Grief

Chapter 10

"Did you speak with Janvi?" Sozec asks eagerly as Vincent returns from being gone for what seems like hours.

"I did," Vincent says cupping Sozec's cheeks in an attempt to calm him.

Sozec backs away from his grip surprised by the sudden response.

"What did he say?" Sozec asks avoiding eye contact with Vincent as he tries to process his feelings.

"Both your mother and brother believe that Zeala will cause trouble for all of Jeuntal. They believe in a prophecy," Vincent informs.

"I want to meet my family tomorrow," Zeala's voice rings.

Sozec and Vincent turn their attention to Zeala who props herself up to speak. "I want to see my family tomorrow," Zeala repeats.

"Zeala," Vincent says in a defeated voice.

"It's okay, introduce me as your soon-to-be wife. It's okay," Zeala says with a weak smile.

"You're too weak to go anywhere," Sozec says pulling the blanket back over Zeala.

"Give me the night. I will recover enough to attend breakfast," Zeala counters.

"But-" Sozec begins.

"Sozec, did I tell you the story of my childhood?" Zeala begins.

"I will take post outside the room tonight," Vincent says excusing himself.

"It wasn't until I was ten years old that I found out that the maid had intended to kill me that night. Father had sent men after the woman to save me. He said that he'd suspected that mother might send me off. She saw a prophecy he said was unfavorable. He said she blamed me," Zeala says tossing the blanket off of her as she feels her temperature rising.

Father said that when you and I were born he only witnessed your birth. He wasn't sure that another had been born till the midwives spoke of it in passing later that day. They said she hadn't chosen me because I didn't cry. She thought me a demon the moment I was born. I don't resent you. I don't resent her either. I just want to make peace with my family," Zeala says tears filling her eyes as she speaks.

"I know Zeala, we'll figure this out together," Sozec says wiping her forehead with a rag he'd found lying in his wardrobe.

"When Father sent his men, they placed me in an orphanage in town. I was adopted by an old couple that couldn't have children of their own. I didn't realize at the time but they were scared to have children, father was a mage and he feared his children might live in fear for the rest of their lives.

"What a joke, he got me anyway. When I was ten years old I almost fell down a well, it would've killed me but my adoptive father softened my fall as he could control the element of water. The water rose softening my fall but suspicion rose among our neighbors. When he didn't return home one day Mother went looking for him only to see his tattered body lying by a stream.

I still remember his body covered in bruises and stab wounds on his body as mother buried him. Blood that wasn't nearly as dry as it should've been seeped through his ragged clothes and smothered his wrinkly skin.

I guess news spread fast because King Mondel made a secret visit late at night to our home and paid my mother handsomely for caring for me. His visits became more frequent as I grew older and began to use magic on my own.

At fifteen my mother passed away and I was left alone so I moved away. I didn't blame him for leaving, to me he was just a man with a lot of money helping the needy. Like most common folk I didn't know what the royal family looked like let alone that someone that looked like me lived with him.