227 - Who Do You Think You Are?
227 - Who Do You Think You Are?!
“I am so sorry. I would never hurt you. It was the summon, it was—-“ He said, a hand cupping her face as he held the girl twin, while she inspected the boy knowing what she had done to him before her sleep.
“I know, Valerick.” She smiled at Valerick. “I know you would never hurt me.” Then she turned to the boy, pressing her forehead against his. “I am so sorry for hurting you. Mummy wasn’t herself.”
She paused abruptly and gave him back to Valerick. “Take them away from me. I need to be checked, I need to make sure that he is not in me totally.”
“He is not.”
“Lord Rosil has to—-“
Rage clouded Valerick’s sight at the mention of Lord Rosil. As if on cue, she rushed into the room, seeing Valerick first, she began to speak, her voice sympathetic.
“Your Majesty, I am sorry, it had to be done——“ she paused when she saw Zezi. “What? How?”
“Check her,” Valerick commanded, pushing down his anger for rationality.
Lord Rosil moved with care before using her powers to check Zezi. She turned to the King and said, “she is all her. It is strange that she had survived.” Then she turned to Zezi, “how did you do it? He was stronger. It is only logical that he would survive instead of you, not that I wish it.”
“I am not just me, I have my wolf. It is two against one.” Zezi smiled. While she had been asleep, she never felt alone.
Although when she drove her stake through her heart, she had sincerely thought that she would die; that they would all die.
“She didn’t turn, but your bite must have given her access to your powers. The mate bond must have something to do with it.”
“So, she is safe?” Valerick asked from behind.
“Yes, your Majesty, she is.”
“Seize her,” Valerick ordered and the guards that had fallen to the darkness’ effect and were just recovering from it got into action as quickly as they could.
“Valerick.”
“Your Majesty!” Lord Rosil begged, not fighting the guards that held her because she knew how powerless they were.
“An execution trail awaits you.”
“You gave your oath!”
“And I told you to wait! Ordered you to wait!” He paused, then added. “Ordered you. And you defied my orders.”
The danger of the moment rushed over her and she froze.
“You must think yourself more than you are, Rosil. As I have fallen to my knees and begged at your feet for a life that is more valuable than my own. For that, you must have forgotten yourself. You must have forgotten that I am King! And I wear this crown for the blood I have shed, the blood of my own blood. Who do you think you are to defy me?!”
She fell to her knees immediately. “Forgive me, your Majesty. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“You do. You knew the consequences and you were ready to face them. You will have your trial and be executed.”
She crawled to his feet, looking up to him and begging. “Please, all I did, I did for Lavida. The fear of your father returning—“
“Was more than the fear you have for your King?”
“No, never.” She cast her gaze to the ground and touched her forehead to his feet. “Forgive me. Please. Like a mother to her son, I beg of you. Forgive me, only this once.”
Valerick frowned.
Like a mother to a son.
She was using his own cards against him but it wasn’t something he could ignore. She had been like a mother to him. His embrace around his bats tightened.
A mother to a son.
“Take her to the dungeon.”
The guards did so.
“Valerick,” Zezi began to speak.
“You should rest.” He said as he led her to the bed, ignoring the bodies of all the fallen lords.
Then he turned to the door and set his gaze on a guard. “Did you let them in?”
“Your Majesty, no—-“
“Seize him. Take him to the dungeon. He will be an example for others at the Execution Ground tonight.”
It was ridiculous for him to have even tried to lie.
Some other guards pulled the guard away as he screamed and begged for forgivesness. Another had gone to get Nicholas.
“She did only what she thought she needed to do.” Zezi said in reference to Lord Rosil as if they hadn’t been interrupted at all.
“I could have killed you,” he responded when she finally laid on the bed. He laid their children next to her and took his seat on the bed.
“You didn’t.”
I am tired of your self-sacrifice. How could you do this to me? How could you stake your own heart and make me watch? How could you leave me, leave us and—-“ he paused. “You must rest. Nicholas should be here soon.”
“It was the only way.”
“You could have waited.”
