Delicate Oath

| Epilogue |

2 years later..

Augusto Cyrus

Looking out the window, the bitter cold freezes the window making everything unclear. The world outside was cold, brutal and callous. Trees couldn't grow leaves, snowflakes would melt before they had the chance to touch the ground as the fire within each lamp grew. They burned brighter than the sun.

I couldn't bring myself to change anything around the castle 2 years later. The nursery we started to put together stayed just as it was, untouched and full of sorrow. Her paintings, every single one of them hung on every barren wall I could find, even the one she started.

Maybe try and finish it? Maxi hasn't said much these last few years. His sorrow couldn't fill me more than my own emotions, the ones I called to alcohol to fix everything. Too much surprise, even the alcohol didn't help how I felt. To make everything better, like she wasn't in my life at all. But it made it worse, the consuming thought of her delicate body underneath mine burned, the soft voice that made my ears tune out everything else around me, the golden honey eyes that bore into mine whenever she could.

I was obsessed with everything about her. I was obsessed even when I treated her wrong, I was obsessed because I couldn't hold her in my arms, kiss her and touch her soft warm skin. I took her for granted knowing that if I messed up, she would come running back. But now? She's gone. I was no longer given that gift, that honor of being her shinning armor. Not that I was one, out of all the pain I caused.

The moment I spoke those words of being engaged to Trinity I saw the pain in her eyes, the loss in her soul and I knew I lost her then. I was okay with looking her emotionally, never did I imagine of losing her physically too.

I was too late that day.

I was a fool.

Knocking back the glass of whiskey, my eyes trailed down to the ring on my desk. Her ring. I stared at it for what felt like hours, rage and sorrow filling my veins.

"WHY YOU!" I seethed, throwing the glass beside the door. Grabbing ahold of anything I could, I threw it. Glass shatters, thumps and cracks fill the echoing halls as my office becomes nothing more than a dump of documents, shattered glass and broken furniture. A cemetery to my belongings.

"WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE YOU! I'm so sorry Odette.." I fall to my knees, unable to hold myself together. I kept my hands to my face as tears streamed down my face.

I thought as the years went by it would get easier, the paint in my chest would seize down, the hollowness within my whole kingdom would go back to the building and growth kind of feeling. Turns out I was wrong, it gets worse.

"Your highness?" Lilian's soft gentle voice seeps into the room. Looking up at her, she too was crying. I stayed where I was as she walked over. Sitting in the chair I failed to break, I lay my head on her lap and cry. She strokes my hair, hearing the sound of my cries echo down the hall. A broken King I started, a broken King I remain.

"Why her?" I question. She was the purest of souls, a delicate flower not yet tainted by what life had to offer, killed with no mercy. Why did everything happen this way anyway? I was a coward and couldn't even protect her by killing the bastard when I had a chance. I hurt her, tormented her in such a way that if I said I loved her to the public they would call my bluff. They would say prove it, and I wouldn't know how. Father said love was a man's greatest weakness, mother told me is was the greatest gift life offered. Being able to love could overrule any darkness that loomed in the horizon.

They both lied. It is the greatest pain to ever live with when you loose those you love.

"I killed her Lilian, I fucking killed my wife and my kids." I sobbed. Her body gently shook as I felt her crying too. She treated Odette like her own daughter, one she never had the pleasure of having.

"She is at peace Augusto. She's not suffering anymore."

"But I am"

Everyday without her was hell. Like someone was burning me with the sun on a stick.

"We have to move on Augusto. You are with Trinity right now and need to own up to it."

I can't move on and I won't.

"No I'm not. I told him its over. There is no deal, only war." Getting up, I grab the picture of Odette. She's smiling as her gorgeous blonde hair falls down her shoulders.

"Augusto, war is horrid. Are you willing to go through another bloodshed with them?" Lilian asks.

"For Odette's sake, I would do anything. He hurt her and killed her. To get back at me, he killed my love and family. You don't get away with that."

"What are you implying Augusto." Lilian's eyes show sorrow and pity. Makes me sick just looking at her.

"I will not stop killing until every inch of his kingdom is gone. There will be blood on every inch of his walls and then I will kill him. The kingdom of Mogrea will crumple by my hands."

Odette my love, you will be avenged.