Chapter 10: Aftermath

The Paladins arrived a moment later amidst despondent faces. Some looked at them with disdain.

Where were they in their darkest moments?

It was irrational. Everyone knew that there was a threat within the city that required their attention, but people were rarely rational, especially when it came to their lives.

People were huddled together, holding conversations with each other for what little comfort that could be gathered. Older children played with the younger ones to distract them from the wounded and the dead.

Approximate total casualties: 900 dead, 2,500 injured, 1,400 missing.

Arulia felt despondent seeing the wounded and the covered corpses of the fallen. It was her fault after all. However, it could have been worse. She expected the entire city to be killed. She expected the Siren Queen to come in person, but she never did.

Instead, the woman that she saw was actually Ryder. Now that she thought about it, his long hair and lean body did make him look quite feminine in figure. She did not even know what the Siren Queen looked like. If she did, she would have probably become a Rotten thrall. At least that was what she got from Ryder’s expression when he stopped her from describing the woman she saw.

Arulia felt something bump against her. She looked down to see a little girl on the ground. Behind her was an older teenage boy whose eyes widened in fear when he saw Arulia.

“I-I am so sorry, Your Highness! My sister did not mean to bump into you!”

He quickly lifted his sister to her feet and forced her to bow and apologize.

Arulia smiled and knelt down. She lifted the girl’s sullen eyes towards her face.

“It is alright. Nothing pleases me more than to see that the smiles of children had not faded.”

The girl still looked solemn.

“Your Highness, will my daddy be okay?”

The little girl looked at one of the covered corpses. Arulia pursed her lips.

Pushing back the tears in her eyes, she replied, “Yes, he is with Spiritfather now.”

The girl clenched her tiny fists.

“People say that, but I want daddy to be with me, not Spiritfather! You’re a princess, right? Can you order him to come back?”

Tears began to roll down the girl’s cheeks. Arulia’s fingers tapped her chest and then on the ruby necklace she got from that shopkeeper. She bit her lower lip.

“Your Highness, I apologize for my sister’s rudeness.”

Arulia shook her head and unhooked her ruby necklace and hooked it around the little girl’s neck.

“Your Highness, we would not dare-!”

“It is fine. If there is anything I have in abundance, it would be jewelry.”

Arulia gave a solemn smile.

“Forgive me for I could not bring your father back. All I could give you is something to hold on to.”

Arulia took the girl’s hand and placed it on the ruby necklace and her chest. Arulia could hear the soft fragile heartbeat.

“If you ever feel scared or alone, think of this ruby necklace as the person you miss the most. Talk to them, laugh with them, cry with them. I will not say that the hole left by them will ever be filled, but you will meet so many others that the hole would not feel as big anymore. Until then, let this necklace fill that hole.”

The girl looked down at the ruby necklace.

“But how about you? Won’t you be alone?”

Arulia’s eyes drifted towards her ring, the twilight blue gemstone staring back at her. She smiled and shook her head.

“I already have someone when that time comes.”

“Your Highness,” a low voice called out to her.

Arulia ushered the children out of the tent and turned towards the silver-armored knight behind her, his shoulder guard bearing her family insignia: the phoenix. He took off his helmet, revealing a stark black-haired man in his late thirties.

The knight gently and swiftly checked Arulia’s bandaged arm.

“What happened? Are you hurt? Where did you get hurt? Who hurt you? Damn it, I should have not allowed you to go here. Your father will kill me.”

“I am fine, Uncle. I just overloaded my mana vessels. And my father would not engage in fratricide for something that could not be foreseen. Who knew that Breen would be attacked from multiple fronts? You did well in killing off the abomination in the city.”

Arulia did, but she would keep that quiet for now. After all, no one knew that her element could be used for foresight.

“Still…”

“I won’t have you blaming yourself for things that you could not control, Uncle. Let’s end that here.”

“Right. Forgive me, Your Highness.”

Arulia sighed as she looked at her ring.

‘Ryder of Fate… I wonder where he is...’

“Pardon me, Uncle, but have you seen the masked Paladin around? I heard that he helped in subjugating the Loong. I wanted to congratulate him.”

“I recommend you don’t, Your Highness. As your attendant and uncle, that is the one person I could not allow you to see.”

“Were his injuries bad?”

“It is not that. I doubt that you knew of this Paladin since you were still a child when the war happened, but he is a war criminal.”

“You imprisoned him?”

“He is a threat.”

“He saved us.”

“That did not absolve him of his crimes. He was still an enemy Paladin, a very powerful one at that.”

“Former enemy, Uncle. The Republic had fallen a year ago and the Twilight Squadron fell with it. He is practically a wanderer.”

“That is where you are wrong, Arulia.”

Arulia’s body jolted. Her uncle rarely called her by name.

“Ryder of Fate had never pledged allegiance to the Republic nor to the Twilight Squadron. There was only one person he had ever pledged allegiance to and never let go of even after she died.”

Arulia gritted her teeth. The source of the war between the Empire and the Republic and the Empire’s greatest sin: Princess Edelweiss.