The Beginning of The True Heir | Ongoing

Chapter 35: A Partnership

"My arms are weak." I knelt down to the ground. Still I had no control over Water and Air at the same time. My body was drained from all the energy I was putting into this training session.
"You must keep going." Ceslav ordered. "Imagine this your Grace -"
"She is drained!" Tristan snapped.
"that tree is one of your people! They are in the arms of your enemy! That PANGAEAN needs your help! They need you to remove that solider!"
I stared at the tree. It was nothing but a tree to me at this moment. "I - I can't." I whispered.
"Imagine someone you love. Someone you care for." Ceslav barked. "They need you."
I stared at the tree my eyes watering and for a moment I thought I saw an image of someone I cared for. "Tristan?" I whispered.
"They need you." Ceslav spoke in my ear. "It's a live or die situation. They will die without your help."
My eyes continued to water and I stared at Tristan struggling to be free of a brute soldier. The soldier grinned at me. I knew him, he was a Norte soldier, he killed the King.
"No!" I cried. "Nooooo!"
"Save him." Ceslav barked. "Save him at this instant."
"I - I can't." I cried.
"Then it is not someone you love enough. Picture another person. Picture someone you want to save." He ordered.
I shook my head as much as I could, which was not much. "It is someone I want to save. It is someone I love. Ceslav, I cannot."
"Then they will die in enemy arms. Your grace, do you love this one?" He asked.
I stared at Tristan, who was the tree. The solider grinning maliciously in front of me. He held the sword at Tristan's neck ready to slice it open at any moment. All I had the energy for was the stare but there was this burning inside of me. I had to save Tristan. I had to.
"Yes. I love him." I cried.
"Save him." He whispered in my ear.
Slowly I raised my arms, but my eyes rolled to the back of my head. A premonition. It was coming and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I was at my weakest point and there was nothing I could do. My body fell to the ground and I was caught before I touched the ground. I was safe in this persons arms.

"Who are you?" The King asked.
I stood between them and stared at the dark figure. It was completely black with red eyes. The figure looked somewhat like a ghost would. But ghosts did not exist?
"Who are you?" He barked.
The figure just floated in mid air. It had no mouth so how in the world would it speak? What did it feed off? How did it survive?
"You're a demon." The King was suddenly frightened. "Guards!"
The guards from outside entered looking for trouble. Their eyes roamed the entire office but they saw nothing and they relaxed in stance. The King realised that none of them saw this demon as he did. Or I did.
"Yes your grace?" One of the guards asked.
The King was visibly shaking in his chair. This was his fate and no one knew about it. No one knew the King was possessed. All this time I thought he was mad, he was not. He was possessed by a demon that no one else saw.
"Tell my wife and child I love them." He whispered but I knew the guards did not hear. They did not hear the King's pleas. It was all the King could do at this moment and I felt hopeless. All I was going was seeing the past, watching it.
"Your grace?" The guard asked again, he was confused as to why they were called in. All the King was doing was staring at them, but it was not them they stared at, horrified. It was the demon.
It was then the demon moved forward, towards the King who was fearing for his life.
"NO!" I screamed.
No one heard me. Not even the demon as he charged towards the King.

I sat up, puffing.
My entire body was shaking and I pulled my hair back with my fingers.
"Gwen?"
I looked up and saw Tristan staring at me. Along with my entire council and Queen's Guard.
"What did you see?" He asked.
"The - the King." I breathed out. "A demon had taken over his body."
"A demon?" Aeslin asked.
I nodded.
"Search the entire library on demons." Tristan barked out.
Everyone scrambled immediately except him and my Queen's Guard. I looked into Tristan's eyes and he looked genuinely worried for me. He was as frightened as I was but he held himself together while I started to sob uncontrollably. Quickly he wrapped his arms around me and let me drown his clothes in my tears.
"Ssshh, we'll figure this out." He cooed over and over into my hair.
As my sobs finished he, let me sit up on my own. I looked to him. "The King was not in control of his body. Tristan, I hated him, with every bone in my body and it was not him. He was - was possessed by a dark figure. Oh my stars!"
"No one knew. Not until now. Listen to me," And I did, I clung onto every word he said. "I will be there every step of the way. We're a team. A unit. A partnership. We'll figure this out. We'll figure out why the King did what he did to the witch. We'll stop your mother. We'll figure out the painting. And we'll stop the revolution. Then one day, you'll become an amazing Queen with a legend that no one will stop talking about."
I took in deep breaths.
"For now, we have to get through this rough patch and I'll be there, standing beside you ready for action. I'll stop any flaming arrows, any boulders, any soldiers and any one who ready to tear you down. I'll be there Gwen." He spoke softly.
I shook my head. "No you won't."
He looked hurt for a moment. "Why won't I be there?"
"Remember my dreams?" I asked.
"Of course, how could I forget? I got a bruised and broken bones from trying to fight with Aeslin because of them." He chuckled.
It didn't lighten the mood. Not with me anyway.
"I die alone." I whispered. "Alone Tristan. I'm facing this path by myself. No one to stand by me."
He looked furious now. "No you won't. I'll stand by you. I will take an oath right now, at this very moment to show you how serious I am. Gwen, you will never be alone. Not if I have a say about it."
I wiped my tears away. "No you won't."
He grabbed a sword from the ground and knelt down on one knee in front of me. "Queen Gwendolyn Cashile of Pangaea, the True Heir, I kneel before you swearing an oath on my life and grave, on my family name and blood, that I will stand with you against the world." He lifted the word and sliced his hand slightly and blood poured out. "My life is now yours."
I covered my mouth with my hand. All I could do was cry. I pushed away the sword and swung my arms around Tristan. The only thing that killed me was thinking he might die, if he stands beside me. I didn't want his blood on my hands.
At that moment, I took an oath to myself. Though Tristan swore his life on mine, I did the same.
I, Queen Gwendolyn Cashile of Pangaea would protect him from any harm that comes his way.