Worlds Apart

Oliver

Frantically he looked around for a horse and found the one Oliver had ridden in on. He ran up to it, hurtling onto its back and rode over to Aella and her father. "I need to find Oliver," he said, panic rising in his voice.

Aella looked up to him reassuringly saying, "It's ok, go be with him, we'll catch up."

Theodore rode all over the town calling out for his friend. It felt like an hour had passed before one of his soldiers came up to him, "Your Highness, he's over here." The soldier led him to a makeshift tent where Theodore raced inside. He found Oliver laying on the floor on some blankets and rushed to his friend's side.

"Oliver," he said, "Are you alright? I'm so sorry this happened." Oliver was in bad shape. His shirt had been removed and his torso was bandaged, a red patch of blood coming up through the bindings where the arrow had been removed.

Oliver looked up at his friend, his voice weak and quiet he said, "Yea, I'm alright." He coughed in between his words. Theodore knew how bad this was. And he knew his friend would never admit it. Tears welled up in his eyes as he stared down at him. Oliver just managed a chuckle, "Why are your crying?" he asked, "I said I'll be fine." His breathing was getting heavy and ragged. Theodore took Olivers hand as the tears slipped from his eyes. He heard the tent flap open and turned around to see Aella, Maxon, Ruby, and Harlow standing there. They saw Oliver on the floor and the tears in Theodore's eyes.

"Aella, there has to be something you can do? Anything? Please help him!" he begged. Aella, with deep concern in her eyes, looked to Ruby and Harlow behind her.

"We can try," she said. The three of them knelt down beside Oliver. "Theodore," Aella said, worry laced in her voice, "his wounds are severe. I'm not sure this will work".

"Please, just try," Theodore said looking at Oliver. Aella nodded and looked to her friends. They placed one of their hands on her shoulders and closed their eyes as Aella took out her dagger. She cut off the bandages wrapped around his torso. 

The medic in the tent protested, "What are you doing?!" But Theodore silenced him quickly, "Quiet, let her work". The medic bowed and moved away swiftly.  

"This won't be very pretty Theodore, maybe you should look away," Aella said gently. 

But Theodore just shook his head, "No" he said, "I won't". Aella looked back to Oliver and she pressed the blade against his wound, which had just barely begun to heal. She looked back up to his face, "For this to work, I am going to need to reopen your wound fully". Oliver just nodded and laid his head back down as he looked at his best friend. Aella went ahead, pressing on the wound before quickly sliding across it. The knife cut through cleanly and quickly but Oliver cried out in pain. Theodore held his hand tightly as the tears continued to fall. Aella held the dagger to her own hand now, wrapping her fingers around the cold steel before ripping it downwards, wincing and grunting in pain. She set the dagger down and placed her bleeding hand against Oliver's wound. Closing her eyes, she focussed as hard as she could on healing him. Oliver looked up to his friend.

"You are going to be an amazing king, Theodore," he said with a weak grin on his face.

"Just hold on a little longer," Theodore said. He looked over and saw Aella's eyebrows scrunched. He saw where Aella's hand was joined with Oliver's wound was glowing just slightly, and how the blood was starting to dissipate slowly. But suddenly she opened her eyes and slowly lifted her hand off of Oliver. Theodore saw how the blood returned. "Did it work?" he asked frantically. A single tear fell from Aella's face.

"I'm sorry Theodore, we were too late." Theodore's eyes went wide with horror.

"What?" he exclaimed, "What do you mean? There has to be something!" He was spiraling, but he felt Oliver squeeze his hand and snapped out of it for a moment.

His friend was smiling at him, "Take care of each other," he said.

"Please don't leave, Oliver," Theodore pleaded, "You're my best friend." But Theodore just saw his friends chest rise and fall one final time. He heard the last of the air leave his lungs and his blue eyes go blank as he slipped away forever. "Oliver?" Theodore said as he felt his friends hand go slack in his. The tears continued to spill out of his eyes, now more than ever. He screamed, "Oliver!" But he was gone. His best friend was gone. Theodore held Oliver's hand to his forehead as he cried. Aella, Harlow, and Ruby hung their heads in sadness. Ruby's hands shook, and tears welled up in Harlow's eyes.

"I'm so sorry Theodore," Aella said as she put one arm around him comfortingly. 

They stayed in the tent for a long time before Theodore instructed some of the soldiers to bring Oliver back to the castle.

"Take him back to Kalida. Make sure to use the utmost care and respect," he said numbly with a pale face and bloodshot and puffy eyes. The soldiers nodded, picked Oliver up, and carried him out to a carriage.

...

Theodore made sure Oliver was buried with the highest honor. The entire kingdom came, not only for the funeral, but to see their royal family for the first time. He even extended the invitation to the Vragosians. As many as could fit stood in the cemetery behind the castle, the rest stood in the streets and surrounded the palace. The cemetery was only used for royals who died, but Theodore refused to put Oliver anywhere else. He was his best friend, his brother. Ruby, Harlow, Theodore, and Aella all carried in his casket, and laid him to rest. They took turns laying flowers on top as Theodore spoke to the crowd.

"Oliver was my most trusted advisor, closest confidant, and," he stopped, getting choked up, "and my dearest friend. I loved him like a brother." Tears were forming in his eyes again, but he continued, "As part of the court, my life is never normal. But Oliver made it feel normal. We could be just two boys running around and having fun. He gave me council in front of you and behind closed doors. I would come to him with serious matters and he would put them into perspective for me. He made me laugh and smile even when I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders." Theodore paused, looking at everyone before him. His people, his family, his friends. The three girls were holding hands as they stood. "War is what killed him," Theodore spoke loudly, "war and anger and frustration. All things that have flourished between Kalida and Vragos for generations. All things that end today." The crowd murmured but Theodore didn't stop. "No longer will we stick our noses up at those who are in need. No longer will we live on the lies that have been spun for years. Today, we as neighbors and allies, move forward. Never again will we feel the loss of life because of our quarrels. Never." The people were silent for seconds that felt like hours. But then applause erupted from the crowd. Aella and Theodore just looked at each other with tears in their eyes. Amidst their greatest tragedy, they still smiled for the future they knew they could bring about.