William Bennett has no choice as the Skeleton Queen attacks him with all her fury. He strums his mandolin to dodge her diagonal chops. He sidesteps a flying knee that grazes his cheek. He winces as he keeps playing.

"Stop! I don't want to-"

Crush

His eyes shoot wide open as he couldn't hear her steps. His mandolin falls to pieces from her grip. Her sandals clatter to the floor beside him.

"Bard, if Bumva cared about you, wouldn't she come here?" she threatens. The bard realizes she was right, but her tone was off to his ears.

She goes for a spear hand strike to the solar plexus, but her hand is trapped from going any further. Steam from her hand makes her back off. The moonlight reveals silver thin wires that he plays at a rapid pace.

"Neither of us will die tonight! I lov-"

"SILENCE!" she screams. She charges and swings a left roundhouse kick that he ducks and slides under. He uses his wires as a shield to block a low heel kick, but the force pushes him onto his back. He scrambles up while playing but could no longer hear her. Not even a breath.

He then hears faint steps coming from behind that then disappeared. He goes to block, but she moves past him.....without a cut on his body.

He knows she could have killed him right then and there. But why not?

"That's just to show the gap between us," she chillingly answers the question on his mind.

He knows she's not telling the truth. "I don't want to hurt someone who's already in pain!"

A shove to his chest pushes him against a wall. Before he could grunt, he feels the air of her next strike. He didn't have to move his head as the jab left a hole next to him.

"Don't you want to return back to your loved ones? I wonder what Bumva might say when you come back as my servant? Your magic used as a weapon against her." 

"You don't mean that, Melody. You're just trying to goad me."

Her jaw drops. She then laughs at him before getting close to his face. Their noses almost touch each other. "Why would you care about a monster like me?"

She gives him a turning kick to the left side of his ribs that he blocks with his strings. Some blood comes out as she dug a sharp toenail into him.

"Because you killed the monsters responsible. You are not an evil person nor a failure!"

That last word sets off every emotion in her mind and heart. Her hands clench while her cob white hair spreads like a peacock. She takes a solid step that he heard before vanishing. She appears behind him to deliver a side kick through his head, but he rolls out of the way. A stomp near his right hand doesn't frighten him.

"You don't have to fall in love with me. I just want to give you peace."

"So why don't you kill me? I killed Drago! Your amigo mejor!"

Although he didn't know the words, the context gave it away. He shakes his head. "You punished yourself for far too long. I can never understand your pain, but you don't have to keep holding onto it."

She pounces on him and pins his hands behind his head. With a steaming hand, she throws the wires out of his reach. "HOW DARE YOU?" 

"You are not a failure. You couldn't have predicted what could have happened that day. Your people don't hate you," he looks in her direction.

She raises a hand and punches with enough force to make the floor shake. William's white pupils haven't looked away from her. The tile next to his head cracks. She tries to bury the feeling building up inside of her.

"Your pain gave you strength to avenge your people, but that later became your prison. You think you're a monster because you-"

"Don't want to be a victim?" she finishes his sentence while grabbing him by the collar.

"Because you feel that you're unworthy of love," he argues. Her hands tightened around the collar of his shirt. "I forgive you for what happened to my best friend."

Her magenta eyes stare at his face for any sign of deceit.

"What Hector said before, you shed tears from all the other lives you've taken. Protecting your people was what you wanted. You gained power, but the cost was too much to bear."

"You think you can shoulder everything that I've gone through?!" she snaps.

"I can't, but I can help you let go. Just like you and Bumva helped me."

He feels her cold hand lightly squeezing around his throat. "You would just replace me with Bumva after your little trick."

"You both are irreplaceable to me. If you want to join your people in the afterlife, I will honor your wish. I will expose House Vinum for the liars that they are. I swear it on my life."

Her grip loosens from that answer. Thick, cold icy droplets fall onto his face. His nostrils tell him it's iron but hears sniffling from the Queen. She lets go of him as she turns away. She motions a hand. Hector and the guards circle around her as she kneels down.

The bard stands up and gives her a moment to recollect herself.

"I know I'm hurting your loved ones, but I can't fail my people again. They are all I have left," she sniffles between tears.

"They mean a lot to you. If I was in your shoes, I know would have done the same thing. We are similar in that way. I just have a question to ask if I may."

"Go ahead."

"Are they happy being like this?"

The circle opens up suddenly. She looks at all of her citizens. Their jaws don't chatter to communicate with her. Their black, empty eyes make her body shudder. She clutches herself as the question would only bring more pain to her.

