The Fall of the Keepers

Chapter 3 Broken Hearts

I kept some distance between myself and the Prince, wary of what he might do. Anger was a powerful and blinding motivator. He blinked his eyes rapidly, rubbing his neck and glancing about in confusion.

"What happened? Where am I?"
He questioned in a confused and gravelly tone.

"You are underground, in what I am hoping will be a safe place."
I informed him.

Slowly he clambered to his feet, surveying the room.

"Why didn't you help me?"
There was a note of desperation in his voice that felt like a punch to the gut.

"I did help you, I got you out of the Winter Palace in one piece."
I replied, not making eye contact.

"You know that's not what I mean. My family died only a few yards from me. I did nothing, you did nothing."
He stated accusingly.

The hollow look in his dark eyes would haunt me.

"What was there to be done? Would you have burned the palace down around us and killed everyone inside? Would that have been better?"
I stared at the cement wall behind his head.

"I didn't need to burn the whole palace, I just needed to burn that woman."

"Your mother thought the same. Turns out fire wielding doesn't make you bulletproof."

"Then at least I would have died with courage."
He stated flatly.

"Excuse me for not wanting to see you die at all!"
I snapped.

"But you did want my family to die?"

"Of course not! Your sister was an innocent little girl and your mother, as much as I may never have been fond of her, never did anything worth the death she received."

"And my father?"
He queried, his eyes narrowed.

I stared at the floor.

"I'm glad he's dead. But now I know the truth, his death can never bring my mother back. Death can not atone for the horrible deeds done in life, it only stops more terrible things from occurring."

"You enjoyed watching him suffer."
Ranen accused.

"Yes."

There was no point in denying it because I had. A part of me hated myself for having taken satisfaction in the violent death, but it was the King, and he had deserved it.

"He was a tyrant, I know that. But he was my father."
Ranen's voice broke and I closed my eyes, unable to stand the pain etched across his face.

"I'm sorry, Ranen."

What else could I say? Even those words felt empty. I had heard it all when my mother died and I knew that no words could take away the pain, the ache inside your chest where your heart had shattered into pieces.

"I should have done something. Anything! Instead, I stood there gaping like a fool."

He slammed the palm of his hand against the cement wall, bowing his head as his shoulders began to shake. I had never seen Ranen cry. He was always the optimistic one, with a smile on and a joke ready. I was the basket case, the one who might cry or punch someone without warning. I stared at him blankly, unsure of what to do.

Idris slowly backed herself into the furthest corner of the room, looking like she wanted nothing to do with the meltdown. Hesitantly I stepped towards Ranen, step by step until I was close enough to touch his shoulder. I rested my hand there, biting my lower lip, wishing desperately there was something I could do for him, some way to take his pain away. I never thought anything could be worse than watching my mother die, but I realized that wasn't true. Seeing Ranen like this and being unable to help or fix it, was far worse.