Should I Thank You? (Part 6)

A few days later...

Princess Isis sat on the steps of the royal tomb that now held her father, King Luke. The morning was still early as she quietly burned some soft scented incense. It was something she wanted to do for her father. Though they were never very close with each other she still held respect for him.

King Luke was not a kind father. Having spent most of her life under his strict control there was no way she could become broken over his death. In order to protect her from the god, Chynir, she had been treated coldly by her father throughout her life. He had not only given his life to protect her but King Luke had done everything to make sure she would not mourn him. He was a selfish father, a suppressed king under a evil god, and a man with only a single desperate wish.

A tear slid down the side of Princess Isis's cheek. Wiping it away she thought over how ridiculous her father was when he was alive. She was not foolish and knew that he'd done everything for her sake til the end. After years of growing up in the palace it was impossible for her to not overhear conversations between her father and others including Chynir.

Her ear flicked back against her white hair as she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. The sound of the steps slowly began to change the way they sounded. It was clear to her who was approaching as not many people around the palace freely would change their appearance.

"Are you alright?" Vorbuk's voice could be heard calling out to her in his human form as he approached cautiously. When he'd gotten word that she had gone to King Luke's new tomb it did not take long for him to come rushing over to check on things with the princess.

The princess hesitated before responding to his question, "Am I alright that my father is dead? Or are you asking if I am angry with your servant for killing him? Or perhaps am I angry that you are protecting him after what happened?"

Vorbuk flinched at how bluntly she asked about Ashley. What Ashley had done was impossible to keep quiet. In order to protect Ashley's position in the palace and his life Vorbuk had the rumors altered that Ashley had been acting on his order. However the princess was not someone easily fooled. She could recognize that Ashley had acted out on his own accord and that Vorbuk was protecting his servant.

How could she possibly be alright after everything? Vorbuk thought as he knew it was impossible. The question he had asked her had been completely pointless to ask when he knew the answer. It felt like something was stabbing him in the chest as he grit his teeth. A low growl echoing in his throat.

"I am not going to hold a grudge so don't make that face." Princess Isis misunderstood the look on his face and spoke further. "I told you before that I was already prepared for this considering what my father was doing."

Princess Isis stood up from the steps to the tomb. One step after another she made her way down and when she reached the bottom he stepped up close to her. The last step that she stood on bringing them face to face.

"This isn't something you should have ever had to prepare yourself to experience." Vorbuk's words were gentle and pained.

The princess turned her head away from him as she felt like looking anywhere else instead of meeting his gaze with her tear filled eyes. "Royal families are never perfect. It is a risk that comes with the position we are born into."

She wanted to blame it on being born into royalty. How many times had she tried to escape that palace because she hated it so much there? It was a known fact that royal families were known to have tragic experiences. As an only child to King Luke she never had to fight other heirs over the throne but that did not mean she didn't suffer in other ways. Her father was known as a tyrant because of the things he did under Chynir's control.

"I don't think-" Vorbuk wanted to say something. He could not agree with what she had said about royal families. In the future he would be a royal himself. There was no way he would let his future end in such a way as King Luke.

The princess cut in before he could finish speaking to her, "I should return to my room."

"Princess," Vorbuk grasped hold of her wrist as she went to walk away from him.

Slap!

The princess reflexively slapped his hand away from her before he could fully grasp onto her. Startled by her own over reaction they were both left in a silent daze.

She was the first one to break the silence as she felt embarrassed for reacting that way, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that-"

Before she could finish speaking her words of apology Vorbuk pulled her in against his chest and held her tightly. The warmth of his body was comforting and seemed to burrow into her body. As much as she wanted to push him away, because of how shaken her emotions were, she could not find the strength to do so.

"You don't have to apologize," Vorbuk whispered into her ear. "Hit me, kick me, do whatever you want to me. I know I am to blame for things turning out this way just as much as anyone else is. You can scold me or hurt me in any way you want but never try to ignore me."

It was the truth and Vorbuk would not try to deny it. His choices were what lead to things ending up the way they did. That was something he would never be able to run from. Mistakes were something everyone made and no god was perfect either. The only thing he could do was embrace his mistakes and move forward while hoping not to make the same wrong decision a second time.

They always made heroes in stories out to look perfect but Vorbuk never liked those things when he was growing up. A brave hero who rose to glory saving the people. It was always glorified how amazing the heroes were but those tales never told the hero's tragic side of it. What kind of things did that person themself experience that lead them to that point? What kind of things did they have to give up to reach that point as well? No one ever rises into power without a purpose behind them. Vorbuk was not interested in becoming some hero that saved the realm he lived in now. The only people he wanted to protect were those important to him.

The princess whimpered as she buried her face into Vorbuk's chest forgetting her embarrassment, "I never thought it'd hurt this much.."

"You don't need to talk about it if it's too much, princess." Vorbuk listened to her pained cries as he stood there and held her. No matter how much one expects something it can never erase the pain that will come when it happens.