“Why must they both be taken from me? Why must this happen to us, just when we finally found happiness?” Kevin asked, sobbing, tears streaming down his face. He looked down at the soft features of his young wife and newborn daughter, so still and cold to the touch, both having died in childbirth a less than an hour earlier.
He had been told when he came back from a hunt that his wife had gone into labor early but both had died shortly after the birth.
“Before she passed, m’lord, she told me to tell you five words: Until forever, I love you,” the young woman said.
“Thank you, Melissa. I know what she meant. Leave me be, Girl. I need time to think,” Kevin said to the girl.
“Yes, m’lord,” she curtsied, then left the room quickly, closing the heavy door as quietly as possible, leaving the 28-year old Lord Ravenwolf alone with his grief.
Kevin heard the door close and knowing he was alone, fell to the floor in tears. Once the sadness passed, the anger took over. An hour later, the anger passed, replaced by a fearful calm.
He stood next to the bed and touched his wife’s face. “Until forever, I love you, Kimberly.” He leaned down and brushing the soft auburn hair away and gently kissed her forehead, then kissed his daughter’s cheek. He then walked over to the door, grabbing his heavy cloak and throwing it over his shoulders, walked out of the bedroom. He saw his wife’s young chambermaid and spoke to her. “Take care of them; I’ll be back soon.”
“Yes, m’lord,” she said quietly as he walked past her and back outside to the stables.
He didn’t know where he was going, he didn’t care. His beloved 17-year old wife and child were dead; he never got to say goodbye.
The three riders came upon him suddenly, causing his horse to rear and throw him. He hit the ground and rolled, coming up in a crouch, his sword drawn in his left hand and ready. He took one man down quickly and continued to fight the other two but tired quickly. He was emotionally exhausted; he thought, ‘I can’t live without you, Kimberly; forever has come sooner than you expected’ and dropped his sword.
He felt a brief moment of pain before he hit the ground and all went black.
