"Death is our lock, Righteousness is our key." Drovo Gottlich, the previous King, said this. Most laughed and mocked him for it. Of course they would—our race is cruel. Drovo Gottlich was not. The quote, meaning that righteousness is the way that we should live life, is a famous one in Varrow culture. Varrows scorn and laugh at this quote, and even more so at the man who said it: the first Varrow king of the ancient Cosmic Coalition, the infamous fool, the race betrayer—König Königlich.
The doctors and nurses adamantly urged me to stay in bed, but how could I? My daughter was taken, and I had an idea to bring her back. I rushed downwards from the hospital to my house. On the way, onlookers had faces of shock and disgust at my mangled face. I pant and pant after finally arriving at my house. I open the door and am filled with sorrow. Pictures, items, reminders of Nia flood my vision, and I am full of anger—but also sadness—and a tempest of other unexplainable emotions.
My eyes draw to the plates and mugs that held our delicacies, that Nia had laid out for me for my birthday. My sweet, caring daughter is gone. That is the gift I got on my birthday—a present from our Gods. They will pay for taking my reason for living away from me. I will do anything to get her back, even the idiotic gamble that has formed in my head.
Shock spasms on Maven's face as she sees me outside her door."Trian…" she utters and embraces me."Trian, I'm so sorry."
The smell of cleaning products grazes my nose. I don't say anything. Instead, I find comfort in her embrace—more comfort than I found in my empty home.
I come into her house and we sit on her couch."Can I get you anything? Maybe something for your face?" she says, trying not to touch on the subject of Nia."It's fine. I'm a paintaker, I can take this," I say.
It was the truth. It hurt, but was overshadowed by the pain of Nia being gone—the pain of knowing what will happen to her.
Maven sits down next to me and embraces me once again. I almost resist, but I let her soothe me. She feels like warmth—a cosy fire. A cosy fire in the blizzard I have been put through.
Tears roll down our faces. Nia was almost like a child to her. That was what Nia wanted. Maven, Nia, and I together—a family. I wanted it too but was too scared. Too scared to disregard Gemma, to throw her and my feelings away from me, to replace her. Now I know I was foolish. Thanks to my inability to love another, Nia never got the family she wanted. And now she never will.
As Maven and I hold on to each other with everything in our souls, I know that I love her—that I could've had that family, that I could have moved on. That I still could. But it would be without Nia. And anything without Nia doesn't matter.
So as I feel the only woman I could have loved after Gemma's death fall into slumber, I prop her body on pillows and let her sleep. I reach into her work bag and find what I came here for: the card that allows entrance into Castle Dwire.
Maven is a cleaner for Raiser Dwire—and he is how I will get Nia back. I fleece the card and put it into my pocket. I walk to the door and look behind. My eyes admire her soft skin and calm beauty. My heart yearns for her love and care. But my brain forces my body to leave.