Always A Hero

The Bravest

"Mother!" Screamed Anna at the same time. She ran over, brushed her mother's hair out of her eyes, and pressed her fingers to her throat. The pulse miraculously was still there. But faint.

"I'll give you one, last chance. Do you value your own father more than that piece of scrap metal?" Dain tried. In horror, Anna saw Dain's arm locked around her father's neck, the other pointing a knife at his heart. She felt her eyes moisten and a single, warm tear fell. It was slight, but Anna, with eyes like her mother, saw her father briefly shake his head. She closed her eyes and bit her lip, she stood up and called her reply.

"No matter what you say or threaten, you or your cowardice master, I will never give you the Belt! Not in a million years, make that ten million!"

"That's my girl." Mumbled Lief. Little did her know that down below, his wife had said the same thing.

"Very well, just know that your father died by your doing!" Dain shoved the King and threw the knife at his back, setting him to die before he hit the ground with a dagger protruding out of his back. Dain cackled, Sharn buried herself in a slight embrace from Doom, Jarred and Endon made their way to their sister whose eyes wouldn't cease the tears that streamed out.

"Anna..." Endon held her hand, but she let it go.

"Anna, you did the right thing. Mother and Father understand." Jarred persisted.

"But- it's not fair! The good are treated illy, while evil decided they should live in luxury and power..." She sobbed. Almost like a miracle, Jasmine sat up, then she stood, and limped to her husband, and sat.

"An-" Jasmine groaned, her eldest child quickly grasped her hand.

"Mother, please don't leave me."

"Honey, it's too late for us, our time- has come...." Lief moaned, plucking the dagger from his back and tossing it away. Jasmine clutched her chest, a blood-stained shirt turned her hand scarlet, with the other hand she held her husband's hand, who now faced the sky. He began to sit up when a restraining hand stopped him.

"Stay..." Croaked Jasmine. Lief shook his head and brushed her hand away.

"You're sitting." Lief complained. Jasmine rolled her eyes. They turned to the new Queen of Deltora.

"Anna, you- will be the- new qu-" Jasmine explained

"No!" Jasmine cupped her daughter's face with one hand.

"Anna, I understand you don't want to, but neither did I. I would rather live free in the forests," She smiled at the thought. "But I did do it, for love of your father and the land that lies beneath out feet. Anna... I'm asking you... to do this for me."

"For us, darling." Lief corrected in a hoarse whisper, speaking to both girls it seemed. Jasmine's hand retreated from Anna's head and fell on Lief's forehead. Suddenly there was a despairing screech. Slowly, Jasmine looked up, a small light of happiness glowed in her eyes. Kree flew down, shrieking in despair, cautiously landing on Jasmine's injured arm.

"Anna, I need you to look after Kree and Filli for me." Pointing to her shoulder, where a ball of fur clung. She held her arm out to Anna.

"Kree... Anna..."

"Mother!" Anna grasped her hand, Kree squawked while reluctantly flying to a girl he loved. "Mother! Wake up! Please!" She called to the dying woman, lying at her feet.

"Mother..." Sobbed Endon. Jarred said nothing, his father's cloak floating in the wind.

"Anna... promise me..."

"What?" Anna put on her best soothing voice, like the one she used for Endon when he was sad.

"Promise us-" Jasmine's voice was becoming husky and quieter and it sounded deathly cold.

"To rule... the country... in a just, wise and plentiful manner." Breathed Lief.

"Prom... us... please... An - na..." Jasmine pleaded and for the first and last time, Anna saw her mother cry. She looked into her mother's eyes, her father's eyes, held their hands.

"I promise."

"Thank...you..." They muttered. Endon jumped into his mother's last embrace, not caring about the blood that spilled, she murmured encouragement but it couldn't stop the tears. Jarred stared at his father, Lief opened his eyes and held his son tightly. Anna was on her knees, kneeling between her parents, with tears like rivers.