Chapter 184
Chapter 184
Alexander’s POV
I could barely process all the information that was thrown at me all at once. But one thing definitely stood out. And it was the fact that Renee was prepared to die to bring me back. I woke up, only to see her dying. It was beyond shocking. And although she survived, I still couldn’t bring myself to understand why she would do something like that for me.
I let out a stressed breath as I ran a hand over my face.
“You let her decide to do something like that?” I asked, facing Dylan.
Admittedly, there was a bit of blame in the statement.
“I tried. It was either letting her do it with my support or letting her do it and feel all alone. There was nothing I could do, Alex. She was falling apart and there was no way I was letting her face something like that alone” he explained and I bit my bottom lip.
“Thank you” I whispered.
I was genuinely so lost. I didn’t know what to do or say.
“She’s alive, and that’s what matters” My mother said and I turned to her.
Her voice shook as she looked at me.
“Alexander…” she trailed off, her eyes growing wet.
Uh oh.
“Uhhh, we should get going,” Dylan said, catching on quickly.
“Thank you guys. For everything” I said, referring to him and Emma. They both smiled at me.
“I’m glad you’re okay” Dylan said, giving me a look that promised we would talk later.
“Me too. Take care of yourself, you really need to rest before you move around anyhow” Emma said and I cracked a smile.
“Okay, nurse. Noted ma’am” I said and she rolled her eyes, before tugging on Dylan’s shirt.
“Right! I almost forgot…” Dylan trailed off, suddenly reaching into his pocket, before retrieving an envelope, “She asked me to give you this… just in case…”
“Oh” I said as I reluctantly collected it.
“Thanks”
We said our goodbyes and it was just my mother and I left.
She moved closer to me on the bed and pulled me into a hug.
I wrapped my hands around her. I couldn’t imagine how she must have felt, how scared she must have been…
“I thought I lost you,”she whispered and her shoulders shook. She was crying.
My heart ached.
“I thought you were going to leave me too” she said as she hugged me even tighter, and I felt my eyes grow wet. I hated seeing her like this. I just knew it must have felt like my father dying all over again.
“I’m sorry I scared you, mom.” I said softly.
She pulled back, a sad smile on her face.
I wiped her tears away.
“Stop crying now, I promise I’m okay” I said, assuredly.
She cupped my cheeks and searched my eyes, as if to check that I really was fine, before she finally sighed and kissed my forehead.
“I love you so much” she whispered and I chuckled.
“I thought you loved chocolates more” I teased, recalling the one time she pulled my legs, saying she loved chocolates more than me.
She swatted my arm and laughed playfully, sniffing in the process.
There we go. The mind blowing smile.
“I love you too mom. Always” I said softly and she smiled.
Renee groaned and turned in her sleep and we reflexively turned to her.
My mom smiled and squeezed my hands tightly. “She’s one of the best decisions you’ve ever made”
I nodded.
“I know,” I said, smiling at her sleeping figure. I was getting distracted, when my mom’s voice grounded me.
“Great! Now I’m craving chocolates. I wonder why” she said, her tone tinted with a hint of sarcasm.
I rolled my eyes playfully, as she jumped on her feet.
Just like that, she left like a happy toddler, like she didn’t just break down in front of me.
My focus shifted to the envelope in my hands.
At the bottom corner, in a tiny writing, “To King Alexander” was scrawled there. I chuckled softly.
It was such a Renée thing. I opened it and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
I unfolded it and started reading. I could almost hear her voice in my head.
“Alexander,
My Love, My King, My Everything,
If you’re reading this, it means I no longer get to stand beside you in the way I dreamed I would. I wish I could have stayed, wish we had all the years I imagined, mornings filled with laughter, quiet evenings where even silence feels like music. But life had other plans, and if my choice has brought you another chance, then it was worth everything.
In hindsight, I realized I never actually told you how much you mean to me, which sucks, but it's better late than never.
Loving you has been the most beautiful part of my life. Every smile you give me, every touch, every kiss, every moment, they are woven into me so deeply that even death cannot tear them away.
You are the love I searched for, the one my soul recognized before my heart even understood. I was yours the first time you looked at me, and I will remain yours long after my last breath. I will always love you.
Alexander, I'm so proud of you. You came a long way to get here but you never gave up, and you finally made it. Know that I was proud to be your Luna, even if it was only for a short while. Proud to stand beside you, to belong to you, to be the one you chose.
The throne is yours again, my love, and I know you will rule with the same honor, wisdom, and compassion that once shaped your father’s reign. But remember, even a king deserves to live, to laugh, to love, and to be loved. Rule for them, yes, but live for yourself too. For us.
Please don’t let my absence chain you to sorrow. Grieve if you must, but then live. Truly live and let your heart be brave enough to love once more. That would honor me more than anything else you could do.
I will always be with you, not as a shadow, not as a ghost, but as the echo of love that will never fade. And though I cannot walk the rest of the road by your side, I hope you’ll walk it fully. For both of us.
Thank you for loving me.
I love you, baby.
With all that I am,
Your Puppet.”
By the time I was done, I was in tears, my hands shook in fear, my heart filled with sadness.
Fear that I really could have lost her and sadness because she actually sacrificed herself for me.
I wasn't even worth it.
After managing to calm myself, I shifted my focus back to her. I sighed before moving closer to her and wrapping my hands around her waist, softly pulling her closer, my eyes trained on the drip attached to her hand.
She groaned softly and started to murmur.
“Alex…”she said, followed by a bunch of gibberish.
I smiled in amusement. She was so adorable.
She called my name again and this time, I answered.
“Yes love?”
The smile on my face dropped as soon as I saw a lone tear fall down the corner of her eyes.
“Please don’t die” She whispered and my heart shattered into tiny pieces, as a soft sigh left my lips.
“I won’t” I whispered back as I wiped the tear away and kissed her forehead.
A few seconds passed before she suddenly sat up, startling me in the process.
I immediately sat up too and touched her shoulder softly.
‘Hey… are you okay?” I asked and she jumped, startled from hearing my voice.
She turned to me, her eyes bulging like she had seen a ghost.
Her head cocked to the side in confusion, before her lips fell apart in shock.
A gasp left her lips.
“No, no, no! You died too?” she asked, completely shaken to the core.
“No, I-” she didn’t let me speak.
“I tried everything, how could it not work?!” she looked horrified as she started to cry.
“I’m so sorry” she whispered and buried her head in her hands.
Goddess, I didn’t even know what to say.
I just pulled her into a tight hug and tried soothing her.
“Renee, I’m not dead” I said and she froze before pushing me back lightly, her eyes searching mine for answers to the endless questions probably swimming in her head.
“And neither are you” I added and I watched as it slowly dawned on her.
She grabbed me, instantly raising my shirt and checking my chest. Her fingers traced the spot I had gotten hit. She was so fixated on it, it was almost amusing.
Then, I heard sniffing.
“I- I can’t believe it… I just- It worked” she whispered as she looked at my face again. She grabbed my face, inspecting it as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“You did it, it worked” I said, reassuring her that she really did save my life.
She sighed in relief, like all her worries had magically washed away.
“You’re alive” she said as she finally calmed down.