Chapter 285
“We heard nothing about the mythical creatures.” Hildegard said.
It was true.
It made no sense that when Scarlet had gone missing the emerald remained intact.
That was one of the reasons why Rose had even kept hoping that her little girl was still alive.
And then she had found a piece of the emerald ashore and it further made no sense.
That the emerald had broken off from its holder and the monsters had still been held captive.
Rose laughed. “Maybe there was really nothing to it. Maybe it was just an old wife’s tale. After all the story of the monsters are thousands of years old. It was probably just one of the many old lies our ancestors told.”
Rose was doing her best to wave it off away.
“But this was something you had believed in.” Hildegard said in surprise. “It was something you believed in. What could have happened?”
“I was wasting my time.” Rose said harshly.
Hildegard took a step back.
Rose sighed heavily and then she looked up at her friend. “I did not mean to snap at you. I am ready to bury scarlet. I have been holding on to her for so long it is high time I let her go.”
Hildegard was proud of how she was letting go finally.
But the story of the Kraken was very suspicious.
They had not heard of any mythical monsters in a long time.
“But you were interested at first were you not?” Hildegard asked her gently. “That was what Bernice said.”
“Bernice should really mind her business.” Rose said touching her forehead.
“She is a member of court who happened to be there when you both had the altercation and she meant no harm. You did have a point if you belived that the Kraken was real.” Hildegard said.
But Rose shook her head
“I was just obsessed back then about it. I should not have been.” She said. “I am making things different.”
She stood up and the servants brought her a large coat and helped her wear it over her beautiful dress.
“I want to request that a headstone be placed for Scarlet.” Rose said her head held up high.
“There is already one.” Hildegard said surprisingly her.
“What?” Rose said in shock.
“Roland erected one for her when he called off the search and declared her missing.” She informed her.
Rose stood breathing heavily.
She even had no idea about any of this.
“How come I never knew?!” Rose asked heart broken that such a thing was kept from her.
“Because you refused to hear about it.” Hildegard said.
Rose swallowed and felt shame and embarrassment overwhelm her.
She swallowed hard and turned to Hildegard. “Will you come with me to the gravestone?”
“Of course.” Hildegard said.
And later her and Hildegard were walking to the royal cemetery.
Rose did not need to go far.
She saw a small and lovely gravestone beside her elder brother’s gravestone.
Her parents and younger brother had died in a ship wreck when she was only a child.
She sighed heavily when she saw the beautiful gravestone.
She let the maids give her the bundles of flowers and one after the other she placed them on her father, then mother and younger brother’s gravestone.
And when it came to Scarlet’s, she stopped and simply looked at it.
On it was scribbled Scarlet the third, would have been Queen and ruler wizard Wolf world, gone too soon.
Rose felt her heart begin to bleed as she looked down at her baby’s gravestone.
“Your husband comes here you know? Every Friday. He never misses it, unless he is not in the castle. And even then he would tax me to bring roses to her.” Hildegard said.
Rose pushed away the dead pink rose petals.
“If Scarlet saw the pink roses at her gravestone she would be furious.” Rose said and then Hildegard laughed. “I do not have the faintest idea. But she hated the color pink so much. Once a maid, made a mistake and helped her with a dress that had some pink floral designs at the bottom. Scarlet never knew until her sister pointed it out and she was so upset she fell ill.”
The two women laughed and Rose gently set aside the dead flowers and replaced them with red roses.
Hildegard did not need to be told what to do.
She took a very gentle step back and let Rose have time alone with the gravestone.
“It has been quite a while.” Rose said. “I have never been here and all I did for the past almost thirty years was search for you. If I could even have your body and let you rest here it would bring me joy. I was told the the father comes here every Friday. And I never even knew about this. If you are here with me. If you could see me now, then I truly beg for you forgiveness. Forgive me for neglecting you. Forgive me for finally burying you today. You were my baby girl. My little treasure, taken from me with no closure. Today I
Give myself that closure. I tell myself that you are asleep with the gods. That you are in peace. I will always love you my darling.”
And with that Rose finished and gently rose up to her feet and turned back to Hildegard and her maidens in waiting.
She saw her husband standing there waiting for her.
She breathed in heavily before slowly walking up to them.
When she reached him, she breathed in heavily and started to speak. “I am aware that I humiliated you in front of courts and that I
Have been a horrible wife and mother and that I also abandoned you and-
But He surprised her by silencing her in Avery wam hug.
He pulled her up to him and she froze at his show of affection.
She let herself feel the hug and then he gently let go.
“Can you ever forgive me?” She looked up at him.
He smiled kindly at her.
“I was never holding a grudge against you.” He said.
“But those awful things I said. And the things you said yesterday.”
“Do not matter.” He finished for her. He took hold of her hands and intertwined them with his. “None of those things matter. Today is a new day, the present and not the past matters. It is now.”
And then he gently pulled her up to him and kissed her forehead.
Everyone smiled at the couple’s show of affection.
And then Hildegard who had been smiling so happy for them felt something.
She turned around and she immediately saw Cherry looking down at them from a window.
And Cherry’s face looked like it was about to blow
Unlike anyone else, she did not seem too happy with their love display.
Hildegard turned to the lovebirds.
“It is getting cold, I should be away now.” She said and she made a fast escape away from the cemetery.
In barely a few minutes, she was with Cherry.
“What are you doing stalking the royal couple.” She demanded not so kindly.
Cherry turned around to look at her. “Stalking. Ha! What a word to use. Not that it concerns you but u was simply enjoying the view of where my dearly beloved parents lay.”
“We both know that is not true.” Hildegard said.
Cherry’s face twitched to a very unusual and displeasing manner.
“And what is the truth?” Cherry said.
Hildegard cleared her throat. “I know you Cherry. I know you more than a lot of people in fact. Well at least those that you do not have in your pockets.”
“I know that you have your eyes on king Roland.” Hildegard said. “Be wise and stay away. I do not know why Rose never sees the true you.”
“I can have you killed by the snap of my fingers if I wanted to.” Cherry hissed.
“And yes you could, but you would not. What would you tell your sister?” Hildegard asked. “That you found me dead? I am a piece of the game of chess that can big be removed.”
Hildegard folded her arms together and glared at Cherry.
“I have warned you now. Stay away from Roland and Rose. Stay away from me. If you push me beyond my limits I would pull out your dirty cobwebs and show it to the light of everyone.”
Cherry looked at her like she was truly scared and then she burst out into laughter.
“Oh Hildegard.” Cherry said. “I had really hoped you were wise. But it would seem I was wrong. My games have just begun. And you see my sister over there? She thinks that everything is going to work for her. Wait until she knows what I have against her. And I suggest that you be by her side at all times. She is going to need you very soon to wipe away her tears.”