The Elemental Trilogy

Chapter 4

                                                                                          Tenebris

"Yeah, I'm tired too," I lie.

I need to go see if Lux is okay. She wanted to get out of here real quick as soon as Verum brought up her past.

"Oh. Okay. Get well rested. You did have a long journey."

I wave and walk inside. I just walk around, looking for Lux.

And then I hear sniffling.

I look around the corner and see her curled up against the wall, rocking softly.

"Are you okay?"

Her head jerks up and for a moment she looks like a deer at arrow point.

And then she looks like a lion who's den has been intruded.

"I'm fine. Why are you following me?"

"Well, you kind of ran away. I was just making sure you were all right."

I'm being nice. That doesn't happen often. Especially to someone I hardly know. Why is she being all defensive?

"Well I am."

"I saw you crying."

"I said I am fine. Now leave me alone." She tries walks to away but I grab her arm.

"Look. You don't know me and I don't know you but-"

"You're right. You don't know me. So here are a few thing you should know. One, I don't talk about my feelings. Two, if you see me crying, leave me alone." She gets in my face and my heart is pounding. "I don't give a damn if your the king or not, stay away from me. And even if I did feel like talking about what I've been through, you wouldn't understand. No one does."

This time I let her go when she storms off. I stand there in stunned silence.

I recognize what lies within her eyes all too much.

Layers upon layers of walls built up.

I recognize it because I'm the same way.

"Dux! You can't leave me with him!" I run after my older brother, desperate to stay with him.

"Someone has to be king when Father dies." He turns and looks at me with eyes that match my own.

"Why can't it be you? Or why can't both of us leave? Credo could become king!"

"No! Tenebris, I do not want to be king but if we both leave, then Credo will become king and run this whole kingdom to the ground."

"There must be another way! You can't abandon me! What happened to you always being there to protect me?" I grab his arm, tears filling my eyes.

"You do not need me. Me being here is obviously making you weak. What would Mama think of that? She told you to stay strong."

I shake my head as the first of the tears fall,"Please. Don't go."

My older brother rips his arm from me,"This is what is best for you, little brother. You will someday thank me."

He slams the door behind him and I fall to my knees.

That is when I decided, you can never become relyant on someone. You can never blindly trust them. Because no one will do anything for you. No one keeps their promises. You can only depend on yourself.

Because everyone leaves eventually.

I shake my head.

She wants me to leave her alone? Fine. This castle is huge. I can probably go the whole week without seeing her again.

Just because she's perfect doesn't mean I can't control myself.

Just because she might understand my pain doesn't mean I need her to.

I walk the opposite way that Lux went.

I go to my room and see Credo in there.

"Are you alright?"

I glare at him,"I tried to be nice to Lux and she lost her shit."

He tilts his head,"What happened."

"Well Verum started talking about her past and so-"

"Okay, let me guess what happened next. She ran away, you went after her, she was upset so you asked her if she was okay. She then said she was fine, you fought her on it, and she basically told you to fuck off."

I nod,"Pretty much."

He sighs,"Okay two things, she doesn't talk about anything before nine years ago. Two, if she is upset, leave her be. She lashes out at anyone who gets too close."

I stare at him,"But- You know what? Not my place to say anything."

He stands up,"I was just making sure you got here all right. Please be safe and don't do anything stupid."

I can't help but smirk at that,"Now what's the fun in that?"

Credo just rolls his eyes before walking out.

I lie down on my bed and close my eyes.

I wonder how'd she'd look in blue.

Or purple.

Or red.

Or black.

I groan. I've gotta get this girl out of my head.

But that thought doesn't keep me from imagining her in a black dress in a field of crimson peonies.