The Destined Queen

Chapter 42

Aunt Annie and Uncle Gerald arrived. They first didn't notice the damned souls or Luthanion who was sitting on a chair at the corner, his sword still sheathed. They hugged Rose and cried with her. But Rose didn't cry a bit. I know she is an optimistic person. I know she doesn't want to see her parents worry. But it doesn't mean that she won't show any expression on her face. Something was wrong with her. Rose felt me staring at her, so she looked at me. She didn't smile this time. She only smiled when Aunt Annie asked if she was alright. " I am alright, Mom. " She said, softly. Aunt Annie nodded, frowning a little. She is her mother, and she knows something is wrong, too. Then, Aunt Annie, and Uncle Gerald turned to the damned souls. But I didn't see the disgust on their face this time. Instead, they smiled. " Thank you. All of you. For rescuing her." Uncle Gerald said. And Aunt Annie nodded. Rose told them about her rescue, and also about the damned souls who risked their existence for her. " It's nothing, Miss. Rose is our friend, too. " Emerson smiled, along with others. Except for Luthanion. Aunt Annie turned to him, and asked, " What happened to you, Grim face? " I stilled. Luthanion's jaw clenched, and his eyes were at Aunt Annie. But he did not glare at them. " My name is Luthanion. And nothing happened to me." He said. " Not now. But something turned you into this. " Aunt Annie said. I liked that Aunt Annie and Uncle Gerald don't hate the souls. But now she is going too far. Way too far. " Uhhh... " I opened my mouth. But Luthanion started speaking. " You mean why I am this? Or why am I this? " Luthanion asked, first pointing at his body, then pointing at his grim face. " That. " Aunt Annie pointed to his face. " We all have to go through some things. " He shrugged. Aunt Annie stopped blinking for a moment. Or it could have been my imagination. But then she nodded distantly.  

" You know, Emerson is a great cook? " Rose asked, trying to smoothen out the tension. " Really? " Uncle Gerald asked. " Yes. Winter said so. But I yet have to taste it. " Rose said, smiling. Emerson nodded and brought the meal he cooked with his powers. The plates floated towards them and sat quietly on the table. Then the plates were opened. Rose's eyes twinkled with hunger and delight. Because in front of her lay, four plates. One had small BLTs, the second had an apple pie, in the third one, there were chocolate chip cookies, and the last one, most probably the one which made Rose's eyes twinkle, had Strawberry Delights. " Woah. When did you cook all these? " Aunt Annie asked, her eyebrows touching her hairline, her jaw slightly open. " He is fast. " I chuckled. " No. He is really fast. And this is perfect. How did you know Rose likes Strawberry Delights? " Uncle Gerald asked. " He has been there with us when it was Rose's birthday. He knows. " I said, shrugging. " Thank you. " Rose smiled at Emerson. " No problem. " Emerson said. " Yeah. Don't thank us for anything. It's the least we could do. Our friends and family did this. Trevor is a demon. But with him, there were two damned souls. And we are sorry. We are really sorry that Rose had to go through all of this. " Neil said, apologizing. " It's not your fault. You didn't do it. None of you did. So, stop feeling guilty for nothing you did. " Rose said.  

" Come on. Aren't you going to eat it? " Emerson asked. " Yes. Of course. " Rose said, picking up the fork. She first tried the strawberry Delights and hummed. " It's amazing. " She said to Emerson. " Thank you. " Emerson said, smiling, standing more proudly. Rose dug into the BLTs. " Mom Dad, try these. These are better than mine. " Rose said, chewing. " We will try it later. You eat it. " Aunt Annie said. " No. There is plenty, Miss. You both can eat those. Rose will have more. I have it in the kitchen. " Emerson said, his hands going into his pockets. " Okay. " Aunt Annie smiled. And they both took one BLTs. " Wow." Uncle Gerald mumbled. While Aunt Annie's eyes glistened. " Aunt Annie, is there any problem? " I asked, frowning. " My mum used to make BLTs just like these. Who taught you this? " Aunt Annie asked Emerson. " My mother loved to experiment with foods. She one day came up with this sandwich. I was so enticed with this, that I asked her to teach me how to make it. And she did. And I have made this, since then. But I have modified it, now and then. And afterward, I came to see that nowadays humans call it 'BLT'. " Emerson shrugged as if it was nothing. But I felt that it might bother him. As if he could feel my worried gaze on him, he turned his blue eyes on me. When it set on mine, I stilled. Something flowed between us. Emerson's eyes widened a bit. Then, he composed himself. What was it? He looked back at Rose as if nothing happened. So, I ignored it too.  

But it was hard to forget it.  

After Rose finished with her meal, Aunt Annie asked her when will she go back. " I am not going back. I want to live with Winter, Mom. " Rose said. " What? But we will miss you, Rose. " Aunt Annie frowned. " I get it, Dear. That you want to stay with your friend. But we need you at home. " Uncle Gerald said, gently. " I won't go back now, Mom. Please. Just let me be. " Rose's brows furrowed. Aunt Annie looked at Uncle Gerald. I knew she would give permission to Rose, and Uncle Gerald knew it too. " No. She is not staying here. I want her in my house. " Uncle Gerald's voice rose a bit. " I need to stay here, Dad. " Rose said, turning her pleading eyes to Uncle Gerald. Uncle looked at her and sighed. His shoulders relaxed a bit. He gave up arguing with her. " Fine. " He said, sighing. Rose smiled. " Don't you two have work? You should go. " Rose shooed her parents. " We were thinking of taking a break. " Aunt Annie said. " You have work to do, Mom. Go. " Rose said, more sternly. Aunt Annie sat quietly for a few seconds and then said. " I do have work. I guess we will meet afterward. " Aunt Annie said, hugging Rose.  

