8

Guilt

"Oh Lucian, what am I going to do? She wont want to talk to me, and I wont be able to find her. I feel horrible." I had hurt my baby girl, my own flesh and blood and now Sky hates me, I am a terrible mother.

Lucian sighed. "Look, I think she will get over it, you might just have to leave her to her thoughts for a few days, until she has gotten a hold of her self." Lucian had changed a lot since high school; he was more formal now and acted like he had no life in him. Even though his eyes were the same as I remembered them. Still beautiful grey, still full of life, I felt like I could get lost in them. I sighed, I felt so angry and frustrated.

"Fine, okay, I will leave her alone until she comes to me, happy?" I didn't know why I was angry at Lucian, he was being so helpful, and yet even I could hear the acid in my voice. Lucian didn't even wince; he just stood there, unfazed by the whole thing, but why should he be? After all it wasn't him that hurt his daughter. But that just made me angrier.

"Yes, I think that is a very good idea. Believe me, it will work out." Lucian sounded so sure of himself. There was a loud knock at the huge double doors.

"Enter." Lucian called, the doors opened just a fraction, and my heart raced, hoping that it was Sky, to my great disappointment it was Lucian's messenger.

"Come forth, Tom." Lucian said, in a voice so full of authority even I would have done what he said. Tom was about 4 ft tall, and chubby, his cleanly shaved head matched his outfit, which was like a Jokers outfit really. He came to the Kings feet and knelt on one knee before saying:

"My Lord, I bring an important message from the king of The Shattered Lands." Tom bowed even lower, and Lucian gracefully slipped the envelope into his fingers, before waving his messenger away with a flick of his wrist.

"Thank you Tom, you may go now."

"Yes my Lord." Tom stood and bowed before turning to the doors again, shutting them without a sound. Lucian opened the envelope in one smooth move, and read it quickly before handing the letter to me:

My dear Lucian,

It has been a long time brother, but I must get to the point strait away, there has been an attack on my Kingdom, as you know we have the strongest army, but it was not enough, they wiped more then half of my army out. Leaving my people almost defence less, we do not know what it was that attacked us, but next time they strike they will take out my entire army, leaving us with no hope, I have started evacuating the women and children, and any man from 15 onwards have stayed behind to help our defences, but it will not last long, I am in need of great help brother, I need reinforcements as soon as possible, and I am calling on you to help us, please give us your aid and help our men, or The Shattered Lands will surly fall. Along with the rest of Dion.

Yours truly,

Giddion.

I handed back the letter to Lucian, and went to find a seat. My head fell in my hands, and I let out a raged breath. I was dizzy, those people needed help, and they needed it right now. I looked at Lucian; he was staring at the floor lost in thought.

"You are going to help them, right?"

"Yes, yes I will help them, I must help them, he is my brother, I cannot abandon him." His eyes were full of worry and sincerity. I nodded, I was determined to do my part.

"What can I do to help?" Lucian looked surprised by my farwardness, then angry, then sad, then defeated all in one expression. I couldn't figure him out, not yet. He sighed deep, I never noticed how tired he looked, he had black circles under his eyes, and he just looked warn down altogether. He looked me in the eyes before speaking.

"If you really want to help, then fined your daughter, and bring her to me." His expression was unreadable.

"But I thought you said to-,"

"I know what I said, but we will be needing her help, she has powers she does not know about yet, I can help her control them, work them, use them to her, and our advantage, but it will require a lot of work, extended training, hours, but I believe she will be able to do it, as the prophesy says." Lucian sounded so sure of him self, and I did trust him, with my life, but this was my daughter he was talking about, and he was talking about sacralising her life for this world, so that he and his brothers kingdoms might still stand another day, and no matter how much I hurt Sky, I was about to let him use her like a puppet.

" No."

"What?" Lucians eyes boldge out of his sockets.

"I'm not going to let you use my daughter, so you and your riches can sleep in peace, she is not going to die for this world Lucian, she was not borne here, she doesn't have to do anything, for you or for this world, and you cannot make her." I was starting to shout now, letting all my anger out on a man that deep down, I knew I still loved, but he deserved it, after what he did to me.

"You're right, she was not borne here but you were, and if you really care for this world, then you will do everything you can to defend it, no matter what the cost." He had me, and he knew it, one thing my father always taught me, always defend your country, not matter how high the price, but still this was my daughter, and I was not going to give up that easily.

"No." I said again, still with no feeling in my voice.

"Fine, but if she does not learn, and does not help us, you and your daughter will perish along with the rest of this world, because you know you can never return." And that was it, that was the simple truth, she would die if she didn't help, that was a fact. But if she did help she would survive, I knew that she would, as the prophesy says, but the even the prophesy could get it wrong sometimes, but what choice did I have? We would be here from now on, and if we were going to live in this world, I knew she had to help, how ever much I loathed the idea of it.

"Fine, okay, you win, I will try to find her, and bring her to you, but if you try and make her do anything she doesn't want to do-,"

"If you hurry up and get her I wont, oh, and try my son's room." I stared at him.

"You mean to say that-, that the prophesy has already taken place between them?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Lucian smiled, a devilish smile, one that I hadn't seen for years, and I didn't realised how much I missed. I sighed and turned to the huge double doors, one of the guards opened them for me, I went down the corridor, thinking about what I was going to say to Sky, I sighed, this was not going to be easy.