Chapter 120 - 120- My Only Friend

Ea was perfectly aware that he had made the Disee family more than once very angry. First it was his own master, while he forced Alex's transformation. Their King physically had been alright and returned. The problem though was that there was something missing. Something that everyone could see, even he himself. Allias was gravely infected by a darkness he didn't use to have and maybe the reason was his premature transition, the fact that he hadn't completely remembered everything yet, he wasn't fully himself yet and probably that hurt him more than anyone. Second was his husband, Ares. He had made a grave mistake without even knowing it. The Disee prince had remembered after all these years the wound he had left him. At his weakest moment he hadn't been there to support him and help him up. That was enough to be hated, Ea didn't even blame him anymore.

The small elf sighed as he entered the room and looked at his bed slightly surprised. If he had known he would have visitors he would have cleaned this place up, and stack somewhere else the endless piles of books and papers. The man sat in the darkness not even opening a window and had a very sorrowful look on his face as their eyes met. Everyone seemed to have been afflicted by a very dangerous wave of sadness all of a sudden. Things were definitely not the same after Allias' return but not for the better.

"It's your fault you know. The fact that he is not well" His master told him in a cold tone. He sat there his palms resting on his knees as he looked at the dusty wooden floor. 

"I know. I am sorry."

"You forced his transition while he didn't know anything. Now he is half of a person. Alone and confused. He is still filled with fear and I can't do anything. I don't know what to say to him. I send Clelia to speak with him but I am sure she will scold him. No one understands what is happening to him, not even me but I am sure it's terrifying and I…can't do anything." Theseus said. In this palace people liked to always blame others and then blame themselves. Even though Theseus telling him what he did wasn't really blaming but stating facts. He shouldn't have done it. He should have given him time to find himself first. His transition could be thought of as a journey in search of his true self, as cliché as that could sound but Ea had prevented him from finishing it. So now Allias was stuck with his human remains, trying to find how to be a king, while feeling alone and dealing with his responsibilities. No one should pity him. The truth was that he had been blessed with a chance that many didn't have but would kill for but at the same time Ea could acknowledge the struggle he had created. Maybe if he hadn't taken him to that room that night, things would be different. 

"I am sorry" Ea said still standing awkwardly a few steps away from his door. Theseus looked at him and let out a very fake laugh. 

"Don't be. If you hadn't done it maybe, I would have. You see I am impatient too. Or at least I was. I wanted to see him again but now…"

"I am sure the King will come back, fully. He is stronger than we think."

"I offered him my hand and he rejected it. Is it possible that he does not love me anymore?" Theseus wondered and rubbed his face filled with agitation. "What do I do know?"

"I don't believe that he doesn't love you. I just think that maybe he is scared to ask for help. We all have a fear rooted deep within us. The King's was always not being strong enough. Maybe now this fear unknowingly is keeping him down. The same way you always think you are not good enough, the same way I…think that everyone will leave me. That I am not worth being loved. We all have fears that stop us from doing what we want. You should know that best since your fear stopped you for many years of being with the king."

Ea grabbed a chair, the only one he had close to his old desk and sat down, facing the depressed general. 

"I didn't imagine things like this. Maybe I was too hopeful." Theseus said and Ea smiled.

"Could have been a lot worse actually. Maybe it's time all of us stop being so depressing. Sometimes I feel like we don't really value or be grateful for anything. I mean…sorry for my rudeness but how can you even think for a second, that the man who literally when he died turned everything around you into a poisonous minefield so no one would touch doesn't love you? Isn't that kind of stupid?" Ea asked him and Theseus chuckled. 

"Someone's had grown up." He commented and Ea shrugged his shoulders. "I still remember when Allias babysat you. You were such a cry baby and now you are giving me advice. Time sure flies. Is it normal to be scared of death when you live forever?"

"You have died once, on that battlefield together with Allias. You know a pain that none of us does. I am not that afraid of death but the punishment you will give me."

Theseus looked at him, for a second seeming to not know what he was talking about. When he realized his lilac eyes slightly widened and he raised his eyebrow before he laughed. 

