Tale as Old as Time

XVI

I shoveled the roof of a three storied house once. The roof was slippery and I fell of. I landed in the snow and I was unharmed but the shock of the fall left me lying in the snow, completely paralyzed by my own head and wracked with the solid surface betraying me.

And that same feeling fills me as I stand in this room with strangers and the future.

Aurelia comes down from the stage and is jabbering on with Thomas about the city and the voyage and how they can prepare so they can make the wedding. The queen and her associates are murmuring softly to each other. And no one notices that I'm suffocating.

Thomas does see me. He glances over his shoulder at me and his excitement falls as he rushes to my side. He takes my hands in his and his blue eyes plead to me.

"Elise my love, are you alright?" He asks. I open my mouth but no sound comes out. Aurelia stands behind Thomas's shoulder and looks at me with concern.

"What happened Thomas?" She asks him.

"I don't know," he brushes her off. "Elise are you okay? Come with me, we'll step outside."

Aurelia takes a step with Thomas as he leads me out of the room but he stops her.

"If you could just wait a moment," he says politely.

My limbs feel stiff as I walk and I'm not quite sure it's my body making the motions. Out in the hall, I crumple to the ground, falling into Thomas's arms. He lowers us to the ground, leaning his back against the wall as he cradled my corpse like body. He wraps his arms around my, securing me in his lap, my cheek pressed to his shoulder and his steady heartbeat bringing me back to life. I take a shuddering inhale, the haze in my mind clearing. Thomas drags his fingers through my hair and says nothing, just holds me. When I pull myself from his lap and settle in the crock of his arm at his side, the prince eyes me with weary eyes.

"Thank you," I whisper, resting my head on his shoulder. The woven material of his sweater is scratchy against my skin.

"Of course," he answers. It seems as if he wants to ask more but keeps silent.

"You can go to Sierra without me," I tell him. Thomas shifts, leaning back and staring at me with shock in his startling eyes.

"I thought you wanted to travel," he looks so disappointed.

Aurelia travels.

"I do. I just... don't know if I'm ready," I sigh out. I'm sorry if that makes you like me less. I amend my admission quickly. "It's just a lot, you know?"

Thomas gets a faraway look. "Yeah I understand."

"You can still go," I assure him again. He smiles down at me but there is nothing behind it. It's completely empty.

"I couldn't leave you," he says but I can see the pain behind his words. I am a weight, a giant iron clamped around his ankle. Tying him down and keeping him from the things he loves.

Go to her. Go love her and be happy I want to say but I can't bring myself to let go of him just yet.

"I told Raven is go see her," I softly lie. Thomas doesn't stop me as I push out of his embrace and leave him slumped over in the hallway.