A Moment Between Old Lovers

Title Track: My Hands by Leona Lewis

Set about two months after Ydros leaves the Eastern palace in secret on his mission to discover if he can beat the destiny that was set out for him since his birth.

Featuring Mahalia and Teo.

Despite their best efforts, the Red Cabal has been unable to track Ydros or his whereabouts. Mahalia's meeting with The Blind Seer has been unsuccessful. It seems her son is even hidden from Serilda.

It was to the gardens that Mahalia escaped her worries. She had dismissed her two guards despite their protestations. Her magic would protect her as it always had. Assassination attempts on her life had been quiet since the last full moon.

She wandered aimlessly, her thoughts full with worry over her missing son. So distracted was she that she failed to hear the soft footsteps that followed her. The sound of a twig snapping brought her sharply from her thoughts, the words of a spell already forming in her mind.

"Be at ease Mahalia. It is only me." Teo's voice sounded from behind her. She let out a breath and released the spell from her mind.

"You should know never to sneak up on a Queen, much less one with magic at her disposal."

He fell in step beside her, his lips pulled into a gentle smile.

"I wasn't afraid. I know you would have stopped in time."

"Have you any news on Ydros?" she asked him hopefully. He shook his head slowly. His scouts had been meticulous in their search but even they had failed to find a single trace of the missing Prince. He could only guess that the boy had tapped into his strange well of power to cloak himself from them.

"I know he is alive and well. He is your son Mahalia. He has grown up under your care and has learned how to protect himself."

"I hope you are right. I would feel it if something had happened to him."

"I will send the wisps. They may be able to track his scent if it hasn't already faded. We are doing everything we can to find him."

 Teo covered her hand gently with his own.

"You don't need to bear this burden alone Mahalia. I'm always here with you, fighting by your side. Let me be your pillar."


Sometime later that day in the palace ...

 Mahalia ran her fingers through Teo's hair, remembering their childhood together.

"Do you miss it? Home?" he asked softly.

"Yes. Even after all these years, I miss the desert."

"I do too. Things were simpler there. You and I, we were different people there." he gazed up at her intently.

 He gently stroked her hair, her face, the shape of her lips.

"I've never stopped loving you Mahalia, even when  you left me to come here. Is there any part of you that still loves me?" he asked carefully.

She turned towards him, silent. He moved towards her and she didn't stop him.

Just this once, she would let herself be Mahalia of the Desert again, if only for a moment, she would forget about the prophecy, about being Queen, about the destiny that had brought her to the East. She closed her eyes and lost herself to the memories she had hidden deep within the darkness.

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Notes: I wanted to show a glimpse into the history and relationship between Mahalia and Teo. Even though technically, she's one of the villains in my story, I really wanted to show another side to her, the side of her before she left the desert and became Queen.

I feel that she takes great comfort in having someone as loyal and trustworthy at her side as Teo because in her world, there aren't very many people she can trust. She has the Red Cabal and they do protect her to a certain extent however they tend to do things that are in their best interest and that serves the Prince of Shadows. I have no doubt that should Mahalia become unnecessary to their plans, they wouldn't hesitate to get rid of her.

I'm still exploring the circumstances that led her to becoming wife to King Andros but the more I learn about Mahalia, the more I am starting to think that she didn't do it voluntarily. I feel the hand of the Red Cabal in this. And I'm beginning to revise my plans for Anwyl as I think I may need him to play the head of the Red Cabal instead. They were supposed to be side characters but the more I plan out this world, the more the Red Cabal are becoming a more prominent role.

I have a lot to think on.