Tale of Four

The music gradually began to change, the lively celebratory tunes becoming slower. Tired guests, mainly older guests, who had left the dance floor, began to return, holding their spouses, but making sure to leave Edmund and Diana plenty of room within the centre. The two stared deep into one another’s eyes, with gentle smiles, lost in their own world and joys. With a slow hand, Edmdudn reached down and rested a hand atop her stomach, his smile growing softer.

Diana grabbed his hand over her stomach before interlocking her fingers into it and lifting it up. The music began, and Lord Wells couldn’t help but slightly frown, quickly fixing his appearance so nothing could ruin the day. Despite that, he leaned closer to Mary, hearing the music that sounded slightly off-tune.

”Was this really the best we could get?” Whispering, Mary sighed. ”I know there have been minor mistakes so far, but in a song like this, it is too obvious.”

”You know artists and musicians always flock to Hampton when war breaks out for protection. It was a miracle I could find anything.” Mary replied, looking towards the group of men playing their instruments with vague familiarity. ”Just tune it out. Watch Edmund and Diana. That’s all that matters. Does anyone else look fazed by it? They all understand the realities.” Mary assured him, but Lord Wells couldn’t help but be mad. It was his son’s wedding, hopefully the only one he would ever have. He wished it were perfect.

Kieran had suggested it be delayed, and whilst he had at first been adamantly against it, fearing what could be said about his grandchild if they were married before it was born, part of him wished he had chosen patience, annoyed that what he knew would be sub-par was.

Focusing on Edmund and Diana, Lord Wells’ eyes followed a few servants who hurriedly paced back and forth, moving silently but quickly to serve the guests, making sure their wine cups never were empty. When they came to him, he shooed them away, not wishing to be drunk on his son’s wedding day.

”Shall we go and dance soon. They should be playing a few of these songs in a row.” Mary thought for a moment and nodded.

”Yes, but let Edmund have his fun first. I know he won’t want to, but it’s tradition, and he will have his dance with me.” Laughing at herself, Mary’s eyes shifted towards Diana. ”It’s a shame her father could not come.”

”Of course, only if she allows me to. I will not try to claim to be her father.”

The music suddenly changed, becoming more lively compared to the slow dance it was originally meant to be. The change was horrid to anyone who enjoyed the arts and partly to those who didn’t care, lacking any subtlety expected of top-class musicians. Edmund and the guests paused for a moment, confused why the mood became festive again, but near instantly the youngest members of the wedding adapted, Edmund included. Lifting Diana up and spinning her around, laughing with bright eyes, trying his best to stay in tune with the music and not letting his joy overflow. The attempt was terrible, but endearing, making the numerous guests laugh and cheer for the couple, it breaking any final confusion about the change.

Lord Wells took a deep breath, subconsciously rubbed his crippled leg, and squeezed Mary’s hand. His wife lovingly squeezed back in reply, understanding his struggles, knowing he wished to do that for her but couldn’t.

”You have given me enough, you silly man.” Mary quietly whispered as a set of servants took their place behind them, serving small plates of food as they cleared the last amount of food.

”You know, I wish I could do more.” Lord Wells replied, getting a playful slap from Mary on his arm. Watching Edmund again, he felt the presence of the servants behind him and turned to look at them. Shooing them away, they hesitated for a moment before backing off, bowing. Lord Wells watched their faces for a moment, frowning, unable to recognise them.

”Did our personal servants take the day off?” Asking, Mary turned to him.

”I grew up with many of my maids. They wanted to celebrate as much as I did. As for yours, you always leave it to Kieran to handle. I’m sure he let them off.” Lord Wells’s frown deepened. Looking back at the servants who walked off after being ushered away, he couldn’t help but feel they lacked the skill necessary.

”They are rather poor.” Lord Wells said. Mary thought for a moment and nodded.

”Yes, but if you are comparing them to those trained by my personal staff, it is not a fair comparison.” Mary groaned, ”Can you stop bothering me with these matters and focus? The dance is coming to an end soon.” Lord Wells nodded but couldn’t focus on Edmund properly, his gaze looking around, watching everything.

Behind numerous guests, servants, some he recognised, others he didn’t, waited, watching. Guards wearing the sigil of House Well stood vigilant, watching whilst those who patrolled did so as queitly as they could, making sure not to interrupt the festivities with the noise of their armour.

Lord Wells rubbed the top of his cane, finding it by his side and turned to the musicians, watching as their eyes peeled away from the music sheets occasionally, scanning the guests. Sighing, he realised he was letting paranoia eat away at him when it shouldn’t. The war had him on edge even if he declared neutrality.

