The Last

The soft and mournful music drifted through the silent streets of the capital city. A single black horse-drawn carriage dutifully marched an ornate black coffin through the crowded cobblestone streets. No one spoke a word, pressed shoulder to shoulder as their former ruler passed by. Walking just behind the carriage was her husband, their King, followed by their children.

Amira had protested attending the march, but Caldwin insisted. He wanted her there, needed her support, so she obliged. Several paces behind the royal family the Princess stayed close to Rollo, the train of her black dress trailing behind the pair, his arm wrapped casually but protectively around her shoulders. She wore the clothes Caldwin provided for her, traditional for their people, a simple black dress with a high neckline and sleeves. A black veil accompanied the otherwise plain outfit and covered her hair and face completely. She was glad for the privacy. She did not want the people to see her guilt.

It rolled around in her gut, discomfort growing the longer the day stretched on. She clung to the reassurance Caldwin had given her, that it wasn’t her fault, but she couldn’t help but blame herself. She had killed people before, bad people, and his mother certainly wasn’t a good person, but she saw the pain in the king’s eyes. She knew that pain all too well, and for that, she was ashamed.

The procession approached the cemetery, a patch of green in the otherwise gray day. Rain could be smelled in the air, but for now, it refrained from falling. The carriage came to a halt, and the coffin was carried to the pre-dug grave by soldiers dressed in white. The royal family and a select few were the only ones allowed into the cemetery. The Queen’s children and her husband gathered around the coffin as a priest gave a brief speech. Amira watched alongside Rollo from where they remained by the entrance of the cemetery. The Princess leaned into her friend who offered her shoulders a small squeeze of reassurance.

Rain began to fall as the guests began to peel away from the grave at the conclusion of the ceremony. Caldwin was one of the first to leave, followed by his siblings the Crown Prince approached his mate directly, his features dark. The emotions behind his eyes were unrecognizable. Rollo stepped back, hands falling to his side and gaze averting, looking towards the city’s skyline.

Caldwin didn’t speak, he simply held out a hand for Amira, gaze looking to hers expectantly. Like everyone else, he wore an all-black suit simply made and not bearing any of his typical ornate embroideries. The Princess stepped forwards slightly and took his outstretched hand quietly. Her thumb ran along the back of his hand as he guided them out of the cemetery back to the streets of dispersing citizens. Rollo followed them like a silent shadow, his presence hardly noticed as he kept watch over the two people he cared about the most on the entire planet.

Cal was focused, his gaze fixed straight ahead as he led her through the city, away from the castle. Confusion had Amira’s golden eyes narrowing as she looked up to Caldwin through her veil.

“Where are we going?” She asked, attempting to mask the worry in her tone. She had never seen him like this, so dead and unreachable. “Cal?” She asked again after a few more moments of silent walking, her concern becoming more visible.

“Just…” The Prince paused looking down to Amira by his side, holding her hand tightly. His dark hair was plastered to his forehead as the rain rolled down his chiseled features. “Trust me.” He asked of her and she nodded slightly in acceptance as the two continued on their way. They approached the edge of the city and passed through the massive stone gates without anyone stopping them. Amira’s gaze continuously swept around them taking in everything as she walked. She had never been in this part of the city before, let alone outside its limits. She glanced over her shoulder to see Rollo stopped at the gates watching them head into the forest.

‘You aren’t coming?’ Amira asked him confusion only growing,

‘I don’t think you’re going to want me to… enjoy Princess, I’ll be here when you return.’ His reply was quite unhelpful and she could have sworn she detected a note of longing sadness in his tone, but Amira didn’t have time to think on it as she had to turn her attention back to where they were going, watching her step now as they made their way through the dense woods. Her free hand moved to sweep her veil up over her face so she could see better, the dark mesh having made it nearly impossible.

They must have reached some invisible marker because Caldwin suddenly stopped, turning to face her he smiled softly, his hand slipping out of hers reaching up to gently cup her face.

“Close your eyes,” he instructed.

“Cal I don’t-”

“Shhh-” he gently placed a finger over her lips, “-don’t argue, Close your eyes.” Amira desired greatly to argue with him over this. Close her eyes? In the middle of the woods? What were they even doing out here, it was insane. Yet she found herself reluctantly obeying after glaring at him quite pointedly displaying how she felt about all this.

