King of Hearts

47.

Val is furious and has the urge to break something. Ulio on the contrary is as stiff as a stick. His eyes are still fixed on the black feathery thing. He's not moving at all and Val is starting to feel concerned. 

"Are you alright?", she gently touches his arm. "He has always been like that, and he has even worsened", Ulio stomps away and Val has difficulty keeping up with his pace. "What do you think he's going to do?" Val pants. Ulio gives her a quick smile. "He's not going to hurt me, you don't need to worry about me", he smirks. She avoids eye contact.

Ulio stops in front of the ruins of buildings that were once standing. It is so horrible, demolishing innocents' homes. A few people are already working on the chaos Prince Sulo arranged. Bodies are being carried away and Val can't recognize which of the victims have survived. There are still a few faint cries and panicked shouting. Val wants to leave. 

Ulio's eyes are filled with such devastation that they almost seem to become teary. He's slowing down his steps at this awful sight. "Can I leave you here for a quick moment? I need to make sure that everyone is safe", he asks her for permission which seems ridiculous to her. Val nods wordlessly, putting a comforting hand on his arm. He nods back and immediately joins the small crowd.

There are still dust orbs floating in the air. A man is carrying a child in his arms, crying hysterically. The little human has blood on his face but his eyes are still open. A woman is supporting an older lady, who has difficulty walking. Val could cry. Something is pulling her sleeve. As she turns around, she looks into the grey eyes of a little boy. His eyes are teary and his fragile voice shaky. "Have you seen my mom?" he sobs. As Val puts her hand on his shoulder she gets brutally pushed to the side. "My baby, oh my dear", she cries. Quickly, she picks the child up and runs away, not spending a look at Val. 

Soon Ulio jogs back to Val. "I need to go back to the palace. I ought to send more help. We'll need to catch up on our date some other time", he says giving her a weak smile. "Of course. If there's a way I could help, please let me know", Val responds concerned. Ulio's smile transforms into something more heartfelt and warm. "Thank you. But now it's better to evacuate the public square. My guards will look after the matter. But thank you, really." He stays a few more seconds, staring into her dark eyes. Maybe he wants to add something. He just smiles sincerely and then turns away. 

Val watches more and more city guards arriving. She manages to help another crying child find its mother and remains to talk to a few people. She helps a little bit here and there and as more people are leaving the public square she too decides to go home. 

On her way to the shop, Val's mind remains busy. Prince Sulo has been gone for eight years. Why did he show up only now? What is he planning? The way he talked to Ulio, how he insulted him, does he actually feel only hatred for his only brother? It's not even Ulio's fault that Prince Sulo wouldn't become the next king. The look in his eyes showed how much he despises Ulio. It's not just envy but also sorrow for their mother. How will they beat the Prince of the Underworld? Him and his demons, who become quite frightful the more she thinks about them. He controlled the ground and started an earthquake. What kind of power is that? What more is he capable of? If he wanted he could probably destroy the whole city at once. Will she and Ulio be strong enough?