Rapture (Love Shots Contest)

Selfless (Round 2)

The cries of Princess Calista echoed all over the kingdom. When they reached Pippa’s ears, she immediately ran to see what the matter was.

Pippa stopped when she saw a huge crowd gathered near the palace gates. Pushing past the crowd, she stepped ahead to see what the commotion was. Her eyes widened to their fullest extent, when she saw her best-friend, Gavin being whipped black-and-blue by the palace guards.

“No… please don’t do this mother” she heard the princess begging with the queen, who was standing in the balcony of her room and watching the scene below with a smirk in her flawless face. The prince was restraining Calista who was doing everything in her power to escape from her brother.

Pippa and Gavin were best-friends since forever. The friendship blossomed into love for Pippa as they grew up, but not for Gavin. Instead, Gavin, a son of a poor carpenter, fell in love with a royal. Pippa was heart-broken but she did not want to lose the friendship she valued so much and hence never expressed her feelings to him. But with a heavyheart, she watched the loved bloom between Gavin and Princess Calista.

Pippa disliked Calista the very moment Gavin fell in love with her. She blamed Calista for coming in-between two friends. Now, as she watched the young prince drag Calista into the palace, she felt a tinge of satisfaction in her heavy heart. The royal family never approved of this unsuitable match. Instead, they arranged Calista’s marriage with a prince of a faraway kingdom. The lovers had planned to elope tonight and informed Pippa about their plan. She did not approve of it because she did not want to lose Gavin. She had tried a lot to stop him, but nothing could change Gavin’s mind. As she heard the whispers of the crowd around her, Pippa grasped that somehow the news of the elopement had reached the prince’s ears and he had caught the lovers before they could escape.

“Cal” When Pippa heard Gavin’s voice, she turned to look at him. Her heart sank when she saw the bruises marred on his pale skin. Hot tears burned the back of her eyes when she saw the way he was extending his hand to reach for Princess.

“Brother, please let me go” the princess sobbed trying to reach for Gavin’s hand. Pippa gulped as she watched Calista’s tear stained face. She always knew in her heart that Calista loved Gavin, just as much as she does. “Don’t hurt him… Gavin” Calista cried when the guards slashed Gavin’s skin with the whip.

Gasping, Pippa rushed towards Gavin. “Stop it… please don’t hurt him” she pleaded with the guards. She could not let them hurt him. She fell on her knees next to Gavin and slowly helped him sit on his knees.

“Pippa” Gavin whispered when he saw her. Tears rolling down her cheeks, she wiped the mud and blood covering his face. “I am fine…  Cal.” Pippa paled and her heart wrenched in pain as she heard his words. Even while he was hurting, his primary concern was Calista.

“No… you need help” Pippa sobbed, but Gavin shook his head.

“Cal… they will hurt her” he said weakly. When Gavin opened his eyes, she finally saw it. She finally saw the love he had in his eyes. It was very similar to what Pippa’s own parents shared throughout their lifetime and something she had always wanted in her life too. But Gavin’s love was not for her, it was reserved only for Calista.

Pippa’s mother had always told her that love is selfless. It’s about giving without any expectations. And her love for Gavin was exactly the same. Maybe he did not love her the way she loves him, but she knew he loved her as a best-friend. For Gavin, her love, her best-friend, Pippa would do anything; including reuniting him with his love, Calista. Pippa knew what it was like to have your heart broken and she did not want that for either of them.

“Please go to her” Gavin plea was a whisper.

Since she loved him, she had shared all her family secrets with Gavin, which included the fact that she was a witch, just like her mother. Her identity had to be kept a secret because witch-hunting was very popular in the kingdom. The royal family too encouraged the witch-hunters in capturing and killing witches. Even though Gavin knew she was capable of helping him and Cal, he never asked for her help. On the other hand, he had kept her secret- a secret. Why? Because he loved his best-friend.

Wiping her tears, Pippa nodded. She would do this for Gavin. Breathing in, Pippa cupped Gavin’s face and compelled him to look at her. “When I tell you to run, just take Cal with you and ride away in that horse” she told him pointing at a black stallion.

Gavin’s eyes widened in horror when he realized what she was saying. “Pippa no. They will kill you” he said shaking his head in disapproval.

“I will be fine” Pippa assured.

“No… no. I will not leave you here alone to face their wrath” Gavin argued vehemently.

“You have to leave and never look back”

“Don’t do this” he pleaded.

“I love you Gavin and I want you to be happy” Pippa finally confessed her feelings to him. When Gavin, looked into her blue eyes, he could see the truth in her words.

“You never…”

“I always kept whispering like it’s a secret. Only to condemn the ones who hear it” she told him truthfully through teary eyes.

“Pippa” Gavin called in a tender voice. His eyes were begging her not to do this, but Pippa smiled and standing up, she dropped her cloak and turned to face the prince, who was hauling a screaming Calista to the palace.

She closed her eyes and muttered the spell. Soon, her hands were glowing icy blue and she heard the gasps of people around her.

“A witch” the queen breathed out in disbelief. 

Pippa motioned her hand forward and aimed at the prince. The prince was shoved against the wall next to the main doors, with a sharp edge of ice-block mere inches apart from his throat. “Run” Pippa commanded to Princess Calista, who was staring at her in shock. “Now”

Calista nodded apprehensively and rushed towards Gavin, to help him stand up. The guards who tried to stop the lovers were pushed away by Pippa by her powers. Gavin and Calista mounted the horse and took off.

Pippa stepped ahead and using her cyrokinetic powers she single handedly prevented the guards from hurting Gavin and Calista.

“Kill that witch” the queen thundered in rage.

Gavin who was almost close to the palace gates reined in his horse the moment he heard the queen’s command.

“Leave” Pippa shouted at him when she saw more and more guards coming to stop them. “I will be fine. Please leave” Pippa cried and with a heavy heart, Gavin nodded and rode ahead, with Calista.

“Stop them” the queen shouted.

Pippa watched few guards mounting their horses to follow after them. She would not let that happen. So, once Gavin and Princess Calista’s horse was out of the palace gate, she thrusted her hands ahead and muttering another spell, she built a thick wall of ice on the palace gate which prevented the guards from following after the lovers.

As Pippa dropped her hands to her side, she gasped when she felt a stinging pain on her back. It was only when her dress got soaked in blood; she realized that she was shot by an arrow.

While riding away, Gavin turned his head to look at her and Pippa smiled through teary eyes, hiding her own pain. While she was seconds away from death, the only thought going on in her head was that her mother was right- Love is selfless.

Knowing that Gavin and his love were safe, made her happy. A pure rapturous feeling engulfed her.

Once they vanished from her view, she closed her eyes and collapsed on the ground.

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Word Count- 1365.