𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈 𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄// 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐨 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐔

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟓𝟑// 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝

When Nico woke up the next day, he stared at the ceiling for a moment. It was Blackstone’s funeral today. He felt a strange numbness that he knew would erupt into hysteria if he looked at it for too long. He knew that feeling too well by now. 

While black meant mourning in the Aureole Kingdom, the opposite was true among the Shades. White stood for ghosts and the afterlife, which was what Nico was dressed in now for the funeral. He certainly looked like a ghost, he thought with amusement as he looked in the mirror, but the thought was quickly dampened when he remembered what it was for. 

He quickly left his room, then exited the Shade palace, the sunlight on his skin a small comfort. The funeral was to be held in the royal cemetery. Already, white-clothed people were crowded at the gates, though they parted for him without a word. He ignored their gazes on him and entered the cemetery. 

Servants were milling about, putting the finishing touches on everything. Chairs had been set up in a half-circle, and at the center of it…the coffin. Nico forced a breath, ripping his gaze away. He should find Hazel. 

It didn’t take long, fortunately. She stood out like a beacon among the rest. Her white robes seemed to glow, contrasting beautifully against her dark skin. Matching beads glittered in her brown dreadlocks. She was smiling, but Nico could tell it was practiced, though it did become genuine when she saw him. 

Nico tried for a smile of his own, reaching out to grasp her hands. Upon closer inspection, her eyes were rimmed with red, but he decided not to bring it up. “I’m glad to see you,” he said. 

She managed a nod, eyes flicking to the gates where others were waiting. She looked back at him. “This is going to be…difficult. But it'll be easier with you here.” 

Reyna was at her shoulder a minute later, her face unreadable. “The servants are finished. Are we ready?” 

Hazel took a deep breath, before squaring her shoulders. 

“We’re ready.” 

☀️☀️☀️☀️ 

The coffin was opened, and people began to line up and view the body. Hazel hung back, her expression blank. All it took was a look from Nico for her to admit, “I…don’t know if I can look at her by myself. Can you…?” 

“Of course.” He reached out and took her hand. “I’m here for you.” And the two walked up to the coffin together. 

Lou Ellen had been meticulously worked on, the wounds from the blast closed and scars concealed as much as possible. She was wearing her black robes, jewelry glittering on her wrists and throat. Her afro haloed her face, which looked eerily peaceful, as though she was just sleeping. 

Nico has seen his fair share of dead bodies, but this still made his skin crawl. The last time he had seen a body like this was Michael Yew’s funeral, and before that…Nico forced his eyes shut, suddenly feeling sick. No, he wouldn’t think about Bryce Lawrence right now. 

Hazel made a strange sound, and Nico shoved thoughts of dead bodies out of his head, realizing she was crying. He squeezed her hand, biting his lip until he tasted blood. The numbness from before cracked, emotions rushing to the surface. He couldn’t hold back his own tears. 

He gently pulled Hazel away from the casket, so that others would have a chance to say goodbye. She followed him to the side, out of everyone’s way, muttering apologies. “You have nothing to apologize for,” Nico said, resting his other hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay. It’s–” His voice became strangled, and he struggled to take another deep breath, to stay calm. “We’re okay.” 

A sob escaped her, and she pulled him in for a hug. He didn’t hesitate to return it. He felt no shame as the tears streamed down his face, as the others awkwardly looked on. None of it mattered. 

Lou Ellen was gone. The woman who fearlessly became the first Head Sorceress in a time of uncertainty. Who had sacrificed everything to defeat the Black Hand…

Nico held his sister and let her take the time she needed. He had promised that they would do this together. Like hell would he walk away now. 

☀️☀️☀️

The funeral went on. It took hours just to let people view the body. Afterwards, people would stand up and talk about memories they had of her. It was mostly coven members, though Reyna gave one memory of Lou Ellen’s confidence, despite former Shade Council members not trusting her. Next to Nico, Hazel shifted, then let go of his hand to stand up and walk to the front. She clasped her hands in front of her and was silent for a second before speaking. 

“Growing up, Lou Ellen was like a sister to me. She was only a soldier at the time, hiding her abilities from everyone else, but she trusted me enough to show me that she knew magic. My father always told me that sorcerers were dangerous, a threat to the monarchy, but I knew better.” She paused, took a deep breath. “She made me realize that everything my father taught me was wrong, and that he was unjust. Living under his control was the worst time of my life, but Lou Ellen was always there for me, no matter what. I can never repay her for that.” She gave a sad smile. “None of us can ever repay her for the sacrifice she made. But we can honor her, and celebrate the memory she gifted us.” 

Tears gathered in her eyes again, and she sat down again. To her left, Frank rubbed her back in soothing circles, while Nico held her hand again. Silence spread over the mourners for several minutes. An odd feeling stirred within Nico, and he found himself standing up and walking to the front. 

He wasn’t afraid of talking in front of large groups of people, but the hundreds of eyes on him made him antsy. Deliberately keeping his gaze away from the coffin, he turned to face the crowd and began to talk. It felt difficult at first, but the words came easier with every sentence. The magic set up around the place amplified his quiet voice, so everyone could hear. 

“Lou Ellen was an amazing woman. She trained beside me for several years. We were never particularly close, but she was strong and clever, and I admired her for that.” He scuffed his feet in the grass, trying not to think about the body behind him, the bodies in the ground below. “When Jalgan Abaddon married my–the Aureole Prince, Lou Ellen played a crucial role in stopping him. Without her, none of it was possible.” He took a second to compose himself, so his voice wouldn’t shake too bad. “Imagining a world without her still feels impossible, but we will learn to deal with it. I won’t claim to have known her well, but I have no doubt that she wouldn’t want us to be destroyed by our grief. She would want us to celebrate her life, and her memory, like Haz–Her Highness said.” He bowed his head and quickly went back to his seat. His sister smiled at him, and he managed to return it. 

Grief was like a knife in his chest, but he would learn to live with it. They would be okay. 

They would be okay. 

 ☀️☀️☀️ 

The coffin was lowered into the earth, covered with flowers from the mourners. Nico and Hazel stood at the edge, hand in hand. 

Nico turned to Hazel and wiped a tear from her face. “I am here if you need me.” 

She smiled. “I know.” She leaned forward and rested her head on his shoulder. “I know.” She wrapped his arms around him. “I love you.” 

He smiled, returning her hug. For a moment, his pain lightened, and everything was okay. 

“I love you, too.”