Bab 22: Delphine's Truth
"I am pretty sure we found something, but not exactly what you where hoping for." Marquise said flapping a document in my face. He looked utterly bored as his feet where placed on top of each other on the table. His blonde hair was let loose, and it dangled over his shoulders and down his back. With his hair down he looked more boyish and had a charming quality about him. His nonchalant attitude definitely gave him that moody teenager aspect. I snatched the paper from him, getting annoyed that he was so comfortable to wave it around in my face.
"I think you are too comfortable these days Marquise. Remember that you are in the presence of a Lady." I said giving him a sideways glance before eyeing the document in my hand. He made a slight scoffing sound.
"Right, a 'Lady' that can single handily take on a charging bear in the midst of battle. Yep, you sure are a real beauty. Every man's dream." He mocked. I chuckled and sat down next to him. Even the General was sniggering while he walked around the room. I wanted to make another retort, but after what I read, I couldn't bring myself to make another joke.
Delphine, I hope all is well in the Kingdom. I hope you didn't forget about your promise to me. We really need all of our loose ends severed if we want to keep things a secret. I will be sending a scout in a few days to check your progress. I hope you didn't get attached to that old man; I would hate for your poor daughter to have to suffer because of your negligence. Once we know that the boy and the old man are dead, we will send your daughter to you safely. Don't feel to stressed out about your choices, after all wasn't your marriage arranged anyway. You always complained you didn't love him anyways. So do what is asked of you, and you can have your daughter back.
-I
A single letter for the name. They must have had a feeling this letter would be found, but they where stupid enough not to cover their tracks. I now know that Delphine was in fact working with the enemy. Delphine was responsible for not only Mr. Siege's death, but also for the disappearance of Maxwell Doneswell. I gripped the paper in my hands, trembling with rage that she could do something so terrible. She was our wet nurse, she bathed us and played with us, and now she was a traitor to the crown. How long had this been planned out? How long was I kept in the dark?
"Your Majes-"I slammed the paper down on the table and stormed out of the room. Delphine would be dealt with me personally. She will regret everything she had done. I would make sure of it. I don't care what was at stake for her, if she genuinely wanted her daughter to be saved, she would have came to us instead of falling into the enemies arms. I couldn't believe someone I trusted so closely was the one that was helping pull the strings. Did she really loathe us so much that she would see the Kingdom burn?
"Your Majesty!" A small group of maids murmured as they stepped out of the way. I must have been a sight to behold with their eyes widening with fear, there abrupt movements to get out of my way said it all. They had every right to be in fear, I was livid, and I wasn't afraid at this point to take down anyone who dared to stand in my way. All I could see was Delphine's face in my mind, her bright smiles, her warm hands when ever we where sick. The compassion she would show any time father would get angry with me for something so little. Her warm embrace when my mother passed away. That woman was a salvation away from the harsh realities of my life. She was there every step of the way, and now I was about to lop off her head with my own blade.
I reached the dungeon doors and slammed them open. With long strides and screaming resentment, I made my way through the dark and damp hallways. Tears starting to stream down my face as I grew closer, knowing that I had no choice. I gripped my hand around the hilt of my blade and pulled it out, strong and in one fluid motion as I passed cell after cell. The closer I got, the more I could feel my resentment rise, like a sticky mud that you couldn't just simply wipe off. It had rooted itself deep into my resolve, and it was controlling me, compelling me further into the depth of the dungeon. When I came across the cell that she was residing in, I commanded them to leave. I didn't want them to see what I was about to do. They both looked nervously at each other before they left, slow and confused.
I stared at her cowering in the corner of the dungeon. She looked so pitiful and small as she whimpered. Her cap had been torn off her head, so nothing but her brown fading hair sat disheveled down her face and back. Her once bright blue eyes, where now dull and dead. She was looking, but without really seeing. It was like she already accepted her fate and was ready for the striking blow. Her black dress had been torn at the edges of her skirt, probably from being dragged into the dungeon. After all I told them not to hurt a single hair on her head, and General Bregus wasn't the one to be so brutal to the people in the Castle, unless justly deserving it. I felt a small wave of pity come over me, almost like a small wave readying to swallow me whole.
