Chapter 1

Richard sat on his throne as he went over the list of marriage candidates who wished for his hand in marriage. He had apparently waited too long to pick a queen. The people of Windor had grown much too impatient for a queen, even Fendel and Stratah had been much too interested in the potential royal wedding. It was only now that Richard had given up on waiting for Asbel. What use was it? He was to be wed to Cheria in only two days.

Someone came into the throne room and caught richards attention, drawing him away from the long list of women he didn't want to marry.

"Richard..." said Sophie in a monotone voice as she walked into the room

"Sophie? What are you doing here?" He asked, noticing something "... where is Asbel?" He asked nervously. For some reason, it made Richard uneasy. Sophie was always by Asbel's side. If she wasn't, it almost always meant Asbel left and usually hed leave her with Cheria or Hubert, but not alone.

"..." sophie only shook her head in response.

Richard chuckled a bit "oh I get it. You want to go to the secret fort, correct?" He asked, speaking of a box fort he and sophie had made some time ago. He told her anytime she wanted to be away from Asbel, she was welcome here.

"No... I didn't come to ... be alone. ..." she muttered "you're my father now..." she muttered

Richard blinked, confused. "Now what on earth do you mean by that sophie?" He asked, putting his list on the floor and getting up to walk to sophie. "Asbel is your father remember?" He asked

She shook her head "no... Asbel is gone... he's. .. dead..." she muttered quietly as she held her chest.

Richard's eyes widened and his legs suddenly became weak. In a matter of seconds he lost his ability to stand. "Asbel. ... no... Sophie you're mistaken" he insisted but she just put her hand on his head

"He's dead... that's what Cheria told me" she frowned "I don't know what to do... she... wouldn't stop crying. .." she sighed as she noticed the tears begging to fall from Richard's eyes "Richard... please don't cry" she muttered and got down on her knees to wipe the tears from his eyes, but they just kept falling.

"I... i'm sorry sophie..." he trembled as he tried to wipe the tears from his eyes himself, wishing he could stop. "I'm not strong enough to stop crying" he whimpered and shivered.

"You used to wish for Asbel's help when you weren't strong enough to do something yourself" she muttered "does this mean you'll never stop crying because he isn't here to help you Richard?" She asked, sounding worried

Richard shook his head "... no Sophie"he sniffled "I... I'm an adult now" he muttered "I have to help myself. .. it's just... going to hurt for awhile" he muttered nervously

Richard felt overwhelming emotions that he couldn't begin to handle on his own. He felt depressed because his best friend died, heartbroken because he and Asbel would never be together, guilt because he had given up hope for Asbel and now he was dead, and now fear that he wouldn't be a good enough father...

a few days passed and Richard spent them alone with Sophie. Sometimes they would go to the secret fort, sometimes they'd be in the dining hall, eating "royal crablettes" . Most of the time richard was silent, struggling to keep himself from breaking down in front of sophie again. sophie just maintained a worried look on her face and stayed close to Richard in the same way she used to with Asbel.

But today would be different.

"Your majesty" said duke Dalen to Richard in the dining hall. "Sorry to interrupt but... there are guests here to see you... they said it is concerning Asbel Lahnt" he muttered quietly

Richard let out a heavy sigh "of course. .." he nodded and stood "come Sophie. Let's go to the throne room and talk with the others" he tried to give her a comforting smile as he held his hand out to her.

Sophie nodded and stood to hold his hand, following him to the throne room where everyone else was already waiting.

"Oh thank God" Cheria let out a sigh of relief as she walked over to hug Sophie "Richard's taking good care of you I see... I was scared that i'd come here and find out you haven't bathed in days like the first time asbel took care of you by himself..." she muttered quietly. She released sophie from the hug and tried to steer her to the door "you were eating when you got here right? Go finish your crablettes" she insisted cheerfully, but sophie backed away and shook her head, running to hide behind Richard.

"No." Sophie insisted. "I want to stay with richard" she insisted

Hubert let out a sigh "it can't be helped... she's already learned to cling to him like she did with... a... as... my brother" Hubert cleared his throat and closed his eyes.

Pascal just stood behind hubert, trembling in tears.

A few moments passed with silence between these six people. They had been through so much together. .. they never dreamed Asbel would die so soon...

