Anything For You
Chapter 164

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**You And Me by Lifehouse (Continued)**

"Then I prefer to die or be held captive." Grand Empress said aloud with raged eyes darting at Carol, who was shaking under her incoherent gazed. Carol knew her words could get her killed right then and there; without her getting appreciated for all those years she had spent besides Empress, still...she said it.

"Wait, Empress, we must hear to what she wants to say least." The late Emperor said softly holding the lady's shoulders tightly trying to calm her perplexed nerves. He knew this road he was convincing her to walk could part their ways for eternity, but if she was safe and his children were beyond harm; he was certain he could carry on with the choices, no matter how hard they were for him to make.

"I don't want to hear anything, Emperor. And what are you just trying to do? Did you even hear her words? She ...she just said we won't be mates any longer...! Do you realize what is the damn. Meaning. Of. Those. Ridiculous. Words?" Empress was surely raged beyond calm and she said the last lot of sentences word by word pressuring each word more than the earlier word, hoping for Emperor to understand and think clearly. But the man was adamant and gestured Carol to spit out not paying any supposed attention to Grand Empress nagging and being reluctant over that.

The chaos and cries were getting louder and closer to that bedroom; all three of them were staying in. They were moment ahead of being attacked, yet there was time. Yes, there still was time. Carol peeked at Grand Empress' raging face and found the lady all red and yellow with anger. She muttered,

"Your Highness, My Lady can give up the 'Mate Mark'...."

"What...No....NOOOO..." The old Empress didn't let Carol finish and yelled out a big, fat NOO.. in between letting the other two people become cognizant of her firm determination. But Emperor was a man who used to control her with his love and sweet cheesy talks. Although this wasn't the time for all that, he could give it a try at least.

"Love, listen to me..."

"No,.. No... I won't. I don't want to...." The lady was utterly reluctant. She never wanted to be convinced over this ridiculous idea of giving up her decades-old love, and 'Mate Mark'.

"Sshhh..., Listen to me. I have already lived my entire life. But you can have more years to go by. You must be there for our children. Besides, I won't be around anymore as I have already learned the truth from that book." Emperor revealed that he was also wary of everything.

The lady parted her lips in agape, her hands holding her late husband tightly in the terror of him disappearing plainly from her sight, and couldn't help but ask,

"But how do you know the truth...?"

"We are connected. It's your 'Mate Mark', Love." The Emperor said caressing her cheeks softly and dipping his hands into the valley of her shoulders towards the necklace he gifted her back to their younger years.

"But I can't..." She whispered with teary eyes.

"I know, but my time you would end here today, no matter you give up our 'Mate Mark' or not. So, I think it is a wise choice; at least for the sake of our children, Love." The Emperor said with a heavy heart; for he knew he was going to make her go through hell and he had already started feeling nauseous and guilty over this. Who could witness their love falling apart because of their decisions- the ones taken deliberately for duty and obligations.

"Fine..." The old lady agreed after a year lapse of thinking and convincing herself that she was doing this because her husband wanted it and her children needed it. She was sacrificing her love, and probably her life soon.

"What do I have to do?" Her words were falling apart, her tongue started to stutter, and her hands trembled- all things happening at the same time, making her pathetic and a lost Werewolf Empress.

"We need to seal your 'Mate Mark' in the 'Mate Crystal'. And then that Crystal could be delivered to WEREALM safely." Emperor suggested, his palms still rubbing over her shoulder blades and slowly dipping towards the necklace, just inches away.

"We don't have any 'Mate Crystal'. It is supposed to be kept safe at the WEREALM's headquarters under the watchful eyes of werewolf guards selected by the Moon Goddess. And right now, we can't have it." The Empress said listening to the ear-piercing commotion going just a corridor away from her room. It looked like a whole army of Dark Souls attacked the Dawn Mountains, but it was only Nexus and two of his followers that managed to tag along on his way from the Witmourn Raft Kingdom, while Timothy Aka Silvan was sneaking inside the castle after they were clearing the path; all because he had a mortal body now.

