Princess of O'Khasis (OFFICIALLY DISCONTINUED)

Mourn Again

(6 years later)

Melody sat up in bed, yawning and rubbing her eyes. She had woken up to some noise coming from the room across the hall from hers-Vylad's room. She wrapped a robe around herself to keep warm, and went to investigate. While she was in the hallway, her eyes drifted over to the door that was down the hallway from her bedroom door. It was Garroths' old room, ever since the day he left, Melody had not gone in, she hadn't even touched the door handle. As far as she knew, no one ever went in there, not even the maid. For a second, she remembered the first time a big storm hit O'Khasis when she was there.

It was the middle of the night, and 7-year old Melody was huddled in her bedsheets, shaking with fear. Every few seconds thunder would roll across the sky, almost seeming to shake the ground with its mighty roar. Then lightning would strike, flashing through the sky, and illuminating the young girls' bedroom. She had just hid her head under the pillow, when she heard another noise, a quieter, softer noise. The door joining her bedroom to her brother Garroths' room opened with a slight groan, and without saying anything, Garroth walked over to where Melody was huddled up, and hugged her until the storm passed. With Garroth there Melody felt protected, like the storm and the bad things couldn't reach her if he was there.

But he isn't here now. Melody thought, coming out of the flashback. He left, and never came back. I have to protect myself now. But the memory was painful, and the girl felt her heart grow heavy as she tore her eyes away from the door and walked to Vylads' room. When she opened the door softly, and walked in, he had his back to her, facing his open window, one foot propped up on the windowsill.

"Vylad?" Melody said tenderly, dread beginning to fill her heart.

"Melody....im sorry." Vylad turned to face her with a sad look on his face.

"Vylad, please say this isn't what it looks like." With a bag slung over his shoulder, leaning slightly out the open window, it looked like he was..... No Melody thought, pushing that possibility out of her mind. He would do that, he knows how I felt when Garroth left.

"Melody, I'm sorry, but I can't stay."

"But Vylad, this is our home! You can't do this!" Melody said frantically, raising her voice.

"Sshhhh, be quiet, they'll hear us! Hear me out Melody, I just don't feel like I belong here, I've never really fit in, you know that. I don't wanna have to be some head guard or great scholar or something, I wanna live my own life." Vylad walked over to Melody, and put his hand on her shoulder.

"But this is the life we have lived for 16 years, you can't just throw it away." Melody tried to reason with him, but in her heart of hearts, she felt that no matter what she said, she would not be able to sway him.

"Yes I can, this is the life for you, look at you" Vylad said, leading her over to a mirror hanging on the wall. "You're a princess." Vylad was right. Melody looked like a princess. Her shiny blonde hair had a slight natural curl, and her skin was smooth and clear. She indeed looked like a princess. But her eyes shone with adventure, and freedom. In the 6 years after Garroth had left, Melody had felt trapped in the mansion. Her parents rarely let her go outside, instead, she had to learn geography and maths and history. She yearned for change, but she was too scared to run. She dint want to inflict upon others the pain she felt when Garroth left, she wanted to protect them from that. So she stayed put, slowly starting to hate her life. Melody turned to face Vylad, and for a second, she saw Garroth standing before her, looking at her sadly before he turned away, but then the vision passed, and Vylad was looking at her, not Garroth. Without saying a word, Melody turned away and walked back to her room. She could her Vylads' footsteps behind her, following. Opening one of the drawers in her dresser, she pulled out one of her dark forest green scarfs, and handed it to him.

"To hide your face." She said solemnly. He gave her a weak smile and nodded his thanks, and they walked to the open window silently. Before Vylad stepped out the window, he hugged her, and said,

"Thank you for understanding. I hope to see you again someday. Here, I got this for you at the market. I know Garroth gave you a scarf of something when he left, so i figured it was only fitting if I got you something too."  Reaching into his pocket, Vylad drew out a braided leather bracelet with a small turquoise stone in the middle. Melody slid it onto her wrist and smiled at him sadly in thanks. Then he stepped out the window, and landed on the concrete below. He turned to look up at her, and waved, wrapped the scarf around his face, and left, leaving through the back gate. Melody turned away from her window, and started to walk to her room, feeling hollow inside. But she stopped in front of her door, and felt loneliness pierce her heart. Once again, her eyes drifted to Garroths' door, and shuffled towards it, until she stood just a few inches away from it, shuddering with every breath. Hands shaking, she grabbed the doorknob, and opened the door in one motion. As soon as she saw the room, she froze. The furniture had all been moved out, and the walls repainted. There was even new carpet. It was as if he had never lived there. Her eyes filling with tears, Melody stepped inside and shut the door behind her. Making a sort of strangled noise, she collapsed to the floor, wrapping her arms around herself, as if trying to physically keep from breaking apart. Because there was no one here to comfort her this time, and she got no sleep that night, because it was time to mourn again.