Autumn hummed softly, sitting in her bed chambers. She had been up for awhile but chose to remain in her room rather than go down to dinner. She had been enjoying the silence, relaxed in the morning air as her fireplace gave off warmth. Standing, she moved to the doors of her balcony and looked out over the kingdom. She smiled and watched as ships came in as well as people in the streets. She thought about going exploring today but decided against it. Brushing her hair back, she turned and went to her wardrobe. Still standing in her nightgown, she figured it best if she were to begin getting dressed. She needed to join her family soon. Though she was feeling a little under the weather. She shook the feeling away and went to the bath room. Stepping in, she noted the already filled bath water. "Cordelia must have snuck in" she whispered before standing before the bath. Nice and hot and lavender scented. Just how Autumn enjoyed it. Smiling, she let the nightgown fall to the floor before climbing in and washing up.
Once finished and once relaxed, she got out and worked to get dressed. She kept her hair down and chose a dress she could lace herself before sliding her shoes on and adorning herself in jewelry. Once finished, she looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. Turning, she started for the dining hall, wondering what all of her family had arrived there yet.
Cordelia noticed Autumn didn't come down to dinner and wanted to be in her room. She didn't disturb her, but thought of a pick me up for her in the morning, but went up to gather her sleep clothes and thought of breakfast and flowers to go with this time. That morning, Cordelia hustled to get flowers, Autumn's clothes and her bath drawn. She was fast and quiet, careful not to wake her up before she was ready. Queen Rebekah didn't order anything and well she was Autumn's lady-in-waiting.
A sudden feeling came over Cordelia as she put her hand in the water to make sure it wasn't too hot for the princess and slowly straightened her back and look in the direction of Ishgar. She had a weird feeling and then she shook it off, continuing to get Autumn ready for the day. She smiled at the princess passing by and decided to walk around the castle to clear her mind. When she believed Autumn was up and dressed, she made her way to her room, but she wasn't there. Instead, she went to find her, finally in the dining hall, "Sleep well?"
☾-------------------------------✵-------------------------------☼ My Letter of Introduction☥My Barely Functional Voice☥I'll Be Your3rd Prince of EltherelToday☥Have I Sucked Anyone Into The Abyss?None/Single ☆═━┈☠┈━═☆
The contest had been over a week now, and while they had been fun, they only served to convince Ulric of one thing: so long as he was around, his beloved Flori was going to stay by his side. That would have been beautiful if it was purely platonic or they were in a position to let their love blossom, but neither were the case. No, they would both be set up with wives, though his might become a widow before a wife. He had tried every day for who knows how many years to push Flori away, gently of course as the poor boy couldn’t take much negativity, yet his guard always faltered and he would give in to Flori’s desires…well, his desires too he supposed. With a heavy sigh, he began packing as much as he could into a single large bag, carefully wrapping his herbalist reagents up in spare clothes as to protect them during the trip. Filling a belt pouch with a handful of gold, silver, and copper pieces, he contemplated what he would say, or rather write, to his family. No matter what crossed his mind, it seemed inadequate, but he did not have the time to compose and recompose a treatise. In the end he left a very brief message on the table by his bed: “My dear family, Please do not fear for my safety. No one has spirited me away, rather I have left of my own accord. My presence is an impediment to everyone here, and I am not so selfish as to remain with those I love when it will only bring them pain. Please do not seek me out, though it was a hard decision, I have made it, and for your own sakes I wish you shall honor my request. With all my love, Ari.” Upon the note he left his signet ring, he wouldn’t need that sort of identification where he was going. Though it was still dark outside, he crept out through back doors and servants’ passages to avoid being seen. Once beyond the castle’s gate, he pulled a hood low over his face and made his way to the village. He bought a horse upon which he could travel much further and much faster. He turned south and continued on, quite certain he would reach another settlement before the day was out. Well, he was until he noticed the ground starting to shake! For a second he thought he was just lightheaded and probably about to faint, yet he did not feel the associated out-of-body or frigid feeling that accompanied a faint. Though it seemed impossible, he could only assume there was an earthquake occurring! ”Yah!” he yelled at the horse as he dug the stirrups in. The poor beast whinnied, clearly just as afraid as he was shocked, and charged where Ulric lead him. It was many paces away, but there were some prominent rocks nearby with nothing above them, they would be much more stable than the sandy soil of the coastal road.
