It was already noon when Elizabeth awoke, and everyone had returned to the room except Solomon and Shinaki. Solomon had prepared a feast for all of them including her favorite foods and even asked the nurses to bring the princess a chocolate cake.

Luna cleared her throat to signal Baldric after everyone had finished eating.

"Alright, well, we need to get some stuff done before we go. Annie, G, Ada, let's go. We still have the remains of our stuff from the landraider and they want us to do an inventory check. You rest up now sunshine."

Everyone left the room except Luna, Elizabeth, Shiny, and Willow. Her hand trembled as she gently closed the door.

"Where are we going after we go out of the hospital?" Elizabeth said as she played with Willow and Shiny.

"Well… You will go with Max and doctor Gerwulf. Then you are going to ride an airship to Aspana."

"We are going to ride in an airship?" Elizabeth felt uneasy about riding an airship again.

Luna’s hand shook as she tried to control it. "You are Elizabeth. You are."

The child looked at her confused.

"Elizabeth, Listen to me. We are close to the northern border, so we… won’t go with you anymore. But Max and Doctor Gerwulf will be the ones to accompany you to Aspana, but... I won’t come with you."

"Why?" Elizabeth stopped stroking Willow and looked at her with hurt in her eyes. "You promised you would stay with me. You promised."

"I can’t Elizabeth. Not anymore. This is... as far as I can go."

"You’re going to leave again."

"Yes."

"No." Elizabeth began to panic. "No. No. You promised me you would stay! You promised!"

"I know." Luna hid her hands behind her back as her tremors grew stronger.

"Then why are you leaving?" Elizabeth looked visibly hurt and some tears started to well up in her eyes.

"Because you will be safer without me." Luna admitted, "You will have more people protecting you who can get you to your home safer and faster than I can."

"That’s what you said the last time! And then they killed Coren and all my friends!"

"It won’t happen this time, Elizabeth! I promise! Max and Doctor Gerwulf will be with you, along with Captain Vhlad and all of his crew! You will be in a dreadnaught high in the air and they won’t get you or hurt you!"

"No! No I don’t want to! When we were in the airship that’s when they killed Jasper and Kinney! In an airship is where I lost my mama!"

"Elizabeth it won’t happen this time I swear! You will have guards, automatons, even gyrocopters that will protect you the entire way!"

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"That's what you said the last time! And when you are gone, they will come back and take me away again!"

"It’s not going to be like that anymore. I promise Elizabeth, no one will hurt you this time."

"Liar! You are a liar, Luna!"

"Elizabeth, please, I don’t want this-"

"Then stay with me please! Please, Luna! They will come back again! Only when you are close will the bad people not come! Please, they will take me away again!"

"Don’t you get it Elizabeth! The bad people are coming to you because of me! You will be safer without me!" Luna stopped herself when she realized she yelled at the child. "Elizabeth. I’m sorry, but you will be safer without me."

The child grabbed Willow and hid under the blankets. "I don’t want to see you anymore! You promised, you promised."

"I’m sorry Elizabeth. But I’m doing this for you, to protect you."

Luna expected her to yell some more, but all she could hear was the child crying underneath the blankets while Shiny gently floated above her.

"Elizabeth. Please say something. I’m sorry."

"A hunter will always help those who seek it." Elizabeth said as she sobbed.

"A hunter will always help those who seek it, for the right price." Luna corrected her.

"Go away. I hate you. You are not a hunter."

Elizabeth did not speak after that. Luna, sensing that it was the end of their conversation, quietly left the room.

=0o0=

Luna punched the wall with all her strength once she was a good distance away from the room. The numbing pain she experienced was excruciating, but it was the same pain she endured in her chest and head. She continued down the hall until she came to a bench. Luna closed her eyes and sat down. She felt someone placed a cold mug on her head.

"I see you've already told her." Luna opened her eyes to see Gerwulf sitting next to her.

"I did." The doctor handed her a mug filled with honeybrew.

"And she kicked you out?"

"I left. Do you think this is a good idea, Doctor?"

"I do." Gerwulf took a sip from her drink. "It is a hard decision to make, especially for both of you, but it is the right one."

"Why does it feel like I did something wrong then?"

Both of them sat in silence.

"I will talk to her as well." Gerwulf said to her when she finished her drink. "I won’t allow you two to part without at least making up."

Luna looked at Gerwulf, who gave her a smile.

"Now in order for you to clear your head for a bit, I think Baldric was looking for you downstairs. He said something about your luggage. I will go to Elizabeth right now. Don’t worry." Luna gave her a tight hug.

The doctor took the mug and stood up. She left first to go to Elizabeth’s room, and Luna walked towards the elevator. Along the way, she noticed that, for a large hospital, it seemed to be awfully quiet on the floor. There were numerous food carts parked outside each room, but no nurse was bringing them into the rooms.

=0o0=

"Lord Solomon. There is a communication for you from Lord Filias."

Shinaki entered the room carrying a nerve skull, while Solomon wrote letters in an office.

"Put it through."

Shinaki primed the cylinder and immediately Filias's voice roared out of it. "Solomon! You need to get everyone out of the hospital! "

"What?!"

"They found you all! You have a mole in the hospital!"

=0o0=

The elevator opened and a nurse pushing a cart of food came out. Luna made way as she let her exit first. She noticed that the nurse was sweating heavily, but it was cool in the hallway.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" Luna asked out of concern, but the moment the nurse looked at her, she saw shock and fear in her eyes.

"Ma’am?"

The nurse didn’t answer and ran down the hall, leaving the cart.

Luna heard a soft ticking, like a wall clock, and it was coming from underneath. She lifted the sheet and found that there was a bomb, and just from one look, there seemed to be only twenty seconds left.

Luna realized why all the carts were outside of the patients' rooms.

Mother! Elizabeth!

She managed to jump into an open room and managed to shield herself when the bombs detonated. The force caused the walls to collapse and Luna was crushed and trapped.