"Who is this?! Where are you?!" I reach for my staff
"If I were you, I'd regret touching that little toy!" The mysterious voice said, sounding cracked and disjointed as it tries to be intimidating.
"Watch me!"
"I know what you are looking for. I'll have you know that little bitch is long gone....so y-y-ou better just quick and get outta here!"
"Oh really, and and who are you to tell me otherwise?" I creep my way through the woods, holding my ears keen to track the voice. But I couldn't discern a solid location. It is as if the voice is everywhere at once.
"Why do you care so much about this?! Shouldn't you be taking care of your troops that you lose so much you'd throw them to the slaughterhouse?!"
"They are soldiers who have taken a vow to protect the innocent. The only thing drawing them to war is the call of duty.
"Whatever, you know exactly why you lost Marissa. When chaos struck, she expected to leave everything to comb the forest. You didn't as so much grazed the first few yards in. Where were you when Marissa needed you?"
"Are you sure you want to know what happened to me? I am willing to tell you everything. And if there is but a grain of falsehood in my words, my the Good Lord above burn my wings to ash! Never to be admitted into the Kingdom of God!"
A pause
"Fair Enough. Explain yourself, angel!
"All I ever wanted was to have a just, fair and free world for me, Marissa, for anyone willing to work, both independently and together. I had always put Marissa before myself when she needed help.
But you know what happened? I became king. And that sounds like I can kick back and do whatever I want? After all I have servants to do the work for me. My word is law if I wanted it so and could just have like a sit in once and that would be the government in its entirety. There have been so many avenues to obtain limitless time and riches to adore her with.
Riddle me this however: Would that sound nice and fair to those say the farmers, the crafters, the armies and judges the guard the police, the healers, and pretty much anyone that wasn't Marissa. Do you think that Marissa would be proud of me to become the tyrant we so desperately tried to flee from. The same tyrant, mind you, is still alive in spirit, calling himself Lord Draken, causing a civil war,killing indiscriminately as a scare tactic, and vowing to exhume the world of the weak.
Are you starting to feel some of the burden yet? Because there is never velvet cape plush enough to cushion the weight of an entire kingdom on your shoulders. As much as I loved Marissa, to me she is just one of a million needy hands. Forgive me then if I had to forgo a hand wanting marriage for a hand wanting bread.
And as for combing the entire forest. May I remind you that there was a bloodbath happening before me? I was neither a king nor an angel then. For before angels and kings, there is the just. I only wanted to be just.
I never asked for this crown. Gold is cold and heavy on the head. But so long as I am the king, I have a duty. If I must choose between the heart one one versus the souls of a million from the dark, the choice is clear. Sacrifice, is never easy, dear friend. Or it is not truly sacrifice".
Another pause
"But you are still trying to get her back aren't you".
"For reasons beyond my own understanding, I am still drawn to her. I still need find her. Because for some reason, she is the key to the kingdom finally functioning again."
"So you admit that she is just isn't one of those 'needy hands' huh?!" She snapped
"And now you are telling me that she is the key to your pathetic kingdom?! Quit giving lip service, Adraman! You know deep down that you have grown tired of Marissa. That you have rather just declared her dead, married again, lose that wife, and then come crawling back into the woods like the stray little dog that you are in the hopes of igniting some far off childhood romance! You are sick. You are all talk and no action. Sure you and your boys will happily go bloodthirsty with your swords and call it honor. But you couldn't have gone one second before your dick was thirsty and needed some other bitch for her pussy juice. You are disgusting!"
"What can I say. Even in the middle of battle, I tried looking high and low for her. I've tried every scrying and divination spell possible. I used every remaining resource I had, which was very little mind you, to find Marissa. Nothing turned out.
But you know what, spirit. You are right. I was foolish. I had a chance to be cogent and actually plan something out; had I gone through with that instead I could have been with Marissa right now. And I've squandered that opportunity. What else can I say? I was thrust into this world, this position without any prior wisdom. I was but a goldsmith, Marissa was an orphan. Neither of us were trained in the art of ruling a kingdom. And In my fear for protecting as many as I can, I've sealed away myself in my vault of ivory. I should have instead just sacrificed myself, my happiness at that moment. I was scared. Growing in wisdom and learning to sacrifice didn't help. I was too late and what's done is done. I've lost Marissa forever as a lover a queen.
And after all that, I get up early in the morning, never resting, to try and be a good person.
All I'm here for is to make sure that she is at least happy with who she is now. I'll just quietly let the past fade into the past. I just hope that Marissa forgives me.
I'll be here working in silence, as always. Just as how Marissa came to me all those years ago."
Another pause
"You had your chance to right your wrong. You had enough time to save me. But I guess you truly won't need me. You seemed to had enough of me. I'm certain that I am of you."
"And so we have come full circle. I'll ask again. Who are you?" I gingerly whispered. My voice trailed off as I finally hone in on the source of the voice. Each step closer and closer to the source seems to have dampen the winds by a bit, until the air becomes stale. Diminutive figures peek out from behind small cluster of trees, looking awfully like Marissa's fingertips.
The voice last thing to offer is the sounds of deep, heavy, stressful breath.
"Adraman...I-" A face most fair emerges from the shadows, revealing herself to be the one and only Marissa. Eyes red and mascara running, she lunges at me. Having highly abnormal grace and strength, she climbs my being, legs crossed and locked. She locks lips with mine, breathing a sigh of relief as she drinks of the nectar of peace and love.
"Adraman, I-"
Incoherent rage by the far, far horizon just as the sky is clearing up and letting in only about three rays of sunlight, give or take. She pounces off into the forest yet again, becoming but a dark blur in my vision. I saw in her eyes immense fear. There is something much deeper here. Marissa needs help, but from whom?
I get up and flies towards the sounds of wrath.
