Twice Burned

Quinn

I paced around my room vigorously, my heels clicking against the hardwood floor like chalk against a chalkboard. The long, peacock feathered dress I was wearing trailed behind me as I walked, dragging across the floor, my wings out and draping over it. Long, curled brown hair over my shoulders and a tiara on my head, I flipped a wisp out of my face in frustration as I paced, faster and faster until it felt like I was running.

"Quinn, you need to settle down." I heard Nathan say from the door to our room. He leaned against the door frame with a long black cape across his shoulders and a sword at his side.

"How can I settle down, Nathan? My father is dying, and no one here knows why!" I screamed, not even pausing my pace.

"Maybe it's just time."

"He's only 130 years old, how could it be his time? Fairies live for hundreds of years, but he's no where near his time, Nathaniel!" I heard my voice crack and I paced faster, tears welling in my eyes.

Nathan walked over to me patiently and put his hands on my shoulders, stopping me from moving any more. I put my hands on my face, refusing to look at him.

"Honey, please, calm. It's not helping anyone to get worked up like this." He said, rubbing his hands up and down my arms. With my hands still on my face, I leaned forward onto his chest and silently cried, letting my entire body sag against him. The sword strapped to his waist pinched me closer, but I didn't care. He held me up, holding me in a hug.

"I can't do this. I can't do it, Nathan." I said in between sobs. My wings were still draped across my dress, but as I began to relax against him, I felt them fold into my back once again, disappearing from sight.

"I know, I know Quinn. But if you're going to get through this, you're going to have to stay calm. Getting riled up is probably not the best thing right now." Nathan said, letting me lean in his chest. 

I stayed there for a long time, crying against Nathan as we stood in the middle of our room together. After a while, Nathan helped me to the bed and we sat next to each other, and he held me close. 

My father was dying. I was Queen and Nathan was King, ruling an entire kingdom. My mother never left my father's bedside. I had to learn how to run a castle now, after five years of training with my father and now I had to learn how to do it without him. 

My father was suffering a very high fever, higher than any royal fairy has faced, and it wasn't connected to any other sickness. The doctors have no clue what had caused it, but my father was melting in his own body, and I was angry. I was angry at the doctors, who didn't even know what was going on. I was angry at the thing that was making my father die, his temperature rising without fault. But most of all, I was angry at myself.

I didn't know what to do. I had a kingdom to run, but I also had a family to take care of, and I didn't know how to do that. My mother was falling apart just as I was, and my husband, Nathan, stood by as my family and the doctors watched my father pass away. It wasn't fair. I could feel the anger in my fingertips, just aching to get out. 

Not even magic could help my father.

A few minutes later, Nathan took my shoulders and pulled me away from him. I was a mess as I sat up, mascara rolling down my cheeks.

"Quinn, it's going to be alright." Nathan said. "It's going to be okay, you know how I know?"

"How?" I groaned.

"Because you are Queen Quinn of Fluttershy, and she can do anything. Including getting through this." He replied, his voice light. I snorted and playfully slapped his chest.

It was quiet for a while, before I finally looked up into his eyes. "Thank you."

"I love you." Nathan said. I smiled and bent over, kissing him.

"I love you too." I whispered.

Suddenly, there was a knock at our door and I turned to see a guard in the open doorway. 

"I'm sorry, your majesties, but there's been a change in your father's health." He said, looking worried. "I'm afraid it's taking a turn for the worse."

I stood quickly and ran over to the door. The guard fairy got out of my way, and I could hear Nathan following behind me, but I didn't care as I unfolded my wings and dashed down the hallway on them. I could hear the wind of how fast I was going in my ears, almost as loud as the blood pumping through my head and heart.

Nathan was right behind me as we turned corners of the castle to get to my father's suite where he laid. As soon as we got there, I touched down on my heels and quickly made my way over to the bed. I felt Nathan land right behind me and put a hand on my shoulder.

My father laid on his bed, white as snow except for the redness in his cheeks from the fever. He could hardly move from his position, so it took a great deal of effort to turn his head to see me. My mother sat on the other side of his bed, holding his weak hand. She looked tired, like she hadn't slept for days. My father looked to me, and slowly a smile began to form on his lips. 

"My child," he said, "Quinn."

"Hello Father." I replied, trying to choke back more tears. Then I turned to the maid at the end of his bed, a yellow jewel on her forehead. "How are his vitals?" I asked.

"Not good. The fever is getting higher, it could potentially shut his body down at any moment." She said, her face solemn and sad. She looked down at the floor, a bow of her head as she backed away. I noticed her face, one I don't think I had ever seen. She had short brown hair and a long jaw, her eyes almost pink. But one thing that caught my eye, was the red and silver pendant around her neck, a simple jewel surrounded by what looked like rose thorns.

"Quinn," He interrupted, and I looked back to him. His voice was hoarse and weak, like his throat was on fire. Sweat bubbled from his forehead, around his seafoam blue jewel, and down his face, the fever higher than ever. "Quinn, my darling, I love you so very much."

"I love you too, Father." I smiled, trying to bring him any sort of comfort.

"I've seen the woman you've become, so strong and capable of so much greatness. I am so proud of you."

"Thank you." I said, a tear escaping. "Father, please, hold on until we can figure out what's going on. I don't want you to leave me. Please, hold on."

"I have held on, I truly have. But it's time for me to let go, Quinn. It's just time." He said, beginning to cough.

"I refuse to believe that, Father." I said, suddenly angry. Hot tears fell from my face, but I could imagine not as hot as his body temperature. 

"Quinn," My mother finally spoke, "Don't make this worse."

"How can you say that when you're watching your husband die?" I almost screamed. I felt my father grab my hand.

"Quinn, please, let me at peace." He said. I clenched his palm in mine.

"I can't, Father. I....can't do this without you. I need you to help govern the people." I said, not even caring if I cried anymore. "I need you with me, Daddy."

My father smiled with tears now running down his own hot cheeks. "And I need you to love me, and to let me go. I love you, Quinn."

Nathan's grip on my shoulder tightened as my father wheezed through the words. I bit my lip with my sharp teeth, not caring if my lip tore open.

"I love you too, Daddy." I said. A sob escaped my mouth a few moments after, looking between my father, my mother, and Nathan. Then another, and another....

.....as I watched the color drain from my father's jewel, and the light went out in his eyes.