MaeveMcCarthy
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Chapter XXVIII
🕑 Added 2023-11-07 10:39:29 +0000 UTCA Few Days Later
The [Cardinal]’s offer had been tantalizing. Once again, she had sunk into the soft mattress and the silken sheets at night, staring at the ceiling. The past few days after the [Cardinal]’s revelation and the fight with Elysium had passed quickly.
An [Angel]...
She giggled. There was something about imagining herself, the girl that everyone called Aurora Claudia, with blonde hair and deep blue eyes, as an [Angel]—that painted a really pretty picture. Her old face would not have fit the part, honestly. But this one?
She caressed the soft skin on her cheek, eons away from getting any wrinkles or signs of stress from dealing with parental expectations and classes of agitated students. For a moment, her chest tightened at the thought of her past life. In fact, while she had enjoyed parts of her job, it had always felt like a cage. Her own family had felt like a captor.
And now...
She kept staring at the ceiling.
She was still a prisoner, yes, but she had just gotten a small taste of freedom.
Freedom that comes with strings attached, Lily reminded herself.
But even with the strings, it was so...
Lily jumped out of bed, realizing that there was no way she would actually sleep. Undecided on what to do, she paced back and forth before her face took on a sneaky grin, and she left the room.
...
An incessant knocking on the door made Lumius frown and get out of bed. It was dead in the middle of the night, and he had no idea what kind of uneducated peasant of a servant they must have hired for them to not even announce themselves. When he opened the door, he got his answer.
“It’s you,” he frowned, putting a hand over his mouth, stifling a yawn.
“You don’t seem too happy,” Lily gave him a knowing smile.
Lumius observed the garbs she was wearing and smiled. They had received the final touches and enchantments the day before, and now, the girl was wearing them everywhere—it was only obvious because they didn’t need to be cleaned and were very comfortable, thanks to their enchantments, but still... it made him happy. It was hard to explain the emotions he felt, but he strangely didn’t mind the skinny girl disturbing him in the middle of the night.
“What do you want?” He yawned again.
“I can’t sleep,” she said.
She hadn’t told Lumius about the Holy Flame yet nor about the [Angel] thing. The latter wasn’t something she was even allowed to discuss with him; but as for the former, she was just unsure whether to pick his brain about it.
Lily was sure that it would be an obvious choice for him that he would not provide an actual insight.
Maybe I should consult dad, she thought to herself, immediately dispelling the thought, though. She couldn’t imagine how Lucianus Claudius would take the news of his daughter willingly becoming a part of the [Pope]’s family without even putting up a fight.
At the same time, if she accepted and indeed managed to become an [Angel], rising in power to stand behind the [Pope] only, wouldn’t she be free to do whatever she wanted? Didn’t the [Cardinal] – or maybe Lumius – mention in passing that some [Saints] were stronger than even the [Pope]?
What would she be able to do once she combined the tremendous power of the Holy Flame with her healing capabilities? She was certain beyond doubt that she could even steamroll Lumius in sparring. There was no way that if she could heal herself and punch with the force of ten cannonballs that the gray-haired kid would be able to withstand her barrage of reckless attacks.
She knew some of the fighting Classes in the Papal State had some healing capabilities, but given Lily’s extreme proficiency and the addition of the Holy Flame, she was confident she would get a Class that was a mix of the two.
And only the sky would be the limit, she smiled to herself. Then, she remembered about the [Angel] class. Well, actually...
not even that.
“So?” Lumius sighed.
“Do you want to spar?”
...
The boy had reluctantly accepted after she had whined for five entire minutes. Lumius had briefly considered knocking her out right then and there before begrudgingly following her to the training grounds.
They started getting into the usual full contact routine, with Lily being wilder and more reckless than he had ever seen her. More than once, she hurt herself, barely paying attention to the damage and immediately healing it.
The moonlight and the [Light Orbs] that Lily had summoned shone on the two as Lumius slowly but constantly ramped up the intensity of his blows.
“Not bad,” he said as they stopped, Lily’s stamina starting to dwindle.
“Yeah,” she smiled at him.
As she observed the young 12-year-old boy, she wondered about the [Cardinal]’s proposition.
