Forbidden Essence

Forbidden Essence : Demons

**WARNING: this chapter contains violence and gore, be careful when reading. If you cannot read it then simply skip to the end.**

Forbidden Essence

Chapter 28: Demons

I stood staring at the space Edmund had occupied just a moment ago. It felt like a dream, like he was never there, that he never said those words that made sobs rip out of my chest, that made my heart ache and my hands tremble, begging to touch him one last time.

Damn him! Damn him! Damn him!

My thoughts were spinning in directions I could not contain until I began to see darkness before my eyes and my legs gave out from underneath. With my palms on the cold floor, I tried to control my gasping. My heart thundered on until I thought it would explode, my head pounded and all my thought amounted to in the end was the history of our families. The betrayal, the cruelty, the lies, and the two faces. This was becoming a repeat of our history, and there was not a thing we could do to stop it.   

Nothing.

And if Edmund dies out there on the field, his words would remain just that, words. If there is no fulfillment of promise, words will forever remain dead and meaningless. Happiness would vanish from my life like it had from my father's, I will always wonder how our life could have been, how many children we would have had, the complications, the arguments, the love we would have given each other, that sardonic grin I would never see again. 

I felt so useless, so trapped, so helpless, how could I remain in here when all my loved ones fought one another out there, unwilling yet forced because of circumstances. My gut clenched as my brothers' faces flashed before my eyes, the smiling faces of Alexander, young Johnathan and Christopher, dead on the cold, hard ground, surrounded by gore. Oh sweet Jove! 

I needed to help, needed something to do or else I will go crazy with these thoughts running through my head, imagining million ways for my loved ones to die. I began running around collecting anything that could be used as a weapon. Paranoia gripped me as I thought of how my mother had been killed, helpless and unable to defend herself, and imagining the same occurring with myself. I hid the small knife placed with the platter of fruits within the fold of my skirt, and pulling my hair up with the sharp hair pins I knew could injure severely if used correctly.

Resentment, suppression and anger fueled my emotions further. All my life, what was it for? The little bit of happiness that could have been mine is being snatched away. The peace had tried so hard to keep was gone. I felt something snap in me, a feeling of impending doom coming over me. 

Suddenly loud shouts from outside began to ring through the cold and lifeless room. I spun with horror as the door barged open only to see one of the kitchen maids frantically waving her hands. Her apron was bloody as well as her hands and I instantly stumbled back, with my hands covering my gasp. She shook her head,

"It is not my own, my lady. Pardon me for my hasty entry but there is a mass of injured knights, men and boys needing treatment and we have very few hands. Your husband has called for your aid, we are in dire need." I let the words wash down and frantically nodded and grabbed her hand,

"Lead me to the injured, I will help as much as I am capable of." the maid nodded, I could see the stress and fear yet I could also see strength that the Young girl possessed and I admired it. We ran through the corridors to the dining hall. I stood in frozen shock as my gaze ran over the once polished and beautiful room littered with moaning bodies in pain. The nurse tugged on my hand, "Be strong, my lady, there is worse to face." I nodded curtly and began aiding in bandaging horrid injuries. Men stumbled in with arrows piercing their arms, legs with gashes from sword collision, some bloody head to toe. Some sights forced me to swallow my bile yet I persisted and aided as much I could. While I was running towards an unconscious young man being carried in, I subtly acknowledged that the man who carried the boy was Edmund's good friend Sir Caden,