Chapter 95

• Morning came all too soon, and it was now the dreaded moment of saying goodbye. Darren stood with me and Lyle on the castle walkway overlooking the kingdom. The morning sun shined on us, and I couldn’t help but feel resentful of its arrival.
• “Protect my queen, no matter what.” Darren placed his hand on Lyle’s shoulder. He hugged his brother as I watched from a few paces away.
• “I’ll protect her.” Lyle’s emotions trembled on the edge, visible and raw, the floodgate barely holding. His blue eyes shimmered, but he kept his chin high, refusing to let the tears spill. He looked like a warrior and a child all at once, caught in the web of his devotion. “You be careful out there, alright--?” His voice slipped, leaving the sentence unfinished, the silence full of too many possibilities. He held his brother tighter, his fingers gripping into the back of his shirt.