The King's Bride

It's Real

Everleigh walks into Jensen's room, pulling the hood from her head, and finds him standing by the large window in the almost darkness of the room, the only light coming from the fire in the hearth, a bottle of wine in his hand and clearly drunk.

Jensen turns around when he hears someone behind him.

-"Everleigh?"

-"Hello Jensen." - She gives him an hesitant smile.

-"You're not real." - He takes a long swig from the bottle, not giving her a second look as he turns back to the window.

-"Yes, I am."

-"No, you're not. And do you know how I know?"

-"No."

-"Because, after how we left things, the real Everleigh wouldn't call me by my name. She would call me by my title. You are just a ghost. Probably here to remind me of my regrets, of all I didn't say." - His voice breaks at the end.

-"Tell me."

-"You're not her, so why bother?"

-"Just humor me. If I'm her ghost, then what's the harm? What would you tell her if she was really here? Tell me."

Jensen doesn't answer, taking another long swig from the bottle, before turning and looking back at her.

-"I would tell her that I'm sorry. That I was an idiot. That I should've fought for her to stay, to stop her from leaving. That I love her. God, I love her so much. It hurts me knowing that she left not knowing how much I love her and how I would give everything, my throne, my crown, my Kingdom, hell, my life, to have her back. I wish she knew."

"Do you know how hard it is? Not having the woman you love being a part of your life? Of course you don't, you're just a ghost. It's physical. There are days where I can hardly breathe because she isn't here. I can't stand walking the corridors of the Castle because everywhere I look, I see her. Ghosts of her presence that taunt me, tease me, haunt me. Ghosts that drive me mad because she's not really there."

"I look out my window and I see the garden where her orchids are planted and part of me wants to burn it to the ground, but another part stops me from actually doing it because it's the only thing I have left of her. The last physical reminder that she was here and that I was the idiot who let her go without a fight."

"Every day I replay that night in my head and I think of all the things I should've done differently. Why do you think you're here? You're here because I will never have the chance to see her again, to see her smile, hear her laugh, hold her in my arms while we dance. She was the best thing that has happened to me and I let her go because I was too afraid to tell her how I felt. And now I will never get the chance. She's gone and she's never coming back."

"I don't blame her. I was a fool. I know I was. And she probably hates me now, after all this time. But if I had the chance, just one chance, I would beg her for just one more chance and I would tell her how much I love her and how I can't live without her." - He takes a deep breath and another swig from the bottle. -"Is that what you want to hear, ghost? Leave, please. Just leave me to my loneliness, because that's all I deserve after what I failed to do and say."

Everleigh has tears streaming down her face, hearing all that Jensen has to say. She crosses the room quickly and wraps her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply, the bottle he is holding falling from his hand onto the carpet.

-"This can't be real." - He whispers into her lips when they break apart, sobering up quickly.

-"It's real, Jensen. I'm here. It's real."

Jensen holds her tight, reality fully catching up with his drunken brain, and kisses her deeply.