The Power Of Cithrí - A Chaol Westfall Fanfiction

Part 26

The skeletal body was lost in the wolf body, snoring softly, as she shivered and shaked. I rolled the ring in my pocket, my hands were heavily bandaged, but luckily they would repair swiftly; I already had full use of my fingers. I was going to ask her to marry me, my beautiful yourname once so full of life and fun. Now locked herself in the dungeons, and forced the guards to overdose herself on sedatives. She wasn't coping with her discovery of her magic.

19, I told myself, here I was holding the ring I would have proposed to her with and she isn't even classed as an adult yet. Through her ability with a dagger and her comfort with killing, I had missed the girl within her. I bit my tongue back to stop me cursing myself, I still wanted to marry her now, as a child or an adult.

She groaned, waking up to Shadow licking her hands. Those beautiful eyes the ones I loved too dearly stared at me. I had my spot, the one I came to everyday to watch her sleep, never before had she woken up. I had chosen this spot to hide myself, so I could be masked into the shadows, but she could see me, her throat consticting as she gulped. "Y/n." I whispered, unsure if she was really sober or still on sedatives.
"Stay away from me Chaol." She replied, her legs lost under Shadow. She shivered. "I killed you."
I shook my head. "I'm alive now, you don't need to be scared."
She took a deep breath, her watery eyes dulled out by the dirty cell. "I killed you." She was gone, lost to her own power. "Did you know I have.... it?"
I nodded, slipping the ring onto my own finger, it was not like she would ever wear it now. "Yes, you used it back in Cithrí."
She took in a wavery breath, running her fingers in Shadow's fur. "Why would you not tell me? I killed all of them."
I had no reason for not telling her - I guess I hadn't wanted this. She had killed them all, I hadn't thought it was possible, but she hadn't just killed the sisters she had killed all the girls too, pregnant, sick, mad! She had butchered every single breathing thing in that castle. "Do you want to come back to bed?" I asked her, I knew if I held her, she would heal. That I would heal too; she had been down here for so long I felt like I barely knew her. I wouldn't let the servant clean my bedding because it smelt of her, it had her hair in it and her sweat. I knew it would be inevitable that I would have to clean it one day - before I end up sleeping in a bed of rotting cloth - but for now I needed the comfort of her smell.
Y/n, shuffled to be more comfortable. "Don't take me out of here."
I frowned, never before had I a prisoner so keen on her own cell, many had begged for death instead of another day in here. "You will get sick if you stay down here." I replied.
She didn't seem to care for that. "It won't let me." She refered to her magic again as a part outside of her. Even I could see it within her, and whilst I had been accepting of it at first, now I had seen and felt the extent of what she could do, I couldn't help but wish she didn't have magic. "I have sent word to Cithrí."
For a split second happiness flashed through her - I felt trapped in a continuous competition against her home, yes she had left it for me, but would she ever see my company like she did as her home? "Rowan knew didn't he?"
I nodded, well aware my secrecy wouldn't work with her, she could see me as clear as daylight. "I saw Saskia." I stated, we had seen the brutal death she had inflicted on Saskia - strangulation and a smashed open skull - the power within the petite princess amazed me.
Y/n flinched at the name. "She tricked me into her friendship."
I sighed, uncertain that was the truth - Saskia's motive for coming to the palace had clearly been more than to trick y/n - it had been to find Dorian's weak point and use it against him. Their friendship had been most unexpected to the pair of them.
"Chaol?" She asked, her dark hair in much need of a brush.
"Yes love." She didn't seem to recognise the second word.
She gulped, latching onto great handful of Shadow. "I killed the woman from the ball. I don't know how but I did."
I paused, biting my nail, I had come to that conclusion a few days back, and had cleared the case saying it was Saskia who had run away so could not be punished.
The deaths of all those other women would be buried forever, I would see to that.

"I will have the guards bring you some berries." I said, turning to leave, the ring on my finger was burning me, the love that flowed between us was ebbing away, I could feel it. I only wished she could too. Then maybe she would do something about it. "Make them sedate it."
I had the guards inform me on everything she did - when she fell asleep, when she woke, when she moved to relieve herself in the bucket. They had informed me right away, the moment she had begged for a more concentrated sedative in her drink and food. Clearly it was the only way she could come to peace at night. "If you say so." And with that I left, the ache in my chest made it unbearable to look at her for a moment longer.