Carmilla's hand instantly flew to her mouth.
Archie's shock was not lesser than hers.
Fatima and Linden were equally shock.
Tears dropped from Carmilla's eyes, "Oh my baby."
Archie's hand shook as he tried his best to remain calm.
"Are you saying father that... after everyone had collapsed. After everyone was unable to know anything, she had to go and kill her sister?" Archie asked.
His voice filled with disbelief.
He could only hold Carmilla by the shoulder, but his grip was still tight as he tried to calm not just his wife but himself as well.
"She had spoken of this to the Emperor before she left the Empire. But I know there are still details that she had not spoken of."
'Details she wished for me not to impart to you as well,' he added in his mind.
Fatima was crying as well.
Everyone deemed her as her sister's conspirator that she left before Raynisha went rampant.
That she stayed away because she knew what will be happening.
But no one knows.
Those people who judged her didn't know.
That she was the most hurt not just physically but even emotionally by the attack.
They spoke as if they knew everything.
Acted all high and mighty in condemning her but in the end, she was still the hero.
The real hero of the tragedy 8 years ago.
To kill the killer of their son.
The killer of the other's children.
Wasn't she a hero?
But how painful could that have been for a ten year old child?
That was her sister.
Her one and only sister.
It was a choice, her sister? Or her people?
"Oh my baby," Carmilla repeated.
"That is why, don't be too rush in making her accept that everything was alright. Because she had experienced the worst that she is always expecting it as well."
Asherton understood their pain.
Isn't that why he had rushed to check on her upon finding out?
"And please keep this a secret to the rest of her team, she didn't wish for it to be publicized," he added looking at Fatima and Linden.
"But this matter..." Linden started.
This matter once known by the people will allow their hatred of her to disappear.
Asherton shook his head.
"She didn't want to be slapped in the face over and over again that she had saved the people by killing her own sister. She'd rather be hated for not being present than be adored for killing her beloved person."
They understood then.
The decision of keeping quiet about it was the best for her.
"We will try and talk to Drake to give her a breather. He was adamant of what he had seen, without telling the truth it would be really difficult to change that kid," Linden then said.
"You doing that is more than enough. And you staying with us despite everything was also something we are grateful of," Archie replied.
"I guess, we shall be going for now. Till our next tea time," Fatima spoke and the couple bid them goodbye.
They knew that the sudden news needs to be absorbed by both Carmilla and Archie.
"You can cry all you want now but you must understand, Saphira never wanted you to know this. I only spoke of it because I want you to be sensitive by not pushing her too hard," Asherton spoke to them.
Carmilla and Archie could only nod their heads.
Just how painful is this for the parents who brought them to the world and watched them grow?
Asherton stood and left the two of them on their own.
He will let them absorb the information on their own.
"Have she left already?" he asked the servant upon getting inside.
"She had left right after leaving the garden, sir," was the reply.
Asherton sighed, the truth Saphira knows was too difficult to accept.
'Was she really not affected by it? That they came to show everyone that they have harmonious relationship?' he thought returning to his own room.
On the other hand, Saphira was once again sitting atop another tree close to the palace.
It was overlooking the town.
After leaving their presence she left the house instead of having her breakfast.
She had her hands behind her head as she lean on the trunk while sitting on the branch.
Her red orange hair flow with the wind while her red orange eyes stared ahead but was instead not looking at anything.
'If this was the past me, I would have thought of it as hypocricy. Even though their actions were genuine..'
She sighed heavily.
That's right the old her would have thought of it that way instead of seeing that their actions were genuine.
'I would have thought of it as them trying to act the saint by forgiving the family of the one who killed their beloved son.'
She looked at the town and the people in it.
'That's why I am saying that if it were the past me. But right now I can see it clearly as well. They genuinely didn't want to forgo their relationship because of what had happened.'
Her eyes shifted, 'To accept is the best way to move forward and they did it without much thought.'
She scoffed before going down the tree and even yawned.
She was getting hungry because it was close to noon and she really haven't had anything after leaving their place.
Another sigh escaped her lips when she felt the look everyone was giving her.
"How much is your bun?" she asked at the nearest store.
She didn't bother entering restaurants because she knew what she will receive is nothing but scoffs and angered eyes.
"It has been a while young lady."
She was stunned to hear such warm words that she ended up looking at the seller of the buns.
It was a shock to see that it was someone whom she and Raynisha had always bought from.
She just changed the place of her shop.
"It has been a while grandma," she replied with a genuine happy smile.
"Here you go, this on the house. As a celecration of you returning in one piece."
The grandma was one of the few who never looked at her differently.
"Thank you."