The Offering

Chapter Sixty Eight - Daella

There are no clouds in the sky, not a single one, it is bright and blue and the sun shines down on all those who stand in the gardens.

It isn't right. The sky should be dark, clouds should be hanging overhead black and thunderous. The sky should be mourning the loss of the King and Queen and rain should be pouring from the sky like tears being shed.

Instead there is black all around me, fae in dresses and suits all standing still and silent. Black lace veils cover the faces of the females paying their respects. I don't know why we wore veils, it isn't a human tradition. I didn't want to cover my face and if it were me lying in the coffin waiting to be buried I wouldn't want their faces hidden either.

Is it to hide their faces so we wouldn't know if they were truly sad? Was it so we wouldn't know whether they were here to mourn or just because it is required? How many were truly saddened by the loss?

I look at the Princes, they stand together, staring at the coffins lying side by side.

Aeris looks as though he is barely hanging on and my heart breaks for him. He had wanted me to be there with him, standing by his side, but instead I am here, with the other chosen. His pale face is drawn tight, eyes dark and hollow looking and I can still feel the way he had held me this morning before he left, digging his fingers into me like he was terrified to let go.

Alvaryn stands beside him, he had been quiet this morning, mind unfocussed, eyes distant. It was unnerving to see him that way, like he was in another place. Even now he stands staring at the coffins but I wonder if he actually sees them or if he is staring at nothing at all and his mind is sinking further into a dark place and I am helpless to do anything about it.

Demwyn stands like he always did, wearing black came naturally to him, but his face, his face was not the usual stoic expression, no, it is murderous. His brow furrowed and mouth tight. He looks like he was planning his revenge and I didn't doubt he was counting the days before his army would leave and the war would begin.

He deserved his revenge, they all did. I would want the same thing if it were me. I would want to know those who killed my parents suffered the same fate.

I only hoped that it would be enough, that getting their revenge would be enough to bring them out of the darkness and help them move on, not drag them further down into it.

Just behind Demwyn is Varis, his eyes focussed on Demwyn like they had once been on King Harwyn. I wonder if it has started already, the whispering, the so called advice. Would Demwyn listen as his father had? Would he be susceptible to Varis as King Harwyn had been? And what will happen to the Kingdom if he is?

There is a loud angry scuffling sound outside my bedroom door and I stand up from my chair near the fireplace as the door opens and Alvaryn shoves Aeris inside. Aeris stumbles in looking dishevelled as he holds a bottle in his hand, his eyes red rimmed and bloodshot.

"What is going on?" I ask, looking at both of them.

"Tell him to stop, tell him to stop drinking, he has had enough!" Alvaryn snaps, panting like he has been fighting, his clothes ruffled and eyes wild.

"He thinks he knows best!" Aeris snaps back taking a long pull from the bottle and holding it high in the air like he is proving a point.

"No, I know what you are doing, you are drowning yourself, you are trying to drown everything out just like you used to!" Alvaryn tells him, shoving his hand into his hair angrily. "Dae, you need to talk to him, tell him to stop, that it won't help anything, it will only make things worse. He won't listen to me but he will listen to you." He says turning to me while keeping an eye on Aeris.