☆═━┈☠┈━═☆ My Mourners:No one☥My Grave:Open terrain☥My Death Mask:Resolute☥Occupying Ornate Coffin:Sorry it is short. ☾-------------------------------✵-------------------------------☼
The morning started as every other one did. Rebekah awoke in her bed, sitting up and taking a deep breath as her mind ran through her reality. Her dreams were sweet, filled with red curls and deep blue eyes that examined her broken body, and still saw something beautiful. She smiled a little to herself, the memory of her sweet knight's latest letter still burning in her mind. He spoke of her face and her body, how he wished to trace his rough hands over her soft skin and kiss every place where Entioch's touch had burned her. He wrote to her with such loving words that it moved her to tears with every line, speaking of her as though she were still the young princess she'd forgotten how to be years and years ago. She had not felt an emotion like this since she was a young bride, full of hope and excitement for her new husband that would later be dashed away as she was broken again and again. Her hand drew up to her throat, touching the thin bare chain there. It was a memento from her youth, the only jewelry that she was allowed to keep when she crossed the threshold to the castle of Estherel and was stripped of her Muriel belongings. Her smile faded as the raw ache of her lost innocence dawned on her, and she sighed. Oh well. What's done is done. She looked down to her side, her husband still laying next to her. Despite all of his faults, he was a handsome man when he slept. She wished she could say that this was the only time that she liked him, but even that wasn't true. She hated him. Even here, sleeping soundly, she hated him. She hated how he breathed, how his brow furrowed when his dreams shook him, how his hair was rumpled from sleep. Darkness stirred within her, ever-present and ever-screaming for her attention.
As though he'd known, Entioch began to awaken. He opened his eyes and looked up at her, reaching up to touch her arm. She recoiled, her jaw tensing as she did. He drew his hand back, then reached out again with resolve and grabbed her by the forearm. She swallowed and didn't move away, which he took as a sign. The king pulled her down to him, his lips finding hers quickly as his hands gathered up her nightgown and pulled it over her head. She allowed it to happen, as she always did, following his lead as he laid her on her back and cast away his own nightshirt. She stared at the ceiling of their canopied bed, eyes blank and cold. This was her life, she could not fight it. She would not fight it. She'd had it beaten into her long ago that her only real purpose was for this, especially now that she was no longer going to have children. She was still beautiful for this purpose, her mother in law had harped at her after the birth of her fourth child. She was still beautiful because the gods wanted her husband to be pleased by her. She closed her eyes tightly. It was moments like these that she wished she had the strength to bring a knife to her lovely face and scar it all those years ago when her spirit had still been intact. Oliver's face appeared in her mind, his sweet smile filling her with just a little more warmth. He nearly disappeared when Entioch pulled her legs apart, but she held tight to the image. She clung to it like her sanity depended on it entirely, and it did.
~~~~~~~
Long after the sun had risen, Rebekah was following her husband through the halls of their palace. Their entourage was close, as always, but where they were headed they would enter alone. The study was for the king's private use alone and he only ever permitted his wife inside for the company. Many of the courtiers suspected that the two used it as an excuse to make love in the middle of the day, but Rebekah had managed to put her foot down on at least one thing: no hanky panky in a room with as many huge windows as the study had. He'd been so surprised and impressed by her insistence that he'd allowed it, and kept his hands mostly to himself when they were in the study. She was grateful for this, more than she'd ever admitted out loud. This meant that she'd finally have a place of reprieve, a place where she didn't have to worry about his pawing hands. She hated the knowing looks of the courtiers when they appeared from a surprise rendezvous, the smirk of those who believed they knew exactly what they two were up to. They didn't know the truth of it. They didn't know how much she hated him. They didn't know that this was all that he wanted her for. She was an object of beauty to him, nothing more. That's all she was to anyone.
Anyone, except Oliver. Once again, she was grateful for her own cunning. There was no evidence of her dalliance with the young knight, each letter committed to memory before being burned in her private fireplace. Even now, she reread his words in her mind. It was getting a little difficult, considering they'd been going back and forth for so long, but she knew it wouldn't be like this forever. One day, they'd be together. Maybe she'd have to run away, maybe he'd have to come to live as a knight under Entioch's nose, but she wasn't going to live like this forever. Rebekah had finally found a reason to regain her spark and it was all because of him. He had saved her over and over again, not only from Entioch but from fate.
