Forgiveness - Markus & Dietta
In a small tent at the edge of the world, two lovers find peace after betrayal.
Markus sighed, he steadied himself, he wasn't sure he knew exactly what to say. But he had to try, for himself. "Dietta," He said softly, "Can we talk?" Dietta sprang to her feet, about to speak, then sat down again and composed herself. "Markus?" She said quietly. "Yes, of course. Come in." Markus walked inside; he looked a little awkward. He sighed. "I...I have been thinking a lot about what happened," He admitted, "And before I say anything else, can you tell me what it was like, being raised where you were?" a desire to understand, to find something to ease the sting of betrayal. "I - I do not know where to begin." Dietta appeared caught off-guard by the question. "It was the Amalgam. A physical place of moving flesh. We learned about other worlds through spoken lesson and magical imagery. I had to learn how to walk on unmoving land when I-" Dietta's eyes flicked down, nervous. "I apologise, you probably did not mean its physical state. I find it challenging to convey this, but we lived upon our god, our mother and father, and our subject of worship." She paused a moment, looking at Markus. "Our every day was shaped by The Amalgam's intent. Whether they spoke to us or not, we felt it. Our perspective was their perspective - we possessed not names despite our number, we were The Children because our world was the perspective of The Amalgam, not our own. Our mission was solely to prepare a Right World - that was Camelot - for the arrival and the Devouring. From youngest sprout to adulthood we were taught. I was as devout as any Beacon, perhaps moreso. Mother - Cthylla - took special notice of me. I heard her conscious words guide me as I trained, felt her touch, even while our consciousness was wordlessly filled with The Amalgam's purpose." "I..." Dietta looked down. "The idea of a... non-Beacon friend. Of learning to care about those whose worlds we defiled. Was not something we prepared for." Markus was silent; he watched Dietta was attentive focus. He never interrupted, never asking questions. He just let her talk; by the end his thoughts had been composed. "I am hurt," He said softly; the words were raw, "But I forgive you, because I know what it is like to be designed for something, to be told you have a purpose, to be used for someone else purpose," He said softly. Markus stood up and slowly closed the distance between them, and he gently took Dietta's hands into his own; he looked into her face, searching for the sign that it was okay. "I just need to know, no matter how it started, that the feelings were real, no matter how it started, I just needed to know that it was real," he said softly. He was pleading, begging. "Tell me it was real, Dijeta, promise me." Tears dropped from her face while she looked into his eyes. "The reason I started... was for evil. But... The entire reason I wavered, delayed, why I made excuses to myself and failed to act, why I misguidedly thought getting a free lifespan for us was a solution... Yes, Markus. I loved- still love you. I wish I had the experience to have understood how much it would hurt you, how much that was not a solution, because after realizing that, I could never have still thought to do it. I just." Her voice broke. "You deserve so much better, than something begun so foul. Your goodness, your heart, your smile and perseverance to stay resolutely yourself, in the face of all the unfairness to you. While I died, all I could think of was that wanted to see you happy, more than anything else. More than seeing my friends. More than the end of all. That's why..." She gently pushed his hands back to himself, and let go. "That's why..." She couldn't finish, as she began to sob. Markus didn't let go; he just held on tight, making sure she knew he wasn't going anywhere. Fingers curled rightly around her hands, fingers knuckle white. "I love you," He breathed, soft and warm. "And I know, that I can trust you, I know that we will be able to build something honest and strong between us now. This pain is not forever." he promised her, hoping she would believe him. "You are foolish and dangerous, I have not earned trust." She muttered, her face sideways against him, feeling his warmth. "But I am finished telling you what to do. Instead, I will have to trust you. And if you believe I can be better, I trust you." Markus laughed a little, a smile on his face as she reprimanded him for trusting her. "I love you," He said again, because he could not say it enough. "And I promise that your trust is not misplaced," Dietta wiped her tears, and looked up into his eyes again. Her big eyes serious. "And I love you, Markus. Let us step into the future anew, then, together."
