"Mak— OW," I exclaimed and my body fell from the bed, hitting the floor. Ow, ow, ow! Why is the floor so hard?
I was in Mako's room, having just woken up after Azriel had an eventful night with Hope, leaving me sore and achy all over. Ryder and Marcus came by to wake both of us up, since Mako had training in the afternoon.
My body already hurts and she had to punch me in the chest, ugh. I slowly sat up, unsure why the room was completely silent. I looked to see Ryder and Marcus’ shocked expressions as they gawked at Mako.
I didn't understand why they were stunned. I turned to see Mako, who was curled up with a pillow in her arms, her legs now tucked in. No way...
Mako lifted her head up to stare at Ryder and Marcus. "What?" she mumbled, looking like she'd fall asleep at any second if given the chance.
"Mako…you used your legs," Ryder pointed out in astonishment.
"Huh…legs..." Mako slowly turned her attention to me as I rose from the floor with wide eyes.
"Firefly. Can you try and lift your leg?" Marcus asked.
She nodded, taking a deep breath.
I could see the fear in her eyes. I walked over to the other side of the bed, crouching down and raising my hand to press against her cheek.
"Try it, Mako love. Doesn't matter if it works or not. We'll work on it regardless, okay?" I reassured her. She needed to know that no matter what, we wouldn't stop. We'd continue working on it until she could walk just like before.
She bit her lip and nodded before closing her eyes. I gasped, as did Ryder and Marcus, when her leg lifted up and remained steady. We watched as she lowered it down and lifted it again, just like before. She lowered her leg back down and moved on to try her right side. She sat up and reached to touch her toes, her fingers trembling.
She flinched when she touched them as if she'd poked herself. "How…when…is this permanent? It's temporary, right?" she choked, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Marcus, comfort Mako. I need to inspect her legs," I ordered, beginning to assess her legs with Ryder's assistance, while Marcus walked over and sat down to pull her into his arms.
I zoned everything out, closing my eyes and letting my magic take control. I stared at her legs and smiled, blinking back tears as I realized her nerves had progressed in the healing process. They weren't perfect to the point she'd be able to walk or run for miles, but she'd be able to walk down the hall or do her normal activities without much support.
I hadn't realized the King of Heila had entered the room. I was made aware of his presence when his voice pulled me out of my assessment.
"Daniel, Ryder. Are you two done with your inspection?" he questioned after consoling Mako.
"Her nerves are definitely healing. They aren't at one hundred percent, but if Mako doesn't use them much and allows them more time to repair, they…should be back to normal," I explained. I couldn't hold back my emotion and I choked on my words.
"Normal…Daniel's gift healed me," Mako whispered with awe, sounding like she was speaking out her thoughts.
"I guess it did, sweetheart," King Arthur whispered and Mako started crying.
Watching her cry broke my heart. Even though I knew they were happy tears, I couldn't stop my own from falling as I began to sob quietly. Ryder and Marcus also had tear-filled eyes, but they kept their composure, coming over and giving me a hug and patting me on the back in celebration.
All those stressful weeks, the endless days of training and research. Even risking my life to finally be able to see everything come to fruition made me so grateful that I couldn't help my tears.
The door opened and the Queen walked into the room. She came over to Mako's side and slid her hand against her daughter’s tear-stained cheek. "Are you crying because you're happy?"
Mako nodded and stretched her arms out for a hug. The Queen pulled Mako into her arms as her father stood. I watched him approach me and within the blink of an eye, I was pulled into a warm embrace.
"Thank you," King Arthur whispered into my ear.
I could hear the relief in his trembling voice. I cried harder, but nodded into his shoulder, feeling blessed to receive thanks from one of the strongest shifters in the realm.
Ryder and Marcus excused themselves, stating through the bond that they wanted me to enjoy a private moment with Mako's parents and would check back in later.
Mako explained what happened and I informed them that Mako would need lots of rest for the nerves to heal properly. She'd lose function once in a while if she overexerted herself, but it would always return to her with rest and continued therapy.
King Arthur rose up and kissed Mako on the forehead before gesturing for me to step forward. I'd been giving them space, not wanting to intrude on their family time, but was curious what the King was going to say.
His praise was more than enough for me. What else would he have to say?
