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Chapter 37
Pucks POV
Puck thought that time had stopped.
At least it felt like that to him. He looked at Moth beneath him, at the life that left her eyes. His dagger buried buried in her chest, his hand still wrapped tightly around it, unwilling to let go.
This is it, he thought, everything he had worked for had come to this moment. And now it was over. And yet, he didn't feel as happy as he had hoped. He should be jumping for joy, he should be celebrating.
But nothing felt right.
Sure Moth was dead, but in the big picture, she was just one piece. For all he knew, everyone outside the door was dead. His soldiers, his brother, Daphne,… Sabrina.
Everyone.
And all he managed to do was kill one little faerie. No, he couldn't start celebrating now.
There was a squeak and the door opened. In a flash, Puck had yanked the dagger from Moth's body and was poised to fight anyone entering the room.
"Sir," the first solider entered and then another and then another.
"Thank God you're alive," one of them said. T
Puck dropped his weapon to his side. "Soldiers, what does it look like out there?"
"We have won, sir. Everyone is waiting outside for your orders." Puck looked at the man in surprise.
"We have won?"
"Yes, sir," he replied. "What is it—"
Puck never had a chance to hear what the soldier was about to say, for he pushed past him and into the hallway. Then he was running, running as fast as his legs would take him, until he was no longer running, but flying.
His wings pushed him down the hallway, and past soldiers, who practically fell to get out of his way. Puck pushed his way to the front and out the front doors of the building, onto the courtyard.
He first noticed the bodies, they littered the floor. If Puck had dared looked for much longer, he could have spent hours staring at each of the faces, some of them enemies, but all people who fought in a pointless war. He refused to think of it and flew to where he had left Mustardseed and Daphne.
He found them huddled together by themselves. He set himself down on the ground and ran to them at a quick pace.
"Thank everything you're alive," he said when he reached them. He went to give Daphne a hug, but was met with a slap across the face.
He stumbled backwards from the force. "What was that for?" he asked.
"Daphne!" Mustardseed cried.
"What?" she replied, turning to glare at him. "Are you going to arrest me as well?" Puck squinted between them. There was something he was missing, but he couldn't be bothered to comprehend it. There was something far more important than that.
"How could you have not told me about Sabrina?" Daphne accused him.
"You told her?" Puck turned to Mustardseed in annoyance.
"I had too," he said in a calm demeanour.
"That is my sister. I love her just as much as you do. You should have told me she was in trouble!"
Puck turned too Daphne. "I know and I'm sorry, but we must find her."
"Way ahead of you," she almost snarled at Puck. "I managed to find the general direction where she is, I'm going there now."
"I'm going too."
"You can't," Mustardseed said. "The war has just been ended, you have people who are upset and need some sort of order."
"I have to get to Sabrina."
"You cannot leave your people, many of them have had people that died. If you do not show them that you are here for them as their ruler, you could have a rebellion."
"Sabrina is more important."
"The people need their king."
"And I need Sabrina." Puck looked into Mustardseed's eyes. This was something he had started to wonder about for a while. "I'm sorry, I am not the king you wished for me to be and I'm certainly not the king father wished for me to be."
"Father? What does he have anything to do with this?"
"A good king has to put his people before anything else and I cannot do that. As long as I live, Sabrina will always come first, so I will never be the right king."
"What are you talking about Puck? Listen to yourself."
Puck smiled at him sadly. "You always wanted me to grow up, well I am. Here is the most grown up decision I'll ever make. I don't deserve the thrown, you do. You know it and everyone else does. And now you have it."
"I don't understand," Mustardseed sputtered, for once lost to words.
"Yes, you do. Now let's save Sabrina."
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬Time Skip¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
Daphne's POV
Daphne glanced through the infirmary window, peering until her eyes landed on the bed of Sabrina Grimm and the young boy perched on the chair beside her. She watched as the boy carefully stroked her face, placing a lock of hair behind her ear.
Daphne was too far away to hear, but she could make out Puck's lips moving. He often spoke to her, she had noticed, though there was never a response. Puck didn't seem to care about receiving a reply, or if he did, he hid it well.
It had been a week since Daphne and Puck had found Sabrina. Daphne had seen Sabrina a few times, but Puck had been with her every single minute since. He had been sleeping on the cot beside Sabrina before the doctor had said they needed the room for more patients. Now, Puck slept on a chair. All meals were brought to him, and Daphne considered it a win when they persuaded him to use the washroom. Though they were fights, she might add.
Daphne still remembered how they found her. She remembered wanting to scream because Sabrina had looked dead. Daphne was convinced she was for most of it, and yet she had followed Puck's orders. He had been so calm in the situation, she didn't even try to comprehend how.
Sabrina had been cold and pale, nothing like the person that Daphne had remembered. Puck seemed to know immediately what to do and had given Sabrina something immediately. Daphne hadn't even known Sabrina was poisoned. She would have yelled at Puck even more if he didn't look so tortured.
It was more than that really, Daphne thought. He looked lost, like he couldn't remember where he was supposed to be. He hadn't even really talked in a week, something so surprising for Puck. She worried for him almost as much as she worried for Sabrina.
The doctors said that apart from the poisoning, she had broken both of her legs. The dragon apparently was knocked out clean, not killed like she thought. One of the soldiers recognized the use of poppies on the dragon. There was speculation on how Sabrina managed to do this all herself, until someone had discovered the missing treasure the dragon guarded and the truth was quite quickly revealed.
