Selenophilia

Sixty

Lucian sniffled while he wailed in front of the grave. Everyone was so annoyed at his annoying ass because seriously, they can't cry too because they're too busy patting the idiot's back and comforting him like he's a baby throwing a tantrum.

"When I cried, Elise wouldn't call me an idiot!" Lucian wailed, trying to wipe his tears away but was failing miserably due to how continuous it fell from his cheeks. He looked hurt and despite so many years had passed, they were still yearning for Elise's warmth. They would want to bask in Elise's smiles and soft words if she were still alive and breathing.

But she was buried deep underground. She was dead and it was their fault. They failed and their failure brought death to their youngest. They pain and the guilt was unbearable even after so many years.

They still wished for a miracle. They still hoped that Elise would be alive. Sometimes, her presence was like a phantom that haunts  them even in their sleep.

They can't even go to her room without having a few tears in their eyes.

They didn't protect her enough. They weren't enough. They failed and that that their fault.

"She'd let me hug her and she'll comfort me!" Lucian sniffled, wiping his tears.

"What do you think we're doing?" Kieran huffed, glaring at his brother. But he couldn't blame him for his words because he too miss Elise. They were always the one who would sit around the willow tree while talking about anything. Out of everyone, Elise was the only one who would listen intently and would usually debate on things with him. Elise was easier to talk to. She was so much enthusiastic than the rest.

Kieran sighed, trying not to remember those kinds of memories. Over the years, he'd learn how to live with his grief over his sister and to numb what he was feeling but whenever they would visit her precious grave, the days where he restrained those memories seem to resurface like a tsunami and would drown him whole.

Isobel chuckled, patting her eldest son's shoulder with a gentle smile. "Now, now, Kieran. Let your brother grieve."

Everyone heard her words and it was a painful stab that reached their heart. Of course, it would. It was Elise.

Alice wailed loudly then, causing Lucian to jump, tears all forgotten. Everyone looked at Alice in shock. For two hundred years, Alice had been doing the shockingly loud wail and despite knowing that he'll do it everytime they visit her grave, it still surprises everyone.

A few birds left some trees with panicked caws.

Marielle sighed, shaking her head. She massaged her temple with grumble. "Here we go again."

"She was so pretty, I miss the days where I would just brush her hair so casually and then she would play with my hair. I miss her smile and-and how she was so vulnerable and cute and we failed to protect those things. Those precious things and I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Eli!" Alice cried, his grief reaching all over the land as he cried for his precious sister.

Serafino sighed, opening his arms for grieving son. Alice trudged towards their father with a sniffle before burying his head, silently sniffling.

The uncrowned king patted his son's back with a sad smile. He looks at Elise's grave. It was filled with flowers and books, it was always clean and it looked so fresh to the point where it didn't look like a grave at all. He knows that Isobel and Cleo visits her grave frequently.

They clean the grave as a way to apologize for their failure at protecting her.

He knows that his wife didn't forgive herself for unable to protect her youngest. As a mother, she had always made it her job to protect her little babies like a lioness protecting her cubs. It was her job.