They found a large inn near the edge of the marketplace. The inn was fancier–such that royalty often came when they needed to take a holiday. Annlynn’s last good memory with her real parents was in the inn’s lobby, watching the musicians play and hearing a story about a chicken who would keep an eye on young children. Though such a thing was silly to her now, the memory gave her pain and made her smile at the same time.
To be back at the inn brought back memories she wished to forget, but she had more pressing matters right then. A deeper sadness filled her, coming from the conversation with the soldiers. Her step mother was dead, and it was because of her. As she followed the elves, she was distracted from their conversations, her own guilt drowning out their voices.
They rented two suites–one Asonya and Valaris shared, one Sylvani and Annlynn shared. Inside, there was a sofa with a large coffee table in the middle between the two separate rooms. But as they settled in, Asonya and Valaris joined them. Annlynn sat on the sofa as soon as she entered the room.
“My step mother is dead,” Annlynn said. She hugged her knees to her chest as best she could with her bound hands. Then, she ducked her head into her knees and sobbed. The weight of the realization stung far worse than she would’ve liked.
Sylvani sat next to her. “I’m sorry.”
“Aren’t you going to kill me, though?” Annlynn asked.
Sylvani pulled Annlynn close to her. The touch should have been comforting, but Annlynn was confused. Sylvani bent in her ear and whispered. “I am going to work something out on your behalf. Hang in there. We will get you through this.”
For a while, Sylvani held her gently but firmly. Annlynn felt the comfort as she sobbed into the woman’s chest. The world around Annlynn faded as she was swallowed by her own grief. Memories of her step mother came to her. The gentle voice in her life was gone. The person who had been there for her in her darkest moments had died. It was as though she had yet to truly grasp the loss. Like the first split second after being slapped, where the pain had yet to resonate.
She was the reason her step mother died. Because she couldn’t be a woman as her body had designed for her, she was the chosen one. And on account of harboring a dangerous criminal, her step mother was hanged.
It was as if someone had knocked the breath out of her lungs when she had learned that her step mother was gone. Right then, the somber effect of the loss loomed over her. The pain deepened over time as the realization continued to hit.
“I’m so sorry,” Sylvani said softly. “And I am sorry for the deal I made. Everything I do is to protect you, although it might not seem like it. But that’s no excuse for what I said, and I’m sorry.”
“You think I’ll at least be able to see her in the underworld?” Annlynn asked. Her own mortality was close, and it was as though she could feel death standing right in front of her. “Maybe I’ll be reunited with my step sister and step father, too. Maybe they’re all down there together, waiting for me.”
“No one knows what lies in the underworld. The goddess Cavrys keeps many secrets, making it hard to tell what her realm is truly like. Of all the gods, she’s the most mysterious one,” Asonya said. “But scholars say it’s like paradise. If you do die, I am sure that you will end up in a place where all of your misfortunes will be repaid to you.”
Asonya looked deeply upset by what she said. Her poise from earlier had vanished, left with a darkness which Annlynn had yet to see from her. She, too, sat down on the sofa, though she was on Annlynn’s other side. Between Sylvani and Asonya, the company served
Annlynn continued to sob. This time, it was her own mortality which loomed over her. The king would likely order her death regardless of what the elves said. That night was possibly her last night alive, and though she had company, a deep loneliness loomed inside her.
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