The Ugly Prince

Chapter Twenty- Seven Tears and Pleading Love ~ part Three

Guiding Drake back down on the cold stone slab, she could see him gasping for air whilst groaning in pain. Did she see the startling black marks creeping up his neck, slithering underneath his mask of fur, feathers and thorns. Unconsciously she touched the dark marks cautiously until it began to spread back down to his chest, "what's happening to you?" she asked in alarm.

He freed his clenched hand away from his chest and cupped her cheek caressing it tenderly with his thumb, ignoring the next small gasp of shock from her lips as he revealed his now marked hands. "Shhh. Everything is alright" he lied, his voice now no more than a whisper.

"No it isn't" she answered back waving her head side to side; while she held his hand against her cheek. "We need to get you help. Perhaps Rosa can­-"

He cut her off from her false hope as he waved his head; his breathing shallow but quick, "Juliana. It's too late" he replied.

"No!"

"Juliana-"

"NO!" she cried again. Refusing to believe that this was the end, she shook her head in disbelief as tears fell from her eyes. She felt the pleasant touch of his thumb brushing her cheek yet again slowly reaching down to brush her lips.

"I love you" he confessed, his voice barely a whisper as he continued to gasp for air. Her hand above his own; moved slightly above his until their fingers intertwined on her cheek. "I fell in love with you the moment we meet. The day you walked into my lonely life. I never thought that I would ever see the day to experience the love I feel for you. You are the greatest treasure I would ever find." He groaned in pain, his eyes growing heavy as he swallowed hard at what he about to ask. "If I were to ask you something unexpected would you answer it?" He asked almost desperately.

"Yes" she nodded still holding his hand against her cheek.

"Perhaps in another time, would you have married me? If I were you ask you for your hand in marriage?"

She didn't need to think on her answer, "Ye-" she went to say. But before she could completely say it, his eyes were closed shut as his last breath escaped his lips. His hand on her cheek slide down from her face; landing down by his side on the stone slab, his chest now completely still. He was gone.

He watched his Prince's hand slip down from the fair maiden's cheek that now lay unmoving by his Prince's side. He watched the poor maiden clutch on to his shirt and shoulders trying to stir him, until the shaking turned into desperate as she cried his name, begging him to come back. Pleading him to wake up and not to leave her as she laid her teary stricken face on his unmoving chest, her fingers unconsciously borrowing into his shirt crying loudly, sobbing her heart out.

So long had he kept onto that small slither of hope. Never believing that their Prince was dead. To had finally found him and fought by his side not long ago, now lay still and lifeless before him. left him unable to say a word or have the will to move. She had won in the end. She had taken that small array of hope even in death.

He was unable to look away until he heard a muffled sound from in front of him, coming from the maiden of Autumn. Looking down at her, he found her shaking vigorously; her hands tightly over her mouth. Her eyes like his a moment ago unable to look away, wide and full of shock as if she could not believe what she had just witnessed. She muffled what he believed were sobs as tears began to fall, coating her cheeks and hands. She like he had not moved away from the shrubs that she hovered over. He watched her silently as she began to come out of her own trance to discover foreign tears as they fell even heavier, as she hopelessly tried to wipe them away. With her lips now uncovered she could no longer hold in the sobs that escaped from her, while she stared at the wetness of her hands in confusing as if she had never cried before.Her own breakdown broke the paralysis over his body as he wrapped his arms around her, and unbeknownst to her did she unknowingly turn around into his embrace as she continued to sob and relentlessly cry into his tunic as he held her close; his hand stroking her soft hair in a helpless soothing gesture.