novelraw Chapter 243: My Kingdom
Chapter 243: My Kingdom
>>Valenor
"Well done, hero!!" The King applauded, "Well done!" He congratulated the whole party as we stood in the throne room, in the middle, surrounded by nobles, "What do you want as your reward?" He asked, "You can have anything!"
I looked at him with an almost lifeless expression, "A kingdom." I said
My words made everyone turn and look at me like I was a criminal
"I want my own kingdom." I repeated the words with a heavy heart, "I’ll make it from scratch." These words seemed to lighten the mood a little.
"Your own kingdom, huh!?" The king nodded, "Well, I guess you’ll need a lot of funding." He clapped, "Well then, consider it done!!" Everyone applauded but I couldn’t bring myself to even smile.
There were dark circles under my eyes. I hadn’t been sleeping right.
"What are you going to name your kingdom?" The King asked
"Aurelia," I whispered, my body momentarily freezing at the word as the memory played in my mind.
A happy memory.
Where she was smiling so brightly. But now she was gone. After locking the Bringer of Death in the rift, we all tried to look for Pen.
We looked and looked and looked.
But we never found her.
Everyone told me that the thing that took her form must have eaten her, like it was eating Rosemary. It had eaten Pen and taken her form.
I clenched my fists, but they still continued to tremble.
I looked for Pen in the forest for months, for any sign of her,
But
Nothing....
***
I closed the door behind me, the soft click of the latch sounding far too final, far too heavy for what it was. My feet felt like lead as I took a few slow, dragging steps into the room. It was quiet. Too quiet. The light from the setting sun spilled through the window, painting everything in a strange, almost surreal orange glow, but it might as well have been darkness for all I cared.
I stood there, frozen, staring at nothing. My eyes were wide, but it was like I couldn’t see anything at all—like the world had become some distant, unfeeling void. The room was warm, bathed in that soft, fading light, but inside me, there was nothing but cold, an unbearable weight pressing down on my chest.
Pen was gone.
The words echoed in my head, over and over again, a relentless chant that I couldn’t escape. My body trembled, the realization settling deeper, like shards of glass cutting through my skin. My breaths came out in shallow gasps, as if my lungs couldn’t remember how to function, couldn’t grasp that the world was still turning, even without her.
I staggered to the wall, my legs giving out beneath me. My back slid down the cold stone until I hit the floor, knees drawing up to my chest as if I could fold into myself, disappear into the pain. My hands tangled in my hair, fingers clutching at the strands like they were the only thing keeping me from completely falling apart.
Tears welled in my eyes, hot and heavy, blurring the world around me until it was nothing but orange light and shadows. I couldn’t stop them. I didn’t want to stop them. They spilled over, trailing down my cheeks, my breath hitching as I cried silently, the sobs too raw, too broken to make any sound.
Pen.
How had it come to this? How had I lost her? She’d been there, right in front of me, her voice, her words—she was still there
The memories. Her voice echoed in my ears, soft, warm, alive. The way she used to laugh, the way she’d smile when she thought no one was looking. The feel of her hand in mine, the promises we made. We’d promised to be together.
Forever.
But forever had been torn from us.
I pressed my forehead against my knees, the tears falling harder now, my whole body shaking with the force of my grief. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I didn’t want to. The pain was too much, too overwhelming, like an ocean I was drowning in, and there was no one to pull me out.
I cried for her. For the girl I loved. For the life we were supposed to have. For everything we lost.
And for the first time since we came back from that rift, I let myself fall apart.
The room was bathed in orange, the sun sinking lower, casting long, fading shadows. But all I felt was the darkness closing in.
***
I had more people supporting me than I realized. Many noble families were ready to even come along as I established my Kingdom.
The house that supported me the most, offered their daughter for marriage.
She became my Queen.
My wife had red hair, like fire. Deep green eyes and a soft look. She was beautiful, anyone would think that but I felt like a fool marrying her. I knew I could never love her like I loved Pen, but I did my best to be a good and understanding husband.
I visited home right before I set off to Aurelia but I learned that aunt had passed away. She couldn’t bear the news of Pen’s passing.
The townspeople said it was a miserable ending.
I never told aunt and uncle what happened. Actually I didn’t tell anyone. We all just agreed to say Pen and Rosemary had died in the fight.
Uncle had gotten weak and his brother took him to his house. The trauma and depression was getting to him and he spent the rest of his days there. On my request. Top notch medical assistance from the capital was provided to the family.
