Private Tales There Are Worse Poisons That Exist

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
He saw her fading before her body gave way. Aerium was quick to envelop her into his arms, to catch her as her eyes fluttered closed. Her body had taken on too much stress. All he wanted was to ask her who had done this to her, where he could direct his anger and rage that someone would cause her harm.

But he pressed his lips to the top of her head again.

This side of Rhagos, there were not a lot of places Aerium was familiar with.

"Hang in there, Daylily." Saffia, but he did not want to lose the name he had given her.

He supposed there was always Thea's home. A cousin of his mother's, one she didn't like but Aerium was close with as she was the one to mind him some nights when he was a boy. Thea didn't like being in the lovely areas of the city and preferred the outskirts, the ability to be close to the city's borders and escape Rhagos when she needed to.

The last time he saw her was when his mother called Thea a witch for marrying a man that was not native to this region.

"Just dream of cupcakes and tea, Daylily. I will get you somewhere where you can rest without worry." With some maneuvering, he cradled her up against him, one hand at her back and the other scooping behind her knees. He carried her some distance, reaching his 'Aunt's' home.
 
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Saffia slept for hours, lost in the heavy, dreamless void of exhaustion. Her body, battered and drained, had given in completely, sinking into the unfamiliar warmth of a soft bed. The world outside moved on without her, the quiet crackle of a dying fire the only sound to mark the passage of time.

Then, a shift in the silence.

Her breath caught as consciousness pulled her back, her senses sluggish at first, wrapped in the haze of sleep. But then—awareness. A strange bed. A strange room. Those men...

Her eyes flew open.

Saffia shot upright, her heart hammering against her ribs as panic clawed its way through her chest. The dimly lit room swayed around her, the scent of herbs and smoke thick in the air. She didn’t recognise the walls, the old wooden beams overhead, the soft blankets tangled around her legs.

Where was she?

Her breath quickened, her fingers fisting the sheets as she scanned the shadows, searching for a threat, for an escape. Pain flared sharp and deep in her ribs, a searing reminder of the wounds hidden beneath fresh bandages. Someone had tended to her. Someone had brought her here.

She tried to push herself up, but her limbs felt weak, her head light with the remnants of exhaustion. The panic only worsened.

She had to get out. Now.
 
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Aerium had fallen asleep on the floor on a mess of blankets and furs.

He had been awoken by someone standing on his back, and the poor young man groaned at the pain radiating through him. Rolling over, he saw that Daylily had gotten up, and pushing past his tired state, he got to his knees and guided her to sit on the side of the bed. "It's alright! You are fine! This is my aunt's home. Trust me! My mother wouldn't be caught dead coming here or bothering Thea." He smiled, sheepishly at that. "She's a healer, enough to make my mother disown her."

Thea was a pacifist.

Aerium got up from the floor, a hand reaching to the sore spot at his side. Good thing she was a small thing, but the surprise of it all was what made him feel it. "You hungry? I can get you something to eat. Aunt Thea isn't here right now, but she made you soup for when you wake up."
 
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Saffia was still struggling to catch her breath, her heart pounding as she tried to make sense of where she was, of how she had gotten here. She barely registered the fact that she had stepped on something—or someone—until a groan of protest reached her ears.

Her wide, panicked eyes snapped downward just as Aerium rolled over, his sleep-mussed hair and groggy expression almost absurd in contrast to her fear.

She startled again when he reached for her, but his hands were gentle as he guided her to sit on the edge of the bed and offered his reassurances, but Saffia barely heard him, her mind still spinning as she glanced around the unfamiliar space.

Saffia’s breath slowed, just slightly, as she processed his words. A healer. That explained why her wounds were bandaged, why they smelled of salves she knew well.

Her gaze flickered back to him, her lips parting, about to apologise for her panic, but he was already moving on.

Hungry?


Saffia swallowed, her throat dry, her body still aching in too many places to count. She hadn’t even thought about food, but at the mere mention of it, she realised just how empty her stomach felt.

