Chapter 96 - Empress....

The Night came silently so did the coldness. As the emperor who was like the sun embraced his moon the empress on his arms gently, whose blood was flowing down like melted rubies.

And the tears rolled down their eyes like the pearls.

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"Your Majesty aren't you cold?" The empress asked as she touched his face which were colder then usual.

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"I am but as long as you are here I won't feel cold." The emperor said as he held her hand and gave him her warmth.

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"The emperor is as romantic as he always was. And I feel so happy for being the one who could hear his voice and be a part of his life for such long time." The empress said as she smiled with her red eyes twinkling.

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"Empress you don't even known how lucky I am to have you as my soul mate. Empress...I am glad to know that it was you." The emperor said as he touched her face and wiped the tear that rolled down her eyes.

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Alan, Irene and Ash who were watching them silently couldn't help but weep with the pain they felt in there heart.

"Why are you kids crying?" The empress asked as she called them towards her.

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"Empress we are not crying...we are just feeling a bit emotional since this year is coming to an end." Irene said as she smiled trying her best to hide her tears.

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"Hmm, you are right it's almost the end of this year...and next year everyone of you will become a year older....its sad but life and time is like this only, they never stop so keep on moving...like a rolling stone." The empress said as she touched Irene face.

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"...Yes we understand..." Irene said as she held onto both Ash and Alan's hand as both of them were trembling.

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"Thats good..." The empress said and all of a sudden Alfred appeared infront of them from thin air.

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"Alfred!" 

"Second prince?" The royal family and Irene said as they gasped at his sudden appearance.

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"Mother..." Alfred said he kneeled down to look at her.

"Why are you in this state? Mother how come you got hurt?" Alfred said as he held her hands while his eyes were about to break out in tears.

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"Alfred my son, you have grown up so well that it makes me proud for no reason...Alan and Alfred stay together forever." She said as she smiled.

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"Mother why are you taking like that...I am here...I will heal you right away!" He said as he forwarded his hands to use healing magic but it didn't work.

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"Why is it not working?" Alfred said as he tried tonuse his powers again but the empress condition didn't get any better.

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"Why...Why...is it being like this....why?" Alfred siad with desperation in his voice as he looked at his hands.

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"Second Prince please calm down." Irene said as she patted his shoulders.

"Alfred there are reasons and times where the healing magic doesn't work." Empress said as she took her hands in his as Alfred's face turned blue. So, did that of Alan, and the emperor's who knew what that mean.

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"Mother..." Alfred said as tears rolled down her eyes.

"Alfred this is my fate...my destiny you can't do anything about this." The empress said and that's when both the winter siblings understood what it meant.

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"Empress...." Irene said as she hugged Ash who was shaking and both started weeping together.

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*sigh* "Its my last moment here and yet everyone is crying it makes me sad...Please don't cry...and Lady winter...*calls her close* please look after everyone for me..." She said the last part only audible to Irene as she touched her head.

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"Empress...I promise to do as you said.." Irene said as she held her hands as she wiped her tears.

"Thank you..." The empress said as she smiled at then looked at the sky as her whole life came before her life.

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The first step she took, the first time she saw herself on the mirror smiling, when she meet her first best friend, when she meet the flirty prince (I.e the emperor), when she had her first fight along side him, the time he proposed her and the feelings she had back then, when she accepted him and his face. Her first date, her marriage day and his majesty teary face, the princes birth, the first time they walked, the first time they called her mom and dad everything passed through her eyes.

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'I was blessed wasn't I...Mellisa I fulfilled our promise...my part is done, now it's all on their hands..' The empress thought in her mind as her eyes got heavier.

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And the voices as well as the faces around her started to get fainter and blurrier.

"Mother!!"

"Aurora.." 

"Empress!" Everyone of them called for her but no reply came back. 

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" Your Majesty..." She said in a faint voice as her hands searched for him.

"Yes Aurora say it..." The emperor said as he held her hand.

"Thank you for everything...*has difficulty in breathing* and I...I...love...you..." The empress said as she looked at him for the last time and her grip on his hand loosened all of a sudden. At that moment it felt as if the world has stopped for a second.

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The empress eyes closed as snow slowly started to fall...a complete silence filled the atmosphere which only broke when Alfred broke down in tears.

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"Mother!!!" He screamed on top of his lungs as he felt as if his heart was being teared apart.

The memories of him being with the empress which were still fresh in his mind flashed upon his inward eye.

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"Aurora..." The emperor who never struggled in anything was now not at all aware of what he should do or feel cuz all he felt was empty.

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"The empress is no longer...please come back to your senses!" Irene said as she shook the emperor and Alan who weren't saying anything.

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"Don't say that!" Alan said as he snapped back at Irene. Making her fall on the ground and hitting the spot where she got hurt earlier.

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"She will wake up soon...she is not de..she is not.." Alan said as he held on to her hand.

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"Prince please come back to senses...she is gone..." She said as she approached him again.

But he didn't respond and declined to hear anything she wanted to say.

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"Your Majesty please listen to me...we need to take her back to the palace..." Irene said as she looked at the emperor who looked at her and then at the empress.

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"She needs to go to the palace..." The emperor said as he picked her body in bridal style and walked towards the exist.

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"Mother!!" Alan and Alfred said as they ran towards them.

"Emperor! Ash let's go.." Irene said as she held ash hand was was silent for long time and he wasn't even blinking.

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"Ash brother....let's go..." Irene said as she touched her head and then he started walking thoughtlessly.

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The emperor walked form the outskirts to the capital on foot without stopping even for a second, the snow covered the far fetched lands and the coldness almost killed Irene's leg but without a complain she followed them.

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As they reached the capital everyone be it commoner or noble everyone was standing on the Pavillion waiting for their return not having any idea of the fact that the empress who cared for them, the empress who was like a motherly hand on them has now become one with nature.

A body which is lifeless and without any divine power.

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People were shocked to see them like that and they had no idea if they should morn or not until his holiness appeared on that place in thin air.

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"The holy soul and the looker of all the saintness has taken her last breath...everyone now can morn. And bid their last Goodbye to this body which will disappear within 24 hours." His Holinesss said to the people who gasped and started crying like there is no tomorrow...and ironically this tears were true so we're the feelings they had for their kind empress.

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"The emperor as well as the princes please proceed to the palace so we can get ready for the last rituals." His Holiness said as he bowed towards them. And with a snap all of them disappeared or more like teleporated to the palace.

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"Irene Ash!!" Lord Winter said as he came running towards him from the same path were they came from.

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"Father!" Both of them said as they hugged him tightly and Ash just collapsed on his arms.

"Ash!" Irene said as she looked at him with worried eyes.

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"Don't worry he is just exhausted...and Irene I am proud of you for being strong till the end. And I am glad to see you two once again.." Lord Winter said as he hugged her and a tear rolled down his eyes with a breath of relieve left his lips.