Chapter 8: The Choice

Fergus and the triplets were at the throne hall sitting and waiting that somehow the queen might show herself with them but several hours have passed she didn't. King Fergus ordered his sons to take a rest because he knows that they're already exhausted for everything. The triplets nodded, laid a kiss on their father's forehead and went upstairs. He stood up from his chair, and keep on pacing at the hall then he decided to check on his wife. He went upstairs, opened their room but he didn't find his wife inside.

"I think I know where she is."

He murmured to his self and went to his daughter's room. He opened it and their she is. Her beloved wife was there siting on Merida's bed. He sadly sighed and walked towards his wife.

"Eli wot are ye doing here? Ye should be taking a rest now."

Fergus asked his wife but his wife didn't make any response. Fergus noticed that she was holding one of their daughter's dress. The queen lowered her head looking at the dress she's holding and started to sobbed. The king quickly approached his wife and embraced her but the queen was just staring Merida's dress sadly.

"I miss Merida Fergus. I miss her sae much."

"We all miss her Elinor. Don't worry we will find her. We'll never stop the search for her until she—"

"Wot if we can't find her anymore?" Awkward silence filled the room. All can be heard was the sound of frightening thunderstorm. Fergus knew that his wife has a point. He wanted to say if that day comes and they did their best to find their precious daughter but still haven't found her maybe its time for them to let go and accept the fact that she's gone. But his thoughts were enlightened when he remembered what Arthur told him a while ago. That they shouldn't lose hope for the lost princess. He crack a smile and shooked his head.

"Nae, nae, don't say that m'love. We will find her. We just need to be tough and not to lose hope." The queen smiled and agreed what her husband told her.

"Thank ye Fergus. Aye yer right we should be strong. We should never lose hope. But can ye tell me wot Merida has been doing when I was unconscious?" The queen released his husband and Fergus smiled.

"I think this will make ye smile somehow love. When yer in a deep slumber, well she somehow fulfilled her duties as a future queen. She helped me to run the kingdom and she did it very well. Ye taught her well Elinor." The queen smiled about what she heard from her husband while running her fingers on Merida's dress. She was happy to find out that her daughter implied all the things she taught to her even though there are times that Merida skips her lessons. She knows that Merida will be able to fulfill her role as a queen of Dunbroch someday.

"But there's one more thing that yae need tae know." Queen Elinor's attention to the dress was redirected to his husband and stared him confusedly.

"Wot is it dear"

"Well When the kingdom was actually losing hope that, well ye might not be able to survive. Our Merida was there. She told us that we should keep on holding our hopes because she knows that yer fighting for yer life. That yer always be there for us and for the kingdom. She was always there to lift our hopes up love and she never fails tae dae it but then." The smile that his husband wore while narrating how Merida boosts the hopes of their kingdom suddenly fade away and she noticed it which made her worried.

"Fergus?wot's wrong?"

"while she's busy lifting everyone's hope, we didn't noticed that pain and loneliness was actually killing her inside. That she's just wearing a mask just for the sake of not losing our hope. Well we still saw her sadness somehow but that night. It was actually different."

Elinor was puzzled what his husband was telling to her.

"Wot dae ye mean different?"

"That night,I was sleeping. I think that was already midnight then I was awoken by a loud noise downstairs. I decided tae checked wot was that noise and so I went downstairs but I just found nothing so I went back here and While I was approaching on our room, I noticed that there was light on yer room. I decided tae check who was there at that time. I slowly opened the door and went inside. I saw Merida. She was seated right next tae ye caressing yer hair. She was sae busy looking at ye that she didn't even noticed me that I'm standing by the door. I decided not tae interfere her. I was about tae leave the room but then she suddenly embraced ye. But one thing that really caught my attention was the way she embraced ye. Her hands was clenched, like she did something bad to ye and words coming from her was filled with sorrow, loneliness, pain and anger and hatred."

"hatred?but Fergus why would she feel like that?

The queen blink in confusion because she doesn't have any idea why would her precious daughter will feel hatred.

" I dunno loved, but while she was embracing you and tears flooding from her cheeks, she was saying something. I dunno know the exact words but I heard her saying sorry tae yae. It was like she's blaming herself? And I think I also heard her saying Fiona's name. Like if she only called Fiona immediately this incident will not happen? Wot was our daughter talking about love? "

King Fergus was puzzled and stared at his wife with confusion. Elinor' went to merida's bed and seat with eyes widened. She sighed and stared her husband sadly.

"oh nae, Its not her fault Fegus!"

"wot are ye talking about Elinor?" Several seconds of silence inside the room and then Queen Elinor covered her face with her hands and started to cry. Fergus sat beside his wife and csresses her back to eaase the pain. But then Elinor glared at him and suddenly stood up and keep on pacing back and forth while throwing her hands up. Fergus was confuse about the reaction of her wife. He stood up and approached her wife who keeps on pacing back and forth.

"Elinor, wot are yae talking about?

King Fergus places his hand on the queen's shoulder to calm her. The queen made a deep sighed and explained everything to her husband.

"Fergus, Merida blamed herself because she thinks its her fault. Dae yae remember the time we went back here and ye saw me exhausted?

"Aye love. I do remember/"

"That day, she told me tae that she would call for Fiona to seek some help but I told her that theirs nae need tae worry. I just really thought that day that I- I was just completely tired but I was wrong."

"and that's the reason yae think why Merida blamed herself?" the king asked his wife and the queen nodded.

"Its my fault Fergus! This is all my fault why our daughter is missing! If I just follwed wot she just said, th—s this will never happen! Its all my fault!."

"Elinor! Look at me lass! Don't blame yourself, nae one should be blame here because it's a disease! Like wot Fiona told us! Anyone could acquire it! Its just that yer the one that was infected. Sae please loved stopped blaming yerself." The king embraces his wife and Elinor was tucked on her husband's chest. They stayed for that moment a couple of minutes until Elinor releases her body from his husband.

"Elinor?"

She walked towards the window and stared blankly the sky.

Frgus was about to put his massive hands at her queen's shoulder but Elinor turned to him and stared at him with pain and sadness.

"I want tae sleep here tonight Fergus. I just want tae be alone again for a while."

"But eli-"

The queen embraced her husband and laid a kiss on his lips.

"I'll be fine Fergus I just want tae sleep here, j-ust just want to renember all our memories." The queen smiled and the king just nodded silently giving his wife a kiss on the cheeks and went outside.

Meanwhile…

"Alright,Im done with this thing! I can't bear doing this stuff anymore!" She groaned the witch snapped her index and thumb and then in just a matter of seconds, she and her crow is gone and the last phrase came from her mouth before she was gone is " Im sorry, if there are other things I could dae, I would but this is the only choice yae have. The only thing yae will hold on is our deal. Be safe"

All right that's it!=) Im sorry for updating this story late, school kinda busy. Next chapter is on its way!=)) hope you like this chapter! After this story I think I'll do a frozen story. hihi I just really loved that movie and I wanna write a story about it!=) I don't know if it will be frozen alone or a crossover of brave and frozen.. what you think guys?=)) for all my readers, followers and favorite this story, thanks a lot!=) hugs to all of you and again sorry for my bad English.=)