Venom Of The Sea

Part Thirty-Three: Cedric

"I thought you would return sooner..." My voice shook as I continued to stare out onto the kingdom, my heart was already leaping into my throat as I stood there with my arms behind my back and my eyes filling with tears as the figure behind me slowly moved forward to where they were shown in a casting of bright sunlight.

"Yes, well, I would've if I wasn't out trying to protect our kingdom from outside dangers... How's Serenity doing with the whole "becoming queen soon" thing?" Her voice spat but it became this soft and soothing as I stood with my back to her and my hands behind them as I looked out onto the kingdom; now seeing the citizens coming towards the castle for... For this "happy" day.

"You don't have to stay out there, you know... And she hates it. With a passion. Heh, she honestly reminds me of you, Irene." I chuckled as I turned towards her, now seeing her actual figure in front of me I felt my eyes begin to water... She moved closer and more into the suns' rays as her eyes looked up through her thick eyelashes as her lips gave a soothing and gentle smile.

"I know, I chose to stay out there, Cedric. And ha, please... She only reminds you of me because of her thick skull-"

"No, it's because she reminds me of your beauty." I butted in as she looked up at me with somewhat hurt eyes as she closed them and inhaled deeply before reopening her eyes and sending a broken smile towards me. I swallowed a mouthful of saliva as I moved closer, trying to not let her notice that I was growing closer inch by inch.

"Cedric, you can't- I have to protect our kingdom."

"Then, come back to me, Irene! You never had to leave in the first place, yet you disappeared after our daughter turned five!" I spat as Irene flinched some at the sudden rise in my voice as I looked at her with wettened eyes. I turned sideways as I ran a hand through my somewhat grayish hair as I tried to calm myself.

"Cedric... Cedric, I still love you- with all of my heart, I will always love you but I have a duty. And that is to make sure that this kingdom doesn't fall from any outside forces. I will continue to fight alongside Visin against the mainlanders, enemy kingdoms, hell, even gigantic monsters that live deep in the sea. But I will not stop fighting until I know that Serenity is ready to take on that duty!" Irene somewhat shouted as I stared at her with squinted eyes before moving closer, she began to back away her hands held up as her back gently hit the wall.

I stood in front of her as she looked up at me with hurting eyes before I jumped at her, wrapping my arms tightly around her torso as she stood there; frozen.

"I...Irene, I love you so much..." I whispered as we both stood in a peaceful silence as she slowly wrapped her own arms around my shoulders as I slightly lifted her upwards to where her head rested against my chest, my head resting against the top of her head. We stayed like this only for a few seconds only for Irene to push me away as she looked down with somewhat watery eyes.

"I know, Cedric... But you need to go, it's um... It's time for whatever the citizens have gathered for and you need to go, as do I..." She cleared her throat as she waded backward some as my eyes trailed her body some more as I saw a few scars were planted on her flesh and her scales.

"Irene, please, stay here with me... Please, Serenity will be taking on the title as Queen soon, but I still want you to be my Queen... Forever and always, remember?" My voice cracked as she looked up at me and weakly smiled before taking the bottom of her palm and wiped away a few tears that had escaped.

"Yes, well, forever and always... Doesn't always mean forever, Cedric. Take care of Mercadonia from the inside while I stay out-" Irene began as she moved away to where she was near the window; I went to move towards her when she threw up her hand and a wall of water stuck between us. Placing both of my hands on the wall as I stared at her slowly back away.

"I...Irene?"

"Good-bye, Cedric... Please, take care of yourself and Serenity."

And with that... She disappeared and the water wall fell.

"Good-bye, Irene..."

- Rayne -

Ugh, what in the name of Irene happened? I opened my eyes slowly as my hand automatically went to my forehead when I felt a large knot as I looked around and saw that I was propped up against the cold stone wall of a castles' hallway. "What in the world happened?" I groaned as I slowly sat up on my tail as I brought it under my arse as I looked around, hearing the shouts and chants from the civilians of the kingdom.

"Wait... Serenity!" I shouted as I tried to get up quickly, only to feel my head swell as I slowly swayed around the hallway as I went towards the shouting and screaming of the millions of voices. I looked around a corner when I saw two Altona guards surrounded another man, whose tail looked like somewhat of a tux?

"Wait, is that-"

"Rayne!"

I jumped at the sudden yell of my name as I turned quickly, pressing my back against the cold brick of the castle wall as I looked around to see-

"Adam..? Adam! What are you doing here?" I felt my lips pull into a smile as I swam quickly towards him and wrapped my arms around him as he did the same to me, only for us both to go wide eyed and quickly pull away with a light blush.

"Rayne, thank Irene I found you. And I was trying to find Lowell and Chris, but... But I discovered something about Berwin, he's planning on-"

"You two! Halt!" We both swerved our heads to look where the loud voice came from that's when three Altona guards came up to us, two of them grabbing each of Adam's wrist.

"Hey!"

"What are you doing to him? Release him, at once!" I commanded as the other guard grabbed hold of my wrist and began to push me towards the shouting as I planned. I looked over my shoulder to yell for Adam, but the guard pushed me forward causing me to stumble over my tail as I gasped and went to yell when I looked up to see-

"You... No, you aren't supposed to be here!" I shouted as I bared my teeth as I felt my eyes tear up.

"Yes, well, my dear Rayne... Life does work in mysterious ways. Now, shouldn't we get going to your friends' wedding? I mean... This is her last day of freedom-" The women paused as she leaned down and gripped my chin with her hand as her nails gently indented into my skin.

"Or, rather her last day all together."