This chapter is dedicated to MyEden who told me about an awesome song that fits Elizabeth's story perfectly!! :D it's called goodbye my love by Ailee! Check it out after you read this chapter, let me know what you think? It fits perfectly there.
Also when you are reading the 'memory' check out the song I posted Hero by Nickleback ->
Disclaimer! Mine mine all mine!
Goodbye...
I didn't care about what was going on until I saw Lindsay run towards me screaming "He's awake! He's awake!"
Instantly I knew who she meant. David was finally awake. He had lost too much blood and although Lindsay had saved his life by pulling the bullet out with her magic no one could explain why he had gone into a coma. Mike said it was due to his body trying to recover but it was very rare for Vampires who had special healing powers. Especially as the Crown Prince, David's healing was better than most which surprised us even more as to why he wasn't waking up. Mike said it was something so rare that he hadn't even read about it in books. In his defense there's not much he could know in all these years about the Royal family. After all, the only other Royal family before the Salvatore's was mine. I doubt my family or as a matter of fact David's would not have gone through nearly enough to have scientific cures to rare diseases for Royals. Nor would anyone want to be a guinea pig.
By the second week everyone had almost given up except us, his immediate family. How could we give up?
I don't know about the others but I used to visit him every day with the newspaper and daily updates. There was so much happening around us anyway.
Ever since the incident I felt everyone would look at me with accusing eyes. In my heart I knew they were accusing me of forcing David to pull the trigger on himself. But they did not yet know that he did it for someone who was going to die eventually.
I rushed towards his room when I found out through Lindsay that he had been asking about me after waking up but since I was in the operations room no one could come get me.
My palms were very sweaty as I made my way to my destination.
Mike stopped me midway. "Not now Mike." I pushed him away but he stepped in front of me, blocking my way again. Annoyed I said "What?"
"You are needed in the operating room, they got the information they wanted from Charlie about Daniel. He is cooperating fully."
"I don't care. David's up and he's asking for me. He can take it from here."
"He needs time to recover. You will reign till he is able."
No. He needs to see me. He needs to see that the girl he almost died for is alive and well. But I couldn't say that.
The distress was evident from my face so Mike let a sigh out and put his hand on my shoulder "I have to go check up on David anyway I will text you his update, and I wouldn't have gotten you if it wasn't urgent. You have to go."
I nodded. I wanted to cry. Nobody said it was easy to rule a kingdom.
Putting my duty ahead of me, something I appreciate more in David now, I put one step after the other, ahead of me, back towards the direction I had just come from.
The sooner I get done with this hunter business the better.
"I'm here. Update me on why I was needed so urgently." I said to the people around the conference room.
"We asked Charlie for intelligence he had gathered over the last day or so and more specifically about your friend Daniel." He said friend with such distaste it made me want to cringe but it was a sign of weakness so I stood my ground, calm and cold, just as I had imagined David would do.
"Go ahead."
"You said you wanted a way to extract him, but the only problem seems to be that he isn't a prisoner."
"What do you mean?"
"He is Murdock's right hand man. He is there from his own volition. He is right in the center of it."
Murdock was the leader, the hunter who led them all. "How is this possible?"
He shrugged "Don't know why he's with them but he's their source of all the information they have on us. It is why their last attack was so successful. For 500 centuries this castle has never been known to the hunters and now they know every detail of it because of you. He was here with your friends and knows every place and our weaknesses. We are more vulnerable to the hunters than ever before." He took a threatening step forward. "We won't send in men to get him because our men don't deserve to die because of him. Charlie says Murdock doesn't even call as many shots as Daniel. Daniel decides when and where to attack, who to kidnap and how to execute the plan. He is in charge of the hunters now for all we know. The hunters have never been so focused and organized. Daniel is highly motivated to annihilate us and this is all because of you!" he took another step forward even though Demitri asked him to not take another step. "You are the reason we will see our downfall. You are the reason we don't have Prince David standing there leading us. You are the reason behind the hunters having such dangerous information. You don't deserve to stand there in his place. I will not follow you!"