"...Soup sounds nice," she admitted quietly, her voice hoarse. Her hands fidgeted in her lap, gripping the hem of Aerium’s borrowed shirt. She exhaled slowly, still shaken but grounding herself, finding her way back to the present.

Her dark eyes lifted, hesitating for a beat before settling on his face. "I didn’t mean to cause a fuss," she said quietly. "Thank you for bringing me here.. And for staying with me.. And I'm sorry for stepping on you.." she winced sheepishly.
 
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Aerium gave her a sweet, patient smile. His hand came to cup her face and he crouched before her, ensuring their gazes were leveled.

"I will go where you will me to, Daylily." Protector. He wanted her to only know safety, to dance and laugh in the streets so that this city would know her blessing. A knight before their princess, Aerium found her hands and brought her knuckles to his lips, a kiss to each. "And you can step on me all you like, I am sturdier than you would think." He winked, grinned some more, then got up.

He extended a hand to her, smiling warmly. "Come, I will show you the bathing room. Aunt Thea said she set aside some clothes for you, so you clean up, refresh, and I will reheat this soup for you while I wait."

Instinct wanted to kiss her again, a light one atop her head, but Aerium knew this was to be at her pace.

He wouldn't want to lose her again so soon.
 
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Saffia’s lips twitched in the faintest of smiles as Aerium cupped her face, his gaze so steady and kind that it softened the edges of her panic. The warmth of his touch, the gentleness with which he spoke—it settled something inside of her, made her feel safe for the first time in what felt like forever.

Her dark eyes stayed locked on his, the weight of his words sinking in. I will go where you will me to, Daylily. It felt like a promise, something more than just his willingness to follow her wishes. There was devotion in it, a depth she wasn’t sure how to measure.

Saffia swallowed, her voice quieter now, “You’re stubborn.” The words came out sharper than she intended, but there was affection there—something close to warmth, or maybe even something else she couldn’t name.

As he kissed the back of her hands, she felt her heart flutter, the sensation dizzying and unfamiliar. She shook her head slightly, trying to hide the soft flush creeping across her cheeks.

Her gaze followed his hand as he extended it to her, and though hesitation tugged at her for a moment, the pull of his kindness was undeniable. The soft offering in his smile, the way he made it seem so easy to trust him—it reached past her guarded walls.

Her hand met his, small and careful, but it was there.

She stood with his help, the exhaustion still heavy in her bones, but somehow lighter now. The idea of bathing, of cleaning away the remnants of the day, seemed like something she might just be able to manage.

And as she walked toward the bathing room, she glanced over her shoulder at him, catching his gaze once more. "Thank you, Aerium.."

Her smile was small, but genuine—something that hadn’t been easy to find in this city.

Saffia took her time in the bathing chamber, careful not to disturb the bandages wrapped around her wounds. The warm water soothed her aching body, its heat coaxing life back into her limbs as the tension began to ease. She let her dark tresses tumble free, cascading down her shoulders and across her chest, the strands damp and heavy. The soft fabric of the dress she slipped into clung gently to her skin, the simplicity of it a comfort.

When she finally emerged, her cheeks had regained a faint colour, the warmth from the water brightening her face and soothing the strain she’d been carrying. She glanced around, feeling like a stranger in a foreign room, before her gaze found Aerium again.

"Your aunt is most kind," she said softly, stepping into the room. Her fingers brushed over the dress as though "I should thank her."
 
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He never knew that her smile could heal so many aspects in him, or that it brightened every dark thought that latched onto his mind and intended to bring him down.

She rejuvenated him.

As she spent time bathing, Aerium saw to preparing them each a bowl of soup. Thea had kept it at a low heat, had left it in Aerium's hands the moment she stepped out.

Of course, she was curious, a little taken aback that he had come here with the girl, but then she saw it in his eyes. Saw that love waiting to blossom, to be spoken aloud. The last time he loved someone, their life ended too soon. His brother had been a light to Aerium, had kept him happy and supported his dreams...

