Chapter Text
He dreams of her. Sometimes it’s innocent, and often it’s anything but. And sometimes, he wakes up and all he wants to do is to go back to sleep and never wake up again.
He dreams of a cottage on the outskirts of of a small town. The weather is warm and the air is perfumed with flowers. He dreams of her, standing at the door with a smile on her face as she sees him. Her hair is longer, and her eyes are brighter than he’s ever seen them. She’s not wearing the robes that mark her as a mage, just a simple dress.
In his dream, he can walk up to her and kiss her and no one would care. And she returns his kiss with a laugh and throws her arms around his neck. In his dream, they’re happy.
And then of course, it ends.
He opens his eyes and he’s back in his bed, surrounded by stone walls and the pressing weight of his guilt. Guilt for wanting what he couldn’t have.
He closes his eyes and swallows the sadness that threatens to overwhelm him. He will do his duty. He can’t falter.
He repeats the chant in his head.
Just before sleep overtakes him again, it occurs to him that he’s never heard her laugh before.