The Sword Of A Princess

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

Life continued on, days passing like nothing. Lionel laid in his bed and I sat beside him on the same chair, in the same room, letting time pass like I was turning the pages of a book. Lionel did not wake. He remained in his stone like state through all the seasons and I sat with him feeling like I was becoming a part of that stone. I held his hand- not knowing if he felt it or not and slowly decayed beside him.

Having him here like this felt worse than not having him at all. As the months passed around us, we stayed constant- in our room.

Lionel had no other family, no mother or father, no siblings of his own- he came to us as an orphaned boy, taken under the wing of knights who now lay deep in the ground themselves. Being a knight was all Lionel ever wanted out of life and he served it better than anyone I knew. He was good, just and honourable, and every other courageous word could describe him. After living such a life, how could he end up as he was- a broken shell of a man that used to be.

"Athena, I've bought you dinner. You weren't at breakfast, you need to eat today." My mother's voice was soft and weary as she spoke.

I forced my head from the edge of the bed, ignoring the aching pain screaming in my back as I sat upright in the chair. My hand didn't leave his skeleton one. I glanced at the golden ear cuffs resting on the bedside table, ready to be worn again when he woke.

"I'm not hungry." I said looking back at her.

Mother pursed her lips and stepped further into the room holding the plate of food. She looked down at Lionel, at the metal burned into his jaw, the bandage covering his missing eye, at how thin his face looked.

"How is he?" She asked.

"The same." I tore my eyes back to his sleeping body. Even under the sheets you could see the bony parts of his body protruding from his frame. Lionel kept his height but looked like a thin doll made of porcelain.

"How are you?" Mother asked placing the plate of food on the table in the room.

"Fine." I kept watching him, his chest slowly but surely rising and falling with each breath. Telling me he was still alive within.

"Are you?" Mother questioned, I hesitated as I looked back at her. "Maybe we should get the doctor to look over you too."

"I am not the one confined to a bed." I said feeling nothing inside.

"But to a chair instead. You haven't left his side in eight months. I am worried about you, your brother is worried. I know there are plenty others in this kingdom who are also." Mother went on, she placed her hand on my shoulder.

"A doctor can't fix what isn't broken." I said to her, "I won't leave until he wakes."

"There is a chance Lionel wont wake, we've had over ten doctors look at him all of them have said the same thing."

"They're wrong." I snapped. "They don't know him."

Mother was silent for a moment, "Is this about Arthur?"

I looked at her, unable to control the expression on my face, "Waiting for Lionel to wake has nothing to do with him. If I were in this position I'd hope you would sit by my side until I woke. Lionel doesn't have anyone else. He has no proper family, that's why I refuse to leave him. I will not abandon him, not this time."

Mothers head lowered, saying nothing more she left the room- leaving the plate of food on the table to go cold.

"Please wake up Lionel. I need you." Only silence responded. I laid my head back down on the bed, clutching onto his hand. "I won't let you go, I promise you."