137 “The Past: Failed To Protect”
[This chapter starts from the past when Eleanora meet Alexander for the last time in prison]
‘I love you, Daddy’
Eleanora spoke as she turned away and Sir Charles led the way for her to walk towards the trial ground.
She had to walk by her own to face her own death..
Her feet was hesitant, but she still had to drag her feet to reach her hell...
Alexander kept staring at her slender back and week body with tear filled eyes.
Just how much courage she has to face this.
Also she is not alone...
‘Really, she is exactly like her mother.’
.....
A guilty smile was seen on Alexander’s face as he thought of the past.
Eunicelia sacrificed herself and sent Eleanora away to save her, where now that same Eleanora is going to accompany her child to death.
So that they don’t suffer.
‘Why did i wait untill now?’
‘Why didn’t i came back earlier and take her away from this hell of her life?’
‘Only if i had embraced her into my arms after Lia died… instead of turning away from her as a coward.’
‘Only if i had said it wasn’t her fault, i don’t blame her but me, who failed to protect them…’
‘I failed to perform my both responsibility. I couldn’t protect my wife as a husband and i couldn’t even save my daughter as a father.’
Alexander still remember the day when Eunicelia died.. It was a normal day like the other days.
He woke up early in the morning and glanced at the two lady’s sleeping peacefully beside him.
Although Eleanora is already six and have her own room, but still she will come into their bedroom at midnight with the excuse of stomach ache to sleep with us.
Both of her parents knew it was only an excuse as she liked to sleep with them.
Eleanora had his silver hair and blue eyes, but she looked more like her mother, Eunicelia.
Even both of their sleeping face was the same.
Alexander kissed Ele’s forehead before he moved to plant a soft kiss on Eunicelia’s lips.
Eunicelia opened her eyes slightly and gave him a warm smile.
“Good Morning, Love.”
She spoke before starting to rub her golden eyes.
“Good Morning, Pretty Lady.”
Alexander was going to give her another kiss but she pushed him back.
“What are you doing? Ele is sleeping beside us!”
She glared at him and spoke in a low voice as she proceed to get up from the bed.
But seeing that Alexander was still sitting at the edge of the bed with a sad face, she sighed and kissed him lightly before she ran away to the bathroom shyly.
She was still shy even after spending more then ten years with him.
After getting ready, Alexander suddenly got the news of a enemy attack on the border and had to leave immediately with all knights.
But he felt something was wrong, how can there be such an sudden attack?
But as it was an imperial order, he had to go.
Before leaving, Eunicelia helped Alexander get dress up and gave him a tight hug.
“Lex, You have to come back safely okay?”
She said as she wrapped her hands around his waist.
“Of course i have to come back because my pretty lady will be waiting for me to come back.”
Alexander cupped her face into his hands and kissed her forehead.
“You will always take care of Ele, love her, right?”
She looked at him and asked with an anxious gaze.
“Yes, I promise.”
Alexander did’t know why he promised her like she wasn’t going to stay with them anymore and he had to take care of their daughter from now on.
She pulled him towards her and kissed like there was no tomorrow.
Somehow Alexander was also feeling anxious and sad, instead of happiness.
She pulled back herself from his embrace as it was getting late for him to go.
She gently smiled at him as she spoke.
“I will always love you, Lex.”
“I love you too, Lia”
Alexander spoke and pulled her back into his embrace again.
“Should I not go?”
“Don’t speak nonsense…”
But Alexander still had to go.
He reluctantly left for the borders and Eunicelia stood at the doorsteps with Eleanora, who was biding him goodbye.
But as they went halfway, the scouts suddenly came back rushing.
“Duke!! We are in trouble!”
Alexander looked back at the scout knights who was sent before them.
“We have examined our destination and searched for the enemy’s location but...”
Each word they was uttering was making his heart anxious…
“There was no attack in the borders...That place is completely empty”
They were completely fooled...
There was no attack at the borders but…at the duchy!
All they need was for him and the knights to step out from the territory!
“HEAD BACK TO THE DUCHY, RIGHT NOW!”
Alexander ordered them with an anxious voice as he started to ride his horse fast.
‘No Way! Lia, Ele.. Please be safe..’
Alexander run as fast as he could, but he was still late..
When he got there, he couldn’t enter as the entrance was blocked by Eunicelia’s magic.
Alexander was shocked, horrified.
‘It’s self sacrificial magic barrier! No way..’
“LIAAAAA!!!! LIAAAA!!! Don’t do this!!!”
“Let me enter!! Liaaaa!!!!”
Alexander kept yelling and Eunicelia who was standing not far away just looked at him with a smile.
Tears kept pouring out from her eyes as she felt her heart was going to burst.
Her bright golden eyes had turned black and her face become pale.
She was trying to hold back the black magic from exploding in the ground.
If she wasn’t holding it back on the air and put up the barrier, the whole territory would blow up right at the moment it fall on the ground.
But that wasn’t important to Alexander.
How can he watch the woman he loves die in-front of him?
.....
Because she was using her holy magic attribute against dark magic!
If she kept absorbing it, she will blow up alive!
She will die!!
Her shiny golden mana surrounded her like sparkles as they slowly turned pitch black.
“Noooo...Don’t do this Liaaa... Let me in.. I can help you!!!”
“If we both absorb it... You won’t... You won’t...”
Tears kept pouring out from both of theirs eyes.
If they both absorb it together then at the worst Alexander will lose one or two of his body parts as he can absorb it more then her.
Even if he die.. It would be fine as long as she is fine.
But he can’t see her sacrifice herself right before his eyes.
Alexander kept punching the barrier to break it, use his mana against it but he just couldn’t break it.
All the knights was pulling him but he refused to move.
How can he leave and let his beloved die infront of him to save them?
Alexander rather die together then let her die alone.
“I love you, Lex… Take care of Ele.”
Then finally Eunicelia couldn’t hold it back anymore and yelled loudly as the magic blast out with a loud explosion sound.
“Captain, watch out!”
“LIAAAAA!!”
The blast was so loud and powerful that even a strong man like Alexander was blew away farther and fall back on the ground because of the explosion.
As the dust finally fall on the ground again, Infront of him was nothing but dust and shiny golden sparkle drops.
“Lia...”
Alexander murmured her name as he couldn’t believe it.
She sacrificed herself to protect everyone where he failed to protect his love...