Zeph shrugged his shoulders and continued to watch them argue. He'd never watched anyone argue so much with the actual king. The queen didn't even really know him, she just knew that he was in love. Was the concept of love really that important? Females did think a lot of love, but would the queen do all that for the concept?
He saw his hope fall to pieces as he watched the queen pick Regwallis back up and continue to argue as she walked away, the king right behind her.
Zeph continued to sit in the jail not looking around. He'd already seen everything around him for some time now and it wasn't changing. When am I getting out of here already? The king said he'd pardon me. He shook his head. Why should the king pardon him? He forcefully held Zella and apparently had fractured an innocent male's arm. It wasn't real rough, but it wasn't right, Almon hadn't tried anything. How could he do that? What made him lose such control? Was it really her scent? Had Zella's scent spiked somehow or was it something-"
//// "Okay," Zeph said, laughing. "Hey, make it weigh less, she doesn't want it heavy."
"Yeah, then it wouldn't be heavy." The female laughed along with him. "Make it weigh less..."
--------
"Make it weigh less. I never would have known," Zella said toward him. "How'd you know?"
"Keep quiet. Don't look at me. Don't talk, just keep moving. Side of the building, leave me, get in your car and leave."
"No, Zeph," she rebelled. "I haven't seen you in years. You're the one Guardian I do want to talk to-"
Zeph winced his eyes as someone just sprayed him and Zella. That wasn't good. He knew that smell too. He grabbed Zella's hand and darted away down an alley.
"What's wrong, Zeph?" Zelly asked him.
Zeph didn't know how to answer. This was bad. "Think of every bad thing I ever warned you about as a kid with predators, and put us as the stars in the role." His voice still slurred. If he had known it wasn't a woman just called Kyrella, if he had known that she actually went by Zellaponia now, he would have known instantly.
She wasn't just a female who he was on a mission for the King to have children.
She was his childhood friend he had protected for all those many years while he was training to be a Guardian. If he had known, he would not have brought just a small bottle of anti-allurance, he would have brought stronger medicines that he'd already have been taking for two weeks to do that.
There was no time to think, he already knew so much was wrong. "Zelly. You need to leave me far away from you, you need to get in your car, and you need to leave. Your anti-pheromone pills have been corrupted."
"What?" She still had a small slur. "What do you mean, Zeph?"
"King Sheward has been trying to get you to have a kid, I am your childhood guardian-in-training back then, I can't spell it out better." This was definitely a trick! "We'll have no resistance in just a little while."
"How long?" she asked.
"Factors of comfortability and familiarity' shortens it more. Crushes affect things," he said. "I had a small crush I crushed back then."
"You had a crush on me?" she asked. "Really?"
"No time for this, just analyzation, we have maybe twenty minutes. Add in whatever that stupid guard did. I think from the smell, that was basic amnesia medicine. Probably an hour of forgetting everything." It'd make things even worse. "I am highly trained, I had to deal with the highest concentration of pheromones to even make it to Guardian, but familiarity and old feelings are like knives."
"You had a crush on me?" Zelly asked.
Zelly. Oh no. "Do not worry, you are still safe. Zellaponia Cattral, even in my worst state, I have been trained never to hurt a female. I will unconscioiusly bar myself from pushing myself on you, that is actively trained out so that predators can't just drug us and trick us. You'll be okay," Zeph said confidently. "Worst case scenario, I will force a kiss and stay in that position. As long as you resist me, it will be fine."
"Resist you?" Zelly leaned against him. "Zeph, you saved me so many times. You helped me so many times in the past. You are the reason I am safe and okay today. And. And? You liked me."
No, no. "There's this thing about the training," Zeph said quickly, "it's resistance based Zelly. Okay, obviously someone messed with your pills but, there must be extra pheromones in the air. Still, just ignore it. You can completely ignore it, it's just a scent. Male pheromones aren't that powerful. Nothing compared to-"
Zelly kissed him.
He kissed back for a little while until she broke the contact " . . . Nothing compared to . . . intense feelings otherwise."
"It was so hard when you became a Guardian and really left. Time passes so fast for us, but it's ached not having you around," she said. "I want you around. You really liked me." She kissed him again. "Stay with me."
Twenty minutes? He didn't even last two minutes.///
"Zeph." A familiar voice came to his ears, pulling him out of his returning memory. He turned to his right quickly as he saw Zella.
Zella came closer to his jail bars. "I can't believe you actually lost it." She took his hand and placed it on her belly. "Better?"
Zeph didn't say a word as he finally felt a kick. "They're pretty strong."
