Stuck together - Book One of Meehric's Tales

Chapter 12: Her injury

Day 29,201

It is the moment between dream and reality. The moment where the body hesitates to let the eyes open or keep them closed and go back to sleep for another hour. But the pain finishes waking her up. It comes from every single inch of her body. All of her back muscles, her spine, her ribs, her lungs, her stomach, her arms, her thighs, her feet... All of them radiate dull pain. Even fidgeting a finger feels like her bones are imploding, needles keeping her skin tight around them, leaving the broken bone fragments to pierce her muscles. 

Lilea opens her eyes slowly, the sunlight coming straight into them. It makes her purple eyes very pale, almost as lilac as her hair. She painfully turns her face towards the side of her bed. She sees the reassuring face of her best friend Piscees looking at her. Her dark skin contrasts with her white and blue hair brought up in a high ponytail, two braided pieces framing her face. She's on a chair next to the floating bed, wearing a long fluid gray dress, her hands holding a book upside-down, a sign she wasn't reading. Her silver eyes are gentle and full of hope when she sees Lilea's open. Lilea tries to sit up but her entire body aches. Piscees stands up quickly.

"No, don't move." She helps Lilea to lay back down. The tip of her ponytail brushes Lilea's face.

"What happened?" whispers the Princess.

"You got sick. The magic you received was too much and your body rejected it last night."

Piscees takes her friend's hand in hers, ignoring the no-touch law. Lilea's pale skin contrasts with hers. She strokes her forehead with her other hand, an attempt of comfort. Panic grows in the purple eyes.

"I don't understand." Lilea says quietly.

"It happens. If a powerful Elhurian is in the room during the Ceremony, and that -"

"It's never happened to a Royal." Her tone is adamant.

Piscees sighs. "It...-"

"I don't understand." Lilea repeats.

"The Queen told me that the magic had started to break your bones, and melt your organs..."

Piscees' silver eyes start to fill up with tears. She stops stroking her friend's forehead. "I'm so sorry Lilea. They had to..."

The Princess closes her eyes in apprehension.

"They had to take the magic away." whispers Piscees.

Lilea's grip on her hand gets tighter. There are no words that could help the Princess at the moment. No gestures, no sounds, no looks can take the pain away. The pain of a broken heart and hurt pride. She closes her eyes, pressing her lips together. Piscees climbs on the bed and lays down next to the Princess, their hands still gripped to each other.

Tears start rolling on Lilea's cheeks. She tries to hide them with her hand as Piscees puts her arm around her waist. It is a simple hug, another attempt of support, a gesture of comfort, an action to show her love. Lilea rolls towards her despite the stabbing pain at every movement, and holds on Piscees's dress with her available hand. Here, hidden in her friend's arms, Lilea lets go. She starts sobbing, tears falling onto her sheets and Piscees's outfit. She cries softly, only the sound of air coming in and out of her lungs as sign of her distress. Piscees's grip around her body gets tighter, her cheek against her forehead, her eyes closed. She hears her take a long breath in, feeling her chest rising. Slowly, her friend starts to sing, just humming a lullaby. Her breath calms.

They stay in that position, Piscees singing, Lilea listening, for a long time. The Princess's muscles relax, her breathing becomes slow and quiet, her grip on the grey dress and Piscees's hand loosen. Piscees sighs. She looks down at Lilea's face, now asleep, serene and peaceful. She strokes her cheek, puts a piece of lilac hair back behind the white pointed ear.