"Cora wake up!"
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qP0QgnpHf
The blonde was awoken by a familiar voice followed by a loud beeping sound.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLECpzjTYKy
"I always believed you'd be able to defeat the King of Shadows and I was right," her grandmother boasted.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nP7S4Yggj
Cora wondered if her ears deceived her. "But I wasn't really the one who defeated him technically it was Scarlet and the Tibicenas," She argued.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AJnqtfBBy
"Maybe the Tibicenas delivered the final blow, but everything was made possible by you,"
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlBe5O6mIy
Cora raised an eyebrow in confusion.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC2LsyN6K7o
"You're the one who brought all these people together. You're the one who inspires the people in your life to become someone better. Not to mention you tamed the Blood King. What I'm trying to say is I love you and I'm so proud of you."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeXLJblbQc3
She couldn't control the tears rolling down her cheeks somehow she knew this would the last time they ever spoke. "I love you too."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Mi3BBbTch
"It's time for you to go. They need you back."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKxPBGJ1Lt
Her sapphire eyes shot open. She was lying in a bed that wasn't her own. The steady beeping continued. Her body ached as she sat up. Her abdomen was wrapped in thick bandages, suddenly all the memories of the previous night came flooding back to her. She got stabbed! The steady beeping persisted to aggravate her. She realized the noise was coming from the heart beat monitor she was hooked up to. She glanced out the window and sure enough all of the dark clouds had cleared and all she could see was clear blue sky. She let out a long sigh hoping it would ease the pain.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9nBKp9FKPF
A nurse popped into to the room and beamed when she realized Cora was awake. She proceeded to ask Cora a bunch of questions, most of which Cora answered to the best of her abilities even though she was still pretty out of it. Then the nurse ran out of the room and returned with her parents.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ucizy4zT5
"What the hell were you thinking?" her mother exclaimed with teardrops in her eyes. "You could've been killed out there!"
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMuSDO9pf7
Cora scoured through her mind looking for the right words to comfort her mother, but none came to her. "I'm sorry." Were the only words she managed to utter.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyppujY6RG0
Her father tightly wrapped his arms around her. "I know I should be furious right now, but I'm just so happy you're alive," he whispered in her ear.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPEIsp06FiY
"What happened?" Cora asked wearily.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvcFLoYfvj
"You were stabbed!"
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7hSN6gQQe5
"What happened after that?"
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvK1rhT3Xra
"Your friend, I think her name was Val, called the authorities saying something about an evil wizard disguised as the prince," her father explained. "They assumed this was some kind of prank, but decided to send a few men down there just in case, and sure enough there he was. They saw him stab you from the far side of the arena, but couldn't stop him from hurting you in time. They brought you to the hospital and took him into custody."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk428Bs0okz
"How long have I been unconscious?"
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡre5MykEnMJ
"They rushed you into surgery about six hours ago and you've been out since."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUqIJd8aKo
She let out a long yawn.This entire experience had exhausted her and right now all she wanted to do was fall fast asleep.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRxk1WcMZ0
"Enough talk about that," her father tried to change the subject. "Do you want me to get you some tea?"
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT6ZqyerjIL
The thought of tea made her stomach churn. "No thanks, I'll have a hot chocolate, please."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakgcsSdfRx
After her parents left, she napped for the rest of the afternoon. She felt much better apart from the stabbing pain in her gut. She needed a distraction. She turned on the tv.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXeGa65cG9P
"This just in: DNA testing proves that our beloved Prince Lyon has been replaced by a look alike. The police have taken the perpetrator into custody for identity theft and violently attacking a young woman named Coraline Bowman. The victim is currently recovering at Clearview General Hospital. Thessionia's finest warriors are searching for our lost prince. The question on everyone's mind is, what does this mean for the monarchy?"
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSRFHGerht
That was an excellent question and one she didn't have an answer to. What would happen now? For some reason her heart broke just thinking about Price Lyon. She never knew him, not the real version of him anyway, but she still mourned the loss of him. She switched off the tv and rolled over trying to fall back to sleep.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpaHkuj8W4
A loud knock sounded from the door and Val, Zyler and Ray promptly entered the room.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRRmpFry7B
"Hey," she said with what little the enthusiasm she could muster. It's not that she wasn't happy to have company, she was just flooded with emotions at the moment and didn't know how to cope with them.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsI6xfS71R
"I thought you'd be more enthusiastic considering we just defeated the King of Shadows and all," Zyler pointed out.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJFrBqhhz9
Cora rubbed her eyes. "I'm tired, that's all."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAHcO2mJ9x2
"Perhaps these will make you feel better." Val handed her a box of chocolates. "I'm really sorry I didn't stay for the final fight. I didn't think I'd be of much use on the battlefield so I decided to go fetch the authorities instead."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtL61ubVTC
"Don't apologize, I probably wouldn't have made it out alive if help arrived any later."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDP4807PTH
"I've got BIG news for you guys!" Zyler pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket and proudly showed it off. "The Thesonian Guild Association heard about our work taking down the King of Shadows and they want to make us an official guild." Sure enough, the paperwork in his hands was legitimate.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOiuUbMuEN
Cora ran her fingers over the emblem stamped on the papers. "Are you serious?"
