Chapter 16: Chapter Fifteen.
"I'm so sorry for your loss," Aiden said to Fiora with a saddened heart. They went home together that morning just after midnight, and on getting there, they all had a quick meeting. Clement mentioned to them of Helen's purpose and gave Fiora tactics she could use to face her. He kept to himself all day and only decided to spill until they were all completed.
The twin were with Gregoria, pretending to had been fast asleep. It was maybe only three and half hours past midnight when Asmi had asked why Gregoria cried to bed, since she saw dried tears on her cheeks.
Clement barked they left her in peace, then decided it was time to give her her morning dose for her illness. He advanced to where she was laying and gently tapped her to wake her up. She did not move. He did so again and again. Then it hit him. Gregoria was not one to fall into deep sleep, especially since her ailment came back.
Sif and Fiora exchanged a disheartening glare as they both slowly advanced to where Clement was. Fiora did not want to believe it. She didn't even dare think about it.
Clement quickly chased the girls off the bed and brought his hands to her neck. He felt no pulse. Clement was quite skilled in first aid purposes as it was required of every knight and since he was a retired one, he could easily tell that something was wrong. After several attempts to which she responded to none, he officially, with a bittered heart, declared his wife dead.
****
The burial rites was quick and short. Yet painful than anyone of them could have imagined. Clement heaved in a deep sigh. He had cried his eyes out, but decided it was not elegant for the young ones to see him in such state, much less his son. He paid his last respect, and dropped the last cure of flower he still had with him. They were supposed to be her final doze for the week, before he collected a new batch from Helen. Helen had mentioned times without numbers that he heed to her plans, but he cowardly rejected her offer. His wife was supposed to be better already. With a pained heart, he turned his back and went back to where the crowd were staying.
The crowd including Fiora, Sif, Aiden, and Gregoria's sister, Selena. Selena could not find any words to say. She sobbed like a baby, her heart filling with grief she feared they would never heal. Sif had been trained a warrior, so he stood gallant with a big frown on his face. But it only lasted him some moments. He bursted out in tears as he tried recalling that hid poor mother was gone. He would never be seeing her again. She didn't deserve that fate.
Aiden stood beside Fiora, trying to comfort her. Fiora did not cry. She wore an expression that was rather deadly. It was plain grim, disguised with a courageous look. The terror and sympathy she was supposed to feel was not there. Instead, she felt anger. And betrayal. And hatred. She stared directly to the pile of wood arranged along Gregoria's path, and cursed herself for ever being saved that night. Gregoria was like a mother she never had. And now, she too was gone.
Maybe it was because she'd once lost her mother. Maybe that was why she didn't feel much agony as she'd expected to feel. The only thoughts that filled her mind was; why? Why everything had happened the way it did. Why Gregoria, who had suffered so much, had to be taken from her. It wasn't fair.
Clement, after seeing that everyone had paid their last respect to her, held up the already lit firestick, and placed it on Gregoria's body. The fire burned dull at first, then began to boom with intensified flames. It's scorching aura brought life to more silent sobs and it was in that moment that it choked Fiora's chest so tight she couldn't breath anymore. She rushed out of the vicinity and Clement followed immediately. Sif too joined, but when Aiden wanted to leave as well, Selena held him back.
Where Fiora was heading to, she didn't know. All she knew was that the pain was all too much to bear and she needed to get away. She found a quiet place with nothing but withered grass and silent singing of the wind, and fell to her knees, sobbing in despair. Soon Clement and Sif caught up with her.
"Fiora, we're in this together." Clement said, and Sif nodded with a faint smile.
"No. This isn't right." Her voice croaked as she spoke. "She didn't deserve this."
Sif lowered his head in despair, his eyes were as red as ever now from intense crying. "Fiora, I-"
"She didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve it..." She started chanting as if under some trance. More tears rolled down her cheeks uncontrollably as she continued talking.
"May her gentle soul rest in peace." Said Clement, with a pure heart.
"Those flowers you added last, they were supposed to be her doze for this week." Sif said bitterly.
Then it hit her. "Was it her?" Fiora asked.
"What?" Puzzled Clement asked in reply.
"Helen. Did she do this?"
"What? No of course not. Her majesty was only trying to protect my late wife-"
"Are you even sure about that?"
"Fiora, where are you getting at?" Sif was as impatient as he could be and he too needed answers.
"No. Don't mind her," Clement replied. "Fiora, you don't know what you're saying."
"Because of all the physicians in the entire world, you chose to inform Helen and she was the only one that could provide the cure."
"Y- you don't understand. Helen, all she only wanted was a fast recovery for Gregoria. That was all she ever wanted that she even-"
"Why do you keep protecting this woman!" Yelled Fiora, her eyes filled with bitter tears already. "Why won't you just agree that she is a wicked woman and the only one who deserves to die?" She didn't mean to be evil-coated, but it didn't make sense to her. "Why are women like Helen still alive and Gregoria, gone?"
"Would you listen to me, Fiora!?" Demanded Clement, and she listened. Both her and Sif. "Do you even know part of why that woman came over the other day? She wanted to help me. She asked that I," Clement tried to explain and soon became short of words. As he began to speak, the most doubted thing happened. Clement began to sob under his breath. He was a warrior, and warriors never showed their true emotions. But in that moment, the death of his poor wife was so much for him to bear. Wave of regret rushed over him. "She was asking me to travel her out, but I couldn't. I hoped that those dozes would heal her. I was so stupid and proud that I ignored her request."
"Father," Sif called out with teary eyes. "It's not your fault."
