Loveless/ a POWERLESS fanfiction story

Chapter 49: Blair

Seeing more and feeling less

Saying no but meaning yes

When Mary woke me and began preparing me in haste for a meeting with the crown prince, my thoughts were consumed by the events of the previous night.

It turned out that I, along with the other participants of Mount Plummet, had been brought back to the palace by Blinks. I vaguely recalled familiar hands lifting me and a familiar voice murmuring words I had heard before:
I'm with you.

As Mary explained that it was my father who had informed her of the prince's desire to accompany me for a walk and had ordered her to prepare me, I found myself replaying the final moments of Braxton's life in my mind over and over.

How I had failed to control my power. How his death was my fault. How his last words lingered:
I could never be the one to destroy the world that Sadie dreamed of leaving.

While Mary patiently untangled my knotted hair, my thoughts strayed to the moment I had seen her with Brian. The memory struck a discordant note, echoing unpleasantly in my temples. I avoided meeting her gaze, fearing that looking into her eyes would open a chasm inside me-a chasm I couldn't afford to fall into. Not now.

"You should get dressed, Miss Blair," she said gently, placing the comb on the marble table. "The prince will be waiting for you in the garden shortly."

I nodded silently, taking the green shirt she handed me and slipping it on carelessly. The fabric felt cold and constricting against my skin, the collar encircling my neck like a silken noose. The color reminded me of the flag Mary had said Paedyn Gray had taken down-at the exact moment I'd been cradling Braxton's head in my hands.
But someone else can.

Pulling on plain black trousers and boots, I stepped toward the mirror and stopped to look at myself. My face was pale, my pupils still dilated. Yet there was a new mark upon me now-a shadow of loss that I vowed to forge into determination.

Because I had survived. And they had not.

Because I could still make a difference.

Mary stood silently by, waiting for my next move.

"I'm ready," I said firmly.

My voice carried a steadiness that seemed to catch her off guard. She blinked in surprise but said nothing, simply nodding and escorting me to the door-beyond which, to my relief, Brian was nowhere to be seen.

When my father had first assigned me a bodyguard, I had been furious. It felt like an insult, a pointed reminder that he thought me weak. That he knew I was weak-angry, vulnerable, desperate to prove myself to someone.

I had seen Brian as proof of my deficiency. But now I understood: he could indeed become evidence of my failure if I allowed myself to rely on him too much. In the end, I always lost those who mattered to me, left only to grieve them. And the time for grief was over.

As I stepped into the garden, the bright sunlight momentarily blinded me. I saw Kit standing by one of the fountains, his figure framed against the greenery. He turned to me with a smile-light, effortless, as always. And though he was a Dual, wielding both fire and water, his true power lay in his charm.

I took a deep breath and walked toward him.

"Your Highness," I said with a playful smile. "Forgive me for keeping you waiting."

Kit tilted his head slightly, his gaze appraising as he studied me.

"Blair," he said, and for the first time, my name sounded soft on his lips. "I'm glad you decided to join me."