He’s still a 12-year-old boy. Even if he’s much more mature than anyone his age, he’s still just a boy, as she thought that, a question came to her mind.
“Lumius,” she called out.
“Yes?” He asked, startled by the sudden use of his first name.
“Do you want to marry me?” Lily asked.
He just deadpanned.
“I mean, do you have anyone else you’d rather marry? We never talked about your father’s arrangement.”
The boy sighed, shaking his head, “What’s there to talk about? Neither of us can escape it.”
“Do you want to escape it?” Lily inquired.
The boy opened his mouth but stopped mid-way, frowning and looking at the ground.
“What about you? If you could, would you rather marry the redhead?” Lumius shot back after a few seconds.
“What?!” Lily was outraged. “Elysium is just a friend!”
Lumius eyed her obliquely, but Lily still caught a little hint of a smile on his lips.
“And there’s no way your father would cancel our engagement anyway,” she added.
“Indeed,” Lumius commented, turning to stare at the moon.
“So?” Lily bothered him again.
“So what?”
“Would you rather marry someone else?”
“I don’t knowanyone else.”
“So, you’re fine with marrying me?” Lily saw the boy starting to turn a little red in his cheeks.
“Whatever,” he mumbled, not looking back at her.
Lily smiled, finding the boy’s real side much sweeter than she had originally thought.
If I accept the Holy Flame... Lily started fantasizing about what she could do with so much power under her belt.
“Want to go for another round?” She asked the boy, saving him from his awkwardness.
“Sure,” he coughed, walking to the center of the training grounds.
He’s not a bad guy, she smiled to herself.
...
Late into the afternoon, Lily had been studying half-heartedly in the Papal Library, where the new staff had recently just taken over, daydreaming about the Holy Flame and being tempted to go straight to the [Cardinal], when a man in a red robe presented himself to her.
“Aurora,” the man’s voice was serious.
Lily shot up, ready to have the decisive conversation. However, what the [Cardinal] said next threw her off.
“Your parents have been recalled from the front. They are home. You need to go immediately—they will explain the rest.”
She was tempted to bring up the subject she had been thinking about for the past few days, but she felt an ominous energy about the man and decided against it.
Are my parents well?
...
Adriana Claudia looked at the golden robes of her daughter, Aurora, and the wonderful tiara resting on her head. Not even she had ever possessed such regal robes in her family, as she was rather distant from the main branch. However, after all this time spent alongside Lucianus, her feelings toward her daughter had become softer. In fact, she felt happy to see her thrive in the Papal Estate.
Lucianus might have had his own plans, but Adriana genuinely didn’t mind for Aurora to marry the [Pope]’s son, especially after she had talked with the [Cardinal] about the plans he had for her.
Still, she felt a twinge of guilt. Her true loyalty was vacillating between Lucianus and her family. She loved the man, but blood was blood.
And now, she had been chosen to be the bearer of the terrible news.
When the unfortunate report had reached the [Cardinal], the wise man had immediately sent for both Lucianus Claudius and his wife, Adriana, to be recalled from the front. What had just happened required them not only to be present, but also for their daughter to be with them.
...
“Aurora, sweetheart,” Lily’s mother spoke, eliciting a small jump from her. The strikingly gorgeous woman had been staring at her for a few minutes in silence before talking. Since the last time she had seen her mother was when she was about to torture her into training more, her feelings for the woman weren’t at all positive.
“Yes?”
Lily was in her parents’ house, staring wide-eyed as her mother spoke, “Your friend, Elysium, Alexander and Ligea’s son, he passed, darling.”
“W—w—”
Adriana took a deep breath and nodded. [Cardinal] Atticus had ordered that no one spoke of what had happened and that the funeral be postponed with an excuse. On top of that, he had pushed for Lily’s mother to deliver the news.
“I don’t understand—” Lily tried to speak but couldn’t even finish her words.
“Elysium passed away in the sewer,” Adriana spoke slowly, trying to recall all the advice Lucianus had given her for handling this conversation; he wasn’t currently present in the house – he had gone to one of his meetings with the [Monks] in the countryside, saying it was extremely urgent. “His parents came back home a few days ago, but they couldn’t find the boy. [Cardinal] Atticus was alerted about this and… sent [Templars] to check the sewers.”