"I haven't gotten a chance to say how thankful I was to have you working non-stop to save my daughter. Since the moment you and your fellow knights materialized in the medical center, you all went straight into action to ensure Rosalina was stabilized. Even after, you didn't rest. I overheard you two were having issues down on Minato, but from the way both Makoto and Midnight look at you, I can see she loves you just like she does the others. I know when you love someone, it becomes difficult to put your emotions on the back burner and focus on your duties as a knight. But you are young and have only started this journey. All of you will make mistakes and may not always be happy with one another, but I want you to always remember that the love you have for my daughter and the love I see in her eyes when she looks at you and the others, will never falter," the King declared.
I was shocked by his words but tried to hide it, deciding this would be the perfect chance to say what I’d been wanting to. I nodded to him with a smile.
"I've made a few mistakes and instead of being forward with Mako and Midnight, I brushed the issue off to the side, thinking it would solve itself. I know better now and this experience showed me that I can't dwell on the past. I won't run from my fears, but face them instead. I love your daughter, Arthur Heart, King of Heila. She's saved me from my dark past and helped me face my inner demons. Most importantly, she proved to me I should never give up. That there's always a light at the end of the tunnel. She's our shining light, and I'll ensure that myself and the others don't lose sight of that light again," I proclaimed, taking a step back before giving him a deep bow.
I needed the King and Queen to be present when I said those words, proclaiming my love for the woman who had helped give me purpose in life. My calling tore me away from a society that judged me endlessly, into a world of acceptance and loving. I grew stronger and learned that no matter how long you run, there will be a day you'll have to face what you're running from.
Whether it's your fears or anxieties, eventually a time will come where you'd have to make a choice to let them conquer you or take a stand and face them.
Running away was foolish of me, but now that I faced my biggest fear, I knew I would never let my fears overtake me again. They could kick me down, but I'd rise up again and fight for what I wanted. No matter how hard the trial was, thanks to the Princess of Heila, I would succeed. Our Makoto.
"Rise, Daniel Moore. You know your Princess is on a mission to ban bowing across the galaxy," King Arthur huffed and the Queen laughed.
"I'll do it! I swear," Mako declared.
"I wouldn't be surprised. She's our daughter after all. She inherited a certain someone's stubbornness," Queen Catherine hummed.
King Arthur’s cheeks turned a light red as he turned to face her. "I'm not stubborn. She took that from you," he mumbled.
Queen Catherine rolled her eyes with a playful grin. "Whatever you say, honey. She took more of your personality. She took my beauty." She winked, giving Mako a hug before standing. She walked over to the King and slid her arm around his waist before facing me.
"You boys have grown into fine men. I'm very pleased you were chosen to protect our daughter, the Princess of Heila who is loved dearly by many. No matter what trials are ahead, remember to work together and always talk to one another when you're in a dilemma," Queen Catherine encouraged.
I nodded. "Thank you, your Majesty." I was ready to bow when Mako huffed, crossing her arms. I blinked and my cheeks grew red.
The King and Queen laughed.
"Totally from your side," Queen Catherine whispered to King Arthur.
"Hmm… maybe," he considered with a wide grin as they both stared Mako's adorable facial expression as she pouted.
"We'll leave you two alone," Queen Catherine announced, sliding her hand into the King's and directing him to the door.
The King looked over his shoulder, glancing back at Makoto. "We'll have Father-Daughter time later this afternoon. Just relax, okay?"
Mako's face brightened and she nodded excitingly. "Okay! Thanks, Mom and Dad. Love you."
They both smiled. "We love you too," Queen Catherine replied.
King Arthur nodded in agreement before they left the room, leaving Mako and I alone.
I approached the bed and Mako rose up. I gave her a questioning look as I raised an eyebrow at her. "Didn't your father say—" I began but she wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me into a fierce kiss before I could finish.
I didn't hesitate to kiss her back, my body responding before my mind could catch up. Her soft lips felt amazing and my hands roamed down her sides before they rested on her hips.
She broke away and pressed a light kiss to my nose. I chuckled and then we stared at each other. I saw her joy and gratitude, reminding me that we'd conquered something in our relationship that would tear most other people's bonds apart.
I'd proven that no matter what happened, I would never abandon her and I knew without a doubt that she would always stay by my side.
I pulled her into my arms, hugging her as tightly as I could. I had nothing else to say; no words could express how thankful I was. I was beyond blessed and thankful to the Starlight gods for giving me the strength to survive this.
Maybe this was what the darkness was trying to test. To see if our team would rise to the challenge that was brewing in the galaxy waiting to fall upon us. Or maybe, it was trying to destroy us prematurely, leaving the rest of us hopeless in fighting back.
With the acceptance of my lover, her family and my dear friends, I knew I'd have a chance against the darkness.
All that was left was my family.