Demonfire Drabbles

The Space Between

"This is ridiculous," Damian said, exasperated.

The royal guards had denied him entry again. He tried his best to communicate, but it didn't seem to be getting through to them.

Damian did not have time for this. He needed to get inside the palace now. He'd been waiting three years for this. He wasn't going to wait any longer.

"I know the princess, if you would just let me speak with her—"

"What's going on?"

They all turned to find the owner of the voice was Princess Mar'i, descending down the stairs.

Damian's heart skipped a beat when he saw her. And when their eyes met, he swore that it had stopped.

He had not seen her in years, but she was still as beautiful as ever. The nearly sheer purple gown she was wearing flowed with every step she took and her royal headdress perfectly framed her face.

She looked stunned to see him.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, her voice becoming softer.

Her question stung a little. "Nice to see you, too, Grayson," he mumbled.

"Princess, he has been requesting to see you, but we did not recognize him," a guard spoke to her in Tamaranean.

      "I've been trying to tell them that I know you," Damian told her.

"Princess, if you do not want him here..." the other guard began to say, glancing warily at Damian.

"No, no, it's fine, really. Could you please give us a minute?" Mar'i spoke to her guards in their native tongue.

They gave her a curt nod and left.

"Damian..." Mar'i began, still trying to process that he was there. "Why are you here?"

"Why am I here?" Damian repeated. "You never came back. You haven't made contact with anybody for two whole years."

Mar'i looked down at the floor, not wanting to meet his gaze. "You know why I couldn't come back."

He knew what she was referring to. The death of her mother and scrambling to find a leader for Tamaran. But that was no excuse to cut off all contact.

"I know. But—"

  "I'm all that they have left, Damian. There is no other heir to the throne. I had no choice. Tamaran needed me. They still do."

      "Mar'i, your mother never wanted this life for you. And neither does your father. He wants you to come home." He took her hand and locked eyes with her. "I want you to come home."

Mar'i gently drew back her hand, biting her lip.

   "I can't. You know I can't. I'm sorry, Damian." She sighed. "You should go back to Earth," she turned around to head back up the stairs.

   Damian was completely dumbfounded. This was not how this was supposed to happen. This wasn't like Mar'i at all. Her mother's death had affected her greatly, but he never imagined it would change her this much.

    "You did love me once," he said, making her stop in her tracks.

"And you told me you'd come back, because you loved me," he continued. "You said that the space between us would never affect our relationship. Then you went a few days without calling. And when you did, they were always cut short. Your father and I begged you to come home after the first year and you said 'No'. Then you stopped calling entirely. Because apparently Tamaran mattered more than your family. I guess they needed you more than I did."