you'll come back

It was hard to remember who she was before sometimes she had fallen so far from grace. One thing she hadn’t lost was her desperate need to be loved. She found it to a degree in her family, especially the young faces that surrounded her, but she needed so much more. It was easy when she was Empress, she loved that her subjects loved her, but now she had no one. No one that needed her and no one to take care of her. She wasn’t strong enough to overcome the deep pit she fell into, and as it as the days she was able to souffle through the motions were numbered. She was wasting away.

"I’ve needed you.” She whispered softly through her sobs as Iolaire held her quietly, allowing her to show the extent at which she fell. Revealing the vulnerabilities that weren’t so visible as her weakened state.

Even now Iolaire knew what she needed. The smaller woman pulled away gently, ushering her away from the blazing sun. Something Deathbelle didn’t even feel anymore. She followed with no protest, easily led away in her foggy state. They came upon a gentle brook and rocky outcropping. Iolaire always knew how to scope out the perfect place to settle down. Carefully the woman lay out both blanket and pillow and without hesitation beckoned the once Empress forward.

Iolaire would have no argument about resting here in the shade and Belle would give her none, for her only desire at that moment was being wrapped up in Iolaire’s arms. There was a warmth growing in her, it started at her shoulders as it soothed away much of the tension in her body. Dainty paws brought her to Io’s side there on the oilskin. Craving the feeling of having her close as she was reminded of a moment in time when there was no greater love than hers.

Deathbelle let Iolaire wrap her arms around her as she pulled the smaller woman to her chest. Her tears had dried up, like she had shed the sorrow of what once was and accepted this path that she had not seen before. Iolaire pulled her out of the darkness and allowed Belle to find the way to recovery. The way to life and hope. She sighed heavily into Iolaire’s dark fur as she buried her features there. "Don’t let me go.” She begged quietly, taking Iolaire as her lifeboat.

"Deathbelle & Iolaire"