Gods and Guardians

Chapter 47: Simsee in Turmoil

'I can already see how much you despise him,' Abigyl said on her deathbed.

'I do not despise him,' Dasirus replied.

'But you do not love him. I can see it in your eyes.'

Dasirus began to sob. 'What am I supposed to do without you?'

'I will always be with you my lord,' she assured him, squeezing his fingers with whatever little strength she had left. 'Just look at him. Just look at Nimrod.'

The baby lay asleep in a cot nearby. Dasirus held her hands tight, imploringly. She couldn't leave now. Not so soon. He begged her through tearful eyes not to leave, begged her to fulfill her promise of always being by his side. Even though he knew it wasn't within her power.

She shouldn't have taken in. This cursed child. The first three were enough. Breth, Massey and Kiyanna were enough. Child birth had always been hard on her. But she insisted she wanted one more. He begged her to wait. And he believed she agreed. But she deceived him, becoming pregnant again soon. Breth was four teneries older than Massey. Massey was seven teneries older than Kiyanna. Why now? Kiyanna was barely two teneries older than the last one. But Abigyl said this child would be different. He wondered how she knew.

Nimrod even from birth was a spitting image of her. He even had her eyes. But he took her life. She assured him that Nimrod would be more than a son to him. She bound him with an oath to love Nimrod as he had loved her. Abigyl died peacefully in his arms that night. In spite of her early death, she lay there in a cloud of fulfillment. She was the legendary queen, gone too soon, but not before attaining the zenith of adoration.

***

Breth and Massey stormed out of the Law Council in a lot of confusion. Father issued the warrant? When? Layman received a tip? By whom? And he was chasing after Nimrod and Damian?

Breth held his head and shut his eyes as if fighting for air. Massey watched him quietly, waiting for his decision. Neither the Breth nor Massey could think of any clear course of action.

'Do we return to the palace?' Massey asked.

Breth blew on his moulded fists. Then he punched his palm over and over. His eyes were red, desperate. 'This is not good. This is not good. What is happening?' He paced up and down.

'Breth, you have to calm down. What do we do now?'

Breth shook his head. 'I'll kill someone. I'll kill whoever is behind this.' He punched his palm with rage.

'Breth.'

'Let's go after Layman.'

'What! Now? Why not let father summon him?'

'We don't have time to argue.' And he mounted his horse.

***

They met the surviving law soldier, Mish who was galloping back.

Mish fell to his knees, panting and unable to speak distinctly for some time. Massey grabbed him by the lapels. 'What are you saying? Speak up!'

'They resisted arrest. There was a fight...'

'Who resisted arrest?' Breth asked impatiently.

The law soldier thought they should know since their father issued the warrant. 'The prince and his friend... Damian.'

'So what happened? Why are you here all alone?'

'Nimrod... Nimrod was killed –.'

'What!' Breth shouted.