I just couldn't bring myself to say anything to her. I wanted to hate her, loathe her for the crimes she had committed. Her comforting and warmth was still embedded in my memory, and it prevented me from entering her cell and killing her. I just wanted to know why she committed the crimes she did, why she didn't just come to me from the start. We could have done something about her daughter, if that truly were the only motive, we could have solved this together. I gripped my free hand around the cell gate, the greasy bars coating my skin with a thick sludge. I placed my forehead against the bars and started to silently weep. There was a quiet scuffling noise from inside the cell. I sighed and peaked up, just in time for Delphine to place a shaky and dirty hand upon mine. Her dull blue eyes where vacant, but she still smiled all the same. It was weak and grim, but she still tried to cheer me up.
There was a small herd of footsteps that came pounding down the hallway. The others had finally caught up, and I was going to be faced with a difficult choice. But first I wanted answers. I wanted to know why she did what she did. I gripped the bar tighter, my fingers turning white as I pulled my head away. I glared down at her, trying to suppress my despair, and letting fury rise to the surface.
"Why did you do this Delphine? If you where in such troubles, why not come to me?" I asked angrily. The rush of footsteps on the ground finally came to a halt behind me, the air tensing around us. Delphine let her wrinkled dirty hand fall from mine as she slowly turned from me. She weakly hugged herself as she slowly made her way into the middle of the cell. Then she let out a low dark laugh, her shoulders shaking violently. It was almost like she had turned mad.
"My sweet little Alliah. There is so much you don't even know. I would have done this even if it weren't for my daughter. I let them take her, because she was more safe in their hands, than she ever would be here. Such a pity you found out, I truly did love you and your mother. Which is why the only regrets I have, was the death of your mother." She said swinging around, her eyes narrowed as she settled them upon mine. I could feel my mind slowly freeze over. Was she telling me she was responsible for the death of my mother?
"I don't believe you. She died of natural causes." I said gritting my teeth. Delphine laughed again, cackling like a haggard old lady. Her head was tossed back, her hair bouncing from the force of this dark and bone chilling laughter.
"Oh honey, that was all thanks to the new poison my master had made. It is undetectable and untraceable. It was meant for your father you see. When you where still just a child, he was a tyrant! That man came through killing men and woman as he pleased. He made people succumb to fear and grovel before his feet! That was exactly what happened to my village. He killed everyone I loved. So, I was adopted by a noble family, since I was good to read and write, I was of value. But they saw down upon me because I was born a commoner, so they married me off to the man who took care of all the supplies. I could have become a scholar you know, but know, I was treated like a pile of horse manure." She spat angrily as she came back to the gate of the cell. Her face leaning against the door, her eyes slowly fading into a dark blue, like a void.
"Daniel Siege was a good man though. I never loved him, but I thought I should make the best of it. I worked hard and caught the eye of her Majesty. She came to respect and trust me so much, that I was able to look after you as well. It was such a delight, you where nothing like your father. So sweet and kind, always treated the maid and servants like equals. I treated you like I would my own daughter. I knew that you where special, and that you would be better for this country than that stupid father of yours. Of course, I couldn't ever do anything on my own." She took a step back from the gate, her eyes watering now. I grimaced at her, not knowing how to feel about her. I wanted to sympathize with her, but I also wanted to kill her where she stood.
"It was the day before you went off to the Knight Hall to train. I went down to the market to gather some materials for your mother as she was starting to get sick, and we didn't have the needed supplies for the healer to cure her. I was buying the medicine needed to help her when the fellow running the stall had passed me the poison. He knew my name, my parents, and everything about where I lived. I instinctively trusted him, knowing he wouldn't be telling me all this if he didn't have a reason. He told me to slip this stuff into the King's drink, and the Kingdom would then be free of the Tyrants reign. I was not the only one to suffer, I wasn't alone any more Alliah. So, I took it with me to the castle and prepared the medicine and the drink. But I unfortunately mixed the contents up and gave the poison to your mother instead." She whispered, tears streaming down her face as she closed her eyes. My hand slowly slipped from the cell door, feeling absolutely numb as I mulled over her story. I just couldn't believe it. I didn't want to. How could someone so sweet, be so evil? I know her story was tragic, but I just didn't want to see her in such a dark light.
