Emeral In Shadow

The Magician and the Bunny [#7]

Marcellus smiled just slightly, and nodded slow. The congregation smiled slyly back, like snakes.
"Victory!" a few said, "Power!" a few said,
"Death to the royals!" They all said in quiet exclamation.

"You're all so short-sighted! If I wanted all the royals dead I'd have killed them long ago." Marcellus said, with a hint of annoyance. The congressman lowered their heads like dogs who got caught stealing from off the dinner table.
Marcellus walked up to a scale on the main podium, "I simply wish to guide them in the right direction." He put a finger on the left side of the scale, and gently tipped it down.

"And soon we will give them their first 'nudge' in that direction. Now, let us plan." Marcellus said, walking up the steps and putting his hand onto the knob of the door I to their lounge room, "I want Ewald in here first thing after sunrise." Marcellus stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him.

-One days earlier-
Ewald paced nervously back and forth across the Medic's room. The Girl was still asleep; as she had been since losing consciousness before arrival.
"She'll be fine. She just needs rest." The Medic told him.
It didn't help.
However, eventually she stirred.
She brang her hands up to her eyes, rubbing them, then sitting up and scooting back against the headboard of the Medic bed.

Madelief opened her eyes slowly, wincing at the fading sunlight filtering through the window into the room. Ewald couldn't help but stare into her deep brown irises, like
a pair of ripe and fair almonds.

Madelief focused in on him, a smile flashing on her face as she made eye contact, but then becoming a light frown after breaking it.
Lightly narrowing her brow, she gave Ewald a quick look-over; Regal and stone-cut edges, greasy blonde hair, fair skin that hadn't seen a day of manual labor besides picking meat of bones. She had never seen a royal before, but she was sure this was one.
She had thought it was Marijn, seeing his eyes. They were practically identical, at least color wise.

"Who... Where...?" Madelief found her throat was dryer than a summer wind.

Ewald smiled, a sliver of porcelain white teeth showing, "I'm Ewald Emeral, pleased to make your acquaintance." He gave a small regal bow, gesturing out with his arm and hand, then straightening back out.
"And you, my fair maiden, are?" He asked.

Madelief began to feel an instant disliking towards him.
"Madelief. Where are we?" She asked,
"A lovely name." Ewald commented briefly, "We're in a Medic house. Your farm was raised by barbarians," Madelief made a quiet choking noise, remembering the event. She hated how he made it sound like some small issue, Ewald continued.
"I noticed the smoke and came with my knights to rescue you, and I drove out the ruffians." Ewald said, and though he tried to veil the pride in his voice, it still pierced through.
Madelief nodded slightly, then looked up at the roof in contemplation.
She wasn't ready to ask this question, but she knew she had to;
"My parents. Are they okay?" She asked dryly.
Ewald tightened his lips, he didn't want to be the one to tell her, "No word yet, I have to wait for my men to return-" He was interrupted by a man knocking on the room's door.
The door opened, and a knight walked in. He had already shed his platemail from the waist up and wore a leather tunic and cap.
"We put the fires out, and searched what was left of the farm." The man said.
Madelief looked hopefully at the knight, hoping for good news.
"We identified two adult bodies, one man, one woman. They were wearing modest apparel, so we assume they were the farmhands."
Madelief felt bile rise in her throat, her heart felt like it had been savagely ripped out. Her parents, gone. She curled up sideways on the bed, the pain of all her cuts numbed by the pain of death. She felt tears well in her eyes, and she tried desperately not to sob and wail out loud, breathing in ragged heaves.

Ewald shot a dirty look at the knight, which the knight took as a 'get out of my sight before I send you to the gallows' look, and quickly shuffled out of the room.
He sat on the end of bed, "I apologize for the sudden news.".
Madelief wanted to scream, to wail out the pain. She had to hold her breath to keep it from coming out.
"I'll ask them to give your parents a proper burial-" Ewald started, but then Madelief took a sharp and heavy breath.
She couldn't hold her breath any longer, on account of being out of air, and because the pressure on her heart was too heavy.
She buried her head into her hands, "It doesn't matter! They're dead anyway!" She yelled, breaking into a loud sob, "No grave or flowers will fix that!"