Angela smiled a bit and brushed his shoulder, “My dear you have done well with not listening to me at this point.” She joked with him. “You have always been strong.” She gently brushed his hair back and smiled.  “You’ll be fine.”

While he wouldn’t look at Episcia, Angela saw that Episcia was just as red in the face. Perhaps they would realize how they feel yet. “Go above and beyond my son. Be the king that I know you can be.” Angela was so proud of him. 

-

Episcia and Lucian stayed in Arri for the time that Angela had left. They had to learn everything that she had to offer and that she had left for him to learn. At the time of the death of his mother, they were in bed. She was curled up with him and he was reading a book to her. It was their favorite past time. They were trying to relax and unwind from the past few days of getting used to the courts, the people he would rule over, and prepping for his trial.

“Read that paragraph one more time.” Her brown eyes looked back up at him and smile. They were reading about knights and dragons once more. It was one of her favorite series of tales. They were the tales that inspired her to become a knight. 

They had only left the room to eat breakfast that morning. Things were still quiet thanks to the devastating news of Angela. Toya wanted war and what war council meetings she had called the sisters and Kirika advocated the peace that Angela had wanted with Dalanesca. 

Epi closed her eyes as Lucian read the passage she requested over again. It made her smile as she snuggled her head into the nook between his shoulder and neck. It was a comfortable spot and one of her favorites. However, their peace was disturbed as Nerezza slammed the door open. “Lucian, it’s mom!” They all got up and ran to what Nerezza was talking about.

The chains were bursting and Angela was suspended in the air. Episcia’s eyes were wide as the hellfire hit Angela. The crystals from Angela’s body dispersed and fell all around them. She fell from weak knees and she was in disbelief. Had that been a smile on her face? No words left her lips as her eyes couldn’t leave the spot that the goddess had been in.

“Why didn’t she move?” The words left Nerezza’s mouth as she began to cry.

On the day that would leave a permanent mark on him, Lucian and Episcia had been lost in their own little world once more. He had spent the last few days preparing himself mentally for what was to come as well as for when he was to take the trial. There was so much that he had to learn and deal with it, but he wasn’t alone fortunately. Friends and family alike her assisting him any way they could like his mother said they would and he felt more confident about this. Though he was still filled with remorse day by day anticipating when she would pass.

This day, they were reading like always; tales about knights and dragons from his collection. He hadn’t heard word from anyone else this morning, which seemed odd but if his presence wasn’t needed, then he would take this time to try and relax. Everything seemed to be going alright until the door flew up and he peeped up from the pages to see his twin sister. “Nerezza…”, he looked with dismay in his eyes, but she was quicker to speak and once his mind was able to register her words, he flew up from the bed. His mind was panicking over what was going on with Mother as Episcia followed them. The sight of his mother made his blood go cold just before she was hit with by strange fire. He wanted to charge in and go to her, but his body couldn’t move like he wanted it to. Her body…there was no trace of it save for the infinite crystals that spread out from her. And like that, she was gone. There were other people around them that saw this and were confused, scared and saddened. Lucian himself nearly felt like he was going to fall back when the reality finally hit him of what happened. Instinctively he went to his sister and wrapped his arms around her as she wept.

Among the crowd came Kaiser, who was trying to keep them calm and usher them to safety. He saw the siblings and headed towards them, the look on his face was of shock as he didn’t know what to say to them. Lucian looked up to see him and released his grip over Nerezza. “She needs you too”, he said in a hush tone and Kaiser broke his gaze to nod before comforting his fiance. Looking up into the sky, he was saddened but whatever tears were building up to fall from his eyes were wiped away. “She didn’t move because she wanted this all to end, Rezza”, he said, closing his eyes and spoke a private prayer amongst himself for their mother. “Arri will be in mourning over its fallen Queen. As will we, her blood.” He had to fight back the tears as he spoke, he needed to be strong. She knew this day was coming, as he did, but he wasn’t even sure she had been prepared for it. All the time in the world could have been given to him, but even then he knew that he would never have been.

Looking to Episcia, he gave a very sad smile, still trying to keep himself together. "We have to carry on what she wanted. We can't let anger blind us and disrespect what Mother had fought so far for until her last breath." He had to be strong for all of them, her especially.

