Never Let You Down
Prologue
A/N: And here's the sequel to With Each Passing Day! I've had this chapter finished for quite some time (nearly three weeks possibly?), but I think I finally have it how I want it to be. So hopefully everyone'll enjoy it!
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He stood there helplessly as he watched these events unfold. The axe fell, crashing the skull and sending blood spurting from the head. The Brand disappeared and with it, his daughter's life slipped away.
He watched the dagger his wife held move towards her throat. It moved down her skin, leaving a trail of blood behind. He was too late. He was always too late to do anything. The woman fell to the ground, lifeless.
--
Soren shot up in his bed, dripping with sweat. Turning his head, he sighed. Lucia was still there, sleeping on her side as contently as he could have imagined. It was just a dream... It was always just a nightmare. She wasn't going anywhere...
He took a lock of her hair in his hand and twirled it around his fingers. She twitched slightly, mumbling something he couldn't quite make out, though he could nearly swear that it had been something to the effect of Caelan.
He sighed, dropping her hair and lying back down. It was only natural that she hadn't gotten over that. Ever since they moved back here, ever since that incident in the Grann Desert, that had been all she thought about.
To be honest, he thought about it too...maybe even more than she did. But he had to be strong for her, no matter how weak she always was. Perhaps they wouldn't get past this, but all he ever hoped for was that they would.
He shut his eyes once more, hoping to drift back into sleep, but instead he was met by another dream. This one less violent, but nonetheless painful for him...
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He knelt down on the ground before what was once their family's home. The small little cottage was now only a mound of dirt and ash. When the invasion happened, all homes had been burnt to the ground; many people went along with them.
His family was lucky enough to make it out, but instead of some fairytale ending, they received only cruel treatment. He had been captured and thrown into a damp and dark cell. His wife and daughter were on the run, but they had been caught. They were released, but their daughter was taken from them and later found dead. Their ending was anything from happy.
As the mage sat there, he wondered why any of this even happened. Those who saw Brandeds as monsters had ruined lives, not only for the race themselves, but for all the beorc and laguz of Tellius as well. No one was left unaffected by their acts.
Soren scooped up some sand from the desert floor, allowing it to sift through his fingers and blow with the wind. Neither of them had wanted to go back to that place, but there they were, standing in the blazing sun and staring at what once was somewhere safe for all--a place where Brandeds, beorc, and laguz could live in peace. But now the land was a mere ruin, filled with thieves and criminals. The only memories are those of what could have been.
The man turned around to find his wife standing there, tears streaming down her face. He sighed as he patted the ground next to him and she took a seat, leaning against his shoulder.
"Lucia..." his whisper was barely audible.
She sobbed, "S-Soren, I can't...I can't stay here."
Repositioning her so that her head now rested in his lap, the raven-haired sage frowned and began running his fingers through her hair.
"You'll change your mind. Pretty soon everyone will begin rebuilding their houses and it won't be this lonely."
He had tried to sound as reassuring as possible, but he knew she wouldn't buy it.
"Without Kiana I'll always be lonely."
"Sweetheart, you still have me."
"I-I know that, but it isn't the same. You're always too lost in your spell books to even talk to me. You always act as if I'm bugging you if I ask you to spend any time with me. Before we had Kiana, I thought that I would go insane..."
Quickly, he wiped away the tears that had been forming in his eyes. He couldn't let her see him like that, and yet, he never knew how unhappy she was with the life she lived. He figured that she liked having time to herself to do as she pleased, but he guessed he was wrong this whole time.
"My studies aren't as important as you are...I can spend more time with you, if that's what you want."
"It's not just about that, Soren! I don't want you to be unhappy about it, I want you to actually enjoy my company!"
"I do enjoy your company."
She got up and walked a little ways away from him.
"You sure don't act like it."
Her husband got up and viciously kicked the ground, sending sand everywhere.
Why couldn't she understand that I was trying to help her? What did she want from me? What did she expect me to do? I couldn't...
His thoughts were interrupted when she spoke, her back still facing him, azure hair and violet cape blowing in the light breeze.
"Soren, I want to go back to Crimea."
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This time the scene had been real. This was something that had once happened before--the reason they were here now. He had figured that she would be better off here, near her brother and the queen, all of her old friends...taking care of her younger sisters. But he should have known that it wouldn't take her memories away. Nothing would replace Kiana in her heart...
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A/N: Eh, it's short, but it's the prologue. But...I'm pretty excited about this one. It should be better written than the two before it, but who knows. Also, I'll be putting some more info/my plans for this one up on my profile soon, so...look at it if you're interested? And yes, Lucia kept her "My Destiny" countess look instead of her RD look. Okay, well, that's it!