The End

There was a breeze, cool and crisp tickling her skin and brushing against her hair. Yet warmth against her chest and legs lulled her deeper into sleep.

Breaths puffed against the tip of her nose making her face crinkled awake. Slowly opening her eyes, she blinked softly to see the light illuminating the man before her. Light loves him as much as she does.

"Garret," the name leaving her lips like a wisp of air reaching the beautiful man with auburn hair, brightened by the lights hold on him.

"Garret," she repeated moving slightly as her shoulder moved when her hand reached to press against his chest.

A small shift and the arm over her waist pulled her in closer.

Nose pressed against one another and she found herself letting out huffs of laughter. It gently shook the bed as her nose rubbed against his.

"What are you laughing at?" though his voice was no more than a whisper, it still entered her ears straight to comforting her beating heart.

She didn't answer as she watched the fluttering of his long lashes like fans waving before one's face, to the shuttering of his eye lids.

Pools of emeralds revealed itself to her, gracing her with their beauty like the twinkling of stars under the moonlight. She closed her eyes and leaned in.

Lips, chapped from lack of water, but still the softness of rose petals against her lips. She pulled back and saw the curve of his lips and the tinge of pink across his cheeks.

"How are you feeling?" She asked as he tucked his head against her neck.

"Better," she felt him sigh against her skin causing goosebumps to litter where it touched.

Lynn pulled away and though the need to stay close- to merge with him- was strong, she heard what the knights had spoken about. He was to be married to Princess Aurora.

Sitting up on the bed, she attempted to stand but the arm of the prince halted her movement. She looked at Garret, who was still laying as he pressed his face against her stomach.

"Why are you getting up?" He yawned against her tunic, "Back to bed."

Lynn felt the sense of adornment at how her prince was behaving. Running her fingers through his hair, he snuggled closer into her.

"We must speak," she said softly as her fingers continue to press gently against his scalp to massage the tension away.

However, Garret held her tighter for a moment before leaning back with a loud sigh. A sigh that shook the calm between them apart. Pulling away and sitting up, his face was voided of that happy cheerful child she knew. What was before her was nothing more than a serious man making a heavy decision.

Blinking away, she swallowed down the lump in her throat, like a boulder she's trying to push through a small hole. She will need to say it because there was no way out now. No chance that they would even have a chance with one another anymore. Her heart was hanging on a worn-out string and it was going to break at any moment.

"I'm forced to marry Princess Arora," Garret stated and Lynn's eyes widened, "That's what you wanted to talk about, isn't it?"

Lynn thinned her lips. It hurts, but it is true. All the fighting and all of this was inevitable because the result would always end up the same. He was not going to be hers.

"Yes," she whispered softly looking away from him to the crack of window.

"If I say I don't want to," Garret sighed and watched the far away look on Lynn's face and the splotches of red dotting her face as she tried not to cry, "… you'd say it was for the best."

Lynn closed her eyes as her heart rattled vibrating the nerves up her nose. She fought the best she could, didn't she? Surely, he knew this. Even the temporary promise of five years with the man that held her heart was impossible now.

"I thought you died," his fingers, warm as the summer sun grazed up her jawline and rested behind her ear, "I thought I died and…" he paused and she turned to him with water filled eyes, "… I couldn't protect you! I couldn't-"

Lynn felt the sorrow filled her to the brim as tears fell down her eyes watching Garret's lips tremble from the earthquake of emotions. The gray cloud never really went away did it? It clung above their heads steering them together only to watch them break at the seams slowly and painfully.

"I know," she whispered gently as her fingers itched to close around his. Her eyes dared to watch as long streams rolled down his scrunched-up eyes. Her lips tingled with electric bugs zapping straight to the center of her core from when they kissed.

"Lynn."

The prince covered his face as he attempted to take deep breathes. Lynn could hear every inhale of their death and every exhale of acceptance of their end. The shaking of his shoulders calmed and the feeling in the room did not settle her heart.

"I will always love you Lynn," he stated avoiding her eyes to look at the closed door before him, "You are everything to me," Lynn inhaled deeply waiting for the words, "As a prince, I've always known what my duties were and maybe…" he thinned his lips, "Maybe I've neglected my duties fighting for something that I could never have."

Trembling from her insides to her outside, Lynn blinked quickly to release the tears as she searched out his face.

"I should give up," he whispered as gently as a brush of feather against her cheek.

Barely able to see from the aching in her heart eating her whole and the veil of knives cutting her up so she would bleed out, she found herself hiccupping.

Was she willing to be alone for the sake of the kingdom? Would she really be satisfied with Garret spending his nights and days with another person? Would she even dare?

She felt the bed shift and the waterfall of coldness soaked her through the skin she protected herself with. Reaching out, she held his hand with both of hers as if he was not real.

"Please," she hiccupped looking down as the tears wet her face splashing onto the silky white sheet, "I…" shaking her head to extinguish the fierce fire burning hot trails where they touched.

I what? What was she going to say? I love you? I'm sorry? I won't give up?

"Don't make this harder," Garret's lips trembled as he watched Lynn breaking down. The hand she held was in a vice grip and he wasn't sure if he could remove it from hers.

Everything in his heart was telling him to comfort her, protect her, love her.

She was hurt because of him, wasn't she? She wouldn't had to hurt if it weren't for him and his selfishness. He should've listened when Lynn told him it wouldn't work, but he was stubborn. He didn't think!

Closing his eyes, afraid that if he were to look at his lover any longer, his heart would melt to the ground like ice cream on a Summer's day.

Taking in a shaky breath, he tugged forcefully for his hand and pulled away.

Quickly stepping away from the bed, he turned and walked to the door in hopes of escaping the crying female on his bed. He swung the door open and rushed out of the room ignoring the cries for him to cease.

He had to get out of there! He had to!

Running through the hallway, he went until he landed on his knees in the garden. His pants were grass stained and fingers dug into the grass before the sunflowers; he screamed out mourning the loss of what they could've been.

Head pressed to the newly cut grass; bowing to the heavens and the sunflowers, he apologized over and over again.

What could he do, but to ask for forgiveness?