The Unknown

Chapter 54: Ghosts

The entrance courtyard was filled with the dead and there was no better way to describe it. All around the border of the courtyard were chairs and tables where soldiers and servants were sat, the founders, and Helena too, were helping and sat at a couple of tables asking questions. Papers were scattered on all the desks, question sheets for the dead that lined the courtyard but spanned far as the eye could see. There were more than Hela ever thought possible and she knew some of them, she wouldn't be able to help, and it tore her apart. She just wished she could at least get them to the in-between and into Valhalla, but she couldn't touch their souls.

"Princess," a young voice said, and all their eyes were drawn to the toddler running to Dahlia smiling while clutching her two dolls. Her brunette hair and blue eyes were instantly recognisable to Dahlia and she kneeled as the little girl crashed into her and giggled.

"Hello, Lucia," Dahlia said and tickly her tummy for a moment, "you better not be here alone, where's your mummy and daddy?"

Lucia giggled then pointed behind her and low and behold, Eva was walking over with some papers in hand and curtsied before she said, "Queen Hela, Princess Dahlia".

Dahlia rolled her eyes, "Eva".

Eva smiled and said, "Dahlia".

Dahlia opened her arm and gave her a one-armed hug before she asked, "what are you doing here? Is William here?"

Eva shook her head and answered, "a friend of his is getting married. The next two days are all celebrations for the men, so I decided to help here when the Queen asked". Eva then handed over the pieces of paper to Hela and said, "your majesty, some of the ghosts have already began their questions but more are coming by the second. All the paperwork so far is at your desk with Lord Falcon at the end".

Hela looked to the end of the courtyard and did see Falcon going through some papers. Three separate piles, one for Niflheim, one for Valhalla and one for the people that they were unsure of. It was the first time she had seen Falcon since she broke up with him and she froze on the spot, not wanting to speak to him but then she felt someone nudge her and looked to see it was Dahlia. She was giving her a discrete nudge and Hela said, "thank you, Eva. Please, get my sister a table and show her what to do".

"Of course, your majesty," Eva said, and Hela then walked away to join Falcon.

As Hela walked away, Dahlia turned to her friends and said, "Hermione, Neville, this is Eva. She is my maid but more importantly, my friend. This little giggle box is her daughter Lucia".

Lucia giggled again as Eva said, "hi, I've heard so much about you. It's nice to put faces to names".

Neville waved slightly as Hermione said, "you don't look older than us". Realising what she had said, she quickly said, "sorry, I meant-"

Eva laughed and said, "I know. It's probably because when I died I was your age, 16, almost 17. Short version, I fell in love, father disapproved of him, we tried running but he killed us. We reunited and married on Niflheim then adopted this little troublemaker".

"Momma!" Lucia protested.

Dahlia and Eva laughed, and Eva said, "this way. There's space next to my desk".

They followed, and they did find an empty desk next to Eva's and Neville and Hermione sat down at one desk while Dahlia sat with Eva on hers with Lucia sat on her knee. Akio and Tonks stood behind, Akio stood frozen while Tonks was looking around shocked at the number of people, but even more shocked at the children.

Eva explained, "don't be shocked by their ages and stories," more for Hermione and Neville and Tonks as she could see the woman was shocked. Eva continued, "there are so many that have suffered the unimaginable but if you slip up and get any of this wrong, it could not only hurt the Queen and Lord Falcon when they transport the souls, but you could damage their souls. All the questions on here, must be answered and in as much detail as possible. If you think you don't have enough room, it will automatically make more under the questions. If you think they go to Niflheim, they go in the grey box in front of you, Valhalla in the gold and if you are unsure, put them into the black box. Don't panic, there are a few council members, the founders, you know them". Eva gestured to the desks near Hela's and Falcon's and saw the founders not asking questions but reading while Helena was learning from them. Eva continued, "they're reading everything we send their way to make sure our decisions are right before passing them onto Queen Hela and Lord Falcon".