The Twilight Twenty-Five t
hetwilight25 dot com
Prompt: 6
Pen Name: Glitterb1234
Pairing/Character(s): Charlie, Bella
Rating: T
Word Count: 413
Photo prompts can be found here:
thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts
King Charles had always found his castle to be a warm, welcoming sort of place. It was true that the stone walls seemed rather intimidating to a stranger - a trait he often used to his advantage - and it was at times very cold and almost unbearably crafty, but what really mattered to him was the person inside, the woman who had lit up his life and his home until he couldn't feel the cold any more.
And now she was gone.
Charles stood staring at the portrait of his beloved Renee that hung in the entrance hall of the castle keep. It was a portrait of both of them, him sitting in a gilt chair while she stood at his side, the picture of a loyal Queen. But he could only ever look at her, remembering how she'd been anything but subservient. She'd kept him on his toes, never quite sure what she would do next, and he had adored her with everything he had. They were supposed to have it all; their new child was meant to be the beginning of a new era, a new phase of their lives that they would share together.
Now she was gone, and so was the child. A little boy, the long I anticipated heir to his throne, lay cold in his mother's arms, both of them buried together in the crypt below the church. Sometimes Charles wondered how he was going to go on without her; perhaps he ought to just join her now, save himself the pain of who knew how many years without her.
"Daddy?"
The little voice made him turn, and he spotted Isabella peering shyly out from behind a pillar. He smiled at her and knelt down, opening his arms. She ran to him, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck and hugging herself to him.
"It's alright Daddy," she murmured, somehow knowing exactly what he was thinking. "We'll see Mummy and Baby Charlie again someday. We just have to be patient."
Charles held his daughter tight. This, he reminded himself, was why he was still here. This little girl needed him. She would be Queen one day, he would make sure of it, and she wouldn't be able to do it on her own. He would see Renee again, just like Bella said, and until then, he would cherish this one remaining piece of her. That was the best way, he knew, to honour his wife's memory.