46: Fragments of you

Fragments of you

Anastasia felt as if her soul had left her body, and her body swayed towards the wall for support. Her lips moved while her eyes watered in shock, not knowing what was happening. 

She looked away from the scene. No, this is not true, she said to herself. She had seen Marianne back in the alley at the Bazaar, and she had hugged her. There was no way this was true. But when her eyes moved to look at Marianne's lifeless body, tears spilt from her eyes. 

There lay Marianne on the cold floor, with blood pooling around her body. Her lifeless, green eyes stared at the ceiling, and her lips were parted. 

"W—what happened?!" Prince Aiden was equally shocked at seeing his father dead. 

He quickly moved to where his father lay and tried to wake him by jerking the body, "Father! Father! Please wake up! I am here. I promise to not leave the palace!" He shouted, but the prince's pleas fell on deaf ears. 

The other members of the Blackthorn family surrounded King William, who were in shock, and some cried. The rims of Queen Sophia's eyes turned red while she held back her tears. "We should have King William placed on a table… Maybe the physician can help him." But everyone knew he was dead and long gone.

The Mother Queen turned to the guards and said, "Bring the glass case and place him inside it until tomorrow. Zion," she called the Vizier before ordering, "Gather all the guests. I want everyone to be questioned about their whereabouts for the last two hours. Make sure no one can leave the palace, and if they do, bring them to me."

Lady Maya brought her hand up to cover her mouth as tears slipped from her eyes. She asked, "Who could have dared do something like this? To kill the king." 

Princess Emily, who hadn't stopped crying since she heard the news about her father's death, hugged Aiden for comfort as she sobbed. When her eyes moved, they fell on Prince Maxwell, who stared into space. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she said, 

"Brother Maxwell… your hands…"

  Queen Sophia turned to look at Prince Maxwell's bloody hands, and she demanded, 

"Are you going to tell us what happened here, Maxwell? Did you have anything to do with this? After all, this woman was your concubine!" 

Lady Maya frowned and defended her son, "Maxwell would never attempt to lift a finger to kill his father, Queen Sophia. The king was his father, and he loved him dearly. Just because he was the one to find them doesn't mean he murdered his father. He had just returned to the palace with Prince Dante, isn't that right?" Lady Maya turned to look at Dante, not wanting her son to take the blame just because he was the first one to find them dead. "I should instead question where Aiden was, considering he is the last one to arrive here."

"How dare you blame him, when—"

"That's enough!" Dante's words were rough, which stopped the two women from fighting in front of the dead king. "This is not the time to fight and cast blame." 

"How do we know who killed our king?" Lady Noor asked, whose nose had turned pink from crying. "What if it was this concubine? Why would she even be here with him?"

No one had any answers to the questions about what happened there. The little trust that had still existed between the people in the room disappeared, leaving chaos and uncertainty in their minds. Dante's eyes moved around, looking at his family, not knowing if the murderer was in here or outside this room.

The Mother Queen took a shaky breath before she ordered, "Prepare for the funeral tomorrow." 

Once the king's dead body was placed in a glass case, he was taken to the underground dungeon, where he would rest until being buried tomorrow. The Blackthorn family members left the room while ignoring Anastasia's presence, as they were wrapped up in their own woes. 

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When Anastasia got the courage to move towards where Marianne's body lay, two guards arrived to pick her up and began walking away. Anastasia quickly stopped them by coming in front of them and anxiously asked, 

'Where are you taking her?!' 

"She will be kept in the dungeon too," one of the guards replied before they began walking again. 

Anastasia followed them, and once they reached the entrance of the dungeon, the other guard stopped her by raising his hand in front of her. The guard demanded, 

"Where do you think you are going? Don't you know that maids don't have permission to step in here?"

Anastasia folded her hands together before pointing in the direction where the guards carried her sister. 

"Whatever it is, get back to your work. This is no place for you to be," the guard said, shooing her away. 

Not wanting to part with her sister, Anastasia tried to plead with the guard once again. Letting him know it was just this once before she tried to pass through. But this only made the guard angry, who pushed her harshly, making her fall to the ground. 

"Try it once more, and I will lock you up in the undercroft!" The guard warned her with a glare. "Back to work!" He said, and chased her away from there. 

