Chapter Text
The door to the Matriarch's office opened, unexpectedly as she heard a familiar voice.
- "Vorazun, may we speak?"
Young Nerazim briefly looked at her guest and burrowed herself in some files she had opened on her screens.
- "Oh, Hierarch. I didn't know we had an appointment scheduled for today. As you can see I am very busy and-"
- "...please?"
Matriarch sighed mentally. Many months ago she could easily sass him when she felt annoyed, but now that their friendship only grew stronger since the end of the war, she could no longer make herself do that, seeing him so serious.
Vorazun turned to face her guest, and rested her weight on her desk, crossing her arms on her chest.
- "Very well, Hie- Artanis. What did you want to discuss?"
Young Hierarch sighed too, as he couldn't help, but feel rather unwelcome there. Her aura clearly showed that. But he knew he had to address the problem.
- "I won't lie that I did notice you distancing yourself from me lately, and it really bothers me."
- "Oh, that. As I said, I am very busy, I have a lot of appointments lately, and files to check, and-"
Artanis sighed, interrupting her.
- "It is because of the rumour, isn't it?"
Vorazun frowned a little.
- "Oh, you mean the one about you, and your lady friend?"
- "So you did hear the rumour..."
Not wanting to hold his gaze, Matriarch decided to stand up angrily, turning her face away.
- "I am not going to lie, Artanis, being your friend, I thought you would trust me enough to at least say something about that."
Seeing the situation got worse than he expected, Artanis hung his head low, as his voice saddened.
- "This is exactly why I am here. If you'll let me explain."
Vorazun closed her eyes, considering if she even wanted to hear anything about it at this moment, but giving him a side glance, and seeing his pure sadness, she sighed one last time, and sat on her desk again, visibly saddened herself, and said quietly.
- "...very well. I just hope I won't regret it."
Young Khalai slowly approached her, and let himself rest next to her on the desk giving her a small, short glance, seeing how much she avoided looking at him now.
It pained him, but Artanis that was exactly why he was here - to explain this misunderstanding.
- "I really underestimated how fast rumours spread, and hoped I will manage to reach you before the rumors. But it doesn't matter now. I want to tell you everything, before you make your judgement on me. But for that... I fear it might be already too late. Tell me then, please, what is it that you heard about me?"
Vorazun took a moment to think, rubbing her shoulders with her hands, still crossed on her chest.
- "To be fair, not as much, other than the fact you were seen meeting with some female, seemingly in secret. That is confirmed, but after that, I have heard many versions. That she is your significant other, or even a concubine."
Vorazun's words felt like a sharp needle in his chest, to hear such gossip about himself, but Artanis only sighed and asked softly.
- "Say then, as you said I am your close friend. Did you really think I would hide such a thing from you, if I had anyone? Don't you think you would be the first one to know?"
Matriarch took her time to answer, as many thoughts rushed through her mind.
- "I think so... I hope that I would be... But you were seen with someone, were you not?"
Artanis' gaze was fixed somewhere in the distance, as he was gathering his own thoughts. Finally he spoke, as his voice sounded tender, yet sad.
- "Apparently being a Hierarch means having a personal life is now forbidden. You have no idea how much I hate that sometimes... Indeed I have been seen with someone, but not the way you... not the way everyone now thinks..."
Letting out a long, loud sigh, Artanis continued.
- "You see, her name is Adarys. She was a mate of my brother-in-arms, Etrach. A fine warrior, whom I grew up with, back at Aldera. Back then he was in the same unit as I was, so we grew fond of each other, as warriors and friends, like I did with Fenix, with few others. And just like many of my friends, he fell in one of many battles against Amon. But I knew him well, I knew when he met Adarys, how they fell in love, and how much they meant to one another. But after becoming a Hierarch, I barely had any time to spend with those I once held close. But after the war, she reached out to me. She wanted to talk, as she didn't have much information about her husband's death, other than the death of a warrior. I knew her from back then, so I didn't want any formal meeting. I didn't want her to meet with the Hierarch. I wanted her to meet a friend of her mate, like in the old times. This is why I didn't make it official, but more a private meeting. I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable with all my guards around."
Making a longer pause, Artanis looked into the distance lost in his own thoughts.
Vorazun remained silent, listening, and feeling her guilt slowly growing, for how fast she jumped into conclusions based on just a rumour, when his soft voice made her focus her look on him again.
