Adris was done packing as Kol told him the carriages were ready. Everyone in the family packed up in silence, the air heavy and restless. Novara was still sick, her small body burning with fever.
"Why won't your fever come down, love?" Orion whispered, gently patting her back, worry etched deeply across his face.
Xavi held Josephine's hand tightly; she was weak. He carefully sat her down inside the carriage as it took off, the wheels rolling slowly forward. Xavi's hands rested behind him, stiff and restrained, his jaw clenched.
Adris stepped outside. Everyone was already on their way to his kingdom.
The Gang stood behind him in a straight line. Adris wore a blue vest and black pants, his posture proud despite the storm awaiting him. Guards stepped forward and handed Xavi a golden whip. If Josephine had been there, she would've stopped him.
Adris got on his knees.
Xavi began whipping him.
The sound of each lash echoed violently. Adris clenched his fists, holding the pain of every strike, refusing to scream. The gang tried to calm Xavi down, stepping forward, calling his name—but Xavi was blinded by fury.
"Why did you do something so stupid!" Xavi shouted as he kept whipping him again and again.
Adris held his tears like a man, his body trembling but his pride unbroken. One lash. Two. Ten. Fifty. A hundred.
Xavi gave him 120 lashes.
Finally, he threw the whip away.
Adris coughed, chuckling weakly as blood dripped from his body.
"I didn't want to let her go," he said hoarsely. "I really, really love her. For many years now. I will not let anyone take her from me."
He coughed again, blood spilling from his lips as he collapsed back onto his knees. Guards poured cold water over his body, washing the blood away, the shock stealing the breath from his lungs.
Xavi turned away and got into his carriage.
Adris was helped into his as well.
"Are you okay?" Kol and Basil asked anxiously.
Adris nodded. He took a pill, leaned back, and slowly drifted into sleep.
Meanwhile, in Adris's castle…
Delora opened the door and saw Carliet standing there, still in her wedding clothes.
"Please get me out of here," Carliet cried, tears streaming down her face.
Delora shook her head. "Carl, there are guards in every corner of this castle. You can't get out, even if you want to. The King said if you escape and run away, he will kill us all."
Carliet wiped her tears, trembling.
"You know how much he loves you," Delora continued softly. "Do you know I heard a guard saying that his mother, Queen Josephine, got a heart attack after telling the family that you and him had a blood marriage when you were kids?"
"W…what?" Carliet gasped. "He told the family… is Queen Josephine okay?"
"Yes, she is," Delora nodded. "But Adris is not. His father gave him a serious punishment—120 lashes on his body, then poured ice water on him. They are on their way here."
"N…no," Carliet whispered in horror. "My sister will kill me…"
Delora looked at her carefully. "Do you seriously still love him?"
Carliet nodded without hesitation.
"Then why did you agree to this marriage?" Delora asked gently. "King Adris deeply loves you. He has loved you all these years. Come with me. Let me show you something."
She handed Carliet a gown. Carliet wore it, braided her hair into two, and followed her down the long halls.
They stopped at Adris's room.
"Go in," Delora whispered.
Carliet entered slowly.
Inside, she saw a family picture—Xavi, Josephine, the twins, and Novara when she was a baby. Carliet smiled softly. She turned to her right and saw more pictures—baby pictures of Adris with Josephine, laughing, running, playing together.
Then she turned fully around.
She froze.
Two giant pictures stood before her.
The first was her and Adris, wrapped in each other's arms.
The second was a grown portrait of her alone.
Her heart beat faster than ever. She touched her chest, breath shaking.
"He truly loves you, Carl," Delora said softly.
Carliet lowered her gaze, overwhelmed.
"CARL!"
A furious voice echoed through the castle.
It was her sister.
Arluna ran downstairs, her face burning with rage. Carliet stepped back in fear.
"You got married to Adris!" Arluna shouted, grabbing Carliet by the shoulders.
"I… I… I—"
"YOU WHAT!?" Arluna yelled, making her flinch.
"SHUT UP!"
The room froze.
Adris stood there.
Everyone turned toward him.
"Stop scaring her," he said coldly. He grabbed Carliet's hand and pulled her behind him, shielding her with his body. "If you want to shout, then shout at me. Yell, insult me, slap me, hit me—but don't do anything to her. It's not her fault. It's all my fault."
