a love that had to part,
But the whispers in the moonlight will always fill my heart.

Saffia's song by the fire.
​

She hadn't returned to the city until now, not even in the day, for fear of seeing the stranger and letting herself be beckoned to him. She had been unable to shake his handsome face from her mind ever since that night, and she knew she'd go to him like a moth to a flame. It was better that way, that she stay away for her heart's sake. For her people's sake. But it was the plea of a desperate mother, begging for someone to heal her sick child that had brought her back here, under the cover of darkness.

Saffia had stuck so carefully to the shadows, and yet, the shadows proved a frightening place.

The three cornered her in an alleyway.

"Oh now, you shouldn't be here.." a gruff voice sneered at her as she rounded the quiet corner, halting her in her tracks. "What's that you've got there, gypsy girl? You stealin'?" he tilted his head, grinning as he tskd at her.

Saffia's head shook, clutching the small bag she carried to her chest. The man's steel winked in the moonlight as a small blade was drawn, and another two glinted as the two other men followed suit. Saffia pressed herself against the wall as they approached her, swallowing the space between them.

"Pretty thief, int she?" the second man observed, and they all snickered, their intention flashing in their eyes as fear shone in hers.

"I haven't stolen anything. Its medicine, for a child. If you wish to be responsible for a child's death then hinder me further, ser." Saffia's chin lifted, mustering as much defiance as she possibly could despite how hard her heart pounded.

The first man barked a laugh, reaching to claw the bag from Saffia's chest. "Witch then, is that it?" he grinned. Oh, that accusation was far more dangerous. At least thieves only lost a hand.

"No." Saffia cried out, reaching to snatch the bag back. White hot pain tore its way up her wrist and arm, the back of a hand branded her cheek with an instant bruise, and her back slammed hard into the cold stone at her back. So many hands clawed at her, the edges of knives bit at her skin, fabric tore, and everything was a frenzied blur before there was a guttural grunt of pain and one of the men doubled over, freeing enough space for her to make a run for it.

She wasn't sure if they were chasing her or not. She couldn't hear for how hard her heart was pounding in her ears, nor did she dare to look back in fear of missing a step and letting them catch up. Nothing but pure adrenaline carried her forward. Her bare feet slapped against the flagstone, leaping over puddles and crates as she turned corner after corner, losing herself in the labyrinth of Rhagos' merchant quarter as she clutched the now bloodied little bag against her heaving chest.

 

[Aerium]

"This is boring me." Aerium sighed, unable to stomach another memory of the girl he called his Daylily. "I'm going for a piss." And he did not wait for Zero to make comment, knowing his friend and brother-in-arms would still be here watching the pretty girls put on a show. Simple minded, he thought, but wasn't he no better?

He fell in love with the first smile Daylily brought to his lips, and then with the girl he did not know the name of.

All he needed was an excuse to leave the merriment, the reminders. If anything, the only piss he was after was his state of inebriation after several rounds. He hadn't gotten drunk since Russet died, but tonight felt like a good time to remember him.

But there was another memory, a scent making him feel remorse for letting her go.

She was not a memory. No. He never remembered her face to be filled with fear as it was now, darting around people and looking behind her. Aerium forgot all else, and needed to see her again.

He rushed forward, stepping in her way and opening his arms to stop her long enough to look at her.

"Hey, hey, stop!" Once more, his arms wrapped around her.

And she still smells divine.

Aerium did not notice the blood, did not notice anything about her other than that beautiful face.

 

[Saffia]

Saffia's heart leapt into her throat as someone called for her to stop. Panic spiked, thinking her pursuers had caught up. But then she saw him—the man who had made her heart sing. Without a second thought, she ran straight into his arms, clutching onto him desperately. Her chest heaved against him, his clothes soaking in patches of her blood from the wounds pressed against him.

Her heart raced wildly, fear drumming through her veins. She stared up at him, recognising his face, his eyes, and felt a wave of relief and fear wash over her. Her legs buckled, unable to support her any longer, and she crumpled, knowing that she was safe now. A flood of tears poured from her eyes, her entire body shaking with shock and pain. Each sob wracked her form, releasing the pent-up terror she had been holding back.

"I .. I was so scared.." she gasped, her voice breaking.

 

[Aerium]

Everything was alright now she was in his arms. He stared down at her, pulling her closer and towards the street corner to shield her from the street. It was no shadowed and dark are of the street, much like they had met that night, but his towering form acted as privacy for the two. The men that chased her would never trouble a uniformed Inquisitor, and soon went on their way.

