Alina

Dark blue painted the predawn skies. Alina's heart hammered and she tried to control her breathing as she hurried to the courtyard. She was not allowed to see Lucian. No one was allowed to come near him. But she could not bear knowing that he had been lying half naked in this freezing cold for a full day and night, chained to the ground in the open, without food or water, and without company, except for the two ominous guards who stood each at his side, making sure no one approached him. 

Folding a small blanket in her arms, and hiding a couple of butter buns in her pockets, she flew to the Northern end of the courtyard where Lucian was chained. As she approached, she could hear the strong whistling winds mixed with the clear weeping of gargoyles and the loud uproar of cawing ravens.

The faint dawn light showed her Lucian's pale form in the distance, lying limp on the ground, still badly bleeding where the tight metal chains had cut through his wings. Two black clad guards were standing at either side like menacing gargoyles. A sudden gust of cold wind hit against her violently, forcing her eyes closed and upsetting her hair. She tried to squint through the howling winds, and her eyes caught the great flock of ravens flying in circles above Lucian. Her heart tightened with unease, and dread further consumed her as she noticed that another unsightly form was also lying on the ground a few steps ahead of him.

Alina gasped as her eyes fell on the blackened form and her hands flew to cover her mouth. A party of black ravens gathered as they feasted on the remnants of a hollow body with remaining deep red hair. Daria's body had not been buried. It had not been removed since her death! And Lucian was still forced to sit before her and watch her as the ravens and maggots devoured her corpse. Alina looked at Lucian in horror. He was no longer crying. Yesterday he cried hoarsely, wailing and writhing, his body racked with endless sobs, his grief stricken eyes fixed at Daria's dead body. But now, he only sat with half closed eyes staring vacantly into space. 

Alina quickly unfolded the blanket she had intended for Lucian and walked towards what remained of Daria's body. She flapped her wings violently to force the ravens away, before she spread the blanket above the corpse, completely covering the gory sight. She turned back to look at Lucian. He looked back at her with dead like eyes, and a smoke of mist escaped his blue quivering lips in what she could tell was a little sigh, before fresh tears fell down his cheeks.

She had only taken a small step towards him, when the guards suddenly blocked her way. She closed her eyes in frustration.

"Please, let me see him," she said softly.

"Lord Bernard forbids it," one of the guards said as he looked upwards, avoiding her eyes.

"He doesn't have to know," Alina looked up at the guards with pleading tears, but they were still not looking her way. "Please. Have mercy..." They only kept standing there. "Please. I will be quick. Bernard will not know!" They did not respond. Sobs escaped her despite her will and she fell to her knees in despair. She only continued to weep silently, her shoulders shaking. She was only a few steps away from Lucian, but she could not see him. Because the guards stood in her way. She could not see him. And she might never see him again! 

She was still crying, her heart burning with frustration, when she heard a soft rustling sound. She raised her eyes slightly to find one of the guards stepping aside, opening the way for her. She looked up at him in surprise, and she found that he was looking back at her, not with the usual harsh expression. Her heart raced in anticipation. He was letting her see Lucian! She got up to her feet, wiping her tears and smiling at the guard in gratitude, before she quickly hurried towards Lucian, escaping the dark scowl of the other guard which was more likely directed at his partner.

"Lucian," Alina whispered as she wrapped her arms around him. He did nothing but sit still in his place, yet she could feel his cold body trembling beneath her touch. She quickly took off her cloak and wrapped it around his shivering body, before she took out a butter bun and placed it before his lips. He turned his face away. Alina looked at him with a broken heart. The cheerful childish soul and the pure innocent face were long gone. What sat before her now was no more than a silent ghost, thin and pale with grief, with a soulless resignation in its lifeless eyes.

Alina burst into tears. How could anyone be so cruel? What kind of monster tortured his own little brother by keeping him chained before his lover's dead body, forcing him to watch her rot? Wasn't it enough already that she was killed before his eyes?

"My lady, please, you must go," said the kind guard who had let her see Lucian. "If Lord Bernard finds out you were here, he will get us all in trouble."

