The Third Queen

Beckoning

Kai stood in silence his blood now cold,as his Queen. The love of his life spoke words that he had prayed would never come. Words that toyed with his heart and threatened to rip him in two. Words that Kai just couldn't seem to grasp as he clutched onto their sleeping child. Leia remained silent,her gaze turned towards the ceiling above as if she herself was looking for answers in the covered black sky. Answers that even Kai was desperate for. Unable to contain himself Kai demanded to know what Leia meant by her words. Hoping that he had infact misheard. But deep down the troubled Chevalier knew he infact did not. Leia swallowing a large lump in her throat turned her gaze towards Kai,his soft brown eyes near tears as he pleased for Leia to be joking. And to this Leia couldn't help but to shed tears of her own. Dropping her blade to the ground,Leia covered her face with her hands. Hoping to somehow contain her tears along with her very own fears. She did not fear death,that was never something Leia had feared.

Since the moment she opened her eyes and joined forces with her dearly departed sister,Diva. Leia knew that their dasterdly deeds would eventually lead them to their demise. And because of this Leia had forged a tough skin,choosing to fear not death but something more. Something more....human than she could ever comprehend. One of those fears was so simple yet deafening to the point that Leia could hardly contain her anxiety. Loneliness. Something she believed once she truly deserved. After all the lives she had brutally ended the "Third Queen" believed she would roam this Earth,forever alone. Watching humans and her dear sisters with their companions. Loving them. Something that Leia did not quite understand back in the day. She understood loyalty,but love was completely foreign to her in those dark days.

Yet her thoughts on love and loneliness had indeed changed as of late. Changing sides and meeting Kai was infact the best thing that Leia had ever done. She was able to grow,and understand the meaning of love. A powerful emotion that always seemed to keep her going. Yet the sting of loneliness was never far behind her. Always nipping at her heels hoping to drag her down into the dark abyss she once called home. Where no amount of emotion or pain could touch her. But she didn't want that anymore,infact Leia wasn't even too sure if she could even linger in the abyss even if she tried. She simply just wasn't that person anymore. Leia was no longer the cold hearted,and savage Queen she once was. Destroying any and everything in her path merely because she wished it. No. She was calmer,tamed even. Wishing to live peacefully beside the creatures she once merely referred to as food. And it was all because of one man. One simple human.

A young man who on a whim gave her the benefit of the doubt. The young boy held his hand out for hers years ago and in the process opened not only his heart,but Leia's dormant one as well. Till this day Leia couldn't help but to smile at the thought that a single human had changed her outlook on life. So much infact that she was willing to risk it all,just to keep him safe. But that was also with a very heavy heart. Willing herself to lower her hands,Leia slowly turned her tear stained face to meet the distraught face of her beloved Kai. Who's warm brown eyes twinkled alerting Leia that he was nearly to tears once more. Biting her bottom lip Leia spoke,her words echoing throughout the entire room. Shocking Saya,Haji and the remaining Red Shield members as well. Completely unaware of her intentions before,but now they we're as clear as daylight. "...I have to die now Kai." The Third Queen choked,her voice breaking due to her own tears breaking Kai's heart in the process. Frozen,unable to fathom why she would say let alone do such a thing. Kai remained silent,his hands trembling around the child he held.

All the while Saya angrily rose to her feet,her katana weighing quite heavy in her hand all of a sudden. "You kill Diva,return to us just to die! Did you ever think about us at all?! What about your child? Me?! Kai?!" Saya cried out,tears evident in the Queen's eyes. She had already lost one sister and she had no desire to lose another. Diva was too far gone to be saved. But Leia was different,she had repented. And now suddenly she wished to die. Saya angrily marched towards Leia tears cascading down her cheeks as she punched at Leia who caught her older sister's trembling fist. Daringly the youngest of the Queen's looked her elder sister in the eye. Unable to look away as Saya seemed to not only be crying for herself but for Leia and Kai as well. These emotions swelling within Saya hoping to get it through to her dear sister. "Don't you get it? We love you. Kai loves you,you'd really leave us like this?" Saya questioned through tears.

