Part 5
To My Beautiful Eleanora
Who made the first move? Who knows. She had felt it happening, though. That shift in how they looked at each other. That need to be near each other. She saw it in his eyes anytime they touched for too long. It was the same look she had seen on some of the royal guards when they talked to the maids. She reveled in the hunger in the looks they shared. The ones that promised he would devour her whole, but she also feared it. She had never felt this way before, and she didn't understand what it meant. The only thing that did make sense to her was the fact that she wanted, no, needed to be close to him, and she'll admit that in their sparring sessions, she would purposely go for grapples just to feel him on her skin, and then one day it just.. happened.
They took it slow at first, only kissing now and again, but when he wanted to, Lycan could be sweet and thoughtful, and he'd leave her love notes, often expressing how he would some day marry her, or how he couldn't stop thinking about her. He was the sweetest person she knew, which is how a few kisses turned into him sneaking into her room and them making out whenever he got the chance, and by her 17th birthday, they weren't only openly dating, but they had made love, and were engaged to be married.
The upcoming wedding was the talk of the kingdom, and Eleanora couldn't help but feel giddy. The quick deterioration of her father had been the only thing people could talk about of late and before that was the birth of her baby, "brother." So she was happy to finally get some attention even if not all of it was good attention.
Whispers of succession had begun to dance around the halls of the castle, and she was certain that the people of Crescent Gamma had begun to whisper as well. With her father not leaving bed nowadays, the responsibility of the throne had somehow fallen onto her lap instead of her mother's, who after Eleanora was crowned as queen of all of Crescent Gamma, (a temporary position until her "brother" Bryson became of age) hadn't spoken a single word to her.
Eleanora played with the gold necklace her mother had given her at the coronation. It was the last time she had spoken with her mother. That day her mother had seemed... fine. Happy even, and yet she must've been hurt by father's decision more than she let on.
"Don't worry, Eleanora, I'm sure this... tantrum will pass, and your mother will realize her relationship with her daughter is worth more than sulking like a little girl." Lycan said reassuringly.
That got a smile from her. She had come to love his unfettered tongue. It was one of the only boyish things about him nowadays. He was all man. From the way that he looked, to the deepness of his voice, he was no longer the angry boy she had met three years ago, but she loved every inch of him, even more now that they had been with each other in such intimate ways.
Nowadays, he was the only one of her royal guards allowed to guard her while inside of the throne room, though he didn't do much guarding. Attacks on the royal family were basically nonexistent even before Lycan came into their ranks, making a name for himself as the "Fire Of The Sea." The people of Crescent Gamma were both terrified of his powers and awestruck by them. Even the royal guards were now being trained by him three times a week, and even though she had taken on a lot more responsibilities as the newly appointed queen, thanks to Lycans help with her queenly duties, she had been able to continue her own training sessions as well, (Even if they didn't get much training done).
"I'm not as optimistic as you are." She sighed, eying him hungrily. He was lying on steps that led to the royal thrones, like some kind of house cat. Even though they were engaged to be married in a few days, he had been adamant on not sitting in her father's seat while he was technically not king, and instead, he would stand (or lay) by her side or nearby the entire time, like her perfect knight.
He was showing off his ripped body today, wearing a sleeveless t-shirt and blue jeans cut into shorts, like some kind of commoner, but she had come to expect that from him. She had stopped trying to get him to wear proper attire when he sparred against Cresent Gamma's greatest hand to hand combatant, "Povak," in the very, very, very, expensive suit she had gotten him, and he showed up to her room that same night with a box full of her favorite chocolates in one hand, and the shredded up suit in the other.
"Keep staring at me like that, and we're going to consummate the marriage earlier than planned." He threatened in that way that always made her want to stop what she was doing and tear off his clothes with her teeth.
"Make me stop tough guy." She purred. She had found that she loved provoking him.
"Oh yeah?" He asked seductively, lifting himself up to a position resembling a puma ready to pounce.
And she was hoping to be pounced on.
"Yeah." Her answer came out breathy.
He didn't need to be told twice. He lept at her, and she let out an excited squeak, but before they got to do anything, a knock at the royal doors, followed by Syphon announcing himself, stopped their fun.
"Come in." She huffed.
Lycan groaned, pulling back, but only after pressing his impressive length up against her, instantly turning her to liquid.
The big double doors slowly opened, and Syphon walked inside a grave look on his face.
Eleanora got to her feet. A horrifying feeling quickly spread throughout her body, making her heart beat so sporadic that it hurt.
"Is it father?" She asked weaker than she wanted.
He nodded once. "His majesty... your father has begun the final stages of the "rupture," and Albert says it will only be a matter of time before..."
He looked away, and Eleanora would've dropped to her knees if it weren't for Lycan, who was apparently at her side once more, holding her up.
