For the Sky (DISCONTINUED)

2 - A Few Decisions

Asger didn't look defeated but he looked disappointed enough to where I almost felt guilty. "You know I want that as much as you do," I tried to consolidate him to soften the blow, but it was never my strong suit. "But it's just not possible."

"And how do you know that?" he glared at me. Even if one of his eyes was no longer functioning I felt bare and vulnerable under his gaze.

"And you do? Have you ever tried?" I snapped. "The kingdom has settled into Sonder's control - it's been almost twelve years. You think you can just take it all away?" I lowered my voice as I noticed some of the guests swiveling their ears to catch bits and pieces of our conversation. "The world isn't black and white - we are not the only ones that have been wronged, but not everybody was wronged either."

"So you're just giving up?" he sat back a bit, studying me. I looked down at the rough surface of the table rather than looking back up at him. "You were never the pessimist, Leiah."

I gave him an irritated sigh in return. That gnawing feeling - that nagging sensation of wanting to race back into the ruins of the castle, to see all of those familiar faces again... to see my mother's smile, to see the familiar glint in Barty's glasses... "You have to leave," I finally said through gritted teeth. He was beginning to turn me inside out - I felt like the heavy stitchings of my outer layer were being violently torn apart.

He looked a bit taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"You disappear for six years only to come back and persuade me to overthrow the kingdom?" my voice had a softer edge to it that I couldn't help but feel ashamed of. "Get out of here."

"Leiah, please," he tried leaning closer to me but I pinned my ears and jerked my head away.

"Don't call me that! The princess that you once knew is dead and the kingdom you once knew is gone," I stood up as quickly as I could, grabbing my cloak off the table.

"And you're just going to let things stay that way?" his pleading look made my bottom lip tremble and with one last furious glance at him, I stormed off upstairs.

As soon as I was out of range of anyone hearing or seeing me, I let myself cry. I choked back a sob, trying to understand what I was supposed to do with myself now. Somewhere I could feel relief that he was alright - that a semblance of the brief, comfortable life I knew was still alive and kicking. Somewhere else was unimaginable anger - how dare he come back just to use me to a means of a selfish end. But it wasn't selfish was it? How many hundreds of thousands of people were left without a semblance of a strand of hope for the better after Sonder laid ruin to everything in a one hundred league radius? The destrier, the soldier... always bound to his duty.
I recalled the confidence with which that three-legged colt galloped back to his home. He knew no different of this world - he was born into what was left of ours. Should it really stay that way? I almost managed a smile. Asger always had his ways of persuasion.

I hurriedly trotted down the stairs, but to my dismay, the black stallion was gone. "Where did he go?" I asked Chief as I let my peripheral scan the room.

"Just up and left," the draft nodded towards the door. "Looks like you must've hurt that soldier's pride a bit."

"He'll live," I smirked, fastening my cloak over my shoulders. I was about a step away from the door when Chief looked up at me again.

"You'll live, too," he said, giving me a single, slow nod. I had to bite back tears again. It had never been home, but it had always been what I knew - and now to leave? You've done it before, haven't you? I scolded myself before rushing out into the rain. There wasn't enough remorse in this world to spare for a tearful goodbye.