"What do you expect? You are the dad," Zella said as she smiled.
Zeph gave her a simple smile, looks like the queen won. "You're not mad anymore?"
"I am, but not at you and…" Zella just shrugged. "I know the truth. I remembered what actually happened. The queen called for me and told me the full truth, though I started to remember anyway. In exchange for a pardon for you, I must promise to never tell another living soul." She gripped on to his bar. "You were duped like me. I'm sorry I didn't see it."
"Don't be sorry. If it was my choice I never would have lied, but you know treason, it's not the greatest," Zeph reminded her. "You'd probably be charged for treason too if you tell anyone."
"I know, it's not fair," Zella said bitterly. "So, you wanted to talk to me that night?"
"Work something out. Yeah," Zeph admitted. "Sorry I was so abrupt too. I wasn't on my best behavior."
"You treated me the same way you treat strangers, I know. You don't get close to everyone." Zella let her fingers slip down the bars. "It wouldn't have mattered, I never would have agreed."
"I know it was a big decision," Zeph continued. "It wouldn't have done a great amount of good, but we can't fade into extinction without a fight. I mean, think about what the evolved did to us."
Zella shook her head at Zeph and laid her head on the bars. "The evolved must have hurt your family and they hurt you, but they had nothing to do with my family's destruction. It was all the king."
"King Sheward?" Zeph probed. "Ky?"
Zella gulped. "Everyone thought I was too young, but I do remember. Perhaps details are lost, but it is one of my clearest early memories. It's tragic, but at least I have an inkling of what I used to be. Only a young child, I barely had the capability of speech. A gift that would spare me from the tragedy that had occurred." She turned away, unable to look at Zeph. "I had watched it all burn to the ground. The flames devoured my house until it was nothing but smoking cinders. Windows I had gazed out of as I was learning to walk were shattered to pieces upon the dirt."
Zella's breathing had slowed as she closed her eyes, the images coming back. "My nose felt itchy and I coughed from all the gagging smoke that hung thick in the air. My view diminished as my mother did the only thing she could. She placed me onto her left shoulder, tummy to tummy and made me face backward. Her support felt weak, like I would almost drop, but I understand now why I never did. She trembled in fear, but she had held me tightly. So tightly..."
Zella tried to look back towards Zeph, but it was too hard. For centuries she had not talked about this, to anyone. "All the houses around the neighborhood had been reduced to ashes." Her eyes squinted and her forehead wrinkled. "There was a sound. I remember the most horrible sound, like a melon being sliced in two in the distance. It was constant, slower than the ticking of a clock but much more painful to the ears. It was irritating and screeching, like nails against a chalkboard." She felt her heart race within her chest. "I remember the pleas and screams, but I didn't understand what it meant. Someone was getting h-hurt..." She was losing it, she felt it as she wiped her watery eyes. "That's all I knew. Then I heard a voice. An innocent voice, very young like mine."
"Want to play with my yo-yo female?"
"It had been a boy in the line next to ours." Zella continued, determined to finish. Zeph was her Guard, the father of her child, her best friend. He deserved to know. "I had noticed him before, but had not wanted to say anything. He had a blue and white tail and eyes with a remorseful shine. He had been held like I was, but his eyes spoke volumes that he knew more about what was going on. At the time, I thought he had a sad smile because he wanted to play, so I indulged myself." She chuckled and scratched her eyebrow. "I had never plaZeph with the toy before, so the string dropped and rambled against mother's leg. The boy chuckled at me but Mother snapped. She handed it back. I had felt bad, but then the boy said something."
"Don't worry female , my daddy will come."
"Don't worry, my daddy will come female." Zella echoed the words of her memory. "Stupidest words ever spoken. I turned away from the boy and watched the line behind me."
Zella turned her stomach upon the wall next to Zeph's jail cell and rubbed the tip of her fingers gently against the bars. "Then...I-I remember...that moment. I heard mother scream as his filthy hands picked me up. The citrines and garnet jewels upon his golden crown would have shone like a beacon if the sky hadn't been gray." She rubbed her shoulders feeling a tremble within her soul. "His eyes had pity within them, but I didn't care. I will never feel pity for our king," she spat. "He betraZeph us." Her voice grew into a cold growl. "He stood there surveying, watching, while we were given to the enemy. While we were slaughtered one by one for them. I was the female who would never cause trouble. I was the female who was too young to matter."
