Here without youletters Chapter 1, a song of the lioness fanfic

A hundred days had made me older
since the last time that I've saw your pretty face

Cleon stared out at the dreary scene from his carriage window. Thoughts of his wedding and betrothed should've been in his thoughts, but all he could think of was Kel.

A thousand lights had made me colder and I don't think I can look at this the same

Their parting had been harsh and how he now realized what a complete fool he had been.

But all the miles that separate
They disappear now when I'm dreaming of your face

He was miles away from Kel, traveling to some distant corner of Tortal to marry a silly court lady.

I'm here without you baby
but your still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby
and I dream about you all the time
I'm here without you baby
but your still with me in my dreams
And tonight it's only you and me

Tears fell down his cheeks mirroring the rain outside as he realized the only way he would ever see Kel again would be in his dreams.

"Where are you Kel?"

He whispered to himself in the desolate carriage. He let out a sob of agony as he thought about Kel in battles without him by her side. Salty water dripped off his hands as they held his head. He kicked the opposite seat and punched a dent in the wall with his cold fist.

The miles just keep rollin
as the people either way to say hello
I've heard this life is overrated
but I hope that it gets better as we go

His carriage slowed to a stop in this alien place to now be his home. People peered from across the street and he got out warily. Cleon spotted his mother and waved at her as well as some people from the streets.

He set his trunks down in his new home and room. Cleon flopped onto the bed and cried out to the blank ceiling.He pounded the bed and tried to forget the girl who now haunted his thoughts.

Everything I know,
and anywhere I go
it gets hard but it won't take away my love
And when the last one falls,
when it's all said and done
it gets hard but it won't take away my love

It was still overcast and drizzly when he set out the next day to explore this new town. Everything seemed so hard now and the only thing that kept his head above the surface was Kel. He knew she didn't love him, anymore. Although just the thought of how her emotions sometimes slipped through that wall and the way she smiled to herself when she thought nobody was looking made him reel. Nothing would take away his love, not his mother or his new wife. Nothing.

He came back and found a letter addressed to him from Kel. He let out a strangled cry and tore the soft creamy envelope open as he sank to the floor. On the white paper scrawled in small, neat handwriting were her words:

Dear Cleon,

Friends?

That was all it said, but it was more than one thousand words to him. Friends! He let out a sob and rubbed the letter to his face and tried to stain his skin with Kel and her scent. Friends! He wrote a reply and hoped she would get it before she was called out to battle. It said:

Dear Kel,

Yes, friends. I think right now friends is good, excellent. Its not like I could do anything, not with my situation and all.

I'm so glad that you wrote, I've been so lonely and I know I shouldn't be emptying my heart to you…

He was ashamed to discover that when he re-read the letter some parts were smudged or wet from where he had started to cry.

And I know I shouldn't have done what I did but I can't change anything now and I think friends is best. Please write back.

Love your friend Cleon.

It hurt to lie to Kel about being friends, but its what she wanted and that was most important. He also thought that this was the only way he would be able to keep in touch with Kel. He sighed and placed the letter on his desk ready to send the next day. That night was the only night Cleon had slept in a week.