It had been a long time since James had seen them. Too long. To all his friends left behind, the ghostly fractals of their echos, he was sorry. He never meant it to take so long, to be such an arduous journey, but it appeared otherwise.
A journey it had been, or he had supposed. Time never really passed, but he’d knew that he’d changed. He wasn’t apologizing to them, he was apologizing for himself. To listen to the mournful music pulling at the strings, a symphony of shuddering breaths, it was heartrending. His lungs felt so small, he couldn’t breathe. Logically, he knew that he would move on, though here he was a starved wolf, looking for memories to devour, to think that it’d be okay.
“Hey.” startled James out of his thoughts.
“Hi.”
James turned around to see the king. Well, his king. He felt so defeated, being watched by thousands of eyes.
“I think it’s time we had a little talk.”
James nodded. He tried to speak a few times, opening and closing his mouth, and yet he could say nothing.
His king drew James into his arms. It was astonishing, having someone to love and guard and protect, someone who’d do the same for him. He’d have to learn to deal with the intricacies of the relationship, notably the fact they were… well, different. Very different.
“I’m here for you, James, you know that. No matter how different we are.” the king rumbled, his more obvious anatomy being the source.
James stroked his king’s arm, ruffling the fur there. He was never going to get over the fact that he had a soul to himself.
“James. My lionheart. Don’t ever leave me.”
Fortunately James didn’t see his king looking so sad, thinking about the fragility of James, his right hand man, his lionheart. Such a courageous person, and yet so desolate, so grim and bleak and terse. “Why?” was the king’s only thought.
James shook his head, pulling from the embrace and looking over the rail, into the winter night sky, looking down on the bright blue city lights. He couldn’t control withering wonders, all the flowers that lose their shape.
The king took James’ hand.
“I know you feel powerless. Come, sleep with me. Let your worries drift away.”
Still muted by woebegone emotion, James followed silently, letting his king lead the way. The ship had floated on the currents of cold, following the frost as it took over towns. They were warm, safe inside the wooden hull of the skyship, despite the burning of winter wind on the deck.
Behind closed doors, and the creaking of the ship that would carry them safely to shore, James and his king lay on a (bed), sharing warmth that the winter enviously stole.
“It’ll take time”. James thought, still not ready to accept the fact that the one he loved, the only one he could love, was behind him, a strange out-of-place hand holding him against the fur. “But… I already know the truth.”