When Anastasia reached the servants' quarters and arrived at her room, Theresa caught sight of her. Noticing something wrong from afar, she quickly made her way to the young woman's room. 

"Anna?" Theresa was going to ask what she was doing here when she noticed tears spilling from Anastasia's eyes. Alarmed, the older woman shut the door and asked, "What's the matter, Anna? W—why are you crying?" 

Unable to hold the pain inside her any longer, Anastasia broke down. Tears continuously spilt from her eyes, streaking down her cheeks, and her body shook. 

Theresa didn't know what was wrong, as the servants hadn't been informed about the recent deaths that had taken place. She put her arms around the young woman and stroked her back in worry. 

"Everything will be alright, Anna," Theresa tried to console her, not knowing nothing would ever be the same for the young woman again. 

Marianne had been her rock. Even though the rock had sunk to the bottom of the sea, it had kept her afloat when they were brought here. With her rock now gone, Anastasia began to crumble. 

"Mary is gone… Someone took Mary away," Anastasia spoke between gasps. 

Theresa's hand, which had been stroking Anastasia's back, froze. That couldn't be… no… 

"Anna, do you know what you are saying?" Theresa asked, unsure, and felt the young woman nod, and she cried harder. "I…" She didn't know what to say to make Anastasia feel better because the news came like a blow to her. She hugged her tighter to let her know that she was there. 

Minutes passed before Anastasia's sobs finally quietened, and the room fell silent. She stared at the wall in front of her, her mind not functioning anymore. 

"I wish this was a nightmare…" Anastasia whispered in an emotionless voice, "A nightmare that I desperately want to wake up from. Where we have just woken up." She took a deep breath before saying, "And Mary and I are yet to meet in the corridors."

Theresa wished it too, but it had really happened. She let the young woman grieve without asking her anything. 

"I don't understand," Anastasia's eyebrows slightly furrowed, "I saw her, Theresa. We met in the dark alley in the Bazaar. But then she disappeared. And then… I saw her cold on the ground." Her moist eyes turned to look at the older woman, and she asked, "How is that possible?" 

Theresa stared at Anastasia as if something didn't seem right. She asked, "Do you think it was her ghost?" 

"It can't be. We hugged and spoke. She looked happy, and I was too," Anastasia replied while remembering her sister in the alley.

'I thought I lost you. I was held back until now, but no more, Anna.'

Anastasia's breath shuddered as she realised what Marianne's words meant. She had been so excited to see her sister that she had failed to understand her words. The frown in her eyebrows deepened when she recollected that her sister had said something else to her. 

"She said something before she disappeared. What did she say?" Anastasia tried to rack her mind, but she couldn't remember and clenched her hands. Her heart felt heavy. She asked, "What am I going to do without her? We had promised that we would leave together, but I had never imagined it to be like this. I didn't want her to be free like this." 

Anastasia used one sleeve of her dress to wipe the tears from her eyes, but her tears didn't stop. She said, 

"They think she's the one who killed the king, but that's not possible. Mary could not even hurt a fly; she would never attempt something like that."

Theresa's face turned pale at this news, as she didn't know that King William was dead too. What was going on in the palace? 

"I know it isn't what you want to hear, but Anna, if people believe that Mary had anything to do with the king's death, don't try to get involved. Matters of the palace are not something you can walk away from once you step into them," Theresa didn't want Anastasia to put herself in danger. 

Anastasia's sad eyes met the older woman's eyes. She said, "I am already involved. I don't think I could walk away from it even if I wanted to. I need to know what happened to Mary. Why was she killed when she never brought anyone harm or unhappiness?" her eyes filled with tears again. "This palace stole my sister from me," she pursed her lips, despising the people and the life they had been brought into. 

Theresa murmured, confused, "This is all so strange. Something I would have never expected to happen in years. They will bury King William tomorrow then." And when the people across the land heard the news, it could also disrupt the palace. 

"Auntie, they took Marianne to the dungeon. I need to be with her," Anastasia let the older woman know. 

"I don't think we are allowed in there, Anna. I cannot even ask Mr. Gilbert for permission. If they are looking for the killer, it will take little to no time for them to pin it on you. You weren't in the palace either, and it would cause trouble." Theresa shook her head, rejecting the very thought of it. 

