Warning

Azra bowed again to his parents " Thank you, mother!" his voice sounded genuine, while Iris could bearly contain her happiness seeing that Ian had surrendered even though he had opposed it vehemently; she knew if she had pressed the right way she would get what she wanted.

" I have faith in you, Azra!" she lovingly showed that she trusted them despite the rift between him and Ian. Ian was being unreasonable; that's how their society worked, and it had been like that since the beginning. Although the way Azra came to be was a tad unusual, she brushed it off, thinking that he was indeed special, just like Seth had predicted.

Azra lifted his head to look at her with loving, adoring eyes " I will not betray that faith!" he softly added, glaring at Ian, who looked at him, still displeased that Iris had put everything behind so fast.

Iris nodded and looked up at Ian, who mustered a stiff smile " Will see about that!" he smirked and turned his attention to Iris, who looked a little worried, hearing Ian was still holding on to his grudge.

He took a sharp breath in " What would you like to do? Would you like to rest or would you like to meet our new gu-.." a knock o door interrupted Ian, wondering who it was this time; they didn't seem to have a moment of peace! He hated this kind of life, but now he understood what his mother was trying to say when she advised him not to leave the forest; she knew him better than he knew himself.

" Come in!" Iris beckoned with a sweet smile; this wasn't unusual for her; although she wasn't particularly fond of it, she could tolerate it to a certain extent.

Athan peeked his head in as soon as he heard her voice, wearing a bright smile and walked with hurried steps crashing in into Iris, wrapping her into a warm hug" I'm happy that you're finally awake!" he mumbled in the shell of her ear, he was relieved that she was alright, he had made so many efforts to make sure she would return to her rightful place, and every single time there was something that pushed them back to where they started no matter how hard they tried.

" Thank you, Athan!" she softly replied, gently patting him on the back, thankful for his genuine love for her.

Ian cleared his throat, making Athan break the hug and give Ian a sheepish smile; he knew that he didn't appreciate when the touching lasted for too long, and he could already feel the cold sweat trickle down his back.

" Have you found everything that I asked for?" Ian cut straight to the point without wasting any more on pleasantries; he found them pointless.

Athan nodded " Yes, we did!" We put everything in the kitchen!" he calmly stated while he looked at Azra, who stared at Iris; he found it a little bit strange even for his taste, and he had a habit of staring at people more than anyone he knew.

Ian nodded, turning his attention to Iris " Would you like to come with me, or would you like to rest first, and we can go after?" he offered her the options; he wasn't willing to leave her side, but he could wait until she was ready to go.

Iris smiled " I would like to rest, but you can go!" she replied while letting go of his waist; Ian frowned " I don't think so! Everyone out!" he commanded while taking her hand in his, pulling her towards the bed; Athan and Azra quickly disappeared out of the room not waiting to be told twice.

Ian picked her up and laid her on the bed, sliding next to her, snuggling close to Iris, burying his head in the crook of his neck, and letting out a sigh of relief. Those were the moments he treasured most, and he could feel his anger slowly dissipating, the moment it was just her and him. Despite all the turmoil that surrounded them, somehow, he found her to be his haven, where he could easily get lost and forget about everyone and everything.

He knew he was selfish for holding on to her; in his eyes, she was a kind and gentle woman; she was sweet and tried to see the good in everyone, which got her in trouble for being so trusting. And people took advantage of that blind trust, and he had enough of seeing her suffering for the sake of others.

" Ian, my love! Are you alright?" she broke his reverie, intertwining her fingers with his, while Ian took a deep breath and shakily let it out.

" I will be once this madness is over! I don't know what Seth has done to Azra, but he is not our son anymore. It never was!" he sullenly shared his thoughts, gently squeezing her hand. The pain of those moments when he thought he had lost her came rushing back and hit him like a ton of bricks.

Iris hummed " I know he has meddled with the baby's growth, but I don't think he had done more than that!" she worriedly added; she trusted Seth to some extent since he had been the one to drag her out of the Hollow, but she also had her doubts about him.

" I think he did more than that!" Ian commented while turning her to face him.

Ian huffed " I know you trust him, but please be wary, there are some things that we do not know of, and I think he is hiding something! He is not sharing any of his plans, and he is expecting you to follow his word blindly! There is more to it than meets the eye!" he warned, looking into her emerald eyes that shined with worry and fear.

" Don't let your guard down!" he continued speaking while gently caressing her cheek with his thumb, looking at her changed features; she looked tired, and her skin had lost its healthy glow. She still looked breathtaking in his eyes, and she had become the only ray of light he could see shining through the thick darkness.

When he touched that sword, something changed in him, he could feel the darkness creeping in, and no matter how much he tried to tell himself that it would go away, it kept coming back, engulfing him a little more each day.

Iris cleared her throat " I will be careful!" she agreed; she knew he wasn't wrong and understood that he was only concerned for her safety. Ian was unreasonable only when it came to her wellbeing; otherwise, he was a pretty levelled man.

" I know that this is not what you want to hear right now, but I don't want to find yourself in the same situation again!" he stressed that last word, kissing her forehead and taking a deep breath.

Iris closed her eye and hummed in agreement, grabbing the wrist of his hand that was resting on her cheek, she lightly squeezed it " You worry too much about me. It will be alright!" she softly added, pulling away to look at his tired expression, he looked worried and fearful.

Iris shyly smiled " Let's sleep, and we will talk some later!" she softly said, resting her head on his chest, taking a silent shaky breath and closing her eyes.

Ian hummed and pulled her closer to his chest, wrapping his arm around her waist.

It didn't take long for the couple to fall asleep, as the days were long and filled with threats from all sides.