Vol2. Chap 22 Talk to me

"So, what're you doing here by yourself," Levi asked, trying to start a conversation between the two of them, his gaze avoiding her at all cost, his posture stiff to her presence. "Shouldn't you have a guard or something?"

"well I wanted to be alone but, I saw you sitting here," She murmured, her eyes looking at him sincerely, "I don't know why, but sitting with you just felt right."

"O-oh," Levi responded, not knowing what else to say to her, the situation going to a deafening silence. 

"Though, I guess I'm just running away from the people I don't like," She crushed the hem of her dress with her folded fists, her gaze set on it. "Or maybe just the people that don't like me."

Levi looked at her his eyes filled with concern as he wondered what happened, though he didn't want to pry too much into her life, she is the princess after all, and he's just a lowly peasant boy who lives in the woods.

"Hey," she touched his shoulder, trying to get his attention. His gaze turned to her with a confused expression. "I want to show you something," she said, placing her finger to her lips, signaling him to keep it a secret.

Levi nodded, now filled with curiosity as she took his hand. They rose from the grassy field and headed down the path Damara had followed before. The grassy plain surrounding them turned into bushes, and soon, they were surrounded by trees. They ran hand in hand, innocent smiles defining their features, eyes filled with wonder and curiosity.

Damara suddenly stopped, looking back at Levi with a smile and getting closer to him.

"W-wait, what are you doing?" Levi asked, his face turning red as she approached.

"Hold still," she hushed, covering his eyes with her hands as she guided him through the forest, brushing the bushes aside to reveal a path on a hill overlooking the forest below. The blue sky stretched out, leaving much to the imagination.

"And ta-da," she announced, removing her hands from his face. Her expression was etched with a big smile, and Levi was taken aback by a sense of wonder as the breeze brushed through his green hair.

"Woah," he muttered, surprised by the breathtaking sight.

"It's even more beautiful at night. We should come back and see it sometime," Damara suggested with enthusiasm.

Levi turned to her, a smile adorning his face, nodding to her suggestion, a warm feeling started to take hold of his heart a feeling he couldn't ignore, not when faced with such beauty and innocence, though that warm feeling was accompanied with a sharp pain, knowing he may never get to be with her.

"Yeah, let's do it!"

"Damara!" She heard a voice called out to her, her heart racing at the sound of her brother's voice.

"How did he find me," She muttered, her head quickly turning to Levi in a sense of urgency, "Quick, hide they might have a guard with them." She hushed, pushing him into the bush.

"Damara?" Liam muttered to himself, pushing the bushes away, his gaze finally landing on his sister, tears welling up in the back of his eyes.

"There you are," He sighed, his breath taking the weight of worry off of his shoulders, running to hug her tears bursting through his eyes his tears muffled as he buried his head on her shoulder. "I thought something happened to you!"

Braeden and Hannah looked from a distance with the guard a smile on their faces as they watched their heartwarming sibling's reunion. The guard feels a sense of relief that the princess is safe.

"Sorry, I just, wanted some time alone," She muttered hugging her brother back a feeling guilt pounding against her heart, she didn't mean to do this to him, seeing Liam like this over her... She didn't know what else to do but let him cry.

"If you ever feel sad please, talk to me, I don't want to lose you, not over something like this! Not without the chance to say goodbye!" Liam pushes away from her, his hands still firm on her shoulder. "Please, if you ever feel sad, If you ever feel like you're going to cry if you ever feel alone or unwanted! Talk to me, please Damara, I'll be here to comfort you!"

"I-i," Damara was at a loss for words, her eyebrows furrowing with worry and sadness, feeling the pain her brother felt for her, the pain he held in his heart because of her selfishness, tears stung the back of her eyes the more she thought about it. "I'm sorry, I won't do it again, I promise."

_____________________________

"He's dead," Nina muttered, standing over his grave in the yard of the castle, the rain beating down on her umbrella, her eyebrows furrowed in sadness as she bit down on her lip, her eyes glazing over with tears but she kept strong keeping her walls up to stop the tears, wiping her eyes, ridding her face of any excess tears on her face.

"Why, why now? You're the only one, the only one that could protect her," Her walls broke the moment she spoke once more the tears rushing past her eyes, gritting her teeth in sadness as she shed silent tears. "Now, now that you're gone, Ragnar will have his way and, I don't know if I can do anything about it,"

She kneeled down her dress grazing against the muddy earth but she didn't care, her tears just won't stop, they refused to stop, her cries rivaling the roar of the rain, as it beat down on her. 

After a while, she wiped her tears looking down onto the grave one last time resting a rose by his grave the flower igniting into a bright blue, illuminating the dirt she was buried in as it danced slowly with the breeze of the night sky, the rain assaulting it's petals but it stood strong braving against the elements.