The two entered the study, Rebekah immediately moving towards the little couches closer to the fireplace. The doors shut behind them, and Entioch touched her shoulder before she moved too far. She turned to face him, her shoulders squared and her chin tilted downwards in preparation for whatever he was going to say. Instead, he reached out and touched one of her curls, his fingers pulling on it gently before releasing it and letting it bounce back up. "My wife, you must try to smile more," he said, deep voice somehow both loud and quiet in the still room. "Or else one will begin to think that you're unhappy."
She swallowed hard as he touched another curl, tensing her jaw and looking away. Dare she speak? She looked back to him, praying that even from here, sweet Oliver would be able to lend his strength. "But I am unhappy, Entioch." Her voice shook as she spoke. "I haven't been happy for a very long time."
He paused, then his eyes steeled at her. She nearly stepped back and would have if he still didn't have ahold of one of her thick curls, an act that now seemed menacing. "Now now, that doesn't sound right. I'm sure you're very happy every now and then. In fact, I'm certain that you were as recent as yesterday." He waited for a beat, but she didn't speak, frozen. "You had to know I'd find out, Rebekah. You weren't exactly subtle. Even an idiot could see that all those letters you've been getting are from a lover."
Well, at least he didn't seem to know who it was. Rebekah cleared her throat, then raised her chin a little and glared at him fully. If he was going to expose her, then she wasn't going to hold back. "And what are you going to do about it? You can't have me executed. You can't divorce me. You can't even hurt him." Her resolve weakened as he chuckled at her.
"Oh, Rebekah. Sweet, naive, stupid Rebekah." He pulled on her curl roughly, moving close to her as she cried out. "I can hurt you. Believe me, I can. I'll find out who he is and when I do, he'll die. I won't even need to snap my fingers to make it happen." He released her curl, then turned away to walk over to his desk. Entioch sat and pulled over a piece of paper, looking over it. "Make yourself comfortable, my love. I plan to be here for quite some time." He looked up at her and laughed at the dumbfounded look on her face, then returned his attention to his papers.
Rebekah sat numbly on one of the closeby pieces of furniture, her hands folded on her lap and her eyes filled with tears that she wouldn't let fall. Her mind raced as she tried to think of a way, any way to protect Oliver but it came up blank. Entioch had shaken her to her very core. She clenched her fists and closed her eyes, praying to whatever deities would listen. She hated him. She hated everything about him. If it took decades, if it took millions of gold coins, if it took her own hands, she would be rid of him. She had to be. Oliver depended on it, her kingdom depended on it, and her very life depended on it. She would not live this life anymore. She would not sit idly by while Entioch continued to break her down bit by bit until she was finally no longer a person at all. She would not let this happen anymore. Never again. Never-
A rumble shook the room. She looked up in shock, her eyes tearing towards Entioch who was also now staring at her. "What-s hap-" She didn't get to finish her sentence as another shake rattled the room, this time stronger and knocking her off of the couch. She fell to the ground with a shout, looking up just in time as Entioch dove away from the desk and to the ground. It stopped again, then just as quickly as it had disappeared, returned with violent fervor. The ceiling above them quivered from the quake and a cloud of dust began to fall over them. She didn't even have a chance to cry out his name before a great beam finally broke free and fell towards them. "No!!" She screamed, covered in bits of stone and dust, her head striking against the floor as she was thrown back down.
Autumn smiled as Cordelia became the first to join her. She stood and went to her friend. "I did sleep well actually" she explained, smiling softly as she looked at her. "I have plenty of energy for possibly exploring as well. I think I would enjoy going to the beach today. It seems like it'll be a lovely day" She told her. She drew in a breath and turned, going to the table. She had only reached it when she felt the castle shake. She grasped the table and looked around, worry crossing her face as a second tremor came forth. She turned to look at Cordelia and cried out as the shaking began once more. "Cordelia!" she exclaimed, managing to reach her friend as she looked about. She grew worried then, wondering where her brothers and parents were as the shaking worsened. She held onto Cordelia and looked up at her. "What do we do?" she asked her, fearful as to what they should do. Never in her life had she experienced something like this.
