I would like to thank my wonderful beta C.McPherson for everything she's done so far!!! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own either the Tamora Pierce characters or Josh Groban's songs. I just enjoy playing with them.
Prologue
"Alanna, you have to let me go. It's my time, sweetheart." Alanna was sitting beside her husband's bedside, her eyes sparkled with tears. Jonathan was still as handsome at sixty-four as he had been as a young man, though his hair was now white, and his face lined.
"But what about the children?" Jonathan chuckled, but his laughter dissipated into a coughing fit. Alanna reached out quickly, a glass of water held in her withered hand. She helped her aged husband to sit up and take a drink.
"You're still the healer you were when you were eleven," the King said softly, as he settled back against the fluffy, white, goose-down pillows. He caressed his wife's lined face gently. "The children are hardly children anymore, love. They have their own children to worry about. They will be fine. Roald is more than ready to take over as monarch in my stead. There's nothing to worry about." His voice faded as he reached the end of his speech. He closed his eyes tiredly.
"Should I leave you to rest, my love?" She stood, preparing to go, should her husband wish her to. He clutched weakly at her wrist, and she leaned down to kiss his forehead.
"Stay. Stay with me, please. I will rest better with you here, darling."
"I'll stay." Alanna promised
Minutes passed, and lengthened into hours as the elderly King rested. It was clear to Alanna that Jonathan was on the verge of death, and it was also clear that he would not fight the Black God's arrival. His breathing became labored as his heart slowed. Alanna stretched her hand and magic out to bolster the old man's heart, but Jonathan pushed her hand away, opening his brilliantly blue eyes to look at her one last time.
"No, dear heart. It is time. I love you, Alanna, always." Alanna leaned down to kiss him one last time as his breath faded into nothing.
His last words rang in her ears as she smoothed his blankets tenderly before running out into the storm-tossed Rose Garden, tears streaming freely down her face.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this. I'm sorry that this chapter is so short, next one will be longer, I promise. Yes, I realize that this chapter has no lyrics or anything, but they will come in later. Tell me what you thought in a reveiw!!! Thanks so much for reading my humble work.