Cost of the Crown (UNREVISED VERSION)

Heliotrope

They skimmed through the other memories. Blue and pink kept on glowing before the black memory. Not soon after, the glowing stopped and everything was outlined with green. The little princess was decorating for the coronation. She heard whispers and laughter around her and it was getting quite annoying.

"You're going to be alone..." A voice whispered by her.

"Who was that?" Maria asked the people around her.

"Who was what?" A maid replied.

"Nothing... Get back to work..." She ordered.

It was really getting into her nerves but she just took out all her frustrations into the garden where she relaxed. When the little girl closed her eyes, everything turned orange.

"What happened?" Feliz asked Cedric.

"Tragedy..." Cedric furrowed his eyebrows.

Maria was again, early. She was looking forward to seeing her dress. When she visited Cassandra for it, she was disappointed that Cedric did not even bother telling her that he had the dress. She went back to the castle with her head low. She was frustrated then she banged on her brother's door.

"Cedric!! Cedric, Cedric! Brother dear!" Maria called.

Cedric yawned then he opened the door. He saw an impatient sister of his behind the door. She was always earlier than him so it was a given.

"I went to the boutique for my dress then Cass told me that she gave it to you." She crossed her arms. "Where is it?"

"Is it not in the throneroom?" Cedric yawned.

"I'll look for it, meanwhile, you need to prepare yourself, the people need to see you." Maria continued.

Maria looked everywhere for the dress and she even asked for help from her shadow friends. She only found the dress after an hour or so. It was hidden behind the thrones and she felt so stupid for not looking harder. it has been an hour and Cedric was still not done bathing, it extremely worried Maria so she opened the door out of brute force. When she successfully opened the door, her brother was inside the tub, unconscious.

"Cedric!" She cried. She received no response so she continued. "Cedric! Please!"

She sat by the tub as she shook her brother's bare body as she cried. "Cedric! "Please... Don't leave me too..."

No long, Lady Clara heard Maria crying and there she saw an unconscious Cedric inside the tub. She wrapped a towel over him then she called butlers to carry him to his room. As they walked, Maria continued to cry over him. 

They finally reached his room where they lay him on the bed. Maria shaking his brother violently now, "Wake up, stupid! I am not playing games right now! This isn't funny, I know you're going to jump scare me any time now... I think it would be a good time to do that now." Maria pleaded as she held his brother's cold hand.

"Maria, let's go... Your brother... Is gone..." Lady Clara told the girl.

"No! I refuse to believe it! He's my brother, the best, the fearless, the powerful..." Maria told Clara.

"Maria, please... It is also hard for me since I have been by your mother's side since day one and I also raised this young man." Clara explained.

"No! No! No!" She cried louder. "Cedric, please prove her wrong... Cedric... Please... Cedric. Cedric! Cedric..."

Maria let go of Cedric's hand then she cried on Clara. Clara looked at Cedric's unconscious body on the bed that was transferred by the butlers.

"It's going to be fine..." Clara told her.

They were about to leave Cedric alone when Maria heard someone gasping for air behind her. She looked back to see Cedric on the bed, coughing. Maria looked at Cedric, crying. "How dare you scare me like that?!"

"What happened?" Cedric asked.

"You collapsed in the bath..." Lady Clara explained.

He looked under the blanket then he blushed.

"Don't worry, the butlers tied a towel on your waist before transferring you here." Clara smirked.

"You are so stupid, Cedric!" Maria slapped his brother.

Cedric smiled. "I deserved that."

Feliz looked at Cedric as she laughed. "You seriously died in the tub?! Oh, brother of mine..."

"I did not die... I just became unconscious. Stop laughing as if I was the one who fell in love and got decapitated." Cedric pointed out as he rolled his eyes.

"Wait what? You re-watched my memories?" Feliz asked.

"I just want to know who the next king of the Orient is... You know?" Cedric replied with a smirk painted on his face.

"What colour is next?" Feliz asked.

"Indigo... Another tragic time..." Cedric sighed as they caught sight of the indigo memory.