The Princess and the Blood of Eternity

Chapter 11: Promises Broken

Out of options, she bent over and whispered into Cleo's ear. "Come back to me. Please. Cleo, I need you." She let her lips brush the side of his warm earlobe.

Against all odds, the request worked. His eyes snapped open, and he took a long, gasping breath.

"What... why is everyone looking at me?" Cleo's voice was horse and slow like he hadn't spoken in days. He tried to sit up before collapsing back to the ground. "Why am I on the ground?" he asked.

Lilith yelped in surprise, like she had just been shocked by static. She scanned the crew with a sense of triumph.

The turnaround had left them in a state of shock. No cry of joy or celebration at his subsequent awakening. A moment ago, they'd been preparing for his funeral, and now they didn't know what to think. The whole thing could be nothing but a trick.

Quinn finally showed life by rushing forward to sit next to Lilith, roughly elbowing her in the process.

"Move over, princess," Quinn said accusingly. She then began whispering encouragement at Cleo, sounding hopeful that he had survived.

"How? I don't believe it," Ural said. "Was it the..." he left the question unfinished as his eyes went wide with realization.

"Impossible," Boulder said. He jammed his sword into the sand to use it for support as he fell to one knee, almost like he meant to pray.

"Historic," Agis said, putting on his glasses so he could see better.

"What a tough little bastard," Cassandra added.

Lilith didn't know what to say. She had to suppress her celebratory impulse. The truth—she wanted to wrap her arms around him and steal a kiss upon his cheek, but it wouldn't be proper.

Being who she was came with certain restrictions, not to mention the movement could worsen his injuries. Besides, it seemed unlikely he would reciprocate her feelings. She needed to be a realist. Cleo had Quinn. Seeing the two of them now put everything into perspective.

Quinn was a strong, independent person with skills and views of her own. The freedom to live her life as she wanted. She didn't have to follow a preordained path that would eventually lead to a loveless union of political necessity.

She didn't like it, but Lilith knew it was best to picture herself as a fish in an aquarium. A prison adorned with golden aesthetics, colorful plants, and a miniature castle. Added together, the attractive setting didn't make it any less confining.

Other people would certainly feel differently, and she would never disparage their perspective, but her experiences were the grit of her being. They'd forged her outlook as assuredly as the waves that carved the rocky coast, and she'd rather be wrong in her observations and reflection than to live without meaning. Luxury, wealth, and power—she'd learned there was always a cost.

Preparing to stand up, Lilith lifted her hands from his body. She didn't deserve friends if this was the result. But with Cleo on her lap, and nowhere to put her hands—it left her holding them up, hovering awkwardly above his body like a person caught with a guilty conscience. She caught sight of Marius as he walked away. Strangely, she thought he might be smiling.

"Princess?" Cleo said.

The sudden voice brought her attention back to the person lying on her lap. She looked down to find him smiling, though the expression was periodically marred by bouts of pain.

"Princess?" she mirrored, failing to contain her emotion. "I thought I asked you to call me Lilith." The pounding in her chest encapsulated her failure to remain serious in the moment. She worried Cleo could hear the strange flutter, thus revealing her true feelings.