It had started peacefully, a laugh dipped in honey. He hadn't laughed that much in his life,but this time,his happiness came from his daughter.
A girl.
That was something he had dreaded having in his family.So much he feared procreating after Meredith birthed Axel. To him, a girl meant chains ; expectations, inferiority, scandals.
But this daughter of his had made him sleep blissfully in merriment; his very dreams centring around her.Reya had brought dignity into his home. He claimed she was the angel everyone ought to have in their homes.
He kept grinning like he was impressed by nature's beauty. And nature was indeed beautiful - but happiness must've worn down their idea of fate.
With time,he appeared to have forgotten Fate's existence - the very being that made you sleep in joy yet turned the arms of time quicker than you would expect.
And so it started with excitement with Minister Halveth,then the gifts,laughter and everything good a daughter bore when made Queen.
"Queen of Vire," He had whispered to himself.
One day,he was going to be a queen's father,which would unmistakably be etched into the very walls of history.
But fate struck too quickly,envious of a father's happiness at the prospect of dying in peace.
It all began with raven feathers.
One Meredith had desperately searched for,wishing she would find only one or just two. That would've done her some good to battle with fate. But no! She found three.
It was custom to use a feather in Ravenswood when courting someone's daughter privately.
The first solely meant they were involved, yet nothing had taken place. Still untouched.
The second - claimed,desired,devoured, and if destiny wasn't faster than fate,it meant pregnancy.
And the third?
Marriage!
A forbidden union
Fortunate people only ended up with two, still she was the unfortunate victim to agony's humour.
--------
Back in Vire....
The sky had turned an ominous grey, mourning before the people did. Meredith's wails pierced through the quiet walls as Daren lay unconscious on her laps. Her mind was blank, and slowly,sanity itself was escaping. Another cry tore from her throat when she looked down at the man in her laps.
"Please open your eyes! Daren,don't.. dont do this to me," she begged,her very being shuddering at the sight. For once,she would give anything and bow to death to not act yet.
Her stomach twisted in pain as she feared the unthinkable. She clutched his arm tightly,sobbing like she hadn't since girlhood. Her usually composed self unravelled before her eyes.
The great Lord Daren - advisor to monarchs, merchant lord,father of the heir of Vire - laid fragile, a breath away from disappearing from existence.
"Someone help me! Call the physicians! Make haste! Someone!" She screamed,her voice cracking as the palace guards who had escorted Minister Halveth scurried about in fear.
Halveth now looked worried,unsure of what to do in this situation. He had never been one to comfort anyone in his life.
Pain was something so distant to him,but seeing his own friend lying pale,unresponsive of any noise from the outside?
It tugged at his heart strings. And all that was needed to hit his heart was a newspaper.
The estate erupted into chaos - physicians rushed about with vials as he helped put him on the bed. The maids fled into the kitchen for towels,others searching for some unknown herbs they either had no idea of or hadn't seen before.
The estate gloomed with a dark cloud,signalling the failure of a major root in the estate. It seemed to rejoice quickly about it before the dreams were realized.
"Is he alright?!," Meredith asked impatiently every second,fighting back more tears. "How is he?,"
But each time,she only received worried glances and a look she refused to name.
The minister did what he could to comfort her,placing a hand on her shoulder gently, and even watching her consume milk under the guise, she needed more energy to shed tears again.
Meredith's heart thumped loudly in her chest,she heard nothing. Every sound did nothing to soothe the discomfort growing in her gut. Every run or scream or command felt like despair to hold onto his life.
She didn't know what she felt anymore. And who could she blame?
Reya!
She had ruined her by marrying into the accursed Ravyn family.
Her actions hit straight into her father's chest, leading her to believe her daughter would never come back. Would she? She was his favourite!
"He will be fine," muttered Minister Halveth, unsure of what to believe.
Meredith simply nodded. Then everything went dark.
------
When she awoke, it was nightfall. Someone had possibly drugged her to keep her calm, while they attended to Daren and to her - that was hope.Hope that he was beside her in bed. Hope that he would scold her again.
Hope that he would kiss her goodnight.
She turned only to find the bed empty. She sprang up,her breath catching in her throat. Hurriedly reaching for the door, she expected welcoming arms, and a sharp exhale to accuse him of scaring her.
But no!
