Picking Petals:

Chapter 34: A Safer Place

   Time was frozen, I had everything I needed to save Valkri but the longer I waited the more our people raged. The council has given me three day to save Rone and Berella, the moment the sun rises in three days, is when Raven will take her final breath. Last night I brought Rone to his room wondering if he'd even wake up. I visited Berella last night as well, tried talking to her but she acted as if she didn't know me. I felt her pain, she felt numb to everything and everyone. I could be the person to rip her out of it, or let her soak in the anger and pain. Berella wasnt used to these type of emotions, I felt it would be a disservice to aid in her ache.

   Then there was Raven, her magic shouldn't be coming back any time soon after I shattered whatever walls of magic she still held onto . She was also now refusing to speak to me, her only words was that she won, even from the beginning. She said I might be stronger, but I never had what it took to be a creator and maybe she was right. 

   Orion walked into Rones room with Gregory trailing behind him, "Three days goes by fast and learning the art of the mind is something that took you years to master."

   "If I was able to do it back then, I can save Rone now, I can bring back his memories," there was only room for hope now.

   "He hasn't even woken, what makes you sure he ever will?" Orion asked. "Raven is a liar, she could have been fibbing, I dont know how she even had enough power to spell Berella and Rone at the same time minutes apart. Games like that has rules."

   "And that's what we're going to find out when I force him awake," I said looking down at Rone. Looking back up at Orion I asked, "So what do I do first?"

   "I dont think that'll be necessary," Orion said as I felt Rone stir beside me. "Call Gregory and I back when he's all caught up," The two men scrambled out of the bedroom before Rones eyes even began to flicker open.

   He laid there, his violet eyes awake and vibrant in the dim lit room. "Am I dead?"

   "No," I gulped nervously, "Do you remember your name?"

   Rone stared at me uneasily, and I guess I was being too naïve, ignoring his body language and bulging confused eyes. "I-" he paused, "I do not know my name, who are you?"

   "I am Nadia and your name is King Rone-"

   "I am a King?" He sucked in his breathe trying to adjust in the bed to sit upright, at least he had some sense left.

   "You dont remember anything at all?" My gut twisted.

   "I'm sorry," he said shyly playing with the blankets, this wasn't the Rone I loved this was a defenseless King, a weak King. "Why can't I remember anything?"

   "Something bad has happened," I admitted. "But it will be fixed you just need you to trust me."

   "Trust," Rone said staring off to the window, his jaw clenched tight. "I think I can do that," he said lightly still not looking at me, "Who took my memory away?"

   "A bad woman," I explained trying not to over ride him with information. "I know how scared you might feel right now-"

   "I'm not scared," he smiled up at me as if he didnt have a care in the world. Something was off about Rone, his eyes glowed the same, his lips still perfectly a blush pink but everything else about him was wrong and distant. Rones memories were buried deep inside him, guarded by magic, I just needed to find them. "Are we friends?" he than frowned to himself, "Were we friends?" he rephrased. That's when it clicked, he had nothing to fear and nothing to lose, that's enough to change anyone completely. Rone was who he was because he was a prince growing up, because he's watched his people suffer. If I cant get that back who knew what he'd become or if I could still love him. Looking at him felt wrong, not holding him felt like absolute torture.