Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken

Chapter Thirty: Returning to Fairmarsh

"Is the lady awake?" Aye asked approaching the chambers, it was early in the morning and there was so much to be done; the days since Ammett's death had rocked the entire household and yet it was him that was forced to deal with the fallout. 

The maid that he was speaking with shook her head, it was still early and she had just delivered Lady Laerra's breakfast although the room had been shrouded in darkness. 

Aye sighed with a shake of his head before pushing his way into the chambers, there was so much to be done and so little time to do it; he frowned seeing the state of the chambers that Laerra had claimed as her own. 

They had once been Lady Tuya's, the place where she had played joyfully with her children and a place that had held such happy memories and laughter for House Cantrell was now shrouded in darkness. 

Even when she had died in 280AC, the rooms had been kept just how Tuya had left them at Azra's insistence and it was like the lady had never left them. 

Now they looked a far cry from the times of Tuya and Azra, the rooms were all but destroyed and trashed as Laerra sat on the far side of the room with her son held firmly in her arms. 

"My Lady?" Aye called to her softly, he didn't wish to upset or scare her but it had been two weeks since Ammett's funeral and there were things that needed to be dealt with. 

He stepped carefully over the broken vases, his eyes taking in the carnage that Laerra had unleashed on priceless heirlooms; he tutted as he stopped at a vase that he recognised that had been created for the celebrations for the marriage of Azulon and Tiye. 

"I am sorry to disturb you but there are things that need to be done, accounts that need to be handled and meetings with the household staff that have to be dealt with," Aye stated when he was close enough, he stared at the pitiful form on Laerra who looked like she had not slept in days. 

Laerra gave no inclination that she had heard a word from Aye, she stared down at her sleeping child and rocked him back and forth in her arms. 

The sight of Ammett choked on his last breathes would forever haunt her, she could not unsee the sight of him dying and she could not believe that she had trusted his murderer for even a second. 

"My Lady?" Aye said a little louder, he edged closer to Laerra trying to gather her attention away from her baby; they had allowed her to wallow for long enough.

"Nahkt can handle it," Laerra dismissed refusing to meet with Aye, she stared down at Anthorn as if he was the only thing that mattered to her; she could not let any harm come to him, she had to keep her only child safe from harm. 

They had not left her chamber since the day that Ammett had died, the two of them had been hidden away since then; not even seeing the sun rise or set above their home. 

"Princess Amara arrives today, it would not do for you not to greet her," Aye reminded her, it had not been an easy letter to write but Aye had done what he could to break the news of Ammett's death to Amara. 

Aye had asked her to return to Fairmarsh, pleading with her since it was clear that Laerra wasn't coping and they needed some clear leadership at this time when the people had no one to turn to right now. 

Laerra's head snapped up, her face enraged as she quickly got to her feet unable to believe that Amara was coming back to Fairmarsh and she would not welcome her back.

"No, she is not welcome here. This is all her doing, if she had done her duty as wife to Prince Oberyn then my husband would still be alive," Laerra spat her voice raising with each word that she spoke, her raised voice disturbing Anthorn who wailed at his mother's shouting.