"I know, I just wanted to take a walk" replied Clove as she looked at Azazel, suddenly she did not seem to be that scared of him that much, maybe it was because he had saved her, or because he was somewhat her former husband, regardless Clove just felt weird about the whole matter.
Azazel narrowed his eyes at Clove, she did not answer him with a stammer like she usually did, she just answered his question, there was something weird about her now, he just did not know what.
"You know the rules, no coming out after midnight, and that goes for you especially" said Azazel, knowing fully well that Selene would want revenge for how he scolded her and she would actually dare disobey him and kill her.
"Why? Because Selene wants to kill me?" asked Clove.
"You know that, then you should go back to your room" said Azazel as Clove scoffed internally.
"How come she wants to kill me? What did I ever do to her that makes her want to kill me?" asked Clove as she was just angry honestly, Selene had tried to kill her once and had succeeded, and now she was trying to get rid of her a second time, and for what??
Azazel just looked at Clove, he could sense her anger, it was understandable, she had almost drowned, Azazel did not even know what came over him, he just had an urge that he had to save her no matter what, and he had never felt that for anybody before.
"You should not mind her, I have already put her in her place, if she dares try harm you again, she will suffer for it grievously" said Azazel as Clove scoffed, as if she could really take his word for it, he and Selene were the same, there was no difference between them, that was why they got along so well.
Azazel could see that Clove was not taking this well, and it worried him, but he did not let it show.
"How do you feel?" asked Azazel as Clove looked at him In surprise wondering if she had heard him well.
"I am fine, considering I almost drowned" said Clove, she was honestly just thankful to be alive.
"Why did you save me?" asked Clove as she really wanted to know why, it was bugging her, did he remember her or what? She doubted it, but then again, she knew nothing.
"Why do you change your appearance?" asked Azazel instead of answering her question as Clove felt a shiver run down her spine.
Azazel was not comfortable with answering her question, he himself did not know why, but he thought that he did, which was why he asked her another question in order not to answer hers.
"I do…I…" said Clove as she did not know what to say, she was caught already.
"I prefer to look like this…" replied Clove as she realized that if he did not know who she was right now, then she was safe for now.
Azazel obviously knew that she was lying, but he did not want to pry any further knowing fully well that he would not like to hear the real truth.
Clove heard her breath as Azazel said nothing and he just stared at her, and she looked at him, she could tell that he didn't believe her.
Clove and Azazel just continued to stare at each other, Clove wondered what the circumstances in her past were for her to end up marrying Azazel and having a child with him?
The mere thought was confusing, she knew herself, and she knew that she would never go with the traitor no matter what, but then again, she did not know if she was different before, maybe she was just as wicked as he was before, that just made her feel so sick, she had always done good, and to think that there was once a time she did bad made her feel terrible.
And Azazel, she wondered if he did actually love his wife, Nia did say that because of what happened, Selene framed Annie, and Azazel blamed her for it.
Clove's mind was raging, it had been doing so for the entire day today, Clove shivered when the cool wind blew and she snapped out of her thoughts, remembering that they were still outside.
"Go to your room now, and do not come out of It till morning" came Azazel's cold voice as Clove did not need to be told twice, she turned around and walked away as Azazel watched her leave, realizing that there was something here that he was missing.
…
The next day.
"My lady, you need to stay very close to me, and we only have an hour that Hunter can cover for us" said Nia.
"Does he know where and why we are going?" asked Clove.
"Well not really, I told him that I wanted to go and pay my respects to you" said Nia.
"We need to go now my lady" said Nia.
"I know Nia, and I told you, stop calling me your lady, just call me Clove" said Clove as she looked at Nia and she shook her head.
"I am sorry my lady, but I cannot do that, I respect you too much" said Nia as Clove shook her head.
"Nia, I want to ask you something, and promise me that you answer me honestly" said Clove.
"I promise my lady" replied Nia with a nod.
"Nia, tell me was I a good person… before?" asked Clove as she looked at Nia.
"Yes my lady you were nothing but nice to me" replied Nia.
"I don't mean nice Nia, I mean good, was I good?" asked Clove.
"My lady, you are the most kind hearted person that I know, and even though you admitted to making some mistakes, you wanted nothing more than to correct them, even though you did some things that you regret, you tried to do everything in your power to fix them, and that to make, makes you a good person" replied Nia as Clove just looked at her.
"Can we go now my lady?" asked Nia as Clove nodded.
…
"My lady, we are here" said Nia as Clove looked up and she took a deep breath as she followed behind Nia who led the way.
It was a hot sunny day in Kadama, and the barren plain was dry and desolate as always.
Clove looked around, she had never actually been here before, or rather, she had been in the past, but she just did not remember, this place just felt so empty and dry.
Clove looked at Nia who stopped walking when she saw a white gate and fence covered in rose bushes, it just looked so out of place.
The vibrant, healthy vines and beautiful white fence in contrast to the dry barren land around them.
"My lady, are you coming?" asked Nia as she looked rather lost and hesitant to go any further.
"Yes… I am" replied Clove as she snapped out of her thoughts and nodded her as Nia opened the gate of the fence and moved aside for Clove to pass through first.
Clove walked through the gate as she saw even more flowers inside than outside, it looked like a beautiful garden and honestly if she was not here to see a grave, she would find this place rather relaxing.
"My lady, I can leave you alone if you want" said Nia as Clove looked at her and nodded.
"Alright my lady, I will be outside, call me if you need anything" said Nia as Clove nodded and Nia smiled and she left.
Clove took a deep breath as she looked around, she did not want to immediately go to the grave, she wanted to stall for as much time as possible, so she took a look at all the beautiful flowers, wondering if Azazel had planted them as well, which would have been very likely.