Cordelia smiled, following Autumn to the table. A quick grimace crossed her face as she felt it again. This feeling was weird and it took her off guard. Before she could even say anything the rumble of the table, made her stare at it. Oh no. No, no, no. Like it made a difference, she stood still and waited for the next one. As the next one did, she gasped and reached forward to grab Autumn and pull her close, looking around as Autumn did.
Cordelia held her close and tried not to panic. "We need to get out of here quickly. We have to get your mother and brothers out of here and anyone else we can spot on the way." Her job was protecting the princess for any harm and aiding her when necessary. Now was the time. "Autumn, I need you to get out of here and let me find your parents and brothers." That last statement sounded more like a demand than request. "My job is to protect you, please."
Time passed so incredibly slowly. Rebekah felt as though she'd slept for years when she finally awoke with a gasp. Her eyes shot open and she inhaled dust. She coughed violently, her head pounding, and when she raised a hand to her forehead, she pulled it away covered in blood. She swallowed hard, her dry mouth filled with dust and quite possibly a pebble or two. Coughing once more, she pushed herself upwards with one hand, then cried out as she fell back onto the hard ground. A sharp rock pressed into her side and her old wound reacted painfully. "Hah," she panted, squeezing her eyes shut and feeling her lower body fall limp. She reached with her right hand blindly for the rock, grabbed it and throwing it to the side. The pain, present but less so, started to subside a little and she waited in silence until it had disappeared just enough for her to try sitting up again. It took a lot of determination, but she managed to push herself upwards just enough to breathe a little fresher air. She slowly dragged her right leg underneath it, propping herself up. She took a second to pant from the exertion before rallying up more strength to do the same with her left leg. Now on her hands and knees, she tried to rock herself back and forth so as to push herself up further. Her dress was ripped and tangled all around her, but she paid it no mind and concentrated on trying to sit up. With a loud grunt, she shoved herself up and steadied herself as best as she could, opening her eyes to take in the room.
The couch she'd been sitting on just before was on its back and not quite within her reach. She could not see her husband nor his desk. The sunlight streamed from a new skylight that she bitterly reminded herself had not existed before. She sat back on her heels and closed her eyes once again. Her head was throbbing and she could feel blood running from her head down her neck. Her arms and legs all ached and she could feel that something had found its way through her corset and cut into her right side. One of her shoes was missing, the other firmly laced onto her foot. Her earrings, small little diamonds that she almost never wore, were still in her ears and had not been ripped out. However, her diamond necklace and the gold bracelet she'd been wearing before were missing, the necklace having been ripped off during the quake and leaving scratches on her pretty neck. Her wedding band, the stubborn thing, remained on her finger. Of all the things to lose, why couldn't she have lost that one?
Rebekah lifted her face to the sparse light and opened her eyes to glare out at the blue sky. She was angry. Angry at the gods, angry at fate, angry at her husband, her lover, herself. She had lost so much over such little time and she had finally had enough. She didn't want to be the perfect queen anymore. She didn't want to be someone's lover, someone's mother, someone's queen. She wanted to simply be Rebekah. She wanted to be the girl she'd lost with every child she'd had. She wanted to be the girl who had ridden into battle alongside her brothers that she missed so dearly. For the first time in a long time, Rebekah felt her tears falling down her face. Whether she was weeping from pain, from anger, or from grief, she did not know, but she didn't stop. She didn't bow her head. She kept her face raised to the sky and her eyes open as she wept, the hot tears streaking through the grime and falling to the ground below, sinking into the dust and disappearing.
"Rebekah..." groaned a voice.
She gasped and turned her face to follow it, not seeing anyone there. Briefly, she prayed for a miracle and that her husband had been killed in the disaster. Of course, that was nonsense. Who else would call out her real name and not her title? She stared at a pile of rubble for a moment before realizing that was where her husband was. She scrambled to her feet, ignoring the throbbing pain in her legs and ankles, and leaned on a fallen bookshelf as she tried to figure out hwo to get to him. It wasn't easy, but she lifted her foot and secured a foothold on the back of a chair. It was a ripped mess of fabric and wood, but she found a way to climb over it. She limped around the mess, stopping by a large boulder that she suspected had nearly crushed her at one point, and stared at the rubble pile again. Yeah, he was definitely there. She could see pieces of his tunic sticking out through it. She coughed into her fist, her hair flailing in the breeze that was blowing through the room from the shattered windows, and sidestepped a shard of glass before starting towards him again.
