A story about the decision to walk the path of destiny.
Cidolfus Telamon x OFC
- Erie Murdoch has witnessed the power that has brought the Duchy to ruin and plunged Rosaria into political turmoil. Stripped of everything she once knew, now a fallen p...
Months passed as Erie kept in touch with Rosaria and received one terrifying message after another. As the contact had predicted, Sanbreque annexed Rosaria and turned the Duchy into a Sanbrequian province. Erie's worst fears were confirmed when the contact in Sanbreque finally announced that Anabella had married the Emperor of Sanbreque, Sylvestre Lesage, and had now assumed rule over Rosaria in the name of the Empire.
The day Erie found out, she suffered one of her worst nervous breakdowns since Phoenix Gate. She had jumped up from Cid's desk, where she usually wrote the letters, and stormed out. In her room, she had cried hysterically, not caring if anyone heard her. She had hyperventilated and gasped for air in panic, her head in her hands, her eyes squeezed shut in pain. The viper had sunk her fangs deeper into her home and torn apart the peace that her own husband, the man she had betrayed without batting an eye, had so painstakingly built up and only jeopardized as a last resort. And Erie was on the other side of the world and could do nothing about it.
When a knock came at her door, Erie shook her head and groaned.
"I need a few minutes."
"It's me," Cid said, his voice muffled by the closed door, "I saw the letter on the desk. Open up, let's talk for a minute."
"I don't want you to see me like this, Cid. Please, give me a moment."
Unfortunately, Cid was the only one who knew the true nature of Erie's situation, and also the last person Erie wanted to show weakness in front of. She had to admit to herself that her service under Cid reminded her a lot of her life in Rosalith, a happier life, and she didn't dare trust or give in to that feeling because it wasn't her old life. Besides, she knew Benni might get jealous, and Erie just wanted to avoid that.
"Suit yourself. Come to me as soon as you can."
Erie heard footsteps moving away from her room, and she began to collect herself and wash her face so she could face the world again. She was grateful that Cid hadn't insisted she open the door.
She thought briefly of Dion Lesage, the young crown prince of Sanbreque. In the days when Rosaria and Sanbreque were still allies, she got to know Dion a little. Erie liked him very much; he had struck her as a young man with a strong sense of justice. What might he think of the recent events?
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Finally, Erie knocked on Cid's door and was invited in. He sat in the chair where Erie had been sitting moments before, and Erie immediately felt guilty when she realized that she shouldn't have left the papers out in the open like that. In her blind breakdown, she had only managed to close the door behind her as she ran out. He put down his quill and stood up, coming towards Erie.
"Is everything all right?" he asked her. She just nodded and struggled to smile.
