The Crimson Chains That Bind Us

Chapter 10:Another Death Plagues Us

I sat by the window of Dragmyr Hall, looking out at the rolling hills in front of me. I couldn't shake the feeling of emptiness that had been with me ever since i left Brecht Castle. Yes, I had found purpose and happiness in my new life, but my heart still ached for the family that I had left behind. A sparrow landed on the windowsill, tilting its head as if curious.

I offered the bird some crumbs from my hand, but the sparrow shook its head suddenly and flew off. I sighed, my heart still heavy with the weight of my loss.

Suddenly, a commotion from the courtyard outside snapped me out of my reverie. Horses galloped past the gates, and shouts echoed off the stone walls. My heart leaped into my throat as i rushed to the courtyard, fearing the worst.

And then i saw it, suspended in the air in front of her: a Brecht banner, emblazoned with the symbol of my family's darkest enemy. My heart sank immediately, and i closed my eyes, praying that i was wrong. But the rider on horseback confirmed my worst fears. Catherine followed me out to greet the newcomers, she pulled a cloak around my shoulders. I hadn't noticed that I left the manor without it.

"My lady," he said, his voice eerily calm, "I bring you grave tidings from Brecht Castle. Your brother, the heir to the Brecht Dukedom has been taken ill these past weeks. He doth fear that he has not long left this world."

I staggered backward, my mind reeling from the shock. How could i possibly lose another family member? I gripped the rider's arm to steady myself, struggling to comprehend the enormity of the devastation before me.

With tears streaming down my face, i thanked the rider for the warning and bade the grooms saddle my horse at once. I could not afford to waste a moment if i hoped to see my brother one last time.

I sent Catherine to send Ashton word of my leaving. I spotted Lillian walking the premises. "Lady Lillian." I called to her. "You must accompany." She nodded as another horse was brought.

"Where to my lady?" She asked, helping me on my horse.

"Brecht castle." I pulled the reins waiting for her to jump on hers, which was much easier for her since she wore trousers. "We must make haste." The horse below me started running. With a heavy heart, I left Ashton behind with only the clothes on my back and one knight. We rode towards Brecht Castle, knowing that more pain and heartache lay ahead. I pushed my horse to its limits, barely stopping to rest or eat along the way. Through snow and sleet i rode, the frigid wind searing my cheeks as tears froze upon them. At last, the familiar spires of Brecht Castle emerged through the fading light.

Wasting no time, i jumped from my horse not waiting for Lillian to help me down and ran to Theodore's chambers, breathless. Inside i found him wasted to a shadow, the healers potions doing little to ease his labored breathing. At the sound of my entrance, Theodore weakly turned his head. "Sister..." he rasped with a hint of a smile. "Come no closer." He panted. "I have the sweats." He wheezed.

"I don't care." Tears began to stream as I rushed to his side, grasping his pallid hand in mine. But he was too weak to push me away. "I came as swiftly as I could, dearest brother. How I've wished to shield you from more pain." My words caught in a sob. Theodore started coughing, turning his head away from me.

Theodore squeezed my hand gently. "Do not mourn for me, Farrah. I am grateful for the years granted and I am blessed by God to see your face one last time." He wheezed our a breath. "Promise me...you will honor our mother's wish. Face what comes...with courage and compassion as she would want. Now, sing to me of happier times...let your voice sustain me into the next realm."

As the storm raged on outside, I poured out my heart in a passionate ballad for Theodore, vividly imagining every moment we would have left together. My throat closed with sorrow, but i would give him this comfort to the very end. My voice trembled as i sang until my throat became sore, desperately trying not to let Theodore's spirit slip away. As the night grew darker, his breathing shallowed, and i tightened my grip on his hand.

Theodore's eyes opened one last time, and he stared at me with a solemn gaze. "Sister...promise me," he said cereberically. "Keep true to your duties as the Dragomir's wife, no matter the path you must walk. And never forget...the fire that burns within you."

