The Letter She'll Never Forget

One shot

The letter slipped through her fingers as if it were the finest sand the world could imagine. It fluttered to the ground and nearly rolled on itself as it hugged the stone floor beside her chair. She didn't pick it up. She didn't need to, the words were already burned into her mind for the rest of her life.

It had to be some cruel joke that later would be laughable and that she and her friends would tease her about. She had to grip that hope with all the strength she had. It could not be real; she wouldn't believe it to be real. For her sanity, she couldn't believe.

She didn't know how long she sat there or what had gone on in the world outside her chambers. Her shock had taken her to a place of numb pain and where her world stopped. She hardly even noticed when her husband slipped into her quarters.

"Thayet," Jonathan stopped where he entered as he saw her pale, stricken face. "What's wrong?"

Thayet looked at him slowly, the first thing she had focused on in some time. How could she even form the words when she was convincing herself that it hadn't happened?

"Thayet, you look- Nevermind how you look, just tell me what's wrong?" Jonathan came to kneel beside her chair in plain concern.

Quickly she glanced at the letter with only a flicker of her eyes and away again. "You haven't spoken to Raoul?" Her voice was small and feeble.

"No, Thayet-"

"The letter, Jon." Thayet's lips began to quiver. Her mind was slowly forcing herself to come to grips with what was happening. She would not live in denial, but it didn't mean that it didn't hurt.

Jonathan bent and retrieved the fallen letter. He read it quickly and silently. He was still for a moment after reading it before he looked sympathetically, if not saddly at her. "She was so strong." He whispered.

"I know," her voice shook in reply.

"Thayet," he gently took her hands, lifting her from her chair and into his arms.

Thayet finally let herself cry as Jonathan held her close, clinging to him with all her might. "She's gone, really gone. Buri isn't coming back."

"No, no, she's not." Jonathan struggled back his own tears. Buri had been a good friend to the family and even better friend to Thayet. "I should tell Raoul, if he hasn't already heard."

Thayet nodded into his tunic, unwilling to let him go. "He'll need a friend."

Slowly he drew away to meet her tear streaked face. He gently rubbed away a tear with his thumb. "Will you be alright?"

Thayet nodded slowly. "Yes." Though, she wasn't sure she believed her own words.

"It's normal to cry. She was your best friend."

"I need to be strong. A queen cannot be weak and I will not be weak." She roughly wipped the tears aside and lifted her chin. "Buri wouldn't want me to cry."

Jonathan nodded silently and sensing that she needed to be left alone, left her with an encouraging smile that seemed far too forced.

Once he was gone, Thayet collasped into her chair. She maybe strong in public, but here, here she could cry herself until the tears dried up. Tears fell befoe she could even attempt to stop them.

Thayet covered her face with her hands and sobbed. Buri had been her best friend, sister, supporter, confidante, and advisor. No one would ever come close. Buri was gone forever.

One the table was the letter she would never forget, about a woman she'd never forget.