“Don’t worry,” she whispered. “We won’t let you forget her.”
A long time passed as they stayed like that in the garden. Nothing really moved, except for the wind blowing gently around them. Kareen, tired of standing, walked across the garden and came to sit near poor Glahad. The old Golden Dragon put its head against her lap, its ruby eyes focused on the concubine. She sighed and stroked its golden scales.
“That old man... He even had the guts to go before me... So heartless. Don’t worry, Glahad. This old woman will stay with you a bit longer. Just a bit longer... He was ever so selfish, wasn’t he? That old man. At least you will stay with me a little bit longer, won’t you? To help watch over the children. He’s left them with nothing but a mess.”
The Golden Dragon growled softly and closed its eyes, gently rubbing its face against her hip. The elder dragon looked incredibly tired. Kian, who had been left behind, now slowly walked up to them and curled up under Glahad’s wing. A little ball of silver scales, the Baby Dragon rolled itself up against its flank, lowering its head with a sad look. From the little enclave, its little emerald eyes could watch Krai and Kairen on the other side of the Lake, unchanged in their stillness.
Kairen had been sitting there for a very long time already, yet he was still just staring at the surface of the lake. He wasn’t even expecting anything at this point, his expression was just blank and emotionless. Abandoned. Man and Dragon remained there, like statues, until the sun started going down and the sky turned orange. On his knees, he didn’t move; it was like time had stopped in this place.
Voices began to echo through the halls from elsewhere in the Palace as the world resumed without them. Somewhere else, Shareen was discussing with the Imperial Generals, giving orders to clear the streets and round up the traitors. Opheus was threatening the council, clearing up dirty money, and deciding who deserved a second chance at redemption. His dragon, Phe, had followed him, limping to go and help him on the other side of the Palace. Anour was trying to console a crying girl, grieving for her older sister. Life was not resuming peacefully, it couldn’t after all the chaos that had been spread around the Palace.
Kassian woke up too as the world resumed. The baby didn’t know anything about war, but he knew he was hungry. He started to whine a bit in Kareen’s arms. Just as she was about to try and soothe him, she was surprised to see that, across the lake, Kairen was finally leaving his trance and standing up.
While his dragon didn’t move, the War God silently left the shore and walked around to his mother. A bit surprised, Kareen stood too and waited for him. He didn’t look like the same man as before. Something was broken inside him, she could see it in his eyes. It wasn’t about the injuries or the exhaustion. When he came to her, his eyes went directly to his Son, and for a second, there was a spark of something there. Kairen gently took Kassian in his arms and the baby stopped his wailing, only a few tears sliding down his cheeks after. He squirmed a bit in his father’s arms, but only as if adjusting to a more comfortable position. The black scales still trying to heal Kairen’s body probably weren’t too agreeable for him either, but his father’s warm skin was enough to calm him down.
Kairen spent a long time staring at his son.
“What do you want to do now?” Kareen asked gently.
“She hated this place.”
The concubine slowly nodded. It was only right that he wouldn’t want to stay here with Kassian, not after all of this.
“I understand. I’ll help you the best I can.”
He didn’t reply. His eyes were still on his son. He gently caressed Kassian’s forehead with his thumb. The baby squirmed a bit, pouting. Kian too, went from Kareen’s side to Kairen’s, staying at his feet quietly. The War God just seemed tired right now. A man who had fought a war and lost more than he had won. It was written in his eyes. It may have been even worse if he didn’t have his son to hold on to.
“How about you go to... The Residence, for now?” she suggested. “They have everything needed to take care of Kassian.”
He nodded slowly. That was all she needed. Although she was going through her own mourning, Kareen knew it was without comparison to her son’s sorrow. After some hesitation, she raised her hand and gently touched his arm.
It was just a light touch on his skin, just for reassurance, for him to feel that she was there. She’d always be there for him.
“Go,” she said. “Your sister can handle it. I...I’ll join you soon.”
And just like that, she watched Kairen go, carrying his son and his grief. Kian sent a glance her way, a bit unsure of what to do. The young dragon eventually followed, scurrying up behind Kairen and sending reassuring glances. Kareen watched them leave until they were out of sight, and then turned her attention back towards the Lake.
Krai was still there, still lying by the water, having not moved at all. The dragon was exactly where its Master’s heart had been left. No one could tell if it was waiting, or simply abandoned. The Black Dragon was as frozen as a statue, its ruby eyes reflecting nothing but the Lake. It didn’t even seem to care about life anymore. Kareen’s heart broke once more for her son’s dragon. It would remain here forever, she could see it. The Imperial Concubine repressed the cries in her heart and walked out of the garden.
She hated this place too. Kareen had seen too many children die within these walls. If a new age had finally come, it would happen without her. She was an old woman with no strength left to give. She would no longer be the untouchable Imperial Concubine, if she had ever really been... Nothing was tying her to this place, nothing ever had. Next to her, Glahad growled softly, pushing against her hip a little. She smiled half-heartedly, caressing the golden snout again.
“Do not worry... Wait for me. I still have one last thing to do here. Then I’ll take good care of you.”
The dragon growled again as Kareen walked away. She took a different direction than the one her son had taken, heading back to the place where they had hidden earlier. As she got closer, she could hear the screams. Missandra’s wailing was unbearable, but Kareen took a deep breath and went in. She didn’t flinch upon seeing the younger sister’s distress, or Anour’s attempts to calm her down. No one could blame her after losing her sister in such a horrific way. Missandra was mourning.
Kareen’s heart ached for the girl. In a way, they were a lot alike. Though she loved Cassandra dearly, the Imperial Concubine saw a lot of herself in the younger sister. She knew Missandra would move on and become stronger from this. They were the type of women who always grew stronger in order to survive, turning their anger and fear into rage. She only hoped Missandra would be able to open her heart again in spite of all this. That child needed to learn how to love and trust people again.
Kareen hadn’t come back here to console Missandra though. She took a deep breath and opened a room that had been locked until now. Inside, Phetra was there, tied to a chair, her face ruined by her tears. Her eyes had grown wide and red from terror. Maybe she knew what had happened to her brother, but as soon as she saw Kareen, her panic increased. Despite being gagged, she started wailing even more loudly and trying to break free from the chair.
The Imperial Concubine was incredibly calm though. She came close and untied the ribbon they had used to cover her mouth and, as soon as she could, Phetra started begging and pleading.
“Please! Please spare me! I didn’t want to! Vrehan forced me! He’d kill me if I didn’t obey! I had no choice, I had to obey! I didn’t want to! I didn’t want to!”
“Who else was working for him?” Kareen asked calmly, ignoring her pleas.
“I... I already told Opheus the truth, I swear! I didn’t want to help him! He... He made me sleep with all those dirty old men! He forced me to!”
“What about your sisters?”
