Breaking the Spell: A Diamond Castle Fanfiction

Chapter 11: Eternal

"Phaedra?" Lydia approached her the next morning, as she was walking up to the music room.

"Yes, Lydia?" Phaedra replied, turning to face her. "What is it?"

"Would you possibly happen to have another gauntlet like the one you gave to Lyra?"

"Yes, why?" asked Phaedra suspiciously.

"Look, I know what you're thinking, Phaedra, and if I wanted to do something to any of you, don't you think I would have tried to do so by now?" Lydia pointed out. "I just need one so I can defend myself if I'm attacked again."

"You're right, I'm sorry," Phaedra replied, losing the suspicious tone. "I'll think about it, alright?"

"Good," said Lydia, as Lyra caught up to them.

"Good morning," she greeted them, and she smiled when her gaze met Lydia's. A small smile made its way onto Lydia's face as she saw Lyra, and her heart seemed to skip a beat. As the three of them walked, Lydia found herself holding the hand of the apprentice, and upon realizing this she blushed a little, as did Lyra. But neither of them let go. When they got to the music room, Phaedra went to speak to Dori about the gauntlet, while Melody played her flute as usual. Silver lay stretched out across the top of the piano, purring contentedly as she slept peacefully. Lyra went to join Melody, letting go of Lydia's hand in the process, and Lydia felt herself missing the warmth of her hand. It felt so right, like her feelings for her. Lydia's gaze was fixated on the apprentice, as it had been for the past couple of days.

"I spoke with Dori and Melody," said Phaedra, "And we all think you should at least prove to us that we can fully trust you before we provide you with a gauntlet. Can you understand that?"

"Fine," replied Lydia. "What am I supposed to do, then?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something," she replied, and walked away. Lydia gave an exasperated sigh and went to read something to pass the time. Honestly, what more could they possibly expect from her? She was human. They all were. She made mistakes; everyone does. She felt she had already proven she was trustworthy by merely asking the Muses for a gauntlet rather than just attempting to steal one. At least Lyra trusted her.

A knock on the door grasped the attention of all five of them, and Lyra opened it to reveal Liana and Alexa, with Sparkles and Lily in their arms. Liana set Sparkles down and gave Lyra a friendly hug. "Hi, Lyra. How are y--?"

She stopped when she saw Lydia.

"What is she doing here?"

"You can trust her," said Lyra. They once again explained everything, hopefully for the final time, and Liana and Alexa understood.

"Hopefully he doesn't come here," said Alexa. "That wouldn't be good for any of us. Especially Lydia."

"I agree," Lydia added. "We need some sort of plan. So those three have their instruments, magic can't touch the two of you and I'm willing to bet you can find weapons of some sort, and Lyra has her gauntlet, as well as her piano if he really is stupid enough to come here."

"And we can see if Ian and Jeremy would be willing to help us, as well," added Melody. "I'm sure they would be."

"Also true," said Lydia. The seven of them spent the next half hour or so devising two plans; one for if the attack occurred outside of the Diamond Castle, and one for if it happened inside it.

Gideon and a few other hunters made their way down the path, Gideon having fully recovered from Lyra's spell a few hours ago, and located the others. They were now on their way to the one place they knew Lyra and Lydia would have gone.

The Diamond Castle.

Ian and Jeremy arrived at the Diamond Castle and once they understood the plan, all that was left to do was wait. Suddenly, the waiting was over when all of them heard the main doors open and they put their plan into action. Phaedra, Melody and Dori grabbed their respective instruments, while Liana and Alexa stood armed with gauntlets of their own. Ian and Jeremy had their swords with them and Lyra stood by the piano with her gauntlet ready.

The doors to the music room opened with an ominous creak, and there in the doorway stood Gideon and the other hunters who worked alongside him. They were surprised when they did not see Lydia with the rest of them.

She was hidden.

"Where have you hidden her?" Gideon demanded, glancing around the room once more.

"That's not for you to know," Lyra said, raising her left arm slightly.

"Answer me."

"Never," refused Alexa. "We won't let you kill her."

"She may have made mistakes but she doesn't deserve to die," added Phaedra.

"We beg to differ."

"Then you'll have to get through us."

"Shouldn't be a problem."

Everything happened quite quickly then. Gideon aimed his bow at Lyra, and in the same moment, Ian and Jeremy were fighting off two others. Liana and Alexa each used a fireball spell to take care of another.

Lyra gasped when she saw Gideon's bow aimed at her, and she tried to cast a spell to deflect it but the arrow was already leaving his bow and heading for her. She closed her eyes, prepared for the arrow to hit her, but opened her eyes when it didn't. When she saw why, she gasped in horror. Lydia had emerged from her hiding place and run in front of Lyra, causing the arrow to hit her instead.

"All you did was delay the inevitable, apprentice," said Gideon in a taunting manner. "You still couldn't save her. Come on, our work here is done." He and the men that remained then left, and Lydia lay in Lyra's arms, slowly dying as Slyder had. She kept her eyes open so that her last sight would be of Lyra, beautiful and innocent.

"Lydia," Lyra whispered, tears beginning to form in her amber eyes, as she thought of how much she didn't want her to die, at least without telling her how she felt. "I love you."

"Lyra," said Ian, "Your gauntlet. It has a healing spell, doesn't it?"

Lyra looked up, feeling hope return to her as if a candle had just been lit, and was keeping the darkness at bay. She removed the arrow as carefully as she could, and lifted her arm. The soft glow coming from the gauntlet surrounded Lydia and healed her, much to Lyra's relief and delight. And she knew Gideon wouldn't be back for quite a long time as he was certain Lydia was gone.

"Lydia?" asked Lyra.

"Thank you, Lyra," said Lydia, as Phaedra approached her with, finally, a gauntlet of her own.

"I love you," repeated Lyra.

"I love you too. And I always will."

And in that moment, both of them knew their love would last forevermore.

Eternal.

THE END