To Kiss a King 2

Chapter 23

Chapter 23 

Fiora sat gaping at the blood stained sheets all around her. A shrill scream sounded, pained and sorrowful. It was her own scream. Raphael woke with a start, sat up quickly,  ready to face any intruder. 

But there was no intruder, just Fiora’s sobbing form at his side. 

She sat holding up the sheets in her limp hands, eyes wide staring down at the blood. 

So much blood. 

“No..” Raphael shook his head feeling tears pang his eyes. 

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It was hours before Raphael was allowed back into their room. He was forced to sit outside, listening to her wails on and off. 

 A doctor had been called in immediately and with the combined efforts of him and Suzan they had calmed her considerably. 

Raphael entered the bedroom cautiously, moving slowly as if approaching a frightened animal. 

“Fiora?” He inquired looking around the room for her frail form. 

She was sitting at her vanity, merely staring at herself in the mirror. Her eyes wide and empty, no feeling, and absolutely no light. 

“Fiora...” He tried to fill his voice with warmth and love, trying to hide his own sadness. 

“We’ve lost the baby, dear.” Her voice was toneless and she never blinked. 

Raphael wrapped his arms around her from behind and buried his face into her hair.

“I know.” He tried to talk past the lump in her throat. 

In one smooth motion Raphael scooped Fiora up and slowly sank to the ground. He rested his head against the wall and held her close. There was nothing he could have done, and yet he felt responsible. Felt completely useless that he wasn’t able to protect and save his child. No...their child. They sat there the entire night, him cradling her while she starred into nothingness. It was hours before she finally closed her eyes, and the thing that scared Raphael the most was she had no further tears. It was as if she was a shell of a human being, completely void of emotion and empty.