All her maids were kneeling in a line,cladded in black mourning clothes right before her door. Not a sound escaped them for every bright colour was drained of life.She fought back her tears,rushing to his room.
Her nightgown fluttered behind her as she bolted to reach his side. Memories of his argument with her flooded in her head. Memories of nights in his arms and all the jokes they shared even when she acted cold at time.
She couldn't lose him.
Upon her arrival,she realized the door was already ajar. The physicians were all on their knees,heads bowed at the entrance with Minister Halveth - his face buried into Daren's chest,possibly weeping.
"No!," her voice cracked and the pain hit her knees harder than any wood. Madness refused to spare her,for a sharp,brittle laugh,escaped her.
She was losing it!
"Listen," said she,taking his hand in hers. "I won't argue with you again. I shan't be a burden my love. I shan't force you to go to work."
Her hand trailed off to his hair,then his chest, with dire need of finding a response or a heartbeat."Open your eyes! I..I...promise I'll wear red for you everyday. I won't tease you again. I dare not lie to you. I..I," she held on tightly to him. "Don't make me a widow Daren!"
Silence
"Don't wed me in black. Don't leave me! Don't leave me!"
Entire silence.
Somewhere deep within her,her fear was being labelled a widow - a spouse without a man. A man to lay her at night with love. A man who kissed her,touched her,loved her alone. Made her feel like the only woman in his world. And she was.
"No!! No!!,"
All of Vire heard her screams. Each step was halted on the streets. Every part of the city stilled and whoever dared have a hat took it off.
For a great man had fallen!
----------
It had been three days after his death,Meredith locked herself from the world, refusing to meet any sympathizers.
She refused to eat. Refused to smile. Refused to do anything that included living. The estate was mostly filled with her screams,pain and her disbelief to realize he had truly left her.
"Daren,please! Don't leave me! Daren,"
They would hear her utter in the darkness,curled up in herself in the corner of the room. Sometimes she bit hard on her pillow to stop herself from being too loud.
"I promise to be with you always. I know you don't want this marriage," Daren had smiled at her,taking her hand. "I also don't agree with this,but I promise not to touch you without permission. I dare not treat you inferior. You're my equal,"
The memory played consequently in her head.
She had felt uneasy by then; living in the same room with a man who always kept to his books. He hardly ever spoke to her when she came as his bride. He only acknowledged her existence when she needed something.
And she loved that!
His respect was so profound that he wished not harass or be a cause for her unhappines. He spoilt her like a daughter - fulfilling her every whim. And bought her smiles every single day even if it cost him his composure.
Love? That was something they both had never heard of. And yet,slowly,his heart found hers and so did she willingly take his.
And it did end.
"Why? Why? You..promised to stay with me!" She sobbed,burying her face into her palms. "You said you'd never make me unhappy. But..but..you..you left me."
Then came the funeral,to which she had refused to attend. Her eyes bore a drought having dried her eyes and sobbing rivers of tears. Henry laid his hand on her lower back as she put her head on his shoulder.
And the other son,whom everyone thought would fail to exist in Vire,was present too. With his wife and kids beside him.
Axel had been unable to attend due to his own attachment to the man. And he feared he would break down.
The Queen didn't fail to join in,standing strictly and expressionless with her men.
"Your ring,milady,"said the priest,turning to Meredith. "It needs to be buried --"
"Don't you dare!," Everyone was startled.
"But it's nece--"
"He's not dead and no one dares!" She stepped back once the priest tried reaching to comfort. "...not one single step. Daren is alive," her voice broke.
The Queen nodded to the priest to leave her be,and turned her own gaze elsewhere so not to be reminded she herself was a widow.
The silence was heavy again. Then came her handmaid, "We sent the letter to Lady Reya. There's been no reply."
Meredith turned sharply at her, laughing. "Oh she?! Probably living her life after killing my husband--"
"Mother!," Henry stepped forward to hold her.
"No! No! Let me talk," she placed a hand on her chest. "Let m-me speak! She killed him. She killed him. No one dare utter her name anywhere ever!"
"But Milady we need his heir to perform the ritual. The named heir is Reya--"
"Did you not hear me??," she turned her anger towards the priest. "No one,absolutely no one dares mention her name. Use the air,the sand,any of his sons not that filth! No one, ...she's not my daughter,"
"She ruined me!"
"She ruined me!"
And then,darkness hit her again.