The majestic palace still stood tall, witnessing the final act of a bittersweet love story. Luciana, the once vibrant and spirited princess, had lost her voice and, with it, the ability to express her deepest emotions. Her time in this world was limited, and the weight of that knowledge weighed heavily on her heart.
As she prepared to leave the palace, her parents stood before her, her mother's eyes brimming with tears. Luciana's mother clung to her, her sobs echoing through the corridor. But Luciana was numb to everything and just kept heading out with Leana.
"Luciana, please," the woman pleaded, her voice choked with emotion, "don't go. Stay here with your husband. Or you can leave with us."
Only moments before, Luciana had bid farewell to Harvey, who lay ill in his chamber from the deep stab he had taken. Their banter and shared laughter outside the palace now seemed like distant memories. The thought of Harvey's frail form haunted her, and the impending funeral of her beloved friend, Susan, was more than she could bear.
Tears flowed freely when she approached the room where Susan's lifeless body lay and stood outside the door. Luciana knelt and bowed her head, overcome with grief, and bid farewell to one of the women who had made her short life worthwhile in only the short time they spent with each other.
Tomorrow would mark the final goodbye as the kingdom mourned the loss of their beloved Susan.
With a heavy heart, Luciana turned away from her parents, her maid, Leana, by her side, offering silent support. They approached the waiting carriage that would carry them away from the palace—from the kingdom she had known her entire life.
As she was about to step into the carriage, Prince Ivan appeared, his robes hastily thrown on, his eyes wild with desperation. He had been in the middle of his bath, preparing to see her again after he had been repeatedly turned down when he received the news of her departure, so he was damp all around and ran down here on his bare feet.
Desperate, Ivan reached out to hold her arm, his voice trembling. "My... Love, please," he implored, but Luciana kept her gaze averted, unwilling to meet his pleading eyes.
Ignoring everything else, he fell to his knees before her, tears streaming down his face. "I will change, Luciana," he promised, his voice filled with desperation. "I will be a better husband. I swear to love you as you deserve." He grabbed her hand even tighter. "P-Please..."
Those around watched in pity. As much as they all hated Ivan, they felt bad for him and his fate. But even more, they felt bad for Luciana.
From the other side, tears were streaming down Luciana's face. She tried to pull her hand away by force, but he refused to let go. He refused to give up on their love and stood up, pulling her into a tight embrace, trying to convey his feelings through touch and gesture. Tears streamed down his face as he held her, promising to not let her out of his sight.
Luciana kept trying to push him away, but he refused to let go. "I will go with you!" He declared. "I... can't live without you. Let's go anywhere. I don't mind it."
She continued to push him away, crying quietly.
Ivan's embrace got even tighter, holding her close as if trying to etch her presence into his soul. "I love you." He said desperately.
He wished he could hear her voice and hear her say that she loved him too. But he knew that her love transcended words. He wanted her to stay. Or at least let him leave with her. He didn't care about this stupid kingdom. She was all he had.
Lance approached from behind. He hesitated for only a second before he dragged Ivan from behind, pulling him away from her.
Everyone had thought a fight would ensue next, but rather, Ivan's teary eyes looked at Lance, and he begged, "Help me make her stay. Please. She... is leaving me." Ivan shook his head and said, "I can't lose her." He pleaded, his voice cracking with sorrow. "Please, help me convince her to stay."
When Ivan turned to her parents, the bystanders, the palace staff, and even the nobles who had gathered, hoping that someone would intervene, he found only sad and sympathetic gazes. No one dared to intrude upon the intimate struggle of a heartbreaking love story. In fact, some seemed to look at him in disgust since he was not behaving like a man right now, and this even confirmed to most of them that he didn't even deserve to sit on the foot of the throne.
Luciana sniffled and turned to look at him, her teary eyes filled with sorrow and... love. She reached up to touch his face, tracing his features with a tender touch that conveyed more than any words ever could. And then she gently reached for his hand and pressed a gentle kiss on his palm, her touch lingering as if trying to etch the memory of her warmth into his soul.
He grabbed her hand just before she could turn away again, gazing into her eyes, searching for the words that were forever lost in her silence.
She drew back her hand and turned to get into the carriage, leaving a broken Ivan staring dumbly at her.
Ivan's desperation reached a breaking point, and he grabbed a dagger from Lance's belt, holding it to his own throat as he locked eyes with her through the open carriage window. "I will kill myself if you leave," he declared, tears blurring his vision.
In a panic, Lance tried to wrestle the dagger from Ivan's grip, but he was no match for the Prince's desperation. Ivan held the blade closer to his throat, drawing out a trickle of blood.
Luciana looked at him through tear-filled eyes. But she couldn't let his actions change her decision.
Ivan clung to the blade, his eyes pleading for her to change her mind.
She looked like she was going to start crying soon, and then her hand reached to slide the window closed, but just before it closed, Luciana looked back one last time, her eyes locking with Ivan's. In that silent exchange, they shared a lifetime of love and memories, the unspoken words of their hearts forever etched into their souls.
As the carriage carried her away from the palace, Ivan panicked and chased after it, his tears flowing freely. Lance hurriedly restrained him, calling for some guards to come take him inside.
But Ivan wouldn't be Ivan if he gave up easily. He was going to find her. He would find her. No matter what.
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