K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

Chapter Two

We all watched Nathan as he walked from the two ministers. Anna reached her hand out to him, as if to grab him by his shoulder and pull him back, but then she drew in her hand. Guy clutched Olivia by his side more tightly, and Liam, David, and Dwayne did the same to Sarah, Candace, and Anna. Dwayne pulled Anna into a hug, kissing away the tears that fell from her eyes. Eugene and I squeezed our shoulders together since we were holding our children. We could all only imagine what Nathan was going through-

Adam gazed after Nathan and looked at us all, huddled close to our loved ones. Fernidia met his eyes, standing off to the side. Michael stood alone as well and met his older brother's eyes also. They were the only three that didn't have anyone to turn to. I saw Jonathan dart to Fernidia's side and Will gently patted Michael on the back. Adam looked at the two of them, and then gazed after Nathan, who was now walking back to the palace.

We stayed there for a few minutes and I could only stare in grief as the kingdom slowly filed to the coffin meant for Azalea. Everyone who held a red poppy dropped the flower in the open coffin, and when it was my turn, I stopped breathing. My mother took Flynn from me and I walked to the coffin, feeling unsteady.

I stared at the golden casket and though the coffin was shiny with the bright color, I couldn't help but see a bit of gray blending with the gold. I gazed at it and looked down at the flower in my hand. Everyone hung back.

My long golden braid was draped down my shoulder and I pushed it back. I took one hand and gently touched the smooth skin of the golden gray coffin, remembering what Michael had said.

I was Mother Flower. I could have checked on the sun flowers, on Azalea, whenever I wanted. How could I do so? I wanted to see Azalea alive as much as anyone around me did.

I sighed quietly, the sound hidden by a rumble of thunder. No one approached me as I stood by the coffin and I was glad for it.

No one needed to see the person that many people looked up to break down. I turned and looked at the little boy between Sarah and Liam.

He looked at me, his blue-gray eyes confused and sad. Something in his face changed as he gazed at me and then he broke away from his parents. He ran to me and jumped into my arms. I held him close and gazed into his eyes.

"Where's Auntie?" He asked me.

I tried to stop the tears from budding in my eyes. How do you explain? How? What can you say?

"Father said she's gone away." Sage said quietly. He looked at me. "Is that true? Has she gone away?"

I couldn't speak and only nodded. I put Sage gently on the ground and he looked at me, his eyes somber. He held my gaze for a minute, and then wandered back to his parents. Tears landed on my cheeks, and then I turned back to the coffin.

If only I knew how to see that she was all right. If only I could know for sure that she was gone. Nathan had been right. No body, nothing to bury. He, for the pain in his heart, would rather to think her dead. But what if she was alive? What if she was still fighting?

My tears landed in the casket, landing on red petals. I dropped mine in and murmured to myself.

"Of everything that I can heal, I can't heal a broken heart."

That might have been Azalea's job. Part of her power.

Heal the broken ones.

I only patched their injuries.

She actually healed them. Took away their pain.

And now that she was gone, pain was all we had.

Nathan's Point of View

The walk to the palace exhausted him.

He sat at the Dining Hall, gazing at everyone with blind eyes. His plate sat untouched in front of him and he still felt icy drops on his cheeks. Cold trails down his face, starting from his eyes.

Everyone was very quiet and Nathan hated to think that it was because of him. Just because his life was over didn't mean that everyone else's were. His life had been Azalea. She had been the start of his life. He hadn't been lying when he told her.

Rain pelted down on Corona and Nathan pushed his plate away. A maid took it, flashing him a sympathetic look.

Anna and Alex were on Nathan's sides. Alex had taken Azalea's spot but that had been okay. Nathan kept the ring in front of him and looked down at it.

"Nathan," Eugene said to him quietly. Nathan looked up at Eugene, who he hadn't realized was sitting across from him.

"Yes?" He asked, trying to pay more attention. He could feel the grief darkening his soul. He could feel the darkness in his eyes. He could feel his face, cold and devoid of any real emotion.

"She would have been glad you came."

Nathan nodded numbly, ignoring the nudge Rapunzel gave her husband. Nathan heard the thunder rumble and his heart ached. Grief was such a maddening pain, no wonder Eugene hadn't stopped talking. He felt like he had to say something, but didn't know what words to use.

Nathan got up and left the room then and felt their eyes follow him out. He walked to the windows and pulled back the purple curtains that were made black by the gloom the clouds created. He gazed at the cottages as God wept, so his mother had said.

"I can't even stand the rain now. . ." he breathed to himself.

She takes three steps to him the third time and leans her face up to his like she was going to kiss him. Nathan leans in and then Azalea leaped away, sticking her tongue out at him.

He is frozen and instead of feeling irritated, his heart warms at the soft peals of her laughter. Icy water droplets land on their skin but hearing her laughter makes the rain feel like warm kisses.

He closed the blinds, feeling numb.

She had darted in for a kiss, and expecting one, he leaned in.

She had darted in his life, and expecting her to stay, he asked her to marry him.

And then she was gone.

He sat down on the bed, gazing at the ring once more. His hands clenched around it and his heart spasmed with pain.

Around midnight, Anna knocked on his door. He got up to open it and she met his empty green eyes. Her own eyes were vacant and she held Sebastian in his hands.

"Nathan, you need to sleep."

He didn't want to sleep. He couldn't sleep.

Why didn't anyone understand?

He had done everything with her.

Now that she was gone, he couldn't do anything.

"I can't." he said it the second time that day.

"Nathan-"

"Don't say 'for her'. Please."

Anna bit her lip and looked down at Sebastian. He was sleeping peacefully and Nathan felt pride rather than envy.

"How's Sage?"

"Miserable."

As was everyone.

"I'll try, Anna." He closed the door but Anna stopped it with her hand.

She handed him Sebastian, and they both sat down on the bed.

Nathan kissed Sebastian's head. How many times had they dreamed of children together?

Nathan Junior. Avalon Rosemary. Tanner. Iris.

He kissed Sebastian's head again, feeling his blood begin to chill.

They hadn't lost just Azalea.