Aerium let space between them, so he could get a good look at her. His face paled at the blood.

"Fuck." So easily she fit against him, for he took her in close once more and gently lifted her. He forced their way past an iron gate, moving quickly down a familiar path and to a hidden sanctuary garden. The stone bench was made from granite, and it was there that he placed the Daylily. On his knees before her, his hand s began to inspect the wounds inflicted upon her and frowned.

"What happened, Daylily?" He kept minimal things on his person, but a spare length of bandaging was all that became useful for this moment. "Where else are you hurt? Let me fix you."

Those were not the words he wished to speak. Who befouled you this way? Who thought it their right to arm you? Tell me who they are and I will see them to a prison.

 

[Saffia]

Saffia clung to him, her body trembling as the pain and a fresh wave of panic set in as she felt the blood soaking into her torn clothes, her skin slick and glistening with it. She didn’t dare look at her wounds for fear of what she'd see.

Reluctantly, she let him set her down on the bench, her heart still thundering in her chest. The injuries were flesh wounds, some deeper than others, but none that seemed fatal. The most significant of them was a clean tear that ran from collar bone to breast bone in one perfect, bloody line. Her arms had been sliced open several times as she tried to protect herself, though it was clear that her attacker had been trying to cut away her clothing. Yet still, she clung desperately to the little bag she carried.

"It couldn't wait until morning... I need to, to take this to...I tried to stick to the shadows, but they..." She rambled, her words tumbling out in a frantic rush before a choked sob cut her off as she tried to stand.

"I need to get this to her," she insisted, her eyes wide with desperation.

 

[Aerium]

"I will take you anywhere you need to go, but first, let me tend to your wounds, Daylily. You're bleeding." He frowned, already patching her as she insisted on lifting the bag and speak of the importance of delivering it. Aerium did not ask about it, rather checking over her once more to be sure there was no more blood to clean up. He stood, shrugging off his jacket and then his shirt, offering it to her.

"I think you wouldn't want anyone to ask you about your bloody shirt." Or the tears in it that he did his best to avert his gaze, but he was gentle in caring in her wounds. Leaving her his shirt, he cleared his throat and slid back his jacket over himself and did it up. He looked roguish with the hint of his chest being visible, but was glad to have something to give her in hopes she would remember him by it. "Come on, I need to tell my partner I am escorting you home or wherever it is you need to go."

Never would he speak of his role with the Inquisition, not when he recalled the face she made when she found out. He only wished to see her smile, to laugh, and there was no way he would be responsible in seeing her cry again.

 

[Saffia]

Saffia sat quietly as Aerium worked, his hands surprisingly gentle, though still she winced as he patched up her wounds, biting back the soft cries threatening to escape. Her elders were going to be furious, and her scars would remain, but she tried to push those thoughts to the back of her mind for now.

His focus made her feel strangely safe, though the vulnerability of her torn clothing and her bleeding skin left her exposed. When he offered his shirt, her eyes flickered up to his face, her fingers hesitating before taking it.

“Thank you,” she murmured, her voice trembling but sincere. She pulled the shirt over her shoulders, the fabric far too big for her but warm, carrying his scent. She clutched it closed.

Her gaze drifted down to the bag in her lap. Her wide, dark eyes searched his face for reassurance, for something to cling to in the chaos that had become her night. “Why are you doing this for me? I—I’m not your problem.." she frowned softly. He was young, but knowing who his mother was, it would only spell trouble for him to be seen helping her sort.

The vulnerability in her voice hung in the air, and she heard how ungrateful she'd sounded. Before she could take back the question, before he could answer, her hand reached out, resting briefly against his arm. “Thank you,” she whispered again, her tone thick with gratitude. "I don't know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t found me."

 

[Aerium]

Aerium's face fell to one of solemn.

Ah, yes.

"General Tarrent." He answered, not a flicker of love or affection sparking within him. "Be glad you did not grow up under her rule through childhood." But Aerium gave her a smile, an attempt to reassure her or to still be in denial of his home life. "You should always find me. Whatever you need... I am not like my mother..."

He tried to say so much with so little word, afraid to scare her off again. He was not born or raised to be part of the Inquisition. That was Russ, the golden son strong enough to keep the Tarrent tradition going... until he couldn't.