Episcia was stuck in a trace still. His words barely registered. Nerezza was in Kaiser’s arms she was so visibly angry and crying. “It’s not fair Luc you know that!” Her nickname for him came out of her mouth faster than Nerezza could stop it. It was something that she had always called him when they were alone. Nerezza buried her head in Kaiser as she cried.

The White Valkyrie moved alongside Lucian as fast as she could. “You’re right…” She gave Lucian the best hug that she could before she too buried herself into his chest. Angela had looked after her as her mother had wanted. Now the woman who had practically raised her was gone and it had been so fast. “We’ve done so well to keep the fighting from breaking out.” Episcia choked on a few tears.

Things seemed to hush over as Cathrine walked through the Red Court District. Toya was with her as well and not far behind were Lily and Kirika. ”We do not have enough words to tell you how sorry we feel. Her words echoed in their minds.

“We could always cut the bitch but you guys don’t think that’s a good idea,” Toya was visibly upset and while she wouldn’t show it… she had been crying from how red her eyes were. “If you want to cut her we could go right now.”

“Toya that’s enough. It wasn’t Angela’s wish that we… as you so crudely put it ‘cut the bitch’” Lily spoke softly as Kirika and herself caught up with the other two sisters. 

Kirika was the next one who spoke up as she came over to Lucian. “The Cavern of Trials… I suppose that’s why we all have shown up. I know you want to mourn but it is imperative that we have you do the trial now.” Gently she took her cousin and she hugged him tightly. Inadvertently she hugged Episcia as well. 

Toya crossed her arms and stared at Lucian. “You’ll do great. We can head there when you are ready.” There had been some speculation if the Caverns would let him in. There was no way of knowing until they got there if they would or not. Toya had her own ideas on everything but she kept them quiet. “The Caverns will only let you in if the past ruler is dead. Kirika’s mother was officially killed no matter how she came back.”

Cathrine came over to him and put his mother’s rose necklace around his neck. She gentle as she clasped it and she patted his shoulder firmly. There was a sad group of smiles coming from the queens. She left that with me to give it to you on the day of the Trials. She said it would be a good luck charm or at the very least a symbol of something good to come.

Once he was ready to go the queens began to walk with him and Episcia. They went deep into the castle grounds. There was the oracle vault they stopped at and talked with Bryony who was sitting at the desk doing paperwork of some sort. “We’re here for the trial,” Lily spoke softly as Bryony’s blue eyes stared up.

“I know,” Bryony pushed herself up and opened the vault. “This is where the Rosenites under Eshari are put to sleep. Lucian like your mother before you… if one of your Rosenites put themselves through Eshari you will bring them here.” Walking into the catacombs hundreds upon hundred of girls lined the walls. They were so doll-like as they were attended by other oracles. “It’s… almost like suicide only not quite. They sleep until they die.”

At the sight of everything Episcia wrapped her arms around Lucian’s right arm as she stared off at everything. “Why?” Was the only thing she could get out.

“Many don’t have what it takes to live the Rosenite life. We are hardened people but not everyone is cut out for it. These are people who don’t have what it takes to live alone.” Bryony crossed her arms as she walked through. Many of the youngest oracles they had watched Lucian from afar. They were curious of him. 

As they neared one side of the catacombs there was a stairway down. The glow of magic sprung up from it and she smirked. “This is the Lake of the Oracles. As the king, you will bring your dead infants here. They will become Oracles.” It was a sad smirk but still there was something that was making her amused about everything. “This is where the magic of Arri is strongest. This is a lake that is not available to everyone. Also down here is the vault of the kingdom. We hide things that are extremely valuable to us here.”

Making their way down the stairs the glowing green lake under the castle was eerie. The water rippled where it had no breeze to do so. It was like it was alive. Finally, they found an entrance and a door next to it. “The door leads to the vault and this cavern entrance. Well… That’s where you’ll be headed.”

A gust picked up and came out of the cavern entrance hitting them all with great force. It had a charged energy to it. The energy made Episcia shiver as she clung closer to Lucian. “I don’t know Lucian it looks terrifying.” It took a lot for her to say that but she didn’t like the feeling she got from the place.

“Terrifying it is. It’s almost killed a few people now… However, Episcia you must stay out here. The only one who can enter is Lucian. These are our traditions now.” Bryony spoke her name as if she had known it all her life. “Like his mother before him.”