But I couldn’t go to visit him.
After seeing that and what a failure I was, I never went back to that town. I could never bear to show uncle my face. How could I? When I let some monster eat his only daughter up and I couldn’t even find a shard of her remain.
I was too ashamed to ever go back... Which I also know was something very shameful on its own.
I don’t know when uncle passed away either.
I worked on my Kingdom. Since it was a new beginning, every single day was so busy, I barely had time to think about anything else.
*****
>>Valenor
"What should we name our daughter?" Renessme, my wife, asked as she cradled our daughter in her arms. The baby looked just like her mother.
I was putting a book on the shelf and grabbing a sugar cube to put in my mouth
"What about Persephone?" Renessme’s brother said.
!!!
The name made me pause. I felt my heart drop and I turned around to turn it down when Renessme spoke.
"Are you crazy!" She looked at her brother in disgust, "Why would anyone name their daughter that?!"
I looked at my wife in horror, "Why...?" I asked. I was fond of that name and I couldn’t fathom why no one would use that name.
She looked back at me, "The name means, ’Bringer of Death’," She said and I froze, "Someone would be crazy to name their kid that." Shivers went down my spine.
I gulped as my expressions fell and I slowly turned to look at the ground.
And that’s when something crossed my mind
***
’"Oh, One last thing," The Royal witch said, "The magic you possess, use it in your attacks." I recalled the time from years ago, right when we were about to leave for Dark Woods.
"Light magic?"
"Yes," She answered, "The Bringer of Death is weak to light."
"Why light though?"
"..." She hummed eerily, "Perhaps because you possess it."’
***
The realization hit me. And it hit me hard. So many years and I never knew... After years of misery, I had found the answer. My mouth parted slightly in horror, the lines on my forehead visible.
No...
But I could not deny it. Some part of me had always thought about it. That thing I trapped in the rift was my beloved.
My Pen.
I slowly turned and walked out of the living room, slowly making my way back to my personal room. The guilt, the horror, the despair, eating me up inside.
What had I done?
Tears brimmed in my eyes that were wide open but I couldn’t focus on anything.
What had I done?
I kept walking as the misery began to take over my entire being.
What had I done...?
***
Years went by,
When my eldest was ready to take the throne. I handed it over to him. I told him I was going away and told him not to look for me. He was a wise child and agreed.
And then I made my way here. To the rift, in Hollow Woods.
"You’re still here," I looked at her as I stopped right in front of her, she still tied to the exact place I had left her in.
"Yes..." She answered, "It seems I can not die,"
I looked down in shame
What had I done? My heart ached but there was no redemption.
"You’ve grown," I glanced at her body. She was getting big, her skin had gotten paler and her eyes were going black. Seeing that and how she survived so many years alone proves that she’s not normal.
Yet it eats me up that I left her here.
"I have," She replied.
I brought the journey bag I brought with me to the front after letting it off of my shoulders, "I thought you might need it." I brought out an enchanted white dress, "I kept thinking I had to bring it with me."
"For me?" She asked
I nodded, then walked around her and draped it over her, "For you." Then I went back to stand in front of her, "I’m sorry," I said softly, "For not recognizing you." I looked down in shame
"..." She thought about it, "Why did you come back?" She asked
"We made a promise." I told her as I raised my head
"We did," She replied, "Yet you left me."
"I’ve come back." I stepped towards her, "And I’ll never leave." I hugged her, "The world can try its worst," This was the very least I could offer, "Tear me apart if it wants but I’ll stay by your side." I felt like the biggest fool alive, "Till Death Do Us Part, right?" My eyes stung with unshed tears
I broke the promise we made. I parted ways. I left her all alone.
Pen stared at me, "Well... I can’t blame you..." I created some space and looked at her.
And looking at her broke my heart, so I looked down again as I pursed my lips.
"Yes," She answered, making me go still. I slowly raised my head and looked at her as a tear rolled down my cheek, "Till Death do us part." She smiled, "You’ll never leave me again. Right?" Her voice was soft, there was a hint of something ethereal in it.
I laid down on the ground next to her, her face against mine.
I gently cupped her cheeks, "Yes," I closed my eyes and so did she, then I gently pressed our foreheads together. "Till death do us part."
The End
Author’s Note
Just to put it out there. Persephone can only be damaged by Val’s light magic. She is not vulnerable to anyone else’s
This is where the entire book ends. No more bonus stories. No side stories.
It was lovely having you all read this book.
Take care, love you all