Chapter 700: A Wrinkle in Fate
The days passed slowly. A week after the vision with Luke and R’lissea, the latter didn’t appear for a few days. When she returned, she was extra gentle, spending more and more time at my bedside. It was impossible to ignore her attention, and I reluctantly responded. When I finally sat up, she smiled for the first time I could remember.
"Easy, Xiv. Take it slow. It’s been a few weeks, so your muscles are going to be tired."
I nodded and started to rise before stopping and looking at her.
"Xiv?"
"It’s just a nickname. ’Xiviyah’ can be a bit of a mouthful sometimes. It’s not a big deal. Just something friends do," she replied casually. Too casually.
"Friends...?" I said it slowly, finding it clumsy in my mouth. It tasted bitter. "I...don’t like that word. it doesn’t mean what I thought it did."
Her smile faltered before it snapped back. I didn’t meet her gaze.
"What do you say we go for a walk today? The sun’s pretty warm, and I think some fresh air would do you good."
I shrugged, pulling a dress from my ring. R’lissea frowned as I slipped it on.
"Are you sure you want that one? Why not something a little more colorful?"
It was a simple cotton dress without ribbon, ruffle, or sash. It was tight around my bosom and an inch or two shorter on the skirt, but I hadn’t grown too much since I last wore it. The color was faded white, and there were a few faded red blotches on the sleeves near my wrists. No matter how many times I’d washed it with magic, they’d never quite gone away.