The Protectors: Matze's tale

Endings Begining

(Just a warning to all that may pick this up at any point I am actively bouncing between writing more to adding to what I've already written so this story as a whole will likely be put up and taken down many times before I decide I like it. This being the third time now that I am revising and reposting this story. If you don't want to deal with that I completely understand but for those who do choose to read if you have any critiques on grammar, spelling, think something could be worded better or if something doesn't make sense please let me know and outside of revealing things I wish not to at a point will accommodate and adapt. I want to learn to be a better writer to one day get this story truly published.)

"You can't seriously be thinking what you're thinking..." A tall male with well-combed blonde hair that grew darker to a sandy colour in the back says as he watches the young woman before him. She'd been watching the same young man lay in bed dying for days now as she often did when she thought she'd found a soul to take up the blade and fight in her name. Her own long hair, which had been pulled into a high ponytail and was the softest of blues as that of an early sky, swayed as she looked up to the man before her with a look of mild irritation in her deep golden eyes.

"There's been none purer of heart. He is the one to finally pick up the jasper blade of the sun. Tis his fate to help us now" She whispers, the lightest breeze sweeping through the room where the young male lay asleep. Her blessing ran through him to calm him before his end would set in. 

"But a man weak at heart as he is...." The male began but as the irritation in those deep golden eyes deepened at his audacity to even question her. He paused a moment before straightening his jacket as he cleared his throat. Something that had become an old habit of his over the centuries he's been alive. "I mean not to offend or to question your judgement just that I have also been watching him and while he is indeed a good man and great king I just don't know that he can handle being a Protector."

"He is anything but weak of heart. He may be younger than most but only because he chose to die in peace to allow his kingdom to grow without worrying for him." She says, standing from her cloud-like chair, long deep blue and gold trimmed dress flowing around her feet as she does. "He put the lives of all who rely on him before his own as a true pure leader should. You have some problem with my choice then you may leave my presence at once" A less than gentle breeze slipping through their room at her anger. "if you'd truly watched him as I have you should see that just as I do." the glass ball in her hand rippled drawing her attention from the god in her presence back to the young male who would become her net guardian. 

As she watched another male, a knight entered the room. He often did around evening time to check on his partner. Today however was a little different than usual. The dark-haired male sat on the edge of the bed, gently taking the sleeping man's hand in his before placing a singular kiss on the back of his hand. The young male in the bed stirred slightly at the touch but didn't seem to wake just yet. The dark-haired knight let a soft, love-filled smile grace his lips at this. The Goddess wasn't sure but there was something lingering in the knight's eyes that she couldn't quite read behind the mask that surely was the only reason the male was able to push on through these times despite what had to be immeasurable pain.

That thought however was fleeting as the sickly young male shot up from his dream, long blue strands falling into his face as he coughed, labored breathes trying hard to steady themselves. His knightly partner gently pulled him into a gentle hug while gently rubbing circles into his love's back as his breaths settled back into their regular but not quite steady rhythm. Once the fit had calmed the sickly young male leaned onto his partner, a stray bit of blood running down his chin though unclear if he'd simply bit his lip in the fit or if the illness had progressed to the next phase. The blue-haired male said something inaudible to the goddess but given the look on the knight's face the goddess could only guess what that had been.

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The darker-haired male looked sad at the other's words before leaning down to place a light kiss on his forehead. The knight then gently lay his sick king back onto the bed before pulling his armour off and moving to lay next to his love. Far too early for sleep but he couldn't find it in himself to argue with his partner's request, not while he lay here like this. "I'll stay til you fall back to sleep but I do have a few more things that I need to get done before I can rest for the night," the knight said as he watched his partner snuggle up to him.

"You do know that you can tell me no if you need to get things done," the sickly king said as he looked up, locking his deeper-than-normal green eyes on his love's crimson ones. 

"yes I'm aware but I could use the small break anyway." the knight says, placing another kiss to the king's forehead before moving down to capture his lips. Knowing in his mind that what was killing his love couldn't be passed between them and even then not caring as if he were to get sick then at least he'd have reason to stay with his love.

A faint smile graced the king's lips as they pulled apart, allowing his head to fall back to the other's chest as he laced his arms around his love's waist. "Laine? Might I make a request? For once I'm gone"

The knight didnt answer, too afraid of what that request may be. Instead, he only pulled his king closer to him, in part to hide his face from the younger male but also in the hopes that he'd be able to put off answering despite knowing In the back of his mind that the request would come, answer or not.

The blue-haired male smiled slightly and closed his eyes "Promise me that you'll find a way to live your life and be happy? I know it's selfish and I don't expect you to pull it off right away but someday. Please let yourself find happiness again." He says, voice getting softer as he speaks.

The knight frowned and buried his face in the top of his love's head. They stayed like that for a while, the knight thinking over the request, silent tears rolling down tanned cheeks the more he thought on it. "Matze...I don't...I don't know that I can." He mumbles softly, well aware that while his love appeared to be asleep he was far from it. 

"Of course you can. You did it for me. I know you can pull through again" Matze says softly, placing a soft kiss on his knight's collarbone. He really wanted to kiss away those tears but he knew he wouldn't be able to. As weak as he felt the little energy he had being sapped away.

"Only because you're a persistent bastard" Laine says softly "No one's gonna want someone so broken and falling apart."

Matze couldn't help the slight, soft laugh that rippled through him. "I'm not asking you to find someone just to find a happiness worth living for. Be that your child, this kingdom, another lover I don't care. Happiness doesn't have to mean a replacement for what we have now. Just a reason to not block yourself off from the world like you were when we met." he says, eyes opening to look up at his love, hating the pain he found in that face but not letting it show in his face just how much he did.

Laine studied his face for a long moment before leaning forward until their heads touched "I can't promise that I will as you asked but I will promise to give it a try." 

"Thank you," Matze says softly, the gentle light in his eyes slowly fading away as his eyes closed once more. "Sorry, so tired...." he says, barely audible beyond them.

"It's alright. Rest now Matze." Laine says, a deep pit growing in his stomach as he speaks.

"I love you, forever and always" Matze says,slipping into sleep.

"I love you too, forever and always" Laine says, letting out a strangled sob as the sleeping king in his arms slowly stopped breathing.