Clove sighed to herself as she knew that she and Nia did not have lots of time to waste, so she braced herself and walked slowly to the grave.
Clove was thinking to herself, she could leave and turn back right now, and nothing in her life would change, she could pretend that she did not find out all of this and she could go on living her life and she would be her normal self.
But another part of her wanted to find out the truth, she wanted to know the truth, even though she was sure that she would regret it.
Clove stopped in front of the base of the grave, as her eyes caught the gravestone that was read "Clove a woman who deserved more"
Clove felt her heart squeeze as she looked at the grave, it just gave her such a weird feeling, to know that she was buried down there, her decomposing body was right under there, it made her feel scared to know that she had died once, and yet for some reason she was back.
Clove felt something telling her to move closer, but she did not want to, she just stood there, looking.
She took a deep breath as she walked closer to the grave and she bent down and touched the gravestone, it was funny how delicate life was, you could leave, and just leave everything behind.
Clove just kept on staring as she moved her hand to touch the grave directly and she gasped as she felt a wave of darkness wash over her and she blinked her eyes repeatedly as her vision returned to her.
Clove tried to stand up but she could not, her voice was ceased and she as if her soul was being pulled down into the grave.
She could feel her soul leaving her body and entering the grave as everything went dark again.
Clove opened her eyes as she saw herself somewhere else, she was no longer in the garden, in a strange place filled with darkness, she could not move, neither could she speak.
Clove looked around when suddenly, a bright light flashed at her and that caused her to open her eyes as she saw herself, but she was younger, and smiling, talking with her parents.
Clove could guess that she was looking at memories right now, Clove saw another door as everything looked muddled, and she walked through that door as she seemed to be passing several other memories, until all the memories stopped and she found herself in someplace else.
Clove watched herself who was busy smiling and happy as she was carrying a baby and singing, the baby was a baby girl.
Clove felt her heart break, she felt all her memories coming back to her, and it made her begin to cry as she heard a voice calling her name and she felt the entire place shaking.
Clove gasped as she opened her eyes only to hear Nia calling her and shaking her to wake up.
"My lady, are you okay?" asked Nia in worry as Clove looked at her.
"I am fine Nia" said Clove as she sniffed and she stood up, while looking at Nia.
"My lady are you sure? You look very pale" asked Nia in worry.
"Nia, I am fine… and I remember everything..." said Clove.
"You do??" asked Nia in surprise.
"Yes I do, and I need to get back home right now…" said Clove as Nia nodded.
…
"Ahh you cannot imagine the peace and quiet we are enjoying now that the blondie is gone" said Maddie happily as she walked into the lounge where Annie and Matt were as she sat beside Annie and Annie looked at her.
"Of course only you would think like that Maddie" replied Annie as she shook her head.
"I still can't believe that you actually convinced him to go back home" said Annie.
"I was still thinking the same thing" replied Matt.
"Well I have my ways" replied Maddie proudly.
"Hmm I doubt that…" said Matt.
"The Maddie I know wouldn't get herself involved in the matters of others, especially in the matters of people she doesn't like" said Matt.
"Right Matt?? I agree with you, Maddie wouldn't usually get herself involved in other people's problems, especially when it has to do with the royal family, which she believes are shallow, and ordinary" replied Annie.
"Ahh you both know me so well, you see I just felt like I had to step in and help a family" replied Maddie with a smile.
"Hmm right, stop lying Maddie, since when were you so considerate towards the problems of others, I know, you, so spill the truth" said Matt as he was genuinely curious as to why Maddie would involve herself in Ollie's family matter.
"Oh alright you got me" said Maddie as Annie laughed.
"I did it because I hated seeing his mother around here all the time, that woman gives me the creeps with the way she stares at me, and her remarks are just uncalled for and weird, I didn't want her over here anymore, and for that to happen, that blondie needed to go" replied Maddie.
"I knew it, I knew there was a reason for you stepping in" said Matt as Annie laughed.
"I agree with that, the Maddie I know won't just do anything for no reason" said Annie.
"Gosh, you make it sound like I am that horrible, I cannot argue with that though" replied Maddie as they all laughed.
"I'm going to go reply to Evie's letter" said Matt as he stood up.
"She sent a letter?" asked Maddie as Matt nodded.
"Well then, tell her I say hi" replied Maddie with a smile.
"Will do" said Matt as he smiled.
"Wait, I'm coming with you, I want to write a letter to her as well" said Annie as she stood up.
"Okay then" said Matt as he smiled.
"Gosh, they should really invent magic phones or something, I really hate this letter sending thing" said Maddie as Annie and Matt laughed as they left the room.
"Well now I wonder what I am going to do with my afternoon" said Maddie to herself as she stood up and walked to the shelf and she heard the door of the room open again.
"Annie is that you?" asked Maddie as she picked up a book.
"No" replied a familiar voice as that caused Maddie to turn around quickly.
"Clove, you are back!" said Maddie in excitement and surprise as she saw Clove standing right across her.
"What are you doing here?" asked Maddie as her wave of excitement passed and she realized that Clove did not tell her that she was coming over today, and it did not help that Clove was just standing there, saying nothing as she looked at her weirdly.
"What's wrong?" asked Maddie as she was startled by Clove's quietness, this was unlike Clove.
"Did something happen?" asked Maddie in worry as she walked closer to Clove.
"Are you unwell, are you alright, did Azazel do something to you? What's wrong?" asked Maddie in serious worry as she touched Clove's forehead, trying to find out what was wrong as her genuine concern made Clove start to cry.
"Maddie, my daughter, I am so sorry, so sorry…" said Clove with tears dropping from her eyes as her sudden words caused Maddie to be surprised as she moved away in shock and froze.