Embers and The Fiend

Chapter One

Screams of pain echoed from the midst of a locked bedchamber in the dead of night. Howls and gasps grew louder as if scratching to be released from the barricades seeking to flee from its confinement. No sounds were heard, just the tortured screams in the night. Candles were not lit within the halls, yet light flowed from the cracks of the bedchamber. Darkness attempted to caress the chamber in effort to swallow the screams, but the howls continued floating under the lit cracks under the door. Louder and louder within the room the screams came until within seconds there came silence.

Minutes seemed to pass until the door opened with an utmost strength to reveal a plump midwive with an expression of sadness, bowing to her employer she then began to speak. "Your Grace, the Duchess is now resting. I am sorry but the firstborn is a girl."

"Is the child healthy?" Varyl asked, his hands in his pockets as he stood unmoving, unbent.

"I'm afraid the child is very sickly and frail, it will not survive past a fortnight." The midwive commented, her head low and her voice hushed. With a grunt of dismissal, the midwive left. Closing the ivory painted mahogany doors, Varyl then stepped into the bedchamber towards the soft swan feathered bed he shared with his wife. He saw the sadness in her eyes as she held the baby in her arms, afraid that even the wind would take the child away.

"Do you wish for our daughter to live my love?" Varyl whispered. "Command me, tell me what you desire Hisako."

Black eyes stared at brown eyes. Yet no words were spoken.

"W-we must have a male heir, we can not have a daughter as firstborn." Hisako choked with sorrow. "We must allow her to die."

Ever so gently, Varyl captured Hisako's rose lips allowing his lips to melt with hers. Moments passed as he stayed there until their lips parted, as their newborn began to awaken. Eyes connected, the newborn was placed into his arms and Varyl quietly left just as the morning sun began to rise.

                                                              ---Twenty-two years later---

Sweet lavender incense danced in the air around the stone grave monuments. Twenty feet of thick white stone walls surrounded the vast grave site as rows of white magnolia trees protected and showered the wall. The branches slowly began to sway against the cool breeze mixing its delicate rich scent with the calming lavender incense.  The three grave monuments stood tall and magnificent, gleaming in the sunlight. A small bouquet of yellow Chrysanthemums and a plate of sliced oranges were placed in front of each grave. Opening her eyes from her finished prayer, Hisako turned towards her daughter.

Dressed in a black ankle-length silk robe similar to her own, her daughter sighed heavily as she stared at the graves. Her sorrow seemed heavier than her own, as if cloaked in sadness that her father and brothers were dead. Clasping her daughter's sun-kissed hand, Hisako reassured herself to stay vigilant. As they arose from the ground, they bowed lowly in respect and departed from the family grave, dark wooden doors closing behind them. Leaving the safety of the towering stone walls and passing under the stone entrance of their shrine, they were surrounded by the lush and wild oak and towering hollowed stemmed grass. The oak and hollowed grass towered over the magnolia trees, as if hiding the location of the gravesite from inquisitive eyes. Slowing walking on the stone path, the shrine seemed as to disappear becoming swallowed up in the oak, only the faint scent of the magnolia trees continued to linger.

At the end of the path awaited a cream and periwinkle colored carriage drawn by tall chestnut horses with feathered fetlocks and two coachmen uniformed in black. Picking up their skirts, Hisako and Jolena were escorted inside the carriage, where they were seated within the dark burgundy interior of the coach. When the door was locked shut and the carriage began to move, Hisako then softly spoke.