The Four Kingdoms of the Four Seasons

Chapter 11 - Built up anxiety - Part 1

–Author's note—

Hello there my lovely readers! 🥰

I wish you a Merry and Healthy Christmas! 🎄🧚🏻‍♀️🎁🎉

I hope that Christmas' magic wraps your heart in happiness! 🪄🎊🧸💗

Christmas gift 3/3!🎁

ATTENTION!!!
Please read the following scene at your own risk it could be emotionally triggering. I WARNED YOU! If you want to skip it, I will leave you another note telling you the scene is finished and you can continue to read it.

—End of Author's note—

ARYA's PoV

            I feel the panic begin, like a cluster of spark plugs in my abdomen. The blood pounded in my ears. My heart thudded in my chest. My hands are shaking. My feet tingled. My thoughts are accelerating inside my head. I want them to slow down so I can breathe but they won't. My breathing became more rapid, more shallow. Finally, my breaths come in gasps and I feel like I will blackout at any moment. I could hear distant voices "Sis..Rya...Arya.."calling out my name, I could barely hear them as if I would be underwater. My heart is hammering inside my chest as it belongs to a rabbit running for its skin. I lift my head; my vision is fuzzy as if I'm looking through a fish-eye lens. The room spins and I burry back my face between my legs and my chest. I feel so sick.

CASPIAN'S PoV

            Something is wrong. Rya is trembling, her chest is heaving as she gasped for air. The realisation hit me at a lightning speed. She is having an anxiety attack!!! I slowly lift my arms from her, not wanting to scare her even further from a sudden move and releasing her from my arms, because I didn't want to overwhelm her and pushing her even further in her anxiety attack. Kay realized at the same time as me and done the same thing as me.

"Sissy..." – Kay said gently, trying to get her attention.

           I tried to lay my hand on her back, but when I started rubbing gentle circles on her back. She suddenly lifts up her head.

CAIM'S Pov

           When she suddenly lifted her head, I could see an overwhelming amount of fear shining in her eyes. She looks around but suddenly buries her head back between her chest and legs. I could tell, she is disoriented.

"Rya... listen to my voice. You have to calm down. Take a deep breath." – She isn't reacting to my voice. She isn't reacting to anything Cas and I try.

"Boys give me some space with your sister."

            We couldn't really help her, so we let Father, try anything. Now I could understand how she felt when she told us she felt helpless when we almost used our magic to harm each other. It is petrifying to feel helpless around your loved ones.

KING SORRIN'S PoV

            It crushes my heart to see, my daughter in such a state. During my young years on the battlefield with Roran we saw violence, brutality, blood, corpses. Scenes... I don't want to remember. All this had an effect on our minds. My comrades, other warriors just as Roran and myself, sometimes suffered from anxiety attacks. I knew the feeling too well. It is difficult to calm down a person who is already in a full-blown anxiety attack, and the techniques we can use to calm them down differs from person to person. Rya never had one and I have to find the right ones to help her.

"Arya, Sunshine, I will sit down before you." – I'm waiting for some reaction telling me not to, but there isn't any.

"I will move closer to you." – I'm waiting again for some reaction telling me not to, but there isn't any. I move closer.

"Arya, I will sit in a way I will circle you with my legs." – No reaction, telling me not to do it.

"Arya, I will gently touch your arm."— Once again, no reaction telling me not to do it.

           I touch her, at first, she is dense, I was about to take back my hand when she relaxes under my touch. This is the first reaction, ever since she submerged in her anxiety attack. It is a good sign, she is aware of her surroundings. I slowly playback my memory. What was the trigger? "I'm afraid because I feel helpless if you fight with magic I can't protect or end your fight... I can't use magic and my greatest fear is that I can't protect you from attack spells, because I'm lacking... I'm so sorry I can't use magic! I'M USELESS!" Yes, she was in an emotionally critical state, but still, it isn't the triggering point. "My greatest fear is that I can't protect you from attack spells...". "Attack spells", hmmm, Caspian was trying to cool her down with his magic. THAT'S IT! The triggering point was when Caspian used his magic after he almost attacked Caim. Her greatest fear is that she can't stop or protect her family from attack spells.

            "Sunshine, it's alright. Everybody is okay I promise you. Cas and Kay didn't attack each other with magic, nobody is hurt. Just please breath."

            She lifts her head, her eyes are still unfocused, shining with fear. However, she is reacting to what I'm saying. I repeat myself, reaching out slowly to grasp her shoulder with my other hand.

            "Sunshine, it's alright. Everybody is okay I promise you. Cas and Kay didn't attack each other with magic, nobody is hurt. Just please breath."

            Finally, her breathing started to be calmer. I kept repeating what I said before over and over, trying to cement those words in my daughter's mind. Little by little the panicked look in Rya's eyes fades away.

            "Good girl. I will lift your hand up and put your hand on my chest."– Again, no reaction, telling me not to do it. So, I lift her hand up and put her hand on my chest.

            "Sunshine try to match my breathing. Breathe in when I breathe in. Breathe out when I breathe out."

            I stayed in silence, breathing in and out. Slowly her breathing started to match mine. She is coming down from her anxiety attack. When the last of her shaking had stopped and all of the fear left her eyes, she slumped forward to rest her head on my chest. After a while, she hesitantly asked.

            "Fa...Father???" – She lifts her head, her eyes are still unfocused, but the sole thing I could see in her eyes is exhaustion.

            "Hushhhh, everything is alright. Everything is alright, Sunshine."

           I gently wrap my arms around her. One of my hand running through her curly ginger hair and the other moving slowly up and down on her back. I glance down on her face, she is asleep. Her breathing is calm, and her face is relaxed.

–Author's note—

Please, if you like the story don't forget to VOTE and COMMENT! 📝💌
If you want some sneak peeks, the latest information on the story follow @Kassandra1769!
Thank you!🥰

Rya had an anxiety attack!
What do you think? Did Sorin do a great job calming her daughter down?
Did Rya's brothers finally understand what she means by feeling helpless?
Do you have any questions?
Feel free to ask them. I would be more than happy to answer!

See ya in the next chapter!😉👋🏻

—End of Author's note—