But it was malik who finally spoke up "guys... I know we're all hurt by this loss... but we aren't here to cry about it. And even if we were, prolonging the inevitable won't change the fact that he's gone... it's about time someone made arrangements for his funeral." He muttered

Cheria whimpered and shook her head "I still don't think we should discuss this in front of sophie" she insisted

"Why not?" Asked Sophie curiously

"Sophie. ..." Cheria sighed and went silent. She was worried about Sophie's response to Asbel's death... Sophie seemed rather unaffected. It couldn't be that she didn't care. She had been so upset and so worried when she first learned Asbel would die one day... but now she seemed... ok... it was like she didn't accept it. Like she didn't think it was real... but it was. And she couldn't deal with it...

"Cheria." Richard spoke up. "Sophie wants to be near me. Clinging to me is her way of coping" he informed "and I need to be in this conversation. So you should go on with whatever you need to be saying." He Said sternly

"... forgive me your highness" she muttered, trying not to make it obvious that she was annoyed.

The group planned the funeral, not making that big of a deal with it. They just arranged for a memorial service at the same grave where all the lords of Lahnt were honored, and had his name carved under his father's in the stone.

Richard wished they could've given Asbel his own funeral, his own service, his own headstone at least. But as a lord of Lahnt, his had to be the same as every other Lord of Lahnt. Maybe to everyone else Asbel was a Lord, but to Richard he was so much more. Asbel was his best friend, his keeper, his true love, his savior, his white knight... and now he was just another name on a stone...

Richard walked over to the grave and removed his glove, running his fingers over Asbel's name. "..." he remained silent as tears ran down his face. Asbel was gone. He would never see him again... he would never see his beautiful blue eye or the deep frightening purple one. He'd never see his kind smile or his adorable flustered red cheeks. The man he loved was gone forever...

"Richard" Sophie's small voice distracted him from his grief. He rubbed his tears away with his sleeve before turning to face her

"Yes? What is it Sophie?" He asked her carefully, with a kind demeanor.

"... are you telling Asbel goodbye?" She asked curiously, tilting her head to the side

"... you could say that yes" he nodded

"..." she went silent for awhile.

"What's wrong Sophie?" He asked, concerned

"... he's not here. So you can't tell him to his face. Can he hear us? Does he know that we're sad?... is going to come back?" She asked nervously

"... Sophie, people don't just come back after they die" he reminded

"I did" she reminded stubbornly.

Richard sighed "you didn't actually die Sophie."

"Everyone thought I died. And everyone thinks Asbel is dead. ... but I... I don't think he's dead... I don't feel like he's dead" she insisted

Richard shook his head "Sophie of course he's dead. A monster ate him." He tried to explain

"The Rockgagong ate me" she countered.

Richard gave up. Sophie just wouldn't be able to understand Asbel's death. ... she was too stubborn to accept it.

The group sat in the manor, discussing the new living arrangements.

"... well Hubert has to live here now" Cheria informed "... I guess that means I'll go back to my house" she decided.

Pascal spoke up "um... i'm gonna move into the manor" pascal said quietly, which was highly unusual for her.

Malik raised an eyebrow but hubert spoke up

"We um... were planning on telling you guys soon... we're... getting married" he sighed. It must have been a delicate subject, Asbel and Cherias' marriage was meant to be a couple of days ago. "We didn't want to take away from your special day so we were waiting til after your marriage" he muttered

Cheria frowned and looked down "well... I'd love to help with the wedding whenever you two are ready... and Richard-" she managed

"I'm going to honor Asbel's wishes." Richard interrupted "I can take care of Sophie by myself" he insisted

"... weren't you planning on getting married soon your majesty?" Cheria asked nervously "if you're going to be courting, do you really have time to raise a girl?"

Richard shook his head "I put the plans of marriage on hold. Until Sophie gets used to her new home, i'm not going to think about marriage. What's the point" he decided

"but... wouldn't you be happier with me Sophie?" Cheria asked nervously

Richard scowled "oh? Now what is that supposed to mean?"

"It's just that... well Sophie, wouldn't you be more comfortable living at home... with your Mother?" she insisted

Sophie shook her head "Asbel wants me to stay with Richard" she insisted and stayed close to him

Richard smirked "you heard her" he insisted and turned away "lets go home Sophie" he insisted as they left