Chapter 52: Accusations & Faults
[Music recommendation; Wrecking Ball by Midnite String Quartet]
The morning weather had taken a severe turn overnight, portraying an eerie gloominess that matched the atmosphere within the Palace walls. The wind howled mournfully that morning, rattling the windows and sending a shudder down the spines of everyone, whilst the servants who were always bustling with energy, moved in silence. The sun, a mere ghostly orb, struggled to break free from the oppressive woe that hung in the air.
It was as if nature itself mourned the impending doom that loomed over the Kingdom of EmptyHollow.
The melancholy of the Palace eventually turned out to be a weight that none could bear to carry themselves. The death of the Queen Mother came as a terrible shock to everyone, and the cries in the Palace didn’t go unheard. Although the Chevalier family had personal strifes to settle amongst themselves, none could deny the fact that they had never loved their Grandmother wholeheartedly.
Lying on her bed with her face pale, and her blue eyes devoid of the spark that once held her spirit, Claire reached for her Grandmother’s bedside, clasping their hands together as more tears spilled from her eyes.
"Grandmother!" She said through tears, "what_ what happened to you Grandmother? You promised you’d be here to see the kingdom grow, you promised you’d be here to share in our joy and watch me get married. You....you had so many plans made for me so.... So how can you leave me just like that? Grandmother, I’m talking to you!"
No matter how much Claire cried or shouted, the lifeless look on her Grandmother’s face was a reality she was forced to fathom with. Agathe, who covered her mouth with her palm to suppress her cries, moved forward to comfort Claire who remained in the arms of her Grandmother.
Tobias and Alistair stood back, their gazes hard as stone as they stared at the dead body of their beloved Grandmother, unable to do a thing about it. They had checked her body for any sign of physical injury, but there was none - not even a single scratch except for the red marks on her neck, which came as a result from the hanging.
"This is bullshit." Alistair cursed through his teeth as he turned away from the sight, he refused to accept the image that presented itself before him when he stepped into the room. "Father." He glanced at his Father whose expression remained solemn as he closed the blue eyes of his deceased Mother.