The noise had gone down to a hush. Lilli raised her head after a long while.
"Is-Is it over?" She rasped, voice rough from screaming and crying.
As if to respond, a large thud came from the front of the castle. As fast as possible, Lilli dashed to see what was happening. A large dragon on its side was being carted out of the gates. blood poured from a large wound on its throat. They… they killed it! Lilli felt immense relief, but also something else. A pang. Dragons were normally protectors of the land, so everyone treasured them and saw them as mighty beings. Now Furinhie had one dragon left, so it would be viewed as weak or lesser by other kingdoms. The adults had taught her too many times about the dragons as a symbol of status and greatness to feel completely happy about this one's death. But it caused so much destruction and hurt…
Lilli tugged on a knight's arm, which was being used to pull close the gates. "Where is Adder?"
The knight turned and revealed a strange expression on his face Lilli couldn't interpret. He opened his mouth to say something, but it seemed he couldn't find the words. He furrowed his brows and pointed.
Lilli turned. The Grand Duke and Duchess were bent over a shape on the ground, which was almost completely covered in red and mangled to the point where Lilli couldn't recognise what it was at the distance she was at. The shape didn't move, or show any signs of life. It just lay there as if to say "hope is lost."
Lilli very slowly inched forward, only the soft woosh of the wind heard. She braced herself for what she would see, every bone in her body stiff as a board. It's not true, It's not true. It's. Not. True.
She looked, ever so carefully. And there was his face, the only part left practically untouched. He almost looked asleep, mouth open as if to snore-a habit of his. Lilli let out a choked laugh.
"I told you not to die, dummy." She brought her hand close to caress his face. The Duchess, to her left, let out a small gasp, as if the touch hurt her. She then covered her face with her cloth napkin she kept. Lilli gave her a reassuring rub on the shoulder, even though she was just as broken.
Observing the rest of him painfully, Lilli noticed the gaping hole where his heart would've been. Shards of what looked like glass were inside of it, amongst other debris. That must have been what…killed him. Lilli stuck out a tentative hand to the wound.
The Grand Duke grabbed Lilli's wrist in a flash. It felt as If the bone might break.
"Ouch!"
"My apologies… but don't touch the… well you know," The Duke, who had been silent up until now, sobbed.
"Sorry," she barely murmured.
A knight approached. "Sir," was all he said before handing a white sheet to the Duke. He grabbed it, and then layed it over the young prince. He hugged the boy tightly, then lifted him with both his arms, one under the corpse's knees, and the other near his neck. The Duchess grabbed her husband tightly, grabbing Lilli's hand.
"Come, we must prepare for his burial. It may be hard, but I think you want to come, yes?" The duchess said, her voice harsh and hollow.
Lilli nodded barely, now almost numb with grief.