Arriving hastily at the capital, my horse collapsed from exhaustion. I slid off the saddle, gasping, feeling my heart pounding against my ribs.
"What the hell happened?" I tried to catch my breath, but the moment I set foot on the ground, my legs gave out beneath me. A crushing fatigue overwhelmed me, as if my body had been drained of its strength.
"Is it my power… that's weakened me this much?" I murmured, my heart pounding, perplexed and worried. I knew my abilities could draw on my reserves, but I had never felt this depleted.
Throughout the corridors, servants rushed past, panicked, their faces pale with fear. Intrigued, I glanced out a window. My blood froze. Before the walls stretched an army dark as night, ready to descend upon Cintra.
"How is this possible?" Fear made me quicken my pace. I had to find Ciri, fast.
After what felt like an eternity, I finally reached the throne room. I pushed open the heavy doors, out of breath, and saw the queen in armor, prepared to fight. As soon as she saw me, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Aiden, co…" She didn't have time to finish, as a small figure ran toward me and threw herself into my arms.
"Aiden! You're alive… I was afraid you wouldn't come back."
"I promised you, didn't I?" I said, holding her a little tighter.
"Yes."
I looked up at the queen and, with a heavy voice, declared, "Our army has been massacred. I have to get you to safety."
She closed her eyes briefly, absorbing the news. "So, we've lost…" Her voice was almost a whisper. She gave me a sad look. "The commander sent you here, didn't he?"
Lowering my eyes, ashamed, I answered in a barely audible voice, "Yes."
The queen then placed a comforting hand on my head. I looked up, surprised to see her gazing at me with genuine relief.
"Thank goodness Patrick understood and asked you to come."
"Your request?"
"Yes, but you'll understand in time." She turned to Ciri. "Aiden, it's time for you to keep your promise to me."
"What promise?" Ciri asked, her voice trembling.
I didn't answer, but cast a meaningful look at the queen. She frowned, then spoke with a firmer tone.
"You don't break promises, Aiden."
"No, Your Majesty."
She nodded. "Then go. Take Ciri and keep her safe."
"Grandmother, what are you talking about?" Ciri's voice trembled. She was starting to understand, but part of her clung to the hope that all of this was just a nightmare.
The queen knelt down to her granddaughter's level and hugged her, speaking in a soft but determined voice, "I'm not going anywhere, my dear. Like your parents and your grandfather, I'll always be with you, in your heart."
"Grandmother…" Tears streamed down Ciri's cheeks, but the queen rose, her gaze settling on me one last time.
"Take a horse and flee to the forest. Protect her, no matter what."
"Yes, Your Majesty." I bowed deeply, one last time. I took Ciri into my arms; she struggled, begging, crying for us to stay, but I knew my promise forced me to move forward. I ran to the stables, her weight pressed against my chest, her cries echoing in my ears, tearing at my heart.
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Sitting on her throne, the queen took a small object from her pocket. It was a necklace with a ring hanging from it—the ring of her husband, Eist Tuirseach. She held it in her hand, feeling the cold metal against her skin, her gaze softening as she was lost in memories she kept close to her heart.
"Eist, it's time for us to reunite," she murmured, caressing the ring with her fingertips. "I remember the day my heart chose you, even if I never dared to tell you."
She smiled, a bit bitterly, letting herself be drawn into that particular memory. "It was our daughter's birthday. The palace was full of laughter, polite smiles, and the usual flattery. And then, that man tried to threaten me. His gaze menacing, his hand reaching toward me… Before I could react, you were there, standing between him and me, ready to defend me."
Her smile grew, melancholic. "I'll never forget that look, those eyes that seemed ready to brave the whole world for me. Without a word, you protected me, and that day, I fell in love with you." She closed her eyes for a moment. "I never found the courage to tell you. But maybe you knew all along…"
She gently poured the contents of a small vial into a cup, watching the liquid slowly dissolve. "After we lost our children, you kept giving me the strength to hold on. Even in your absence, I felt your protection. Ciri is all I have left, even if she doesn't understand it yet. I've been hard on her… Maybe too hard, but it was to prepare her for this merciless world." She raised the cup to her lips, feeling the embrace of death drawing near, like a long-lost lover.
That day, the last queen of Cintra, Calanthe, rejoined Eist, the man her heart had silently loved, who had always protected her.
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We reached the stables, and I mounted a horse with Ciri, her sobs muffled against me. Before leaving, I cast one last look at the palace, the place where I had grown up, and spurred the horse onward. Scenes of war unfolded around us. Houses burned, screams echoed, figures collapsed in the smoke. Women, children… All that remained of innocence was being destroyed.
Ciri couldn't see anything, her face buried against me, but she could hear the cries of pain, the weeping, the collapsing buildings. I held her tighter, swearing silently to protect her.
After a few minutes, we reached the edge of the forest. I dismounted quickly and took Ciri in my arms, running through the trees, fleeing our pursuers. But reality caught up with us: an arrow lodged itself in my lower abdomen.
Grimacing in pain, I kept pushing forward, but my strength was fading. I finally collapsed, crawling toward Ciri, holding her tightly to protect her one last time.
"Forgive me, Ciri… forgive me."
The soldiers were upon us, their shadows closing in. I held Ciri tighter, ready for the worst, when suddenly, cries of pain erupted around us. I opened my eyes and saw a man with white hair tied in a ponytail, wielding his sword with deadly precision. Everything about him, from his intense gaze to his swift movements, radiated a mysterious strength.
Once the last soldier was down, he knelt beside us and spoke in a reassuring, grave voice: "Don't worry, rest. I'll take care of everything." Then he signaled something, and the world went black.