All hell broke loose after that. The men fought with each other; those who agreed and those who didn't. I was evacuated from there by David's guard Demitri before the fight got a chance to get to me.
The things he said... they really got to me.
"Don't worry Ms. Mason" Demitri said in a deep voice that matched his persona. It was the first time I had seen him talk "These kinds of things happen all the time."
I nodded feeling weary and teary. "Thank you Demitri, that's very kind of you to say. Can you take me to the horses? I think I want to take Sly out for a ride."
"Ma'am Sly..."
I looked at him questioningly "What about Sly?"
"After you moved away from the castle, the horse stopped eating because the prince seemed too disturbed. Prince David set him free but he wouldn't go. Ma'am he died."
Sometimes it felt reality was too hard to handle. Sly had been the only thing David loved before me. He had let me go but Sly... Sly shared a bond with David like no other. It must have been devastating for David. He should have told me. I would've tried to be there for him. Sly was a remarkable horse. I still remember the first time I rode him or the first time I fell into his cage when David saved me.
Why does death surround me like shadow waiting to strike?... Shadow... It was dark, I had to get to David. I saw the text Mike had left for me. It read, 'All is well, he weak and needs bed rest for at least a week.'
By the time I got there and quietly entered the room David had gone back to sleep. He looked so calm yet tired, like a child who's exhausted from all the jumping around. Keisha had been in the room sitting in the chair next to the bed David lay on and looked at me with an annoyed expression. She gestured that I should be quiet.
"Why are you here so late?" she whispered to me signaling me outside.
When we reached outside I replied "I just got free so I wanted to check on David, he had asked for me."
"Oh so now you get time to see him? He asked for you hours ago. Have you seen the time? Come see him tomorrow at a more reasonable time. My fiancé needs to rest. Goodbye." She closed the door slowly.
Watching the door close, I wanted to scream at her. I wanted to ask her where she was when he was in a coma. But I said nothing. What could I say to the one who was David's future? Instead I put one foot in front of the other and made my way to my room as tears fell down my face.
Everything was falling apart. I felt that I needed to be happy, happy because David was alive and he would be well, but in light of this new information about Daniel, confirmation of how everyone blamed me for everything bad, I just could be happy.
This burden on my shoulders was too heavy for me to carry. It felt like it would crush me eventually.
It wasn't enough that I blamed myself for everything that everyone else had to as well?
Why was life so unfair to me?
I cried myself to sleep again that night. It had become somewhat of a ritual now.
I woke up the next morning to a knock on my door. Thank God I was dragged out of the nightmare I was going through.
I got out of bed and opened my door groggily. There he stood, casually leaning against the door frame with a tired smirk on his face. David was at my door.
"What's a guy gotta do to meet a girl?"
"David." I said before I hugged him as hard as I could which I probably shouldn't have. He wobbled on his feet a little which showed he had still not recovered.
"Come in, you aren't supposed to be out of bed."
He put his arm around my shoulder for support as I slowly took him to my bed. He had come to my room alone and must have greatly suffered if he couldn't walk without support.
"I did come to see you but you were resting. I got free late yesterday.. It was quite a meeting."
"You should've woken me up." He said as if he hadn't just woken up from a comma but was just resting. I wasn't going to tell him that Kiesha had sent me away because that would do no good to anyone. "But I understand, I know how difficult it is to balance personal life when you have the entire kingdoms responsibilities on your shoulder. Especially since you're new at it. But I've heard you're doing a good job."
I smiled back at him, of course he understood, he was the most understanding guy there ever was. "I don't know who told you that I'm doing well because the last meeting blew up in my face."
"Dimitri. He told me you came to visit me very often. Damn. I missed out on all the cuddling." He smiled.
"For someone who doesn't talk he's been quite talkative lately." I grumbled.
He laughed out loud. "He does talk but it's probably not loud enough for you to hear. Plus he always talks to me. He was the first bodyguard I was assigned and has been there with me since the very beginning. He is a good friend." He said fondly.
