76 Irreplaceable

"What do you think of what my father said, Lance?" Luna asked with a neutral expression on her face.

Lance frowned slightly at the question. It wasn't his place to judge what the king does but this time, it involved his best friend so he cannot overlook it.

"Hmm, it's true that as royalty, you'll have to marry eventually." Lance paused before continuing," But I think you're still too young to marry."

Luna nodded disappointedly at his reply. 'This is not what I want to hear you dummy!' She cursed in her heart.

She tried hinting again.

"I mean...if I marry, I'll have to go really far away you know." Luna said, "You won't get to see me anymore you know."

"Oh...! So that means I don't have to worry about how my head might come off anytime I sneak you out of the palace any more right?! Damn, my lifespan would probably go up by 30 years!" Lance said with a big smile on his face.

Luna threw the book in her hand at him and he caught it easily. He laughed happily at her childish actions, infuriating Luna even more.

"Come on! Don't be mad! I'm just kidding!" Lancelot tried to coax her when he saw that she had already turned her face the other way.

"Besides, I don't think you'll marry that soon anyway. It will take time for you to know your partner. The royal process is so long, you'll probably be here for at least another 2 years." Lance pointed out the facts to her, hoping to calm her anxious heart.

Truth be told, he himself felt a strange pang in his heart every time he thought about the king's words but he couldn't figure out why.

'But my best friend deserves to be happy. Isn't marriage every woman's dream?' Lance thought in his mind.

"You don't know that for sure! As a matter of fact, I could be married by next month if my father so wishes!" Luna retorted right back.

Lancelot shook his head at her words and said, "Look, even if you do, I swear I will follow you."

"Follow me?" Luna widened her eyes in surprise.

"Yes. I am your personal knight am I not? I will definitely protect you." Lancelot said with a wide grin on his face.

"So...you'll always be with me? Won't you have to get married too?" Luna asked with a worried yet hopeful expression on her face.

"There are other people in my family. Besides, I don't care about marriages. You're my best friend and I will always be there with you." Lance said solemnly.

"Promise?" Luna asked as she stared at his face.

"Promise." Lancelot replied sincerely.

************

"Huff huff...." Queen shot up from bed, feeling dizzy from the alcohol and the dream she just had.

'Luna.....' Queen thought and immediately the atmosphere around her changed. Sadness and regret surrounded her body, making it hard for her to even breathe.

The words 'Promise' kept echoing endlessly in her head and Queen felt paralyzed.

'I promised her....' Hatred was pouring out of Queen's heart. Hatred for herself. She blamed herself for everything that happened after that.

Queen couldn't control the sorrow that overtook her heart. Her soul was drowning in regret and self blame that she couldn't hear anything.

"Miss Vancroft, Miss Vancroft." Quince tried calling her.

He just got out of the shower and was surprised to see her sitting on the bed.

'Didn't she already fall asleep a while back?' He thought and walked over to her.

But no matter how much he called her, she wouldn't respond. So he shook her shoulder lightly and tried calling her.

"Miss Vancroft...what's wrong?" He sat on the bed and asked her softly. He sighed in relief when she finally made a small movement in response.

"I'm tired." She said and looked up at him. At that moment, she didn't know who was talking to her, she just blurted whatever was on her mind.

Quince was shocked to see how hollow she looked. There were tears in her eyes.

More than that, Quince was surprised to see genuine tiredness from her them.

But it wasn't just tiredness inside. There was something more. A sadness so deep he couldn't begin to fathom why. She looked like someone who had seen too much, heard too much and felt too much pain.

'How could someone in her position feel so much pain?'

Quince was at a loss. He didn't know how to console her and he felt pathetic.

"It's alright. I'm here now." It was the only thing he could think of to say. He squeezed her hand and hoped his presence beside her would give her the strength she needed.

Queen sat in a daze for a while but suddenly something snapped within Queen as she saw the familiar eyes in front of her. 'This pair of eyes...this spirit....'

Quince saw something changing in her eyes as she looked at him. Gone was the tiredness and pain, to be replaced with strength and delight. She raised her hand up and touched his face gently.

"Yes. You are here now." She whispered softly.

When she said that, she looked as if she had found her light at last.

At that moment, something gripped Quince's heart tighter than ever. He felt a deep unknown sadness along with a deep unknown joy.

It felt like they had been separated forever, to finally meet once more. A resounding echoes of 'at last' boomed in his heart. Like a flood refusing to be kept at bay, it crashed its way through and broke the dam.

Quince didn't know how but he knew then that she was someone irreplaceable. And forever would be.