Funeral

Felicia didn't know what was happening. She felt numb all over. Her vision gradually cleared and with it came a splitting headache that made her groan. 

"Oh, my lady. Thank the Goddess!"

Felicia realized that she was inside the Emerald Room. She had been bathed and dressed in her nightgown and was lying in bed with an unfamiliar maid standing over her. There was a cold towel placed over her forehead.

"How are you feeling?" Alex's voice came from near her feet. He was seated on a chair next to her form. He got up and came to her.

"Leave us." 

The maid bowed and did as he said. 

Alex placed the back of his hand against Felicia's neck to check her temperature. Earlier when she'd collapsed, he had just managed to catch her. His own body had been so worn out from battle that his reflexes had slowed. Had it not been for the servants quick hands, she would had hit her head on the floor. 

Still she had broken out into a cold sweat and a high fever by the time the maids had bathed and dressed her. It only after her temperature had gone down and she appeared to be sleeping peacefully that he'd left her side to wash the blood and demon grime off his own body.

Then he'd returned and sat by her bedside waiting patiently for her to wake up so he could tell her the heartbreaking news. 

But she may have already known. Wasn't that why she fainted? That kitchen boy had not even said anything, just told them he had bad news with tears in his eyes. And from that statement alone, Felicia had put two and two together.

Then she had fainted. After the harrowing ordeal she'd suffered through, this was just one too many and her mind had succumbed. 

Alex didn't know if he should tell her again now that she was awake and looking at him with confused eyes. Did she forget what she had understood? Even he was in a state of shock. They had been so careful and diligent in ensuring Hildegarde was safe. How did she die just like that? How did Tyren slip past them?

He had been looking forward to telling her about all they endured. He had wanted to feel her aged arms wrapping around him in comfort. She was the closest thing he had for a second mother. Though Felicia was more attached to her, he'd grown to love her even more since retrieving her.

Now she was dead. 

Dead just like their mother was dead.

"Felicia, are you alright?" He asked a second time when she kept staring at him with empty eyes. "Do you remember what happened?"

She said nothing.

Alex stepped closer and took her hand in his, entwining their fingers. Slowly, her eyes filled with tears and a broken sob escaped her lips. She went in for a hug the same moment he pulled her in for one.

No words were spoken. Grief did not need words. They understood. They held onto each other, using the other as an anchor. Felicia's tears wet his neck, while his spilled into her hair. 

The sound of the crackling fire and their whimpers filled the silence.

----

The rest of the day passed by in a blur. Although, the passing of a servant was hardly a significant matter, because of her importance to both the Duke's children, the entire household was tinged with a mournful tone. 

Alex and Felicia had examined Hildegard's body and could see no outward signs of sabotage. Even the physician said that there was nothing to indicate that she had passed from anything other than old age.

But Felicia had ordered everyone out of the room and used her holy magic to run a test on Hildegarde's corpse. Indeed she had been poisoned. And it was a poison that disappeared quickly from the bloodstream and left no visible marks on the lips, mouth, tongue or finger nails.

"Tyren got to her," Felicia spat out, her face buried on Hildegarde's chest. She could not bear to look upon the old woman's face for too long. It reminded her so much of her dead mother after she'd found her near death, lying at the foot of the palace steps over five years ago.

It was so strange how Hildegarde no longer looked like herself. It was still her and this was her body, but the absence of her spirit had changed her appearance. She just looked like a corpse now, and not a person.

The Butler had a casket delivered within the hour and called a priest from the nearest chapel. The priest who'd showed up was the same one who'd officiated both of the Duke's marriages. 

----

Early the next morning, while the air was still foggy, a private and quite funeral was held for Hildegarde. The Duke didn't attended. It was just Felicia, Alex, a handful of servants, guards and the priest.

Surprisingly, Tyren and Helena had shown up at the last moment and insisted on coming. Before Felicia and Alex could come up with a rebuttal, the two had already climbed in. The entire carriage ride was very tense, with the siblings even refusing to look at the mother daughter pair.

Since Hildegarde was very important to the late Duchess Moniqua and her children, she was buried in the Del Montague cemetery.

Felicia and Alex acted as the pallbearers and slowly lowered her casket, the priest's recitation filling the air. A few crows cawed and a handful of other birds chirped.

Several roses were thrown on top. Felicia's vision blurred as she cried. She thought she could be strong, but this was simply too much. Last night, she had interrogated the guard who they'd assigned to watch Hildegarde and he said he didn't see her consume anything suspicious. Rather, another maid, who wasn't Tara had brough their nanny a meal, tasted and drank it in front of him before he'd handed it to Hildegarde. 

She's spoken to a few more servants in the kitchen to see if they saw anything suspicious, but they all said no. And without the red ruby, Felicia had no way of proving that it was Tyren. 

She knew the evil woman was responsible. She must have gave the maid who ate the poisoned food an antidote as soon as she'd finished delivering it to Hildegarde to cover her tracks. 

Watching the servants throw shovels of dirt over the casket, Felicia felt her heart burn with guilt. Alex too. They'd brought her here so she could live out her golden days safely. They told her they'd keep her safe and they failed. First her family abandons her, then she had to face the attack from the Pope's goons and now she's died at the hands of Tyren.

It wasn't fair! Why did she have to suffer so much? She was a good woman.

Felicia knelt down. The servants and guards were surprised, but said nothing. Alex thought it inappropriate and pulled her up into his arms. She was a noble lady. She should not kneel for her deceased servant.

Felicia was lost in her thoughts. Despite your old age, you cared for me while I was unconscious. I'm so sorry! But I promise I will avenge you! Goddess, please let her find her peace." 

Feeling a strong stare on her, Felicia lifted her head and made eye contact with Tyren. Her irises swirled with hateful tears.

Tyren gave her an evil smirk before turning to leave.

The funeral was over. The servants and knights headed back to the carriage and the priest came over, once more offering them his condolences before departing.

Felicia pulled away from Alex and stepped forward with clenched fists when she saw Helena approach them. "Go away, bitch, you're not welcome here."

Helena smiled gleefully at the pain on Felicia's face. "I guess you shouldn't have brought her here. Looks like the stress of having to take care of you while you were sick took a toll on the poor woman's health."

"How shameful, Felicia! First you killed your mother and then you worked your nanny to death."

"Shut up, Helena!" Alex snapped.

Helena smirks at him before looking back at Felicia. "I thought you brought her here so she could live out her final years in peace. Well, she's at peace now, isn't she?"

Felicia lunges at her. Alex pulls her back. "Don't! She is not worth it. Get out of here, Helena."

Helena laughs and walks away.