Kidnapped and Claimed(15)

“Lord Erodan wanted you to be fitted for the funeral procession. Hence this gown.” Neney nodded at the clothes she was carrying.

“Of course.”

“My lady…” Neney’s voice lowered into a whisper. “There will be a wedding for Lord Erodan and Lady Aine after the pyre.”

“Wedding?” I frowned. My brother was about to wed Duke Gavin’s youngest sister? He just met her when he delivered me to the duke. Had love sparked while I was on the run?

“Lord Erodan will resume Duke Gavin’s position after the wedding. Do you not find this strange?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your husband drops dead on the eve of your wedding night. You’re about to be sacrificed with him. And conveniently, your brother will wed the duke’s sister and take over the reign. People talk, my lady.” Neney’s eyes rounded.

Then it dawned on me. This whole wedding arrangement was nothing but Erodan’s machination. My brother was a very ambitious man. There were talks when our father took ill and died all of a sudden. Some said Erodan was behind it. He coveted power. I didn’t believe the rumor until now.

I felt foolish. He had deceived me and taken advantage of me. Was Duke Gavin’s death orchestrated by him? The healer said that Duke Gavin had a weak heart. He had died from natural causes.

My gaze strayed to the door a few feet away; the separate chamber where they lay Duke Gavin on his deathbed.

Neney took my hands and squeezed them. “I will say no more, my lady. There might be ears within these walls. My heart weeps for you. You’re too young to die. You don’t deserve this.”

I schooled a brave smile. “It’s my fate, Neney. Cry no more.”

She left me alone with the white gown; —the gown I must wear in the funeral procession. In the dark, I lamented my soon-to-be demise.

*

The door of the mourning chamber opened at early dawn. I saw the sunlight creeping between the cracks of the window. Four priests came in. One of them bowed.

“Your Ladyship, we have to ready you for the procession.”

So here it was; the day had finally arrived.

Some servants came and prepared my bath. After I was cleaned from yesterday’s grime and dust, they helped me dress and arranged my hair. The priests blessed me with myrrh and aromatic oils. Afterwards, I was given a fancy breakfast. I had no desire to eat. My thoughts wandered to Ronen and Callarn. Did they know I was missing? Did Ashanie tell everyone about me being snatched by a giant eagle? I felt foolish to have believed that I would be safe in Aesterneum. My brother’s treachery knew no bounds.

Well, at least, Erodan and his hunters didn’t hurt the good Khimerian people.

The notion made me feel slightly better.

The priests and their acolytes herded me onto the castle grounds when the mid-morning bell chimed from the tower. My brother and Duke Gavin’s family stood stoically as the priest instructed me to get into the coffin. I hesitated. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Erodan’s hand hover on the hilt of his sword. Somehow, I had a feeling he would cut me down if I refused to get in. I squashed away the hopelessness from my heart. No one would come to my aid. Might as well get this over with.

I climbed into the large coffin. It was designed to fit two people. They had already laid my dead husband in it. He had been embalmed and preserved with great care so I didn’t catch a whiff of death from his body. He looked as if he was taking a long slumber. Duke Gavin was buried in full armor regalia. He clutched his sword to his chest.

I lay down next to him. An acolyte gave me a bouquet of lilies. And then they closed the lid.

For a moment, I panicked. The dark was all-confining. And there was a corpse next to me. The air inside the coffin suddenly thinned. My chest constricted. I counted to ten to calm myself. In the process, I squashed the stems of the lily with my fingers.

The coffin was moved. To the pyre, I assumed. I could hear muffled chantings from outside the coffin. I could also hear something hit the coffin. No. Something was stacked on top of the coffin. Wood, I supposed. It took a long time for them to stack the wood. The chants got louder. Then, I felt it.

The funeral pyre.

The heat grew to an intolerable level. I squirmed and thrashed. My instincts took over and I pounded the lid begging for them to release me. I couldn’t breathe. The air inside the coffin burned away. I was choked by the nauseating stench of flesh charred in the fire. Scared out of my wits, I gasped and screamed until my throat was raw. Tears ran down my cheeks.

I sweated from head to toe. The fire started to scald my flesh. I became weak and lightheaded. There was no more fresh air to sustain me. Darkness crept into my consciousness. I drifted into the gates of death.