"I think that it is fitting that you are the one to kill me after stripping someone so special from you Alliah. You are like me in some ways, alone in this world with no one to truly understand you. You see the world in a different light that no one else will accept. I hope that my daughter grows up to be just like you. I think if the times had been different maybe you would have even been friends. I can't ask for your forgiveness your Majesty, but please never lose sight of who you are. I don't regret my actions My Lady, I just only regret the outcomes they had." She whispered before opening her eyes again. She didn't want to over throw the Kingdom; she only wanted my father's time to end. But she still managed to tie herself to the enemy that was trying to hurt everyone. She was misguided by her hate, towards my father, and her decision became rash when she thought she could make a difference. But she was wrong about one thing.
"You say no one will understand me, but I think you forget that those who support me, do understand. That is why they live to serve me, and I to serve them. It's true that my father and I do not see eye to eye on things, but that wouldn't ever lead me to kill him out of spite. I understand that what happened to you was tragic, and beyond your death I will mourn. I just wish…you would have came to me instead Delphine. I always loved you, just like I loved my mother. That is why it kills me that I have to end your life here." I brought the hilt of my sword down on the lock, making a loud snapping noise as it broke. It fell to the floor with a large clattering noise as it skittered across the stone floor. With the loud creak of the cell door, I could feel my body go numb as I took a step in.
Not once did she flinch, or cry as I advanced towards her. She never begged for forgiveness as I brought my blade towards her chest, impaling her all the way through. Even as I let her body collapse into my arms, she stared at me, a smile crossing her face as the blood poured from her wounds. With a shaky hand she brought it to rest on my face. I laid my hand against it, relishing in the warmth one last time as I watched all color drain from her face. Her breathing became haggard as the light from her eyes finally dulled. With one last breath, she became limp. Her body slowly getting heavy as she became lifeless. I gently fell to my knees, the numb feeling out weighing any emotion that I wanted to feel.
I pulled my sword from her chest and laid it on the ground as I held her close to me. I didn't even know what to do. I had killed countless men before, so why did this feel different? She was an enemy to the throne, so why was there an aching throbbing feeling pricking away at my heart. Why do I shed so many tears for the enemy, for the woman who killed my own mother? Deep down I wanted to scream, yell into the sky how life was so unfair. But all I could do was silently clutch at the woman who helped raise me all these years.
"Your Majesty, are you alright?" I heard General Bregus whisper in to the cell. I placed Delphine gently on the ground and rose to my feet. My chest and legs where covered in her blood. I pitifully just looked up at him, with my eyes I could only tell him that I was feeling lost. Lost that I had killed someone so close to me, lost that I had been hiding under a rock all these years, and lost that my mother was in fact murdered.
"Let his Majesty know what has transpired here. I need some time for myself." I said pushing past General Bregus. I could see the misery on his face, equally matching my own. Like a reflection of the pain that was slowly coursing through me. Filling every inch of my existing being. Like a strong current I could feel myself being dragged down with the emotions that had kept piling up in the presence of the numb barrier I had put up. It came crashing over me like a tsunami, bringing down the barriers and enveloping me. I could feel myself falling to my knees, the pain becoming so real, so extreme as the tears fell from my face. My breath caught in my throat as I tried to cry out, but anguish kept me from doing so.
A felt a pair of hands wrap around me from behind as I burst into tears. I trembled into the strong pair of hands, wanting nothing more to drown in my own misery and disappear. Like a feather caught in the wind, I could feel myself being lifted off the ground, and into a warm embrace. Almost like these hands where trying to pull me from the current that submerged me under its wrath.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone