THE Knight's Hidden Princess
Chapter 168: I’m So Sorry Reagan

Chapter 168: I’m So Sorry Reagan

REAGAN POV

"Heather." I breathed out and for the first time in days a smile formed on my face as I stared at Heather who was approaching me and she wasn’t alone.

Beside her was Ivana and one other woman who was carrying something in her arms. The men escorted the women forward, all three of them looking like they had just crawled out of hell’s mouth. Their dresses were torn and ripped, mud and dried blood were caked all over their faces, their hair tangled and dirty, it would take two days of washing to return them back to their natural color.

Though they looked exhausted, bruised and worn out but all that matters was that they were alive. As they got closer my gaze landed on the small bundle the woman wrapped around her arms protectively, holding on to it with this fierce look in her eyes. Like she would kill anyone who dared to take the child away from her.

Poor thing must have given birth in that place all alone, so it was rightfully hers to guard with her life.

I stepped forward, my heart lurching in my chest as I stepped forward towards the women. "Heather!" I called her.

The moment her gaze found mine, I watched the way her body visibly relaxed. "Sire?" She called and without any other words, she raced forward and fell down to her knees in front of me.

I caught her before she could hit the ground, holding her as she trembled in my arms while sobbing. Ivana on the other hand went to a corner and sat down, there was a distant look in her eyes and I knew right then that she must have witnessed something terrible.

They were all tired, I understood that but I also wanted to know the most important thing.

"We found them hidden in a cave." Nikolai responded, "And Reagan there is something you need to know, there is still isn’t any sign of Dahlia."

No, no, no. I shook my head and stared down at Heather who was now sobbing uncontrollably in my arms. "Heather where’s Dahlia?" I demanded but all Heather did was just continue to sob and I was already tired of it at this point, "Gods damn it Heather, where the fuck is my wife!" I demanded harshly as I eased away from her and grip her tight by her shoulders.

Heather’s bottom lips trembled as she stared at me, "My lady....My lady...." She breathed out unable to look me in the eye but she didn’t need to because I already knew the answer already.

I just didn’t want to believe them!

"Dahlia is dead!" Ivana spoke for the first and we all whirled around to look at her but she wasn’t looking at us, "She saved us all and she thought she could save herself too but in the end it was just too much for her, she...."

"SILENCE!" I roared at her, "You lie, Dahlia can’t be dead, my wife can’t be dead."

"They attacked us from nowhere..." The strange woman spoke and I looked up at her, "We do not believe in violence and we were ready to talk things out with them. But the princess sensed it immediately and she urged us to fight. Princess Dahlia was brave to the very end, she saved a lot of lives, she saved my life and that of my sisters."

No one interrupted the woman as she spoke, we all watched her listening attentively. I stared at her, something in my chest breaking at the way she spoke and I felt a surge of anger within me as she continued to refer to my wife like someone of the past. But I forced myself to remain calm and instead listen to what is she has to say.

"She sacrificed herself for us and the...." The woman drew in a deep breath, "The draumheimiers were not merciful. They were too strong, too fast but princess Dahlia held her own to the very end."

"Stop talking."

"She ran as fast as she could but then they threw a dagger at her back, those fucking cowards." The woman ignored my command and continued to speak. "Then she got an arrow to the chest..."

"Stop talking." I commanded again.

Stop talking!

"She saved a lot of lives but she also brought one too into this world before she could leave!"

"STOP TALKING!" I yelled out loud unable to hear another word this strange woman was saying.

The sound of my voice must have startled the baby because it let out a shrill cry into the air. The sound cut through the night air like a blade. My misty gaze found their way towards the baby crying in her arms, Dahlia’s son, our son! She brought life into this world before leaving it.

My Dahlia, my sweet wife!

No way, I refuse to believe that she is dead, my wife can’t be dead!

My knees buckled and I left Heather alone. I stepped forward and went towards the woman who was trying to shush the baby. I didn’t glance twice at the baby and I just kept my gaze on the woman. "Where last did you say you saw her?"

"By the cliff." The woman answered still rocking the baby.

That was all the answer that I needed to hear. I turned around and headed straight to the cliff not bothering to wait. I could hear Nikolai and some of the men calling me but I ignored them. I walked forward, not bothering to stop, ignoring the way the branches and roots of trees slash at my arms while the forest surroundings became blurry around me.

She brought life into this world before leaving it!

Those words echoed in my mind again and again and my heart raced in my chest. I can’t lose Dahlia, I can’t.

The moon emerged from the clouds right when I stood at the cliff’s edge. The illumination gave a chill silver sheen to the jagged rocks while showing blood traces that approached the edges of the cliff.

"Dahlia..." I whispered.

"REAGAN!"

"REAGAN!"

I heard Nikolai and Killian call my name and soon enough, they were right next to me. I didn’t bother to look at them. Instead I focused on my surroundings, looking closely at the tiniest details so I could prove that my wife isn’t there.

There were blood stains on the rocks, some torn fabrics that were also crimson but there was no body.

There was no body which meant Dahlia was still alive.

"REAGAN!"

I crouched down to my knees, tracing my fingers on the floor, there were footsteps but the footsteps ended right on the edge of the cliff.

"Reagan come on."

"She’s alive, she’s alive, she has to be." I mumbled as I traced my fingers on the sand that led close to the edge of the cliff, "She’s alive, she has to be alive, she has to be!"

Nikolai came up to me and grabbed me by my shoulder and I briefly considered shrugging him off me but I just let him stay there. I needed something to ground me to this very moment because my head was still spinning from my heart that was still beating frantically in my chest which felt like it was about to explode anytime soon.

"Dahlia....Dahlia... she isn’t gone....Dahlia is right here she isn’t gone!" I said more to myself than me.

"Nikolai." Killian called.

I felt Nikolai heave a sigh before he grabbed me by my shoulders. "Come one Nikolai, let’s go."

"What?" I asked him.

Nikolai shook his head at me, "Come on Nikolai she isn’t here."

I shook my head as I shrugged him off me, "No, I refuse to believe that. She isn’t dead she is right here."

"I’m so sorry brother." Nikolai said as he tried to pull me close towards him but I shoved him away from me.

He doesn’t get to say that, he doesn’t get to say sorry. Nikolai saying that felt like he believed that Dahlia was dead. He couldn’t, he shouldn’t! Dahlia was alive, she needs to be.

"Reagan..." Nikolai tried to grab me again but I shoved him away. Nikolai wasn’t having it, he reached for me again, this time around locking his arms around me while I thrashed wildly in his arms.

"Let go!" I yelled as I thrashed around him, "Let go Nikolai."

"I’m so sorry Reagan, I am so sorry!" Nikolai said and I heard the way his voice got shaky.

With a growl, I reared my head backwards and crawled towards the edge of the cliff but before I could reach, I suddenly felt a heavy weight press against my back.

No!

"Calm down Reagan!" Killian said.

I didn’t listen, I tried to crawl towards the cliff, "No, no, Dahlia!" I said my voice hoarse, "DAHLIA!" I yelled out loud as if my voice could call her out from wherever she was hidden.

"DAHLIA!" I called into the night willing to get a response back, "DAHLIA!"

Please, just answer me, please Dahlia, I can’t do this without you! I pleaded the tears already streaming down my face again, "DAHLIA! DA_" I felt a blunt force hit my neck before darkness settled in but not before I heard a deep voice.

"I’m so sorry Reagan!"