A Beautiful Tragedy

Chapter Twenty Two

When Verena heard the news of Edmund's death, she cried.
Not tears for him, but tears for her children.
They did not deserve to lose their father.
They were innocent.
When she heard they had died in a fire,
she thought it must have been by design.
Verena was not stupid.
Things don't just catch on fire.

She read the scroll in her hands, telling her the news as tears streamed down her face and her knees weakened,
Rhaenyra wrapped her arms around Verena as Harwin let out a few tears of his own.

She stood there still as tears fell effortlessly,
Then she heard her children knocking on the door.
Verena stood unable to move when Harwin went to dismiss them but her mind suddenly turned on,

"Let them in, please."

Rhaenyra unwrapped herself from Verena as Maelor and Athena walked towards their mother.

Verena's heart broke as she looked at her beautiful children.
Her two beautiful babies.
She stepped towards them and bent down to their level,

"Skoros emagon massitas muñnykeā?"
"What has happened mother?"

Maelor looked at her in fear as Verena gulped her grief down before replying,

"Issa dōna valonqar,
issa dōna hāedar.
Something.... Some.... Something
has happened to your father.
Ziry emagon rēbagon.
Nyke sīr sorry issa loves."
"My sweet boy,
My sweet girl.
Something.... Some.... Something
has happened to your father.
He has passed.
I am so sorry my loves."

Maelor's face dropped as he ripped his arm away from his mother,

"I do not believe it.
I...."

Verena just threw her arms around her son and held him close, reaching around to pull a weeping Athena into the embrace.

They slid down to the floor.
Sharing their grief.

Harwin and Rhaenyra had since excused themselves.
Verena held both of their faces in her hands and lovingly continued,

"It will all be alright my little loves, okay?
Nyke jāhor ōregon ao syt hae bōsa hae ao jorrāelagon.
Konīr iksos daor udra nyke kostagon ivestragon ruaka aōha ōdres.
Avy jorrāelan tolī than konīr iksos qēlossās isse se jēdar.
Ao both issi se olvie precious mirre isse se vys naejot issa."
"It will all be alright my little loves,
okay?
I will hold you for as long as you need.
There is no words I can say to dull your pain.
I love you more than there is stars in the sky.
You both are the most precious thing in the world to me."

Maelor sunk into his mother sobbing as Athena nuzzled into her mother.
Verena sat there holding her children tightly repeating,

"We'll be okay.
We'll be okay."