"If your spawn's death wasn't enough to teach you a lesson, I thought maybe your precious guard would" the words were said with a sneer; lips stained prettily in rouge and drowned out by the vibrant red dress. She hazily stared up at her; pale and shaky, a shadow of her former beauty.
They made quite a sight.
"... Lady Estelliefa..." she would have spat if she could. But there was nothing for her to spit out- her throat burned from the ashes of the dead maids corpses smeared with gasoline, lighting the Cold Palace with vibrancy.
"How dare you insult Consort Estelliefa!" the maid beside her screamed, rabid with anger and nothing righteous was there - Aria knew that very well and she would have scoffed if she had the strength to but she didn't.
"Shut up Nellie, let the bitch have her moments before she dies" the smirk lifted higher, and she motioned with her left hand, nails tipped long and gold plating it. The men standing behind her swung the broken pillar off its final perch and she saw it, slowly coming to her death.
CRUNCH
"I hope your worthless whoring life was worth it!" Consort Estelliefa cackled, the sound louder than her scream of terror and pain as the pillar crushed the bottom half of her body. She felt the tears rush, weakening her eyes and she screamed again.
"JULIE SOPHIRNA ESTELLIEFA!"
The woman sauntered away, head held high and arms in her sleeves and she cackled along with her maids. The men gave her pitying looks but left anyways, not bothering to help and she felt the bitterness recede. Only pain and rejection was felt.
Sluggishly, she could feel her life force slowly ebbing away and vanishing. The blood pooling behind her was soaking into her pale blue nightgown and she saw, with her own silver eyes, how much warmth she felt in that moment than she had ever felt in her entire life married to the King of Sidhar Valiya.
Giving up on moving, she closed her eyelids and welcomed the creeping dulling pain, looking for the moments of happiness fate had graciously let her have and mulling over her life then; accepting that she herself had asked for this.
Aria Ritsebaron had grown up being the middle child of six children of the Ritsebaron noble household. Out of everyone else, she didn't ask for a lot - dealing with overbearing older brothers and spoiled younger brothers and sisters did that to you. Her father loved her dearly but she lost him as fast as her reality of having a loving married life with Estian Vaglisse caught up with her. Estian did not love. He possessed. She had fallen in love with him the first time she saw him. And then she had her bundle of joy, Lucius.
But before that, she had to endure the hardship of Lady Julie Sophirna Estelliefa. Daughter to a mere baron but cunning to a fault, Julie had placed herself firmly into Estian's life and seduced him, making him chase after her like it was a game. She had thought that it was only to that extent. But it was never simple with Julie.
In Sidhar Valiya, the existence of holy magic and cultivation was normal. Everyone had magic. Whether little or none. But the most coveted had been Purifying Auras and Julie was one of the few who had them. Naturally Julie used this to her advantage - she presented herself as Saintess from Neinheim and did Saintess duties. The church supported her and soon rumours of the Cold King and their relationship came through. By then she was pregnant with little Lucius. By then she was nothing more but a degraded Consort and even her child was considered a disgrace. But she did her best. She had to do the best for Lucius.
'Mama when can we see Father?' she stopped stroking his hair - silver and she hated it, once upon a time but now she could say nothing.
'You will soon'
That was the last conversation she had before she found his body floating in the ice cold pond of the Cold Palace. She had screamed every night since then, convinced her baby's death was not a result of misbehaving and falling into the pond and drowning. He had been ten then but he was his mommy's smart boy. He knew why he shouldn't have done certain things. His body was also bruised in places where it shouldn't be - his neck, his chest and his shoulders. All deep purple.
She hacked suddenly, blood spilling out of her mouth as the pillar moved slightly, squishing her intestines and she would have laughed then. Her body would've make fine soup for the King to feast on - at least then that would be one of the times she would have successfully captured his attention. The Cold King drinking soup made from the prostitute Consort's own organs sounded funny.
The King. How laughable. She had thought of herself worthy of his love. Of his fidelity. But all that served to show her was his heart was unobtainable. Whatever trauma he had faced must have done so. Consort Estelliefa may have the marriage and the attention but Aria knows that when it came to love, the King did not have the spare to share it to her. The Consort shouldn't be so foolish to think the King actually care beyond her abilities and what it can do for the Kingdom.
The beam has now crashed next to her. If she had been healthy and able, she would've flinched. But all she did was smile and mutter silly things - "The wood shall join me. You be my companion" - she closed her eyes again, tired and weary and in pain and and AND AND ANDANDANDANDANDANDANDANDANDANDANDANDAND.....
She wished.
'The Lord that watched me as I cried'
Revive my times with my precious ones
'The bird that sends me the songs you've sung at night'
If I could change, give me the chance
'The lion stalking me through the savannah'
I'll turn the time back and sacrifice my happiness
'The Moon that blesses me with its light'
I'll exchange my worthless love... for the King... and survive