Alina took Lucian in her arms one last time, hugging him tightly and kissing his forehead, before she turned to leave. She did not want to push her luck, getting herself or Lucian into further trouble. All she could do was pray that Vilfred could find a way to save Lucian and get him out of that mess, like Mikal had always done.

***

Alina stood nervously before Mikal's study, Vilfred's now. Her hands were trembling, as she rearranged the words again in her mind. Please Sir Vilfred, I would like to request an appeal for Lucian... No, that sounded too direct... Sir Vilfred, forgive me for interrupting you, but I would like to ask your assistance... No, too overdone... Alina sighed in frustration. Vilfred had always been kind and gentle, and she had never imagined she would have any trouble asking him anything if she needed to. But now she was not certain anymore. 

Since his return from war, he had become someone else entirely. He had grown quite cold and intimidating, even colder and more intimidating than Mikal had been. She wondered if he had only grown so solemn because of his brother's unfortunate death and the size of the great responsibilities that were suddenly thrown at him. And she deeply wished it was so, and that his heart was still as kind as it had always been, and that he would do everything he could to save Lucian. Alina took in a deep breath before she knocked and entered the study.

Vilfred met her with an unexpected smile and a tender look in his warm green eyes. And all her fears disappeared. Yes, that was the same kind Vilfred she had always known.

"Vilfred!" she hurried at him with pleading eyes, forgetting all the words she had arranged in her mind. "You must do something."

"What is it my dear?" he asked, frowning in concern.

"Lucian..." Alina's voice broke into tears. "Please, save him."

Vilfred closed his eyes and lowered his head, sighing in sorrow. "It is not within my hands anymore, Alina."

"What do you mean?" Alina looked up at him frantically. "There must be something you can do. Mikal would have done something!"

Alina only realized what a stupid thing she had done by mentioning Mikal now. The warmth in Vilfred's eyes suddenly disappeared as he shot her a cold stare. That was the intimidating Vilfred who had come back from war. How stupid of her. To remind him again of his dear brother's loss. He must be heartbroken already. It showed on his taut and solemn face.

"I'm sorry..." she mumbled.

"Even Mikal would have done nothing," Vilfred said, all gentleness gone from his cold formal voice. "Lucian is a traitor. And what you ask means you are supporting a traitor."

"No..."

"All you can do is ask Bernard to grant him a merciful death, but even that I would not recommend."

Alina was speechless as she looked back at Vilfred, tears blurring her vision. She could not tell if Vilfred was really as cold hearted as he sounded, or if he was only hiding his deep pain.

***

It was late in the evening, and Alina still locked herself up in her room, crying her eyes out. Vilfred was her last resort, in fact her only resort. But he had so coldly made it clear that nothing could be done to save Lucian. Lucian was going to die! There was no way to stop that. All you can do is ask Bernard to grant him a merciful death, but even that I would not recommend. He was going to die, and most probably a merciless death. Alina cried hoarsely, praying for a miracle to happen and save Lucian. But who would answer her prayers? Engelmen prayed to no gods...

Alina was still crying when a loud scream echoed through the corridor. It was not a gargoyle cry. It was a shrill scream so close and clear that Alina thought it was right outside her room. Wiping her tears and rising in alarm she reached her door and stepped outside. A faint light was coming out from the room next door. Mikal's room. She was just wondering why Mikal's door was open when a servant came out of it with hands over her mouth and a horrified look in her eyes. Alina hurried to the room, dreading what she would see, and as she reached the door and looked inside, her hands flew to cover her own mouth as well.

In the middle of the dimly lit room, Aurora was sitting on her knees, her body leaning forward and her head hanging down before her. A long sword rose from the ground, passing through her chest and out on the other side from her back, supporting her in place. Blood streamed down the jeweled hilt where the sword penetrated her heart, dripping unto the floor. 

Alina approached Aurora, her hands still covering her mouth in shock, in hopes of finding any signs of movement. But there were none. She reached out a terribly shaking hand and lightly touched Aurora's left shoulder. Aurora's body tilted to the right, and Alina could see a glimpse of her pale green eyes, only for a brief moment, before the full weight of Aurora's body crumpled to the ground with a loud thud, along with the blood stained sword that impaled her. And now Alina could clearly see Aurora's half opened eyes. 

She was dead.

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