White Roses Bloom

Chapter Twenty Six

     As the last of those creatures burst into nothingness, Xavier abandoned the knights and quickly ran to find the royal family. He soon came across Thomas who was walking with a limp, still calling out desperately for Portabella. As they walked through the kingdom, they found people celebrating their victory or quickly scrambling to find their loved ones in the commotion.
     “Vidro! Analise!” they heard Carvar yell out from somewhere within the district. Xavier and Thomas turned to nod at each other. They both broke out in a sprint towards Carvar’s voice and soon found the young knight walking down a blood soaked street. Carvar was carrying Lydia, who was struggling to stay conscious, in his arms. Xavier quickly ran to Carvar and scooped Lydia up into his own arms. “She overworked herself. Lost consciousness as soon as all of those things were gone,” Carvar explained. Xavier nodded gratefully to the young knight then turned back to Thomas.
      The four headed forwards together until they came across Analise and Vidro. Vidro was laying on the ground, unconscious and barely breathing, in a puddle of blood. Analise was laying over top of him, audibly sobbing quite loudly. Carvar ran to their sides, horror in his eyes. He had failed his job as a retainer knight to protect the prince. He had failed his job as a best friend, to keep his own best friend alive. Xavier knelt down next to the two royal adoptive siblings. “Thomas, Carvar, go find Anna. I'll stay with these three, make sure they end up going to the palace for care,” Xavier ordered. Thomas nodded and grabbed onto Carvar’s shoulder.
     Carvar hesitated then turned. Thomas and Carvar rushed off and began calling out for Anna, but their calls met no reply. The two boys covered a lot of ground until finally, they found two people laying in a square. They ran forwards, their swords drawn and ready to attack. Their eyes fell upon the man with black hair and red eyes, who had a dagger and was dragging himself towards Anna. Thomas stabbed his sword into the man’s leg, pinning him to the ground. The man let out a shriek and turned to look at the two young men. Carvar readied his sword then plunged it into the man’s chest, ending his pathetic life and reign of tirany once and for all.
      Thomas ran to Anna and
pulled her head into his lap. Tears began filling the prince’s eyes as his gaze fell upon the young beauty. A horse pulling a cart rode up. “Get her in, now!” an older man’s voice called down to them. Thomas looked up to see the farmer who had helped Xavier bring Anna to them on that day that she first came to Risedo. The two boys quickly lifted Anna into the cart. The farmer flicked the reins of his horse and rushed to get the princess back to the castle.
     Thomas sat with Anna's head resting in her lap. He could just barely hear her breathing, it was raspy and forced. She was fading, her life fading from the two holes in her chest. Thomas leaned down and placed a kiss upon Anna's lips. Tears filled his eyes again as he found her lips to this time be icy cold. As the cart continued towards the castle, Anna's breathing grew worse and worse until it eventually stopped altogether.