A Mother's Love

[Bvie 1754]

 

Soft snoring filled the dark space of the bedroom. His exhaustion spoke volumes as he rested following a long day of fighting.

 

Her state wasn’t much better, truthfully. But her mind reeled with the day’s events as she stared at the dark gray walls.

The bubbling of the fish tank competing with his snores for dominance.

 

But it was only background noise as those last words of his replayed in her mind, over and over and over.

 

The only end to it was the slamming of the door as they left and the shrill laughter that echoed in her ears.

 

A log shifted towards the foot of the bed and embers sparked in the air.

 

She slid from beneath the blanket, her feet recoiling at the coldness of the stone floor for a moment.

 

She trudged towards the fireplace and took the long iron poker from the wall and readjusted the logs.

 

The flames licked and lapped towards the empty space above them, and her eyes became lost in the long tendrils of light.

 

“I will always love you and I will always protect you.”

 

Those words that night echoed in her mind that moment. Those words that night echoed in her mind every moment, truthfully.

 

~

 

Her heavy eyes closed as the fire’s warmth washed over her, her head falling against her arm as sleep took her.

 

She dreamt of a young boy in a tree seeking her assistance.

 

She dreamt of a young boy wanting to prove himself.

 

She dreamt of a young boy who seemed to get hurt and needed to be heal one time too often to be a mere coincidence that he came to her.

 

She dreamt of her hands covered in his blood as he laid in the street and a fire inside that burned bright.

 

She dreamt of that fire raging forth the day the shade struck the young boy down.

 

She dreamt of a young boy sitting with her as she read a story about a rainbow fish and tried teaching a lesson about being prideful.

 

She dreamt of a young boy that needed a family, needed a home, needed someone to protect him even though he pretended not.

 

She dreamt of herself, trying to be that person.

 

But the happy and pleasurable memories begin to become cloudy and fade. And soon, images of violence and evil replaced them.

 

Swords clashing, shouts and screams, and the blood, the endless blood.

 

~ 

 

The nightmare she dreamt was truly the reality. The world that she tried to protect him from was a foe that even her shields could not protect him from.

 

The young boy she once dreamt of with his blue eyes and his single out of place lock of hair, the young boy with his dreams of being a protector and hero, the young boy with his dreams of being loved by all and surrounded by a large family, was fading.

 

And in its place was a hardened young man with amber eyes, a young man with reality dealing its harsh blow that being a hero isn’t exactly what you once thought it meant, and a young man who abandoned those that loved him most because of a title and pride.

 

How she wished she read him the story of the rainbow fish more. How she wished she held him just seconds longer. How she wished she told him how much she meant to him.

 

But reality was not giving her time to wallow in her wishes,  but attacking her even in her dreams as the voices of the others echoed in her mind.

 

“What are we going to do…. This isn’t right?”

“This cannot stand! He will not allow it!”

 

“Lily, what are we going to do?”

“What is the plan?”

 

She stared at the flames and gave her answer, the same answer she always gave.

 

“I will protect him. Always.”

 

~

 

A heavy hand falls on her shoulder and she jolts awake.

 

She turns and is met by Reign’s tired face looking down upon her. He lowers his cheek to hers, his beard rubbing against her soft skin as he drapes a blanket over her.

 

“I failed him, Reign…..I promised….”

 

His hand rubs her opposite upper arm as he shakes his head softly, causing hers to shake as well, quieting her voice.

 

“Tomorrow is another day.”

 

And with that he helped her to bed, wrapping a blanket around her

and placed a protective arm over her.

 

The sparks from the fireplace began to die down. The shadows of the room reached out and swallowed the dimming light. The light snores slowly returning to rock her to sleep.

 

And with a deep breath she closed her eyes, falling asleep with the warmth of the room

and the slight scent of basil in the air.

[Mrlollytime 102]

(Magical, like woah!)

[Guest]

Moved to The Great Library. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly.

 

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