A startled yelp slipped past her lips as he swept her off her feet unexpectedly, eyes flying open to see his mildly amused gaze only inches from hers.

“What did I say?” The Prince warned the tone of his voice sending shivers climbing up her spine. Amira shut her eyes tightly almost bracing as if expecting an impact. Instead, the Prince chuckled softly lifting her slightly higher to place a feather-light kiss on her forehead. “Good girl,” he murmured.

If she wasn’t flustered before, she certainly was now. Her skin tingled and burned wherever they touched and she had to make a conscious effort to keep the blush she felt rising to her cheeks hidden. The forest was quiet as he carried her through it, the rain softly pattering through the leaves creating a sort of background noise that hid all the rest. After a short while, Caldwin was carefully setting Amira back down on her feet.

“Can I open my eyes now?” She asked feeling him move away from her,

“Just a second… okay, go ahead,” Amira blinked open her eyes to find a small grassy clearing before her. The willow trees were beautifully in bloom around the surrounding edges, and in the center was a white blanket, with a picnic basket underneath a small white canopy to protect them from the rain that had them both already thoroughly soaked by now. On the northern edge of the clearing the trees opened up to reveal a plunging cliff below and beyond that cliff laid his city, obscured by a gentle fog.

Cal stood under the canopy, pushing his soaked hair back off his forehead and grinning at her sheepishly, “surprise” he said softly not needing to be loud here in the quiet of the woods.

“What-I-” The Princess stuttered at a loss for words.

“I hope this is suitable, your specifications were not much to go off of″ the Prince began as Amira slowly approached joining him underneath the canopy, “but it’s out of the castle, someplace where we will be uninterrupted…” He bent down to open the picnic basket that had been left there, “and I brought your favorite foods and drinks so-”

“It’s perfect,” Amira cut him off as he straightened back to his full height, “Thank you” she murmured softly remembering when she had requested this of him. It felt as if it were ages ago, after everything that had happened, he still remembered. Her eyes shone with an unnameable emotion and before she could even think to cry he spoke interrupting her thoughts.

“Let’s eat shall we?” Caldwin offered, tilting his head slightly in an invitation to sit. Amira nodded in acceptance and carefully sat down on the blanket fingers sliding into its thick soft fur-like fabric. Cal sat down as well, his dark eyes never missing a detail, noticing her discomfort he smiled faintly, “allow me” he offered casting his magic towards her, a delicate blanket of flame surrounded her for a few brief moments sweeping over her clothing and gently brushing along her face and hair. The flames did not burn her, instead, they dried her and warmed her skin to a more comfortable temperature.

Amira lifted her arm, turning her hand over as she watched his flames envelop her body. It was so beautiful and so very controlled. Her golden eyes lifted to meet his.

“You’ll have to teach me how to do that,” she said

“Do what?” He asked slight confusion entering his tone,

“Control it,” Amira admitted as his flames vanished after drying the two of them. “I learned very little growing up, what I can remember are only bits and pieces…my magic its… feral and the reason why-”

“Of course I will help you,” Caldwin cut her off before she could finish the sentence. His mother’s funeral had just come and gone, he didn’t want to linger on the topic. A soft sigh left the Princess’s lips and she nodded quietly in thanks.

“So much has happened…” The princess began trailing off as she looked towards the horizon. “I don’t know where to start,” she added with a light laugh shaking her head slightly thinking back on everything that had happened in the past year. A year ago she was defending her town against Rue and his men, being sentenced to death by the very queen they laid to rest 6ft under earlier today. Her thoughts were brought back to the present as Cal reached out to take her hands gently in hers.

“Why don’t we just start over then?” Caldwin suggested with a soft gaze as amira nodded slightly in agreement. “Hi, my name is Caldwin Ahmad Crown Prince of Heliki, it’s a pleasure to meet you”

“Hello Caldwin,” Amira said with an easy smile leaning into his shoulder as she closed her golden eyes gently listening to the sound of his heart and the rain falling on the canopy above,

“My name is Amira.”

--The end--

Stay tuned for the next book!

(and some updates I’m planning on editing some chapters heavily)