The Void of a Future King (mxm)

3. Wolves

I reached my right foot lower, feeling for a piece of rock that stood out. Once I had felt a slight edge I shifted some of my weight onto it. I took a breath, relieved to have made more progress and get closer to the bottom.

Suddenly, the rock collapsed beneath me, causing me to nearly loose the grip on the rocks that I had with my hands. My foot moved a mile a minute, looking for a place to rest. My heart beat sped up. Before I could regain my composure the rock beneath my other foot broke as well. The only thing that kept me from pummeling to the ground were my hands, carrying my entire body weight.

"Jump!"He shouted at me. I know that I can trust him. He wouldn't hurt me. He needs me just as much as I need him.

I pushed as hard as I could against the wall with my hands and feet. I felt my stomach drop as I began to fall backwards, unaware of what I was falling into.

And then I hit the surface.

"What do you mean, 'Prince Asher is sick'?"I asked the doctor to specify, considering she was being as vague as ever. Now is not the time, especially since she has me worried over here.

"He has an illness that will one day cause him to go loose his hearing. When babies develop it at a young age they are most likely to loose their hearing around 5 years of age but sometimes it will take as long at until he's a teenager or young adult. It varies for everyone."she explained to me, calmly.

How could she be so calm? She's just explained that the boy that should be king after me will loose his hearing. That my baby boy will grow up in a world without the wonder of music, hearing other people's voice, and any beautiful sound such as waves against rock or birds chirping. She's telling me he may have all of that, only for it to be stripped away from him. A mere child having to suffer the pain of loosing the ability to comprehend that aspect of the world around him. I would change places with him in a heartbeat but I can't.

"Is there any medicine? Any cure?"I asked, using all of the power in me to keep my composure and not scream in her face. It's not her fault that this is happening. I shouldn't take it out on her.

"As of right now, no. There's not. The best thing you can do for him is teach him sign language."

Arabella started bawling her eyes out, using her hands to cover her face. I could tell she was trying not to breath so hard but that only made her chest heave up and down even more. Her voice was so scraggly, her breathing sounding like a monster.

"Thank you. If you don't mind, we would like to be alone."I kicked the doctor out of our house, kindly. I could hardly stand to look at her, by no fault of her own. It's just that every time I look at her I'm reminded of my child's fate and I want to lash out at her but I can't. Not only is that rude of me but it would ruin my reputation as king.

I looked back at Arabella. Her cries have gotten no better. It pained me so deeply to see her this distraught. I had to be strong and take care of her and Asher from now on, like a good king and husband does. As she mourns for our son I will pay for a private tutor for the whole family so we could learn sign language.

For now, I just wrapped my arms around her body. She trembled underneath me. I rubbed my right hand up and down her back, trying to soothe her. It slowly started to work. She stopped shaking and her breathing was back to normal. Only a few tears were escaping her eyes now.

"It's ok, my love. Sleep."

I knew whenever she cried this much she got tired. Her sleep was an escape from all her pain, she once told me. I never understood it, considering when I was this uneasy I had nightmares. I did eventually understand, once I realized adventures were my escape from sadness and reality in general.