Classy, Controlled Chaos - The STEAM Team Adventures

🗡️ Perseverance [4/4] 🗡️

King Arthur's POV:

By the time we had arrived in the infirmary, my beloved Queen Cordelia was long gone.

The stroke that had came over her had been too powerful for the magical life support that kept her alive, overpowering her frail, weakened body and taking her life.

For some reason, I couldn't shed a tear.

Tia was clinging to me, her tail curled into an arc beside my boots.

She could sense the tension, grief, and sadness in the room like a mixed concoction of emotions.

I watched as the sorcerers who kept my wife alive silently pull a white cloth over her lifeless body, signaling her death.

Queen Cordelia... My beautiful, yet delusional wife... Was gone.

"We were too late." I mumbled, laying a hand on her cold cheek. "We were too late."

Sir Nyx dipped his head in sign of reverence, with the sorcerers in the room following him.

The only one who didn't bow down was Tia.

He elbowed the captain, expecting her to follow, but received a piercing glare instead.

I trained Nyx better than to argue with him.

"Bury her out at sea." I sighed at last, turning away from the body. "Cremate her and throw her ashes along the shore. She would be happy to be free again."

Tia looked up at me, a hint of sorrow in her eyes. "She saw the ocean as her freedom, too?"

I nodded, closing my eyes and remembering her youthful days. "Cordy loved the ocean... Cordy loved it just as much as I did."

She took in a deep breath, holding it for a few moments before finally letting it out. "You loved the ocean?"

"Yes, yes I did." I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "That was what gave Cordy her sanity... And took it away."

I walked out of the room, leaving Nyx and the sorcerers behind with the deceased queen.

Tia quietly followed beside me, clearly contemplating her next words.

"Queen Cordelia wasn't always insane, Tia." I mumbled, my voice solemnly low. "When the Great War began, something... Something terrible happened."

I stopped in my tracks, letting out a shuddery breath. "The beautiful, kind, loving Cordy I knew had died long before today. She was so, so innocent... She didn't deserve to have her mind twisted into something so cruel..."

The captain nodded, silently listening. "I will listen. You can tell me anything, Arthur. I won't tell a soul."

She unexpectedly hugged me, wrapping her arms tightly around my body. "Pyronica... It was Pyronica who did this to her..."

A lone tear streaked down my cheek as I struggled to find the right words. "They launched a direct attack on the castle, trying to assassinate Blackthorne and I with their best dark magic phoenix... I believe his name was Kairo."

Tia seemed to recognize the name, but said nothing of it as I spoke. "He snuck in through the courtyard and found our family in the dining hall... And he tried to cast a spell on me, but... Cordy took it for me instead..."

I felt my throat tighten up, forcing me to pause for a moment before I continued. "She really died that day, Tia. She really did. When she woke up from her coma a few months later, she had this sick, twisted grin on her face... And an unquenchable thirst for bloodshed."

The captain could only watch as I wiped my face with the sleeve of my robe, trying to desperately contain the emotions spilling out of me. "I knew she wanted vengeance for what that sick man did to us, but she never expressed it in the way that the real Cordy did... Oh, my beautiful, precious, innocent Cordelia..."

Inconsolable tears started dripping down my face, and I hid myself with the wing of my robe.

Tia pulled away from me, patting my back reassuringly. "I'm... Really sorry for your loss."

I caught my breath, letting out another shuddery sigh. "It's not just my loss, Tia... The entire kingdom lost her, too. She was the world to me, she really was."

Through the blur of tears in my eyes, I saw a glimpse of her orca tail sweep around my boots in a comforting gesture.

"Arthur," She began, nuzzling her nose against my cheek. "If Cordelia was watching you right now, she'd want you to be strong. And I mean the real Cordelia, not the husk of what she used to be that you dealt with for years. The real, strong, beautiful Cordelia you know and love."

I wiped my eyes against my sleeve, realizing she was genuinely trying to soothe me. "I... I know she would."

Tia gave me a soft smile, sending a wave of well-needed warmth through my chest. "Be strong for her, Arthur... Cordelia watches over you in spirit, now. One day, you will meet her again, but remember- Now is not your time. The kingdom needs you."

Her words resonated with me as I gradually composed myself. "Cordy was... Very perseverant. Like if anyone tried to stop her from doing anything, she would do it regardless, if it meant for her own good and the good of others. Even if the world was against her, she would still fight for what she wanted."

"Exactly, persevere." The captain shifted in her spot, the familiar fire sparking in her eyes. "How about this- Whatever you do, do it for Cordelia. Got it?"

I looked down at her, watching her eagerly wag her whale tail. "Persevere through the pain... Got it."

"I know it's going to be tough on you now," She started, thinking about her next words. "But soon, you'll get over the grief. Healing will take time though... And we got tons of it."

My body reacted before my mind, and before I knew it, I had her wrapped in a tight, back-breaking bear hug.

"Thank you, Tia..." Was all I managed to get out.

She gave me a reassuring smile. "You're welcome, Arthur... And trust me."

"We are going to be okay."