To Reconnect

 Toyah were all the realms swallowed by the seas, it's people often hailed by those on land as the guardians of the oceans.

 The people of Toyah had existed for as long as most immortals and just like them, a strange air surrounded these mysterious and often isolated beings. 

 After the war ended, they no longer came up to the surface unless they were invited formally by nations that interested in developing a relationship with Muir, their ruler.

 Even though they possessed the rare ability to breathe on land, a trait uncommon even among mystical creatures, they chose to distant themselves from the chaos that ensued on the surface, wishing to keep their peace.

 They were the only species, apart from the Roseabelles, known to prey on humans for sustenance.

 However, they were known to only feed once every few years, making them somewhat more likeable than Zeya's kind.

 Although quite similar appearing to humans, the people of Toyah possessed many features that made them distinguishable from their prey, the most prominent one being the color of their skin.

 Similar to fish, their bodies appeared almost translucent underwater. 

 These scales often reminded Zeya of small gemstones affixed to their skin, because of how colorful they could be which varied with the individual.

 As beautiful as they could be, Zeya still found Muir to be the most breathtaking of them all.

 Even as a male, his androgenous features made him desirable by both genders. His amethyst-colored eyes glimmered allusively as the sunrays hit his face at the perfect angle.

 She was suddenly struck by the memory of her fascination during her first ever encounter with the dashing emperor.

 Muir, despite being nearly a few hundred years younger, stood almost two feet taller than Zeya now.

 This made her look pathetically small, even though she was taller than the average Roseabelle.

 "Please, call me Muir." He insisted warmly. "No friend of mine needs to address me that formally."

 "I see you are still the same lovable little boy." Zeya said with a sincere smile, proud to see him all grown up. 

 "Why, I beg to differ. Don't you see how much I've grown over the years?" He brought Zeya's hand to his nose, a traditional Toyahan gesture of greeting reserved only for close acquaintances.

 For once, she could not argue. 

 Gone was the shy, young personality she had befriended; in his place stood a formidable and distinguished leader, a stark contrast to the boy of the past.

 Long hair on single men was a tradition unique to the people of Toyah, and it was often considered to be a precious part of their culture. 

 Here, the style of one's hair indicated their social status, with long, free-flowing hair without adorning any ornaments being exclusive to the royal family, such as Muir.

 The light brown hue was an uncommon characteristic compared to the typical dark hair color most of his kind were born with, and it seemed to shimmer under the light, owing to its enchanting qualities. 

 It flowed on its own will behind him, oddly defying gravity in the process. 

 "Oh, where are my manners?" His eyes widened when he realized that he had not yet given his guest any refreshments. "You must be exhausted from the trip here so please, allow me to accommodate you."

=================

 Zeya sat in the middle of the large dining table, enjoying a warm cup of tea with Muir peering at her with content.

 The entire surface of the coral table was filled with various kinds of pastries and desserts, but Zeya had no interest in any of the sugary confectioneries.

 Nox on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying the delectable desserts after coming out of its hiding spot that was Zeya's pocket. 

 "Your gaze is so intense that it feels as if it could bore a hole right through my head, Muir." Zeya finally gave in, placing the cup of tea back onto the saucer. "Are you not going to question why I'm doing here out of the blue?"

 "I have no reason to interrogate you to begin with, Zeya. Must I remind you again? You are like an older sister to me, and just like all the other sane brothers in the world, I trust you with my life."

 "But you admit that you're curious?" Zeya furrowed her eyebrows, waiting for an answer. 

 "The suspense is killing me, I'm afraid." Muir admits after a moment of silence. "But I will not force you to share anything you wish to keep to yourself."

 "... Hm, I suppose it is no use to in hiding it from you...but, where do I even begin with this madness?" She found herself unable to figure out a decent part to begin her story from.

 However, after some deep contemplation, Zeya finally began her story with hopes that it would go make sense to Muir at some point of the story.

 Muir listened intently, not once interrupting until Zeya was completely done with her story. By the time she finished, the sun had already set, casting a solemn dimness over their surroundings.

 Zeya looked up at Muir to get a clearer view of his expression, and he was visibly overwhelmed by everything she had disclosed.

 "I see... well, that certainly does spell trouble for a lot of people..." He crossed his hands above his chest, deep in thought. "An elder shadow that went rogue... this is certainly the first time I've ever heard of something like this."

 "Does Varen know of this?" He asked cautiously, knowing that this was a sensitive topic for the Roseabelle. "I mean, I doubt that he's oblivious after what you said."

 "That... was an exceptionally stupid question to ask, wasn't it?"

 "He was the first to find out actually... typical of him, really." Zeya confirmed his speculations, watching Muir nod slowly. "And I've been stuck to deal with his nonsense ever since."

 "... I figured that was the case." Muir said with a sad smile as he reminisced the moment he had heard of her apparent death.

 Muir had tried to interfere with the declaration of war when he had first heard news of it.

 It was almost unbelievable to him that the two nations' symbiotic relationship would dissolve over mere humans.

 Roseabelles and Kaxarenes alike had lived alongside one another since the dawn of time, and to let these greedy mortals ruin such an intricate relationship was completely uncalled for.

 However, his father forbade him from heading out to the warzone, fearing that Toyah would get in the middle of their crossfire.

 Muir was only a prince then, and he had no choice but to obey his father, the emperor's wishes.

 That was until, he began to hear whispers from his maids floating around claiming that Zeya had died.

 He rushed to Stygia as soon as he could, hoping that it was just another baseless rumor created by her enemies that were resentful from losing their battles.

 He was confronted with the sight of her coffin, displayed for all to see; Zeya Reyes had indeed passed away.

 The nation mourned together at her wake and almost every royal household made time to come together for one last goodbye, with one notable absence.

 Muir knew that it would be difficult for Varen to show himself before the Roseabelles in the midst of the war, but it still deeply angered Muir. 

 The awkward and uncomfortable silence surrounding the air brought Muir back to reality, prompting the emperor to feel instant regret.

 "Forgive me, Zeya. This is not a topic that I should be asking you about, I had no place to interrogate you regarding such a sensitive matter in the first place." He quickly tried to lighten the mood. "You must be exhausted from the long journey. Please, allow me to show you to your chambers."

 "We will spend the entirety of tomorrow figuring something out if we have to... but for now, I need to you get some rest."

 Zeya tiredly agreed and the two made their way towards the corridors of the glass palace, with Nox happily trailing along behind them after devouring the entire table of food.