"You are my only friend I wouldn't punish you for real. Who do you take me for?" 

Friends? Ea repeated in his head, the unfamiliar word felt foreign and he didn't try to repeat it. Just think about it. A peculiar warmth spread through his chest. So friends it was. He never really had a friend, or anyone he could be close to. 

"Why the hell are you crying?" Theseus asked him.

"I never had a friend" The boy said while sniffling and wiped his eyes with the end of his sleeves. "Thank you"

"Shut up man, of course we are friends. You are the only one who knows me well except for Allias and Ares. Literally you are my one and only friend."

"You are my only friend too!" Ea cried like a child and Theseus smiled.

"Glad to know we are both friendless losers."

"No we are not… yes we are" Ea said thinking about it again and Theseus offered him a handkerchief he kept on his pocket. It was soft and smelled of lavender, a very pretty T was written at the bottom right corner with black thread. "thanks" he said and wiped his tears with I before blowing his stuffy nose on it. Theseus frowned and looked at him when he tried to return it but he simply told him to keep it. Maybe wiping his nose with it was too much.  "Don't worry about Allias. I am sure the fact that he saw Clelia will give him some peace. That not everything he knows had disappeared. He keeps staring at the ruins from time to time. It's obvious he feels alone but I am sure that he will come to realize everything as time passes."

"All I can do is wait I guess." Theseus said dissatisfied with the answer he gave. He didn't want to wait. He just wanted Allias back. The man who he loved he needed him to be fully back. 

"How about you give him some time…and space?" Ea asked.

"What do you mean?"

"What could I mean?" Ea asked cocking his eyebrow at the stupid question. "Avoid him. It's a very successful romance technique. We usually appreciate what we think we will lose. Maybe that danger will trigger something inside him."

"That sounds so…childish" Theseus commented.

"When were you not childish? This palace is filled with tall children. We run around our fingers all the time, biting our tongues. Unable to express ourselves. Ugh! It's so frustrating" Ea said and hit his foot on the floor. Theseus looked at him with a questioning look.

"Why do I think that you are not talking about Allias and I?" he asked him.

"Everyone! I am talking about everyone in this damned palace. It's a freaking playground. We should be looking at matters like, how to we bring the seasons back? Go out and search for Joe. Have a celebration for the return of the king. Have him talk to the people? How to make our Tribe strong again, form alliances but noooo. What we do is cry at night and wonder if he loves me or not. Why do I not feel myself? What did I do wrong? This is not a teenage romance book. We have work to do. We are stalling!" Ea said and stood up placing the chair back in its place and showed a pile of unopened letters to Theseus. "Do you see this? These are letters of many supernatural leaders requesting to se Allias. How will we show him to the rest of the Veil when all you people do is being depressed? We need to work. Get your shit together."

"I bet you waited for a while to talk to me like that. Now that I am not the king."

"Yes. Is there a problem with that?"

"No, no express yourself. We don't need another blow up" Theseus joked and he stood up. "Oh and about my brother, don't be scared to talk to him. He is much nicer than he seems to be." Theseus advised him before he left. 

As he walked in the corridors many people greeted him, this time differently than what he had been used to all these years. He wasn't the king anymore. He had returned to his previous position and that brought an unexpected feeling of relief. 

He made a sudden stop and stared outside the window that seemed to bring Allias so much grief. The foggy image of what used to be the Avgee Tribe was too depressing. Everything had crumbled. Maybe he should help him search for his people. Once this was all over he would either get to see his people again or realize that there is nothing more out there. Maybe he needed to confirm him himself. 

But for now he would follow Ea's advice. He would avoid him for a while. Give him some time to think and gather his thoughts. What he didn't know was that a very drunk Allias was running around in the palace looking for him. And he wouldn't take a no for an answer.

....

Hello everyone. A general but very important question. 

Do you think that Allias' feelings have some base and his whole situation is not that absurd or do you think he is just being a big baby? I would love to hear your opinion.

Thanks for reading!