Looking back at Edmund, the music slowly came to an end, making another sudden change in tune, which once more was off to those who enjoyed music. The festive tune became a sombre song, out of place in a wedding, but subtly fitting for the state the realm was in at the moment. Both Edmund and Diana seemed at a loss for a moment at what to do, their smiles not fitting the tone of the song, and simply got closer, deciding on a slow dance, the guests joining in.

Lord Wells took a sip of wine, enjoying its taste, soemthing he had brought out from his personal collection. From behind, two servants once again walked over with covered dishes and waited to serve the two when they finished their current plates. Having been annoyed enough already, he ignored it and let them stand there, realising that the new servants Kieran had hired were less skilled and too eager to please.

Watching Edmund and Diana, they travelled around the floor, rotating and falling into one another. One by one, the musicians lowered their instruments, leaving only the violin to play its sombre song. Lord Wells closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remember what song it was. It sounded like the Tears of the Fox, a song about the exile of the Fox family from the Forest to the Hills, but on closer examination, he heard what it actually was.

’The Mournful Brother. Hardly fitting for a wedding.’ Releasing it was a song made about Azwald and Azmon when Azmon failed to make his brother see reason in his foolishness; he couldn’t help but be disturbed. ’They must not know many songs.’

Lord Wells sighed and opened his eyes, rubbing the end of his cane, thinking about how to take back some of what he had paid for the musicians. There was movement again as some of the servants travelled around, holding covered dishes they had taken from a disconnected table and stood behind his guests. Lord Wells smiled as the music reached its final set of notes. His smile vanished when a rustling from the other musicians interrupted it as they bent down, fiddling with something.

’These incom-’

His eyes widened as the thought in his mind came to an end. The world slowed in his eyes as the musicians rose; the thin smiles they had previously worn were replaced by cold expressions as they lifted crossbows and pointed them towards Edmund and Diana. From behind, two metal trays hit the ground.

Lord Wells didn’t think, acting completely on instinct. Jumping to the side, he pushed Mary over and saw past Edmund. Behind his guest, who sat, the servants holding dishes pulled the tops off, revealing knives. Other servants approached guards from behind, aiming to kill them before they even knew what happened. Others grabbed the guests and plunged the knives through the unsuspecting guests.

”EDMUND!” Lord Wells screamed as he pushed Mary to the ground, taking a deep gash across his back. The pain didn’t register, a wound that was nothing compared to the pain in his leg every day.

Yet it wasn’t that that caused him to freeze. From below, a scream, one filled with agony and terror, echoed acorss the wedding, as Mary watched, trapped beneath her husband as crossbow bolts impaled Diana, her body facing the musicians the moment they fired.

The dance continued for a second longer, neither realising what happened, until the blood flowed down Edmund’s hand and his wife’s agonised cries shattered his ears. The air left Lord Wells’ lungs as a dagger plunged between his shoulders. Blood poured out of his mouth, falling on Mary’s gold hair as she cried, blue smoke escaping her body.

Gritting his teeth, suppressing the pain as rage took over, Lord Wells threw an elbow back, knocking the man behind him to the ground. He tried to stand, but the second assassin aimed for Mary. Moving, he blocked the attack, the knife piercing his shoulder.

The blue bear appeared out of Mary’s body and threw its massive paw, throwing the assassin away. Lord Wells looked to his son, past the other guests on the dance floor who were shot down with bolts, only caring about one thing. His heart froze as a man in a butler uniform snuck behind Diana; Edmund, lost in shock, didn’t notice.

From behind his back, the butler pulled a dagger. Kicking Edmund through her arms to the ground, he covered the woman’s mouth and said soemthing only Edmund could hear, before plunging the knife through her stomach three times, finally slitting her throat afterwards.

The blood seeped through the brown dress. Blood sprayed on Edmund’s body as he looked at his fallen wife with a shaking body, unsure of what was even happening. Lord Wells felt his own gaze darkening as Ted threw the other assassin away. There was a choice, one he dreaded, one he didn’t wish to make.

”Mary...” His voice was breathless, but Mary heard. Looking at her husband, Mary’s tears streamed down her cheeks. Before she could reach out and grab him, Lord Wells bit his lip and pushed her away, pointing towards Edmund. ”Take.... take.... him....” He knew it was possible for her; Ted was able to carry a person. He wished he could flee, but he knew his state. He was dead the moment the knife pierced his back.

