King of the North

Epilogue

Sebastian

Less then a week after his death, it was his funeral.

He, who taught me love in such a short amount of time.

He, who was supposed to live forever with me.

I had nightmares every night without him. I slept in his bed. It still smelled like him.

It was an open-casket funeral, but I couldn't bring myself to look at him.

Aleia was the first to give a eulogy.

"Blase Novaro was an asshole. He was a cocky, hedonistic asshole who was awful to anyone who pissed him off in the slightest." She sniffed. "But most of all, he was my best friend. I don't know much about his past, I never pushed him to tell me, but I know he deserved better than what he got.

"He was suicidal, he told me that much, but he couldn't kill himself. Some sort of elven curse, he'd told me. You know, he would do whatever he could to end his life faster, but nothing ever worked for him. So, in the end, I think he got what he wanted. He killed the elven king and got his revenge, but at the same time, found an easy way out. What he'd always wanted.

"I'm not saying it isn't selfish," tears were streaming down her face. "Because it is, and I'll miss him forever and I- I don't know what to do with myself anymore." She sobbed into her hand. "It's my fault that he died; I watched it happen, I could have got a medic, but I was in shock."

Nixie came up beside Aleia and wrapped her arm her shoulders, soothing her. "It's not your fault." I heard her whisper.

Aleia shook her head and ran from the podium, not finishing her eulogy, Nixie trailing behind her.

With wobbly legs I got up, slowly walking up to the podium. I hadn't prepared a long eulogy, all of my stories with Blase were ones that I wanted to keep private, like little secrets he and I only knew.

I cleared my throat. "I hadn't known Blase for long, but as many of you know, we became close. I was told that's a rare occurrence for Blase, becoming close with someone so fast. Blase meant a lot to me. I didn't realize how much of my happiness came from him until I lost him. And this time, I can't get him back. I can't get my happiness back.

"Personally, I don't believe Blase wanted this. Maybe at one point, yeah, but not- not when it happened." I pressed my lips together tightly and clenched my eyes shut, not letting the tears escape. "He promised me." I whispered, and then I left like Aleia had, storming toward the Eastern Palace.

Back at the palace, I hung out of Blase's bedroom window. I had finished the book "Romeo and Juliet" the night before, it was one of the only things of Blase's I had left, and decided what I needed to do.

I was shaking all over. "With love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls; For stony limits cannot hold love out:" I leaned dangerously out the window, gripping tight to the outer wall of the palace. "And what love can do, that dares love attempt;" I sobbed.

"Be ruled by me," I whispered. It wasn't Romeo's part, nor Juliet's, it was Benvolio's. "Forget to think of her." Her who? I didn't know. Death, maybe.

"Blase," I said to the winds. "I wasn't lying when I said I couldn't live without you."

And with that, I let go of the wall, falling toward the ground.

This time, without any water to catch me.