My Last Violet

᯽⊱❈═ E T H E L ═❈⊰᯽

Footsteps could be heard by the tinkling of the armor, the heavy breaths, the drops that fell in that space.

It was high, even falling from a feather there would be.

"Why am I here?... " Ethel began to wonder when tightening her long platinum hair "it wasn't me... would not even be..." he continued to murmur as he held the waters that wanted to fall from his eyes.

She tried to review all the things that made her reach that moment, from her childhood to her marriage, her sale.

"I can't love you, I'll never be able to love you," the platinum clearly remembered, remembered the intonation, the wide sapphire eyes, the way that man's body had moved to throw that in her face.

The same man who said he fell in love at first sight, the same man who had bright eyes and a gentle smile and a sweet voice; now he said he would not love her.

Was she some kind of joke to him? Was there anything she had done wrong? Had that passion dissipated as its ashes would be in the wind? Was that it?...

"No, it was all just a theater for him..." tried to convince himself by closing his fists "staging, pure cheap staging!" continued, and so clenched his teeth with considerable force.

However, she soon found herself in that place, the place that held her with bars and handcuffs, the one who treated her like a wild animal that did not deserve to have human interaction, see the sunlight.

But it wasn't like I already had something better, not after your parents died when I was only seven years old in that unfortunate accident; maybe that was it, didn't deserve to be treated well, didn't deserve something like happiness and the cosmos or whatever existed above it, I wanted to make that clear.

She was treated like nothing disposable by her grandmother, just when she was alone, being soon thrown in a place to be trained, to be able to rebuild that duchy that could no longer stand on her own.

It's a bargaining chip.

Yeah, a bargaining chip, that was his job.

And when it finally proved its worth as such, there it was, that Archduke who possessed a grayish blonde, light clothes with only a dark blue as his eyes giving color to that set, like a fairy tale prince charming.

Lying.

Like any children's tale, that was a lie.

Not after you proposed to your supposed husband, not when he showed you how cold he could be, just because she said she loved him.

Without rest, on both sides, she could not obtain such a thing, such a privilege; in her old house she was reminded every time how useless it was, how she could not do something easy and obvious how to be seen as the archduchess, but how could she? When not even her husband saw her like this, when not even he recognized her as such and always brought a more beautiful and slender face into his home... How was it so obvious? How was it so easy? How did everyone get it? Why did everyone get it and not her? Was it really...as incompetent as your matriarch was keen to make clear?...

Probably, that was the case, after hearing so much the same thing, his head could not think of another justification for the distance that occurred in their marriage to be so wide.

So she tried harder, tidied up more, helped in all matters she could, attended all meetings in which she was allowed and even turned a blind eye to all the lovers who were brought.

However, of course it did not help, that is not how things work..., of course that is not how they work.

"I'm hungry..." once dared to tell her matriarch when she returned to her former residence, searching for a north "My stomach hurts..." continued with a certain whining, which earned her a slap on her face, one that made her go to the ground.

"Hungry? Do you think you're allowed to starve? When you don't even get in that dress?"

His grandmother said with some anger, anger that made vessels visible on his already wrinkled face.

And meanwhile, Ethel felt something strong in her stomach, a blow that tore tears from her eyes, but at that moment she did not know if it was the pain, humiliation or just the fatigue that was abundant to her for some time.

"You can't even conceive an heir! A BLOODY HEIR!"

Her grandmother began to scream, and she felt more and more blows being thrown at her body.

Everything was only reinforced at that time, how hard to love it was, how incompetent as a woman it was how...sinful it was.

Yeah, he didn't really deserve love.

He couldn't have earned it.

But even so, he kept trying, trying and trying until it seemed that his efforts were bearing fruit.

He began to smile more toward her, to dine with her, to talk to her, to be mildly kind to her again.

"Did he... start loving me?" He cannot help but think, to have even the slightest hope in his breast, a brief, tiny spark of happiness cannot be prevented from rising up in his being.

Until you had your son.

Son that was torn from his arms when he was born, son who did not have time to cry and be placed in his chest..., son who was replaced by a cold and contemptuous sapphire look.

