Tears of a Broken Kingdom

Chapter Thirteen ~ Teetering on the Edge

"... it made sense to me," Ashton said in a small voice, he shook like a leaf, his hand slipped on the bloodied hilt.

Tears blurred her vision more, the world cried and bled around her, cracks across her vision.

"But it was your father's... why?"

Her voice was low and quiet, a fragile thing like soft sea glass, she was worn down. Not only that... she was beginning to break, dissolved into nothing.

"I don't know- it just feels like Dad's here that way." His voice had dropped to an undertone, barely discernible.

"But why are you hurting yourself?"

Zelda felt her tears slide down her face, the anxiety wrought inside her, a dull pain that stabbed at her.

"It's my fault. You're so sad and it's because of me. So I should punish myself like Dad was."

"No no no, how could it be your fault sweetheart?"

His gaze raised to Zelda's face. She looked back into his eyes, trying to pinpoint where it had all gone wrong.

"You're sad now Mom," Ashton frowned.

He was right. It was like an ocean, and she was tired to treading water, the inky black water crashed and sloshed, dark creatures in the depths. She was going to drown.

"It's okay," she smiled but it was small, tears still leaked from her eyes. So much for reassurance.

"But dad..."

Zeldas mouth opened but nothing came out, she stared at Ashton numbly, the words gone from her mind.

"Dad wouldn't want that though mom."

She knew that. But it almost made her feel worse. She was letting Link down that way.

"H-he wouldn't want you to hurt yourself either... you know that right?"

Everything in Zelda's surroundings had ceased to exist by now, she didn't want to get out of this, it was too late to mend her actions right now anyway. Might as well let the tears fall.

His nod was barley registered by her, a quick jerk of the head that looked like a tremor more than anything.

It was disorienting to notice she had gotten down to Ashton's height during their broken conversation, the nails of her left hand dug into her palm.

His blood seeped in the relatively deep gashes he had made, and she noticed them bruising around the edges.

She tore her gaze back to her son's eyes.

"I need to you to stop this. Please... Dad wouldn't have wanted this and I don't want you to do this to yourself sweetheart. It makes- it makes me sad."

It was a simplified version of her inner thoughts, sure, but she had come clean in some regard.

Ashton didn't respond, and Zelda took it as an opportunity to pry the gilded sword out of his grip, the blood was sticky, almost dry.

She'd leave it be for now, but seeing her son's blood on his father's sword was almost too much to look at. What would drive him to do such a thing? Everything was turned on it's head. Topsy-turvy.

Ashton's eyes were down to the floor, but he looked like he was somewhere far away, his gaze somewhat glazed over, shiny with tears.

She heard the sound of someone clearing their throat, "-Excuse me, your highness, want me to get that cleaned for you?"

Zelda snapped out of whatever trance-like state she had been in, the hazy edges tore away like cobwebs.

She swatted the remaining tears from her eyes, everything back in check.