Love is Killing Me

The Funeral

The picture up there is by http://amarisseesthestars.deviantart.com

Aphmau stood in front of her full body mirror, looking at herself. She was dressed in a full black dress, instead of her usual purple outfit.

The reason? Garroth's funeral was that day.

Aphmau had tried three separate times to put mascara on, but every time, she ended up having black tears run down her face from the mascara, so she gave up and washed the makeup off of her face. She leaned against the wall and slid down it, tears streaming down her face. 

A knock was heard on her door. "Aphmau..? I got Levin and Malachi dressed in their uniforms... Are you ready to go..?"

Aphmau sniffled and wiped her tears away. "Y-yeah... I'll be out there soon Zoey..." She opened the door, and her two sons were looking up at her. Malachi had a concerned look on his face, but Levin and a smile on his face and a confused look. "Mommy, why you crying?"

Aphmau wiped her tears away and forced a smile towards her son. "Mommy just misses Garroth."

Levin hugged his mother's leg with a smile. "Don't cry Mommy. Gar will come back. He always does."

Aphmau felt her heart break at these words. Levin didn't know. He probably wouldn't even understand if she told him. "...Levin.." Aphmau said, her voice shaking. She pulled the small child into her arms and hugged him.

"L-Lev... Garroth is... He's... Not coming back..." Aphmau choked out, tears forming in her eyes once again. Levin's cheerful smile suddenly vanished from his face.

"Wh-what do you mean, Mommy..? Gar always comes back! Did... Did you two have a fight..?" Levin looked so confused and about to cry.

Aphmau shook her head, trying her best to hold back her tears, feeling them begin to stream down her face once again. "Garroth is gone... He's up there, with Irene and all the angels. He's watching over us now, Levin. He's... Protecting us."

Levin squeezed his bright blue eyes shut and buried his face in Aphmau's chest, his tiny body shaking, but no tears or wails came from him. "...Z-Zoe says that Angels aren't gone. They are in our hearts." Levin placed a tiny hand on his mother's chest, right where her heart was.

Aphmau began to sob at this. Levin was such a brave child. He wasn't crying, but he was actually comforting her while she cried. "L-Levin... You're such a strong little boy..." She pulled her younger son into a hug, rubbing at her eyes to dry the tears. "Now... Be a good child, and go to Zoey... She'll... She'll take you and Malachi... I have some things to do before I leave..."

Once Levin was gone, Aphmau walked into her bathroom and smacked her arms against the counter, laying her head against the marble counter. Her sobs echoed through the room as she cried. No matter what anybody said, she just couldn't accept the fact that Garroth was gone forever. No amount of people telling her that he was "still with her" and that he was "in her heart" would convince the heartbreak to fade.

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When Aphmau arrived at the center of O'kahsis, where the Funeral would take place, she wasn't too shocked to see how many people had arrived to say goodbye to Garroth.

Both Aphmau and her guards believed that it would be best for Garroth to be buried in his home village. It was only right. But everybody agreed that Aphmau would receive his helmet, wedding ring and sword from the time he was in Phoenix Drop.

Aphmau walked up to the platform where Garroth's body lay in a casket. The blonde man was laying peacefully, blue orchids laying around where he lay, and he held one on his hands. His opal blue eyes were shut, and his wavy blonde hair was brushed behind his ears. He was dressed in his old O'kahsis armor, the black cross just barely visible behind his arms, which lay over his chest. He truly looked peaceful. Almost as if he were sleeping.

"Ahem..."

Aphmau turned around to see Zane standing right behind her. Though, unlike the causal, smug Zane she had known, he was trembling and his visible eye was red and puffy from crying. His mask was a bit wet from the tears that dripped onto the fabric. "L-Lord Aphmau..." Even his voice was shaking from the emotions. "I-I'm... I'm sorry... For all I did to you and your village... To all I did to my brother..." Zane walked up and placed a hand gently on Garroth's hands, gritting his teeth as he tried to hold back a sob.

Aphmau could feel a small bit of rage building inside her, but seeing Zane like this... Like a broken kid... It triggered some sort of sympathy for him. She put her hand on his shoulder, tears beginning to run down her face. "...if only I had a chance to ask him for forgiveness..."

"I'm sure..." She paused to let a sob escape her throat. "I'm sure he forgives you... You were his brother after all... He loved you... And I forgive you too..."

Zane closed his eyes and stood up. "...thank you..." He turned to face her, rubbing his eyes. "I-if theres anything we can do for you, don't hesitate to ask... O'kahsis will help out the village my brother helped run for a few short months..."

Without saying anything else, the High Priest of O'kahsis left Aphmau standing by the coffin, looking down at Garroth.

As the funeral was going on, Aphmau couldn't help but cry. So many people went up to talk about how great Garroth was. A great son... A great friend...

And to her, a great husband.

Aphmau didn't say much when she walked up. She couldn't. It hurt her heart to talk about Garroth at all.

"G-Garroth was first an amazing Guard for Phoenix Drop... And later, a great husband to me... I loved him with all my heart, and so did my children... If only... if only I hadn't asked him to go to Meteli to talk about trade issues while I helped with building... Then... Then maybe I could've prevented this from happening..!" Aphmau trailed off as she began to cry. Laurence came on the platform to help Aphmau back to her seat as she was crying.

The coffin was covered with a white shroud, with a black O'kahsis cross on it, before it was lowered into the ground, right next to a grave that was marked Vlyad Ro'meave.

After everybody had left, Aphmau stood standing in the Lord's family grave site, just staring at Garroth's grave. His helmet was in her hands, and his wedding ring was on a string around her neck. The message that it read on his grave stuck into her mind, and caused her tears to flow once more, watering the stone on the grave.

Garroth Ro'meave.

Son of Garte and Zianna Ro'meave. Brother of Vlyad and Zane Ro'meave. Husband of Aphmau Ro'meave. Loving Father of Levin and Malachi Ro'meave. Wonderful friend to many.

"May your good always shine within the evil of the world."