Hello everyone,

trying my hand at a one-shot for once. Hope you enjoy and thank you for reading...


Red Fog

It had been a foggy day. White fog clouded the view outside. Red fog clouded her mind. Red. So much red. An ocean of red flooding her mind. But there was no pain. Yes, where was the pain? There had been pain last time. Last time she had felt something. Anything. Anything at all. Now there was only fog.

Slowly she opened her eyes. Still there was no pain. With grate effort she looked around the room. There was nothing left there to help her remember what had happened here. Searchingly she looked around the room again taking no notice of the faces all around her. Why wasn't he there? The last time they had been brought to her the second she had woken. And why were the women all starring at her with those empty eyes?

Joanna looked at them but none of their words ever reached her.

The last thing she remembered was the muffled sound of the great wooden door to her chambers closing behind one of the nurses.

Then everything went red again. But this time, she remembered. It came back in flashes. Flashes of light. Red light. Then there were screams. Her screams. Screams of desperation and pain. Pain that was long gone.

Yes, she had been sewing, she remembered, when the first wave of pain had hit. It was a strange pain. Different then it had been the last time. But back then, that had not worried her. Quietly she had told her lady's maid, "It is time! The baby is coming."

The pain had then grown more threatening, like a fire burning inside her. Licking at her from the inside as if to burn her entire being in its lashing flames.

And yet she had still only blinked a few times and made sure a messenger would find her lord husband at once

"He must be told not to worry, for his wife and son are and will be quite alright!"

And yet Joanna had never been so wrong, and she had no idea how much worry she was yet to cause him.

When next she opened her eyes there was only one question on her lips, "where is he?" she whispered.

"He..." a biter voice started to say. "He..." the man voice tried again. "He is alive..."

Slowly Joanna turned her head towards him. Finally her eyes met his. The eyes of the lion. The lion she had married. She has always loved his eyes. Those beautiful eyes that were now so full of pain. He was in pain. Why?

"I am so..." he could barely talk. This was indeed the first time Joanna had ever seen him like this. So lost and with no battle plan left.

And finally Joanna understood. There was no pain because she was long past pain, yet her mind had never been so clear. Never had she felt more certain about what she had to do. Her body felt light but she managed to squeeze her husband's hand all the same.

"Joanna…" he whispered looking her strait in the eye. "You can't leave me!"

"I am not leaving you." She said determined. "I will always…" her throat suddenly felt so dry. Joanna swallowed heavily. "I will always be here… for you! And some day you will join me again."

There were so many things left to say. Things she still wanted to tell him but Joanna knew she did not have the time. So with the last important words on her lips,

"I love you!"

she closed her eyes and let the fog claim her. Body and soul.