Entioch was lying on his back, covered almost completely in bits of rock and metal, as well the heavy wooden remnants of his desk that had broken under the weight of the falling rocks. His desk had mostly protected his head through the quake, but he was breathing shallowly from the weight on his chest. He was as dirty and unkempt as she was, blood on his face from probably hitting it on his way under the desk. She swallowed, then cautiously inched closer to him. "Entioch? Are you alright?" she asked. She moved closer and tried to shove the desk off of him, but it wouldn't budge. Oh, he just had to have this thing special made from hickory. What a joke. She grunted and tried once again, but it still wouldn't move. She knelt down beside him, brushing away a few rocks from his shoulders.
"Do I f-cking look alright, Rebekah? I'm being crushed to death!" he spat at her. She sat still as he tried to wriggle free, using his hands to push against the desk that wouldn't move. "Get this thing off of me!"
She stood in silence, placing both of her hands on the desk again. She didn't push yet, though, her eyes staring down at the wood as her mind went blank and she heard a ringing in her ears. She felt her face become numb, feeling the blood that was still dripping from her messy hair onto her gown and distantly hearing her husband yelling at her to get her free. She breathed softly, her breath visible in the cold air that was leaking into her every pore. The ringing in her ears became louder, drowning out Entioch's grunts and groans as he screamed for help. A thought entered her mind, a biting remark about how the servants knew they were in there, they just weren't trying to get them out. She licked her chapped, dry lips, her tongue doing very little to wet them. She was suddenly faced with a choice that she never thought she'd make and an opportunity she never thought she'd have.
Entioch seemed to sense her sudden revelation, growing quiet as he stared up at her. She turned her gaze to meet his, the ringing sharply stopping when their eyes met. "Don't leave me here, Rebekah," he whispered, barely audible. "Don't leave me here to suffer and die like this." He wasn't begging or pleading, she was surprised to see, appealing to her human nature calmer than she'd ever seen him. "I love you. Please." His voice broke at the end, eyes filled with tears he was too macho to let fall, even now.
She knelt back down to his side, her left hand reaching out to gently smooth his hair from his face. He closed his eyes as she touched him, tilting his head into her cool hand. She felt more tears begin to resurface, but she wouldn't let them fall. No longer. She stroked his hair back again, her right hand moving behind her to grab ahold of a statuette that had fallen off of the desk. The feet were broken off and one of the arms was gone, but the face remained. It was of Entioch, sculpted by an Estheralian artist on an anniversary of the king's coronation. How fitting that it was the closest thing to her that was heavy. She swung her arm up and, choking back a sound, pulled her other hand from his face and raised it to grasp the statuette more firmly with both of her hands. "Goodbye, my love," she breathed, then swung downwards.
~~~
Hours passed until the doors to the study were finally pried open. Several knights flooded into the room, lanterns held up high and sharp eyes searching for any sign of life. A young knight, no older than the eldest prince himself, wandered deeper into the rubble before he found the king and queen. They were laying side by side, the queen tucked into the side of the king who was only partially dug out of the remains of the ceiling. She was covered in blood, most likely her own considering the deep wound on her side, her face pressed against his shoulder as she sobbed. He reached down to lift her, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her up into his arms. "I found them!" he shouted as he held her cradled against his chest. He took a step back as two other knights approached the scene, lifting their lanterns to get a better view of the king who was not moving. They all inhaled sharply, collectively looking back to the traumatized queen.
Laying motionless on the floor, Entioch barely resembled a human anymore. His body was largely covered by stone and wood, but it was his head that was such a shock. His handsome face had been completely caved in by falling rock, a large boulder flattening half of it and a shattered statuette and smaller rocks crushing his throat. The least experienced knight ran from the room to vomit, leaving the two by the body with the trembling queen. "You're safe now, Your Majesty," said the one holding her, nodding to his companion before turning to carry her out. He passed by a few more knights who entered the study to help the remaining man dig out the remains of the king, walking quickly towards the king's tent outside of the castle and barking out to a maid to call doctors to come and see to the queen.
