Cloud Message
The bitter cold had returned. Lir knew, but only because the servants complained. He felt nothing. As a matter of fact, it had been over a year since he had felt anything. Since she had left, the only thing that he had felt was the pain of his shattered heart. During the day, he thought og her, wrote poems to her that she could never read, thought of things he could say to hear that she would never hear. At night, he dreamt of her, dreamt that they were together once more, dreamt that she had never left. Most nights, he cried himself to sleep, and awoke to find his pillow soaked with fresh tears.
The night the unicorn returned to her forest, Lir stood at his window, his expressionless deep blue eyes gazing at the sea. The sea crashed recklessly against the rocks strewn across the shore, roaring its anger at all who would listen. Lir watched, remembering the Bull. Thinking about the Bull made him remember the unicorn, and he sighed. What was there really to keep him from flinging his unfeeling body into the roaring tempest?
The unicorn. No matter how long she had been gone, there was always the hope that she would return. That hope was what kept Lir alive. He had loved her, and he loved her still. And she had loved him while she was human. What was there to keep her from loving him now, when she was a unicorn once more? But Schmendrick had warned him not to get his hopes up. And so Prince Lir... No, he was King Lir now... Lir had tried to keep himself happy, to keep himself from missing her. But on a night like this, it was almost impossible not to think about her and miss her. No... It was impossible.
Lir's dark eyes were drawn to the large, pale moon as it crept into the dark night sky. It passed behind a cloud, casting no more light upon the dead grounds around the castle. The cloud nearest him took on a shape. A small smile crept to his face, brightening his eyes. Even if he was imagining it, he took it as a good sign. He heard her soft laughter once more, but it seemed to be fading far into the distance as he gazed at the cloud that resembled a unicorn.
Lir was, for however short a moment, once more glad to be alive...