These Wounds Won’t Heal

Morrigan paced with an air of nervous excitement as she awaited the arrival of her husband. He should be returning with their daughter any day now. She could not wait to hold her girl in her arms once more, to reassure herself that her daughter was alive and well.

She had been waiting for days now with no word from her husband and with each passing day, her patience grew thinner. What could possibly be taking him so long? Perhaps something had gone wrong. Morrigan dared not think too negatively, refusing to even think of the possibility that her daughter was dead.

The doors to her study opened and her personal servant Lidiya entered the room. "My Queen, His Majesty's carriage is approaching." The red haired woman told her and Morrigan's heart accelerated, rushing from the drawing room and down the halls. Despite her health, she made it to the gates in record time, panting slightly. It was a slightly unbecoming sight, her standing there, frazzled and disheveled, but she cared not. Her daughter was finally here, her little girl.

She waited impatiently for the carriage to finally come to a stop, almost bouncing as she waited. The doors to the carriage swung open and her husband stepped out, bloodied and with a face set in stone. Morrigan's smile dropped from her face, looking behind him inside the carriage, awaiting her daughter to step out from behind him. Only she didn't.

"Ja'ule?" Morrigan questioned stepping closer to him. "Ja'ule, where is Ray'ven?" She asked, her heart feeling as though it had lodged itself in her throat.

He'd seen her the moment he stepped from the carriage, seeing the worry engulfing her whole. Ja'ule said nothing as he crossed the stone path towards the entrance of the castle. Of course Morrigan followed, asking ludicrous questions. Where's Ray'ven? She asked. Their daughter wasn't with him, hadn't returned with him despite the fact she was fingertips away from him.

He had Razmyr right where he wanted–so he'd thought. The pirate lord had been wiser than expected. Pirate lord, more lord of scums and heathens. He had his daughter. Morrigan thought anxiety and fear chewed her nerves, but she hadn't been there, seen the fear dancing off the eyes of their daughter. She may have raised her chin for the sake of her father, for the sake of being strong, for what he'd taught her.

Had it not been for her calling out father, Ja'ule would've thought fear didn't belong with her. What that one word meant was: father help me. Father, I'm scared. Above all, she feared his disapproval. At the time, he fought telling her he wasn't disappointed. More than anything he wanted her home.

Ja'ule felt his every breath unfold the closer he'd gotten to their corridors. He closed his eyes, far away. Right down to the second, the very minute, time unraveled.

"Oh my god! What is it? Is-is it her? Is that her. Please, let me see! Let me see my daughter!" Aurelia shrieked, clawing the air as Ja'ule held her, his arms an unbreakable cage. "How could you let this happen?"

That hadn't been their daughter. When parents heard of their children passing they expected somebody to bury, not an arm or an eyeball—a finger and leg there every other week with riddles. The king felt nails rake across his face and his arms unslipped from Aurielia. She had immediately sunk onto her knees, trembling before an open box. Inside lay a freshly decaying arm, so small, the ring he'd gotten their child shimmering on the index finger. The only thing proving it had been Violet.

Tears welled in Ja'ule's eyes, though they never descended, not one drop. No matter how hard he wished they'd fall, the king inside denied him of mourning. Even as his wife cradled that tiny arm, fingers curled as though Violet had been reaching out for help she wouldn't receive.

"You can't even cry?! Lo-look at her! That's our daughter, the tiny baby we held after she came out of me, full head of curly blonde hair. You loved her smile, loved her laughter, and you shed no tears? What are you? Have I married a monster?" The word monster came deep, a low wail which shook Aurelia, spit flying.

"You didn't bring her back?" Morrigan asked

He blinked from the past and whirled around the moment they had crossed the threshold, lifting Morrigan by the throat and slamming her against the nearest wall. "You don't think I tried? You know what happened to my first daughter and you dare ask as though I didn't give it my all!" He barked out, teeth snapping inches away from her face. "Look me in my eyes." Commanded the king of D'treroth.

She hadn't. "I said fucking look at me!" His thumb crammed into her jaw, turning her face towards his own.

A yelped gasp escaped her as she was slammed against the wall. Her blue eyes met his frightenedly, taking in the crazed look that she saw there. "J-Ja'ule, I'm sorry." She gasped out.

"No," He growled. "You will be sorry the next time you insult me with your insolence." He released her from the wall and tore her dress open, then pinned her against the wall by her arms. "Say nothing else. You won't have the energy to speak after I'm done."

 ***

Ja'ule rested on the edge of their bed, sweat glistening off the portion of the muscles exposed from their sheet pooling around the king's torso. Beneath the candlelight, he'd felt Morrigan stirred behind him, but he didn't wait around for her. He rose from the bed, backside on full display as he crossed the room to dress. Once he had, he immediately visited the infirmary.

"Get up you useless noodle-armed tramp." He hissed at Caldren.

Caldren sat up at the king's behest, head bowed and his fist clenched. There was a bandage wrapped around the area where his left eye had been. That bastard prince had traded his princess to save his own skin when Caldren would have died there for her safety.

"You look disgusting." Said Ja'ule. "Follow me." The king spoke in a guttural tone, then turned. He led the One eyed frog bastard down towards the councilman's room. Garvet paced back and forth, staring down his long nose.

"Tell him what happened." The king said.

"Yes! Tell me what happened to my supposed wife, and- oh gods, you look disgusting."

"That's what I said." The king added nonchalantly.

"He was expecting us. He knew that his majesty would be there and acted accordingly. I was ambushed and allowed myself to be taken hostage in hopes of aiding the prince and princess in their escape. Things however did not go as we planned, he had a way around all of our plans." He hesitated, eyes moving to Bynx's who narrowed his eyes at him.

He wanted nothing more than to spill what the bastard had done but knew if it were to spill from his lips then his life would be forfeit. "I-I failed to protect them both, I will take fault here." He said finally. Hopefully, his punishment would not be death for this. "Please forgive me, my lords."

Garvet hadn't been this angered since forever, and he contemplated dismembering him but Caldren was already a cripple with no eye. "Put him in the fighting pits for an hour."

"Agreed." Bynx added.

Ja'ule jerked his chin to the door. "Take him to it."