Chapter 153 - Ash-flakes
Zezi's heart was pounding with regret as she ran up the stairs of the castle at an unfathomable speed.
Why had she left to watch the execution in the first? She should have never left. She should have never convinced herself that she needed to be at the Execution for all the reasons she had thought it was important before.
Right now, they all felt very useless.
George and Aunt Alice had stayed behind to be with Mira. Not like they would have been allowed to watch the execution, not like they wanted to either.
Gwen had stayed too.
Oh, by the Moon, Zezi hoped they were all okay.
She screeched to a stop right in front of her daughter's door, flinging it open as fast as she could.
Her eyes combed the room and horror seeped through her veins at what she found... or rather what she didn't.
Mira's bed was empty. George and Aunt Alice were nowhere to be found, along with Gwen who was...
Wait!
George and Aunt Alice were on the floor, unconscious. Zezi ran to them, accessing the situation quickly.
They didn't seem to be injured, they seemed to have been knocked out. They should be awake soon enough, but where were Mira and Gwen?
Were the Volakys still here in the Castle or had they they taken them away?
As if on cue, the curtains flapped repeatedly in the air, moving to the rhythm of the wind, drawing Zezi's attention to the open windows and moonlight that seeped in through them and reflected on the floor.
Were they really gone with her daughter?
"Mira!" Her voice broke, and her ears perked when she sensed something. Quickly, she dashed to a corner of the room, and stopped when she found Gwen's back turned to her.
At that moment, all was right with the world because in Gwen's hands was her daughter, but to see her always happy and lively Gwen look so terrified and drained, made everything jar back to the state of unbalance.
"Gwen, what had happened?! Is she alright? Are you alright?"
"Mistress." Gwen pointed to the door unblinkingly, while she clutched the sleeping Mira to her chest. She wasn't injured, just petrified. "They were there, right there at the door. The Volakys, holding Sir Oliver. They took him away." Her eyeballs moved in an uncanny manner as her voice went silent. "They looked at me. Straight at me."
Zezi tried to calm her down and take Mira from them but she wouldn't let the child go.
Instead, her protective stance remained unwavering.
The horrors of what she had seen terrified her to her very bones.
Volakys? But Valerick had killed them all. Where did more Volakys come from? Was the Princess responsible for this?
That bitch!
Fuck this! How did she get herself into this fucking mess?!
"Something is different about them, Mistress. Nightmares. Strange nightmares."
Zezi frowned, slipping to her knees next to her.
Did that mean they weren't Volakys?
Once again, Zezi attempted to take her daughter from her, offering her soothing words of reassurance even though she was more than terrified at the moment.
Gwen's hands trembled around Mira and when she was finally taken from her, she clutched them against her gown, holding fistfuls of the fabric between her trembling fingers.
"I was so scared. So scared. Where were you?"
She sounded like someone scolding her close friend for not being there when she needed her the most.
It stunned Zezi for only a moment, before she wrapped her free hand around Gwen.
"I am sorry, so sorry. I am here now."
Gwen nodded against her shoulder, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I want to see my family." She pulled away, looking up at her with desperation and pleading in her eyes. "Please, take me to them."
Zezi nodded, in the background, she could hear her family waking up.
Ah, thank the Moon!
They were fine, also maybe they would be able to tell her what really happened here.
She needed to know if they had been attacked. If the attackers were indeed Volakys or something else.
A new enemy probably.
___
___
Below, there was still chaos. Laura had caught a glimpse of the escaping Volakys and followed their trail, along with others who went after her to help bring down the dangerous creatures.
Laura had been the only one to return that night, with blood all over her, green venom, and a dead Oliver in her arms.
So there was another execution that night, it just didn't happen on the Execution Ground.
"I want him buried." She had said to her brother, the corpse of her lover still in her hands.
"He was a traitor." The King's voice was grim and it echoed silently in the almost empty throne room. "His flesh shall be food to be birds of the air and the insects of the field would have their fill."
"NO! I SHALL DIG HIM A GRAVE!" Laura's voice trembled as she yelled, madness and the reflection of the light that brightened the throne room dancing in her eyes.
"You dare to raise your voice at me?"
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but He is my mate." Laura's hands held Oliver's limp body tightly as regret filled her eyes. "I love him. Please, let me bury him."
It was against the rules for the King to bury a traitor, but this King cared deeply about his sister and for her, what wouldn't he do?
"Do with his corpse whatever you please. If you want me by your side," he placed a comforting hand gently on her shoulder, "you only need ask."
"I would rather do this alone. Thank you."
"I am sorry that you have to go through this."
"It is not your fault." She looked up at him. "I love you brother."
He cupped her face in his hands. "You will always remain precious to me, do not ever doubt that."
____
____
After that, Laura had gone to bury Oliver alone and the King had headed back to his chambers, only to find Zezi waiting at the door, whom he had blatantly ignored.
"I shall not be disturbed." He had thrown the order to the guard standing by his door. "Make it clear to whoever approaches the door."
Zezi parted her lips to speak, but before she had a chance to say a word, the door was slammed in her face.
She turned to the guard, who straightened up immediately avoiding her gaze.
"His Majesty said---"
"I get it." She said, trying to bury the lump of pain that formed in her throat.
She wanted to tell him that Gwen had been sent back home because she was unstable. She wanted to tell him that there was something weird with this Volakys' attack because her family could barely remember anything, including Gwen, who still seemed too unstable to recount her experience despite a physician's intervention.
She wanted to ask him how he was. Wanted to share in the burden of the recent happening and let him find comfort in her understanding.
She just wanted to talk to him, but he seemed to still be holding on to her painful words of regretting they ever met.
Well, maybe this was good. It would help her maintain the distance she should keep between them.
She blinked her tears away and started walking down the hallway. "I understand it all perfectly."
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