The Hathway Kingdom (Book 2)

Two.

~Two. ~

Romulus stared out the window of his study. It had been over a week since Larissa had left, over a week since he had known she was going to leave, and it was killing him inside. It had also been over a week since he had last seen her and he found that he missed her, both in the physical sense and the emotional sense. He enjoyed her company. She was fun, entertaining and she made him laugh as no one else had ever done before. She set his mind at ease when he was with her and her not being here with him was driving him insane.

He cursed and slammed his fist down against the wall beside the window, startling the poor maid who had brought him and his sister the tea she had requested. Lizbeth had taken to keeping her brother company in moments where she felt he needed her and so that he wouldn't feel so alone but he suspected it was more for her own sake than for his. He knew that she felt guilty about being the one to tell Larissa the news about the attack on her home and, no matter how much he tried to, he couldn't convince her that it wasn't her fault that Larissa had decided to leave so suddenly.

"Sorry," Romulus muttered his apology to the maid, who bowed quickly and hurried from the room as fast as her legs could carry her.

"Come and sit, Brother. Luella made this specifically for you," Lizbeth said as she poured the tea into two of the cups provided and pushed one towards him. He glanced over his shoulder at his sister before he took the two steps needed to get to his desk.

"It has been over a week, Lizzie..." he said as he stared at her. Lizbeth sighed and she placed her cup down before she looked up at him.

"I know, Brother," Lizbeth said with a sigh as she placed her cup down before she shook her head. "But worrying about why there hasn't been any message from her isn't going to make one just suddenly appear on your desk. Now sit...down," she said to him sternly as she met his gaze and stared him down. He stared back at her before he sighed and looked away, sitting down in his chair as he felt like a child being told to eat his vegetables by his mother.

"Much better. Now stop worrying, Brother. I am sure that we will hear something from her soon," she said to him as she picked up her cup again and drank from it.

"You haven't heard anything, have you?" he asked her, and Lizbeth shook her head before shooting him a glare.

"No, Brother. And if I had I would not hide it from you," she said to him and he sighed again, leaning back in his chair as he closed his eyes.

* * *

"Uncle!" Larissa exclaimed as she threw open the doors to his room before she ran to his side and took his hand in hers. She stiffened but quickly recovered when she felt just how frail he felt to her now. His eyes fluttered open, and he turned to look at her, a weak smile coming to his lips.

"Larissa...You made it," he said, giving a cough and then a wince before he looked at his niece again.

"Of course, I came, Uncle. There is no place that I would rather be," she said to him as she looked at him sadly. She glanced down at the wound on his stomach, which was still bleeding through the bandages and her eyes darted over to Rosaleen who was standing nearby. She shook her head and Larissa swallowed heavily before her attention returned to her Uncle as he gave a tug on her hand.

"Larissa..." he began to say, and she leant in closer to hear him.

"I'm here, Uncle. I'm right here," she said to him and she yelped as he pulled her closer with a strength that she didn't think he would have.

"Larissa...I...I don't have much time..." he said to her and she swallowed heavily again.

"Don't...Don't say that, Uncle," she said to him in a quiet voice, and he shook his head before he coughed, blood spilling from his mouth. Larissa quickly wiped it away before she looked at him again as she tossed the cloth aside.

"I really don't have much time, Larissa. I...I am so sorry to leave you like this. And I am sorry that I haven't prepared you for something like this..." he said, and Larissa stiffened as some memories threatened to come to the surface.

"I...I think my mother's...my mother's death has done that rather well, Uncle," she said as calmly as she could. He chuckled before giving another cough and winced.

"You're right there. It seems that the Gods and Fate have decided that my reign is over, my dear niece," he said as he looked at her. Larissa swallowed heavily as tears now threatened to spill from her eyes. Julian's hand tightened around hers before he continued speaking.

"You will make a wonderful and good Queen, Larissa. I know this...in my heart. I know this. You will be the best Queen that Hathway has ever had," he said as he looked at her with tears now silently falling down her cheeks unchecked and tears of his own fell from his eyes.

"I...I don't think I can do this without you, Uncle..." she said quietly as she looked down, shaking her head.

"You can, Larissa. I know you can. I am relieved to know that I am leaving Hathway in the best hands possible," he said as he coughed again, and Larissa tightened her hold on his hand.

"Larissa...Larissa, I saw who was leading them," he said when he had calmed down from his coughing fit, but Larissa could tell that something was wrong now.

"Who was it, Uncle?" she asked him as she leant in closer, seeing his lips moving as he tried to form words.

"It was...It...was..." he stammered out before his eyes began to glaze over and his grip slacked in her hand.

"Uncle?" she asked as she tightened her grip on his hand, fear tightening its grip on her.

"Uncle?" she asked louder this time as she stood up and placed a hand on his shoulders and shook him. Seeing that he didn't respond and that his eyes were now locked on the ceiling in a rather unnerving and unmoving stare, Larissa blinked several times before she moved back a little.

"No..." she said as she realised, he had slipped away before he could tell her who it was. Her grip loosened on his shoulders and his hand and her chest tightened again as she stared down at her Uncle.

"No...No this can't be happening...I can't lose you too, Uncle...Please..." she pleaded in a small voice as the floor began to shake beneath her.

Elissa and Tristan, who had managed to slip into the room and were standing near Rosaleen, looked at one another as the shaking began to grow more intense. Slowly, they stumbled slightly as they felt the entire building beginning to shake and Elissa took a cautious step towards Larissa, who's shoulders were shaking with silent sobs.

"P-princess?" she asked cautiously before she stepped back as a burst of air came from Larissa, sending her back towards Tristan who caught her before she could fall.

"NO!" Larissa cried out in anguish and the sheer force of her emotions sent out a powerful burst of energy that had the grounds, and the buildings all over the entire would beginning to shake as well. The sheer force of her emotions could be felt by thousands, if not millions of the world's populations and they all had no idea why or what was happening. All they knew...Was that someone was in pain.