The Lost Kingdom

Chapter 12 - Love and Loss

Cinder kneeled beside where her brother laid, not moving. His gaze was empty and the light had drained from his eyes. Ryzen's lifeless body was cold... Cold and dead. Tears rolled down her cheeks, her hands gripping his blood stained shirt. A long wail of loss escaped her throat, and suddenly there was no stopping the tears that spilled from her eyes and ravaged her cheeks.

Cinder did not often cry. She couldn't recall the last time she had, but Death's angel had come and taken away the closest person to her. Her best friend, her brother, the only one who accepted her for all her flaws, and now he was gone. Ryzen was dead.

When she decided that she couldn't stand seeing Ryzen like that anymore, she stood up and left the black tent that they had put him in. Her mind was a foggy mess of denial, anger, and unbearable pain. Ryzen wasn't dead. He couldn't be. But the demon of reality inside her head said yes, he is dead, and he isn't coming back.

Hastily, she wiped away her tears with trembling hands, but her cheeks were still red her eyes hollow. She would never let anyone see her cry, no one. She needed a walk.

Cinder avoided as many people as she could at the camp they were in. Looking ahead of her she could make out Prince Persius and Prince Ronan talking in the distance. Cinder made sure not to walk near the Ellamentian Royals, who were undoubtedly discussing the health of their own brother, Prince Erick.

Fighting back the tears, Cinder made her way to an orchard of trees, where she was hidden from everyone else. The trees here had dark green leaves, unlike the other emerald green ones around the villages, and the shade was cool. She could stay here forever, escaping the world. Cinder sat on the cold ground and tucked her knees into her chest. She around at the trees she was surrounded by, circling her as if trying to hug her. What would Cinder's parents think of this? Would they blame her?

Soft whispers echoed around her, cold and cruel. She convinced herself they were not real and tried to block them out, but as they grew louder she couldn't.

"It's all your fault," one whispered from behind her. Cinder jumped up, her hand on the hilt of her sword, and looked around her. But no one was there.

"You should be dead, not him." Another whispered, and Cinder turned her head, trying to find the source of the taunting voice.

"You can't even fight..." Came another voice, colder and darker than the rest. "Useless..."

The branches closed in on her, blocking out the sunlight. Darkness engulfed her, an invisible force squeezing the life out of her. The whispers echoed through her head, mocking her. Helplessness engulfed her and the tears came back, rapidly flowing down her face. Cinder looked at where the sky should be and she saw an image of Ryzen in the leaves, staring down at her. His eyes were cold and he scowled at her.

"You were always week and helpless," he spat. "Why did I have to die, Cinder? Why me? It should have been you!"

The words pierced through her heart, like a dagger being repeatedly shoved in her chest. Cinder fell to her knees, pulling at her hair as a sob escaped her lips.

"I'm just imagining all of this, it's just my mind playing tricks on me.." Cinder said to herself, but she didn't believe it. How could she?

"Cinder?" a deep, familiar voice called to her, snapping her back into reality.

Looking up, she saw Prince Persius standing at the edge of the trees, concern spread across his usually hard features. She could only stare back at him, her golden eyes dull and empty. Had she been laying down, she could be mistaken for a crying corpse.

"Cinder..." Persius said once again, and his shock was obvious. He took slow steps towards her, as afraid that she would run away, and sat next to her. "What happened?"