Loveless/ a POWERLESS fanfiction story

Chapter 33: Blair

I can't swallow a single bite.

My tears dried long ago.

Mary sweeps my hair into a low bun as I slip into a dark dress trimmed with delicate lace. Kitt expressed a desire to visit me before the burial.

He arrives in the morning. His golden curls seem dull, and his eyes carry a sadness that mirrors my own. Some part of me feels a faint sense of relief that he, too, feels the weight of this loss. After all, we all grew up in this castle. Sadie could very well have become his wife—she was a fitting match.

"Good morning, Blair," he greets me in a surprisingly gentle tone. "I'd like to invite you for a walk, if you don't mind, and afterward, I'll accompany you to the ceremony."

"That's very kind of you," I reply, placing my hand in his offered one.

We leave my chambers, and for the first time in two days, I see Brian. He stands by my door, once again in his guard uniform. For a brief moment, I freeze, meeting his mismatched eyes. I realize how unaccustomed I've become to seeing him in his mask. A month ago, I would have said he was no different from dozens of other Imperials, but now, just the sight of him stirs a quiet warmth through my chest.

As we start down the corridor, I let out a soft sigh and say:

"Your Highness, as far as I know, all participants are to be accompanied by their Guards."

"Oh, Blair," Kitt responds, "there's plenty of security in the garden, and my personal Guard will be with us during the ceremony."

A wave of nausea rises in my throat, and I have no argument to counter him. But deep down, I wish... Plague, I truly wish Brian were with me. I wish I could feel his silent presence at my back. Because he was there. And he was the only constant when my world was falling apart.

"Of course, Kitt," I say, deliberately shifting to a more casual tone. "I just wouldn't want people to gossip that the General's daughter is receiving special privileges in these Trials."

I glance at his profile as Kitt's lips curl into a faint smile.

"No one will say a word about you," he assures me. "I won't allow it."

I want to laugh bitterly at his words. This is the same Kitt who, along with his brothers, mocked me my entire life. The same Kitt who watched me bend over backward to fit in with them and this place. The same Kitt who called me a bitch behind my back, thinking I wouldn't hear. And now... now, he pities me. Now, he's decided to delay his cruelty out of some misplaced sense of decency.

I want to growl. I want to shove him away with Tele and run as far as I can. But I am the General's daughter, and he is the Crown Prince. So, I bury my rage and say:

"Thank you, Kitt."

We walk into the royal garden.The last time I walked here, it was with Sadie and Brian, barely escaping the aftermath of battle. And though I say nothing, I'm grateful for the overcast sky – on a day like this, not a single ray of light should touch the earth.

"How are you after... all this?" Kitt asks, breaking the heavy silence. His voice startles me out of my thoughts, and I flinch ever so slightly.

"Better with each passing day," I lie.

Kitt offers me his arm, and I accept, feeling my legs weaken under the heavy, rain-laden air.

"You know, I lost someone I loved deeply too," Kitt says after a long pause. His voice is steady, but I can hear a trace of sorrow in it. I suspect he's speaking of his mother, who died giving birth to him. It's entirely different from losing someone who spent most of life with you, someone who became like a sister. But I remain silent, letting him continue.