Cursed By The Gods Book 1 and 2

Chapter 21

The alarm sounded throughout the castle early the next morning and the rushing sound of feet echoed down the hall. Emilia stirred softly beside Octavius.

She had slipped into his room during the night after he stormed off the dining room. She had quietly entered the room, slipped off her tunic and slid under the covers with him with hopes of comforting however way she could but Octavius couldn’t even bring himself to touch her especially not with the hands he had used to cradle Ashterah’s neck as he drank from her. Of course the conniving b***h had enjoyed it and had seized the opportunity to explore his body until she decided he had had enough. Even when Emilia had wrapped her arms around him and his body responded he held himself still.

Emilia knew he was awake when she wrapped her arms around him and when he refused to turn around or acknowledge her presence in any way she had placed a kiss on his shoulders, massaging his stiff muscles and went to sleep.

He had waited for her to sleep before turning slowing, trying not the wake her up and stared her sleeping, beautiful face. He never felt more inadequate, he had done everything to have her as his wife and now that they were together and should be enjoying their union he felt unworthy, he felt like he didn’t deserve her, he felt like the w***e Ashterah wanted to make him. As he watched her sleep he wished he knew what his father had tried to warn him about and wondered if things could have been done differently.

The alarm went off again, this time louder than before. Emilia came awake fully and immediately noticed that Octavius was no longer on the bed instead he was hurriedly moving around the room putting his clothes on.

The sounds of the marching feet of soldiers increased as they moved past Octavius’s chambers. Suddenly there was a loud scream that echoed throughout the castle, it was bloodcurdling and heart wrenching.

“What is going on?” she asked.

“Something must have happened to my father,” Octavius replied flatly as he pulled his robe over his tunic.

Emilia stood up quickly and began looking for her clothes, found them on the floor beside the bed where she had dropped them during the night and slipped them on. Octavius moved to help her with her hair, he was no expert as her maid Ilena was so he simply pulled it up and wrapped it around her head. Just then the door to his room flew open and Angus burst in white as sheet.

“What is it?” Octavius asked him even though he already knew the answer.

“Father is dead,” he replied in a monotone.

Emilia gasped just as Octavius left her side to push past his brother into the main hall. The soldiers were still coming in groups of two, marching in a straight line from the stairs to the king’s room. More doors opened and more soldiers came out some of them still lacing up their uniforms. Octavius pushed past them almost stumbling and rushed into his father’s chambers. There were priests already gathered there with their heads bowed in respect to their dead king. Octavius ignored them and walked towards his father’s death bed, he couldn’t help but notice the pale pallor of his father’s skin. King Philip’s looked even worse in death than he had been when he was ill, his unseeing eyes were sunken deep into his head, his facial skin was very thin against the bones of his face, his fingers were gnarled as they rested on the bedding and his lips were colorless. He neared the bed and knelt beside his father. The old man must have died while awake thinking because beneath his head were pillows stacked to support his neck.

Angus and Emilia walked in and approached the bed. Emilia clasped her hand to her mouth as she saw the king’s body her tears running down her face silently. Some nobles came in after them and stood with the priests keeping a safe distance away, Octavius noted with satisfaction that Festus was not among them. That the i***t had accused him of having something to do with his father’s failed health was insult enough but to have him there would have been even more insulting to his father and the entire royal household.

He turned back to his father and only then did he notice that the king’s left hand was partly opened and through it he could see something brown in it. If his father had wanted anyone to see it he would have either spread it out on his lap or put it on his bedside table, or better yet someone had placed it there. Looking discreetly around Octavius moved his hand to clasp his father’s hand slipped the piece of hard paper from it.

“Who was in charge of my father’s welfare last night?” he asked.

“Birian, Your Majesty,” he oldest priest replied.

“And who is Birian?” A young priest who looked to be a new one raised his head and indicated his presence with a raised hand. “Where were you last night?”

The young priest face colored brightly “I was downstairs in the kitchen.”

He was obviously dallying with one of the maids in the kitchen. Octavius nodded his head satisfied that Birian definitely did not see the note. He rose up and slipped it into his pocket before addressing the small group in the room.

“According to Camelorn traditions we will bury the king this morning,” he looked at the priests “Get the necessary sacrifices ready and announce to the people to converge at the main temple, tell them that we have lost our king, get the ashes we will need to pour on our heads.” He looked at the nobles “We have lost our king, go prepare for the burial.”

They nodded and went to do as he had asked. He left the room too leaving Angus and Emilia alone with the king’s corpse. Some of the kings would return to clean his father’s body and oil it for the ceremony. Octavius went into his room, pulled his robe off and retrieved the note he had taken from his father’s hand. On it were 5 words that had obviously been meant for him.

   I FEAR FOR YOU SON

His heart skipped at the sight of it, even in death his father sought to warn him from whatever his fear was. He tucked the note back into the pocket of his robe when he heard footsteps in front of his chambers. There was no time to waste, his father’s body was to be laid to rest according to the traditions before the sun went down otherwise his body would not be accepted into the Heaven Realm. He found a dark floor length tunic, set it on the bed and called for water in the washroom. When he was done preparing he went out of his chambers and found that the nobles were waiting downstairs in dark tunics too, even Angus and Emilia were ready for the burial rites. The priests came forward and poured ashes on everyone’s head one after another and also made streaks of wet ash on their forehead and cheeks. When that was done Octavius led the royal house; nobles, soldiers and servants included, out of the palace gates to the streets of Camelorn. The news of the kings death had spread throughout the village already so everyone man and woman, young and old- even babies were dressed in dark tunic and in a straight line priests went about pouring ashes on the heads and faces of the people. There was much wailing as the people mourned their king.

In front of the main temple was the body dressed as if alive with the golden crown sitting on the king’s head like it would if the man was alive. The priests had done a quick work of oiling the body for the burial. Octavius performed the duty of placing the life coin of Robos and Jesgos, guardian of the Heaven Realm (Ysaros) in his father’s hand, it was the passable currency of the Realm that the gods required to grant eternity to any soul and anyone without the coin would either be a lost soul wandering aimlessly or would find himself in the Hell Realm. For all his fault Octavius decided his father needed to be his ever faithful mother in Ysaros maybe then he would learn how to appreciate her better. Once the coin was placed in his hand King Philip’s body was lifted and taken to the royal tomb where a fresh grave had been dug and was buried. There was great mourning as doom covered Camelorn.