That's it, now you got what you wanted.

She was no longer useful.

He had given an heir.

That's where it ended.

Hung up.

He no longer had his senses, he no longer wanted to live, he no longer had glitter in his purple eyes like amethysts.

Now he was walking, walking like a walking corpse, walking like a dying man waiting for the sweet waltz he would have with death, with the gentle touch she would give him when Ethel was in his arms.

But no, I couldn't die so easily, could I?

No, of course not.

He had a moment when he had just woken up, awake next to a dead body and strangled next to a deep cut in the marked throat.

What do you mean? She didn't do that, did she? There's no way, there's no way...

But it was too late, they picked her up and soon brought her to the cell that was now, a cell that was moldy and clearly carried the heavy air of all the cries and screams that those walls had to witness.

However, perhaps this would be the first time they would be able to see such a level of despair.

The one about suicide.

"Can I at least..., decide how..." arched her lips weakly by taking a dagger that was hidden in her leg, one that had been a gift from her father before leaving her "father, mother...I will meet you again..." she said, and shortly after, that silver blade made his stomach his sheath, one that was crimson and gushed like a river.

And a silver glow in the distance, was the last thing he saw

•♱•♱• •♱•♱•

᯽⊱❈═ E T H E L ═❈⊰᯽

A humming, that's what I could hear in the background almost distant, one that belonged to a sweet and cozy voice, one that was nostalgic to him.

The voice of your mother.

"Um..." the platinum end up grunting as she scratches her eyes "mom..., what are you doing here?" He couldn't help but ask, but then he noticed; his hands were now small again, and his voice thin as when he was a child.

Child? A... child?

"What do you mean what am I doing here, silly?" His mother did not avoid laughing when answering, thus bringing one of his hands to his mouth "I came to stay with my little daughter, what else would I be doing here?" soon further messed up the hairs that were now short of Ethel.

Now his purple eyes were confused, he was lost, he was wondering a thousand and one things inside his now small, pale head.

Had she died? And if not, why did she come back? How did she come back? Who made her come back? With what method did she come back? Would that have any side effects? What effect would it have if it had one? It was the doubts running through their thoughts frantically.

"Hello..., do you hear me?" his mother poked his forehead with one of his fingers "or better..., do you want to sleep again? She doesn't seem completely rested..." the tone came out worried and the look accompanied him in an almost orchestrated way.

"I'm fine..." the little platinum girl soon replied "but..., Mom...how old am I?" soon raised the large eyes of amethyst, thus turning the delicate face to the side lightly, with doubt.

"Have you forgotten, dear? You're five years old, look."

She raised all the fingers of one hand and counted them with that gentle smile, the one she missed so much, the one who has made her cry several times on sleepless nights.

"Five... thank you, Mama."

Just like that, the little platinum rose up and went towards the door.

I wanted to know, I wanted to look.

"Honey, where are you going? We didn't even finish the book!"

"I need answers, calm down!"

"Does she need...answers?..." her mother thought, and with that ended up giving a slight laugh when she noticed what she had just heard.

What would a child of that size want to know? If he had sweets that afternoon? If his favorite dress had just been washed? Well, she didn't need to know, and she was happy that her daughter had so much energy and enthusiasm.

"Miss, you shouldn't co-..."

One of the servants stopped her, but she soon looked at him with that determined face, which did not allow the butler to finish his speech.

"What day is it?"

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

"What day is it today?"

The butler had confusion in his clear eyes, but even so, gave a slight smile to the child in front of him, thus leaning towards him.

"Today is the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, miss."

"Oh..., so the autumn festival is near?"

"Yes, miss. Do you like this festival?"

She could not say that she hated it, but she could not say that she loved him completely, since it was a little after that festival that her parents died, when she was only seven years old.

That was two years away.

"I think so...thank you."

The child gave a smile and soon left then wanted something, something that gave a direction to her, why something like this had happened, who had planned such a thing.

No one ever told her how they were killed.

"Maybe..., uh, letters?"

His mind went to something simple. Threats could be sent in letters, usually executions had some notice, or at least... in some cases.

