Chapter 143 Live and let's die
Melissa soon began to lose consciousness, her eyes closing as she forcefully tried to keep it open as the pain from the gas dulled her senses. She held her nose and scratched her neck as the pain began to itch her from within.
She felt herself being grabbed from behind, and a small mask stuck in her nose. She relaxed as the neck stinging reduced drastically. She couldn't relax for long though, she remembered everyone else. She glanced around and discovered that the sentinels were well prepared for this and Bradsbire and his men seemed to have retreated. Beatrice was protecting Alina from a corner. She had cragged them away from the full force of the smoke and she had a cloth mask on.
She couldn't see Avalors or Ivar Clover; the Infernal. She hoped they were safe. Though she doubted someone as powerful as the Infernal will get hurt from s poison gas. The major content of the gas seemed to be wolfsbane, but it has been so diluted that it only affects the wolf once they breathe it in.
She then looked up at the person holding a mask to her nose and she met with a familiar face. It was Hashar, Beatrice's mate. He had his own face bare, he had sacrificed his own mask for her. He was going to kill himself to keep her safe. Melissa shook her head and summoned her aura round herself. She prayed it worked.
She felt the invisible rippling shield, covering her body. She then wriggled out of his grasp, yanking the mask off from her own face and stuffing on his.
He shook his head for a while, but Melissa wasn't ready to play, she held her claws to his neck with a threatening look on her face. She hadn't noticed the wolf was a part of them all day, she'd thought he guarded the sacred woods; Elden.
She smiled as he stopped resisting with the claws at his neck and thanked the gods her Aura had kept her safe from the poison entirely. She stood there for a while when a familiar swirl of darkness morphed into the room vomiting Richard. He glanced at all of them and then stretched his hand as darkness covered them all. Melissa noticed how he hadn't been affected by the gas at all.
He stretched his hand and the darkness thickened pulling them all in and they all got pulled into the throne room.
Melissa bent down immediately and checked Hashar's heart beat, she relaxed when she discovered it was still beating. She put her head away and she sensed Richard's glare behind her. She didn't need to sense his emotions to know he was fuming. She turned to him with the same sense of fury. She didn't care what he had to say, she knew she had chosen the right move.
"What?" She asked.
He scoffed and shook his head. "Look, I am going to have to put this right in front of you now. You are a queen, a leader, you are not a superhero," he started.
"So what was I supposed to do, just let people die on my watch?" She asked. "Just because you are not so considerate about life doesn't mean I can do the same. I don't wanna listen to the same nonsense all day long. This is how I choose to rule, you are either with it or not,"she replied firmly.
"I am not," he said and then he turned around.
For a few seconds she watched him go, but she knew if he walked out the door they wouldn't clear this up. "Is it so bad that I care for people?" She asked.
Richard turned, exhaled and walked back to her. "Look… caring about people is not my problem, I don't care that much but that is me. You… you are willing to throw your life away for any average person that walks by," he said.
"I do not see my life greater than theirs," she replied reluctantly.
"See! That is my issue. Your life is greater," Richard said.
"No it is not, just because I was fortunate to be born in a royal family doesn't make me better than everyone else. Everyone deserves to live and as their leader, I am willing to give my life to ensure that happens," everyone's gaze was fixated on them now.
"Then what?" Richard asked.
"I do not understand the question?"
"After you've given your life up… then what?" he asked. "What will happen to them the next day… the next week… the next month?" He looked her in the eyes. "You do not understand the gravity of your role. You are a ruler . You lead by inspiration. You die, everything else crumbles. Look around you. Everyone is looking up to you. Imagine you died today saving the life of someone who tried to kill you, who will they look up to. Who will keep protecting them?" Richard asked in annoyance. "You want to die… fine, your choice, but don't pull me in with you."
Melissa paused, half of what he'd said had made sense, but she knew she still felt a turmoil in her heart, she can't watch people die, that is just it. "I couldn't watch her die today, okay? You could help her… a probability. I could feel the pain she was in throughout. I am not stressing this, but it is difficult for me to feel someone's life run out," she said.
Richard exhaled. "Look, I am not talking about today. What you did was a good thing. It is the eagerness I don't like. It is like you are trying to throw your life away as some sort of penance.," he said. "You are a good person, a good leader in fact and that is why we cannot afford to lose you. That is why I can't afford to lose you,"he stopped talking and for a second they just stared at each other, looking into each other's eyes before he closed in and buried his mouth in hers.
The entire hall made a mumbling sound and Melissa wasn't even a bit reluctant, she kissed him back, wrapping her hand around his neck. They broke off after a while and Richard turned away. "Where are you going?"
"To override the lockdown and also find Ivar and Avalor," he said