Everything was hazy and wrong.

It stung her veins with a pain akin to nightmare venom and a grief heavier than Artemios' death. Shifting through it all was proving impossible, as each sensation felt heavier and more muffled than the last.

It wasn't until she realized that the emotions weren't hers that Iliana knew she wasn't dreaming.

Well, not technically at least.

She could recall falling asleep shortly after Del had derailed their conversation into safer topics. Her hands had been curled around the soft edges of her sheets, not her anklet. Yet, somehow, the "dream" she found herself in felt similar to a trip through the charms.

Furthermore, the owner of it all was someone she knew, but not in that manner. He shouldn't have been one of her charms. Aatami had stated that the anklet was connected to those who had a stake in Reotak's fate. That they were heroes that--through her--the gods intended to use to ruin Zuher.

Why then, was Callias sitting before her with his head in hands?

If her nightmares were real--if everything she had seen through Melitta's eyes had been events of their past--hadn't he already experienced enough? What tasks could the merman do that weren't possible for someone else, someone who hadn't suffered his already harsh fate?

Even as anger singed her thoughts, Iliana realized her emotions weren't natural.

She rubbed her chest, attempting to sort through the twisting mess clogging her insides. She hadn't felt so indignant, so...pissed, when she had realized the charms connected her to Kain. Was that because she hadn't known the meaning at the time? Or was it because her connection to him hadn't felt as visceral as this?

Gods, it was as if she were truly standing before him. As if she could reach out and lay her hand on Callias' head or sit on the bed he leaned against. And a part of her wished she could, because perhaps then she'd be able to ease the knot of anguish that radiated from where he sat.

The scene was one she wouldn't have expected from him, but something that ultimately made sense. Moonlight drifted through an open window, illuminating where alcohol bottles with a familiar label lay strewn about the floor. Everyone of them were empty, save perhaps the one currently clutched in the hand that laid sprawled over his curled knees. The sight turned her stomach into knots, because he had been the one who told her that that particular mix of rum had been brewed with merfolk in mind.

No wonder he couldn't think--that each emotion that swirled through her from him was echoed with a layer of hazy fog. Callias had drank until he couldn't manage another thought.

As she watched, his head turned against the tops of his legs, until his cheek was pressed against the fabric of his trousers. Blond hair tumbled over his neck, nearly blocking the view of his flushed features. She could see enough--however--to make out his swollen, ocean eyes and the hints of tears that still laced his lashes.

She hadn't known Melitta very well, or long. Her passing had felt worse because of the knowledge Iliana somehow gained with it, but still, it hadn't stung as the death of a friend should have. In this moment, however, in a dark room bursting with concealed emotion, it felt as raw as glass being dragged through her insides.

So, even though she knew he wouldn't hear her, Iliana followed her impulse. She leaned over and ghosted her fingers along the top of his head.

"I'm sorry, Callias."

Impossibly, his eyes flicked to hers as his entire body seemed to recoil from the touch.

The dream shattered.

┈♔◦𓇣◦☽◦❤◦☾◦𓇣◦♔┈

The triskele charm--the only one without a face--felt unsettling in Iliana's fingers.

Her free hand wrapped around her fox necklace, urging Koun to let her return. Her prayers were predictably met with silence. It grated on her nerves, leaving her restless and irritated as sunlight began seeping through the bay window.

As she slipped from the bed, intent on calming herself via the balcony, the sight that met Iliana's eyes sent a different thrum of emotion twirling through her stomach.

Warm, amber rays cast a glow over Del's features, emphasizing his sharp features and the heavy circles beneath his lids. He'd taken up residence amongst the pillows, much like Iliana had done when he was injured. Something about the way he'd curled into the bench, arms crushing a cushion in between them, warmed her insides even as the thin sheen of sweat that coated his brow sent an uneasy chill down her spine. It reminded her of the ache in her throat, of how little understanding Zuher and his servants had when it came to the necessities of the living.

He should have been the one in the bed.

'We could share.'

The thought swept through her mind unbidden, sending a hot flush to her face. She quickly approached the balcony door, tearing her gaze away from his sleeping face.

Gods, where had that come from? Sharing a bed with Del? It was improper enough that they shared a room. The prince in him would likely balk at the idea, just as she should.

As Iliana reached the railing, however, she stilled. Her thoughts swirled into an uneasy tangle as she realized that her objection in itself was somewhat telling. How was it that her first thought hadn't been about sharing it with Del, but the etiquette of it all?

Telling the confused butterflies in her stomach to fuck off, she determinedly shoved it all from her mind and turned her eyes to the horizon.

In the early light of day, the moonlight dream felt like nothing more than a nightmare. Her worries about and for Del, the crushing weight of being secluded in the tower, the knowledge that Zuher could call for her at any moment--all of it felt more pressing than the seemingly growing power of her anklet.

There were a few details, however, that lingered in her mind.