"My name is Aerium. If you ever run into trouble, ask for me. Doesn't need to be someone from the Inquisition, any of the merchants or patrons would know how to get a message to me." He had ensured that he was known growing up, had paid the people of Rhagos with kindness and consideration enough for them to trust him. He helped countless of people, and this kindness he would extend to her.

Goodness. His eyes fell on his shirt and how the very picture before him looked like a godless painting. For no saint or angel would ever do the justice of painting Daylily like this, his shirt loose on her figure. This was the work of the fates, dangling the beauty before him... "Shall I keep calling you Daylily... or will you bless me with knowing your true name?"

 

[Saffia]

Saffia winced at the mention of General Tarrent. The General’s cruelty and disdain for her people were infamous, a shadow that loomed large over every life it touched. But Aerium seemed so different—so unlike her. His promise rang sincere, and though he bore the title and uniform of an Inquisitor, he carried none of the cold malice she had come to expect. Still, he was an Inquisitor. A man she should have avoided at all costs. Her elders would scold her for even speaking to him, let alone allowing him to help her.

Her gaze wavered, clouded with uncertainty, until he said his name.

“Aerium,” she repeated softly, the sound tentative, as though trying it out on her tongue. Something about it softened her. It made him real in a way she hadn’t wanted him to be. It was easier when he was just a stranger, an unknown. Now, it was harder to look away. Harder to hold up the walls she’d so carefully built.

And yet, knowing his name, her heart clenched tighter. How could she face this man—this kind, strong, and strangely gentle man—knowing who and what he was? Being on first-name terms with an Inquisitor was unwise.

“I…” she began, but the words faltered. Her gaze dropped to the shirt she clutched tightly across her chest, her eyes widening as she noticed the red blotches blooming across the fabric. “Oh.. Your shirt…” She frowned, guilt flashing across her face. “It’s ruined. I’m sorry--…” Her voice cracked slightly, and she trailed off, her trembling hands clutching the fabric tighter.

He had asked her a question, but she couldn’t bring herself to answer. Not yet. Her mind was still reeling from the events of the night, the pain gnawing at her edges, the blood still trickling from her wounds. She was shaking, her body barely holding itself together.

"I should..." she hesitated, unsure if she could even stand, let alone leave him behind. "I just need to get this to someone, then I.. I need to get home. If you could see me safely to the church, I can make my own way from there.." she cleared her throat.

 

[Aerium]

He did not press her again.

"Hey, hey, look at me. It's fine, you're fine. It's just a shirt." One no one will really notice was gone. It wasn't even his best shirt, but he was glad to have given her something to cover her ruined dress. "Better the shirt than the jacket, yeah?"

At this he attempted a smile.

The jacket was Inquisitor standard, told others who he was.

"Come on, let's get you up and I will walk you where ever you feel safest." And he had hoped the walk would take an hour or more, because to be near her again brought back so many of his feelings from their first night.

After a quick exchange of words, Aerium had told his patrol partner he was escorting a girl home after an attack, figuring the truth could be downplayed enough that his partner did not ask questions. It had worked, especially since his partner insisted he's going to take an extended lunch break.

With that sorted, Aerium put an arm around Daylily and put himself between her and the crowd.

"What is in the bag that you need to get to someone?"

 

[Saffia]

Saffia felt his reassurance like a soft blanket, the warmth of his words easing some of the tension in her chest. She hadn’t wanted to think about the bloodstained shirt, about how he must have felt giving it to her, but he didn't press her further, and that kindness was enough to make her heart twist with gratitude.

As he helped her to her feet and wrapped his arm around her, she leaned into him, allowing herself to be guided through the streets. Despite the pain still seeping through her body, there was comfort in his steady presence, in the way he shielded her from the curious stares of passing strangers.

"It's medicine," she replied quietly, her voice almost breaking. She tried to steady herself, clenching her teeth against the shiver of anxiety that threatened to overtake her. "A child is sick…" Very sick. Nothing else had worked, driving the child's mother to desperation. Driving her to seek out her people for help.

As they neared the small house at the end of the street, the dim glow of a candle flickering from the window, Saffia’s heart clenched. This was it. The final part of her journey. She knew she had to deliver the medicine, no matter how weak she felt. No matter how much her body ached.

"Please, wait here." she said as she stopped by the corner. "I’ll be quick," she told him softly, though her words were weak. She stepped away from him, clutching the bloodstained shirt around her with one hand while the other gripped the small bag tightly. Her steps were unsteady, her legs still wobbly from the pain, but she made it to the door and raised her hand to knock.

