The Dragon Empress

Chapter 38: Pretend Sadness

(Well, we are longer than the original!) 

I woke up the next morning with Madeline in my arms, she was snuggling into the blankets beside me, she had her eyes closed but she had a small smile on her face so I knew she was awake. I pulled her closer to my body, and kissed her cheek, I saw her blue eyes open. 

"Good morning, my beautiful empress, did you sleep alright?" I asked her. She blushed, I knew she loved it when I called her my empress. 

"Good morning, Mr dragon emperor, I slept good, thank you, how about you?" 

"I also slept well, thank you." I interlaced our fingers. 

She gave a smile, "I am so glad I am here with you, and not in that miserable apartment." 

"I am too, I missed you..." 

"You did?" 

"Yes, I did." I kissed her forehead lightly, I am so happy that she is in my arms, away from harm. I looked at the time, "They will be here soon... do you have any blush?" 

"Yes... why?" "I want to make it look like I have been crying," 

"Ah smart! Yes, I have some. Um also, where will I hide?" 

"I don't know, somewhere no one will look..." 

"Well, I could hide in the closet in my room..." 

"I hate for you to..." 

"It's fine, as long as they think I am dead." 

"Ok, can you grab the blush please?" 

"Yea let me get it," She got up and got it for me.

I went into the bathroom and did my 'makeover' I smeared some blush under my eyes, and put drops in my eyes, to make it seem like I was crying. "I will come to get you when they leave, ok?" 

"Ok sounds good. Oh, Ryuga! You look so sad!" 

"Well that's good," I smiled at my tiny little girlfriend. Once they leave I really need to help her get better. "Alright, they should be here any minute." She nodded, I hugged and she went into the closet.

"Ryuga we are here!" I heard Gingka yell, I got back into my bed, and pushed the thoughts of Madeline being dead into my mind, they walked into my room, "Ryuga, how are you today?" 

I didn't even say anything as they entered, they knew I was awake and walked over to me.  

"You look miserable..." I slowly sat up and grabbed my phone, opened Madeline's text, and read it to them. Real tears welling in my eyes as I am reading it again.  

My voice was shaky, that wasn't fake, the thought that this was at one point real."'Dear-dear Ryuga, you have made me feel so-so loved, I just want to tell you that I love you and good-goodbye, I have decided to kill myself, I don't have anyone to turn to for help, I was better off in the village. I have fallen into depression. Don't try to stop me, there is nothing else for me. I will see you in heaven, my friend. Love-Madeline.'" 

They all gasped, and I just stared blankly, trying to stop the tears. 

"Madeline-she is dead?!" Madoka asked. I just nodded and thanked God that she wasn't. "That is terrible! Do-do you know h-how?" Madoka spoke, I 'thought' a little.

"She j-jumped off a cliff, I-I'm pretty sure of this because I knew she-she loved a certain spot on a cliff I used to t-take her to..." They lowered their heads and were silent for a little while.

"Is there anything we can do for you?" 

"N-no... I don't think so, I just want to be a-alone for a little, you can come again later or something..." I replied sadly, 

"What are you going to do?" 

"I don't know, I just don't want to think about Madeline being dead, I miss her so much... she brought me love that I haven't felt ever since I was taken from the village, and now I know I won't feel that love ever again... I-I was wrong!" I began shaking, "I was wrong not to listen to her when she begged me to! I know it was Kyoya who kissed her, I-I know she didn't love him and she was SO heartbroken when I yelled at her, I could see it in her eyes. That look of pain still haunts me. It wasn't her fault! I put her through hell! I made her kill herself, it's because of ME! I-I am so cruel! How-how could I have done this to the person I love so much?!" My fake tears now fell from my face they were pushed out by real ones.

It was my fault that she hurt herself the way she did, it was because of me, my words were true, at least most of them, she was alive... I had hurt her deeply and somehow she-she still cared about me, she is still here. She may be a lot more cautious around me, but I know she is there. I love her will all my heart and I will never let her go again. 

Madoka and Gingka both were speechless at my words.

"R-Ryuga I-I don't know what to say... I'm so sad she's dead, but I still feel like she may have kissed Kyoya." Madoka told me, Gingka took a deep breath, did he agree with Madoka? 

"Do you still want to be alone?" He asked 

"Y-yeah, I just need some t-time to think...." 

"Ok, we will leave." Gingka dragged Madoka out of my room. They walked out, I couldn't believe that they still hated Madeline, it was just heartless, she was dead to them, and they didn't care, that made me mad.