1 Lamentation (Part-1)
Crunch thud
Crunch Crunch
Crunch
Thud
Crunch
The sound reverberated throughout the dense forest as her bleeding feet hit the ground.
Somewhere in the distance a bird's wail can be heard portraying her heart's turmoil.
But the sound was drowned out in her ears.
The ache in her feet was ignored as she ran. She ran with desperation, to reach him before it's too late.
In her desperation she failed to notice the stray root of the great oak sticking out and her foot caught in it making her fall with a yelp on her knees and arms scraping them in the process.
Throbbing pain.
Although she was familiar with pain, she could never get used to it. She ignored the pain as she pushed herself up and took off towards her destination.
Tears welled in her eyes as she chanted continuously in her head.
Be safe...
Be safe...
Please be safe...
She ran and ran and almost sighed in relief when her eyes caught sight of the clearing leading to the familiar wooden cabin where he stayed. But her relief was short lived.
As she got closer she could hear the clash of metal.
She had heard the sound too many times to dismiss it as a random noise made by a stray blacksmith.
Swords...
They were the sound of swords clashing together.
Dread filled her stomach as she willed her throbbing feet to carry her faster.
And more dread filled her when she saw him fighting amidst soldiers.
Soldiers clad in deep blue.
The same blue as her eyes which she inherited from her mother. The same blue which her father dearly loved. The same blue representing his country.
The same blue she hated but he loved.
She was sure her father sent them to kill him. For, she'll never distrust Alexandra's words.
Her panic reduced a miniscule when she noticed his trusted friend aiding him. But, that relief was also short lived.
Her eyes widened and her breath hitched when she saw the same friend of his turn around and run a sword through his torso.
His eyes widened as he was caught off guard. His back was facing his friend as he trusted him with his life after all.
"Leortes!"
A scream.
Her scream.
He turned around and saw her running towards him.
Her expression was a mixture of panic, horror and guilt.
There was so much guilt that almost made him suffocate besides the burning pain searing through his lung.
"Dahlia"
His voice was almost a whisper.
His knees buckled and he started to fall. His knees met the ground first and he felt the sword being drawn out of the bloody sheath his body made.
He started falling forwards his legs drained of any vigor left to hold him upright.
But before his body could hit the ground, he felt two thin arms slide under his own holding him upright.
His body slowly began trembling, his strength was draining rapidly along with his blood.
He struggled and wearily lifted his head towards hers.
"Dahlia" he whispered with a small smile.
She let out a pained cry at that.
"It's all my fault! It's all my fault!"
She continued to lament as tears fell uncontrollably down her cheeks.
"Shh..." he tried to quieten her down to no avail.
He then lifted one arm and placed his hand at the back of her head pulling her in for a chaste kiss that ended with their lips lightly grazing each other.
It was warm, he thought.
"Ashton..." she cried. He smiled at the name. The name she called him ever since acknowledging his birth name.
"Dahlia..." he called with the same smile, the endearing name he called her ever since acceding her birth name. "There's nothing for you to apologise my love" he said without faltering his smile.
Her tears fell even more when she heard the words. She lifted her hand and grabbed onto his shirt over his shoulder. The fabric scrunched up in her fist as she crushed the cloth unable to crush her own vile heart.
"I don't want you to die" her voice cracked as she let out a sob.
His eyes filled with tears as he let his guard down exposing his vulnerability for the first time.
Yet, he still held his smile.
"I'd rather die than live a life without you".
She whimpered at his words and embraced him, holding him tight like he was the last string holding her life.
He nuzzled his head in the crook of her neck, breathing her scent like she was the last puff of air in the entire Earth.
The soldiers and his friend stood a few feet away and watched the two lovers not daring to disturb them knowing well that this was their final moment.
He pulled away to look at her face. He wanted to memorize every detail of it before his time runs out. He didn't want to let go of her, of the memories. It felt too soon. But then even a decade will look meager if spent with her. After all he wanted to spend a lifetime with her. Even though he gave her his word that he'll let go, he knew they held no meaning, for he could never imagine her with another man without thinking of snapping his neck. And to think he had to let go of her so she could marry another... what an irony.