It didn’t take long for the door to open, and the moment it did, Saffia could see the young woman’s eyes widen in shock. The woman’s hand flew to her mouth, but Saffia quickly held up a hand to silence her. "It’s alright," she whispered hoarsely, forcing a weak smile that barely touched her lips. "Just take this."

She handed the bag over with a trembling hand.

The young woman’s eyes filled with tears as she took it, her hands shaking as they clasped Saffia’s in a grateful embrace. "Bless you, lady. Bless you," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Saffia nodded silently, her gaze dropping to their joined hands for a moment before she pulled hers away. "Remember," she whispered urgently, her voice dropping to barely a breath, "not a word, please."

The woman nodded quickly, a promise flashing in her eyes, before she hurriedly closed the door, leaving Saffia standing there.

She stood there for a moment longer, breathing in the cool night air, before she turned back to Aerium, feeling the weight of everything that had happened settle back in. She felt empty, drained, but somehow lighter, like a small piece of her burden had been lifted. And though she still trembled, her heart was quieter, the pounding in her chest slowing just enough to allow her to breathe.

 

[Aerium]

When she had asked him to wait, he tried not to take it to heart.

Or at least too deeply.

He took to watching the street, giving her space to do what she had meant to do before the cruel men had made her day unsafe. If he had descriptions, names, he would exact his anger upon the men responsible... but he had never been a revengeful person before.

There had been a threat upon Daylily, and all he could think of was how something so bright, and someone so free, could now cower and diminish her own light. She deserved a better life, a better future, and he was without any means to help her.

But as she came back into view, slowly walking back to him, Aerium found himself walking towards her and wrapping his arms around her. "Do you need some time or would you like me to take you to the church?"

His heart ached at her trembling frame. feeling her shiver in his grasp. A hand moved to brush the stray strands of hair that fell down her back, soothing her with comforting words and a moment of peace and safety. "I know a route that isn't on the main streets, if you would like a quieter path home?"

 

[Saffia]

Saffia hadn’t expected the embrace, and for a moment, she stiffened. Her breath hitched, her body still in shock and reflexively recoiling from touch, from the threat that so often came with it. But Aerium’s arms weren’t threatening. They were steady, protective—a shield against the world that had wounded her. Slowly, she allowed herself to relax against him, her cheek pressing against his chest as the tension in her body began to ease, piece by piece.

"I…" She started, her voice faltering as she struggled to find the words. The vulnerability in her made it difficult to answer, to even think clearly with how raw her emotions were.

Her hands gripped the loose fabric of his jacket as she tried to gather her thoughts. The warmth of his hand brushing against her hair brought tears to her eyes, the tenderness breaking through her defenses. She swallowed hard, her trembling beginning to subside under his gentle touch and soothing words.

"A quieter path…" she repeated, her voice softer now, almost a whisper. "Yes, please. I just… I can’t go back through the crowds." Her gaze flickered up to him, her dark eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I can’t let anyone see me like this."

There was shame in her words, in the way she tried to tug his shirt tighter around her frame. The wounds felt like a brand, marking her as something fragile, something weak. And yet, in his arms, she didn’t feel weak. Not entirely.

"Thank you," she added after a moment, her voice breaking slightly. "For… everything. You didn’t have to do any of this, but you did. And I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay you. Just… don’t let go yet. Please."

 

[Aerium]

He cradled her against him, turning them both away from the street and seeking the shade of a nearby building. All the while, Aerium hushed her, soothed her with whispered words and calming strokes of his thumbs. He gave her time to let it all out, to feel his offer of protection. Their history, however brief it may be, he only wished to be worthy of worshiping someone as beautiful inside and out as her, to bask in the light she poured in the darkness of this city.

Aerium pressed his lips to the top of her head.

"I am not after payment, Daylily." He assured her. She did not want him to let her go, and his heart delighted hearing such a request. No, he would take as long as he wished to comfort her, in hopes that her stubborn heart would allow him to see her again after this day. "You touched my heart so suddenly, I can't help but cherish this. I have never felt this way for someone, and I only ever want to see you smile..."

Another kiss pressed to her head.

"So I will hold you until you are ready. I will be here as long as you will have me. If you will let me, Daylily, I will be your protector." Because something this beautiful, so pure and blessed needed it in this sad and testing world.