Save & Destroy

Chapel Of Qidan Castle

The Chapel was old enough yet elegant with brightening stone walls, blazing new benches, quiet air tinctured with the scent of incense, candles and solidly Anglican smell of musty prayer books, metal polish and flowers.

Queen Salena took her steps through the luminously lit passage, the floor of encaustic tiles.

The door was right beside the Great Hall. Its white-painted shiny walls ran the whole west end of the Chapel. All the people from there bowed to the Queen.

Salena stopped in front of Macrov Wen, the father in cassock around his sixty. He had been in the Qidan Chapel for years. His life was fully devoted to God and Qidan.

"Father. I hope your health is well." Salena bowed.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Macrov responded politely and bowed back.

"I'm glad to hear that." Salena smiled faintly. But it vanished in seconds. "Father. I told you...about. Aveline. She..." Her voice trailed off.

"She let the rain touch her again." Father cut her words off. "It's the second time. The first time was in front of Eternal Lake when she was 10, playing with her friend. The rain started and you almost lost your daughter. If it keeps happening again and again, It will be really liable to her." He sighed.

Salena managed to summon another faint smile. "Father, you know how stubborn she is. She never listens to anyone."

Father nodded his head thoughtfully. "But she should understand that carefulness comes before safety."

Salena felt the anxiety crossing over her. She didn't know anything except that every day arrives with the impression of new threats to her daughter.

"Is there really no one who can protect her?" Salena asked as she curbed the fear inside her and clenched her hands into tight fists.

Father let the awkward silence filled the room for a while before he nodded his head and finally broke it. "There is... who can save her but destroy her as well. Maybe she has already met that person, or maybe not yet."