Have you been half asleep

and have you heard voices?

I heard them calling my name.

Is this the sweet sound,

That called the young sailors.

I heard it to many times to ignore it.

Something that I'm suppose to be.

Someday we'll find it.

The rainbow connection.

The lovers.

The dreamers.

And me.

~Rainbow Connection

Rest.

Rest for what I did not know.

I was dying anyway.

From one horror to the next.

My body slowly claiming me as I shut down.

One by one.

I sighed when the King came in.

The Queen had already been in, sobbing and holding me.

"I'm so glad you're back my dear."

I held her tightly, taking in her pain with mine.

Now stood the King.

Alto wouldn't leave my side, but this was a rare moment, when he had to step out to take care of matters only he could attend to.

"Fayette."

I nod, acknowledging his presence.

He sits down with a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry."

I raise my eyebrow at his words.

"I'm sorry but...thank you."

I smile, "The cure?"

He nods, "Alto didn't think it important in the moment of your rescue but Gavin had the good sense to grab it and your notes. I know you would approve. You risked your life after all to make it."

I could have been angry.

I could have yelled and told the King it was because of him that I even made those notes in the first place.

Trapped in my mind with my secrets.

But I didn't.

The truth was I was too tired.

And it was too late.

The cure was made.

There was no use in yelling now.

"Are you using it?"

He nods, "With the leader gone, the system is slowly falling apart. Another will come though, wanting to claim the power, but at least this time we know how to cut off the head."

I reflect on the reference.

It somehow suited the situation.

We sit in silence for several seconds before the King clears his throat, "I knew you would be his ruin."

I smile down at him.

"Yes."

"He won't rule if you're gone."

"I thought that's what you wanted."

The King laughs.

"What do I know of what I want. When you first came here, I thought you would change him and make him be the ruler he needed to be- and I feared it. Then I thought you would use him for power. Then I thought, that before you used him, I would use you. Now you'll be gone before you can even go through your mating ceremony."

The truth of his words hit me.

"You thought a lot about me then."

"Every angle has to be evaluated."

"Did you fear me?"

He smiles at that, "Yes. I feared what your mind could do. You had already cured. But who knew when you would create destruction instead."

I shrug at that, "I guess we'll never know what kind of Queen I would have been."

"No...and I guess I'll never know what kind of King my son would have become."

We sit in silence again before the door opens, revealing the topic of our conversation.

The King rises and gives me a small nod, "Until next time Fayette.

I smile at the hidden meaning behind his eyes, if there is a next time.

Alto watches as his father leaves before he crawls into the bed with me, wrapping his arms protectively around me.

"How is Jasmine?"

Alto rolls his eyes, "Baffled that Derek won't leave her side."

I grin at that, "he did go away to South America for a year, ignoring her."

Alto smiles down at me, "the wolf told me he did that because he had to put distance away from him and her. Or else he would claim her on the spot."

I gasp at his words, "you can't be serious." My toes curl at the thought.

"I can understand," Alto leans his head down, nuzzling the curve of my neck.

I smile.

So much things we still had to do.

So many experiences we still had left.

Time.

We had no more time.

"And Lizzy?"

I was sad that Lizzy and Jane had not visited as often as I thought.

They came during the first few days, wrapping around me and crying their pain with me as we held each other.

I had only seen them a handful of times since.

"Lizzy blames herself for the fact that we didn't find you sooner."

Alto's tone turns dark as a low growl vibrates down his chest.

"Oh."

I reach for his hand and lace our fingers together.

He sighs as he takes in the contact.

I feel his breath wash over the top of my head as he softly kisses my hair.

"My sunshine."

I smile at his words.

Just in this moment.

I lay back, resting against his warmth.

Just in this moment would I forget those red stains on my hand, and the weight of the world as it rested upon our shoulders.