Markus sighed, he steadied himself, he wasn't sure he knew exactly what to say. But he had to try, for himself. "Dietta," He said softly, "Can we talk?" Dietta sprang to her feet, about to speak, then sat down again and composed herself. "Markus?" She said quietly. "Yes, of course. Come in." Markus walked inside; he looked a little awkward. He sighed. "I...I have been thinking a lot about what happened," He admitted, "And before I say anything else, can you tell me what it was like, being raised where you were?" a desire to understand, to find something to ease the sting of betrayal. "I - I do not know where to begin." Dietta appeared caught off-guard by the question. "It was the Amalgam. A physical place of moving flesh. We learned about other worlds through spoken lesson and magical imagery. I had to learn how to walk on unmoving land when I-" Dietta's eyes flicked down, nervous. "I apologise, you probably did not mean its physical state. I find it challenging to convey this, but we lived upon our god, our mother and father, and our subject of worship." She paused a moment, looking at Markus. "Our every day was shaped by The Amalgam's intent. Whether they spoke to us or not, we felt it. Our perspective was their perspective - we possessed not names despite our number, we were The Children because our world was the perspective of The Amalgam, not our own. Our mission was solely to prepare a Right World - that was Camelot - for the arrival and the Devouring. From youngest sprout to adulthood we were taught. I was as devout as any Beacon, perhaps moreso. Mother - Cthylla - took special notice of me. I heard her conscious words guide me as I trained, felt her touch, even while our consciousness was wordlessly filled with The Amalgam's purpose." "I..." Dietta looked down. "The idea of a... non-Beacon friend. Of learning to care about those whose worlds we defiled. Was not something we prepared for." Markus was silent; he watched Dietta was attentive focus. He never interrupted, never asking questions. He just let her talk; by the end his thoughts had been composed. "I am hurt," He said softly; the words were raw, "But I forgive you, because I know what it is like to be designed for something, to be told you have a purpose, to be used for someone else purpose," He said softly. Markus stood up and slowly closed the distance between them, and he gently took Dietta's hands into his own; he looked into her face, searching for the sign that it was okay. "I just need to know, no matter how it started, that the feelings were real, no matter how it started, I just needed to know that it was real," he said softly. He was pleading, begging. "Tell me it was real, Dijeta, promise me." Tears dropped from her face while she looked into his eyes. "The reason I started... was for evil. But... The entire reason I wavered, delayed, why I made excuses to myself and failed to act, why I misguidedly thought getting a free lifespan for us was a solution... Yes, Markus. I loved- still love you. I wish I had the experience to have understood how much it would hurt you, how much that was not a solution, because after realizing that, I could never have still thought to do it. I just." Her voice broke. "You deserve so much better, than something begun so foul. Your goodness, your heart, your smile and perseverance to stay resolutely yourself, in the face of all the unfairness to you. While I died, all I could think of was that wanted to see you happy, more than anything else. More than seeing my friends. More than the end of all. That's why..." She gently pushed his hands back to himself, and let go. "That's why..." She couldn't finish, as she began to sob. Markus didn't let go; he just held on tight, making sure she knew he wasn't going anywhere. Fingers curled rightly around her hands, fingers knuckle white. "I love you," He breathed, soft and warm. "And I know, that I can trust you, I know that we will be able to build something honest and strong between us now. This pain is not forever." he promised her, hoping she would believe him. "You are foolish and dangerous, I have not earned trust." She muttered, her face sideways against him, feeling his warmth. "But I am finished telling you what to do. Instead, I will have to trust you. And if you believe I can be better, I trust you." Markus laughed a little, a smile on his face as she reprimanded him for trusting her. "I love you," He said again, because he could not say it enough. "And I promise that your trust is not misplaced," Dietta wiped her tears, and looked up into his eyes again. Her big eyes serious. "And I love you, Markus. Let us step into the future anew, then, together."
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