"When happiness is destroyed, there's always the smell of blood."
Adrian's horse galloped through the familiar woods that bordered his kingdom. The sun dipped below the horizon, casting eerie shadows that danced along the path. The air was unnaturally still, and an unsettling chill prickled at his skin.
As he drew nearer to Meridia, a knot of unease tightened in his chest.
The sight that greeted him when he broke through the treeline into the open fields was a nightmare made real.
Smoke billowed into the sky, and the once vibrant fields lay in ruins, trampled under the feet of invaders. Bodies of fallen soldiers and villagers were strewn across the ground, their blood soaking into the earth.
The stench of death and burning flesh assaulted his senses, making him gag.
He spurred his horse onward, desperation lending speed to his movements. His heart pounded with fear and anger as he approached the castle.
It had been attacked too, the once proud fortress in shambles.
The castle gates, which used to stand strong and proud, were splintered and hanging off their hinges. Adrian leapt from his horse, his legs trembling as he ran through the courtyard. The air was filled with the cries of the wounded and the dying.
"Your Majesty!" A guard, barely able to stand, called out to him. "They came out of nowhere… we couldn't hold them back."
Adrian grabbed the guard by the shoulders. "Where is Elena?"
The guard's eyes were filled with sorrow. "She… she's inside, Sire. At the entrance."
Adrian released the guard and rushed into the castle, his heart in his throat. The grand hall which was once a place of beauty and elegance, was now a scene of chaos and destruction. He stumbled over debris, his eyes frantically searching for his beloved.
Near the entrance, he saw her. Elena lay sprawled on the cold marble floor, blood pooling around her. Her once vibrant dress was torn and stained, her golden hair matted with blood. Her breathing was shallow, each breath was like a struggle.
"No! Elena!" Adrian dropped to his knees beside her, his hands trembling as he cradled her face. Her eyes fluttered open at his touch, and a faint smile played on her lips.
"Adrian…" she whispered. "You came back."
Tears streamed down his face. "I'm so sorry, Elena. I should have been here. I should have protected you."
She reached up, her fingers brushing against his cheek. "It's not your fault. You couldn't have known."
He pressed his forehead against hers, his body wracked with sobs. "Stay with me, Elena. Please, stay with me."
Her lips trembled as she tried to speak, her breaths becoming shallower with each passing second. She summoned every ounce of her strength and managed to whisper a name, a name that sent a shiver down my spine.
"Adrian," she gasped, her voice barely audible, "it was... it was the Draegonians..."
The world seemed to freeze at that moment.
Adrian felt a wave of emotions surge through him, a mixture of pain, loss, and rage. The Draegonians had attacked them, destroying everything they had built.
He clenched his jaw but quickly returned his attention to Elene who was now gasping for air.
"My love, I'm here. Everything will be fine." Adrian tried to calm her, though his own voice was shaky. "You're gonna make it. We're going to get you help. I'm here."
Her fingers weakly stroked his cheek. "Adrian… please. Live on for me. Find happiness again. Don't let the pain consume you. Promise me."
His eyes widened in disbelief. "No, Elena. Please. You can't leave me. You can't leave me like this."
She smiled sadly, her eyes beginning to lose focus. "Promise me, Adrian. Please."
Adrian swallowed the lump in his throat, unable to speak.
She let out a weak cough. "You have to keep going, Adrian. For both of us."
Her breathing slowed, her heartbeat growing faint.
"Elena, ple..."
"I love you, Adrian."
And then, in that heart-wrenching moment, her breathing ceased, and her eyes slowly closed, her body going limp in his arms.
RAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!
Adrian let out a heart-shattering scream, his entire being consumed with grief.
The world had ended, and everything was lost.
He buried his face in her hair, his body shaking with sobs.
He held her tight, refusing to let go. He could still feel her warmth, hear her voice, and see her smile.
She was everything to him, carrying a little version of them both in her, and now... she was gone.
In that moment, the pain was too much. He didn't just lost the one person who had always been by his side, his guiding light, his strength.
But also their unborn child.
Adrian could feel his sanity slipping, his mind drowning in the depths of despair.
In the end, the darkness took over, and he screamed again, the sound echoing through the castle.
It was a scream filled with rage, pain, and grief.
Just then, Marcus, his friend and advisor who Adrian had left behind when he ran ahead, caught up.
He had gone with Adrian to the meeting so he was also just seeing the devastation with his own eyes.
When he saw Adrian kneeling next to the lifeless form of Elena, his heart sank.
He quickly approached them, placing a hand on his shoulder.
No words were needed.
Seconds bled into minutes and Adrian didn't move an inch.
Suddenly, he sniffed and rose up, carrying Elena's lifeless body into the throne room.
Marcus followed behind with a couple other guards that came back with them from the diplomatic meeting.
"We're so sorry, your majesty for your loss."
Unable to hold back his anguish, Adrian turned to the guard who had spoken. "This is more than a loss." He choked out between sobs. "This kingdom was my father's, handed down by his father and his father's father. All gone."
He walked towards the guards. " Look at my wife," he gestured to Elena's lifeless form. "She's lying dead, with my unborn child. Everything I've worked for, everything I owned, all gone." His voice broke, and he collapsed back to his knees.
Marcus put a hand on Adrian's shoulder, his heart breaking for his friend.
"Sire, we should take her to the mausoleum. Let her rest."
Adrian shook his head numbly, his tears falling onto the marble floor.
After sobbing for what felt like an eternity, Adrian wiped away the tears with the back of his hand and drew his sword.
Kneeling down on one knee, he thrusted the sword into the ground, the hilt standing upright.
With great care, he lifted one of Elena's lifeless hands and placed it on the hilt of the sword, his hands trembling.
He covered her hand with his own, his voice quivering but determined as he spoke.
"I'll avenge your death, Elena," he vowed. "I don't care what it takes. Even if I have to die or sell my soul, I will ensure they pay for what they did."