AN: This is the last chapter and it is VERY dark. I had way more that I intended to write for this story but I think I just wasn't feeling it in the end. Enjoy!

The battle was finally upon them and the Royal Family had nowhere else to run. Miranda and the girls had taken to helping with the wounded while Roland took his place with the militia and approached the battlefront as a puzzle that needed to be solved. In the back of his mind, Roland had hope and thought that by working together so closely with his family and his people that they would come through this.

Desmond was about to depart from the safe zone toward the raging battle, yet again, stopping only to see Amber. He knew there was little chance for him to come back and have a happy ending despite what Roland may have thought. Amber, remaining ever optimistic, embraced him and kissed him sweetly before telling him to be safe and come back soon. Although she had been exposed to the coldness of war she remained oblivious to the fact that this may be the end.

Miranda was showing her age – broken and tired, remaining as humble as always. She gave selflessly and put all her effort into comforting the wounded soldiers that surrounded her. Her face was worn but soft and her gentle smile provided warmth and her touch, healing. She was not going to flee, she was not going to hide, she was not going to change her heart. Miranda was the definition of strength.

Sofia had been assisting her mother, giving much needed attention to the ailing soldiers. Cedric had been back and forth with Desmond, fighting on the front but he had not returned this last time. Desmond had assured her that he was alright but was unwilling to risk holding their position to come back. Sofia understood and it made her heart swell with pride; as much as Cedric had tried to hide his affection for the kingdom he loved Enchancia and her people all the same, and he was willing to fight for them.

The day went fast into the night, the echoes of fighting providing a constant rhythm throughout the camp. Nighttime was no longer a place to find peace, it was a stark reminder that war never rested. Sofia had retired to her tent to try and sleep but remained restless. When she finally drifted off, she thought of Cedric and dreamed of watching his lit tower from a distance in the gardens.

Sofia was awakened abruptly from her slumber. It was dark out, that time where one cannot determine if it is too late or too early. The camp was under attack; forces had outflanked them and hit them with a surprise attack. She ran towards the medical tents only to find them on fire, men screaming while burning alive. It was the last place she saw her mother and she knew that if her mother had retired for the night that her and Amber would be in tents next to hers. There was no sign of them.

She didn't stop moving, moving quickly through the confused and moving bodies in the darkness. She ran towards the militia tents and couldn't get near; too many opposing soldiers swarmed the area. For a moment, Sofia froze. She knew they were lost to her. The sounds of distant explosions on the front line jolted her from her sorrowful moment and only one thing crossed her mind – Cedric.

Sofia fled towards the booming echoes, knowing that she needed to be there. Dawn was approaching, the sky lighting up in the preemptive glow of the sun. In a way, it was beautiful but the cover of darkness that allowed her to move so freely was fading and there was no time to admire this dark tragic landscape. As she got closer, the lifeless eyes of those who fought to protect her home stared up at her as she maneuvered around them. She let a tear slip down her cheek as she stepped around Desmond's fallen body.

In the distance she could see what was left of the Enchancian Army – fighting hard and vastly outnumbered. In the middle of it all, Cedric stood tall within a barrier spell. Sofia stood on the small ridge watching, unable to help and feeling like a little girl at the bottom of his tower stairs. She could hear horses and footsteps approaching, it was nearly over for her and her heart sank.

Cedric stopped casting long enough to glance up, somehow feeling Sofia's presence. They made eye contact and he knew their fate was sealed too. He called out to the rest of the soldiers, falling back and trying to hold a more secure position. Sofia had begun to run towards him, followed by soldiers that meant to do her more harm that simply killing her.

Cedric felt a blinding rage within him as one of the soldiers chasing Sofia grabbed at her arm and ripped her nightgown. He lifted his barrier spell and placed it on her, exposing himself without fear. It was the opportunity that Rudistan's sorcerer had been waiting for – quickly casting a series of detrimental spells towards Cedric.

Sofia screamed as he went down, not more than 50 yards from her. She continued to run and as Cedric's strength waned, so did his barrier spell. Rudistan's sorcerer has not spared her and she felt the searing pain burning in her side. She kept running and collapsed near Cedric's mangled body.

Sofia's legs had given out and tears streamed down her face as she stared at Cedric; he couldn't talk, nor could he move much. They spent what seemed like an eternity staring into each other's eyes. They loved each other and were too late to say it but they both knew. Silence had taken the air and Sofia watched as the life drained from Cedric's eyes. With nothing left, she laid back and stared into the open sky. A beam of light pierced the sky as dawn broke and the fractal patterns in the billowing smoke danced before her. Her life dissipated with the smoke and the valley was hushed by death.