Chapter 35
Chapter 35
Deacon’s POV
The night breeze remained calm as I led Elena down a quiet path deep into the woods, which differed from the loud sound of my pondering heart being so close to her.
My hands swayed near hers. We were so close to each other, but I dared not hold her hand, as she was, after all, already married and taken.
That thought of reality was still like a sharp knife constantly being pierced through my heart.
Constantly, I would discreetly glance at her to find her glancing back at me every once in a while, her eyes filled with curiosity. But she remained silent and followed my steady pace, which surprised me as well, as I wondered how I managed to do that with her so close to me and with her scent engulfing my every being
Halting halfway, I glanced at her as I reached my arms up to hold one of the branches of the trees blocking our path.
“Are we here yet?” she asked, looking around but only seeing many green trees and bushes.
I shook my head before I pulled the branches aside, opening up the hidden path toward tombstones surrounded by greenery and small hills, where food and letters were offered.
Looking at her surprised face, I smiled. “Now, we are.”
Finally, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards the tombstones. I found her frozen at her place.
The moonlight perfectly lit the tombstones, highlighting the engraving on the nameless stones. “There are some who bring lights to the world that even after they left, the light remains.”
Small stones surrounded the tombstone, representing the memory of fallen warriors who once served along the border with her father.
After Daco Dooely successfully claimed the entire West side of the kingdom, his last conquest was the North, which I took over after his death. The people from this border created this place to show gratitude for saving them.
“Is this… what I think it is?” she whispered, tears threatening to roll from the corner of her eyes down to her flush cheeks as she tried to restrain the grief that was visible on her face after recognizing the initials of her father and brothers engraved on the stones.
“Your father and brothers… they were among the finest warriors the border has ever known. They fought with everything they had, and everyone is very thankful for their sacrifices,” Prince Deacon softly uttered as he gently pulled me closer, showing the withered flowers on the side of the stones and the letters left beneath the stones where some were already brown, stained with its age.
I watched her hands shake slightly before she took a small step forward, kneeling on one knee as she raised her hand and slowly brushed her fingers through the engravings on the stones where her father’s initials were.
I watched her silently as she bowed her head, shoulders trembling slightly.
At first, I planned to give her a moment, but seeing so much grief in her eyes and how she was trying to be so strong, I gave in to my feelings.
After taking a few deep breaths, I finally stepped forward and bent down beside her before I reassuringly wrapped one arm around her shoulder in hopes to provide a bit of comfort to her grieving heart.
When I felt her lean closer to me, I took the initiative to pull her closer and warp her into my embrace.
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+25 BONUS
Chapter 35
“He was a great warrior and an honorable man. He would be proud of what you’re doing here, Elena,” I whispered
I through her ears as I tapped back.
She didn’t reply. Instead, she leaned closer and pressed her face against my shoulder. From the side of my eyes, i could slightly see the glitter of a quiet tear that traced down her cheek and dried by my clothes.
As if connected to her, I started feeling pain, cursing through my heart at the side of her grieving face.
“I know he would be… And I’ll make them even more proud I’ll be a better warrior.” Her voice was muffled through my shirt, but I understood her meaning.
Suddenly, I was reminded of her eager, lovely face when she was young, trying to train with her brothers in every weapon and skill. Later, she went and trained officially as an apprentice in Custodes.
With her skills and combat background as a Custodes apprentice, where her skills were recognized as one of the best, she would have been a great asset in war. But then, instead of directly joining the warriors on the actual battlefield, she left the battlefield and laid low in marriage.
Up until now, it’s still a question to me why she decided to do that after her years of hard work to be as great as her father.
Was her decision something that had to do with Bryson? Did she fall in love so deeply with him that she turned her back on the battlefield and left her dream of being a warrior to be Bryson’s Luna?
That thought pained me, though, as it showed how inseparable she was from Bryson. I looked down at her, realizing that soon Bryson would be here, and she’d be further from my grasp.
After a while, Elena pulled back from me, making me see the trace of sorrow on her face, but beneath that was the overflowing determination to move forward.
Giving her a faint smile, I stood up and offered her a hand, which she accepted.
“Thank you; this made me feel better,” she replied, motioning to the letters and evidence of many people’s gratitude for her family.
“Anytime.” Then, I gave her a small smile and led her back. Before we reached the camp, I sadly told her in a fake chirpy voice, “You’ll feel better in a while. After all, your husband will be here soon.”
I didn’t know why I said those, but those words left a lingering bitterness in my mouth.
