SoooooâŚI had a really angsty idea for a Myths of Unova fic based on this post, although Reshai and Navos arenât really the focus of this one.Â
Characters belong to @kynimdraws!
Dont Go Where I Canât Follow
Lilionâs heart was heavy as she rose from the bed. All night she had been unable to forget the way Reshaiâs face had broken out into tears as soon as he and Navos appeared from the room where Nari had been sequestered. Even with all her experience in battle and familiarity with grieving families, she couldnât imagine what it must feel like to lose a child.
Sweet little NariâŚLilion sighed. It was one of those things that people said could happen. Winter could be especially harsh on infants. But youâd always hope that it wouldnât be your own child whose breath was stolen away by the frosty chill. It could have just as easily been her own Remil as well, and that thought stabbed itself like a sword through Lilionâs chest.Â
A servant came knocking with a note from Zekrias, and Lilion scanned it quickly before setting it on the dresser. Her husband had been busy late into the night before, working extra to pick up his brotherâs duties as well as his own. Not to mention the arrangements for a funeralâŚ
Which of course, brought her to todayâs task. Breaking the news to Remil and Kyuvos.
She dressed quickly and headed for the nursery after informing the servant that she was to take breakfast there this morning. Stopping in front of the ornately carved door, her hand faltered at the handle.
What was she going to say? Should she try to lead them into it gently, or would they want to hear about Nari immediately? What if they wanted to see her? What ifâŚ
Oh Great Dragon, Iâve faced entire armies and argued with kings and generals, but this? Lilion sucked in a sharp breath of air. She desperately wished she had someone else with her. But Zekrias had to be King twice over now, and Navos was with Reshai. So it fell to her alone to tell the children.
She opened the door.Â
Inside were two beds and one crib, and Lilion immediately felt the sorrow in her chest redouble. She walked over to Remilâs bed and knelt at his side, reaching over to stroke his cheek gently.Â
Maybe she could let them rest a little longer, Lilion thought. She glanced over at Kyuvos splayed out under his covers, messy green hair sticking up all over the place. Anything to delay breaking the gentle peace of their sleep.
Lilion went to take a seat by the window, but as she passed Kyuvosâ bed, he suddenly stirred.
âMmâŚAuntie? Izzat you?âÂ
ââŚYes, itâs me. Breakfast isnât here yet, Kyuvos, you can go back to sleep.â
âIs Nari all better yet?â Kyuvos sat up straight, rubbing his eyes with tiny hands. âWhereâs Papa and Daddy? Are they with her now?â
Lilion opened and closed her mouth. A movement appeared in the corner of her eye and she saw Remil staring at her from his bed too, eyes wide with the expectant curiosity of a child.Â
âIâŚâ She sighed and took a seat on her nephewâs bed. âRemil, sweetie, will you come to mama?â
Remil tilted his head questioningly, but did as his mother asked and slipped out of bed, toddling across the floor and allowing Lilion to pick him up and set him on her lap.
The warrior of the north took a deep breath, keenly aware of the little eyes on her. âNariâŚNari was very sick, do you two remember?âÂ
They nodded. âBut Daddy said the healer would fix her!â Kyuvos said. Lilion ran a hand through Remilâs hair gently.
âYes, healers can do many amazing things, but sometimesâŚsometimes healers canât fix everything,â she said softly. Kyuvos frowned.
âNariâs still sick?â
Lilion shook her head. âNo, dear. Iâm afraidâŚNari died.â
âDied?â Kyuvos threw off his covers and shuffled towards Lilion. âWhatâs that mean?â
âIt means sheâs gone.âÂ
Kyuvosâ face fell. âOh no! When will she come back?âÂ
âNariâs not coming back, Kyuvos,â Lilion said, reaching out to put her other arm around the boy. âWhen people die, they donât come back.âÂ
Kyuvos blinked in confusion. Lilion mentally prepared herself for what was to come, when suddenly Remilâs tiny voice broke the silence.
âNot ever?âÂ
âNo honey,â Lilion murmured, squeezing her son gently. âNot ever. When people die, their bodies donât work anymore. The energy that made them move and laugh and play goes back to the Dragon Force, where it came from.â
âNari canât play?â Remil asked. Lilion shook her head.