The fact that the death Melitta experienced was different than the one she had been shown was one major factor. In the future that Inna had gifted Melitta knowledge of, the one the gods were aiming for, Melitta sacrificed herself by leaping between a flying arrow and Kain. In reality, however, her memories showed a sudden attack from an unseen assailant. Blood clogging her throat. Suffocation combined with exhaustion and impossible pain.

What did it mean?

Was it simply the result of Melitta's attempts to avoid death by altering their path? By escaping through the annex instead of the training grounds? Or was it something larger?

How much control did the gods have over their fate? How easily could a set future be altered?

What was her role in it?

The soft click of the balcony door tore Iliana from her spiraling thoughts. She glanced over her shoulder. The glistening sun stole her breath with its flattering rays as Del raised a tired hand, shoving it through his tousled hair. His shoulder caught the doorframe, leaning against it as a smile warmed his face.

"You seem better."

She hesitated. Would it be reassuring or suspicious to tell him that nothing had truly been wrong in the first place?

"As do you."

He hummed agreement, eyes skipping over her, before shifting to the view beyond.

"Captivating, isn't it?" Del paused, letting his words linger, before continuing with a light, musing tone. "Reotak, that is. You would think the land would reflect its people, but it doesn't."

It would seem they were both feeling philosophical this morning.

"There is nothing like it in Aeolis," Iliana agreed quietly. "Or if there is, I didn't see it. My memories of it all are of sea-worn coasts and green mountains."

"Cieon is similar."

She settled her arms along the railing, fingers curling over the edge as she studied Del. Like there had been with Gabrielle the previous night, there was a warmth in his voice as he mentioned his home.

"I don't know much of Cieon," Iliana admitted. "The ship I worked on didn't visit it often. I have a friend from there, but.."

It struck her, then, how odd it was that Kain never visited his home. The knowledge twisted in her gut, alongside the oddness of everythings he had seen through Melitta's eyes. It was strange--was it not?--that a common sailor could speak with kings?

"It's beautiful," Del said, ignorant of her racing thoughts. "Most of the land is forested, even the coastlines. It isn't flat like Reotak, or even Aeolis, but mountainous and rough. The royal palace rests on an overlook that hangs over both the ocean and Midnight Coast." He paused, then seeming to see the question in her face, he smiled. "It's thick woodland with towering canopies that rival the pitch black forests of Nubella. They call it Midnight because on particularly green summers a trip through the woods sometimes appears to be night in the middle of the day."

It was hard to imagine. Artemios had always avoided Nubella, citing the unstable government as bad for one's health.

"What's the palace like?" Iliana asked.

As expected, his answering smile was warm and wistful. "Different. Instead of sprawling buildings constructed around a central point like they have here, the majority of the castle is one construct. Duel annexes face out from the center building, connected by vine covered, roofed walkways."

"You've mentioned the gardens before," Iliana pointed out when he paused.

Del nodded, shifting his head so it leaned against the doorframe as well.

"They cover the back of the palace grounds, turning what would usually be a simple, floral courtyard into thick greenland. Stories say that it was first built for one of our earliest queens after she was brought to Cieon in a political marriage. King Leon wanted to give her a piece of her homeland--Neria, one of the coastal island countries--amongst strange scenery. Since then, it's been personally maintained by the royal family and high temples."

"The temples?" Iliana questioned. That seemed like an odd choice. What care did priests have for royal gardens?

Del's smile turned wry. "Did you forget who the high priests once were?"

Her face heated. "Oh. Right."

So, in the end, the only ones allowed to touch the gardens were of royal blood.

An odd, unfounded desire to see them swept through her. It was overwhelming for a moment, gripping her chest with a suffocating vice.

She could see it in her mind. Sweeping trees and endless flowers so thick a child could get lost in them. Heavy shadows would block the rising sun, leaving them in the feeling of solitude as they admired his favorite place.

"Did you help?"

It was hard to picture Del hands deep in soil and seedlings.

"I tried," he replied. His lips twisted as dry humor filled his voice. "A prince must have one or two flaws."

Iliana raised a brow. "And here I thought you were perfect."

He laughed. His eyes flicked open. The sunlight appeared to turn his brown irises into a dark, warm amber as he studied her. "I'm flattered."

Her fingers tightened around the railing as something unfamiliar turned her tight chest into a fluttering mess. "That was sarc--"

A distant knock broke off her words. Iliana tensed as Del sighed, closing his eyes again. In that single moment, perfect agreement seemed to linger in the air between them. If time could stop, leaving them there, without the need to face whatever came next, it would be fine.

It would be better.

"I'll get it," he murmured.

Then, without another word, he pushed off and started back into their tower room. Aria's steady voice drifted through the open door, but Iliana didn't budge from the balcony until her name cut through everything else. And even then, it was with heavy steps. 

A/N: Sorry for the week late update, I'm out of town on a family thing. Anyways, hope you enjoy! This is the last of the wrap-up chapters (for the most part) so we get to launch into the next set of arcs within the coming weeks!