Chapter 26 - Tell me you love Me.

Chapter 26 - tell me you love me.

"Urgh…! I'm fine…!" I held him up and he began vomiting. I had to look at his wound quickly! "Brother, sit down, I need to check your wound!" He sat against the wall and I got on my knees and ripped open his tunic. "It's not a deep wound…! Argh…!" I examined it and he wasn't wrong. I didn't understand why he was in such a state, so I looked around for the knife and found it in Lord Waywards hands.

I walked over to his unsightly corpse trying not to vomit and picked up the dagger with a handkerchief. "It's been poisoned!" I looked at the black blood stains on the knife, and I recognized this poison well.

I had studied them well. Unfortunately I wasn't very good with healing. "It's poison! We have to get you to sister Kore!" I ran back over to him.

"Arngh!" I tried to lift him up but he's so heavy my knees began buckling. "Iridesa…! We're gonna fall…!" I tried to take a step forward as I carried his weight. "We…! Can…do this-!? Waaah!?"

Succumbing to his weight we both wobbled and fell over. "Oof!" Brother winced in pain as he fell and I groaned as I got trapped under him. "You idiot…You're gonna get crushed under me…" He wasn't wrong he was so heavy I couldn't move an inch! now what do we do the poison will spread fast at this rate!?

There was only one thing I could do, but it would drain a lot of my magic and could be dangerous. "I could use my levitation spell to get you back home." Brother immediately disagreed. "We can't risk it….you have low magic affinity…urgh!" I argued back. "That might be so but my levitation spell is one of the strongest spells I can do! I have surpassed many lengths of levitation, I can do this!"

My brother still wouldn't agree. "We're not having this argument! There's now way you can do this!" I got very pissed off, I was so annoyed with everyone trying to coddle me and keep me in a bubble! "That's it! I'm doing this!"

I used all my strength and summoned my magic, and before my brother could react he floated into the air. "H-hey! I said, no! Put me down! I'm afraid of heights!"

I stood up finally free of the weight and steadied myself on my legs. "Stop being a baby! Now let's get going!" I levitated with my brother high up in the air, he clung to me from behind. "Why are we so high up!?" I ignored my brother's whimpering and exerted all my magic and summoned the wind, my body trembled and I broke into a sweat. "Argh!" I pushed past all my limits and we rode the wind all the way to the castle. I felt burning in my muscles and bile came up my throat but I held on all the way, I wasn't going to give up!

Paris had finally broken out of the chains and sat brooding. "Where are they both?!" He became more and more restless as each second went by and they weren't home. "I don't understand, they should be home by now." Arthur paced around the room impatiently.

"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't gone into a rampage." Arthur glared at his brother as he said this. "That's it, I'm going to look for them." Paris stood up and Arthur followed. "I'm coming along."

As they exited the castle they stopped when they noticed the chaos outside. "A little to the left! Wait, no a little right! Woah! Careful!" They all looked confused when they saw a group of knights running around together in a frenzy. "Grand-papa! Uncle!" Paris looked back to see his grandsons running up to him.

"You're both home. Did you have fun on your trip?" He patted their heads and they smiled happily. Noel pointed excitedly to the sky. "Look Commander and DeeDee are flying in the air!" Arthur and Paris both turned to look back. "What the hell are those two up to!?" Paris growled as he saw his children floating in the air and the knights running back and forth trying to catch them!

I held on for as long as I could and waited for the knights to get into position so they could catch brother who became paler from being up so high. "I'm getting dizzy! Will you fools just catch me already!"

The soldiers all stood together with their arms out. "We got you commander! Jump!" Not being able to hold on any longer I let go. "I...can't hold on...! Here he comes!" Brother slips out of my grasps and drops. The knights catch him. "We got him-W-Waah!?" He falls onto the knights and they all topple to the ground.

"I did it…" I felt all my energy drain and no longer able to hold myself up I felt my body drop through the air. "Waaaah!?" I closed my eyes but didn't hit the ground. "Argh! Got you!" I opened my eyes to see father cradling me and I gulped as he glared at us. "What the hell have you two been up to this time…?" I hurried to explain everything and fathers expression went grim.

We rushed to get my brother inside to the infirmary. Sister Kore went pale at the sight of brother. "Tybalt!" They laid him on the bed and Sister Kore immediately began healing him. I felt faint and Uncle gave me some medication. "Have this and rest. You should feel better soon." I ate the medicine and looked over at my brother. "Will he be okay?"

Uncle smiled as he watched Sister Kore heal him. "Don't worry, he's in good hands." I smiled as I watched Sister Kore give her all into healing him. "You wait till you're better, then you'll have me to deal with! You're supposed to be a bloody knight! How did you get stabbed so easily, stupid! If you die then I'll kill you myself!!! " Brother laughed nervously as Kore healed him and threatened him at the same time.

He was going to be fine. I relaxed as he began recovering. Uncle's face became serious as he spoke. "You will have to leave for the academy within 2 days. What have you decided?"

I thought about his words and after what we experienced today I was certain more than ever that I wanted to go.

Lord Wayward may be dead but he was nothing but a pawn, the real monster behind all this is Erida Wayward and I knew for sure she wasn't going to stop just at this. I will make sure I'm prepared next time no matter what she decides to throw at me.