"Did he also tell you what happened yesterday?"
David nodded "Come here. Sit with me." He said making space next to him so I could sit there.
I made my way to him. We both leaned against the headboard. He tried to turn towards me but groaned in pain.
I put my hand on his chest and said "don't move." And I turned towards him instead. We sat there facing each other.
He grabbed my hand on his chest before I could pull it back.
His voice was so soft "these kind of things happen. Let me get better and I will fix everything."
"But they're right... It is all my fault. You shouldn't have to fix anything to begin with."
He shook his head side to side. "No. This is how people learn through experience. You look like you haven't been sleeping much. Don't let all this get to you. Nothing in life comes easy."
"You do it so well."
He laughed. "I've been doing this for a very long time. You remember the story I told you? About being a hero?"
I nodded fondly at the memory, thinking back to it seemed like it had happened yesterday but in reality it had been a very long time.
***memory***
He was sitting there looking content and calm but he seemed miles away, his arm resting on the arm of the couch and the other one rested along the length of the couch.
"What are you doing?" I said casually walking towards him and placing myself on the empty seat next to him. He automatically placed his arm around me as I put my feet up and snuggled against his chest.
"Just listening." He smiled back. How I loved this smile of his. It was one of the rare ones only I had the privilege of seeing.
"Listening to what? I don't hear anything."
He poked my nose lightly with his other hand which was on the armrest. "That's because you're not a vampire yet."
I smiled and snuggled closer. "So, what are you listening to?"
His answer broadened the smile on my face. "My people. I'm listening to my people."
"And what are your people saying?"
He shook his head as if there was more to the story. "They love me. They talk very high of me."
"And why is that hard to believe? Everyone loves you. You're very lovable." I said as a matter of fact.
"It's just ironic." He said.
"Ironic how?" I looked up at his face.
He looked down and gave me a playful kiss while trying to get up "a story for another time."
I grabbed his hand just in time. "No." I pulled him back slightly and he let himself fall back into place. "I want to know now."
"Okay." He said slightly turning his body towards me so he was facing me. "It's ironic because when I became the crown prince, they all expected a hero. They expected me to be a hero and save them from everything going on. It was a rough period in history. But I was no hero." He laughed sarcastically. "Boy was I no hero." He paused but continued. "It was a world full of killing and blood spilling. I understood what was required of me. It was something that even my father in his rule did not understand. I made a strategic move. At the time I was labeled as a brutal heartless killing machine." I recall that's what someone had told me the first time I came to the castle before meeting David. I had been so scared. But he turned out to be such an amazing man.
He continued "And that label has been with me for as long as I can recall. Everyone thought I had lost my mind, that the tragedy of my sister, my love and everything else that happened to me had finally broken me. What they didn't understand was my ability to separate my personal life from my responsibilities, from what I had to do as a Crown Prince. After I had resolved everything, all I wanted was some form of approval for the personal sacrifices I made for them. I gave up my soul for my people. I lost the one thing I treasured; my compassion, my humanity. But all they saw was a monster." He looked down and continued. "They realized years later that what I did, the way I rewrote history, was the right way. And never has there been peace like there is now and that's all because of me. So I find it ironic how I am the apple of their eyes now. I am no hero. If they say it enough times, it really does become true. I am a monster."
I put my hand under his cheek and pulled his head up to look at me.
"You are the most compassionate man I know. The sacrifices you made did not go in vain. You are now the most loved and intellectual Crown Prince the world has ever seen. You made this happen. The peace and calm you hear was only possible because of you. I know this story. I heard it before from Lindsay. She also said that people were in awe of how you had come up with such a strategically well planned plan and executed it with such sheer power in such a short time was nothing beyond remarkable. Everyone thought so. And you are a hero no matter what anyone says. You ended their sufferings."
"I'm not a hero."
"Well I don't know about others but you're my hero and I will always need you to protect me and care for me like you always do." And I gave him a kiss.
***memory finished***
I had tears in my eyes.
