Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 428: The Difference ()

"It’s not a decision you can make on your own. It’s an Alpha King mark! It’s irreversible! We must seek his consent as he has accorded us the same respect!" Neveah hissed.

"You are making a big deal out of nothing. We can just go ahead and ask him, but I can already guess what his answer would be." Neveah’s wolf thought back.

Neveah had no words to counter her wolf’s stance, she also knew Menarx would accept their mark with no complaints, but even so, Neveah had always felt one would know the right time for an affair like this.

There was a right time, a right place and a right state of mind, all three had to be in place or Neveah would never be in support of it.

"You still doubt in the bond with him." Neveah’s wolf thought to Neveah.

The thought was neither accusing nor assuming, it was just a direct statement that Neveah could not deny.

"Veah... just how much did you let that dream affect you? It has been so long already, just how much does he still affect you?" Neveah’s wolf thought to her.

"You did this just to confirm your suspicions? Very well. You would already know...it is you and I both." Neveah thought back but said nothing more, there was nothing more to be said.

"Unlike you Veah, I do not allow hindrances. Veah... your heart has been hurt so much, how can you still be so weak as to linger on what has already run its course?" Neveah’s wolf asked in a tone of disappointment.

"In your eyes, is this still transactional? Is being with Narx still about gaining power and a foothold in dragon keep?" Neveah thought to her wolf.

That had been the original intention, Neveah had never put her own feelings in the equation. She had hoped that she would grow to love Menarx, but in the start, on Neveah’s end, it had just been mutual respect and trust.

Those two were already hard to come by in the first place, they had been more than enough for Neveah.

But it was no longer the same... everything had changed the moment she had begun to harbor feelings for Menarx, feelings that grew incredibly stronger by the day.

With those feelings came the guilt... guilt for how it had all started and distrust in her own heart.

"It changed for me. I do not know when, but it changed. And so I cannot help it when I feel that it is unfair to him, to let you have your way when I know your intent."

"I cannot help it if I refuse to tie him down to me permanently, when we both are not of the same mind. At least this way, if anything goes wrong...he will be free of pain and I will bear it all alone." Neveah thought to her wolf.

"Veah... you have changed." Neveah’s wolf thought to her.

Neveah was not certain if her wolf meant that in a good way or a bad way, but Neveah leaned more to the latter.

"The voice in our mind was right. You have become too soft, you have forgotten who we are." This time, Neveah was certain of what way her wolf meant it.

She had become weak. Empathy, guilt, these were emotions Neveah never had the luxury or leisure to harbor, but emotions like this had now become a frequent guest... this was the downside of letting down her walls.

"Yes, you are the king. You were born with an iron clad will and an even bolder mind... It must be that I am just not as excellent." Neveah murmured in response.

Neveah retreated to the farthest portion of their mind, letting her wolf do as she pleased.

She watched from within as Menarx marvelled at her wolf, his eyes shinning with delight and adoration when she lowered her height to him, offering to take him on her run.

The sincerity of his emotions, the depth of his happiness, everything about him was so true and honest and he hid nothing, wearing his heart so openly so Neveah could see it all, all he felt for her, all she meant to him.

And while his heart was so open and transparent, hers was clouded, still hiding too many secrets.

She could trust in his heart but she had no faith in hers, this was and would always be the difference between them.

The feeling of the wind through her fur was one that always brought calm to Neveah’s troubled heart, but this time... It did nothing.

_______________

"Ughhh! Can you be any faster with it?!" Estelle demanded in frustration as she paced around the dressmaker’s hall.

"Y... yes my lady." The seamstress stuttered out, passing a wary glance to Estelle.

"Elle, be calm. You are distracting her, she is already going as fast as she can." Dante chided, watching from where he sat by the door.

"Not fast enough, the ceremony is in an hour and Veah’s gift is not ready yet. I made the request an entire week ago!" Estelle exclaimed.

"With the ceremony coming up, we were focused on making Lady Neveah’s dress for the night and that of the other riders and noble ladies."

"After the senior seamstress tailoring, she left the final touches to me. I had thought I would get them done at noon but I did not return on time from delivering dresses. I am truly sorry, Lady Estelle." The seamstress apologized profusely.

In the seamstress’ distraction, the needle pierced her finger and she yelped in surprise and pain.

"Elle..." Dante called to Estelle warningly just when she was about to snap.

Estelle sucked in a deep breath to calm herself, shaking her head quickly.

"I am sorry, I am being too hard on you. See to your injury first." Estelle permitted.

The seamstress got to her feet and stepped away to tend to her injury while Estelle exhaled heavily.

"Why are you so tense?" Dante asked Estelle as she walked over to take a seat beside him.

"I just... I’m not very good at making friends, Dante. Veah is the first real friend I’ve had since..." Estelle trailed off as she thought about it.

"Well, since you." Estelle realized.

"And you’re worried this past two months will make things awkward?" Dante asked knowingly.

"I really like Neveah...but she has such a distant personality, it’s hard to really understand her. It’s been two months yet she did not reply any of my letters or ask for me when she returned." Estelle grumbled.

"And that makes you feel doubtful on if she regards you in the same way?" Dante said the words Estelle did not.

"I know it’s silly of me. Veah is straightforward, honorable, reliable, wise, daring... she survived all the humiliation and has won the respect of everyone even without an Asvarian birthright."

"She commanded a victorious war herself and she is not even a dragon. And then there is me..." Estelle sighed heavily.

"Elle, you two are indeed different. And the difference is not any of these things you have mentioned but the fact that you do not see your own worth like she sees hers."

"If you did, you would know that regardless of if you present Neveah the most meaningful gift for her bonding ceremony tonight or not, it would not change the fact that she already considers you a friend." Dante asserted. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"And how would you know that?" Estelle asked.

"I should know, I received a very stern warning to look out for you and not leave you by yourself...two months ago." Dante said, chuckling to himself in amusement.