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3M2Z7e3HB4
"Of course I'm serious!"
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIa4b1NlvjB
Cora forced a small smile.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsdGqc9Xlav
"Are you not excited?" Val asked.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLDIeclrjm
"I am excited, but I'm just kind of upset at the moment."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFRHu56h7x
"What's wrong?" Ray asked. This was the first time he had spoken since he entered the room.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCmXoF5Ve11
"The King of Shadows has taken so much away from everyone and so many people have died by his hands. I'm so unsure of what will happen next. Since Prince Lyon is dead there's no heir to the throne." Cora said defeatedly.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95wpDtdlXy
"Maybe he had a long lost relative or something." Zyler suggested.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1vrAIGdmu
Val quickly checked her phone. "Zyler and I have a meeting with the Prestige Program's science division about some new ideas I've been working on," She set the papers from the Guild Association down next to Cora. The top page contained the signatures of Scarlet, Val and Zyler. "If you decide to join all you have to do is sign here then turn these papers into the Thesonian Guild Association if not just give them back to me."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmi70wKfFYw
Cora nodded. "I'll think about it."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡde5JfHAS2Z
Zyler and Val said there goodbyes and then promptly left the hospital room leaving Ray and Cora alone.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW88cIJAESt
Ray stood shyly in the corner of the room holding a stuffed lion with a big blue bow tied to it and a card that said. "Get well soon, Cora."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwtNmbIYdT
She pointed at the lion. "Is that for me?"
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zok9U2imp
He nodded enthusiastically and hand it to her. "You're father said you like them."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsf71iqTFej
"You talked to my dad?"
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcamp1Jovcg
"He found out I've been living in your guest house. I told him that I didn't have anywhere to live so you said I could stay there and he said any friend of yours was a friend of his. We talked for a long time and he said I could stay as long as I was willing to do chores."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzaaAQh67g5
She hugged the stuffed lion tightly. "I love it! I'm gonna name him Ray Jr."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMkvH5QDqX
Ray chuckled. "If that makes you happy. Ray Jr. it is."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTwg1Negzh
She rested her hand on top of his. "I'm happy to see you."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlN3Vy4BwN5
He kissed her forehead. "I'm happy to see you too and I want you to know no matter what happens I'll be here for you and protect you with my life, always and forever."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkHic1WMyHY
She squeezed his hand. "And I promise I'll always be by your side to comfort you and keep you sane when you feel like falling apart." She pulled him into a kiss that felt like, for a few minutes, it stopped time itself.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNAkBH3HK3
Cora made a strong recovery over the few weeks, so strong in fact she was released from the hospital sooner than previously expected.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKBtxN5mJDo
She knelt beside her grandmother in the resting grounds. The grass was soaked with dew which made her pants damp, but she didn't mind. The sky was the most vibrant shade of blue with light fluffy clouds scattered throughout. A cool summers breeze washed over her. She placed her grandmother's sword down in front of her remains. Several people had left flowers beside her to thank her for her service as a warrior. "Thank you for believing in me," Cora whispered. "I promise I'm going to make you so proud, even though, I have a feeling you already are."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjdVvgJPZc
Her grandmother rested in her case of crystal. Cora could almost feel her presence beside her and she knew she was never alone.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZY411FCxRy
She stood up and returned back to the car where Ray was waiting for her in the driver's seat. She hopped into the passenger seat beside him.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmoAK4T59mw
"Are you ready to go?" he asked.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIreLkWWdkP
Cora took one last glance towards the resting grounds then nodded.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKsCOhraSp
"Why don't we go get lunch, on me?" He asked trying to lighten the mood.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUh5APgfgs2
"Do I want to know where you got money from?"
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOkA48VECPP
"As a matter of fact a recently acquired a job at the museum," he stated proudly.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtRvEptG7x
"Seriously?"
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpKIdjXVaGn
"Well, no one knows more about the Blood King than I do, plus it's helping me catch up on everything I missed."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdsYTc5kPv
"In that case, lunch sounds wonderful," She said with enormous smile.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡri9PRw31Zw
Ray began to pull out of the parking lot.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkclIPoPwZA
"Do you remember everything I taught you about driving"
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5txGwB6bM0
"Let's hope so." Ray said with a mischievous grin.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqKqMIaqf7
Shortly afterward the couple arrived at the restaurant and Ray exited the car. He gently knocked on her window "Are you coming?"
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqJ43gLEho
"In one second," she responded raising her index finger. Cora glanced at the folded guild papers in her pocket. "Hey, can we make on more stop after this?"
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgPPPB3qbg
"Sure."
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeiZPHwJ5qr
She promptly pulled a pen out of the glove box and added her signature to the list. Then she took Ray's hand and the happy couple entered the building together.
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWpVlHMCyT
No matter what happens next Coraline Bowman will be ready for whatever life will throw at her.
ns3.20.240.115da2
