Wura was grateful internally that the maids were very efficient. Without wasting any time, they went to work, they filled the bath with hot water for Liam.
Wura could not lie, Liam was very intimidating when he was like this. His gaze was stern and heavy and she was unable to know what he was thinking. He was not looking her way, but she was staring at him and when he turned to face her, she found herself avoiding his gaze.
"Your bath is ready, your majesties," the maid bowed holding the last empty bucket she had just poured.
"Thank you," Wura said as the other maids took their leave.
Liam said nothing, he walked into the bathing room almost instantly. It felt like he was eager to get away from her. As much as she wanted to understand that, it made her feel so terrible on the inside.
"Has his majesty eaten?" she asked the maid who was about the leave.
The maid turned back and shook her head, "He told one of the maids that he is not hungry, your majesty.".
"Bring him some food. It should be something light," Wura said. She knew that Liam was stressed with everything he needed to do, accomplish and put in order. He still needed to eat, or else he would faint of fatigue very soon.
"Alright, your majesty, and would you like me to bring your dinner up as well?" the maid asked.
"No, I am not hungry, just bring his majesty's dinner, that would be all," Wura replied.
"As you wish, your majesty," the maid bowed before leaving.
Wura sighed and looked out the window. The sun had set and the dark night sky was making her feel more sad and more scared than ever. Liam was her husband, she loved him and she wanted them to work through this as fast as possible, but it was just so difficult because she knew he was hurting.
She wanted to give him time to feel his emotions very clearly, but she also wanted them to resolve this issue. The more they stayed like this, the more uncertain she felt.
She sighed, at least he was here, in his bedroom. This was finally a step in the right direction to her. She hoped and prayed that he would stay here tonight. This was his bedroom after all.
...
There Liam was, in the bath. He was silent, his eyes were red and it was difficult to tell if he had been crying as there was water everywhere.
He just felt so angry. Here she was, in his room, her scent was everywhere, even in this tub, as much as he wanted to kiss her, he also wished to scream and shout and ask her why a million times. Liam did not like feeling like this. If he had his way, he would have avoided this as it was too much for him to bear.
That was why he had deliberately been avoiding Wura. Liam did not like the emotions that were surfacing, he hated having to face them, but it was as if Wura was forcing him to.
He felt so betrayed; he wanted to know why and at the same time, he did not want to know why. It was like this was the greatest dilemma of his entire life and it was too hard for him to bear. He sniffed, he knew he could not stay in here forever.
He also could not stay silent forever. As hard as it was for him, he needed to get the answers he needed and he knew that now was the time.
...
Wura was startled when Liam walked out of the bathing room. She had been so enslaved by her thoughts that when he appeared in front of her, it was almost as if her soul left her body.
"Liam... you are done with your bath," she laughed sheepishly trying to keep herself calm. She knew she had just said something stupid. It was clear he was done with his bath, he had changed his clothes and he was now looking more refreshed than he was a few hours ago.
Liam said nothing, not because he did not want to, but for fear that he would just end up shouting... or worse, breaking down in tears.
Wura could sense his coldness, it was nothing new, the only difference now was that he did not seem as terrifying as he was. When he first walked in, he was just so chilly, that she would have shivered at his presence had the excitement of seeing him after such a long time had not washed over her.
"I asked that the maids bring you something light to eat," she was quick to say. She stood up from where she was seated and carried the tray in her hands to show him.
"I am not hungry," Liam forced himself to say with a frown.
"I know, but it is not good for you not to eat. You need your strength because you have so many important things to take care of, and I do not want you to faint from exhaustion or fatigue, Liam," she said softly.
Liam wanted to melt by her mere voice. Knowing that she cared about his wellbeing so much sparked something in him, but a very terrible memory, one that kept on recurring in his mind instantly killed off the little flame being rekindled in his soul.
"Why are you so concerned about me eating?" he asked.
"Because I know you need the strength, you need the warmth and you need the chance to be relaxed for once," Wura said.
"You sound so sincere," he said.
"That is because I am," she smiled.
Liam scoffed, "Is that so? Are you sure you do not just say that to every man who shows interest in you?". Liam did not know when those words came out, but they did before he could even stop them. He felt so terrible instantly after saying what he had said.
The smile on Wura's face dropped. Her heart shattered. It felt so terrible to hear those words he had said to her. She did not deserve it, although she had been unfaithful to him, but not to every man, she loved him and as absurd as it sounded, she remained so loyal to him even when she and Mero pursued an affair.
"I do not... I only worry about you... as hard as it is to believe..." she said softly. She turned around and placed the tray on the table. "You should eat... and then you can get some well deserved rest.".
Liam looked at the tray, he felt guilty for the words he had spoken to her. He knew her well, and she was not usually an unfaithful woman. He wanted to hear her side of the story, know her reasons and try to understand.
Wura walked to sit on the bed. She needed to calm herself down. She did not want to be upset with him, he had a right to spit out all the poison he had been keeping inside, she only wished it was not so lethal. She was unsure she could bear it if he continued like this.
Liam walked to the tray, he uncovered it and sat down on the chair nearby. He ate the meal, not because he wanted to, but because he felt that he owed it to Wura to eat.
Wura heard him uncover the tray. She smiled internally, although she was still very saddened by his words. She wished that she had not made a mistake, but she already make it, and all she wanted was a way to move on from it.
She did not care about the shame, the rumours or the gossip. She only cared about Liam forgiving her so they could continue their lives together.
Liam sighed internally. This was like a dream come true, to finally be in the same room as his wife, in the same kingdom and realm. However, his anger would not allow him truly enjoy this moment. He wanted to have her in his arms, hug her and hold her tight, tell her how much he loved her.
He had managed to show part of that when he held her in the valley, but after that moment, he felt himself detach from it all. he was simply just moving with the motions of life. In reality, he felt dead on the inside, and the only person who could revive him was sitting right there within his reach.
He did not want to take the step to approach her, he felt so wronged and he knew he had said tonight was the night to get the answers to the questions that had been swarming in his mind, but he suddenly did not feel like taking such a vulnerable step at this time. Indeed, he was tired, he simply wanted to sleep and forget it all.