A tear escaped my lip, and i sobbed. "I promise, Theodore," i choked out. "For the sake of our mother and your peace of mind. But how will I continue without you by my side?"

Theodore's expression softened, and a fleeting smile touched his face. "Our mother lives on in your heart...as does love," he whispered. "Our love is eternal...as is your commitment to justice and mercy." He turned towards me, looking behind me. "I see mother." He whimpered. "She's beckoning me to come with her." His eyes closed one final time, leaving me alone to face my uncertain future.

My despair was overwhelming. I cried out, "Theodore, no!" Shaking him desperately, but we were too late to save him. My voice faded with my last song that fell silent in a flood of tears, grabbing onto the lifeless hand of my closest friend. Another piece of my soul was gone, leaving me with nothing but the memories of those i had lost, and the uncertain road ahead i must now walk alone.

I remained by Theodore's side even in the darkness of the night, clinging to his cooling body as my heart gripped icy fingers of despair. Never had i felt more alone, with both my mother and dearest brother now lost.

When the first light of dawn broke pale and tears froze upon my cheeks, exhaustion weighed down my every step. Yet duty called her to finalize rites for Theodore, no matter how much my soul protested leaving his side. With great care, i helped the servants prepare his body for burial, committing every detail to agonizing memory.

The cold light of day revealed the full devastation left by grief. Dark hollows shadowed my eyes and skin stretched taut over white-knuckled fists as i moved in a numb daze. At the makeshift gravesite, i clutched Theodore's frozen hand one last time and pressed a final kiss to his brow. "Find peace in the eternal embrace of sky and earth, brother. I cannot bear to say goodbye."

As soil fell upon Theodore's shrouded form, my half-frozen heart shattered. Behind a calm facade, i crumbled, howling my sorrow to the uncaring heavens. All that anchored my had been severed, leaving my flung rudderless upon a tempestuous sea. My sole recourse was honoring vows to the lost souls who yet guided my from beyond this life. With a bitter-valent resolve, i began my lonely journey with Lillian back to Dragmyr Manor. When we left she offered awkward words of comfort, but we rode the rest of the journey in silence. I glided through the gates of Dragmyr  Manor as the sun's final rays vanished beneath the horizon. Through chilling tears, my cheeks could not feel love's return. Snow had frozen onto my furs, an icy embrace that shrouded me in despair. Amid death's grip and sorrow's claws, my numbness persisted.

Yet, my soul found a flicker of life as i felt Ashton's gentle touch. His steadying hands massaged my frozen flesh, bringing warmth and concern to my waking senses. The words of comfort slipped through his lips, soothing the aching pain within my spirit. Though passion dwindled within my frostbitten halls, i yearned for the warmth of love's embrace.

The evening bore witness to my confession. As i spoke with clenched teeth, a sorrowful voice echoed through the corridor: promises kept, dragged through winter's unyielding tide. Ashton swore allegiance to my well-being. Tormented by desire, i ensnared myself in the labyrinth of pain, my path illumined by solace sought. Through guiding hands, my sorrows echoed in balm, my heart still bound to the realm where my loved ones resided.

My footsteps shuffled silently through the chilling hallways, my grief a sorrowful companion. I walked among whispers of loss, my senses led by promises broken, and hope lost. My eyes held onto the promise of dawn, my voice raised in a silent plea, "Onward, I must walk, amidst the shadows of sorrow. For in darkness I find strength, though my path remains obscured."

In the heart of winter, i glided forward into numbness's embrace, yoked to love's enduring chains. My soul danced with sorrow, my heart encased in ice, weighed down by the chains of love lost. Only with courage and conviction could I pave my own path, embracing both danger and desire. Amidst the emptiness, a glimmer of hope flickered. Could i find the will to break free, bathed in sorrow's runoff? It was time to face my fears and desires, to embrace the path of healing, and to rise above the ashes of winter's end.