This led her to her father's office, it was the most likely place to have something like this, and also the place and person most likely to have something like this delivered, but she would have to count on the chance of him being away on business.

"Dad...?"

He knocked a few times and had no answer, not even a simple grumble.

Maybe... now luck was smiling at her?

"Some kind of envelope...?"

He snooped around those on the open table, but it was useless. Much of it was about negotiations, matters of territory, invitations from uninteresting nobles..., how your father had the patience to read all that?

"Maybe..., in the drawers?" appeared simply in his mouth.

Which made her open a few drawers and look to see if she still had any close-up or just suspiciously hidden mail.

Nada.

"Do you even have a suspect? Anything at the time?" kept trying to look in his memory box.

However, nothing and no one stood out, besides his parents were more in the discreet category of nobles, without rumors, without misinterpretations, without intrigues.

However, there was that festival, the one that was close to the death of his parents.

"I should go..., but I never liked to go..."

A long sigh came out of her lungs as she withdrew from that room, she was exhausted just remembering those rehearsed smiles, rules, fancy decorations.

Expendable.

Trivial.

"No, that might have some impact" tried to remember, it would be worth it, it was their life.

You should get used to it.

"Miss? What were you doing in there?"

The butler found her again, but the answer came as quickly as a neck-cut on the guillotine.

"Dad is not here..."

"Oh..., I'm sorry, miss, he left for work early."

He shook his head in negative and staged a sad expression of disappointment.

And the butler believed, as did a spectator immersed in a play.

"He..., he'll be back soon, okay? He can never stay that long away from you, miss."

"Ethel."

"How?"

"Ethel, not miss" ended up saying with a certain sulking air and a beak on her delicate face.

He remembered that butler, he'd made a scene when his parents were killed.

He carried anger as he screamed at his grandmother when he threw all that, all the events in her face and then when those clear eyes met her purple.

Melancholy.

"But, miss, I..."

"Ethel, E-THE-EL, E-T-H-E-L, ETHEEEEEEEL!"

The butler briefly tried to contain his laugh, but soon failed miserably, thus crouching to stay at the girl's height.

"Right, Miss Ethel" the purple-eyed smiled in response, and the light-eyed did the same, then "call me when you need, now I need to get back to work" got up and went towards the kitchen, and the child just nodded with a wide arch, one that would reach your eyes.

"I hope he doesn't leave this time..." did not avoid thinking with some distress.

But he wouldn't, because the main event that caused him to leave would not exist.

She would avoid him.

"Think, think..." began to try to use a little of his reasoning, but was soon interrupted by a smell, a sweet and caramelized.

Doce.

That's what I needed.

"I want it!"

He entered the kitchen and everyone was amazed at how abrupt the platinum had entered.

Had she really done that? Was she that hungry?

"Miss..., you can't go in the kitchen like that..."

One of the cooks ended up saying quietly, so trying to be careful with her words.

But she was longing, longing to eat something delicious and full of sugar.

"I need... sweet..."

She spoke in a sly way and the cook who ended up feeling sorry, ended up giving her a piece of what she was doing.

"This stays between us, okay? You can't have candy before food, young lady."

He shook his head in positive while savoring, which made the cook smile with satisfaction, thinking that maybe..., once did not do so bad.

•♱•♱• •♱•♱•

᯽⊱❈═ A U D R A ═❈⊰᯽

Eyes as dark as the night that now surrounded him, black hair and a pale skin that was the complete opposite of what normally belonged to him.

A disguise.

A crude one.

Well, but it wasn't as if the dragon needed more, not as if anyone would notice it was him, not with that little intellect that all those guards seemed to possess.

"Did you hear? They said she went crazy and killed the archduke's favorite mistress" one of the guards approached the one next to him "the cause was strangulation, and then a deep cut to the throat..." the man's gaze dropped, as if they were now feeling sorry for the poor soul they had never even met.

"Yes, everyone was talking about how the body was found, it was something horrible to see" the other added "she really must have succumbed to madness as they said, but it's not surprising" he leaned forward a little more, thus putting his hand in front of his mouth, like a true gossip woman of high society "it was common knowledge that she didn't groom herself, and always looked downcast" she continued with those poisonous words.

