A black car pulled up to an old black gate, the wind making it squeak slightly; Behind the gate stood an old Victorian mansion, built hundreds of years ago. All the windows were dark except the one which reflected the moon.
The back door of the vehicle opened and a tall man with dark eyes emerged. Leaning back through the door, he paid the driver and tipped his fedora in thanks. As he walked up the dark driveway through the gate, his long black trench coat swayed in the wind.
Approaching the old cherry wood door, he pulled from his pocket an old rusting key. The sound of the tumblers as the key turned was rivetingly loud.
With a sigh, the door was pushed opened to a gloomy, dusty foyer. The once elegant stairs on either side were bare but the red and purple faded carpet. The walls that were long ago brightly lit stood empty, all of the family portraits and ancestors gone; not even the empty frames hung gravely in their place.
Standing in front of the door, the silence ripped into him. Frustrated he threw his briefcase at the wall where the mirror was once been before stalking through the doorway to his right into the fully furnished bedroom.
Taking his hat off, he set it on the dresser and moved toward the bed. The familiar mattress sank under his weight when he sat on it. Dropping his head into his hands he focused solely on keeping his breathing steady.
Sometime later the man stood and left the room, leaving his coat on the bed. His white collard dress shirt and deep red vest clung to his muscular body as he made his way through the dark house to an even darker kitchen.
The slate counter was covered in dust and appeared unused. The table by the inset window was surprisingly cleaner than anything else in the house. On it, a candle melted down to the base. The hardened wax spread down the side of the candle holder and across a portion of the table. She had left it hoping he would find it still lit. Melted wax had dripped down onto a folded piece of paper with his father's insignia on it. Carefully he lifted it from the table, and peeling the wax from the corner it fell open.
Her beautiful scrawl filled the page
~My Dearest Gotti,By the time you read this, I will have been long gone. My father has passed and I have left to take the throne. Never seeing you, never having you near has been killing me, but its time to move on. You deserve someone who can go with you, who can stay with you. Please understand, our destinies just aren't supposed to be intertwined. My calling is now my kingdom in which you will never find, nor will you ever look for. Do not come looking for me, you are not welcome where I am or where I am going and my people know that. You have eternity ahead of you and you will find someone to spend it with; it's just not me.~
The note was signed with a kingdom seal followed by her signature.
~P.S. Your brother is looking for you, don't stay long and please leave the lights off. Take care and find a good new life, I wish the best for you~
With a sigh he folded the letter. Instantly it burned to ashes leaving nothing but his name and crest in his hand. Her father's insignia fell to the floor, a perfect circle. When it touched the hard wood, it turned to ash as well. "Kyla…" As soon as the name left his lips it was already becoming a memory, lost with the time. The last of trace of her gone… there was no choice but to move on.