ELARA
"Gerald!" I cut him off, my voice shaky. "Please... stop."
He froze, his back stiffening.
"I'm tired." My voice cracked as I took a halting step forward. "Put yourself in my shoes, Gerald. How would you feel if everything you held dear was taken from you? Everything- even your dignity?" A single tear slid down my face. "You don't need to put a knife through me to kill me, Gerald. I'm already a walking ghost."
He turned to me, a torrent of emotions flickering across his face- a sight that terrified and gave me hope. Somewhere behind those walls of his, a sliver of humanity still lingered.
Gesturing around the room, I continued, "This is my home. The place that gave me life before I was ever crowned queen. Please, let me grieve, even for a moment, without reminding me
