Fate Without Glory

Chapter 3

        “Ah, Cervo, you have returned. What has my husband said?” She asked, cringing on the word ‘husband.’ I smile and sip my wine, my sister and her husband talking in a hushed tone to my left. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him place his hands on her stomach, then I heard him curse.

        “If he killed this child…” Meredith hushed him and then led him towards the table. I focused on the dark red liquid in my goblet, swirling it around slightly. Seeing the dark red made me think of the blood upon Altaic’s hand many moons ago. Altaic… Why did you leave him? I blinked the thought away, sipping the liquid. I miss him… I close my eyes slowly, trying to stop these thoughts. He took me. He kept me in a room, in chains. He slapped me, and tried to force himself on me. He tried to save you… I set my goblet down with such force, liquid spills out of the top. My mother looks at me and so doesn’t my sister. I smile softly, waving my hand in front of me.

        “Pesky insects.” They smile, Meredith slowly rubbing her bump. My mother turned back to Cervo, looking eager.

        “Cervo, please. Tell me what happened.” Cervo looked into my mother’s eyes and sighed.

        “The king...the king has seen to the beheading of Josepha.” I lifted my head. Meredith stood up and placed her hands on the table.

        “Sister…” I stood up and walked over to her, rubbing  her back.

        “Father had my Lady-In-Waiting killed?” She asked, her breathing becoming heavy. “How could he do that? She was an elder!” She said loudly. Servants around us stopped and looked, but I focused my attention on my sister once more. I looked up briefly at my mother, then focused back on my sister.

        “Cervo...send the family my regards. Grant them-”

        “My lady, if I may interrupt… but...the king had her family beheaded as well…” Meredith cried out and fell, but with the help of Ysac, we held her up. She began to weep. My eyes brimmed with tears.

        “What of her grandchildren.. the younglings?” Cervo nodded and whistled. The doors opened and three kids came in with soldiers, their eyes puffy. Ysac tapped my hand, nodding towards the children.

        “I have her.” He said softly. I kissed my sister on the head gently before moving to the kids.

        “Children, come with me. There is nothing to fear here.” They ran to me and began weeping in my arms, wiping their noses and eyes on my dress. A soldier came close but I waved my hand, only wanting these children to be safe.

        “Would you like to see some frogs?” I say softly. One of the children looks up at me and nods softly. “Well, then let’s go.” I say with a smile. I take the youngest one into my arms and he clings to me. I hold the hand of the little girl, the oldest boy walking by me. I nod to my mother and Ysac, Meredith still weeping. I walk with them to the doors, leading them to the back of the castle.

 

        “Look at the fishies!” The little boy says. He reaches in the water and giggles, his younger sister shrieking when she touched a frog, then giggling as she would find another. The oldest boy sat by me, a little ways away from his siblings. He was not older than 16 years, but his face held many things. It was quiet for a moment before he spoke.

        “All they know is that we cannot see mama or papa again.” I looked to him, then to the children by the pond. My eyes went back to the boy. “I know they will never return. I saw them.” He said softly, hanging his head. “I saw them…” he said again, this time almost too quiet for me to hear. I didn’t speak. I knew my words were nothing at this time. I saw them. I knew what he had meant. He saw them...his parent’s heads. His siblings didn’t know where their parents went. I reached my hand and rested it on his shoulder, allowing him to lean in. His head ended up on my shoulder, and cried softly. His crying didn’t last long. He didn’t want his siblings to see.