Chapter 1

Two years, maybe even three, years ago there was a young teenage girl in between her years of her sixteenth and seventeenth year before something, something amazing, happened to her. The place she had been living in before that was somewhere dangerous where you never knew whom was going to do what to someone else next. At one moment the person they trusted the most could be standing next to them smiling and the next they would be gone never to be seen ever again. This young teenage girl lost her best and only friend in such a way. But that wasn't the amazing thing. The amazing thing was when she had finally escaped the castle on the night she was supposed to be killed she was rescued by her own power. During the fight where the duo of people had attempted to kill her that woman had become confused mistaking her own power for someone else's-

And fell in love with him.

A short time after that the two had fought where the woman had wound up in a coma with the man she loved at her side. The man sat there fingers interlaced with each other as he sat in a chair within the hospital room. Black suit on his back and a tie that she had always said was her favorite color, it matched him well as he sat there. It had been several months since he had actually talked to her. It had months since he had given himself the right to look at her face. "She'll wake up soon." Sting muttered, he hadn't even noticed him entering the room as he placed a hand upon Rogue's shoulder. As he shook his head. "Sting...I think this is what fear is...I'll wait and wait and wait, then it'll be just like my mother's...I'll wake up to someone telling me that she perished. I can't leave here." Rogue whispered. "She'll wake up. You come here everyday and talk to her all day long. I'm sure she can hear your pleas." He said as Rogue glanced towards his crossed fingers once again. "She's got the best medical mage in the country, Artemis, you can't doubt that." Sting said as his only reply was a nod. "Come on you need to get out of here, just for a little bit at least. How about you come with my fiance Artemis and I?" Sting whispered attempting to persuade him. "I won't leave her, she is my responsibility, this is my fault." Rogue said as Sting sighed getting up and walking out. "Make sure to remember to sleep." Sting sighed shutting the door behind him. "Sting." Rogue called. Sting paused looking back towards him. "When she wakes up. I'm going to ask her to marry me once again." Sting gave a slight smile of encouragement and than hurried out.

"How is he?" Artemis asked folding a letter within her hands. "He's still talking less than usual, and that's saying something." Sting instructed as Artemis nodded glancing within the room. "Is there anything you need me to take to the queen today?" Totomaru asked he had been staying around for a while on two pretexts. The first one being it was for Celestine's well being when she finally woke up. The second? He was bringing letters on Celestine's well being personally back and forth to Celestine's mother. Therefore his factor into the equation eliminated the reason for worry about interception of the letters that would cause her mother to worry and possibly cause an all out war. "She's going to wake up." Sting nodded reassuring everyone's lost faces. Everyone nodded in reply as they continued walking down the hallway towards the carriages and Yukino's place to form their separate ways for the day.

Further down the hall Rogue still sat in the room waiting for Celestine to wake up eyes dimmed as the memories of his mother and the event played over once again while waiting, hoping, for her to wake up from her comma. He couldn't go threw this all over again. "I'm sorry.." He whispered head down towards his hands as he attempted to figure out how to properly solve an issue that he couldn't with his own two hands.

"You're silly." came a small smile, her lips slightly parted. As she looked at him. Only him. "Celestine?" He whispered glancing at her as she smiled at him not a hint of resentment flowing through her eyes. His eyes had looked as if they were eyes of a puppy waiting for an answer or their favorite treat. Such an honest look that was completely unlike him. A look followed by another strange unusual look for him one of joy as he apologized mummering how it was his fault. The details of everything else were unimportant for several months had already passed.

I glanced around the castle watching it get back in order towards my return. My mother had already visited and promised to take care and keep the castle until I was older and would either have to decide between inheriting the castle or handing it over to it's rightful owner. The rightful owner, my cousin Artemis, the one who wound up engaged to Sting the light prince of Saber Tooth. I sighed glancing around as footsteps echoed behind me. "Let's walk." Was all the words that were said, even though it was a command I knew the compassion and hoping that was hidden behind those two words as I turned to Prince Ryos.

"Morning." I smiled towards him as we walked towards the main hallway. "Are we heading towards the main room?" I asked as he nodded. "I haven't seen your father in forever. How is King Weisslogia doing? Hey did you know that Artemis and Sting are getting married soon?" I asked a bunch of questions pouring out at the same time. There was so many things that I had wondered why could I sleep threw all of these different changes to my own life that even I didn't know about. There was a pause in his speech. "Yes, I knew." He nodded as we continued to walk. "There's still a lot of questions I never got to answer." I explained as he nodded. "And I will help you answer all of those questions." He murmured in reply as I nodded reaching to open the door once again. A door I hadn't opened in a long time. I paused. Taking a breath in as I glanced at him. It was time I was finally going to ask him. I needed his help.

"Even the one about where my mother murdered my father?"

Author's other thoughts at the moment:

Chains of disheartenment -Metaphorical Chains sequel?