Josephine looked at Xavi.
"It's okay, love," Xavi whispered, holding her tight.
"Why did you do this?" Arluna demanded.
"Because I love her with all my heart," Adris said. "And all these years, I have never looked at anybody else the way I look at her. Also, all the assholes who came to you for her hand—some never made it, and some… well, let's just say they're hopefully okay."
"So it was you?" Arluna said in shock.
"Yes," Adris replied calmly. "Me. I did it. I killed them. I broke them. I wiped them all out—all these years."
"Adris, are you that insane!?" Kael shouted.
"Yes. Yes, I am," Adris snapped. "I don't want any man near my Carl. Nobody. She is mine. She is my wife."
The room fell into deep silence.
Josephine slowly walked toward Adris. She looked at Carliet, then at Adris, seeing the burning love between them.
Suddenly, Josephine clapped her hands in excitement.
"Oh, dearest husband," she said joyfully, "see the love that my little baby has for his wife."
He is just like you, she added in her mind.
Xavi rubbed his forehead in frustration.
Arluna sat down heavily as her wife Magnolia handed her a bottle of water. She drank it all at once.
Adris held Carliet's hand tightly.
Xavi sighed as Orion helped him sit.
"So," Ophelia said with a grin, "when's the wedding?"
Arluna chuckled weakly.
Josephine kissed Adris's forehead, then Carliet's too.
Everyone slowly settled into the room.
Kol led them onward.
Vireya suddenly burst into tears. "I want Mommy!"
Her twin sister Nyxelle cried too.
Morzael tried to calm them down, rocking them gently, but Zelith finally snapped.
"Shut up!" she yelled.
"HEY!"
A stronger voice echoed.
It was Yora.
Morzael flinched at her tone. Eryxa watched closely as Yora picked both twins up.
"It's okay, sweeties," Yora said softly. "Don't cry, okay?"
"Hey! Put them down!" Zelith snapped. "You are not our mother!"
Yora's eyes glowed pink.
"Mind your mouth, little girl," she said in an angry, motherly tone, "or I will guide you in ways you will not like."
Zelith immediately closed her mouth.
Morzael saw how quickly she behaved herself.
"Woah…" he muttered.
"Pretty lady," Nyxelle sobbed, "I want my mummy."
"But baby," Yora said gently, "your mummy is a beautiful garden in heaven, where all wonderful souls go."
"R…really?" Vireya whispered.
"Yes," Yora nodded. "If you want to see her, you must sleep. They come to you in your dreams—like my little boy…"
She paused.
"Y…you had a son?" Morzael asked softly.
Yora froze.
"Yes," she said quietly.
She kissed both girls' cheeks and gently laid them down, patting them until they slept. Zelith and Eryxa exchanged glances as Yora sang a soft lullaby—the same song she once sang for her son.
All four girls grew sleepy, crawled onto the bed, wrapped themselves in blankets, and slept.
Morzael whispered, "They finally slept. I tried my hardest."
They stepped out of the room.
Morzael turned to thank her—then stopped.
She pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one.
"What the hell?" he said.
She inhaled deeply and blew the smoke out.
"I really miss him…" she whispered, tears streaming down her face.
"What happened to him?" Morzael asked softly.
She sat down on the couch.
"My little baby… my Caldrik. He was just a toddler—four years old. I lost my husband during the war. I only had him. He was my everything. My home. My peace."
Her voice broke.
"I was playing with him… we got attacked by bandits. They took him. When I found him… it was his head. They hanged it. His body was bleeding…"
The flashback slammed into her.
Please wake up, baby. Mama is here. I will bake your cupcakes for you…
"CALDRIK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
She gasped as the memory faded, blowing smoke from her lips.
"I wish I could hold him again," she whispered. "I dream of him every night—with my husband—running, eating, playing. But they are temporary illusions of happiness."
She wiped her tears.
"If the girls need anything, tell me or the maids. They will help."
She checked on them one last time and walked away.
Morzael watched her leave. He looked back at his daughters, smiled faintly, then lay down on the couch beside them and finally fell asleep.