Chapter 65. She is dead
They had never tried to help, assuming it was merely the Thunder Princess throwing a tantrum.
But now...
"Mother, not now..."
Raika stepped back, her brows creased, teeth gritted in anger as she stared at the cowardly Count, her gaze sweeping over everyone present, each averting their gaze or looking downward.
"Clean this up..." She pulled back, clicking her tongue in frustration.
Her gaze fixed on Kai’s unconscious body, then to the aftermath of the chaos.
No matter how much of a brute she was, she knew it wasn’t the time to play the blame game.
Yes, they were at fault for not assisting.
But the steaming mist had made visibility impossible.
Yes, they were at fault for allowing assassins into their manor.
But Turtle and Crow were one of a kind, the cream of the crop. Most houses would not have been able to catch them.
Aodh helped the Count up.
The guards and servants rose as well.
Before the Count gave the order, they knew what to do.
The guards stepped out of the manor. The chaos caused by Raika’s thunderstorm and Alaric’s steam had drawn a small crowd outside the manor’s walls.
Most had been woken, wondering what was happening, the sudden thunderstorm piquing their curiosity.
They wanted to know what had happened.
Noticing the steam, the strong scent of herbs, and the signature yellow lightning, they believed, like most of the guards and servants, that Raika was merely throwing a tantrum.
Maybe she didn’t like the herbs or something, they thought, unaware of what had truly transpired.
The guards controlled the small crowd, guiding them back to their homes.
A few patrolled the surroundings, looking for any other intruders who might be waiting to attack. The majority set out to hunt for Turtle, the latter long gone.
Maids and guards tidied the room, moving around the debris.
As they worked, they all noticed the bloodied spike and the gaping hole in the mother’s chest, the maids holding back grief and nausea.
The sight was gruesome.
Two guards gathered the courage to lift Lilly’s crystal coffin, only to fall to the ground.
Not out of weight, nor fear but...
Their hands trembled from the intense cold, drained of color, their fingers shriveled.
They looked at Alaric, surprised a boy his age could create such ice. The latter was unaware of their gaze, his own lingering on the unconscious Kai.
Meanwhile, two maids made their way to Alaric and Kai with towels and basins, the smell of medicinal herbs wafting from the sacks they held.
They didn’t possess potions, not even the most common grade. Medicinal herbs were their go-to whenever someone’s body was injured.
They knelt by the naked Alaric, towels raised, poised to clean the blood from him.
"I will do it myself. Take care of her..." He took the towels from their hands, gesturing toward Kai.
They turned to Kai, their fingers trembling as they noticed the gruesome wound on her shoulder, her brown towel now stained crimson, the stench of blood heavy around her.
"Is she..." One of the maids leaned closer, listening for her breath.
Slow, shallow, and steady.
"She is alive..." She breathed a sigh of relief.
"She is dead." Alaric said from the side, the two maids turning to him with raised eyebrows, their expressions freezing upon noticing his gaze.
Absent.
Cold.
Blue eyes meant to be serene felt like they were staring into the depths of the ocean, cold, unfeeling, and unforgiving.
"She... is... dead...at least to the world" Alaric’s mouth moved, the words seemingly delayed, but their meaning reached them.
She is dead.
They nodded vigorously, turning their attention back to the girl.
They wiped her down, fingers trembling, cleaning the blood and dirt from her, her unconscious body lying limp under the rays of the silver moon filtering into the room.
From afar, she really looked dead.
But the two maids knew otherwise.
Yet they were sure such thoughts would be taken to their graves.
...
The crystal coffin was taken to a room prepared by the maids, Kai lying in the room next to her, Alaric sitting by her side.
The night seemed awfully long, yet he never once slumbered or slept.
He stayed by her side, waiting for the little girl to wake up.
Philip had long returned. The devastation explained it all. He could only say a silent prayer for Lilly, who had passed, and Kai, who lived, soon to learn it would be without the mother she had grown up with.
He joined the servants as they made preparations for their departure the next day.
Crow was to be transported to the Capital, alive.
He could breathe, had a pulse and a heartbeat. His eyes fluttered open from time to time, but that was all.
Completely paralyzed, he was lucky to be alive, as Raika wasn’t one to leave an enemy alive. Yet here he was, because of his black flames.
Flames Raika was sure to get the root of.
...
The long night ended, birds chirping to welcome a new day as the sun’s golden radiance chased away the darkness, yet it couldn’t chase away the grief and regret left behind.
"Son, let’s go..." Raika walked in on Alaric, the latter’s head drooped as he held the little girl’s little hands in his equally little ones.
Raika paused. She knew the pain of losing a loved one, the pain of watching someone you know suffer.
She waited in silence, allowing Alaric, who she was sure knew of her presence, to take his time, to put his emotions in order.
...
"Let’s go..." Alaric stood to his feet, the dark circles under his eyes adding more weight to the gloominess of the room.
Raika took the little girl in her arms in a princess carry, Alaric placing a white cloth over her body, covering her from head to toe, like the deceased, as that was what they wanted to present her as to the world.
They walked out of the room, then the manor, several townsfolk gathered metres away, not so far that they couldn’t see what was going on, their curious gazing watching to confirm a rumor.
"So it’s true..."