Anastasia wanted to be with Marianne. To see her sister one more time. To brush her hair as she once did. She was all she had in this cold palace, and now the emptiness seeped into her body. 

When morning arrived, the news about King William's death spread quickly, shocking everyone. However, nothing was mentioned about the concubine, who had also died the same night and hour. 

In the already-built mausoleum, where the previous kings' tombs rested, one was created for King William, whose funeral was attended by the Blackthorn family, who were all dressed in black to mourn the loss of their family member. 

Anastasia, being Princess Emily's maid, had come along with her, though she, like the other servants, wasn't allowed to step foot inside the mausoleum and waited while the priest said his offering of peace. 

Once they returned to the palace, she followed the princess ahead of her, only to hear, "I would like to be alone now, Anna. You can leave."

Anastasia offered a bow and watched the princess enter her room and close the door. She stood there for a few minutes before walking away from there. Her footsteps took her close to the dungeon's entrance, and she noticed the guards standing there. How was she going to see her sister?0

When Anastasia heard footsteps, she turned and saw that it was Prince Dante approaching. She was going to speak, but he didn't stop and walked past her. 

Not knowing what else to do, she quickly ran forward when he got near the dungeon's entrance and fell on her knees. 

"You again! I told you not to show up here," the guard scolded with a glare. The guard then informed him, "Prince Dante, the dead body has been kept the way it was brought."

Dante had been in deep thought, as it wasn't just Anastasia who had lost a family member. He turned at the guard's words and noticed the maid on her knees. When their eyes met, helpless, she pressed her forehead against the ground. 

"Go see if the fire is prepared. Both of you," Dante ordered the guards, who obliged to his words, leaving him and the maid alone. 

Anastasia pleaded, her voice cracking at the end, "I beg you. Please let me see my sister!" 

Dante stared at the woman on the ground. 

When Dante received the news about his father's death, he had rushed to the scene. Unlike the other members of his family, he didn't cry. He wasn't happy about the king's death, but he wasn't upset to the point that he felt the need to cry. It wasn't because his father had stopped showering him with fatherly affections, but just that the void in his heart felt cold.

If one looked deep into his heart, they would know that, even though he abided by the laws and rules set by the family, he didn't hold the king in high regard. How could he, when his mother was cast aside like a broken object? 

But at the same time, it didn't mean that he didn't care about what had happened. Knowing his family was under threat, he wanted to find the murderer. 

"Two minutes," Dante said to the maid, who lifted her head before she stood up. "Follow me."

Anastasia followed Dante through the entrance, which was a long corridor before the stairs appeared downward. When they took two turns to the right, her eyes finally fell on Marianne. Unable to keep away, her footsteps quickened, and she reached where her sister was, on a cold slab that stood waist-high. 

"Mary!" Anastasia called her sister, even though she couldn't hear her. Tears were quick to appear in her eyes, but she was happy to see her sister. 

Bringing her hand forward, Anastasia caressed Marianne's cold cheek, while Dante stood at the back, with no one else there. 

Marianne's eyes had been closed, and she looked like she was sleeping. Anastasia gently brushed her sister's hair and hoped she was at peace. 

"I wish I could have protected you. I wish you were still here," Anastasia whispered to her sister. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips on her sister's forehead and said, "I will miss you."

The guard that had been present earlier reappeared behind Dante with another guard, and informed, "Prince Dante, the fire has been prepared for burning the deceased."

Hearing the guard's words and footsteps approaching where she stood, Anastasia pulled away from Marianne. She stepped away, while the guards carried her sister to a burning furnace before pushing her body into it, where fire engulfed her. 

Anastasia turned to look at Prince Dante, who was still there, and asked, 

"Prince Dante, would it be okay if I take… Mary's ashes with me?"

Dante stared at Anastasia, noticing the pain in her brown eyes. He remarked, "Suit yourself."

Once the fire had exhausted itself, the furnace was opened, which was when Anastasia pulled out a worn-out handkerchief and put some of the ashes into it. When she was carefully tying it together, Dante questioned her, 

"Emily told me she let you off work early yesterday. Where were you last evening?"

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