"I'm so sorry." He pleaded. There was one other thing. Something he had always wanted to share to even his dear late wife. A big misunderstanding that needed to be attended to. Helen might had been a ruthless ruler, but she was also nice and kind, and people like his son, his late wife and Fiora needed to know. "There's something else." He said after a long pause of silent painful sobs. The puzzled look on both their faces made him carried on with his confession. "Everybody hates Helen, and I cannot blame you. But," he turned his gaze to Fiora. "Do you even know why Sif became cold to you all those while?" He asked but replied before she could give any answers. "It was because of me. The only part I explained to him was how much of a threat you were just by living with us. But truly, Helen threatened me."
"If it's too painful to say, you don't have to-"
"No. It's alright." He replied his son who was only looking out for him. "Helen knows the real queen is still alive."
"What?" Chorused Fiora and Sif.
"She knows you're still alive, Fiora. On that night, she sent me to where you were and pleaded that I saved you. She only begged me for one thing, that I watched out for you and hid your identity for as long as I could. And if possibly I could withhold the truth till I died, then the better."
"Why have you never mentioned this before?" Asked Fiora. "On that night, she was my helper? My savior."
"You made me detest her all those while ago. Because you told me that if I got any closer to her, I would loose my mother and little Randi." Sif recalled.
"Yes. But all of this I did for your protection. I am truly sorry for all that has happened, but the only thing we need now is to look forward to the future. I cannot beg you both enough, but the enemy here is not Helen." He said.
"How do we even know you're not saying all of this only to picture her nice?" Enquired Fiora.
"Because you will soon find out all of this eventually."
"So she knows exactly who Fiora was when she reached out to her-"
"No. She doesn't. And she never must know, until the time is right."
"When will the time be right?"
He replied Fiora after a long while. "You will find out. But I assure you that the right time isn't now."
****
"I can't stay here any longer." Said Fiora to Sif. Clement was out managing some people issues and Aiden had left already, so it was just Sif and her. "It's too much pain."
"Me too." Replied Sif. They sat on the dinning chair, facing each other. "It's all too sudden, I don't know my way forward."
Fiora agreed with a deep sigh. Sif was right. "Good thing your aunt Selena agreed to take in the twin along with Randi."
"Yes." Replied Sif. "And thank you for agreeing to help support us." He added and Fiora couldn't deny how pleased she felt seeing the bit of relief across his face as he smiled.
"It was nothing. Clement stacked me with that much money I don't know what to do with."
"Don't talk like that. My father can be a lot of things, but he is one smart old champ." Sif said. "He knew as the next queen of this city, you'll need as much gold as possible. Only the rich royalties excel."
"Maybe. Maybe you're right." She agreed. "And don't speak to me like I'm some stranger. No formal talk." She frowned, expecting him to simply smile but instead he wore on his face a cold look. "It's true Sif. Don't treat me like that."
"I'm sorry you've had to live like this all these while ago. But the truth is," he paused not knowing how to tell her. Fiora was his queen. Nothing could change that. Not even the love they felt they shared together. "You're still the true ruler to this City, and-"
"Don't give me the crap of lecture, Sif." She replied instantly, cutting him off. "You and I have been together for so long. Without your kind hearted spirits, I would he long dead."
"Queen Helen saved you, Fiora. Not us."
"Don't say that-"
"But it's true. You and I, we do not belong on the same level. We're worlds apart and you know that."
"So what, you're leaving me?" When she asked, she didn't expect the reply she was about to get. Sif could not do that. They needed to be more close now after what had happened. "You're leaving?" She rephrased her statement after noticing Sif getting quiet. He still said nothing. "Why?" Her heart pounded fast as she asked.
"Fiora, father and I have been making a plan. Even since before mother's passing."
"A plan? That you'd both leave me here all alone and find your, your," she tried for words but that just didn't seem to construct well. "And be on your merry way?"
"It's not so easy. I know that we were supposed to be together and guide you, but this is your path now."
"No you're wrong. I can't do this all by myself."
"You have that Aiden boy to guide you. He looks like he's from royalty." The guilty side of Sif finally admitted.
"Is that what this is?"
"It isn't. All I'm saying is that you have to figure all of this out on your own. I'm sorry but-"
"I can't believe you. This was why you confessed everything to Clement. Because either way, you won't even be around to watch all of our plan unfold."
"I'm sorry, but that was for a complete unrelated matter."
"What matter! Why am I still a stranger to you. Why don't you trust me?"
"Because we're both different people, Fiora!." His fist pounded hard on the table as he spoke. "You and I, we don't belong in any way together." He said, his voice more calmer now. "When father comes back, the two of us are heading to Baldernor. I'm going to be trained on knight skills and become one. I'm sorry."
Dumfounded and short of words to say, Fiora began to shed tears. She was not one to fret over life. But she was tired of being strong all the time. Everyone she'd ever loved, left her. Her eyes blurred from all the tears, but she still saw him. He sat still with almost no remorse whatsoever. How could he dare think of abandoning her as well? "Why can't you become a knight here at the Central City?" She asked with a croaked voice and from the stillness that acted as a reply from him, she realized what she was really getting into. "You don't trust me, do you? You don't think I can do this?"
"Once you've succeeded becoming the queen, news will spread all over the realm. Maybe then, I'll come back. I'll visit and serve you even." He said, his heart already made up. "But for now, I need to find my path. A real one."
"A real one?" She gasped as more tears rushed down her cheeks. "Sif? You don't think I have a real path ahead. You don't believe in me one tiny bit-"
"It's almost impossible. If you wanted the throne, you should have done that years ago. Now, queen Helen is stronger and you think you can compete with her? Just take her throne and nothing will happen? What do you think her son would do by then, huh? He wouldn't just smile and cheer you up. More blood is going to be shed. And Tobin-"
"Enough!" Yelled Clement as he entered. Neither of them had noticed him. "There has been a slight change in plan, son."
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