𝔐𝔶 𝔉𝔞𝔦𝔯 𝔏𝔞𝔡𝔶 (ℜ𝔢𝔶𝔩𝔬 𝔉𝔞𝔫𝔣𝔦𝔠)

Chapter Twenty-One: Iced Over

"Ice is known to undergo stages
Throughout the seasons.
Thawing, freezing...
Even thaws again.
This cycle doesn't end.
It has the ability to damage, shatter,
And even ruin if one of the processes
Are not quite finished.
For a heart...
If not given enough time to thaw...
It's very nature of mending...will
Eventually stop.
Frozen in time.
Unable To heal."

-Created by me

Rey's POV

I more than just felt the sensation of half my heart being taken from me.

Someone I knew...Cordelia...my mother...my dear friend...

She was gone. Along with a part of my heart.

I couldn't do anything to stop her fate.

Her life had ended.

...some say, when a life ends... a new life is born...and that it should be a joyous thing.

Such a saying was hard for me to believe.

I felt as if my very life had just become a nightmare and nothing was joyous about it.

...One that I did not wish to see through.

Especially, if I was only going to have to witness those who I held dear to my heart, die in front of me.

Was it that my foe was too great or that I was too weak?...

If so, I wanted to have the strength to overcome my foe.

I was so sick and tired of feeling and being so small.

So useless.

I wanted to stop believing I was so incapable in life.

Ben's POV

Rey and I were currently evacuating the kingdom on horse back.

Both of our horses, Prince and Sherbet, had black covers (and or blankets) that would do the job of keeping them guarded from the winter snow.

I took a glance at Rey's eyes to see them half empty.

Something about them alarmed me.

And as much as I wanted to stop and comfort her I couldn't.

We needed to leave this place before more trouble came.

And before her grandfather came after us, too early than we would've hoped.

I needed to make sure I was a step ahead of her grandfather...

If not...

I knew she'd be taken from me.

And I knew I wouldn't be able to handle that day, if it ever were to have come...I just couldn't live without her.

Just then, I heard murmuring coming from Rey as she, still, looked to the ground.

"Yes, Rey?"

"Promise me..."

She turned her head toward me with such despairing eyes.

It was almost as if her soul was reflected, her pain...her fear...all exposed by a mere gaze.

"You won't leave me Ben. Please, swear it."

"I won't leave your side, I swear it."

Worry slacked from her face with desperation still clinging.

I had to halt then.

We froze from traveling any further; I patted the space on my horse behind me.

"Come, you look miserably cold."

She looked at me quite confused as she shivered a little.

Being that she was so deep and preoccupied with her thoughts, I had a feeling she didn't hear me.

"What?"

"Aren't you cold?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then get on, Sherbet will be alright."

She handed me her horse's reins as she climbed on the back of my horse, sitting behind me.

I fastened Sherbet's reins to the horn of my saddle so she'd follow right beside Prince.

As we moved forward I felt the embrace of Rey.

She felt comforting.

"Do you feel any better?"

"A little bit. Thank you Ben."

"Of course."

For awhile she did not dare let go.

I did not mind.

Knowing my warmth comforted her was all I needed.

——

Sun down came.

It was our third day of travel now.

We had ran out of supplies almost entirely.

Food was scarce.

But my hope, to see our travel through, was steadfast.

If my calculations were correct, we'd be in a town by morning.

That is, 'if' we continued without taking any breaks.

As a gust of wind blew toward us, the hood of Rey's dark green cloak with gold embroidery, uncovered her brunette hair.

With my hand, I went to cover her hair once more with her hood but she stopped my hand politely.

"Could we rest please."

"If you wish it. But unfortunately we'll be running out of food very soon."

"All I need is five minutes."

"Alright." As I answered her she hoped off the horse.

I tried to get over the small sense of embarrassment I had from her stopping me from helping her with her hood.

Maybe she just wasn't in the mood for help.

But I wasn't sure, because for me...a woman's heart was surly a mystery. What they thought was beyond a man's understanding.

Most of the time anyways.

I was sure that it was probably true the other way around as well.

——

I stepped down from my saddle so I could stretch my legs from sitting so long.

I glanced at Rey to see her touching foreheads with her horse.

Witnessing such a scene with Rey and her horse, I could see just how much she cared for her horse.

"Rey...?"

She didn't speak neither did she care to turn around.

"If there's something bothering you I'm here...if you need someone to talk to."