I Cannot Love You

Raiden finally showed emotion, though it was more of a scrunched face in near disgust, or possibly amusement? 

"A date?" He had to repeat what she told him out loud to be sure he heard her correctly. After all, she did just catch him with his cock deep inside the throat of another woman; a servant no less. 

"Did I stutter?" She stuck her tongue out at him as a childish tease. "Sex isn't everything to a relationship, no? So, I'll kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Tour the kingdoms and see how they're running, and date the prince while I'm at it to find the best suitor." 

He looked at her, confused. Out of all the princes, why did it have to be him to start this new experiment of hers? 

"Is it too much to ask?" Lola's voice lowered in a bit of embarrassment when he still hadn't given her an answer. Her heart was beating and she almost felt nauseous. 

Great, she thought to herself, whether it be Luna or Lola, I have rejection problems. 

"No, not at all," Raiden's deep, intimidating voice finally answered. "And I actually have a place we can go to. It'll benefit the entire kingdom if we were to go." 

"Then let's keep it a surprise? Make it the grand finale of our tour." 

Raiden began to approach her where she awaited near the doors of his tiny balcony. "Let's get going before the sun sets." 

"After you, then." Lola stepped to the side to allow him to pass onto the balcony. 

As he passed, a faint hint of desire entered his nose, and he forgot all about his lover. It was like he was in a trance, though still conscious. 

As he walked to the end of his small, 40-foot-long balcony, he peered down to the castle grounds below; his view being of the castle gardens. 

The garden of the castle was magnificent, both in size and beauty. It stretched half the grounds, and had a vast variety of flowers; though they favored green. Statues of Kitare and the previous heirs before Raiden lined the path into the garden itself; Kitare was the first statue at the entrance and the only one made entirely of emeralds. 

Nearly all were failures. He scoffed to himself. Then he peered down below, and saw Seraphina staring up at his balcony, tears in her eyes. When their eyes met, his expression softened as the memories of their love began to break through his conscious trance. 

"Raiden?" Lola asked him, as she joined him at the balcony. She looked down to where his gaze was and saw the servant of before. "You really do love her, huh?" 

"Love!?" Raiden snapped, stepping away and summoning his wings in a failed attempt to appear angry. "I love no one." 

Lola looked at him with a brow raised in humor, a smirk following. "You absolutely do not love her?" She crossed her arms. 

"No." 

"Then kill her?" Lola wasn't sure what she actually wanted him to do, though. She felt her earthly morality take a hard shift towards one more fit for this world. 

He glared at her, speechless, his brows scrunched down, and his mouth in a scowl with rage. "Fine." 

Before Lola could say anything more, he took off in an instance before landing directly behind Seraphina. 

Lola watched as he picked her up into a princess hold then stared directly into the princess's eyes above him. 

As the servant tucked herself into him, he took off into the sky, disappearing into the clouds above. 

She wanted to know what he was going to do, but she figured she would tour the kingdom herself. If the citizens were willing to already welcome her, then she should have no issue going on without him. She also knew he would be back for her. With or without the servant. 

She summoned her wings before taking off herself and making her way to just outside the castle's metal, double door gate. If she wanted to get the entire experience, she figured she'd start from the very beginning. 

Lola felt giddy. A dream of her past self, as with many when they were a child. 

To be a princess, wanted by a prince, and to be loved by many. 

She began to walk gracefully into the city, excited for what she may see. 

------------ 

"What's wrong, my King?" Seraphina's soft voice ask Raiden as he soared through the sky, high above the fluffy white clouds. 

Without looking at her, he replied with sorrow filling his words, "I need to save you." 

"What do you mean? 

"To be King, I need to be chosen; to be chosen I need to be available, and I cannot be if I love you." 

"Then what are you to do, my King?" 

Raiden didn't have an answer, but the tears that began to drip upon her face were enough and she quieted herself. 

It wasn't long before Raiden finally stopped flying forward becoming upright in the sky. Seraphina shifted herself in his grip to sit up and wrap her arms around his neck. She began to kiss him, caressing his cheeks; though he stayed frozen. He wanted to force himself not to feel. 

"I love you, my King. My Raiden," she whispered as she pulled her lips from his; her voice echoing in his ears. 

Tears started to flow faster down his cheeks. "I know, Seraphina, and I love you terribly," he finally told her, a sparkle of hope appeared in her eyes with his words. 

He hastily flipped her around so he could embrace her in a hug, his arms tight around her body to keep her steady. Raiden then darted downwards, passing through the clouds and stopping a few feet past the bottom of the majority of them. 

He kept her in the hug, refusing to look at her anymore. "I cannot love you, though, if I wish to be King." 

Raiden then released his grip, and as she fell, he looked away, pretending not to hear her petrified screams of her impending doom. 

Then when he could no longer hear her, he looked down. 

He had purposely dropped her into a part of the Glass of Galion to see her one last time after her death. His tearful eyes looked away from her floating corpse as he saw a monster start to head towards her. 

Without any more hesitation, he immediately headed back to be with Lola.