The Union of Peanut Butter and Jelly

An Untimely Loss

Just three months before their third anniversary, Caddaric and Aimee, along with many of their friends, suffered a tragic and untimely loss with the death of Charles, their close friend, and younger brother figure. Unbeknown to either Caddaric, Aimee, or anyone else outside of Charles' family, for the past four years, he had been secretly receiving treatment for a medical condition he had been suffering from to prevent the possibility of trouble with the royal council. "Why didn't he tell us about his condition?" Aimee sadly questioned as she cried with Caddaric's arms wrapped around her as they both mourned their dear friend. "We could have made the council back off and help him get the treatment that he needed. Even if he had told us it wouldn't have changed the way we saw him as both a friend and a brother."

Caddaric held Aimee close as he tried to comfort her; he tried to hold back his tears because he knew that this was the first tragic loss that Aimee had experienced since her father died nearly a decade ago. Although Caddaric never got the chance to know Aimee's father, he always made sure that he gave Aimee all of the love and support she deserved and treated her with respect and kindness. He treated her in the way that he did, not just because Caddaric knew that Aimee's father would have wanted him too, but because he loved her more than life itself. "I know darling, I know," Caddaric said softly to Aimee, nearly close to tears himself. "At least Charles passed away peacefully in his sleep, despite his seizure."

Although Caddaric's words did bring her some comfort, Aimee still did not feel any better. "I just wish that he had told me so I could have helped him, and I could have done something to prevent this," Aimee cried out as she buried her face in Caddaric's chest. "Sweetheart, there was nothing you could do," Caddaric calmly said as he gently rubbed her back. "There was nothing any of us could do. Even if there were a way to bring him back, the price would be too high."

As the days following Charles's untimely death passed, the news of it spread, and many people sent messages of condolences to both Caddaric and Aimee and Charles's family. Along with their royal duties, both Caddaric and Aimee did all they could to help Charles's family keep his memory and legacy alive. When Aimee joined the charity organization council that Charles's parents founded to continue his work, Caddaric supported her decision. However, when Pelmazo and his allies heard the news of Charles's passing, neither he nor his partners felt a single ounce of grief; instead, they saw an opportunity to put their plan into action. Pelmazo knew that he could not enact his revenge. At the same time, Charles was still alive because if he had, Charles would have vigorously defended Aimee in a way a brother would protect his sister. Charles would have used all of his connections both in and out of the royal circles to bring him down, destroying him. With Charles gone and his relationship starting to crack, Pelmazo knew that it was time for him and his allies to strike.