âNo, Nari canât play anymore.â
The boys were silent. A moment later Kyuvos sniffled, then started to wail. Lilion pulled him close as huge tears poured down his face, and Remil started to cry too.Â
âI know darlings, I knowâŚâ she said, her heart jumping into her throat as she rubbed their backs and felt the front of her shirt grow damp. âI knowâŚâ
The whole rest of the day, the boys never left Lilionâs side. Sheâd canceled their tutoring for the day, and instead took them for a long walk around the palace grounds. They didnât speak of Nari, not even when they went to bed and saw that the crib had been removed for storage.Â
The next day was much the same, even as Lilion dressed the boys in purple robes and took them down to the funeral procession, where Kyuvos finally saw his fathers again. Reshai immediately scooped his son into his arms and buried his face in Kyuvosâ robes, shaking violently. Navos hugged his family tight, and Lilion found herself doing the same to Remil and Zekrias.
After the ceremony, Zekrias left for his office after a quiet word to his brother. Navos then whispered something to his husband and Reshai nodded, setting down a now very quiet Kyuvos.
âLilion, would you take the boys?â Navos asked, his arm sliding off of Reshaiâs shoulder to link with his hand. Lilion nodded, and held the hand not linked to Remil for Kyuvos to take.Â
Instead of toddling over to her other side though, Kyuvos took off his outer cloak, marched over to Remil, and draped it over his shoulders before taking his hand. Lilion blinked.
âAlright then,â she said, and they headed back into the palace.
Throughout the rest of the evening, Lilion noticed that Kyuvos was actingâŚa little strange. At dinner he kept moving food from his plate to Remilâs, despite the confused looks thrown his way. Then, when Lilion was dressing Remil in his nightshirt back in the nursery, she caught Kyuvos piling his own blankets on top of Remilâs bed.Â
âSweetheart, those are your blankets,â she said tiredly, pulling them off and tucking Remil in. Kyuvos simply picked the blankets back up and threw them over Remil, who squeaked in surprise.Â
âRemil needs to stay warm!â He insisted. Remil poked his head out of the blanket pile and let out a small whine of discontent.
âYou need to stay warm too, Kyuvos,â Lilion said, frowning as she pulled away the extra layers again. âWonât you be cold if you have no blankets?â
âNope! Iâll be warm too!â Kyuvos declared, squeezing under the covers next to his cousin.
âYou have your own bed, honey,â Lilion reminded him. âCome on, letâs get these blankets back over there, okay? Then Iâll sing to both of you.â
Kyuvos shook his head. âNo, Iâm staying here.â
Lilion sighed. âKyuvos, Auntieâs very tired, can you help her out?â She reached for his arm, and he suddenly recoiled.Â
âNo!â
Lilion frowned. âKyuvos, please.â She began to pull back the covers, but Kyuvos latched onto Remil, screaming when she touched him.
âNO! NO NO NO NO NO!â Lilion pulled back with a gasp.Â
âKyuvos, stop it!â Remil whined, wriggling in his cousinâs grip.Â
âYou have to stay warm!â Kyuvos cried, tears appearing in his eyes. âOr youâll get sick and then youâll go away and youâll leave me all alone!â
âOh, darlingâŚâ Lilion rushed forward and wrapped her arms around the boys, feeling her eyes grow wet. âIs that what this is about?â
âYou canât go away! You canât!â Kyuvosâ words dissolved into tearful blubbering, and Remil patted his shoulder awkwardly.Â
âI donât wanna go away either,â he said quietly. âI wanna stay and play with you.âÂ
âNobody has to go away now,â Lilion murmured, kissing both boys on the tops of their heads. âWhy donât I stay here tonight too? We can all cuddle together, how does that sound?â
The boys didnât protest that idea, and Lilion held them close, singing songs until her eyes grew heavy and the sound of crying faded away.
Late in the night, when Lilion was fast asleep, Kyuvosâs eyes blinked open in the darkness.
âRemil?â He murmured, trying not to jostle the arm that was draped over the two of them lest he wake Lilion. His cousin shifted groggily.Â
âWhuhâŚ?â
âRemil, promise you wonât go away like Nari.â
Remil grumbled and rolled over to snuggle into his motherâs shirt. âMmâŚokay.â
Satisfied, Kyuvos closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep.Â
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