"I'm sorry, but if you want to see him again before.. it happens, we should leave immediately." Syphon said, once again looking at her.
"Take me to him!"
******
They had run into her sister, who had literally been running away from the room father was in. She barely acknowledged their existence and just continued running and crying. Mother was nowhere to be found.
They entered the room after being talked to by Albert. To be honest, she didn't listen to a word he was saying. She just wanted to see father, but as soon as Albert gave the green light and let them through. She wished that he hadn't.
It was like the life had been sucked out of him, leaving behind this husk of her father. His skin was no longer the sand brown she was used to. Instead, it was now a gravy gray, and his muscles had been deflated like balloons, not even leaving a hint of his old physique. All that was left was bone as if his body had been eating itself from the inside. His beard had been shaven, and he wasn't smiling or laughing his stupid laugh that always cheered her up.
She wanted to vomit. This was not her father. He was an imposter. That was the only possible explanation.
His eyes lifted a fraction, and she could see the blood in them as if he had ruptured a blood vessel. The signature of the "rupture."
She cursed the disease. The disease that only affected the Vitania bloodline; slowly eating away at their bodies after a certain age. It was different for each of them, and it was impossible to tell when it would start, but it had happened to every Vitania that didn't die from battle. There was no cure, the cause was unknown, and it was fatal one hundred percent of the time. What a despicable disease.
"My. Sweet... warrior.. princess." He spoke each word a battle to get out.
She whimpered and immediately regretted it. She wanted to be strong for him, to let him know that he didn't need to suffer anymore. To let him know that she'd be alright and that he could let go without fear or regret.
"Syphon." He strained to turn his neck to look the guard, who was trying his best to look as if he wasn't barely keeping it together.
"Yes, your majesty." Syphon said, pulling a blue box from out his pocket. He cleared his throat. "My lady, this is for you from his majesty. There is a letter inside."
She examined the box, playing with it in her hands before lifting up the lid. Inside was a golden bracelet that matched the necklace her mother had given her and a folded piece of paper.
She all of a sudden felt heavy, and her legs were threatening to buckle under the weight, but she swallowed and began reading.
To My Beautiful Eleanora
"Eleanora. Don't be too
mad that I'm not saying
this to you in person,
mostly because you get
scary when you're angry..."
"Preach." Syphon and Lycan said almost in unison as if it were planned. She gave a teary laugh. "Shut up, I do not."
Lycan and Syphon shared a look that clearly said "right," but she ignored them and continued reading.
"... but I'm very sick, so
I'm not saying all that
much nowadays, even
these sessions with Syphon
to transcribe this message
will be slow and difficult,
but I will not leave this
world without saying
goodbye to you and
your sister. I love you,
and no matter if I am
right next to you or
in the great beyond
with my father and
his father's father. No
matter the stormy
waters you might find
yourself in, the one
thing that I want you
to hold onto is that one
truth. That I love you. And
You will always be
my little Warrior
Princess."
She dropped both the box with the bracelet and the note. This was too much. She couldn't handle this. She couldn't. She wouldn't!
She turned towards the door and made a run for it but was intercepted by Lycan.
"Let go of me, Lycan! I can't be here right now! I have to go! Let me go!" She cried, clawing and punching at him. He took each blow but refused to even fight back, which infuriated her. He was this big, powerful dragon shifter who couldn't be hurt no matter what hit him, while she felt like she had just taken a fatal blow to her heart. He couldn't possibly understand.
He smiled down at her. "Do what you have to do to me so you can get over this momentary anger, but you aren't leaving this room. You will be by your father's side for his final hours even if I have to chain you to the damn bedside."
She glared up at him fury singing in her blood. "What do you know of the pain I am feeling!? What do you know of this endless pit of sadness I have just been thrust into!? Huh!? What do you know of any of it!? Tell me!"
He stared into her eyes, the empathy in his own never wavering. He slowly shook his head. "You're right. I don't know how you're feeling right now. You and your sister are the only ones who could possibly understand what you're going through right now, but I do know that I've sat up on to many sleepless nights wondering about who my father is, if he's even alive, and if he is does he even give a shit that I'm alive, or is he happy to be rid of a burden like me."
Her looked softened, and she lifted a hand up to his cheek.
"What I'm trying to say is that you actually know where your dad is, and he isn't some dick who abandoned you. He's been here, raising you and loving you the whole time. So I won't let you run out on him when he needs you the most. He doesn't deserve that, and I know for a fact that if I did, it would comeback to haunt you for the rest of your life, and I won't let that happen, because I love you too much to let it. So do what you need to do to me but you're not leaving this room."
She dropped her hands to her side. All of the fight had been knocked out of her, and she whispered. "You're right. I'll stay."
Father passed seven hours later, and I cried for a week straight.