Ike Penworthy

Chapter |~ 22

Livery stared around her at the landscape below and beyond. The openness of her prison was what would kill her. The height of the tower, the beauty of the mountains and trees, all would be her doom.

Not the man standing over her, commanding attention she didn't want to give. Not the sound of steal ringing or the blood rushing in her ears. No, death is beautiful and hers would be too.

"You're still such a beauty." Crest said, kneeling before her, trying to catch her eye. But she only saw the sunset. Only felt the wind. Only heard the singing of birds. "I loved you once upon a time." Crest scoffed, dropping back onto his heels, the sword clattering as he released it. "Such a tragic way to begin a book. Such a tragic way to end one. Happily ever after... Ha! Only men strong enough to fight for what they want live forever. Not cowardly princes who send monsters to do their jobs."

"Like you." Livery whispered. Her voice was a soft caress of wind against stormy clouds.

"No." Crest reached out, grasping her face and finally gaining her gaze. "No. The battlefield is my home. I tried to show you that. I tried to let you in and see the real me." His hands dropped, anger stirring in those black eyes. "But you ran! You abandoned me!"

Livery shook her head. There were tears in her eyes but she didn't feel sad, or angry, or scared. She felt resolved. "You abandoned me, Crest. When you killed my friends and burned their homes. You left me to watch. To mourn alone. You left me!" Maybe she was feeling angry, but it wasn't at the man before her. It was at the man in the past. "I loved you." She said so quietly the ground strained to hear it. But Crest heard it. The darkness in his gaze weakened. She didn't remember black eyes when she thought of her best friend. She only recalled joyful blue ones. But it seemed they were gone; dead. Just like her fiancé. Just like her friends and loved-ones. Dead.

Once more Crest held her face, his thumbs stroking her cheeks. She looked so sad. Her eyes were wet, but no tears falling. Her lips were trembling, but there wasn't a sound escaping her.

"Will you ever forgive me?" His question stirred the strange air around them. Her body shook.

"I'm not the one you need to ask forgiveness of."

He sneered. "She does not deserve an apology from me."

"Then you will never earn mine." Livery pushed his hands away and curled in on herself, looking once more at the beauty around her and forgetting the man watching her with black eyes of rage.

©JJHays2017

[Note]: Hmm... what do you think is going to happen?

Do you feel loved?

JJ

08.21.17

[Ps]: I'm so sorry. I had over three hundred people at my place for the eclipse and completely forgot to upload this chapter. I hope you forgive me.