He could sense Nerezza’s pain from just looking at her; he couldn’t blame her for how she was responding to this. Lucian would have been the same way, grieving and angry over the course of actions just taken that took their mother away from them. Kaiser did the best he could to soothe her down but it was too much heartbreak. “I know…”, it was all he could say to her before he turned to Episcia. She tried to be strong as well, but as she was in his arms, he could feel her breaking down as well. Placing his head on top of hers, he said nothing more as he let her grief but just as he was trying to think about what to do next, the four queens showed up before them. Kaiser kept an eye out on them though he remained focused more on his crying love. His Aunt Cathrine was the first to speak, or more so communicate to them through their minds. Aunt Toya’s response wasn’t something so surprising, yet it was unneeded. Mother had wanted peace, not war. He frowned at her before turning his Aunt Lily went after her. Finally his cousin, the youngest of the Queens spoke up and he nodded.

The timing couldn’t have been worse, but it had to be done- he would have to take the Trial as soon as possible. They were encouraging in their own way and even gave him a namesake of his mother’s for luck, which opened up the fresh wound in him, reminding him that she was gone. With misty eyes, he nodded and brought the necklace to his lips and kissed it for luck before he headed off. Episcia came with him as they went to the castle grounds. They came across Bryony, who he recognized through passings in time, as she was the one to open the vault for them, but he wasn’t prepared to see what was waiting for them. The sight of all those girls…he didn’t understand what was going on with them and neither did Episcia as he felt her come close against him.

Her explanation didn’t make much sense to him, being as cryptic as Mother could be sometimes, but it seemed to be the Rosenite way so he didn’t really overthink it. Of what he had understood, the Oracles were important to the Rosenites to have, and in case…he did have babies that didn’t survive birth, they would be brought here….into the lake…

Making it to where he needed to go, he could feel Episcia hesitate to release him but he nodded with Bryony. “It has to be done. Don’t worry, I will come back.” He gave her a brave smile before he thanked all those that were present that gave him their support before deeply breathing in and out and went to the door. He opened it and took another deep breath before taking a step inside only to the thrown out with great force and he thrown back quite a few feet before the door slammed shut. He landed on his back, no worse for the wear, but it anything he was more confused than hurt as he sat up. “Wait…what was that? Why didn’t it let me inside?” He got back up to his feet and tried to opened the door, but it wouldn’t budge. “I don’t understand…” Finally after some time of pondering, he released his grip on the knob and slowly turned back to the company with wide eyes at what he came up with. “Is…my mother truly dead? It’s like you said”, he stared at Toya, “That it would let me in if she was dead…”

Crossing her arms the elder Oracle watched as he flew out of the caverns with great force. It was almost like the caverns were hissing now as the door slammed. The thousands upon thousand spirits not accepting. Bryony’s eyes closed and she took a deep breath as she walked in front of them. 

“I fucking knew it,” Toya was the first one to speak out.

“You didn’t know anything. You were in pure denial.” Lily was playing with her necklace as she looked at Bryony. “What does this mean? We all seen what happened to her.”

Bryony offered a shrug. It was more like she knew that Lucian wasn’t going to be allowed in. “To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure myself. I had seen Lucian leaving the cavern like that but I thought he failed. It’s actually quite the opposite. It accepted you but at the same time it threw you out because of your mother. I don’t know where she is but she certainly isn’t dead. For now…”

For now the best course of action is to say you passed and your mother is deceased. Tell no one. Only those of us here shall know until we can confirm or deny what is happening. Lucian you are going to be the King of the Red Court. This is until either the Caverns get over it, if they haven’t been given enough time to process it, or your mother makes a reappearance. It was the most Cathrine had said.

“They’re right… it would just make a panic if we actually said you couldn’t do the trial. I agree with the others. Say that and if Angela does indeed come back then we can make it public.” Toya crossed her arms stubbornly. “We don’t know how she will come back or if she will be the same.” Kirika nodded with them and Episcia was soon clinging to Lucian again.

“I’m so confused Lucian.” Episcia looked up at him and snuggled herself into his chest.

Bryony stopped short. “The Gardens have not fallen. There is a good chance that your mother is lost in her elements… or that her soul has wandered somewhere. Have hope boy and lead your court the way your mother would.” She reached out and ruffled his hair.