The Dragon Prince

Chapter 5

Princess Aohlee Fairmore

Imperial City, Vrinian

I could no longer control my emotions. Any moment now he will be gone. I will lose him. Lewis. The love of my life. I will become a widow at the age of twenty-two and only two weeks after our wedding. I can't lose him. He deserves better than this. He deserves a full life, a full happy life. We knew this day would come, but I was hopeful that it wouldn't be for a few more months, a year maybe. Perhaps we could have even found a cure. I had the best scholars in medicine working on a cure for his mystery ailment, but nothing has been found. Nothing to help him. Nothing to save him.

"Aohlee." Lewis' voice was weak as I looked up at him. I didn't want him to see me falling apart, it wasn't fair to him, but I couldn't stop myself. "I want you to forget about me."

I sniffed, tears streaming down my face as I pulled his hand to my face. I wanted so desperately to memorize him, everything about him. I wanted to memorize his smile, and the way he laughed. I wanted to memorize the features on his face when he was intensely reading, or in a deep conversation. Most especially, I wanted to memorize the Lewis only I knew. The person he was when it was only him and I. The sweet, soft side of him. Gentle and always patient. "I can't do that." I shook my head slightly. I can't forget him. It would have all been for nothing. "I won't."

"You need to move on after me." He pleaded, the color in his blue eyes fading. He was breaking my heart, and it wasn't even his fault. "You deserve to be happy."

"I can't be happy without you." I mumbled, causing him to let out a jagged sigh. "There will be no one after you, Lewis. No one in the world could replace you. Not to me." He was all I ever wanted. Being with someone else would just feel wrong.

"I knew you would say that." His laugh was weak. I reached out and brushed his dark blond hair from his eyes. His hair was soaked from his fever. I could feel it pulsing though him, claiming his life. "You are always so stubborn." He took the hand I was holding and kissed my hand. "Why did you marry me?" He asked after a few seconds.

"Because I love you." I replied, stating the obvious.

He shook his head. "I want the real reason, Aohlee. Please."

I sniffed and then let out a sigh. "The real reason?" I asked, and he nodded. If he wanted honesty, I was going to give it to him. "I selfishly wanted you all to myself. I wanted you in my life, no matter how long that would be. I wanted to make you happy, because I couldn't be happy if you weren't." He started to protest, thinking that I wasn't answering his question, so I stood up and sat on the edge of his bed. "I married you because you were all that I could think about. If this is how it ends, Lewis, then this is how it ends. I didn't protest then and I won't protest now, but that doesn't mean that I don't want you to recover and grow old together. I dream about that every time I close my eyes." I leaned in and kissed him, and for a moment, I almost forgot about him on his deathbed. I pulled back, and he looked up at me, with his greying eyes and perfect features. "I love you, Lewis. I will always love you, and only you, until eternity. My heart will always be yours, forever."

"As will mine, My Love." His voice was the sweet music to my ears. I never wanted to forget it. I never wanted to forget the first time I met him, and heard his voice. The day Mother was reunited with her brother, and they came with Lewis' family. He seemed shy, but kind, keeping to the shadows and away from groups. I was intrigued. It was a few months later that I learned about his illness and his inevitable end. I was shocked at first. How could God take away this boy? He was to sweet and faithful. He loved life, and yet, his was being taken away. It wasn't long though before I started to realize that I didn't care about what would happen in the end. It only mattered what happened along the way.