Inah's vision was blury. There was so much...so much...wine? Strawberry juice? Blood Inah screamed again. This cannot be happening. The room was spinning. The door burst open and people came charging in. "Inah!" Prince Thomas siad, rushing to her and pulling her away from it and holding her close. "Ohmygosh" he whispered under his breath, seeing the thing. "Maria!!" a stout woman pushed pass the people and ran to the body. She fell to her knees, "No..." The body, Maria, was in a maid uniform and had multiple stabs to the chest, forming a big blood stain. Claire and Tanya barged in; Tanya gasped and Claire stopped dead at her tracks. "I know her." Claire said, her voice shaking. Everyone turned to look at her. "What?" Prince Thomas said. "She-She's the maid I told to summon Tanya for me." Claire said. "And she never reached my room." Tanya said, understanding. "She was murdered before she could get there." both girls said at the same time. Everyone was silent except for the stout woman who was sobbing and saying prayers under her breath. Inah sobbed loudly, and Thomas hugged her, staining his clothes with Maria's blood. "Sshh, it's okay....it's over now...shh." the prince consoled, though he was shaking. Everyone was crying, sobbing. But at the hall, watching the event unfold, was a figure, hidden in the shadows....... Smiling. <><><><><><><><><><> Check my other story, Crush On You! Thanks for yer support! Keep bumpin'!
"Claire, honey, it wasn't your fault." Tanya said, patting her sister's shivering back. "Yes it was!! If I wouldn't have told her to fetch you, she wouldn't be de-de-dead." she sobbed. A knock came from the brass doors. Tanya got up from Claire's bed and opened it. It was her father. "What do you want?" Tanya snapped. "To talk to Claire." he said. "She's not exactly eager to see you. She's not that....stable you know. I don't want you breaking the news that, oh, maybe you umped this wife and got another?" Tanya blabbered, annoyed. "Tanni. Please." Tanya blinked. Her father hasn't called her that sice she was seven. She eyed him carefully. His eyes were pleading. Hmph. "This. Once." she said through her teeth. She let him pass and walked out, closing the door behind her. Claire looked up, tears streaming down her face, "Oh. It's you." "It's me." the king took a seat across of her on a cofy leather seat. "I'm surprised Tanya let you pass a meter from my room." she said. It would have been a funny joke and usually, both of them would laugh at her older sister's protectiveness, but there wasn't a mood for laughter. "Claire. It wasn't your fault." her father began. "Puh-lease. Tanya gave me enoughof the it-isnt-your-fault thing thank you very much." she said, flopping on her back. "Well it isn't. If you want you can blame it on me." he offered. She glared at him lying down, "How? You weren't there when she was murdered." He sighed, "Weell, i did send you the letter and if i never sent it, you would never would have told Maria to summon Tanya and she would never have been murdered." Claire sat up, "You're right. It is your fault." "Do you feel better?" "A bit." <><><><><><> Okay it wasn't that dramatic or mysterious. Sorry. But i just wanted to show that Claire and her dad bonded-ish. But their relationship is still reeeaaallyy fragile. As in anything could break it. Maybe Queen Wimona's arrival? (;