We ca to a halt at a large iron gate with a royal crest designed on it. The guards let us through and we made our way to a house that sat at the very top of the hill.
It was not what I was expecting when Warren told that we were going to his sumr ho. I had thought it would be sothing similar to the palace.
Luxury. Extravagance. Grandeur.
But this place was quaint, beautiful and peaceful.
Warren let go of my hand and stepped out of the car without a single word. I did the sa and inhaled the fresh scent of the area. I could hear the faint humming of birds in the forests that surrounded us.
Demarco’s car ca to a halt behind ours and he stepped out dressed in a black suit and sunglasses. Even without seeing his eyes, anyone could tell that he was a man in pain.
Warren walked up to him and whispered sothing in Demarco’s ear. Demarco nodded and patted him softly on the back. They both loved Maggie and no one in the world would understand their loss more than the two of them.
The servants ca and escorted us toward the back of the beautiful cottage where her body would be laid to rest.
The ceremony was enclosed. Neither Warren nor Demarco wanted Maggie to be disturbed any more than she had already been, and they both needed the privacy to grieve.
We walked a little way away from the cottage and went to the burial site which was a short walk past the treeline. A few dozen servants all dressed in black surrounded the area where her coffin hung suspended above the ground.
Through my veil, I saw Warren in a fitted black suit and the royal sash with an adornnt of dals. He was a prince after all. He had to follow so of the formalities.
The king was aware of Maggie’s tragic demise but Warren had refused to extend the invite. I think in a way he also blad his father for Maggie’s demise. He had always favored Theo and in doing so left Theo to ‘run wild’.
I didn’t know the full dynamics of that relationship but I knew that at this mont, Warren was resentful toward his father.
As we drew closer to the site, Warren grabbed my hand and led us to where an elder adorned in a white robe stood at the end of the coffin. In his hand, was a bowl of morning dew from the mountain.
The morning dew was a tradition at all funeral ceremonies where the elder of the pack would sprinkle it on top of the coffin so the soul of the deceased would go in peace. It was also done so that the soil where they are laid would be fruitful and bring more life. Almost like a rebirth in nature.
It was a beautiful sentint. One that I did not fully appreciate until this very mont.
We ca to a standstill and then Warren signaled for the elder to begin.
“As the Moon Goddess giveth, so does she taketh. We know that this life is not the end of the journey for there is a new journey ahead for this young soul.”
The elder paused for a second and continued, “May she find her way into the arms of the Goddess, and may she be free from the burden of this world and reunited with the ancestors from tis passed. We will et you again, dear one.”
The elder splashed the clear water on top of the white coffin. Each person stepped toward the elder and dipped their hand in the bowl.
I could hear the faint sniffs of servants all around . Everyone was broken. I could tell Maggie had touched each and every one of their hearts in so way or another.
When it was my turn to sprinkle the water, I hesitated for a second. How I wished this wasn’t how we parted ways with Maggie.
Warren gently pushed the small of my back.
I sprinkled the pure liquid on top of the coffin.
“Go well, Maggie,” I whispered and moved along so Warren and Demarco could say their farewell too.
After the service was completed, the coffin slowly began to be lowered into the ground.
Demarco lost it at that mont. Every cry he uttered broke sothing inside of .
What was it like to lose your light and hope? That was what I had been told losing a mate was like. It was an experience I dearly wished I would never know.
Warren placed his hand on his back.
Warren stood beside with silent tears streaming down his face. He held onto my hand so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Even though my hand hurt from Warren’s grip, I didn’t pull it back, as I knew it was nothing compared to the pain in Warren’s heart.
***
After the burial, we all gathered inside the cottage, apart from Demarco who needed a mont to himself.
As for Warren, he spent the rest of the day sitting next to Maggie’s gravestone, keeping his silence.
“Ciana, if you don’t mind, I want to talk to Maggie for a little while.”
I nodded in understanding. “Take your ti. If you need for anything, just let know. I’ll be around.”
I patted his shoulder gently and walked back to the cottage.
From the pieces and bits that I picked up from the servants, this sumr ho wasn’t just a random property that Prince Warren happened to own. In fact, it was the place where both Maggie and Warren spent many of their childhood sumrs with their mother.