Blinking back her own tears Leia held onto her elder sister,the two hugging one another for what seemed to be forever. "I'm sorry,but we both can't live Saya. If we both live then someone else will use us again in the future. Spark another unnecessary bloody war that can all end now. With my death." Leia stated her words flying out of her mouth like a machine most as if she had practiced this. Prepared this speech for the end. It was almost as if she knew the outcome. Taking in a shallow breathe Saya rejected her sister's words stating that she would take her place and die instead.

"Then kill me! I've lived a peaceful life and I've done horrible things too. Please!" Saya cried as she gripped onto Leia's gown tightly "I-I can't lose you too." She cried causing Leia to hold back her own tears. Saya had never been this open to her,since the beginning the two of them had danced the ways of war. Trying to end one another's lives countless of times and to now have her older sister stating the fact that she loved her. Only made what Leia had to do even more bittersweet. "You won't lose me,Saya. My daughter will be here with you. And so will Diva's. I am....being selfish...I couldn't bear to kill children....they deserve the chance to live and be free. Not fight as we did. You can raise them well. Better than I ever could. Show them the beauty of this world. Something that took me too long to realize." Leia began as she turned her attention to the stunned Kai who's tears we're now overflowing watching the scene before him unfold.

"Promise me Saya,that you will love them just as they we're your own. And....help Kai I don't....want him to do anything he will regret. Promise me." Leia beckoned as Saya hesitantly nodded understanding her role as she slowly parted from her dear sister before scooping up the 2 children belonging to Diva. Leia smiled mournfully towards her sister before watching her walk back into the arms of Haji whom held her closely through these troubling times as he always did. With that goodbye out of the way Leia turned her attention to Kai who stood frozen in the aisle of the Opera House once more trembling due to the tears he shed. A look of utter sadness was plastered on Leia's face as she slowly lowered herself off the grand stage,making her way to her quietly sobbing Chevalier. His tears absorbing into the cocoon like structure that held their child causing it the pulsate and crack alerting them that the child was about to awaken.

Rushing to Kai's side in the blink of an eye,the two parents watched in awe as their child was finally being welcomed to this world. It was then that a tiny hand stretched through the once hard shell,shredding as it it we're nothing with a mere touch. Kai couldn't take his eyes off the sight as the child's entire face was now out to see. For a beautiful baby girl had been born tonight with the trademark raven hair belonging to all Queen's. But the eyes of the newborn were an astounding amber,which bore into the eyes of Leia and Kai. Releasing a light giggle by child outstretched it's hands towards its father,taking his index finger in her tiny hands and nibbling on it as infants do. Leia smiled warmly as she caressed the top of her daughter's head causing the child to giggle once more. "She's beautiful." Leia breathed as Kai gently rocked the sweet child in his arms unable to take his eyes off the child. "She gets it from you." He spoke his voice cracking as well as he knew how all of this would end. Yet even so he begged her.

"Please don't do this to us. Leia I....I can't do this without you. I can't..I can't live without you." Kai stated his words so true that Leia couldn't help but to wipe away her own oncoming tears. She didn't want this. She did not want to die. Leia knew it had to be done but seeing Kai,and their beautiful daughter standing before her it became even harder for her to swallow the large pill that was her choice. "I don't want to.." Leia whispered her voice as quiet as a mouse. Kai then caressed Leia's cheek,as she instinctively held his hand there enjoying his warm touch. "Then don't. Don't let this be the end of us. You have so much to live for. We are here and we love you. Don't...don't throw our love away Leia." Kai informed as Leia soon was overcome by sobs,she fell into Kai's arm gripping onto her and their child allowing Leia to release all her frustrations upon him. All the while crying out "T-They will use us again!" "I won't let them." " The children will be targets!" "They won't get anywhere close to them I swear it. And I will protect you with my life." Kai whispered into Leia's ear as she nodded silently as Leia gripped onto Kai's shoulders "I don't want to die."