No one knows if Sabrina was working with an accomplice that turned their back on her, or if it was a foe all along. In the end it doesn't matter, soldiers are looking for him nothing less.
And as for Sabrina, no one knows what is to happen to her. The doctors said there is a good chance she'll survive, but no one knows when she will wake up, or if she ever will. Daphne supposed, that they would just have to wait.
"Is there any improvement?" Mustardseed asked, coming up beside her.
"For Sabrina, or for Puck?" She asked with a raise of her eyebrow.
"Both," he admitted.
"Not really," she replied with a sigh. "Sabrina continues to be unconscious and Puck continues to sit beside her. He won't talk and only eats when we force him. He no doubt has injuries himself, but he won't move to get examined." Daphne could hear the frustration in her voice.
"I am worried for him."
"I am too."
"What do you think will happen if Sabrina doesn't wake up?"
"You want my opinion on him?" Daphne asked, turning to look at him.
"You know him best," he said with a small smile.
Daphne dropped her eyes. "Listen, I'm sorry for what I said back on the field. It was in the heat of the moment. I didn't mean it, you shouldn't take it to heart."
"I know and it's fine. But you were right." Mustardseed looked back through the infirmary window. "There was a time when we were close, but we lost touch when father kicked him out. I fear I have lost his trust and will never gain it back."
"What do you mean? Of course he trusts you."
"Not the same as when we were younger. It's fine, I have come to terms with it."
"That's sad."
Mustardseed smiled and turned to look at her. "It's not that sad. I hope to regain at least some of that relationship in the future. Though I will admit, it will be difficult. He can be quite irritating some times."
Daphne gave a small chuckle. "That sounds like my sister too." They both turned to look through the window, their smiles vanishing.
"What are we to do with them?" Mustardseed asked after a few minutes in silence.
"I do not know."
"You never answered my question from before."
Daphne sighed. "I do not know what would happen to Puck if Sabrina didn't wake up. I don't even know what would happen to me to be honest."
"I don't think Puck would survive," Mustardseed said quietly. "Sabrina and Puck have something special, something very few people have. They mean too much to each other, so much that if one was to lose the other, I don't know how the other could go on. They act like they are an extension of one another."
"Can I confess something? I want what they have."
Mustardseed smiled softly. "I think everyone does." They were silent once again.
Daphne gazed at Sabrina, lying down on the white sheets, with her blonde hair sprawled on the pillow. She looked like a sleeping princess, so beautiful and persevered.
"She's so brave," Daphne said softly.
Mustardseed gave her a small smile. "So are you."
Daphne shook her head. "Nothing like her though. I doubt I could ever live up to her expectations. If I was even a fraction of as brave as Sabrina, I would be happy."
"You don't have to prove yourself to anyone. You already did. Without you, the war very likely would have turned out differently."
Daphne grinned, "Thank you for saying that." She reached over and gave him a playful shove. "You're acting kingly already."
Mustardseed grimace, "Yes that matter."
"What do you mean? Aren't you happy?"
He sighed, "It's kind of a strange feeling. Truth be told, I never expected to be king. Puck is the oldest, as hard to believe as it is, so unless Puck died, I would never have become king."
Daphne was silent, hoping that would encourage him to continue.
"I'm sure it seems quite old to you. I've heard that humans choose their leaders every few years or so. That concept confuses my mind. We have never chosen our leader, and while that may be bad sometimes, like the case with my father, it has been good. I have had countless of amazing ancestors that have done things to better Faerie, and I always expected that to be Puck's job. Everyone did."
"But he gave it to you."
"In a matter of speaking," he replied. "You can't do that. Our laws are very clear and it's very hard to change them. I suppose Puck could eventually change that, but it would be long and hard." Mustardseed looked through the window. "He is obviously in no position to do that and I doubt the people are in a position for that kind of change right now."
Daphne put a hand on Mustardseed's shoulder. "They need someone strong after what they just went through."
Mustardseed smiled, but didn't move. "I hope I can help my people. It would make me happy, and I don't know if Puck would enjoy it so much."
"I must confess that I don't think Puck would have been as good a king as you."
Mustardseed turned to face her. Daphne noticed how close they were, but didn't move away. "What do you mean? You don't think he would have been a good king?"
She swallowed and tried to change her words. "No, I think he could be a good king, but not now at least. He may have done well in the time of war, but a lot of duties as a king is administrative work, and I don't think Puck would like that."
Mustardseed sighed, "I agree. I believe that Puck wants to be a good king for his people, but he doesn't actually want to be king. As I've seen him now I realize that he is grown up a lot, but he's still young at heart. His heart shouldn't be burdened with the weight of running a country. He should be able to enjoy most of his life, before he grows up."
"Do you think Puck knows this? Is that why he gave you the throne?"
"I think he understands part of it. Maybe not all of it, but no one can blame him in the condition he's in now."
They were silent once more.
"So if you're not king, what are you?" Daphne asked with a grin.
"My official title I suppose is acting king."
"That's all?" she fainted disappointed.
Mustardseed laughed, "I'm afraid so. Since Puck is still technically king, he can take away the throne whenever he wishes."
She gave a sly smile, "But we both know that won't happen."
"I wouldn't say never. I doubt this is the last time we'll see of King Robin."
oo0oo
We're so close to the end, only one more chapter to go! Make sure to let me know your thoughts on this chapter. Thank you for the support :)