Mary cried, but Wells pushed her again and grabbed the table, forcing himself to stand up. Mary looked at him before looking at Edmund, who cumbled on the floor holding his wife and their unborn child. Blood covered his entire body as the assassins moved again.

Much like her husband, Mary knew she had a choice, and Ted answered it. Rushing through the table, it slammed into the assassin before it could kill Edmund, using its body to block the arrow fire from the musicians. Ted forcefully scooped Edmund up, dragging him away as he stared at his wife’s corpse left behind, screaming for her to be taken as well. The cries fell on deaf ears, and as Ted ran towards them, Mary took a deep breath. Stopping to take her would slow Ted in a moment where every second counted.

”The river.” Saying a destination, knowing Edmund could survive underwater if he merged, she forced Ted to run. The blue bear desperately wished to stop, but under Mary’s fierce glare, begging him to run, it forced itself to prioritise Edmund over its summoner.

The further Ted got, the longer it would take for him to be unsommned when she died. Those closest to Mary quickly surrounded her, and just before they could reach Lord Wells, an older man with a fanatical gaze came behind him as the rest of the group finished the wedding guests and encircled them, with two running to chase Edmund.

From behind, Lord Wells felt a knife on his throat as an old voice spoke in his ear devoid of attachment. ”The debt is ours.”

’BLAC-’ Lord Wells heard the scream cut off his thoughts, and grabbing his throat, he fell forward, looking past his guards that surrounded his wife.

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Christian smelt the blood in the air, his gaze hardening when he did. Resting a hand on the ground, the earth wept at what had occurred as visions flashed in his mind of what had happened. Numerous were slaughtered at what should have been a time of joy and blessing. His kind smile cracked, and stepping into the venue, he saw the ground littered with blood and bodies.

His guard quickly surrounded him, watching for any lingering threats, but was pushed aside by Christian as he walked foward towards the seats of the parents. Three people dressed in servant uniforms lay dead on the ground, by their side weapons, and before them Lord Wells, his throat slit; the blood dried up underneath his body, the guards all slowly worn down by the wounds built up on their bodies and Mary.

Leaning down, Christian rested a hand over her eyes. ”Forgive me, Princess.” Hatred engulfed his vision as a deep anger flooded his body. Around him, the plants, trees and grass, as if agreeing with his feelings, began to change. Plants with thorns grew larger, the grass shook violently as if a distant stampede was coming, the trees blew with fury, despite the lack of wind.

Looking at Mary’s body and seeing her face unrecognisable, a knife plunged through it numerous times until her face had been destroyed; he couldn’t help but grind his teeth. ”MY LORD!” A guard called out, and Christian rose. Looking over the saw two standing over the body of a woman in a brown dress. His heart sank for a moment, and walking over, he looked down at the bride, butchered. Seeing the stomach torn open, Christian violently shook.

”She was pregnant.” Under his breath, he spoke, ”Lord Wells made no secret of bragging about his soon-to-be grandchild in his letters.” Kneeling, Christian didn’t care about the blood that soaked into his trousers as he stroked Diana’s face. Unmoving for hours, he only looked up when someone cleared their throat. Seeing the Flatland Lords who rebelled against his family, Christian rose and looked around.

”All of you will stop now.” There was none of the usual joy in Christian voice. ”Your demands will be sent to my family for what it will take, and we will accept. Do not be too greedy, as right now, I am not in the mood, and neither will my father be when he hears what happened to his old friend.” The men didn’t protest, slowly nodding, looking around at the massacre. There was an uneasy silence looming over them as they saw the horror of the sight around them, unable to believe that such a thing could occur. ”Now. Anyone who can tell me who did this will be rewarded with whatever they desire. Whoever committed this massacre will suffer. The Flatlands have been targeted, our conflict weakening us.”Christian said with deep hatred, his fists curling so tight until his palms bled.

”Whoever did this will suffer. Their family, no matter who it is, will not exist in Veston.” With a chilling smile, he clapped his hands. ”It is the least I can do for Lord Wells and the rest here.” Any greed that the Lord had in their demands vanished at hearing Christian tone, their fury at what had occurred mixing with terror at what Christian would do if they continued their rebellion. No one dared to voice any complaints and instead looked around, taking the horror in, pushing away any guilt that they may have allowed such a thing to occur by their actions.

Looking around, Christian noticed soemthing, his anger relaxing ever so slightly. ”Find Edmund Wells. He isn’t here.”

End of Arc 6- War of Stars.