Thea knew there was no way anyone could keep the two apart.

"Enjoy this, Aerium. Enjoy this happiness, because it will blossom into something all consuming, and no easy way to come back from it."

Aerium knew what she meant. Knew what he felt, but he did not wish to scare Daylily away. To frighten her with how fast he was pledging to her...

Then, her sweet voice greeted him. Aerium's head looked up, and caught her in a light of beauty.


"Saffia." He smiled, setting the bowls onto the table lest he tip any of it. "You look..." His smile only grew boyish, charming as he came up with a loss for words.

"Sit! Please!" Aerium pulled out a chair for her, and would help her push her towards the table. "The soup may be a little hot, but... that's why I have bread..." He could not get the smile off his face, darting off to fetch the sliced bread and setting it down on the table. "I... uh, baked this while you were resting."
 
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The way he said her name like it was something precious... Like it belonged to him just as much as it belonged to her. She wasn’t sure she would ever get used to that.

Then, his smile—boyish, unguarded, so full of light that it almost made her forget the shadows that had chased her into his arms. Almost.

She let him guide her to the chair, the simple kindness of it making her chest feel tight in a way she wasn’t prepared for. He had seen her at her weakest, carried her when she could not stand, yet here he was, grinning like she had just stepped down from the heavens themselves.

"You..baked?" A small, amused smile tugged at her lips as she settled in, smoothing her dress absently. "Impressive..." There was a teasing lilt in her voice, though her fingers reached for the bread all the same, warm and soft beneath her touch.

Her gaze flickered back to him, searching his face, the way happiness lingered there so freely. Why? she wanted to ask. Why was he being so kind? Why did he look at her like she was something sacred?

Instead, she broke a piece of bread and dipped it into the soup, taking a careful bite and letting out a soft sound of approval, her smile warming.. "Delicious."
 
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Aerium wore a large grin. One that was much too impossible to hide and act humbled by her praise.

He missed cooking for someone, for others, because seeing their reactions was why he wanted to pursue a career as a cook. "Tell me any dish you want, and I will be sure to study everything that goes into it just to ensure it is perfect. My brother loved it when I would do roast beef. Any leftovers I would then use in sandwiches or even in meat pies." He smiled, taking a seat once the table was set and ready and began to dig in.

His mother never seemed to be home enough to expect dinner, and his father was out in the pub many nights in a row. His home remained empty most days and nights now. There was no pull to stay home and enjoy the quiet, not when it's silence reminded him he was missing a brother.

And so he would walk the streets. Often alone, yes, but most times Zero would drag Aerium to a party or gathering, and at all costs, Aerium avoided the pub for fear someone would talk to him about his father's debts.
 
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Saffia listened, her spoon hovering just above her bowl as he spoke, as that impossible grin of his stretched across his face. It was contagious, that kind of joy—so simple, so genuine. She didn’t think she’d ever known someone like him before. Someone who could carry so much pain yet still find ways to share warmth. It was certainly not something she'd come to expect from anyone in this city, let alone the son of the General..

She dipped her spoon into the soup, took a careful sip. It was good—comforting in a way she hadn’t expected, and perhaps hadn’t realised she needed.

"You must have been a wonderful brother," she murmured, setting the spoon down as she looked at him properly. "Someone who makes sure there's always something warm to eat, who remembers the little details about what people love. That kind of care… it means a lot."

Her fingers traced absently over the rim of her bowl. "Maybe some day, I'll let you cook for me," she said, offering him a small smirk. "Though I warn you, I’m a terrible cook. You’d be the one saving me from disaster in the kitchen."

A faint laugh left her, but it faded as she caught something else in his expression. The slight distance in his gaze, the kind that came with thoughts too heavy to put into words. A grief left unspoken.

Saffia hesitated for a moment, then reached across the table, letting her fingers brush his hand. Light, barely there. A question, not a demand.

"You don’t have to tell me," she said softly, watching him. "But if you ever want to talk about him… I’d like to listen."