The Daughters of Merlin

Two months passed by and Grace’s health deteriorated with each and every passing day. She became unbearably skinny from barely eating anything, and most days she could barely get herself out of bed. With the passing of her daughter it seemed that Grace had lost the will to live.

Grace knew for a fact that Lilith was dead. Zana told her as much, and Grace could no longer feel her presence. But it didn’t matter anymore. Laria was gone and dead, and Grace had failed to protect her.

Making sure not to wake Virgil, Grace crept out of their bed and walked outside to the balcony. They had a half moon, and the stars were out shining brightly in the sky.

Grace could still feel the weight of her daughter in her arms, the soft touch of her lips when Laria kissed her cheek. Grace could still see her daughter’s beautiful smile, showing off the dimples in her tan cheeks.

As Grace stood on the balcony, she looked over towards the forest, faintly recalling her daughter’s scream of terror as she had fallen over that cliff. A tear fell down Grace’s cheek as she recalled the state that she had found her baby girl in.

Grace wondered what had been going through Laria’s mind as she had plummeted to her death. Had the little girl known what was happening? Did she know that she was going to die? Did she think that Grace would come to save her? Was she angry at her mother for not protecting her as she lay there dying? Did she feel any pain as she hit the ground below?

Grace didn’t exactly recall climbing onto the top of the stone railing of the balcony, but when she opened her eyes after blinking a few tears away, she found herself balancing on top of it. With an unnatural sense of calm, Grace tilted her head down and looked at the stone cobble street which lay more than eight stories below her.

Grace received a brief image of herself laying on the street just like Laria, a puddle of blood surrounding her body and staining the white nightgown she currently wore. Grace wondered what Virgil and Zana would think.

Grace knew they would be devastated, but they would keep going. Virgil had to rule Camelot. Eventually he would move on and marry a proper princess, someone who was a regular mortal. Zana would stay to protect the kingdom and she would live for Valia, or at least, that’s what Grace told herself.

Grace had tried so hard to move on from the pain and torment that Morgana had inflicted on her life, but in the end it seemed that the Wicked Witch had won.

“Creator forgive me.” Grace said, raising her head to look up at the stars as a tear fell down her cheek before looking back down at the street below her.

Virgil rolled over in his sleep, subconsciously reaching over to wrap his arm around Grace. Instead, his arm fell against the mattress itself, causing Virgil to open his eyes. He looked at the empty mattress confused.

Virgil sat up, examining the room for any signs of his wife when he noticed something on the balcony. A breeze came through and blew the curtains back, giving the King a clear view of his wife who was just climbing onto the balcony.

Virgil wanted to say Grace’s name but the words died in his throat. He climbed out of the bed, walking over to the balcony. He waited anxiously as Grace stood up, looking down at the street.

But Virgil knew as soon as the words left Grace’s lips that she was going to jump. And he knew he couldn’t lose her.

As Grace took a step out into open air, Virgil ran forward towards her. He barely reached Grace in time to grab ahold of both of her wrists, ramming his gut against the stone and knocking the breath out of himself but he didn’t dare let go of her.

Grace cried out slightly as she felt her shoulder nearly pulled out of its socket. She opened her eyes and then she raised her head to see her husband looking at her worriedly.

Virgil gritted his teeth as he began to lean back, pulling Grace back up and onto the balcony, helping her over the railing. Once Grace was safely over, Virgil went to wrap his arms around her to hug her but Grace pushed him away, crossing her arms over her chest as she frowned, her eyes on the ground as she leaned her back against the railing.

“Don’t touch me.” Grace said.

Virgil looked at Grace stunned. Then he groaned in frustration, running his hands through his hair angrily as he shook his head in disbelief. “Really?! You’re going to be mad at me?!”

“You should have let me die.” Grace replied quietly, refusing to look at him.

Virgil pursed his lips, pulling at his hair as he closed his eyes. Then he opened them, throwing his hands up into the air in defeat. “You know what? Fine. Fine! Go ahead! Jump! I won’t stop you this time!”

Grace looked at Virgil surprised and then confused, wondering if he really meant it. “Then why save me?”

“Really?” Virgil looked at her incredulously before laughing, though it sounded more like a mix of a laugh, shout, and a cry, so he sounded almost psychotic. “That’s like asking why I married you. Damn it, Grace, I love you! Despite everything you’ve done, I still love you and need you but you can’t seem to wrap your head around this! I’m sick and tired of keeping all these secrets just to protect you! Zana doesn’t realize that it’s just destroying me! How am I supposed to comfort you when you don’t even know everything?!”

Virgil came to stand in front of Grace. “Have you ever thought of anyone but yourself? Have you ever thought that I might just need you as much or more than you need me? That it destroys me to see you physically and mentally hurt yourself again and again everyday?”

Virgil sighed in defeat, sinking to his knees in front of his wife, hanging in his head in defeat, bunching her white dress up in his fists as he lowered his voice. “Father always said a good king puts other people’s needs, especially his own people, before his own. I guess I’m a sad excuse for a King, not too mention a husband and most of all, a father.”

Grace bit her lip, tears gathering in her eyes as her own heart broke to hear him utter the words that had been running through her head, the same words that had driven her to almost take her life. Grace gently lowered herself to her knees so that she was kneeling in front of Virgil.

Virgil looked up at her, tears shining in his brown eyes, a tear successfully falling down his cheek. “Tell me what I did wrong, Angel . . . What did . . . What can I do?”

“N-nothing.” Grace replied quietly, to which Virgil covered his face with his hands. Grace pulled his hands away, making him look at her once again. “But you aren’t a bad King, nor a bad husband, let alone a bad father. There was nothing you could have done to save Laria. Morgana’s magic was far too strong.”

“So, then why do you keep beating yourself up over it?” Virgil asked.

Grace bit her lip, a tear falling down her cheek as she finally realized the truth. “I don’t know. I feel like I should have been able to save her. If only I hadn’t looked away . . .” Grace broke down crying.

Virgil cupped her face in his hands, leaning his forehead against hers. “But who’s to say that Morgana wouldn’t have found another time? She waited three years.”

“I’m sorry, Virgil.” Grace said. “I’m sorry for letting all this happen. For not talking to you.”

“Oh, Angel.” Virgil said, smiling sadly at her. He gently wiped away her tears before kissing her to which she kissed him back.