"H-Hector, come forth," she commands.

Her former captain of the guards kneels down to her.

"I need to know if you're all happy like this. Not because of my control over you. Please, let me know," she begs.

Hector stands up and cups her cheeks like how a father would comfort his crying daughter. "Your Majesty, we wish to move on," he carefully speaks.

Her heart sinks to the bottom of her stomach.

"We don't harbor any hatred against you. You avenged the wrongs committed against us. We don't want you to keep hating yourself. We love you, Queen Melody."

The bones of her citizens groan and jerk in unison. 

She doesn't want to hear it. "But I hurt many people. I can't be forgiven for that."

"I'm not familiar with that magic, but I know you looked for solutions. Every night, you looked through every book to keep everyone safe. You aren't a monster, mi reina."

His boney thumbs wipe away the violet blood tears pouring down her face. She then feels a tug on her dress. Emilia raises her arms and Melody scoops her up. The little girl embraces her tightly. Melody slowly rocks and sways with her. Emilia lets out a long, small groan.

"She said that she was glad to have come across a kind man like you," Hector translates to the bard.

"I'm glad I met her too and thanks for telling me the truth."

"De nada."

Melody places the little girl back on the ground. "Emilia, I will undo the spell so you can be with your parents. You won't have to worry about anyone hurting you again. I will be right behind you."

Hector looks at her. "Me niego a eso por ti (I refuse that for you). You're too young to die."

Melody tilts her head. "Hector, what is the meaning of this?"

"You are in love with him, aren't you?" he asks directly.

Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump. Her heart bounces with a resounding yes.

Will grins from the silent response. But it disappears as he thinks about something.

"Even then, I can't be with him. I will be too weak to stay alive."

He walks forward. "I know a spell, but...."

"But what," Hector asks.

"You're half undead, right?" Will asks to clarify.

"Yes?" Her heart thumps nervously.

"I can bring you back as a human. However, the Cosmos of magic have consequences. This spell requires I sacrifice two things: some of my magic and half my life force."

Melody covers her mouth with wavering eyes.

"Life force?" Hector asks.

"Meaning that my life expectancy will be cut in half. Like if I was destined to die at 60-"

"He would die at 30," Melody finishes with shaking pupils.

"How old are you now?"

"25 winters."

She walks over to him and almost shakes him by the collar. "Why would you want to use that spell?! You have a lot to live for. What of the adventures you want to do? What about Bumva and your loved ones? I can't be the reason you throw all that away."

He brings her hands down and holds them. "I'm not throwing anything away. I am done with big adventures. I want a relaxing life and settle down-"

"But how if you do this spell? You won't even know when you will die. If you started a family with me or Bumva, your children may grow up without you," her eyes can't stop crying.

He squeezes her hands, while stroking the cold cartilage with his thumbs.

"Then I will include that in the spell. That you will know when I will pass. Tell me the age so I can properly prepare for things. Bumva will be free to be a mother with someone else if I don't have long. If you stay with me, I will carry on your last name. If you want children, I will give you that so the legacy of Albarino can live on."

"Why?"

"Because we love each other," he reaches out to touch her face. She doesn't stop him from touching her cheek. He wipes her bloody tears with his thumbs before placing his forehead on hers.

"B-But I didn't say it."

"Not directly, but it counts. It's ultimately up to you, Queen Melody. What time is it now?"

"8pm," Hector replies. 

Will lets go of her. "I want you to make your choice by midnight. I will stand by your decision. Spend time with your people as I will get myself ready. And you can keep my silver wires with you."

She walks away with Hector behind her. Her steps waver from side to side as she thinks about her decision. Hector offers his boney arm which she takes for support. He takes her to her citizens who stay with her. She looks back to find William laying on the floor while looking at the ceiling. 

"At least, sleep in my bed if you like," she offers.

"Sure. Just need someone to lead me there."

"I will take him, mi reina. Would you like my arm?"

"Sure."

Hector leads Will by the arm to the queen's room. He opens the bedroom and leads him inside. Will reaches and feels the silky sheets of her bed.

"I will wake you before that time. Is there anything you might need?"

"Just one thing. Can you get rid of those bottles I saw through her eyes?"

"Certainly," he said with a smile in his voice.

The bard hears clinking as the skeleton captain gathers the bottles. Hector gathers most in his arms while putting the rest through the open cavity in his sternum.

He hears the door close. After brushing his teeth and a bath, he allows the bed to swallow him. He can't really sleep as he thinks about what Melody's decision would be.

At the same time, her heart and mind argue what to do as she thinks about him.