Rebekah leaned her aching head onto the man's chest, her hands cradled to her chest. She wrung her shaking hands, fingertips rubbing against each knuckle repeatedly. She wouldn't speak, not to a single soul, not even as they entered her room and set her down to start removing her clothing and inspect her wounds. Her side had long since stopped bleeding, as had her head wound, and she allowed her ladies in waiting to gently usher her into a hot bath. She laid her head back and closed her eyes as a beautiful young woman started to wash the blood out of her hair, her hands still squirming under the surface of the grimy water. She rubbed her fingers against her ring finger, the dip of the ring imprint sensitive, smooth, and pale. As the water was drained and fresh water was poured in, she looked up at the ceiling of the tent blankly, her eyes straining to see the night sky through cracks in the canvas. Her maids attributed her silence to trauma, which wasn't exactly wrong, but there was something else. She was astonished to realize that it wasn't guilt. She wasn't sorry that she'd killed her husband, not even a little bit. What was this feeling? Her mouth opened slightly as she finally caught a glimpse of stars.
Autumn looked at Cordelia and nodded as she listened to her. She looked up as the castle continued to crumble. "I am not leaving you Cordelia" she told her, holding onto her friend. She looked up as the ceiling began to crumble above them. "Come on" she exclaimed as she moved out of the way. She looked at the hall and pulled Cordelia with her. They got into the hall and Autumn found a side door that led directly outside. She drew in a breath and looked up at the castle as bits of it fell while others stood. They were found by several guards and escorted them to the tent they had put up for the royal family. Once inside, Autumn was happy to find her mother. Seeing her a she was helped to calm Autumn down. "Where is my father? And brothers?" she asked a healer, looking around. She knew Cyneric was away and her eyes widened. "We need to contact Ishgar. Cyneric is there" she told Cordelia, "We have to make sure he is alright" She suddenly found herself with people turning to her. With her brothers not present, her mother being treated for her injuries, and her father... She turned as she heard the healers speaking. HE was dead? She felt her chest tighten as she looked down at her mother. What was she to do? She didn't know what to do. Going to her mother she looked at the maid who was caring for her. "Mother?" she asked, "Do you know where the twins are?" she asked.
Cordelia couldn’t let Autumn stay with her. She had to protect the princess and that was that. The castle was crumbling and she had to see about the other royal family. The help seemed to make it out, but she was worried about the others. She didn’t have to worry about Cyneric since he was in Ishgar, but Ishgar seemed to get the worst of it. She started to wonder about them and how they are handling it. She wished the family out of it and hoped for no deaths. Quickly, Cordelia followed Autumn and stuck close. Of course she saw the queen and winced at her. The earthquake got her and where was the king. The brothers were missing and that was another reason to sigh. Cordelia gave Autumn and Rebekah room to breathe.
The ground began to shake and the castle crumbled. Around Athena the waters rippled and people panicked. Blood was around the Estherin castle and other property damage.
Athena’s eyes shot open. The priestess tried to calm her heart rate and sat up, getting dressed as quickly as she could. She had to warn the family. By the time she left the temple, the ground shook. Then then managed to get all the other priestesses out of the temple, grabbed a medical kit and some other elves and rushed toward the royal family. Athena sent out others to help the residents and make sure everyone was taken care of.
The ground stopped and Athena hoped for the best. Upon hearing the queen, princess and her lady in waiting made it out, she headed toward the tent to check out their injuries.
“Pardon my interruptions, but I am checking in on the family?” Athena swallowed hard looking at the queen’s injuries. It’s a wonder she made it out. Autumn and Cordelia almost seemed to be spotless.
By the time Autumn entered where Rebekah was, the queen was laying on a large cot and having her side and her leg bandaged. The bath had made it a little easier to remove the debris from her wounds, especially the shards of wood that she hadn't known were lodged in her upper right thigh, and they didn't hurt as much as her head did. Her hair, long and unbound for the first time in a very long time, was pooled around her head, her pretty yet bruised face a bizarre contrast. She slowly opened her eyes, straining to see in the candlelight, and turned her face to look up at her daughter. The young girl was frightened and worried, but otherwise unharmed. She breathed a sigh of relief, smiling softly at the girl before the realization of what she'd done bore down on her. Her smile fell and she was about to look away when Autumn spoke to her. The twins? Oh, the boys.
