Tyrant's Obsession With The Heiress-Chapter 30: The Rose Speaks Morbid Madness

Lady Karina inhaled a deep breath to steady her nerves before answering her dear friend.

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"I have not seen them, Rose," she said, setting out pitchers or wine to the trays.

Lady Drosera continued to aggressively slice off pieces of cheese, her knife cutting down harshly on the blocks.

"They are no better than demons, Rina," she remarked, gripping the knife's handle so tight that her knuckles turned white."Devils, I say. And we should crisp the lot of them; nay, we should raze the keep around them to the ground. We would be glad to do Caelthywn an honourable service."

Such venom in the rose's words. It was safe to say, Lady Karina had never heard her dear friend speak so morbidly before.

The Lady Drosera was as elegant and kind as her nickname suggested, but perhaps the recent events had driven this rose to finally show her thorns.

"Hush now, Rose," Lady Karina shushed her firmly. "Do you wish for them to hear you? They will slaughter us all at the first sign of rebellion."

Lady Drosera looked contrite but not entirely apologetic. Much about her had changed over the past two weeks; the uncertain death of her son and the brutal murder of her husband had roused something cruel inside her.

The lady was dark and bitter most of the time, having lost the shine in her petals.

The hysteria she had first expressed now cooled into something self-destructive.

Not that Lady Karina held her accountable for it.

"They will bring their blades down on us regardless." Lady Drosera stabbed the knife into a wooden block. "It is only a matter of time and if not death, then they will enslave us to whore for them, in which I would rather kill myself anyway. So either way, I will be dead."

Lady Karina had listened to such madness from her dear friend many times over the last few days.

The Lady Drosera was rather passionate about her hatred.

"You must not speak so morbidly." Lady Karina shook her head. "They will not bring down their blades nor force us to whore for them. These men are on a mission of conquest, not of women."

Lady Drosera gripped the knife again, pointing it in the direction of one of the kitchen servants.

"One of Van Merikh's knights has already taken his liberties to have his way with Gracy," she bit back. "Hasn't he, Gracy? He has had his way whenever he pleases and there is nought she can do."

Lady Karina looked in horror at the small, freckle-faced servant, who was flushed with shame.

"Does Rose speak truth, Gracy?" Lady Karina demanded, biting back her anger.

The sweet girl nodded.

"Aye, my lady," Gracy answered, her lips trembling. "Twice to bed and other times to serve his food and tend to his bath."

"And why has no one spoken of this to me?" Lady Karina gritted her teeth, already seething with far more anger than before.

"It is because you have much to deal with," Lady Drosera told her. "Van Merikh has ordered you to administer his assets and you are under enough pressure as it is without added misery."

Lady Karina looked at her friend sharply. "Did you make that decision without consulting me? Did you not think I would want to know what is happening to my people?"

Lady Drosera placed the final slice of cheese on the tray without looking up.

"Perhaps we should lace this food with poison," she suggested thoughtfully. "It would be a simple solution to our problems."

"Rose," Lady Karina snapped. "I will not have you speaking such things. If they hear you, they will undoubtedly bring their blades down on us and I will not allow you to condemn us all."

Lady Drosera continued as if she had not heard a word from her friend. She inspected the sharpness of the knife, slowly dragging her finger along the edge.

"Then we must serve their food and then turn their weapons against them." Her eyes were distant, almost lost to the reality around her.

"I will not listen to any more of your insanity, Rose." Lady Karina pinched the bridge of her nose. "You are speaking pure madness."

Lady Drosera's face flashed with surprise, then turned sheepish. And without a proper response, she turned away and set the knife back in the gourd where it was kept.

Lady Karina set the pitcher down and went to her side.

"Rose," she uttered, more gently. "I am not ignorant of your mourning. But I need you to understand that it is my duty to ensure that we all survive, as well as to protect our secrets."

Lady Drosera did not reply, her expression dimming.

"You cannot say such rebellious things that will provoke Van Merikh and his men," Lady Karina continued, gently rubbing her friend's hand between her palms. "They are pure-bred killers and they will not hesitate to do away with you if they believe you are a threat. Do you understand?"

Lady Drosera nodded solemnly, her tears beginning to spill forth from behind the bitterness that was keeping them at bay.

And then she collapsed into Lady Karina's arms, sobbing softly for all that she had lost.

"I have not expressed my gratitude to you for asking Van Merikh to bury Dane." She wept. "I...I have not had the courage to ask you what has become of my son."

Lady Karina's expression dimmed with grief, something she had strongly tried to mask when Lady Drosera lifted her head to look at her.

She remembered Orpheus' words clearly.

The man's answer was vague and she assumed the worst possible scenario.

She had asked him to bury Atticus along with his father, that should have been answered enough that he truly must have done away with the boy.

But was that truly the case?

"I do not know what has become of Atticus," Lady Karina said honestly, softly. "Van Merikh would not speak of it to me, but I have asked him to bury the boy with his father."

Lady Drosera's eyes widened and she burst into loud sobs; her friend struggled to hush her.

"Hush now, my pet," Lady Karina hissed. "There is a host of hardened men upstairs and I do not wish for them to hear you. Please, you must hold back your tears and woes."

"But...but my son..." Lady Drosera gasped.

Lady Karina could feel the woman's pain, rousing anguish within her. She shook her sweet friend gently.

"Do you wish for me to find out what has become of Atticus?"

Lady Drosera nodded, sobbing. And Lady Karina gently released her friend, squaring her shoulders.

"Then I will do so, Rose."

"But Rina..."

"I will find out right this instant if it will help ease your suffering."