I opened my eyes, and the world was blurry. I tried to shake my head to clear my vision, but something was stopping me. I felt a tightness around my neck and realised I was still wearing the collar they used to keep me stable while I was unconscious..
"Draco, you're awake!" Master exclaimed, his voice filled with joy.
I looked around the room, trying to piece together what had happened. Memories of Liana, flooded my mind. Was it all just a dream? I couldn't tell.
"Where am I?" I asked, my voice hoarse and weak.
"You're at the infirmary," Calix replied. "You've been unconscious." He added.
My heart sank. "Liana..." I whispered. "Was she real?"
Calix and Master exchanged a worried glance. "Draco, we need to talk," Master said gently.
My confusion turned to dread. "What happened? Where is Liana?"
Master hesitated before speaking. "Draco, Liana...she passed away , don't you remember? You must have had a dream about her. You almost got yourself killed when you took all those Hounds out , all alone. "
My heart felt like it had been ripped out of my chest once more. I knew what they said was true but I didn't want to believe. "No...no, it can't be true," I cried. "She was with me in my dream. We were happy together."
Master placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Draco. I know this is hard to accept, but it's the truth."
I buried my face in my hands and let out a mournful roar. "Why did I wake up? Why couldn't I have stayed with her?"
"My Lord, we need you," Raba, spoke up. She was there as well. "The kingdom is in chaos. We need your strength and leadership."
I shook my head. "I don't care about the kingdom right now. I just want to be with Liana again."
Calix stepped forward. "My Lord, I know this is difficult, but you're the only one who can help us. We need you to be strong for us."
I sighed heavily. "But I don't know how I'm supposed to go on without her."
The three of them exchanged a very strange look that was filled with panic and dread. It was probably because of our upbringing. Dragons were not supposed to be week. Not their leader. No way. And to see their ferocious leader so broken and weak, must have given them a worse shock than death. It was true that if my weakness got out, there will be fresh new cases of rebels, every single day.
Master smiled sadly. "We'll help you, Draco. We'll all be here for you.You have to think about Damian. This might be worse for him and it is for you "
I looked around. He was right. In my grief, I hadn't even tried thinking about Damian and what he might have been feeling. Liana would be very upset with me if she saw me neglecting Damian's need like this.
I broke my support collar and yanked up.
" Right. I need to go check on my son. I totally forgot about that poor thing. "
I rushed out and soared over my palace, landing perfectly in front of Damian's chamber.
I saw all his maids were waiting outside.
They became conscious as I descended.I signalled them not to make any fuss and leave me alone with my son.
As I got closer, I could hear his sobs echoing through the hallway. My heart broke into a million pieces.
I burst through the door and saw Damian curled up in his bed, clutching a stuffed dragon that Liana had given him in the human realm. His eyes were swollen and red, and tears streamed down his face. As I held Damian in my arms, I looked around the room, taking in the details ,possibly for the first time.The walls were painted in soft shades of blue and green, and the curtains billowed gently in the breeze. In the corner of the room, I saw Damian's rocking chair, where Liana used to sit and hum a lullaby to him.
As if sensing my gaze, Damian looked up at me and said, "Do you remember the song Mamma used to sing to me?"
I nodded, a lump forming in my throat. "Yes, I remember."
"I've been singing it to myself since she's gone," Damian said, his voice barely above a whisper. "It makes me feel like she's still here with me."
I walked over to the rocking chair and sat down, pulling Damian onto my lap. "Sing it for me Damain," I said, my voice breaking.
Damian closed his eyes and began to sing. His voice was soft and sweet, just like Liana's. As he sang, I could feel Liana's presence in the room, as if she was watching over us.
Tears streamed down my face as Damian finished the song, and I pulled him closer to me. "That was beautiful, Damian. Liana would be so proud of you."
Damian smiled sadly. "I miss her so much."
"I know," I said, my voice choked with emotion. "But we'll get through this together. We'll always have each other."
I held Damian tight, as we sat in silence for a few moments, both lost in our own thoughts. I was kind of surprised at the alarming rate at which Damian wad growing up. As if he no longer was that mindless toddler who pretended to throw gibberish words at Liana to make her laugh, he had become my very support system. He had lost his mother twice since he was born. His pain was double since this was my first time, realising the intensity of a lost mate.
As we rocked back and forth, I realised that despite the pain of losing Liana, we still had each other. And that was supposed to be enough to keep us going.It was supposed to, but it wasn't.