The inside of the cottage was as beautiful as its outside. Hardwood floors were in every room apart from the kitchen, which had white tiling. Again, not that it was expensively lavish, but it was elegant, classy, and still welcoming and hoy.
On the walls were so pictures. Most of them were Warren and Maggie, and a few with a graceful woman. I assu it was their late mother, as she had the sa gentle, graceful deanor that Maggie carried.
In most of the pictures, young Maggie and Warren were smiling. They were adorable, and their smiles brightened the gloomy mood hovering over the place, and brought an upcurl to my lips.
There was only one picture where Warren clearly didn’t have a good day, so I leaned forward to take a closer look.
“That was the day I lost a tooth.” Warren stepped up beside with a glass of sothing strong in hand. I could see that little Maggie and Warren wore matching wetsuits, standing next to a lake.
“When we were young, Maggie and I fought, just like any siblings. That day, we had been racing along the bank when she tripped and I hit my face against a rock. It hurt, and she won.” He chuckled rembering the fond mory. “However, Maggie felt so bad that she promised to be my humble and faithful servant for a month. Ever since then, she had always been there for .”
He looked down at his drink and then back at the picture. His face was softened and there was a spark in his eyes. However, soon the glimr dimd and pain swam back.
“Can we go into the gardens? I want to show you sothing.”
I nodded and allowed him to lead the way.
We walked out the back door and into the well manicured garden. In the center of the garden was a large oak tree.
His hands caressed the tree trunk, and my gaze followed where he was touching.
In the dimming sunlight, his fingers brushed across letters carved in childish writing, “M. W. T. Forever.”
“Maggie, Warren, Theo, forever?”
Warren pulled up a wry smile. “How naive, isn’t it? One sumr, Theo ca here with us and spent a week here. He was little, four or five, maybe? At that point, our oldest half-brother Justin was Father’s favorite. I rembered both Theo and I were upset about that.”
“However, Maggie told us it wasn’t a bad thing, because the three of us got to hang out together. We had a lot of fun during that week. Before Theo went back to the palace, he ca here, and left this mark.”
If it was any other ti Warren ntioned this story to , I’d say it was cute and heartwarming, however, my intuition suggested that I wouldn’t like what he was about to say.
Warren sat down, pushing his back against the trunk. I sat down beside him as he settled into a deadly silence.
Warren sipped on his liquor quietly. I didn’t know if this was his fifth or eighth drink.
“I hate him,” he gritted through his teeth after so ti.
He didn’t need to say a na. I knew exactly who he was talking about.
“He killed my sister and ran away like the coward he is. He couldn’t even face or her mate.” He downed the rest of the drink. “I would have killed him then and there had I had the chance. And to think I took a dagger for that asshole... What a dumbass jerk I was!”
Venom dripped from every single word he uttered. He jerkily turned to the tree trunk and punched on the carving that young Theo left as hard as he could, leaving a blood stain covering the childish writing.
“My sister is dead and she will never receive justice for her murder all because Theo is father’s dearests favorite!” He clutched onto the glass so tightly that I feared it would break. “Fuck him. Fuck the King. Fuck life. Fuck everyone!”
My heart sank. He was upset and angry and maybe rightfully so, but hatred was never a real rediation for grief. It would only bring destruction, to others, and to himself.
“Warren, you’ve had a few drinks today,” I sighed, “If Maggie was here, she would be worried seeing you like this.”
“The world is unfair. Maggie didn’t deserve to get sick and she damn sure didn’t deserve to be killed!”
I wanted to say that everyone was hurting. Demarco, Warren and even Theo. I wanted to say that Theo was not a monster and it was an accident, but of course I couldn’t say anything.
Not right now, at least. Right now, Warren only needed a listener.
“Help ,” Warren turned to with this look in his eyes that bordered determination and the darkness and gloom I didn’t want to see.
“What can I do?” I asked, even though I knew I wouldn’t like the answer.
“I need justice for my sister and Theo must answer for his cris.” He leaned toward , his sharp breath fanning my face.
I opened my mouth but no words escaped. I didn’t know what to say.
“Help destroy Theo.” Darkness consud his usually warm, dark, brown eyes.
“This is not a request. I’m not asking. This is an order.”
#
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