May Death Do Us Part

308 Chapter 308 : Life can be cruel

Zhelimir turned to Maxim, his throat running dry as he uttered his name. “Maxim?.. You? You were plotting to kill Eira all this time?”

Maxim glanced at all the pained and disappointed faces that were staring at him, and he felt his heart sink, a veil of shame enveloped him as he bowed his head in anguish. This was not how things were supposed to turn out, he had never intended for any of this to happen.

“I admit it,” the green eyed elven man mumbled in a trembling sorrowful voice. “I was sent here to wreak havoc on the royal family. That had been my mission from the start.”

“You bastard!” Damien roared, “I knew there was something off about you! I should have trusted my gut!”

“I was not going to go through with it!” Maxim yelled. “After I got to know the princess, I realized I couldn’t bring myself to harm her or anyone that she loves! Before Jacob stole the potion, I had already told lady Ronda that I would not be part of her plot for vengeance, I was merely waiting for the right moment to dispose of the potion, but it was taken from me before I got the chance.”

Maxim looked to Eira’s lifeless body before leaning forward and placing his forehead on the ground. “I admit this is my fault, and I will accept any punishment for harming Eira, I would even accept death if that will take away the guilt I feel now. But you should know, I cared deeply for Eira, so much so that I was willing to face whatever wrath lady Ronda would bestow upon me after forsaking her mission.”

Melissa pinched her eyebrows together, “lady Ronda?” She mumbled before looking up at her husband.

“It can’t be the same Ronda can it?” Gareth mumbled to his wife.

Melissa pried herself from her husband’s arms and shifted her angry glare between her husband and her mother in law. “I told you to get rid of that crazy woman! I told you! Now look at what she has done!”

.....

“Mel, please calm down...” Gareth reached for his wife but she whipped her hand and pushed him away with whip of shadows.

“Calm down?! Gareth my daughter is dead because you chose to show mercy to that vile woman! This is as much your fault as it is Jacob’s or Maxim’s!”

“Melissa this is no time to start throwing around blame,” Tauriel spoke out. “We are all deeply affected by what’s happening, pull yourself together child.”

“You’re the one to talk! Everywhere you go tribulations follow! Look what your daughter and grandson had to go through!” The shadows around Melissa were going into a frenzy as her temper soared. “All of you! All of you wanted my baby dead!”

Gareth gave Renly a nod before he got up and took careful steps towards his weeping wife. Grief had engulfed her, and now hysteria was taking over. Her powres were responding to her pain, and they were getting dangerous.

“Mel, my wife, please calm down... I loved our daughter as much as you did, I would never want any harm to befall her.”

“Stay away from me!” Another wave of shadows flew Gareth’s way, but he was able to block them with light magic.

Gareth could feel his wife’s sadness, and it was consuming her quickly. If he didn’t get her under control quickly, a lot of people would wind up hurt, or possibly dead.

“Do it...” Gareth mumbled.

And before Melissa could know what was going on, Renly injected something in the back of her neck, making her hiss in pain and sway to the side.

Gareth reached for her and scooped her up in his arms, securing her tightly as she lost consciousness. Too much was happening all at once, even he couldn’t handle so much emotional stress, he needed to put his wife to bed, recuperate, and then tend to the death of his daughter. He turned to his guards and ordered part of them to arrest Maxim and Jacob, while he ordered the rest to tend to Elric.

“Throw those two traitors in the dungeon until I decide what punishment befits their crimes,” he commanded. “And as for my daughter and her mate, give them whatever support is required until I return.” Gareth then turned to Zhelimir who was weeping at the loss of his cousin, “stay with them.”

“Yes your majesty!”

“Gareth!” Ivan stood in front of the king and gave him a pleading look. “Please your majesty, that is my son, have pity.”

“You should have pity on me Ivan,” Gareth responded as tears flowed down his face. “You still have your child, I don’t.”

Ivan was left speechless, he stepped aside and watched helplessly as the king walked away, his unconscious wife in hand. The look of loss and pain in Gareth’s eyes, it made Ivan feel like his was but a child’s tantrum.

“Father! Father don’t let them take me! You know I would never want to harm Eira! Please father! Please!”

Ivan looked away as the guards dragged Jacob away. He loved his son, but Jacob had to learn that every action had consequences.

The crowd in the field dwindled as the guards escorted them out, until only a few people were left, quietly sobbing and grieving over Eira’s death.

Unable to move, Elric still held on to Eira, even if his arms were now going numb from the cold and the weight of her now lifeless body, he still held her tight. He could not move, his mind, his soul, every fiber of his being, refused to let her go. Not just yet.

Zhelimir walked to the silver haired prince and knelt beside him, his eyes unable to look down at the princess’ once radiant and beautiful face.

“Elric, we must take her to the chapel now.”

The lycan did not respond for a long momemt. He had his face buried in her hair, and his arms wrapped around her so tightly.

Zhelimir did not push him, she was his mate after all, he could only imagine what he was going through in that moment. Zhelimir quietly asked the gaurds and all the others who were standing by to give them some privacy, and they obliged.

After about twenty minutes, Elric finally rose his head. His eyes were still misty and he still held on to Eira tightly.

“She’s getting cold,” he mumbled as he covered her with his coat. “We should go inside or she might get sick.”

Zhelimir felt like bursting into tears a second time at the lycan’s words. He wiped his eyes before nodding at Elric, and giving him a pained smile. “I know where we can take her that’s very warm. Come with me.”

Zhelimir was crippled with sorry every time he looked back at the lycan prince as they walked to the chapel morgue. The poor man had taken off his own coat and wrapped it around Eira, and once in a while, Zhelimir would hear him whisper things to Eira as if she were still alive.

Life could be truly cruel, and it seemed it’s cruelty had sent Elric over the edge.