<h4>Chapter 375: The queen’sst words.</h4>


    After the burial, the celebration of the queen’s life was all that was left on the itinerary. Unlike the ceremony of thete queen consort Rina which was attended by mboyantly dressed youngdies, this one was very much toned down.


    Almost everyone was dressed in ck and those that were not in ck had opted for other dull colors. There were less shiny jewels on their bodies. The smiles on their faces were tense, sad or forced.


    The music which was being yed was mellow and there was no dancing. Mourners were standing or sitting in groups, drinking, eating and gossiping or discussing the quick spreading rumor about the king having opened his eyes finally.


    Those that were not doing this were finding other ways to fill their time, like watching television. On every channel, the death of the queen was the subject. In every corner of the empire, her death was being mourned, people were being interviewed on their opinions or memories of thete queen.


    They were all giving random responses, nothing touching or personal. It was a miracle that nobody was talking about her cold bitter nature.


    "Has anybody seen the Crown Prince?" Someone asked.


    Rnd hadst been seen when the casket was lowered into the ground. He had not been able to sit through the entire funeral to the end.


    Currently, he was drinking in the sonar, holding a letter that had his mother’sst words. It had been delivered by one of herdies in waiting and it was a one year old letter.


    ording to what he was told, she wrote one every month, preparing for the day when her husband or Consort Rina would get rid of her.


    "So, what do you think she wrote?" Galen took a sip of wine from a veryrge mug.


    Rnd crushed another empty crystal ss of wine which he had just emptied. He squeezed it with his hands, and it cut him. He had already been cut three times and yet he continued on as if he felt no pain or was blind to the blood.


    Galen thought his brother had taken the term brooding to another level. He was angry, in and simple. "Do you suppose she wrote about how much she hated us or how much we ruined her life."


    Rnd twisted in his seat and looked out of the window. "It would not be very surprising if she did."


    "I know that it is not likely but I am going to throw this out anyway." Galen replied. "Maybe she repented and asked for our forgiveness. Perhaps she exins the reason behind her actions."


    Rnd poured himself more wine. There was no possibility in the world of that happening.


    Galen snatched the envelope out of Rnd’s hands. He had grown impatient and he just wanted it over and done with. This was thest step in closing the Chapter of his mother for him.


    He opened the envelope with carelessness, ripping the envelope and then he read the content. There were only two words inside.


    A soft burst of breathyughter came from his mouth and he shook his head. The sheer absurdity of the letter left him astounded. His chuckle said, "You’ve got to be kidding me."


    Rnd’s curiosity was aroused and he took the letter from Galen’s words.


    <strong>Avenge me. </strong>


    Two words, nothing more. There were no greetings, no exnations, no goodbye’s, no sincere words of hope for their futures. Just themand to be avenged.


    Rnd rolled it into a wrinkled ball and pointed a wand at it, setting the letter on fire. The world would have to freeze before he ever considered avenging Maurelia De-Kensington.


    The knot in his stomach untangled and the tension he had been feeling all day started to ease. Like a maning out of darkness and fog in winter, he finally saw some light and found fresh air in the warm sun.


    "Jesting, tell the kitchen to bring me some food. I think that I am finally ready to eat."


    ****


    Sigrid was sitting outside in the courtyard with other Thorin’s. Like other mourners, they were dressed in ck and eating or drinking. Like others, they were also discussing the death of the queen and what impacts it would have.


    She had not been paying attention to most of the conversation because she was exhausted. In thest two days, she had barely slept because Rnd barely slept. She had also been running around organizing the funeral, meeting the priest, taking care of the floral arrangements, taking care if empire politics and handling every media rted crisis.


    So, she was hoping to get some sleep tonight. But, would Rnd be able to sleep tonight?


    "Sigrid." Elowin shook her.


    She blinked and turned to her brother. "Mmm."


    "Mom is asking about your intentions to bring Emmah back from Medoris." He told her.


    Sigrid let out a small yawn. "I have had to push because of everything that is going on but the matters of the queen will be settled today. So I think I will do it tomorrow. ording to the information that I have received, she has taken up shelter with Dame Amelia and she is training under the female knights. Getting her back is going to involve some politics or a fight."


    "A fight." Iryne Thorin smiled as her blood sparked.


    "You will have to sit this one out mother, Amelia’s female knights are as strong or even stronger than many male knights. Amelia herself is said to be a mage. I suspect that she could be an arch mage." Sigrid shared. "They say her interest in Emmah is personal. As for why, they don’t know yet."


    "Sounds to me like her luck is still working." Her grandfather muttered.


    Sigrid shrugged. "Just because she lost the lucky artifact does not mean that she is without natural luck. But, I don’t think it was luck. All of Medoris knows that Dame Amelia’s doors are open to every woman that wants to be a knight. She feeds, shelters and protects them. If I were Emmah, that is were I would go as well for shelter."


    "So, what will you do if she protects Emmah?" John asked her.


    Sigrid shrugged. The answer was easy, she would kill the dame. But,tely she couldn’t help thinking of all the blood that she had on her hands. The count was going up with each day that passed.