Disclaimer: I do not own the Underland Chronicles or its characters. I'm just playing with them.
Luxa stared at the rock that would forever separate the Overland from the Underland. The rock that would forever separate her from Gregor. The rock that would forever separate her from the love of her twelve year-old life. She sighed and turned her back on it, for fear that she would start to cry. She walked as regally as she could down the stairs until she found Aurora, Nike, and Ripred.
"Come on, Your Highness," Ripred said not unkindly. "He had to go. Surely you understand that?" Luxa merely nodded. She mounted Aurora and said nothing all the way back to Regalia. Ripred, who was riding on Nike, studied his new bond. Luxa either didn't notice or didn't care. Ripred took a deep, calculating sniff and shook his head. "She'll never stop thinking about him," he thought. "Then again, no one in the Underland ever will."
The fliers came to a halt as they flew into the palace. Ignoring the guards who immediately came to her side, Luxa made her way to the Hospital. She had to see Vikus. Perhaps he could make her feel better, even if he couldn't speak. She was halfway there when she remembered the guards. She didn't want them listening to everything she said her grandfather.
"I wish to be alone," Luxa said to her guards. After a moment's hesitation, they left her. Luxa made her way through the rest of the palace to the Hospital. She found her grandfather sitting up in his hospital bed.
"Hello, Vikus," she said. For the first time, she sounded sad. Apparently Vikus had caught the sadness in her voice because his good eye looked at her quizzically, as if he was asking her what was wrong. Luxa must have understood.
"I just feel like the weight of the world is on my heart," she said. She sounded dangerously close to tears. She pushed her hair out of her eyes and continued. "I mean, I know Gregor will miss me, but it's just so hard." Luxa stared at her grandfather. He had been through so much. He'd lost his daughter, son, and wife. And yet there was always so much pressure on him. Luxa was sure that as soon as he recovered from his stroke, Vikus would have some other thing to sort out. Would she be like that? She was responsible for Regalia, after all.
Realizing that she had nothing left to say, Luxa gave Vikus' hand a quick squeeze and left the hospital. There was one more thing she had to do before she retired to her quarters.
Luxa walked towards the wooden doors. The only wooden object in the whole palace, and possibly Regalia. She stopped for a moment, just to run her fingers over the natural pattern of the wood. Luxa took a deep breath and entered the room.
Luxa stood still for a moment, allowing her eyes to grow accustomed to the dim light. Thankfully Nerissa wasn't there. Lately she'd had an annoying habit of coming in here and reading the Peacemaker over and over again for hours at a time, and Luxa needed to be alone for just a moment.
She walked over to the prophecy that had haunted her for months. "Possibly Sandwich's most devastating prophecy," Luxa thought. She stared at the Prophecy of Time, allowing the words to overcome her senses. Its meaning was no longer important. What was important was the impact that it had had on her life. Gregor wasn't dead, but he was out of her life possibly forever. The Bane was dead, and there was peace between the gnawers and humans. And yet…
A year ago, there had been a great void that Luxa hadn't been able to explain. At the time, she had ignored it and continued to be the brat she was. Then Gregor had come, and the void had been filled. Now that he was gone from her life, again, Luxa felt like it would never be filled. As queen, she would be expected to get married and have an heir, but knowing that her future consort wasn't Gregor was a torture that would haunt her to her dying day.
"I love you, Gregor," Luxa said quietly. She sat down on the prophecy-engraved floor. She hadn't been aware that she was tired, but after about an hour, Luxa's head drooped onto her shoulder. It wasn't long before Regalia's young queen was fast asleep.
Not more than half an hour later, Ripred came in. He had been looking for Luxa to ask her when dinner was. When he saw the young girl asleep on the floor before the Prophecy of Time, he felt a stab of pity. He knew what it was like to lose someone you love, though he wasn't a twelve year-old when he lost his mate and pups.
"Luxa," he whispered, "do not forget Gregor. And to not remember him as the warrior. Remember him as someone you loved." And with that, the gnawer left his bond asleep on the cold stone floor, dreaming of Gregor, the Overlander.