Death Thread

Chapter 31

"I know that you were strong, but you just didn't want to be shown like that. So, are you trying to hide your skills at the academy?" I turned around to face him and he just laid on the ground and looked up to the sky.

"Well, it isn't your concern my prince, is it?" I asked as I turned and walked towards the tree.

"Well of course not, I was just wondering if we could spar sometimes in the academy?" I scoffed enough that he couldn't hear me.

"I don't think there will be a time that we will be sparing, my prince." I sat on the ground and looked at him, he was sitting and looking in my direction.

"Why did you come to the royal palace for?" He asked as he was coming closer to me, until he stopped in front of me, but he didn't sit, he just stood in front of me, and he was close. I got up, but he just brought his face closer to mine.

"Well, my prince, I came with the order of the duke Ryan's." I said as I stepped away from him with my book in my hands.

"I see, then I shouldn't take so much of your time." I smiled at him, and bobbed my head.

"Well then, my prince, it was a pleasure sparring with both of the prince's." I bowed and went towards my exit. The second prince was always the annoying, but the first prince, this is the fourth time I'm seeing him, he seems completely different from his younger brother. I hopped on the horse and started heading home.

The knights in front of the estate opened the doors and I got on the ground, John was at the door waiting for me.

"Call James, Tatiana as well, and come in the duke's room." I said as I headed inside.

"Me as well?" He said as he made his way towards James.

"Yes, you too John." As I got in the duke's room, I saw that he was trying to sleep, but he couldn't.

"Don't you dare to move, just lay back, I called John to assemble James and Tatiana." He just looked at me, he had dark circles under his eyes, I sighed.

"Look, I will explain another time then, so do you want me to stay by your side?" He smiled and nodded.

"Alright then, I will be beside you, every time, and always, no matter in what situation." I sat beside him and took his hand, he relaxed in the bed, and closed his eyes.

"Try to sleep a bit, maybe then I will have good news for you." As he closed his eyes, he fell asleep, Alfie came right after he fell asleep, to tell the truth, I also am tired, I just wanted to close my eyes and lay beside the duke, like when I was younger.

"He just fell asleep." I hear Alfie say as he was coming closer to us, I bobbed my head in approvement.

"Yeah, he looked like he needed this sleep long ago." He sat in the chair behind me.

"Right, but are you alright, Eleanor?" I glanced at him, and then glanced at Ryan.

"Honestly, I'm stressed over everything, if the duke dies right now, I'm not ready for this dukedom, and if accidentally, the first prince finds out what I'm planning, they would put me in jail before I even do anything. And I just can't do it right, I feel like everything I'm doing, I'm doing it wrong, it's just so messed up, I even can't eat that much food, it gets stuck in my throat, I tried to do kind things, but I don't think anyone is seeing what I'm seeing, I feel like everybody is following him blindly, and, and I just can't take it anymore, I feel like something is stuck in my throat and I can't get it out, what if it was all my fault from the beginning." I started sobbing as I needed to vent somewhere, but I really can't explain what I'm feeling, I felt two pair of hands in my back they were warm, and two other pair of hands in my face.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the duke smiling towards me, I started crying and he stopped my tears midway, I couldn't stop my crying anymore, I just hugged him and cried on the duke's arms.

"Everything will be alright, because you are not alone, you have all of us, we are here so we can push you further and make you stronger for the future. I believe in you, no matter what you do." The duke said as he had wrapped me in his arms like I was a baby, his voice calmed me down somehow, and I felt way too sleepy.

"Thank you, father." The duke smiled, and I tried to put him to sleep somehow, but I didn't realize that I had fallen asleep too, until the morning came.

When I woke up, I looked around and was sitting on the ground holding the duke's hand and I was covered in a blanket. I got up and saw Alfie was sleeping in the corner of the room, on one of the chairs, I smiled. I went slowly outside not to make a sound.

As I was wandering in the garden I decided to sit near the trees, it was early in the morning and I needed some fresh air. I rested my head on the tree and closed my eyes, until I hear a voice.

"Put this on, it's cold in the morning." I felt something fell on me, it was warm and it had the smell of the masked man, I opened my eyes and saw him.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him without even moving.

"It's good to see you too, and why have you been crying?" I touched my cheeks, and looked down.

"Oh, long story." He got on my level and looked at me.

"I got plenty of time. So, who was bothering you?" I smiled, and closed my eyes.

"No one, it's just that...... Things are getting rough." I said, and then again, I felt a tear rolling down my face.

"Moonlight, everything will be alright, life sometimes is rough, but it has its fun sometimes, you just need to master your wrong doings, or better, learn how not to fear anything and be powerful on your own." He said as he wiped my tear on my cheek. I opened my eyes and he was way too close.

"I think it's my fault that the duke got hurt, and it is my fault that my mother had died as well, it's just everything my fault." I felt him as he grabbed both of my cheeks and pulled me closer to him.

"Don't you dare blame yourself, you did nothing wrong, and it's not your fault that the duke got hurt, and it's not your fault that your mother died. You said that the emperor killed her, so why do you keep blaming yourself?" I felt tears drip again.

"Maybe if I asked for my mother to come in the estate would be better, or even better if I wasn't born at all, I can't save this kingdom if I can't even protect the duke." I started sobbing, he took me in a hug, I cried in his arms, his warmth made me feel safe.

"What if he dies?" I whispered as I began to feel a bit better.

"He won't die that easily, remember, he is the strongest in this empire, he even exceeds the empire." I rested my head in his chest as I felt his heart, then I decided to put a little distance from us.

"Yeah, he won't die that easily, he is a strong bastard." I smiled and leaned on the tree. "Thank you, masked man." I hear a laugh from him, that made me smile a bit. And he took a hair strand and left it behind my ear.

"Alright moonlight, I will see you later on, I need to go now." He said getting up, I got up as well.

"Thank you, and your jacket, take it you might need it more than me." I said as I smiled at him.

Sorry I didn't post last week, hope you enjoy:)