Dominion Ch. 11

"Yes Trysten?"

"Nora is hurting. She may seem strong and unbreakable on the surface... But these are only walls she puts up to protect herself," Trysten explained as he watched the forest floor. "Her wrath is more frightening than the largest tsunami, and her fear only drives her to greater anger. But her love runs deeper than the ocean, and she is more loyal than anyone you will ever meet."

He paused for a long moment, and Farias was sure he was done speaking, until he looked over and saw that Trysten seemed to be deliberating something. He waited patiently for the man to decide his next words.

"She has nightmares," Trysten's voice was hoarse, as if he were holding back some deep emotion. "Almost every night, She would wake up screaming. I used to cradle her in my arms while she slept, and I would run my fingers through her hair until she calmed down again. It was the only time she ever got any real rest."

He seemed so vulnerable as he looked up at Farias with pleading eyes. The expression on his face was so... Desperate. Almost like a child in the way he looked to Farias for hope. It was as if he was banking everything on his trust in the Tourik sitting next to him, and it was in that moment that Farias truly understood the reason behind all of this. He didn't care about the throne, or the kingdom, or his place back in his homeland.

He was doing all of this for his sister.

"Just... Take care of her for me," he whispered. "Please."

And with that he found himself back inside of his own chambers, those last words wearing heavily on his mind as he rolled over and stared at the far wall. He would be stupid to take that meeting for granted. To allow him to see what he had, and to tell him such personal things... Trysten was giving Farias his trust, and that was a rare incident. Trysten did not trust many people, that was apparent from his guarded attitude. He knew that no matter what, he would do everything he could to make sure he could protect and care for Nora. Trysten had enough on his plate to worry about, to have to stress over the safety of his sister on top of it.

No. He would do everything in his power to make sure Trysten had the freedom to concentrate on the other matters at hand. Nora was his responsibility now, and he took it on with determination.