"We have it. There are two 'Mate Crystals'. One is with the WEREALM guards and the other with the current Werewolf Empress."

The Emperor's words left the Lady shocked and wide-eyed. She didn't remember having any 'Mate Crystal.' Looking at her surprised face, Emperor finally dipped his hands around her neck and caressed the middle oval bead of thy necklace. The bead started to glow in yellow color.

Both the ladies gasped realizing the truth. So, the 'Mate Crystal' was always with her since the beginning. Her eyes had those expressions, and the Emperor read them real quick.

Grabbing her shoulders tightly, the Emperor sucked in some deep breaths, letting the lady understand that it was the moment. No matter how hard it was, it is, or it was going to be...she would have to let him go and free him. This was the look in his eyes. He wanted to be freed. Sighing heavily, she held his arms and looked at his waterfall eyes only to find herself getting drowned again, and her senses leaving her side for the not-so-good thing,

"Do it." Her lips parted and she commanded him. The man nodded and closed his eyes enchanting something which neither Empress, not Carol understood. Soon, the necklace around her shoulder line started to glow and the central bead started absorbing the lights around turning everything dim in the room.

Carol squeaked in fear and tucked her being in a corner closer to the pair watching everything with round, wide eyes. It was just too much for her to gulp. The temperature started to elevate as if it was summer and every shade of color turned yellow and its variants. While all these things were happening around the Empress, her eyes had been glued at her late husband's face and her heart held the painful emotions. She knew she was going to part away from him, and after this, she would never be able to see him. It was happening this time. She won't even be able to feel him, and probability was that...she would even forget the moments with him because of the 'Mate Mark' dissolution. But then...she composed the waves of disturbing emotions to make her heart calm and composed, as getting emotional wasn't going to help in any way. Just then....

“Ahh...ahhhhhh....." The lady cried out in pain- a pain that started from her 'Mate Mark' and radiated through her whole body. Her every cell was hurting as if being crushed by the enormous weight. The bones in her body started to feel heavier; as if it was getting difficult to carry her body weight.

Feeling the pain next to death, she wasn't sure she was going to survive it, but then she found a soft hand holding her tightly and warmth crept inside her body. Opening her droopy eyes groggily, she found Emperor hugging her in a tight bear hug and patting her back softly murmuring something which she couldn't understand, but thought them to be soothing words, meant to help her in this hard time.

The horrible pain and everything lasted for another two minutes, and then...everything went numb. The Empress was left alone standing in the same place, in the same posture and glued to it, with eyes varying at the spot where had her husband standing a moment ago, but now he was nowhere to be found.

"He disappeared..." She cracked softly and her teary eyes started to flood once again. The Emperor touched the bead of her necklace, and she found him then and there, standing at the same place looking at her adorably. He let his fingertips slide over the bead, "Empress, your 'Mate Mark' is sealed inside this necklace bead. Keep it safe, and deliver it to Emerald or Scarlet if you find any danger. And I must leave now. Stay strong, My love. I love you. And remember, I still have our 'Mate Mark'. Goodbye, Love." The Emperor whispered those heart-shattering words softly and pecked her temple. As his fingers slide aside the bead, he was in the wind, nowhere to be spotted and the old Empress was alone once again.

Carol, who had been shrieked in a corner, mustered up her courage and approached Grand Empress with staggering steps,

"My Lady... are...are you alright?" Her voice was cracking, hands trembling. She didn't even dare to imagine the amount of pain her lady endured, and now Emperor was also present to soothe her aching heart. Grand Empress kept looking in the blank dim space, and murmured like a statue,

"In just a moment, I lost everything, Carol. Am I pathetic Empress now..!?" Her blank eyes searched in Carol's hopeless eyes for an answer, but there wasn't any.