Just Another Beginning After the End | TBATE

All Things Magic (2)

A/N: So I'll be changing Alea's settings a bit. She won't have her little brother because, one, I'm lazy, two, I don't know how to write a convincing child, three, I dunno, it makes better sense for the story and four, I'm the author.

Also, I'm taking a shot in the dark with Alea's age, so I would appreciate it if you guys could tell me if you know what it is :D (If it's hidden on the wiki, I'm sorry for not noticing)

Finally, what do you guys think about love interests? Tess is off the table so I was debating between Kathlyn, Lilia, and Eleanor (Asher is a year younger than Arthur so it should be okay, age-wise and that was my original plan too). I can do someone else if I mess with the ages and settings a bit. Take your pick.

Alea's POV

When Diane died, I felt my world crumbling away.

I only knew her for less than a year after she saved me. But during that short amount of time, she had become like family to me. She fed me, talked with me, and took care of me for 7 months, all while she was pregnant.

But those blissful days had finally come to their end.

As I watched her take her last breaths after giving birth to her child, I couldn't help but grow a bit resentful of the baby for taking her life away.

I listened as she named her child. Asher.

It meant happy or blessed. I suppose it made sense since the baby smiled and laughed rather than cried when it popped out.

Perhaps the baby got it from his mother. Diane smiled, even as she drifted closer to eternal rest.

Her tired but loving smile was warming yet piercing my heart.

She began to breathe her last, her life flickering like a dying candle.

Then, as if a grand curtain fell, Diane passed away.

I stood in silence, still processing, still accepting what happened.

It just felt too sudden.

She was fine just an hour ago, smiling and laughing. But now, after an hour, a mere hour, she was dead.

It didn't help that her dead body was still glowing with life like she was just taking a nap and would wake up at a moment's notice. But I knew, I knew so very well, that she wouldn't be waking up from her nap.

However, before I could cry, my eyes fell onto the figure of a newborn infant.

My mind was still blank and numb, but I managed to pick up the baby. That was when something inside of me finally clicked.

When I picked up the newborn and felt its warmth on my body, its curious yet intelligent golden eyes shying away from the light, a thought surfaced.

This is Diane's child.

With that thought, I was suddenly washed over by a sense of guilt. How could I blame this child? A child that was born in the worst possible circumstances?

It was then, the feelings hit me like a truck. The gentle wave of guilt became a tsunami and the shock of losing Diane, which had been like a dam, collapsed, letting the flood of emotions that had been held at bay rush in.

I felt tears begin to pour out, and I muttered incomprehensible blabber that even I couldn't understand.

Then my cries were mixed with another's, but I couldn't even tell over myself.

Our sobs could be heard throughout the forest for some time.

**

I looked silently at the crappy grave I had dug.