Crimson triquetra
Chapter 38

The young princess was panting heavily as she looked down on her blood-covered hands. The ringing in her ears suddenly grew smaller as the sound of Jadens voice and her sanity returned to her. "Aurora!" She had gotten off the desk but only now did her senses come back to her. She mustn't think about how this was something people were doing every day during the war. "Aurora!!" Jaden had gotten up and grabbed her, pulling at her dress, looking up at her, being scared of Her.

"yes" came out more like a breath, than an answer but she finally reacted.

"We need to hide!" Jaden pleads.

She mentally slaps herself out of it and nods at him. Andre had not moved from the spot on the floor, being too weak to do anything, but in the quick look he shared with his sister, she realized that the feeling of going mad when taking your first life, was something he'd also felt before.

Aurora turned away from Jaden and quickly pushed closed the door to the study. If anyone were to see a dead body from outside they'd come checking in here.

"Where's the secret passageway?" She asked hectically.

The boy nodded and ran to one of the bookshelves tearing books out of the two bottom rows until a hole in the wall, hidden behind the books becomes visible. The young boy grabs the wooden board which is now empty of books and singles it out of the shelf. It is a small entrance but a good hiding spot.

Aurora and Jaden then drag and carry the wounded older prince into it. Behind the entrance you could sit upright for the room of the passage turned more spacious. Aurora told Jaden to get in after Andre.

She started lifting the board back into the shelf, "What are you doing?"

Andre asked panting.

"I need to go save the King..." she spoke quietly.

"Are you mad?! No, get in here!" Andre coughs vigorously while trying to convince his sister to stay.

"Stop it." She puts her books back into the bottom shelves when Andres's hand stops her. She shakes it off.

"What if this was about Abby?" Aurora asked, knowing that bringing up her brother's wife would make it easier on her.

"But we're talking about him! If you even get to him Aurora! You could die. Also, this isn't your war!"

"I know that, but Alexander doesn't!" Andre didn't understand his sister but he remembered that no matter what he tried she'd always win if she set her mind on something.

He wanted to stop her, but he understood that she needed to try. Try to stop the doom of her bonded for he was everything for her as Abby was everything for Andre. Just the thought of Abby being in danger brought anger into his heart. He slipped his hand between the bookshelf to hold hers, slowly this time. Their eye-to-eye contact said more than words could ever at that moment and Andre nodded at her before slipping his hand away one last time before she started putting the books into the shelf almost completely.

"Jaden?" Aurora whispered as she finished with the last book, which fit perfectly into the shelf. "Yes?"

They couldn't see each other but they could hear. The books fitted the shelves perfectly leaving not one bit of space for anyone to look through. It was ingenious.

"I promise I'll try to save your brother, but can you promise me to take care of mine?"

"I promise," Jaden whispers, with determination in his voice.

With that Aurora grabbed the blood-stained sword, stepped over the body of the lifeless man, and slipped Into the hall.

As she ran through the halls with her heavy sword, she contemplated where she would find the young King. If he was still alive that was, but something in her made her feel like she would've known it if he'd died.

While she snuck around the castle halls she found several bodies. She didn't want to look at them but she had to be sure that one of them wasn't the King. She'd seen knights and servants of Albia, as well as the intruders of Raphael, scattered around the halls.

She thought of hell and how the sight before her probably resembled that of hell itself, or of one's worst nightmares.

That's when one body made her stop on her tracks. It was a small body lying lifeless on the ground, the normally tidy bun was scattered and the uniform crumpled and soaked in blood.

Aurora's eyes grew into tears as she hurried over and knelt, let go of the sword, and turned the body on its back. She didn't want it to be true but it was. Mrs. Mary's eyes were no longer sparkling with joy and her usually pinkish cheeks were white as chalk.

Although Aurora had felt betrayed by Mrs. Mary before she'd learned to love her too. She'd been kind to her when others weren't and she

always had a smile left for everyone, even for the King. Aurora sobs loudly clutching the dead woman in her arms, memories of their times together flooded her head.

"... meeting my husband has brought me nothing but prosperity, which is why I believe that I will one day be able to say Queen Aurora to you."

Her voice echoes in the princess's head as the tears fall on the face of the older woman. A woman like her didn't deserve to die the way she did. She was too good for this world.

Aurora stayed that way, holding her, mourning until her hurt diminished a bit and no tears were left to cry. It was not a moment too soon as voices could be heard coming from around a corner.

With anger and sorrow in her heart, she'd grabbed her sword, turned around, and ran towards the next corner, leaving the deceased woman on the ground behind her. She didn't care about her surroundings. She was mad.

How many more would have to suffer the consequences of this war? How much pain would it still cause? She then saw soldiers sword fighting the intruders in front of the King's chambers. She used this moment to run past them and slammed her side into the door as hard as she could stumbling into the King's chambers.

She catches herself before falling to the ground as the door swings open and four eyes turn to her.

Panting and in pain by her shoulder, she finally saw the young King. Both of them were plagued by anger and pain at that moment from their situation.

And as if they'd been the same person they both said "You!"

His voice was traced in rage and hers in relief and discontent.