"Mom, what was dad like?"
Zhalia stilled from where she was seated on the armchair, her petite hands gripping the spine of the book tighter than necessary out of pure reflex.
Her expression gave nothing away and her eyes were blank as her daughters voice echoed through the spacious living room of their home, breaking through the former silence.
She had known that this day would come sooner or later, that she would ask this question some day and yet, no matter how much she mentally prepared herself for the question nothing, not even time could have prepared her for the sharp, hot pang that pierced her already broken heart even further.
Zhalia lifted her gaze until it rested on the girl that was standing in front of her, hazel orbs taking a moment to analyze her daughters features.
She was the spitting image of her father. Her long, straight auburn hair reached her lower back and her bright amber eyes were burning with a fire that never died out, a fire that painfully reminded her of her beloved.
The young woman in front of her was already following in their footsteps at the age of seventeen. She was one of the best, as to be expected from the child of the Foundations very best two seekers, and loved every part of being a seeker, the good and the bad.
It's been seventeen years. Seventeen long years ever since she was born, seventeen long years ever since he had left them and with that, took her heart and very soul with her.
"Your father was a very respected man." She began, not quite knowing where to start as her eyes softened, images flashing in her mind at a speed that made her feel nauseous.
"He was selfless,"
Pain hit her as her body collided harshly with the rocky ground beneath her and a sharp hiss escaped her lips. All air left her lungs in a whoosh, her head was spinning due to the collision and her entire body ached out of exhaustion and pain.
The titan had hit her with full force and sent her flying a couple of meters back and whereas it wasn't something that didn't happen before, it was painful nonetheless.
It hurt to breathe and even more so to move and for a moment, she thought that this was it. This was the day that she would die.
She soon felt the aura of the large and bulky titan growing closer and tried to move out of harms way and yet, it was in vain.
A loud roar cut through the hot air of the desert and Zhalia clenched her eyes shut,her heart heavy in her chest as she prepared herself for the final blow.
"No!" The yell ripped her out of her musings and as soon as the desperate cry reached her ears, Zhalia's eyes flew open wide in both shock and panic.
She would recognize his voice everywhere.
She mustered up all of her remaining strength to turn her head aside, just in time to see that Dante was shielding her body with his own.
"-brave,"
She watched how Dante was facing the army of Blood Spirals with his trademark smirk on his lips and knew that he would not give up until the war was over.
Even though he was clearly outnumbered, the fire in his eyes was burning as bright as ever and even though he was facing death right in the eye, she knew that he would refuse to let it win.
"-loyal,"
Even at deaths door, he still worried about Metz's health. Dante has done everything in his powers to find a cure for Metz's curse, risked his life more than once and yet, would not give in until he would find the cure.
"-kind,"
Zhalia was standing in front of him with his yellow coat draped over her wet shoulders, her eyes steadily fixed on his. She had never seen them so clear, the emotions that he usually tried to hide so hard from the world and yet here he was, revealing them all to her.
There was relief, concern, love and forgiveness all in one and that was when she realized that Dante Vale was indeed one of the kindest human being existing.
"- and the most loving husband that one could wish for."
It pained her to speak of him, to talk about him and to even think of him. They said that the pain fades in time and yet, every day that followed the day of his death was killing her. Whenever she couldn't fall asleep at night she could feel his warm presence next to her in the big, cold and spacious bed that they once upon a time used to share, hear his voice whenever she was only half-asleep and see him out of the corner of the eye wherever she went.
It was because of her that he died, and she would always have to live with the guilt and the pain. As soon as their daughter was born they got attacked by rogues who wanted the child of the most powerful seekers for themselves and if Dante wouldn't have jumped in front of her and the small infant in that fateful night, it would have been her that would have died.
She wouldn't have minded though, because she deserved it after everything that had happened.
She knew that he wouldn't want to see her like this, that he would be disappointed and wanted her to be happy but with his death, her heart died as well.
Sophie and the others visited her as often as they could, Metz was trying his best to stay in touch and Montehue dropped by every now and then as well and yet, it wasn't the same without him.
"I loved him." She whispered in a rueful whisper as she lowered her gaze. It hurt her to think of it, it pained her to admit it and it killed her to say it out aloud.
"And he died to protect me."
A/N: That was the most random one-shot I have ever written. It kinda just happened, but I hope that you liked it!
All the love,
Sara.