She banged against the bars as tears flooded her eyes. The smells, the awful sound of heads being cut, the screams and pleas of mercy. "I-I was given to..." She sniffled trying to bring herself under control. She felt Zeph's hand touching hers. "I was given to another man." She leaned in closer to her friend's embrace. "The sounds of mother were gone. Father was long gone. I watched the sun hide like a coward as it sank below our mountains. There was nothing left for me, no one to help me understand or to hold me. The last thing I remember was looking upwards at the stars all around me."
"So worn out, you fell asleep," Zeph finally said.
"Yes, I suppose...wait." Zella looked up into Zeph's eyes. "How did you..."
Zeph gave her a slight smirk with shining eyes. "Want to play with my yo-yo female?"
"What?" Zella thought back to the ridiculous boy. Turquoise haired. Loved the yo-yo. "Y-Zeph?"
"Ky." Zeph grabbed the jail bar with his left hand and with his right brought her closer. "I never even knew that was you." He stroked her hand gently. "Zellaponia, my father came right before my family's turn." He closed his eyes. "I'm sorry he didn't come sooner." He reached out to help Zella dry her tears.
" I hate the king as much as I hate the evolved," Zella sighed in desperation, "and now he still controls my life."
Zeph tried to give her a hug through the bars. "I'm sorry, Zellaponia Saga."
"How can you protect someone like that?" Zella had to ask. "How?"
"It wasn't his choice, just like the current treaty," Zeph explained. "The evolved, Zella, they play with our kingdom. They make King Sheward give in or promise attacks, vicious bloody attacks. That doesn't justify anything, and he has done a lot of unforgivable things but, if he didn't, our kingdom wouldn't be here."
Zella nodded, but she wouldn't be so forgiving. "I guess I better agree and get you out of here." She tried to smile to remove her sadness. "The other Guard isn't half as much fun as you," she said with a forced chuckle. "So Mr. I-follow-the-rules-no-matter-what? Do you mind telling me where that attitude from you came from?"
Zeph nervously chuckled. "Huh?"
"Now the belly, I understand." Zella smiled as she wiped her last tears away. "They are yours and I didn't really want you touching me. I didn't even want you talking to me. Hurting Almon though, and that kiss?"
Zeph groaned. "Weakness? Scent?" He shook his head. "It won't happen again, it wasn't because I like you more than a friend, absolutely not. It's just that, well, you know if you're gonna-"
"Break the rules you might as well get the most out of it?" Zella chuckled as she finished his sentence. "Zephyr Smilliat, what am I going to do with you?"
"Take me back as your Guard?" Zeph asked.
"Duh," Zella laughed. "One minute you're a player at a restaurant, a Guard guarding me, and then you're breaking my ex-boyfriend's arm for no reason."
"Just a fracture, and it won't happen again," Zeph said firmly. "It was a temporary loss of control. The kiss too, I never had one, and it just happened."
Zella nodded. "You know, I never really loved Almo back, he's just a nice guy and I never wanted to hurt his feelings."
Zeph nodded his head. "Fine."
"So..." Zella paused. "Why don't we wait until after our kids are born to figure out what to do?"
Zeph moaned. "That's probably not a good idea. You should find someone to help, I mean they are going to be tough to take care of."
"Well where are you running off too?"
"Oh no." Zeph shook his head. "Don't go there."
"I'm not going anywhere, I'm standing right here," Zella joked. From the way he had treated Almon, there were only two reasons he would do that. Jealous he would take away his chance at family, or taking away her. Considering it was Zeph, and his past, she knew it was number one. "I don't mean anything beyond Guard, but they are yours and you could help for a little while? Until we really find someone?"
Zeph looked down at the ground. Help her raise them? For a little while? This is not a good idea. This is just not a good idea. "…okay."
Zella grinned. "Thanks."
"Just Guard," Zeph said firmly. "I promise I won't let my emotions run away like that again. I need to continue to be a Guard now more than ever."
Zella nodded. As much as she really wanted him to just let it all go, she knew he couldn't. His whole life had revolved around being a Guard. "Ready to go home finally?"
"More than ready." Zeph grinned wider than he had for a long time. It was as if everything wrong with the situation had corrected itself. Zella liked him again, he didn't have to worry about unconditionals, he could even stick around for a little while after his kids were born.
Yep. Life couldn't get any better than that.
"Why?" Xiam whined over and over at Zella as Zeph was moving his stuff back in. "He was the guy at the bar counter, he was the jerk, he-"
"Xiam, I've told you. I've forgiven Zeph and he is the father. Now, there are things that you don't understand. Drop it." Zella frowned at her brother.
