Page 99 of Of Sockets Of Stitches
Indeed there were. “Thank you for keeping my monsters safe.”
He dipped his head. “And this is all that is wrong with the world.”
I joined him and stared out. “All that remains. This looked rather worse at the beginning.”
“Then there is much to be celebrated.”
There was something off. So mild and reserved. “Last we were together, I rode your face to such heights. Where is the mischief of a prince consort gone?”
See inhaled, then reached out. Surprised, I did not pull away as he took my hand in his. He said, “We arrived and took in the sight of fifty mothers, some statues. Naturally the lack of color was alarming at first, but eventually, pawns chatted and a king lurked, shackled, in front of this tower. I thought to explore, and so I climbed. The size of haze and this map of ruin occupied me greatly. I considered the bridal gifts set around this platform, and rejoiced in the lack of push in me to steal them. And then I consideredthat.”
I followed his glance to the olden rock at the heart of the tower. The olden rock so sick and plagued with our feeling.
See faced me, and pain twisted his face. “That is us. How can that be us?”
I untangled from him and approached our heart. Blackswirled within it, less than before, but still so very much. “I understood its plague once, but I have no answer for you now.”
“I had thought that we were in a better place. I am in your bed, and there was such healing between us at my palace. Perantiqua, have I been incorrect in deciphering the feeling between us?”
I set my hands upon the olden rock and heard his sharp inhale.
“My immortality flashes before my eyes when you do that,” he said darkly.
“The olden rock is not what it was, in a sense,” I said.
See stood beside me but did not touch the rock. “In what sense?”
“In the sense where the olden rock was always the core of monsterdom and the cork to ruin. There is no need for it to place soldiers in slumber any longer. All is as it was going to be.”
He stopped breathing while extending his fingertips to the rock. The black swirled tighter and faster.
See touched the rock, then shuddered a moan. “This memory has haunted me so. I feel many things at once, all of them swirling.”
I could easily understand why. “Prince Consort? See?”
His milky gaze was shadowed as he focused on me. “My darkness, what is it?”
I took his free hand in mine. “I forgive you.”
The stone heated under my hand, and assumedly his.
See’s face softened, and there was so much shared between us, discovery and regrets and pains and acceptance too. “I know. Thank you, my queen.”
We peered back at the stone together. The black had lightened in hue somewhat. Still so much.
“What remains after forgiveness?” I murmured.
“What concerns remain in your heart?” he asked.
I leaned against the olden rock, and Seestiffened, then drew me away with a gentle tug on my hand. He led me to the edge of the tower platform, then sat. I sat beside him.
I gazed out at the haze. “There is always the mystery of you. I can rarely tell what you are about. The things I do know have been earned over time, and time is not what we have now.”
“You would know my mind,” he replied, then hummed. “We share this mystery. You are the most mysterious monster to ever exist. I am driven mad by wishing to know all of you, while calmly accepting that I never can.”
“We are meant to be intrigued.” I pushed my hair off my face.
See wrapped a strand around his forefinger. “We are. We will be. But shall I tell you of how my power plays with me? Imagine this map of the world’s demise and then place another map on top, and another below. Past, present, future. Each monster has a set of three. Humankind too. Then there is a master set of the maps containing all of these individual and collecting maps. As each individual moves and decides, the maps are changed. Except I can no longerseeall of these maps, and so I must do the best I can to follow the physical and vocal signs of the decisions of monsters and humans and adjust all of the maps manually where my power did this without conscious thought and in real-time before.”
