King of Shadows: Of Blood and Tears

Chapter 29: The Dancing of Memories III

From his perch on the hand of the Ancient white tree, Maximus observed memories swirling around him, transforming into water butterflies.

He grabbed one, and it crept into his mouth, splashing down his throat. His mind went blank, and he was there, with his grandfather, but only as a shadow creeping.

Lethivian was lying there, sleepless about what was to come. Next to him lay a beautiful woman with dirty blonde hair and undeniable light. She had just opened her eyes, locking them with Lethivian.

"Please don't do this; please don't leave us for that fool's errand." She whispered in his ear. His eyes strayed from hers, staring blankly at the ceiling above.

"You know I have no choice; it is my duty to fight for my people and to fight for you. Mirgahnaeth is gone, but his followers still grow."

Standing from the warmth of his bed, he listened to the sounds of comfort as if they were beckoning him, reminiscent of the enchanting melodies of sirens. He began to walk towards his sword, marked with the same runes Max had found in the forest. As he picked it up, his wife sat up with an air of disappointment glistening from her brown eyes.

"You do have a choice–you are not risking your life for me, or your people. You are doing it to prove something you are not. How can you not see this?" Her words were soft, yet seemed to stab his heart, nonetheless.

"You do not know of what you speak. You know nothing of what I do for you, for us, and for our future. I am a bloody king, and I must do my job. This is a sacrifice that need be made." He yelled, looking back at her, sword in hand.

"If you love me, you would not do this; you know you cannot win this war. You know you will not come back to me." She cried, walking towards Lethivian, gripping his sword hand as hard as she could, veins bursting. He pulled away, turning his back towards her.

"What is love to you then? Cowering from our people to be here with you? Leaving my men to die so I may live? That is not love, nor is it honor. Love is the exact reason I am doing this. Love is sacrifice; it is something so rare and achieved so little that when you can finally grasp it, you embrace it. You fight for it, and do everything in your power to keep hold, no matter the circumstances." King Lethivian paused for a moment, setting his silver sword down against the wall.

"What would you have me do?" He asked, turning to face her once more with a subtle annoyance.

"I understand why you feel this way. But you are my home, and without you in this world, I do not know how I shall survive. My heart will shatter like fragile glass, irreparable and scattered in a million fragments." She wept quietly, watching Lethivian wipe at the tears rolling down her cheek.

After slowly kissing her forehead goodbye, he went for his sword, cautiously walking towards the door.

"It is time for me to leave my queen...I love you. I will see you again–and no matter what, I will never be gone, whether it is in this life or the next."

The king walked out and joined his brother and his knights, marching to what seemed now to be a pointless matter. He could feel his heart growing heavy, and all he could think about was her smile fading into sadness. A smile that could light up an entire solar system...A smile he had just left for something he was now struggling to believe in.

The king, his brother, and their marching army finally reached the doorstep of their enemies after three long days. The battlefield was an open grassland that went on for miles; elves lined up, the sun and wind penetrating what little armor they had.

His brother, Caspian, walked up and down the line, thinking of what speech he would give before the gruesome bloodshed.

"In this moment, we gather to defeat our foes, leaving no trace of compassion in our hearts. We will fight with honor and the hope to go back home, back to our families, and the cherished moments with them that have not yet been given to us." Caspian cheered while lifting his sword above his head.