Nilo wished the day had never begun.
As always, it had been fine. Everything had been fine. He had visited his father in the infirmary, as he always did in the morning, and had arrived at the study per usual. Work was rough and mentally draining, but he took it in stride as he always did and the assistance of Damien and Theodore made it much easier. Gennadius tended to show up later in the day and that always brought him joy, simply because the two were nearly inseparable and he wouldn’t change it for the world.
If only he had known. He would have never let her leave the barracks that morning.
He and Damien had left the study to go consult Darius about a few things regarding the guard. The pair exchanged their banter as they walked through the halls, Damien’s wit dry and Nilo ever the jokester. But when they arrived at the courtyard, everything was in an uproar. It was frantic and as soon as the prince and his advisor entered the scene everything multiplied tenfold. Concerned light eyes landed on the captain and immediately, Nilo knew something was wrong. Never had the hard, stoic captain ever seemed so… sorry. It was then he approached cautiously, feeling afraid for reasons unknown.
It didn’t look good… Gennadius fell on her sword… fled for the castle… Nilo tore through the castle like a madman, careening around corners and knocking over various decorations. Damien chased him, shouting words the prince could not hear. He called for her, afraid and feeling his heart fall apart as he followed the blood trail. This couldn’t be it. Nilo had to find her, get her to the infirmary. Augustus would make it all better, wouldn’t he? He always fixed them. He was never happy about it, but he always worked his miracles. Always.
But the moment the man saw her, lying in a puddle of her own blood before his study, Nilo knew it was over. No, not her. Not my Gennadius. Nilo called out to Damien, falling to the floor beside her, desperate eyes scanning her, searching for the gruesome injury. He lifted her gently into his lap, not understanding. He couldn’t understand why, out of everyone who could have been hurt, why it had to be here. Blood seeped onto his pants and the man noticed where she clutched her side in an attempt to stem the flow. Why hadn’t she gotten help? Why had she come here, of all places? She needed to be treated…
It was because she wanted to say goodbye.
Not again. Please, Gods not again.
“DAMIEN!” Nilo’s holler was a snarling one, “Why haven’t you gone to fetch Augustus?!” He demanded, but the advisor didn’t move, only stared down, horrified and with more emotion on his face than Nilo had ever seen. “GO DAMMIT!” Why wasn’t he leaving why wasn’t he-
“Nilo...hush.”
Her voice silenced him and the man leaned into the hand that rested on his cheek, soaking in her warmth and sharing his own. They all knew… His hand pressed over the one that held her wound, but it was no longer in efforts to save, but to buy them more time, if only a little. “I’m so sorry.” Nilo apologized, his voice a rough murmur. Her eyes found his, but there were no longer the stars he had always adored. Her dark eyes were dull as her life faded, no longer filled with her energy nor her hidden dreams. The irises that had always reminded him of the ocean had grown monotonous as her life slipped between her fingers.
Her head turned to Damien, who had knelt beside them but had said nothing, but who’s breath was uneven. She had asked him to smile and Gods did the raven-haired man try…the corners of his mouth turned upwards but he couldn’t do it. No, all the woman received from her friend were tears. As her fingers found his hair the prince choked but did his best to keep his face. He had to. For her. This was it and she needed to see him okay. She couldn’t worry about him, not now. “It’s okay…. you’re okay.” Nilo told her softly, his free hand delicately undoing her ponytail so his fingers could push her hair back, trying to distract her from the pain he knew she was in. “You are supposed to marry me, remember?” He asked, “The rest of our lives...I can’t do it alone.” He managed, though he knew that dream was dying along with her.
Gods, when she tried to joke, his laugh was a broken one and his tears hit her skin, unable to stay calm as she became less coherent. How could this have happened and why her? Why the woman who had only wanted to laugh and be happy? Why the one who had been grateful for every little thing she had received and who had been so selfless? She didn’t deserve this. She had deserved to grow old and die happy, not on some dusty tile bleeding out in his lap. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end, never in a million lifetimes.
She breathed his name and he quietly reassured her, arms holding her in place as she attempted to speak, to bid him farewell and have their lips meet one last time, but it never came. It never came and she fell limp in arms, the man protectively pulling her to his chest and closing the distance between them, his warm lips meeting her rapidly cooling ones. If only I had found you sooner… If only I had…
There were a million “what ifs” in his mind as he pulled away, holding her in his arms even though she could no longer feel his touch or hear his voice. Nilo sobbed quietly into the familiar golden hair, body shaking violently as he clutched her desperately, begging for it all to be a cruel dream. It was the same hair he had loved so much, the same locks he would never get to twirl again or see shine in the sun in the summertime. The prince’s heart split into two as her blood stained his clothing, shattered beyond repair as he cradled the woman he never got to marry.
And he loved her, he loved her, he loved her.
And he would always love her.
Summer 
Day Weather: 
