Chapter 3: Tears

The struggling queen pulled and lunged with all her might, trying to wrestle the sword away, but the massive warrior easily overpowered her and turned the blade on her – slicing through her stomach with one swift motion.

Emelia’s tears ran down her face as she watched in horror as Lily stumbled, her hands clutching her side as the blood pooled around her fingers. Lily coughed, and Emelia trembled as she slowly lowered herself to the ground. She cradled Lily’s head in her lap and felt helpless as Lily’s breathing became more labored. “It’ll be okay, shhh….” Lily whispered hoarsely, the words punctuated by a spurt of blood that spewed from her mouth and washed over Emelia’s face.

Emelia felt the enormity of the man looming over her, his cold steel sword dripping blood. His face was a mask of contempt and anger, and her tears soaked her cheeks. “What are you waiting for?” she yelled. With a quick, practiced motion, he raised the blade above his head, and Emelia closed her eyes, a calmness washing over her. In the darkness, she thought of her beloved Lily, now fading from this world. She took a deep breath in acceptance of her fate and welcomed it because without Lily, who was she?

A clanging sound of metal hitting the ground echoed in Emelia’s ears, wrenching her eyes open. The man held his hands to his chest, trying to staunch the flow of blood, but it was too late. A sword was firmly planted in his chest, and he wanted to remove it, but his strength had failed. With a flesh-sucking sound, the blade was removed from his chest, and he slumped to the ground, his lifeless eyes meeting Emelia’s before they closed.

Emelia’s gaze met that of the tall, broad-shouldered figure. His blonde hair, sun-kissed skin, and startling blue eyes were set off brilliantly by the royal red, gold, and black cape he wore. The gold-embroidered cloak floated gracefully around his shoulders, and a jeweled sword hung from his hip. The blade was covered in blood, but his eyes and smirk spoke of a man who wielded power. He started walking towards them and quickly fell on one knee, “Lily?”

Lily turned her gaze to her husband, “Edward,” she said as a single tear rolled down her cheek, and he gently extended a gloved hand to catch it. Her voice was soft and broken as she asked the question that had been on her mind since she was taken, “What took you so long?”

Edward’s trembling lips and streaming tears betrayed his sadness as he softly chuckled. He brought her delicate hand to his mouth and kissed it gently, apologizing softly amidst his sobs. “I’m sorry, love... I’m so sorry.”

Lily reached out her trembling hand toward Emelia, “This is Emelia.” she faintly said, using what little strength she had left as she whispered, “Promise me you will take care of her.”

King Edward sat frozen, his gaze fixed on Emelia in disbelief; he had been ignorant of her existence. The young dark-skinned girl was covered in the blood of his dying wife — her dress so saturated it clung to her slight frame. Lily’s voice, frail and weak, broke the silence. “We always asked the Lord for a daughter... Here she is.” She smiled at Emelia and tenderly brushed a tear from her cheek. “I love you, Emelia. Be a good girl,” she said. Gently turning her head toward Edward, Lily reached out and grasped his hand. “I love you too, Edward... and tell James... I love him.” Her voice was barely a whisper now as her eyes glazed over, and her arm fell lifelessly to her side.

Emelia’s eyes brimmed with tears that finally spilled over, and she threw her arms around Lily, clutching her tightly. Her voice shook as she shouted at the King, “Do something!”

He cupped Lily’s pale face and brushed the wisps of hair away from her forehead. His hands trembled as he placed his lips against her still, warm skin. He whispered a silent goodbye, his voice breaking as he said softly, “She’s gone.” He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tenderly closed Lily’s eyes.

Tears streamed down Emelia’s cheeks as she uttered a broken “No!” and ducked her head, muffling sobs into the fabric of her dress.

Edward slowly crouched down with both hands, picked up Lily’s lifeless body, and cradled her gently against his chest. Emelia stood by silently, her eyes glued to the ground as he walked through the army of his soldiers, who had been drawn in by the heartbreaking scene but kept their distance in respect. With great care, he approached the buggy and laid Lily down on the soft cushion. His face etched in sadness and grief, he tenderly placed the cloth over her body and then looked away. He adjusted the stirrups of his ebony mare and then reached out a hand to Emelia. She met his gaze with her frightened, luminous eyes, her body remaining still. Dropping his hand to his side, he exhaled slowly and declared with certainty, “Emelia, I solemnly swear to you that I will honor Lily’s wishes and take great care of you. It’s what Lily wanted.”

Emelia slowly reached up and let her small fingers curl around Edward’s strong hand. He scooped her up and set her in front of him on the horse. Her chest tightened at the thought of the horse’s powerful muscles beneath her, but Edward’s reassuring squeeze of her hand helped to settle her fear. “Hold on tight,” he encouraged before his deep voice commanded the horse to gallop back towards Kingdom Cornea.

As the horses raced forward, the scenery blurred past. Emelia’s thoughts were consumed by Lily, the mother figure who had taken her in and died protecting her. She stole a glance at Edward, seeing only a stoic expression etched into his chiseled profile. She looked back to the road, her stomach clenching with anxiety as stray leaves danced around them in the wind. Did Edward blame her for his wife’s death?