I looked Uncle in the eyes. "I won't change my decision. I am going to that academy no matter what anyone says." He smiled. "I see. Then it looks like we have no choice, isn't that so brother?"

I look back at his words. "Father…" I noticed the pain in fathers face as he heard my words. I swallowed back my tears, I can't falter now. "I'm going to go father. I'm sorry but nothing you can say or do will stop me."

He clenched his fist and didn't even look up at me as he spoke. "Do as you like. See if I care." I felt his words sting my heart.

Even though I knew he spoke out of anger my tears couldn't help but flow down my cheeks. Father turned to walk away and I called out to him.

"Father! Father, I promise I will be back!" He stopped at my words but didn't turn my way. "I know you're mad at me…but that's okay. I still love you father and I..hic!" I felt my throat tighten as I spoke. "I will become strong father, just like you…"

I noticed him tremble a little but he didn't speak. "Father…please tell me you love me…" He stayed quiet and eventually walked off.

I clenched my fist as my tears poured out. I crumbled to the ground and uncle held me. "Iridesa…"

I wiped my tears as I laughed. "Haha…he's just so stubborn…" I sniffled as I couldn't hold back my cries. Uncles held me in his arms as I was unable to suppress my tears any longer. "He loves you very much, he's just so bullheaded."

I smiled at my uncle's words. "I know but it just won't stop hurting…" I placed my hands over my chest as I said this. "But I have to do this. I have to become stronger." Uncle hugged me closer and spoke with a shaky breath. "Just promise me you will stay safe. Promise me you will come back home." I hugged him back and promised. "I promise I will come back home."

The next two days my father hadn't spoken to me or seen me. I also haven't reached out to him as I become occupied with preparing for my departure. Everyone at the castle had helped.

Master Octavius taught me everything I needed to know about the academy. Uncle helped prepare all my documents and confirmed my acceptance with the academy.

The castle servants had all gotten together and planned a farewell party for me and I couldn't help but cry at all the love and support I was given by everyone around me and I cried harder when father didn't show up at all.

Soon it was the day of my departure.

I stood outside fathers study.

He hadn't left it in the past 2 days and did not allow anyone in either. I knocked on the door but still heard no response. "Father…"

I called out but only silence. "Father, I'm leaving today…" I tried to stay strong and hold back my tears as I spoke. "I wanted to say goodbye before I left…"

My voice trembled, "I love you, father. Good bye…" A small tear rolled down my cheek. I kissed the palm of my hand and pressed it against the door. I waited a little bit but there was no response. Feeling defeated, I turned away with heavy steps and left.

Paris stood still as he heard his daughter's footsteps fade away. His breath was shaky as I tried to control every being of his body to not run over and swing open that door and chase after her. He was a complete mess for the past two days as he stayed stuck in this room.

He looked at the portrait of Iridesa and Tybalt that hung on his wall. He had it painted when she turned 13, Tyablt was holding her in his lap and they both smiled brightly.

Next to it was a portrait of Opal and his heart trembled as he looked at it. He was so afraid he would lose Iridesa just like he lost Opal. He didn't want to let her go but he knew if he went to see her right now he would do everything to keep her here and she wouldn't be happy if he did that, he didn't want her to hate him. "What do I do…?" He touched Opal's portrait gently as he asked. "How do I do this? Without you by my side I'm hopeless…"

A small tear fell down his cheek just like the time she had called out to him, but he couldn't bring himself to turn back because he knew as soon as she looked into her eyes he would break completely.

He then heard her carriage leave and he rushed over to the window. As he saw the carriage begin to get further and further away his heart raced. "Iridesa…!" 

Paris ran as fast as he could, throwing open the doors so fast that the hinges broke off. He stormed down the stairs and into the main hall. "Iridesa!"

He ran out outside past the main gates and called out to her like a mad man, his tears falling as his gut twisted with pain. "IRIDESA!!!"

Everyone looked back at him stunned and Paris chased the carriage which was much too far away. Arthur and the other soldiers held on to him barely able to restrain him as he tried to run after the carriage. "Let me go! Iridesa! Let me go! I have to bring my daughter back!!!" 

Arthur was shocked to see his brother in this state, it was a sight he had never seen before in his life! His brother's expression was twisted with anger as his tears fell down his pain filled eyes.

He screamed at the top of his lungs as he tried to break free of their grasps. "Iridesa! Let me go! Shes leaving! Iridesaaa!" He had never seen him so frightened before.

He used his magic to restrain him but he feared this time he may just break through it. "Brother! Brother, calm down! She's already gone, we can't bring her back!" Paris dropped to the ground and finally stopped fighting his restraints the other guards let go but Arthur kept him restrained with magic just in case.

Everyone watched with bated breath as they saw him settle and become silent. "I didn't say goodbye…" Arthur looked at the regret on his brother's face. "She'll be back. This is not goodbye, Iridesa will be back home soon."

Paris didn't lift his head or say anything for a while. "I want to go inside. Let me go." Arthur hesitated at his words first but let him go and just as he said he calmly walked back inside. It pained him to see his brother like this but it was for the best. The longer he tries to contain her and protect her the more pain both father and daughter are going to inflict on each other.