Sixth

She fell asleep before he returned home, though she'd made her best attempt at staying up until he did. 

The next morning when she woke up, she hurried out to the hallway, touching a servant's arm, asking after Kieran.

"Sir Kieran?" The woman tilted her head. "He should be eating in the great hall now."

"Ah! Thank you, I'll go find him then."

The woman curtsied as she quickly moved past her, hurrying to the dining hall.

"Kieran! Kieran, good morning-"

Kieran held up a finger as she entered the room, silencing her. "His highness is speaking, don't interrupt him."

She quieted down, bowing her head, and leaned on the wall by the door.

"You're off on your rounds, Kieran?" Adrien asked, after offering her a sympathetic smile.

"Yes, my lord." Kieran stood up from his place at the table.

She stared at his face as he bowed politely and turned to leave.

It looked tired.

Had he come into her room before going to sleep...? Had he tried to wake her up...?

She wished she'd known he was here. She wouldn't have fallen asleep...

Well! She'll just go with him this time. As Keybearer she had the excuse to go out looking for keys anyway!

She smiled as she scurried up next to Kieran.

"Kieran. Let me join you in your patrols this afternoon."

Kieran didn't even hesitate. "Absolutely not."

She deflated almost instantly. "Eh?!"

He continued walking, leaving her to scramble after him.

"H-Hey wait!" She trotted after him.

"I don't need a novice weighing me down and getting in the way." Kieran's tone was clipped as he continued briskly walking.

"Geez..." She ran after him. "Slow down a bit-! I have little legs!"

He stopped so abruptly she nearly slammed into his back. "Go back to your studies, Keybearer."

Tch!

She puffed out her cheeks and looked up at him, grabbing his sleeve. "I don't want to weigh you down...it's just..I want to spend more time with you and-and I wanted to see you again last night but I fell asleep and--"

"Do you never stop talking?" Kieran scoffed at her and pushed her hand away.

Her eyes widened, staring at him. "Eh...?"

Her eyes dropped to her hand, still outstretched to touch his arm.

It...didn't hurt at all...

And yet somehow...she felt like Kieran had slapped her hand away.

She pulled back from him, trying to calm the shaking of her hand.

"Ah...ah...I see...I'll...not get in your way any more..."

He snorted at her. "So you can recognize that much.. Good. I was beginning to wonder if your world had no common sense."

"Ki...eran..."

His name slipped through her lips almost before she realized it, and he paused mid step.

There was...a flash of something in his eyes.

Through all that ice-cold hardness, for a moment was it-...a pang of guilt, perhaps? Something else?

Whatever it was, it flashed by and was gone before she could even fully register it.

"...If you think there's something special between us simply because you're the Keybearer, you're wrong."

Huh?

He looked straight at her and pointed his finger at her chest like a dagger.

"You're no one to me. I've never had any special interest in the Keybearer. If you're in danger, I'll keep you alive, but that doesn't mean I care. Do you understand?"

She bit her lower lip to stop it trembling. "Ki-Kieran...?"

He looked into her eyes. His expression was cold.

She shrank back a bit.

"I hate clingy women." His snapped, irritation and boredom in his voice. "If I'd known you were clingy, I'd have never taken you to bed."

He turned, and continued walking.

"Wh-? But you-" Her eyes widened as she chased after him, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. "That night you came to see me!"

He stopped then, looking up at the sky, as if thoughtful. "...I thought a girl from another world might be more interesting than the ones here." He glanced back at her, over his shoulder. "But you weren't. You were dull and boring."

He just...walked away.

Her knees buckled. She slid down against the wall.

She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Somehow she did both.

It started with soft, quivering laughter that spilled forth in fits and bursts.

The sound built in intensity, gaining momentum, and morphing into anguished, terrified wails of disbelief.

"It hurts!!" She sobbed, burying her face in her hands as tears flowed freely down her cheeks. "It really, really hurts!"

The men here...are just like the ones at home...

It hurt.

She hugged her knees to her chest and rocked back and forth, keening quietly.

"Why did you kiss me?"

His lips, his hands, his heat-

He played with my feelings!

"I'll just die, here and now..!"

"...Please..." A soft voice, full of sadness spoke from her. "I beg of you...don't."

She knew that voice.

Prince Adrien.

Her tear-filled eyes lifted to find him, and her vision blurred the image of him kneeling in front of her, expression twisted with heartbreak and sorrow. "Emily..." He touched her cheek. "Emily..."

His hand felt warm. Comforting.

She stared at him, and began to weep all the harder.

He wrapped his arms around her and she felt his comforting fingers on her back, gently patting her. "Emily...don't...cry..."

Her sobs began to quiet, and he pressed his cheek to hers.

It felt wet.

Her eyes widened when she realized Prince Adrien was crying alongside her.

"You..." She whispered through her sniffles. "Why are you..."

For a long few moments, he's quiet. Finally, he speaks.

"...No one should suffer so. No one deserves...to have their heart played with like a toy." He gently stroked her cheek, brushing aside the stray hairs stuck to her skin, matted there by tears.

"...Emily...you...have nothing to regret. Nothing." He lifts his head and stares into her eyes with his tear-filled purple orbs. "Do you understand?"

She stared up into those eyes.

Even through her blurry vision she could make out every emotion reflected there.

Concern, worry, empathy.

"...Do you understand, Emily?" He asked, wiping away the fresh tears that gather in the corners of her eyes with his thumb. "What he did wasn't your fault."

She was still speechless.

But...her sobbing ceased, at least.

And so Adrien carried her, like a child, to her quarters.

It felt odd.

Being carried so gently by the prince of a kingdom. Being doted on so pointlessly like this.

But he simply tucked her into bed and gently stroked her hair with feather-light touches.

"Please rest. When you wake..." He smiled softly. Sadly. "I have found...when you wake, the pain that you feel before you slept...is just a little bit easier to handle."

"...Are you used to it?" She mumbled, as his gentle fingertips brushed against her temple, smoothing her hair.

His soft smile held a note of bitterness. "Unfortunately. I...too...have had...my share of pain and loneliness. So...rest, dear Emily. You will feel better when you wake."

His tender hand slowly left her brow.

She lay there, unmoving, silent, and watched.

He got up from the edge of her bed.

His soft smile lingered for a moment longer before he turned and headed to the door.

She frowned when the door finally shut.

Lonely? A prince...would have an abundance of people waiting to make friends...right?

She could see how much he'd been hurting when he cried with her.

But...I guess...even a prince can be lonely, too.