Raelyn slashed her sword at the large ogre in front of her, the tip of the blade slicing the skin on its stomach. It groaned loudly in pain, keeling over and pressing a large hand to the injury as blood dripped to the ground. Swiftly, Raelyn lunged forward, pressing her weapon to the wretched creature’s neck. “Just die already!” She growled, pressing her foot on the ogre’s chest and pressing the sword further as a sudden stabbing pain flowed through her body. Reclaiming her weapon, she swayed in place as the enemy before her fell deceased; she gasped for air but none seemed to be entering her lungs as she gazed down, freezing in fear when she saw the arrow lodged in her lower-right abdomen. Slowly, she pressed her fingertips to the crimson that was slowly stainting her dress, a choked sob leaving her trembling lips when someone grabbed her waist:

“Rae? Hey, hey, you’re alright,” Kiernan breathed, his voice calling out to her through the ringing in her ears. Turning her around, he accessed her wound. “Ren! We need you!” He shouted desperately.

“K-Kiernan?” Raelyn whispered tearily, Kiernan’s arm around her waist and his large hand cupping her face. “Am I d-dying?”

“No, no, you’re not, my love. You’re not dying, you’ll be fine, Ren’s on her way,” his face paled at the amount of blood she seemed to be losing, but what hurt him the most was the fact that she was so scared, and hurt, and—

“I’m here! What happened?!” Ren yelled, taking Kiernan’s place and putting Raelyn’s arm around her shoulders.

“I think it was the Shadow Elves!” He replied, observing the dark material surrounding the shaft of the arrow. Ren growled under her breath as someone called for the king.

“Go! They need you! I’ve got her, don’t worry!” Ren said. Kiernan would’ve immediately agreed, but when he made eye contact with Raelyn he saw the pure fear and desperation in her grayish-green hues.

“I’ll come back, okay? I won’t leave you,” he took her ashy face in his hands, pressing a soft yet longing kiss to her lips.

“Promise?” She whimpered, pressing her forehead against his.

“I promise.” He gave her a gentle smile, turning to Ren. “Keep her safe. That is to be your top priority.” He ordered, and the knight nodded firmly as he ran towards their allies, his elegant silver and purple sword in hand.

The only things Raelyn remembered after that moment was the tip of a dark, cold, Shadow Elven sword slicing through the skin of Kiernan’s chest, and the way he screamed in terror and pain; the look in his eyes when he realized he’d broken his promise to the one person he cared about the most.

Raelyn would never forget it. She couldn't.

“NO!” Raelyn screamed, her knees going weak from beneath her as she fell to the ground. Ren stared wide-eyed as the Shadow Elven blade, now covered in royal blood, was pulled from Kiernan’s chest and he fell to his knees. Raelyn shuddered as she met eyes with the wielder of that wretched blade, and she felt rage bubble up inside of her. “CURSE YOU!” She howled, seeing those familiar yet different and cold violet eyes glare back at her; it was the man they had run into a few weeks prior to the battle, the man they’d met in the market. He was the very man that possessed royal blood, possessed the unique, royal, telekinetic ability, yet nobody knew why. They had done nothing to him; Raelyn couldn’t understand what would make him do something so world-shattering to her, something that made her lose any will she had to live. “What did we ever do to you?!” She screamed, as he stood tauntingly over her husband’s corpse.“REN! GO HELP HIM! HELP KIERNAN!” Raelyn wailed,

“Marius! Cover me!” Ren snapped, Marius immediately making his way over as Ren sprinted toward the king.

“Kiernan,” Raelyn sobbed, chest heaving as Marius tried to pull her onto her feet.

“M’lady, I know, it’s terrible, but we’ll die if we stay here—!” He began.

“Then just let me die!” She wailed, her throat and chest burning from her screams.

“C’mon now, don’t think like that!” Marius pleaded, “Lady Maeralya is going to need you!” Raelyn knew he was right. Her mother-in-law was going to need her. But she was watching the one thing that gave her life meaning die right before her eyes, and she could do nothing to stop it. She had to try, because she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she didn’t.

She pushed Marius away, using the last of her adrenaline to scramble towards her sword and to where the love of her life was laying, blood pooling the ground around him. “Kiernan!” She wailed again, the entire right side of her abdomen burning, the pain spreading like a wildfire that was too strong to be extinguished; she watched as his mesmerizing purple eyes, the same ones she’d gotten lost in countless times, lost their fire like a candle being blown out.

“Raelyn, no!” Ren shouted, grabbing the queen around the waist and tugging her back.

“I-I just—!” Raelyn desperately wanted to run after Kiernan’s murderer, but she could only stand and watch as he fled, the evil and satisfied look in his eye when he killed him was burned into her mind.

“We have to go—!” A dark shadow loomed over them, and as they looked up, they saw the burgundy and ash-gray dragon spit fire onto the ground below; right over the corpse of the precious king—causing smoke to billow up and sting their vision. The smoke was inhaled by the pair, singeing their throats and lungs as they tried to get away from the sickening smell of burning flesh. “Come on!” Ren choked out between coughs, lugging the other up and over the hill alongside their remaining troops.