'Maybe he should become a gossip writer, not remain a guard' Audra thought as he heard that, all those meaningless words that were just thrown around for not knowing anything, not even wanting to know anything.

He wanted to kill them.

No, he couldn't.

He was trying to be discreet, he was trying to keep his identity hidden and his presence too in that dump they called a mansion.

But nobody there was cooperating.

"Crazy women get what they deserve."

A female voice not far away said with disdain.

"You're right, I couldn't stand to see her walking around with that self-pitying air anymore."

Another one continued, this one covering her own face with her fan, which was decorated in very bad taste, with those frills fluttering on the end of it.

'All you do is judge her? She didn't even want to...' he didn't complete his thought, he knew she didn't, he knew that none of them cared and just wanted a subject for the next useless tea party they were so fond of throwing, along with those fake smiles and words that managed to be even more so.

And that chatter continued, the more he entered that place, the more gossip and insults could be heard.

No, he should.

It couldn't.

No...

Fuck it.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" He ended up shouting when he had already entered that place "STOP RESUMING IT TO SOMETHING SO FUCKING!" He continued, thus abandoning his entire plan and any logic and reason he once had in his being "I don't care if you don't, but don't tarnish her memory!" He finished, immediately running after his angry outburst.

He had to find her, I had to get her out of there.

"DON'T LET HIM ESCAPE!" It could be heard in the distance, probably the voice of some guard "CLOSE THE EXITS!" The same voice spoke soon after.

Damn.

Why so reckless?

He had no time for that, not a millisecond to wonder why he had been so impulsive and foolish; he had to act quickly.

He was running, and yet he could hear from all sides the sound of heavy metal, of swords clattering carelessly.

Where is this cell?

Where is this thing?

But when he arrived, there were those eyes, those polished sapphire eyes that he hated so much, that he disliked so much.

Kyree.

The useless man who had the title of Archduke.

"Oh? What do I owe your illustrious presence?" Audra said debauchedly, even though she saw that she was surrounded "have you come to show some slight consideration for your wife?" he asked, already knowing the answer, with a malicious arch of his lips.

"What have I got to do with a crazy woman? You invaded my house!" he spoke with a certain anger in his tone, pointing his sword in the dragon's direction "you deserve death, for such disrespect!" he gripped the hilt of the sword with considerable force.

Bullshit.

"Then why did you come in person? If it was just an invasion, as you are saying." he kept a provocative eye contact with the archduke while fingering the rapier at his waist "why come here in person? Don't you trust your soldiers? Or...did you have to make sure that something valuable would not be taken from you?" Audra's tone became velvety, a velvety full of traps.

The deep blue eyes carried confusion and a certain surprise in their widening.

Did that stranger know?

No, he couldn't have.

"STOP TALKING NONSENSE!" he shouted as he came a little closer, still with his sword pointed at Audra. "Just get out!" he could see that pale face, painted by several freckles, turn as red as the dragon's true hair color.

Liar.

A horrible liar.

"Of course, of course... but if you're just bothered by my unwanted visit... you could let me take her, don't you think?" he turned his face slightly to the side, as if expecting an answer.

'Don't you dare!' was stamped on Kyree's face, but what could he do at that point?

Even if he didn't want to admit it, he had already seen Audra's threatening aura.

He already knew he would be killed.

"Do as you like..." the sword was brought to the ground, next to his gaze "just take that dying woman away, do what you want!" he added as he turned his back.

Coward.

And this is how you will treat her?

And this is how you will return the years that you have fucked with her life?

It didn't matter, the cell had been opened, he would get what he wanted, he would give her the second chance she deserved.

"I can at least... decide how..." saw that small and weak body say, along with a weak smile on his face as he lifted that dagger "father, mother...I will find you again..." he muttered a few seconds before shoving that shiny tip into his stomach.

He was too late.

He couldn't prevent her death.

Idiot.

Idiot.

Idiot.

Idiot.

Idiot.

Idiot.

Not even her disguise could keep up when she witnessed this, her silver eyes stared at her, staring along with the tears that were kept from falling.

"It can't end like this, it shouldn't end like this..."

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