" Yes. You can meet with me. Anytime. " Rose smiled at her parents. Uncle Gerald hugged her, and mumbled, " Everything is alright Sugarplum. " Rose nodded. " I know. " She whispered. Uncle Gerald and Aunt Annie left after they bid us goodbyes. They also told me to eat more. I think I have lost weight. I didn't believe Ashten. But now I think they are right.  

When they were gone, Rose stood up. " You all are thinking what happened to me, Right? " She asked. " Yes. " I said, going close to her. " But first, I want to request Winter, Ashten, and Gustin to not tell my parents about it. Or about anything that involves me. " Rose said. Her back was stiff but her voice wasn't soft. It didn't convey what she was feeling. Or maybe it did. She felt. Nothing. " What happened to you, Rose? " I asked. My voice was barely over a whisper. And it was trembling. I couldn't stop it from coming out that weak. My brows creased, and my lips quivered. Rose turned her eyes towards me, and it softened a bit. Or maybe I imagined it. I really should eat. My mind is all over the place. Rose gulped and breathed. " The Kingmas took half of my soul. He tore it apart. By his hands. He... He just took it. And kept it in a jar. " Rose said, her eyes downcast. " What? Is that even possible? " I asked, turning to Emerson, who was frowning himself, and his eyes seemed distant. " Did you see him, then? " Emerson asked, looking up at Rose. " No. " Rose shook her head. " But you saw him tearing your soul. " Neil said. " Yes. But I only saw his hands. Not his face. He seemed like a shadow. But he wore a cloak, and his face was hidden underneath the shadows. I only saw his hands, which looked like a human. Solid hands. I don't know how he did it. " Rose said. I walked close to my best friend and hugged her. She hugged me back. " We can do this later. She needs rest. " Gustin said. " Yes. He is right. " Ashten said, coming closer to us. " No. I want to do this." Rose said, sternly. " But Rose. " I objected, looking at her green eyes, which didn't look like crystals anymore. It lost its shine. " I need to do this, Winty. I couldn't protect myself. But think what will happen to others? Do you want this to happen to others too, Winty? " Rose asked. I shook my head slowly. " Yes. I want to help others. So, I need to do it. Besides, I have you guys. I am safe, now. Don't worry. And I don't feel tired. I just feel... " " Hollow. " I completed her sentence. Rose looked at me with pure adoration and smiled. This smile wasn't hollow. It didn't feel weird. " Yeah. So, I want to do this." Rose said. I nodded but I didn't leave her. I was still holding her when she continued. " Trevor and his friends took me first to some cave. They blindfolded me. So, I didn't know how did they travel. But after they opened my eyes, I saw a cave, which was lit with red light. Or maybe it was just an illusion." Rose said. " No. You were in the demon realm, Rose. " Neil said. " How do you know? " I asked. " I was a demon myself. " Neil confessed. His eyes didn't convey any nervousness. " Is it possible to transfer from a demon to a damned soul? " Ashten asked. " Yes. There is a way. But you have to be really turned good from the bottom of your heart. Else, it wouldn't work. " Neil answered. Ashten nodded, thoughtfully. " So, when I was in the demon realm, Trevor always came with food and told me stories about Isaac. Until one day the food stopped coming, and Trevor, too. The next day, Trevor appeared with some other souls. And they blindfolded me again and took me somewhere. They didn't open the cloth covering my eyes even after we reached the place. No one talked in front of me. I was kept there for a while. But after that, I was taken somewhere else. There in the room, which you found me, I was kept for several days. A girl. No, two girls taught me. They were two shadowy figures. They taught me how to fight. How to not have mercy. They showed me brutal kinds of stuff. How some Kings destroy other entities. They showed me videos. In something which looked like a Tv. But it was all shadowy. The picture appeared clear, though. And then after a few days, The Kingmas came. I wasn't improving at all. I was becoming more distressed. Weaker. More useless for it. " Rose said "it" with utter disgust. I knew that "it" meant she was talking about The Kingmas. " Then it took my soul. " " Did you hear his voice? " Emerson asked. " Yes. But it sounded. Robotic." Rose said. " Okay. Go on. " Emerson nodded. " So, I saw him appear out of thin air. And his hands appeared. He told me then, that I would be his Queen. If only I am not too weak. I could rule beside him. I could rule all the realms. I just had to be Cruel. Like him. I shouldn't cry. I shouldn't have pity. I shouldn't show mercy. I should only kill when it is needed. And he told me that he was helping me. That it was for my own good. Then, His hands came forward, and he moved his hands in a circle, and something whooshed out of me. I felt he was stealing my breath away. He... He stripped half of my soul and put it in a jar that appeared beside his foot. He put my soul in it and closed it. I felt. I felt like he tore ME apart. Then, I felt distant. I felt lost. I was more distressed. I kept having these illusions. And I had so many nightmares whenever I closed my eyes. I felt horrible. I felt light and at the same time heavy in my heart. In my eyes. In every organ of my body. I lost appetite. I lost some memories too. And then, you all arrived. Like Knights in shining armor. And Saved me from that wretched creature. " Rose chuckled after finishing. " I am sorry that we were late, Rose. " Emerson apologized. Rose shook her head. " You weren't too late. And that counts. " Rose gave him a sliver of a smile, that once was bright.