Her golden hair must have been done up rather ornately not too long ago, but now it fell in wisps about her youthful face. Blue eyes, reddened and puffy, stared up at him clearly uncertain of what to expect. She was very beautiful with soft, fair skin covered with an elegant, if slightly torn, silken dress.

The door closed behind him, and as Jashua dropped to one knee before the crying girl, Leto knew immediately who this was. He likewise took a knee, though there were a number of creaks and pops in his aging joints as he did so.

"You Majesty." Jashua spoke before the cleric was able to find his voice. "This is Brother Leto, the one I told you about." He glanced over his shoulder to where Leto now knelt, hands clasped together in silent prayer. "Leto, this is Her Majesty, Katarina Drahkon..."

"...Queen of Drahkonia," Leto finished. He had crossed the borders into the neighboring kingdom of Drahkonia several times, but only once in the year since their king had taken his new and very youthful queen. "I know."
 

A note to one who I counted as one of my closest friends. And the saddest part of all of this is that I have no idea why this has happened -- only that it has and that it's become quite evident that I can't do anything about it.


I didn't know I was so easy to cast aside. This kind of thing has never happened to me before.

No, wait. That's a lie. It happened once before... in high school. My best friend of many years decided she didn't like me any more and stopped speaking to me for a summer. When I finally managed to get a hold of her, I told her I wanted to try to work it out. She wasn't interested. Something about how I was always talking about my boyfriend.

But then, she couldn't get a date to save her life. But I digress...

Still, 'psycho high school ex-best friends' not withstanding, I didn't think this sort of thing would happen. I thought that was all stupid high school drama. Sophmoric shit. I thought we outgrew that. I didn't think this would ever happen. At least, not between us. I think what I meant to say is that I've fallen out of touch with people plenty -- moving around quite a bit will do that -- but I never thought you would just stop talking to me. I know you do this kind of thing when you're upset... withdraw and try to avoid talking to people as much as possible.

First of all, that is completely unfair to us as your friends, but also because what if we need you. But again, I digress...

Either way, I know this is your fucked up coping mechanism. But this time, it's been over a month. And this time, it was really important that I talk to you.

But you weren't there.

I messaged and called and emailed, but I can't even get an acknowledgment from you that I'm alive. Not a single note or a single "hey can we talk later." You stood by me in college. I stood by you when we graduated. You came to live in my house when you had no where to go. I went with you to the hospital that time. Do you remember? When you didn't know what was going to happen, and all they told you was that it was likely malignant? It was benign, thank god, but I stood by you then. I stood by you through your crazy-ass girlfriend and your roommate who is so fucked up it blows my mind that he's survived this long. I haven't asked anything like this of you since my senior year of college four years ago.

But this time I asked, and you didn't answer. I didn't know it would be so easy for you to let me go.

I thought you were one of my best friends. I didn't think I would ever have to say good bye. And now, I can't even do that.

You're already gone.