A/N: Thank you RogoExpress, I really do appreciate you reviewing *hugs* you gave me a little boost of confidents to continue this story.

Didyme had a hard time believing it was her father who lay in the king's bed, his hands neatly folded over his chest making him appear to be peacefully asleep but in truth he looked like a different man, much more fragile and older than he usually looked like.

Didyme was relieved to see his chest expanding now and then with every breath he took. His eyes where dull and empty when he looked at her as she entered the room, he stretched out his hand to Didyme and she leaped to him taking his hand in her own. He tried to say something but no words came out of his mouth only small gasps. Seeing her father like that felt like someone tearing her heart out of her chest.

"Don't leave me please, Father, please." She pleaded between gasps. Her father shook his head and tried to say something but nothing came out of his mouth.

Even knowing she didn't understand what he tried to say she knew he would have wanted her to stay strong, so she wiped away her tears and turned around just as the door opened and Aro, followed by Althalos walked in. Before Didyme could stop herself she dropped her father's hand and pushed Althalos against the wall, pinning herself against him.

"How dare you show your face here after what you have done to my father? How dare you!" she growled, she could feel her anger building up in her.

"Didyme, stop this at once!" She heard Alator demand.

"Didyme, you have no right to accuse him," she heard Aro's voice behind her. She spun around and clenched her fist to avoid herself from clawing his eyes out.

"I don't see him denying it!" Didyme pointed out and Aro stepped forward, he placed his hands on her shoulder and talked in a calm voice.

"Didyme, Lord Althalos came here to pay his respect to our father. You are humiliating both him and Father," Aro said and Didyme grew angrier and angrier with every word he said. Althalos stepped forward and cleared his throat "It's alright, Aaron. I know Didyme is in a state of shock, honestly I would be too if I stood next to my father's death bed." He said his voice not showing a hint of sympathy.

Didyme ignored his statement and returned her attention back to her father who watched them the whole time. She knew for a fact Althalos was behind this, who else would want murder her father? Besides she overheard Althalos and Aro talking about the throne, if her father dies that means Arden will become king and she had no doubt that he wouldn't hold onto that title long because he too will meet the same fate that her father will soon meet... death.

After what felt like hours of sitting in silence. Rowan, the physician, joined them and gave her father an elixir that would help him sleep despite all his pain. He assured Didyme that her father might survive the night, her father once said the exact same words to her when she was younger, only that time it was for an injured bird.

…...

"Come in," Didyme answered to a knocking on her door.

The door opened and a smile grew on her lips when she saw her father in the doorway. He seemed to be holding something fragile in his hands but Didyme could only see a slight movement. She carefully walked closer and peeked into her father's hands. A snow white bird laid on its back in her father's palms, with stiff legs in the air. The bird could easily mistake for dead except for its frightening black eyes blinking up, and its beak that opened and closed rapidly for air. She reached out to stroke the bird's snow white feathers, the birds eyes closed to show it's pleasure. That's when Didyme noticed a red liquid form like a perfect red pearl in the middle of its chest.

"What's wrong with it?" Didyme asked her father.

"I don't know, but I figured I might capture her before any cats do." Her father said with a small smile.

"Her? How do you know it's a female?" She asked with a frown

"Well, she reminds me of you. She's so pure and peace full," her father said and handed the bird to Didyme, the bird looked much bigger in her small hands.

"Then I will call her Beatrice, " Didyme said and her father expression grew sadder when he heard the name of his wife.

"Just don't get to attached Didyme, she probably won't make it through the night, she won't eat anything." Her father warned her but Didyme shook her head.

"I won't let her die, there's a reason you found her so that she could live," Didyme said with a smile that could melt her father's heart.

Didyme didn't even consider the option to take the bird to Rowan, since the old man was frightened to death of birds and would always scream like a little girl each time one got to close to him.

Marianne wasn't thrilled with the idea of a bird sharing Didyme's bed. She called the animal "filthy" and was concerned about the deadly diseases it might carry. But Didyme didn't care, the only fear she had was that she might roll over the bird in her sleep.

Didyme stayed up the whole night to look after the injured bird, she would feed her water drops from her fingers every now and then and she kept the bird close to her chest because somehow her heartbeat kept the bird calm.

The next morning Didyme was overwhelmed to see the bird blinking up at her, from thereon the bird only grew stronger and stronger until Didyme finally had to set it free.

She couldn't help but burst into tears as she saw the beautiful dove fly off into the blue sky. Her father wiped away her tears and said the following words that she will never forget

"A loss leaves a heartache no one can heal but love leaves a memory no one can steal."

…

She could only hope that Rowan would heal her father like she healed that bird, and that her father would also make it through the night, then she was certain that he will grow stronger and stronger just like the bird did. When everyone left Didyme curled up next to father, just like when she was younger. She would usually sneak up to her father's bedroom when she had trouble sleeping and would crawl soundless into his bed and fall asleep.

Didyme was woken by a single ray of sunlight peeking through the window. She sat up and rubbed her eyes with balled fist and suddenly remembered about her father. She glanced over to where her father's body laid, somewhere through the night death must have come and collected his soul.

A/N: Right after I wrote this chapter we actually did find an injured bird, but unlike the one in my chapter it passed away this morning R.I.P little guy :( Stay with me dear readers I promise there will be more action in future chapters.