Falling petals

Fallen Ill

He looked deeply into her eyes and she saw the sadness through them.

"I feel pain that even when I am beside you, you couldn't confide in me. That you couldn't trust me, and I'm disappointed in myself that you had to do so much on your own because I was not trustworthy enough."

"No! That's not true! I trust you, I care for you and believe in you! Just that everytime I've lost you and you end up suffering with me!"

She shakes her head to his words her voice shaky by her growing emotions.

"You where always beside me... in so many lives... yet in all of them I caused your pain and suffering.... I just couldn't let that happen in this life too.... I just couldn't..."

Her tears fell and she held his hands on hers. Her small hands was only big enough to hold the fingers and her hold was trembling but strong.

"I'm glad to know you love me as much as I love you Sakura. But I know one thing from all the possible lives you must have witnessed through your dreams. That I would do anything for you. That even if you see me with a bad end, what mattered to me was I was beside you to care for you as much as I can. You may not be my child of blood Sakura. But you are my child I had watched grow."

He held her in his arms when she began to hiccuping with tears. She rested in his hold and cried with relief. She was truly relieved he didn't despise her for what she did. She truly cared for him. And she knew she cared for them all, even if she tried not to. But at least she began to care for them not by the influence of other emotions, but by her own emotions.

"The same I can say for your father Sakura."

"..."

"I understand you had witnessed a tragic vision of your futures sent by the gods. But so much has changed, you had done well this last four years, you had been able to interact with your father and create a bond not by just sharing blood. Your father cares for you, at the beginning he kept a distance for your protection, but that all changed when he noticed that even if he showed favor or not, you would still be hurt by those with bad intentions. Now he protects you close to him. In all those lives had that ever happened?"

"... no."

"See? Your future is already changing so much. Maybe your half-sister will appear again, but this time your father understands you enough to know whatever lies are said about you, that it is not like you to harm someone without reason."

"..."

"Understand your father loves you as much as I do. He just had a bit of a late start because of those nobles around him and fear of your life being endangered. But he would never not love you."

"..."

She remained silent in his arms and he did not force her to speak or convince her anymore than he can. He just wants her to see on her own her fathers heart and hopes they can interact like how they were able to.

"... where is papa?"

He smiles happily to see her opening up again, even if it is a bit at a time.

"He is in his room resting."

"At this time? It is almost noon!?"

She moved to look at Raphael with widen eyes. Her father was always up earlier than her to finish a bit of papers before eating breakfast with her, then heading out to work on government affairs after that.

He had never stayed away from work. The only time it had occured if she has gotten sick and he watched over her until he was forced to head to work.

"He has been... unwell this past few days."