and in turn, neither does her own. if king won't forgive her for this, alex never would. it was her outstretched hands that sought to shield him from the darkness, her own mouth that bespoke treason - don't trust fernando. 

and yet she is going to honor a long-passed duty, twisted as it is. one he fulfilled when he was dead. 

"my heart," she says. and that's a half-truth too. "he didn't remember galar. i kept it that way."

ALEXANDER STONE

☉

"to delay the inevitable," she says, grasping at easy words drawn put by the warm charm of the whiskey. it still rests on the back of her tongue, inviting more, inciting her honesty. though her honesty is swathed with veils, tumbling and shifting at the slightest tug.

"i lost him for two years, you know. in galar. he blamed me." a brief pause. "he was right to."

"i'm so tired, alex."

ALEXANDER STONE

☉

it's tempting. it's oh, so tempting. but she can't do that. it's already a low blow to her pride to come crawling to him like she has now. and the longer she stays, the more likely she is to make a mistake and hurt them both. 

"thank you," she says. 

"it'll beat sleeping on top of the sky pillar." she stretches out some of her aches and then balances the empty whiskey glass on her leg. "but the stars are so lovely out there."

she shivers. "would you mind if i borrowed a change of clothes? and had a bath?"

ALEXANDER STONE

☉

the relief is dull, difficult to feel in the wake of her exhaustion, but she wills a small smile and dips her head as he fetches her another glass of whiskey. she takes it, fingers stretching to grace his, and then withdraws back against the arm of the couch to take a greedy sip. 

"did you know i was a queen in galar?" she says. "not a very good one, mind you, but it's partly why i took council. i thought maybe after twenty years, i'd have learned something about leading others."

she frowns. "and i wanted to clear his name."

ALEXANDER STONE

☉

her thumb leaves a print on the glass. gods, i need a bath. she almost feels bad sitting on his prim couch like she is. shame turns her neck red and she hunches down, tucking her cheek on the couch, and looks at him with a one-eyed stare. 

"that you need to set aside your own desires to be any good at it."

she never stopped wanting to get home. Eva Morales , Tempest Quinn , Cillian Quinn , they all let that dream fade in lieu of duty. but freya never once gave up the fight. 

"so by my calculations, i should be golden at this point," she says bitterly. 

ALEXANDER STONE

☉