- "We met a few days ago, as she wanted. We have spent some time without being bothered, talking about her beloved Etrach. I know she has two young offspring with him, but she didn't bring them along for that reason alone, of their father's death being talked about. We talked a lot, about him, about his sacrifice for her, their children and for Aiur, like a true warrior. Then we talked about past times, how they met, how I remember him being all so in love, their engagement, marriage. We shared stories long forgotten by both of us, and eventually managed to turn this sad meeting into something pleasant. Because there is no better way for a warrior to live on, than in the hearts of his family and to be remembered. And we both were happy in the end, remembering someone once close to us. But... being a Hierarch comes with a price. You no longer have time for your old friends as you would wish for. And, apparently, you no longer have privacy, too. I don't know who oversaw us and when, but whatever they saw, me spending time with some unknown female, and having a laugh in the end, they must have assumed it was a date."
It was then Artanis finally turned his head and looked at the Matriarch, with his sad eyes.
- "And I am almost sure this is what you believed. That it was a date."
Vorazun shuddered at this look he gave her. His calm, but sad eyes, the tone of his voice. She could not help herself, but to feel terribly guilty, that she jumped into conclusions so quickly, without even searching for confirmation. All it took was simple gossip. It made her look away, avoiding his gaze.
- "Artanis, I... I am so terribly sorry I let myself believe in some rumors. Being a Nerazim, a Matriarch, leader of the Nerazim intelligence, one would think I am much wiser sifting the information,and yet I believed a common gossip, making judgements that should never be made. You think of me as your close friend, yet I acted no better than those gossipers. I am sincerely sorry for it..."
Artanis leaned forward a little, tilting his head, trying to catch Vorazun's gaze.
- "It is alright, Vorazun. No hard feelings, we all make mistakes. But my biggest mistake would be not explaining myself to you. I didn't want to lose you over some gossip."
Deciding to finally face him Vorazun felt small, shy even, as looked into his big, warm, blue eyes.
- "I... Thank you, Artanis. And what about your friend then? Adarys, was it? Does she also suffer as much from this gossip as you do?"
- "Surprisingly, not as much. Neither she nor her mate had anything to do with politics ever, so she is still rather unknown to everyone, and those she calls family know this rumour is not true, so she and her children are safe, I made sure of that. Now it is only me having concubines that I have to debunk."
Vorazun got thoughtful again.
- "If you let me, I would like to help stop that gossip from spreading. I allowed myself to blindly believe in it, and almost let our friendship to suffer because of it. Let me help you find a way to debunk it all. You will see, we will fix that situation, I promise."
Artanis looked at her again and smiled this time.
- "Thank you, Vorazun. For everything. But mainly for hearing me out. And I would really appreciate the help with this gossip too, if you could. Who better than the master of gathering each and every intel out there, to help me with such a petty gossip."
Young Matriarch smiled back at him, with a former shine in her eyes.
- "Please, don't mention. I owe you that for believing it in the first place. You - having a secret mate. Like a secret lover? Sure."
Her playful tone at the last sentence caused both of them to laugh, as their moods got much better.
But that sparked an idea in young Khalai's mind, as he stopped laughing, and looked at her with a surprisingly sly and cheeky smile, as he spoke softly in a melodic, almost... alluring voice.
- "So, tell me, Vorazun. Did it really bother you that I might have someone and didn't mention it? Or were you, perhaps, a little jealous about me?"
Feeling a sudden hot wave of embarrassment running down her spine, Vorazun felt her crest deepen in color, causing her to blush. A little panicked, she stood up quickly, a little too, turning herself away from him.
- "I think we explained ourselves more than enough, Hierarch, you'd better be on your way now, I really have a lot of work to do."
Artanis stood up too, laughing cheerfully amused at her adorably shy reaction.
- "Very well, Matriarch, don't let me disturb you more. Fare thee well, as I am off to visit all of my concubines. Can't let them wait for me."
Vorazun could not help herself but burst into laughter as well, as she spoke, giving him a daring look.
- "Oh, shut it, lover boy. If even one will ever want you, it will be a miracle."
Artanis only returned her bold gaze, and spoke slyly.
- "One is all I would hope for."
Matriarch looked at him, puzzled by his mysterious tone, but she only met his calm smile.
And yet, his mysterious blue gaze made her feel that heatwave again, as he looked at her, before leaving her office.
- "Have a good afternoon, Vorazun."