“It had to be done. You know it. What I would have done if I had waited a moment longer? I was killing our son.” She said the last sentence in a low whisper and the child looked at her sharply. She smiled. “Where is my daughter? Where is Mira?”
“With Delice. Safe. Irysi says she plays with the twins a lot.”
Zezi smiled with relief. She couldn’t wait to see Mira.
“What names have you chosen for our pups? Are they more wolves than vampires, or—-“ That reminded her of Gwen, her theory and her group of supporters. “Where is Gwen?”
When the silence stretched on, Zezi’s heart raced. “Did you kill her? It wasn’t her fault!”
“She lives.”
“Where is she?”
“They picked half of each, just like their eyes. They are like George, only stronger with powers to weave darkness. I haven’t chosen their names yet, I was waiting for you.”
“Oh.” She looked down at them and a smile crossed her face while she cupped their face. “Stars. Light through the darkness. Lyra. Orion.” Then she looked up at him. “Does it please you?”
He smiled, looking at Lyra and Orion. “It does.”
A moment passed and he looked up at her. “You need food. Nicholas should be here already.”
“I don't feel very hungry.” She placed her hand on his cheek, giving a closer inspection to his face, she said,“You look lean. When was the last time you fed?”
“It doesn’t matter.” He moved his hand over hers and leaned into her touch. “I feel very full. I can’t believe it is finally happening.”
“Tell me everything.”
“I don’t know where to begin.”
“It doesn’t matter to me, just begin.”
“I destroyed the hall of statues, everything that retains a part of my father, I have killed. Gwen and her husband are in the dungeon, I am convinced of George’s innocence and Delice punishment is pending for helping him out of prison, they are still in the castle—-“
“Everything about you. How is my Valerick?”
“You know how.”
Silence. Valerick stood up and came back with a bowl of water with a small towel in his hand. He wiped off the blood from her face. “We don’t want to scare Mira when she comes here.”
“What a lovely father you are being.”
His smile faded, as he stood up, now done with wiping the blood away. He went to the bathroom, then return empty handed.
“A good father?” He sat on the bedside. “I have been a terrible father, My Love. I should have been better. If I had been faster you wouldn’t have to do it. Will you forgive me—-“
“Not this again. You have committed no crimes. It is you that must forgive me.”
“But you have committed no crimes.”
“Then I guess none of us has committed any crimes.”
“By the Blood, I have missed you.”
“Thank you for never leaving my side, your voice called me home, many times. Thank you for bringing them to them, their touch reminded me of how much I was needed. There is so much to live for and I was getting weak, but you, my family, gave me the strength I need. I love you.” She looked at Lyra and Orion. “All of you.”
“We love you——“
George rushed in, stopping only a few steps away from that, his hand gripping his chest, a smile blossoming on his face. “It is true then. You are awake.” Then his smile vanished. “I didn't do it, I did not kill Aunt Alice. I did not kill our mother.”
Valerick frowned. George arrived here before Nicholas? Interesting. Nicholas had a lot of explaining to do.
“I know now. I’m sorry that I blamed you.”
George sighed with relief. “It is fine. You are awake and with them.” He took a step closer, his smile growing even more. “You killed him. By the Moon, Finally! One of us killed him. Thank you.”
Delice came in at that moment with Mira and Zezi was overjoyed to see Mira again, happy to see Delice too. She appreciated how much Delice had been there for Mira despite everything that had happened in the castle.
Zezi had it in mind to discuss Gwen’s situation with Valerick later.
For now, they were all one big family.
Oh by the Moon, Aunt Alice. She would have been happy to see this.
Nicholas rushed in.
Valerick met him at the door and scolded him. “You are late.”
“The darkness—-“
“It affected everyone else in this room too, yet they arrived here minutes ago. Besides, I summoned you.”
“I apologize, Your Majesty—“
He was cut off by Irysi who came in. “Your Majesty, you are awake! Finally, by the Blood, it is done!”
Nicholas stiffened while Irysi stepped in and Valerick noticed it. “What is going on here?”
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