Defying The Bloody King

Something That Can Kill

"Seraphina?"

The feeble voice called her, snapping her out of her long daze.

Seraphina quickly turned her eyes toward her mother and pulled the best smile she could place on her pink lips. She turned to see her mother whose hand had turned so thin and weak. Her mother's eyes were sunken as so did her cheekbones, seeing her mother's skin turning paler, her skin drier, and her eyes redder from sleepless night tormented by the heinous pain of her illness, she could feel her heart torn.

"What did you say to me? A marriage?!" Her mother gently asked her with eyes that were filled with hope and eagerness, "You have found a husband, dearest?! Why haven't you told me before, ugh," her mother then cough roughly.

In panic, Seraphina quickly covered her mother's mouth with the soft handkerchief and patted her back, "Don't get too excited mama, you know your illness will spoke up."

"Nevermind my illness. To whom are you married with, my love?" The woman asked happily, thinking that this choice was made by her daughter. She was blissfully unaware of the truth that the marriage had been forced by the Kingdom to her precious daughter.

"T... Throne, that is his name," Seraphina hasn't even seen the man's face. Days passed ever since she asked the people around her of what kind of person the King of Umbra was. She was met with nothing but horrible rumors. Some said he was born with curling horns, some said he loved to eat the woman whom he had spent the nights with. To fear being killed is one thing but the fear of being married to a man who would sleep with other woman outside the marriage is another.

Seraphina could already see her future marriage to be doomed.

After all, Throne is a King, when have a King ever sleep with only his wife?

"Throne," her mother repeated, not knowing it was the King's name. "Sounds like a good name. I would like to see him but..." her mother shook her head, "I heard that you will be marrying him in Umbra? Umbra is too far... I fear my illness wouldn't allow me to visit you."

Seraphina was saddened. It was her marriage which she wished for her mother to attend. She wasn't sure if her mother would even have a long time ahead, yet she can't even bring her mother to view her only daughter's marriage.

Seeing her face, the older woman smiled. She knew what her daughter was thinking, "Don't worry dearest, mama isn't disappointed knowing that she cannot see you in the wedding day. But no worries, I will be there for you," she gently tapped Seraphina's chest, "In your heart."

Seraphina slowly bite her lips, resisting the urge to cry. She had sworn to never cry and worsen her mother's condition since the age of five. She quickly hugged her mother's body, burying her face some her mother couldn't notice the fear that was surging in her mind. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry mama."

"Silly girl, you are about to see your own happiness, what is there to be sorry for?" Her mother whispered. "I will pray for your husband to always love you. So make sure you take care of yourself in Umbra will you?"

Seraphina nodded her head, "Mama, you might have to move from the mansion. The High Priestess told me that she would like to take care of you."

"Oh my, the High Priestess? But why would she?" The woman was taken aback as the High Priestess is known to be the second most powerful woman in Luminera after the Queen. It was odd that she would pay attention to an unknown someone like her.

"We met and we talked," lied Seraphina, "She would like to take care of you after hearing my condition." She couldn't tell her mother the truth that due to her agreeing to the marriage, she was granted the reward of having her mother taken care by the most powerful healer of Luminera, the High Priestess herself from the Order of The Dawn, the Luminera's court.