As soon as Maxim left the room, Zordan stood by the window side for a while and blankly gazed outside with a heavy sigh. The mild night breeze was blowing the long silk drapes as it entered through the windows, accompanied by soft cherry blossom petals. A heavy stillness filled the room inside and slowly, Zordan turned his gaze around towards the sleeping beauty.
With slow and steady footsteps, he reached Gabriel close and took a seat next to her on a chair beside the bed. While gazing at her pale face, his dark onyx eyes grew a bit teary. He lifted his warm big hand and caressed her cheek which felt a little cold as he touched it.
She has been always the warm ball of sunshine of his life and now, watching her lying cold and pale in front of him like a life-less maiden, his agony was aggravated.
“Gabriel…” Slowly, he lifted his palm down and held her arm tenderly. A drop of his tear fell down on their hand lock as he leaned his guilty eyes down from her, “I am sorry…I am sorry for every pain that I have caused you. I am sorry for ruining everything…I am sorry for forcing you into this marriage but…that was the only choice I was left with to keep you by my side.
I…I just wanted to make you smile always…but look at me, I have become the grave reason behind your misery. I know you must detest me now from the core of your heart but please…drive out your anger on me. Don’t keep it all to yourself…don’t push yourself so much to the point of collapsing.
Y-You know…my heart hurts so much to see you like this…” Tears uncontrollably streamed down his cheeks as he held her soft hand tight, confessing his emotions to her. “You probably don’t even remember the day we first met when we were little… I was lonely and cold on that day, it was my mother’s funeral. Yet…with you, I felt a strange warmth thriving inside me.
I have always wanted to keep you by my side…When I heard you broke off your engagement with Marcus and ran away from our pack, can you imagine how miserable I felt? Just the thought of losing you forever scared me to death…I couldn’t imagine a life anymore where I won’t get a glimpse of your smile.
Y-You were the only reason for my life…Gabriel.”
His voice sounded like a pained whimper as tears fell down on the grip of his shivering hand. He softly rubbed her cold hands to share his warmth with her and lifted his grim eyes up to stare into her.
“I know it was wrong of me to keep a secret watch over you all the time you were staying with the Melhood family, but…I was helpless. Just by watching you smiling with them…Just watching you from afar was enough to give me a reason to keep on living. And the day you returned back, I thought fate was finally merciful towards me after a long yearning period and I vowed to myself to win over your heart. And when I realized you were softening towards me, can you imagine my happiness? I was over cloud nine!
For me…it has been always you or no one else, Gabriel.
But…I was wrong again…” A painful urge of tears rolled deep in his throat as he pursed his lips, trying to suppress himself from crying out aloud. “The people I love…The people I treasure…always end up miserable around me. I guess it must be a never-ending curse of my life. I know, I am not a bright person like you. I have this void of darkness and emptiness as a hole dug deep in my heart, but…
I…I can’t give you up, Gabriel. I am sorry but…can you hold it just a bit longer? You don’t have to torment yourself in agony like this…
When everything’s over and when you hear the entire truth…I will leave the decision up to you if you still wish to be with me or not… And if you choose to leave me, I promise, I won’t stop you… But, I do hope…that my death comes first before watching you walk away from me Gabriel.”
A pained small smile curved on his soft lips as Zordan peered a sad gaze at her. Moreover, he placed a soft peck on her hand and leaned his forehead over it, “But until then, stay by my side. I know my decision will put you in danger from now on…Not only me but also you will be targeted by evil gazes, but, I will protect you with my everything.
I love you, Gabriel…I really love you and…I…I have loved you for a long time already. But, can I ask for your forgiveness one last time before doing something without your consent?”
As soon as he murmured, Zordan lifted his head up and the color of his big onyx eyes had transformed into dazzling bright red!
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