Corvo was proud to call them his daughters. Emily was smart and loved to play hide and seek with him. Eliza was weak, but still tried to win in a fight with him. It made his life interesting, in a good way. But, even with all the energy she had, Eliza was gravely ill. Her heart was weak. It was the way she was born. It made Corvo worry about her. She always tried to play it off, but everyone knew better. So he had spent most of his time trying to help her. Without her knowing, of course. Today, Emily was singing and drawing in his room as he worked at his desk. No matter which doctor he asked, everyone said that Eliza was untreatable. He sighed as Emily came and sat on his lap. She held up her picture.
"This you, mother, Eliza, and me. Proof that Eliza can't die. I know you'll find a way to help her," she said with a maturity that she shouldn't have had at her age. Corvo smiled.
"Yes, I will," he said. He lifted her off his leg, and back onto the ground. Then he got and walked to the throne room. Jessemine was there, arguing with Eliza. Something about the world being to dangerous. Eliza pouted and glared at her mother.
"But mother, if Emily had asked, you would've let her. All I want to do is walk outside the walls," she whined.
"Yes but Emily isn't sick dear."
Before Eliza could respond, Corvo picked her up and put her on his shoulder. She yelped and laughed. But he frowned. She was much lighter than the last time he had done this. He wondered if she had been skipping meals again. There was a time when she refused to eat for a while. It got to the point where she was too weak to even get out off bed. Corvo had to force feed her, which wasn't hard because she would only let him near her. No one could remember why, but it didn't matter. He looked at Jessemine and gave a worried look. It said Is she eating? Jessemine nodded, thankfully. He sighed in relief and looked back up at his youngest daughter.
"What are you two fighting about?", he asked, as if he were chastising two children.
"Mother won't let go for a walk when all I want is to see the ocean one last time," Eliza mumbled. Corvo cocked an eyebrow to hide the fact that his heart skipped a beat. She had already given up.
"What do you mean one last time?", he questioned.
"Come on, Corvo. We all know I'm going to die."
He dropped her off his shoulder, and held her with her legs on each side of his torso. Like you would a toddler. He knew Emily was hiding in the doorway, and didn't want her to give up too. So he brushed Eliza's hair out of her face and sighed.
"I've been trying to find a way to help you. I will not let you die."
A look of betrayal crossed the ebony haired girls face. He knew why. She told him distinctly, not to try and help her. That she wasn't going to let him waste his time on her. She had made him promise. He just broke that. She pushed away. He got the message and put her down. She immediately ran away, presumably to her room. Corvo sighed and ran his hand down his face. He hadn't meant for this to happen. He was just trying to help. Jessemine walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder.
"She doesn't hate you," she whispered. He put his hand down.
"Why wouldn't she? I betrayed her trust. I don't know what I was expecting in telling her."
"You did what you felt was right."
Corvo sighed again. Now he just felt wrong.
The Royal Protector was doing his rounds at night when he noticed Eliza's bedroom light was on. He wanted to apologize, but he assumed she didn't want to see him. He had broken her trust when that was all she had left. He sighed as he turned to head toward the south entrance, when he heard footsteps. Looking, he saw Emily running toward him. He bent down and picked her up when she ran into his arms. She was crying, and hyperventilating. He shushed her and calmed her before asking what was the matter.
Corvo put Emily down and ran to Eliza's room. He went as fast as he could. As soon as he got up there, he burst through the door. Eliza was on the floor, coughing up blood. Her entire body shook. Her hands were covered in blood. Quickly, he rushed to her side. He picked her up and held her the way he did earlier. Anger bubbled within him. Anger at being so helpless. Anger at every fruitless attempt to make sure she lived past thirty. Anger at losing a child. No parent wanted to go through that. Corvo was no different. He layed on her bed. Then he positioned her so that she was curled up on top of him. He could feel her hands weakly grip his shirt. Images of all the fun they'd had flashed through his head. Every time they would play fight, he would throw her on the bed and chuckle as she pouted at losing yet again. Every time he had read her and Emily bedtime stories because mother still had empress duties to attend to. It only made him feel even more helpless and empty. Suddenly he felt her arms moves to hug him.
"I'm sorry I got mad Corvo. I should've expected you to do that for me," she whispered shakily. Corvo tightened his grip on her. She didn't need to apologize. She did absolutely nothing wrong. Jessemine came running in. She stopped when she saw the way Corvo was laying with their daughter. Then she walked over and layed next to them. Not to long after Emily did the same. All of them just lay there silently enjoying possibly their last moments with Eliza. Corvo just couldn't swallow that fact.
Eliza coughed again and cuddled more into him. Her face was in the crook of his neck, her left hand holding his while her right held Jessemine's. Her breathing was erratic. Her body shook not only because of her sickness, but because she was afraid.
"I love you. Emily, mother, and you...Corvo," Eliza whispered. Corvo's chest tightened. He could tell that Jessemine and Emily were in tears by now, but he had to stay strong. He had to. For Eliza. So he whispered back, "I love you too." Then he kissed her head. Eliza looked up at him and smiled. Then she put her head back on his chest and fell asleep.
When Corvo wrote the next morning, something felt wrong. The little body on top of him wasn't breathing. It was cold to the touch. He opened his eyes to see Eliza still peacefully sleeping. He smiled sadly. This time, the beautiful, lively, young lady would never again open her deep blue eyes. Would never smile or play hide and seek again. Would never laugh with Corvo. Elizabeth Kaldwin, Corvo's youngest daughter, was dead.