“B—but…”
“Sweetheart,” Adriana tried to smile at her daughter. “It’s… the funeral will be held tomorrow. The wake is tonight, and then, the Quiet is around midnight.”
“I—I need to see him,” Lily sputtered. “I need to see his body.”
“Darling,” Adriana wetted her lips before trying to think of a good reason, “it’s… not looking good. Several days have passed, and he was found in the water… You probably shouldn’t go.”
“I need to!” The girl started raising her voice, looking wildly around the house, the walls seemingly closing in on her.
“It’s—it’s my fault! He asked me to go, and I—and I…”
Lily started hyperventilating, getting hit square in the chest by a panic attack.
Reassure her, Adriana thought, remembering her husband’s words. “Darling, it’s really not your fault. That boy was foolish and looking for trouble. You were doing the right thing. You will be a magnificent[Healer], Aurora. This boy just got what foolish boys get. I’m just happy you are fine, my beautiful daughter.”
Adriana nodded to herself, thinking that she had just sealed the deal. She extended a hand to caress her daughter, who barely reacted to her touch. In her own view, she had managed to stay calm and collected and to make a more than reasonable argument. As Lucianus had advised, she didn’t lose her temper, scream at Lily, or bash her for the time she had been in the sewer with him. She was still terrified by the idea that her daughter could have been in the place of that stupid boy. Ligea and Alexander would surely not see them anymore—especially after this.
However, when she lowered her gaze and saw her daughter unresponsive, stunned into silence but trembling slightly, she closed onto her and gently hugged her to her chest.
Lily’s ears rang as her mother kept moving her mouth, even shaking her slightly as she simply remained catatonic.
“I need to go—” she muttered. “I need to go see Elysium. Did they kill whatever killed him?”
“What? I don’t know. Wasn’t it just rats?” Adriana frowned.
“No, it was… something else…”
That ominous presence…
The blonde didn’t listen to her mother; she merely stared at the woman as if she was a stranger.
“I need to see him,” Lily said slowly. “Yes, I’m going. Where is he?”
A keen annoyance started to take root within Adriana Claudia. Hadn’t she just explained? Were her words kept out of this child’s ears by some invisible shadows?
“Aurora.” She placed her face right in front of her daughter’s and raised her voice. “Stop acting like a child.” This was fine; she wasn’t shouting yet. “It’s unfortunate, but now, it’s time to think of the future. Given all the great things I’ve heard from [Cardinal] Atticus and what your father—well, who knows what your future holds for you? Whatever it is, it will be glorious. There’s no time for you to go crazy. You’ll stay home! A wake like that is no place for a girl like—”
“I’m going!” Lily suddenly shouted, pushing her mother away. “I need to see him!”
This little— “You little brat, I am your mother, and you will listen to me!”
Lily saw red when her mother said that. Before even realizing, her pre-pubescent mouth had already moved on its own. The most venomous word she could feel boiling in her guts came out like a volcanic eruption.
“YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER!”
Real mothers don’t torture their daughters!
She couldn’t voice the second part, too busy to think of anything else but which church Elysium’s body might be currently in.
Adriana, instead, recoiled from the shock, almost falling backward. She held her mouth as she looked at her daughter turning a deep shade of furious red.
The mother’s eyes started pooling with tears, all the reassuring words Lucianus had told her about the relationship with her daughter starting to fade away, replaced by the hate she had been showered with. Her golden hair fluttered as she shook in place, not knowing what to say next.
However, Lily had been possessed by a blind rage she had not experienced in a long time, and all rationality had left her body.
“I HATE YOU!”
Lily ran out of the house at breakneck speed, ignoring whatever her mother, the [Cardinal], or, hell, even the [Pope] would decide fit for her punishment.
She did not care.
She did not care one bit.
Only one thought occupied the entirety of her mind.
Elysium’s dead.
That thought and pure rage were the only things coursing through her.
Comments
BAAAB The Blood God
Thanks for chapter
Erebus
Thanks for the chapter.