"Just give them time. Just because they say something doesn't make it true. You taught me that." He said.
I shook my head because that's not why tears came to my eyes.
"You were my hero.... Again.." I rested my head where my hand was on his chest and over his hand. I lay my forehead there after giving his hand a light kiss, hiding my face so he wouldn't see. "You saved me again... Why would you risk your life like that for someone?"
"I did what anyone in my position would have done. And it's not just someone. It's you."
"You give everyone else much more credit than they deserve. Keisha didn't even bother to tell anyone I was bleeding out in the forest trying to protect her." I said in distaste and realized it was too late to take back what I had said. I hadn't meant to tell anyone about that..
He grew silent.
"What happened out there?" I pulled myself back from him but remained very close to him.
After losing him like this I couldn't bear to be away from him. I didn't want to talk about it. My nightmares alone were enough without the terrifying event that happened which I seemed to relive every time I was in a remotely dark area. But I had to tell him. I owed him that much. He saved my life while risking his own
"I saw Keisha leave the club without any supervision, and since I wasn't paying attention to the asshole I was dancing with he tried to bite me. So I rushed after her because I know how dangerous it is these days for her to be roaming around alone. I followed her into the forest and finally caught up to her. I can't even recall what we were fighting about but she was shouting and that attracted attention. By the time we were done, we were already surrounded by Charlie and his men." I shuddered looking down. Unable to speak without my voice shaking. "He.. He saw the blood on my neck.. And said he didn't care about who we were.. I.. I couldn't just let them take Keisha. There was too much risk.. The optics, media, politics... I had to think of you. How it would affect your rule, how it would make you look.. So I made a deal." I started crying but tried to wipe my tears away. David pulled me towards him in a hug. "I asked them to let Keisha go and I would be a 'blood whore' for them. Or that's what you people call it."
"Did I heal you enough?"
I knew what he was talking about. Any vampire that would bite me would leave a mark because I was bound to David.
I pulled back not wanting to answer the question. When I got out of his embrace I saw his wound had been bleeding on his chest. He hadn't healed yet.. "You're bleeding!"
I tried to touch him there but he grabbed my hand with force.
"Answer the question Elizabeth."
"David... You did your best."
That seemed to flair his temper. "Not good enough apparently. Show me."
I showed him my wrist that was hiding underneath my full sleeves shirt.
"Is that all? How many were there?"
"I don't know.."
He grabbed both my wrists and pulled me towards him. "Tell me now."
I started crying. "I don't want you to see me like this..." I didn't want him to see how ugly I looked. I wanted him to remember me how I used to be.
"Show me..." He said softly.
I cried. I didn't want him to see the countless scars on my body but I owed him didn't I?
I slowly grabbed my shirt and started to take it off. His eyes widened as he looked at the uncountable marks on me that ranged from my neck to shoulder to my back and arms. Some were near my chest as well. Scared of what he will say I whispered "please don't say anything David..."
He grabbed me and hugged me. "I will fix this. If it's the last thing I do.. I promise you. You are as beautiful as you were the first day I laid my eyes on you."
I cried so hard in his arms. Everything came crashing down as I hugged him. Finally I let out everything I had been holding in.
Eventually I let him go and pulled my shirt back on.
"You should've let me die." I said seeing his bleeding chest. I was going to die anyway.
His face turned soft "I couldn't..."
"Why?" I said looking straight in his eyes. "And no more lies David."
"Because Elizabeth.. I love you... I always will... But we just can't be together."
In that moment I realized I could have asked him why? I could have asked him all the questions that had been eating away at me ever since we broke up.
But I didn't. Because I realized that it didn't matter. The justification didn't matter. As long as he loved me and I loved him... I could live with that. Knowing that he loved me as much as I loved him I could deal with not being with him. I was sure there must be some reason behind this decision and I trusted him.
Finally I could move on..
I was too overwhelmed to say anything so I leaned in. Pressed my lips against his. And kissed him one last time... And we both knew what it was.
It was a goodbye kiss.
-Z *Phew long chapter*
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