"I'll never drop it. He does not belong here with you," Xiam yelled at her again. "You're blinded because you think you love him, but he's only manipulating you." Xiam glared at Zeph from the top of the stairs. "You're manipulating her and I'll never forgive you. Never."
Zeph winced as he heard the sound of the door being slammed. "He'll never understand."
"I guess not." Zella looked at Zeph at the top of the stairway. "I think Muin will give it a try, Zaria seems more than happy to give it another try."
"Really? Muin?" Zeph blinked. "Miss temper tantrum herself?"
"I keep telling Xiam he doesn't understand everything, but it's not working." Zella sighed. "Muin seems to be picking up the truth a little better. Zaria's thrilled for some reason."
"Well that's because he knew," Zeph groaned. "My speaker messed up and the king called me and-yikes."
Zella chuckled. "Are you kidding? So are you saying this entire time the only friend you've had…was…"
"Mr. Yes-He-Married-Muin-Too-Young," Zeph whined. "Yeah, I get it, I see the irony."
"Well good, they'll be coming over soon. I think Muin wanted to talk to you first though." Zella headed for the kitchen. "Oh, and we're having another guest too. Have you met Grammy Fornotia?"
"Not for awhile," Zeph said smiling. "Not since I was an unofficial Guard. How is Ancient Fornotia Marks?"
"Still Ancient and crabby, pushing 2010 and she's coming for dinner," Zella said. "Let's see. I hate cooking meat, I always cook it wrong. Maybe pasta?"
Maybe not? "Is going out an option?" Zeph smiled.
Zella was displeased with his question. "We're inviting them over."
Which means we shouldn't make them sick. "My treat?" Zeph insisted.
"I don't know, can you afford it?" Zella asked sarcastically.
"Well I did just buy a new phone, a vacation place in Relightop…mmmm…put another down payment on my custom made yacht…got done furnishing my new place," Zeph bragged. "Oh heck yeah, I'm good for it."
"Alright, alright. I get the point. You have more money than you can even count. You better treat well then Guard," Zella chuckled as she heard the door. "That should be Muin. Have fun."
Have fun. Nice words when dealing with a pregnant Muin. Zeph strolled over and opened the door slowly.
Muin stood there tapping her left foot. "So you are back, huh?"
Zeph nodded his head. "Muin, how are you?"
"Confused, bitter, and I wish someone would explain what is going on," Muin said with a sour expression as she trotted in. "One minute everyone gets to hate you, the next you and Zella are the best of friends again."
"There's just stuff-"
"That you guys can't tell me, yada yada. It's not fair," Muin yelled grumpily. "I hate when I don't know stuff." She pointed at Zeph. "I know it's something that totally made Zella forgive you, so I'm guessing that it wasn't all your fault?"
Zeph shrugged his shoulders. "I can't really answer that."
"Classified, yeah yeah." Muin snarled. "You two frustrate me. Then Zaria, he's always like 'give him a chance. Maybe you don't know the whole story. Maybe what you know is only the tip of an iceberg.' Grrrr."
Zeph didn't say anything. Even as a Guard he didn't want to mess with Muin. "We're going out to eat."
"We are?" Muin's anger turned into instant happiness as a wide grin appeared on her face. "So Zella's not cooking?" she whispered.
"Nope," Zeph whispered back. "My treat."
"Zeph, so good to have you back." Muin hugged him as best she could. "Now remember, take us somewhere really fancy because I know you've got the money."
Zeph grinned. Well, that was easy. "Sure."
"Just remember," Muin's demeanor changed again. "I don't know what really happened, but I did hear about you losing control around Zella." She pointed to him threateningly. "Don't do it again, unless you plan on going all the way, Zella really likes you and you shouldn't play with her like that."
Zeph looked guilty as he nodded his head. "I won't do it again, okay?"
"Okay." Muin grabbed Zeph's hand. "Lookie, see? They are constantly kicking. They're going to have lots of energy just like me."
"You bet," Zeph said smiling. "Wear something nice and I promise I'll take you to the nicest restaurant in Fallensworth."
"Yes. Okay, I'll tell Zaria the great news too." Muin opened the door and yelled out. "Zaria, No food poisoning tonight, we're eating out!"
"Couldn't she be a little quieter?" Zella headed to her room, small growls still being emitted.
Zeph couldn't help but smile. Everything was almost back to how it used to-!
Zeph moved as a vase sailed in through the window at him. He looked down at the broken vase and back out the window.
Xiam was glaring at him from outside, his two middle fingers pointing to his eyes.
The point? I'm watching you.
Yeah. How everything almost used to be.