"I don't know, darling. I was ushered from the study to here and haven't yet been permitted to leave." She tried to sit up, only to hiss from the pain on her side. Her largest wound was having trouble closing entirely and was already starting to bleed through, but she still powered on and managed to sit up with the help of a maid and a nurse, who silently tutted at her stubbornness. She licked her dry lips and stopped moving, panting from the exertion. "I must address the people," she muttered, her feet unsteady on the ground even without her standing. "Direct the efforts, find the boys, do something. I cannot just lay here like an ornament." No longer. She was the queen, the highest authority in the land. She needed to be strong for her people and for her family.
A maid called for a knight, who rushed into the room and stood close just as Athena came into the room. She looked up at the priestess. "Athena. Thank goodness. Any news?" she asked, having not been declared stable enough for status reports just yet.
Autumn looked back at her mother then at Athena as she came in then back at her mother as she answered her questions. Autumn nodded and drew in a breath. Her brothers were unaccounted for... and her father... she wondered what had happened. Her mother began to stand and Autumn put her hands on her shoulders. "Mother" she stated, "You must rest. I don't know how but I am relatively unharmed other than frightened. You on the other hand are a little worse for ware. Tell me what to do and I will see to it while you heal." She drew in a breath and looked at Athena as she was asked if there was any news. Autumn looked around as servants, maids, and medical personnel rushed around tending to the injured and covering the dead. "Mother" she whispered, "Where is Father?" she looked at her mother, curious and confused as to where he was.
Cordelia listened with a hand on Autumn's shoulders. She looked among the women talking and nodded toward Rebekah and stood by Autumn to move her out of the tent. Right now she didn't know what to say and instead stayed quiet, walking out with Autumn and Athena.
"Would you like me to get you some water.? Or wine? I can ask the others if they have a blanket for you?"
Athena looked at the queen and sighed at the look of her and the shards they removed from her body. King Entioch looked worse. Of course he was dead. Rowan was not found just yet and well they were still looking. "My Queen, no news yet." She moved closer, observing the other Elves attending to the wounded and who they were covering up. "I have a bunch of Elves on the search for Prince Rowan, however a letter was found from Prince Ulric." She handed Rebekah the torn letter.
Wincing just slightly at the question of the king, she turned to Autumn, "I'm terribly sorry, Princess. Your father did not make it. It looked like a boulder fell on him and crushed him. It was out of my power to heal him any further."
She waved her hand in Autumn's direction, shrugging her hands away. "Nonsense, child. You cannot dictate. You've never been trained. I must- ugh." She sat back down, her head dizzy and her body frustratingly weak. She raised a hand to her head and closed her eyes, struggling to ground herself. Being trapped was much more difficult now that she was free, she realized with a bitter taste in her mouth. The day's excitement was too much for her and she was only remaining upright out of sheer strength of will. Entioch was dead, she reminded herself, and it was now up to her to protect her family, as much as it seemed to be falling apart. She opened her eyes and took the letter from Athena's hands. Once she opened the envelope, the signet ring of the second son fell into her open hand. Her jaw tensed and she held tight tot he right as she opened the letter. "Foolish child... Damned foolish!" She slammed the letter onto the closest table, her graces disappeared for the first time in a long time.
"Athena!" She turned her head as the priestess explained the death of the king bluntly to the princess. "A little bit of tact, please. For heaven's sake, have you never learned a bedside manner? What's the matter with you?" She struggled to stand once more, holding up a hand as a nurse tried to help her. Rebebkah, finding strength within her that she'd long since extinguished, managed to walk over to the two women and raised her hand towards Athena. "Enough. You may go. Cordelia, the princess needs to rest. Please take her to my tent. There should be another bed for her." Rebekah reached for Autumn's hand, holding gently. "My sweet girl, try to sleep. I promise I will wake you when I return. I must address the court advisors and determine where we will be going forward, especially now that your father... Your father..." She trailed off, bowing her head and taking a second to compose herself before drawing her head up once again. "Go, Autumn. I'm not asking you." She moved to gently touch the side of Autumn's face, then pulled away and slowly moved towards a chair to have her hair pulled into a long, neat braid. She couldn't change out of her robes with her wounds, but at the very least, she could fix her hair before having to confront the vipers of her husband's court. Oh, draining those leeches out was going to be the very first thing she did after the funeral. Mark her words.
