Author's Note: I am, yet again, apologizing for a very late update. My excuse this time is being addicted to Supernatural. I guess tumblr influenced me to check the show out and I instantly jumped into the hellhole, downloaded all the episodes, and watched ten years' worth of heartbreaks and plot twists in a matter of three weeks. Now I am dreading to watch the episode to come this week. Any fans here as well? Anyway, here is another chapter which I hope you will enjoy! (I still DO NOT own Game of Thrones)
Long Live the Boy-King
Chapter Twenty-eight: Reborn in Defeat
Corabella's Point of View
I don't remember falling asleep. In fact, my memories of the past few hours are muddled up and my head hurts when I try to remember where I am. I am once again engulfed in darkness, once again in the middle of nowhere. There was nothing to see, just pure pitch black. I can't move either. Am I dead? No, I can feel my heart beating.
Thump, thump, thump.
Slowly, I tried to move my fingers even though I have no idea if they're still there. Easy now. Yes, I still have ten on each hand. My palms are sweaty, too.
Suddenly, I hear a faint sound in the distance. Good, I guess. I still have the sense of hearing. The sound grew much more concrete. It's like a fingernail being tapped against wood. There was no pattern to the taps, no rhythm. It moved closer and closer, vanished, then resumed once more. This time, it was like a dull pin trying to punch a hole on the surface of a glass. Twenty-four little taps, I counted in my head, but like before, it stopped.
There was something pecking on my cheek.
"Ah!" In an instant, I saw bright light coming from my windows, from the balcony, but I was alone. I sat up immediately and felt the springs on my bed bob up and down from my rushed moved. I looked around and realized that I am in my room. It's about noon now, judging by the sun's harsh rays. I must have overslept. Strange because I am an early riser.
"Ouch," I gasped when the white Raven beside me pecked on the back of my hand. "Sussurratore." Abrielle's Raven visited once again. It's been a while since we last talked. The last message I sent her was before the… Before the… my head throbbed and sent a jolt of pain up to the tips of my fingers. I plamed the back of my head which hurt the most. "I'm patched up?" The Raven tilted its head to the side as if curious of my current state.
I shook the feeling off and propped my legs down on the side of my bed. The Raven presented me the parchment rolled on its leg and I proceeded to untie it and roll it open.
Auntie
My sister, Abrielle, is unable to reply to you as she is quite worked up with the new baby but I assure you that all of us here are praying for Corabella's recovery. We hope she wakes up soon. But please, Auntie, don't neglect your health. In moments like these, I'm sure you are devoting most of your time to taking care of her however, she wouldn't like it either if you fall ill. We will be awaiting your return soon.
Kisses from Bedoco,
Glendon
"We hope she wakes up soon? What does that mean?" I asked mostly myself.
As if on cue, my brother, Gino, opened the door to my chambers while holding a tray of food. He was too focused on balancing the thing on his hands that he didn't notice me until he sat it down on the nearby table. The moment he turned, his face grew pale and his jaw touched the ground. "Sorella?"
I stepped off of my bed with cautiousness and faced my brother. It felt like eons since I last saw him. He kept growing each day. "Ciao, Fratellino."
It took only a couple of steps for him to take me in his arms, giving me the warmest embrace I've received in quite a while. He even carried me up for a few seconds which made me giggle in delight. "You're awake! Finally. Everyone's so worried, Sister. Mother isn't even eating for days." Well, I guess Glendon was right about that.
Gino put me down and rested his hands on my hips. I took a long look on his face and even palmed one of his cheeks. He looks more like Father now. "Oh, Fratellino. You look so grown-up now. Remind me again that you're younger than I am." At this, he laughed. "Where are the others?"
"Right!" Gino exclaimed, letting go of me. "Father is talking to the Small Council at this moment and Mother is taking care of Cosimo."
"Why? What's wrong with Cosimo?" I asked frantically. "Is he hurt?"
Gino smiled sadly which made me worry even more. "No. Cosimo is fine. He just grew like I did and he's having trouble walking but he's alright. Mother, too." I let a loud sigh of relief escape from my lips. Somehow, I felt like a heavy weight has been lifted off my shoulders. The sight of my brother made me feel better as well.
Gino eyed the bird patiently waiting on my bed and quickly approached him by the time he recognized who it was. "Sussurratore," he called before sitting down beside him. I plucked a biscuit from the plate that Gino was carrying earlier and handed it to him. He started breaking it off into little pieces and fed it to the Raven. "Abrielle wrote?" Gino asked.
"Ugh, no," I replied. "It's Glendon and it's addressed to Mother."
"Of course. She's been the one writing to Bedoco ever since you…" Gino and I looked at each other depressingly. The weight returned once more. I hate feeling like this, so vulnerable and so confused. I can piece together information in my head. Something is wrong with me. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have."
"No, no. It's okay," I countered while sitting down in front of my desk to write a reply to Glendon. "Although, I have to ask," I started, curiously. "How long have I been unconscious?"
It took a moment for Gino to reply. I did not dare turn around to meet his sad gaze again even though everything is alright now. "Today would have been the seventh day.
Tywin's Point of View
"You summoned me?" Ferardo remarked as soon as he stepped into the room. I nodded my head and gestured for him to sit down beside me. He pulled out a chair carefully and faced the rest of the Small Council. "I'm not sure why I should be here. Isn't this supposed to be a private meeting?"
"Yes, it is," I answered. "And I personally invited you to join us." Varys and Maester Pycelle nodded their heads to vouch for my claim although, the younger Lord still looks uncomfortable. "Very well then, now that we are all here, I would like to finally address the recent event concerning the Crown's and the Doreen's safety."
"What about it?" Ferardo inquired once more. "Is there a problem? Is my family in danger?"
Varys smirked before opening his mouth to speak. "There are rumors, my Lord, I'm afraid," he started. Ferardo's brows furrowed. "You see, after the tourney, everyone was disappointed of the outcome. I mean, no one expected the young Lady Doreen to go against Lord Rosby, which, I may add, wasn't listed as one of the ten Lords."
"Vary's spies—"
"My, Lord," Varys interrupted. "I suggest we refer to them as my little birds. 'Spies' is intimidating, don't you think?" I only gave him a stern look which made him grimace.
I turned to Ferardo again. "There is word in the city that Massey will be assembling his men to march towards King's Landing and claim your daughter. Of course, we need to prepare if this was to happen."
"Massey?" Ferardo asked in surprise. "What does he have to do with this? Isn't it supposed to be Rosby since he was the last one that my daughter fought with?"
"You need not to worry about Rosby," I countered. "They are indifferent to the affairs of the Royal family and their allies." I coughed. "However, Massey is known to be a hotheaded idiot who plunges his sword to someone's person before asking questions."
"These are rumors, though, my Lord," Varys supplied with yet another smirk that irritated me more. "My little birds only heard this from the people of the city and no sources of mine claimed to hear anything from Massey's side."
"Still, we need to prepare. That is why I called you out here."
"What do you want me to do?" Ferardo asked, now red-faced in anger, I presume.
"Well, I am aware of the quality of your weaponry," I said. "And since you are involved in a possible war, might as well help the Crown."
"No," he replied with a cold voice and even colder stare. "I am going back to Bedoco and I'll bring my family with me. We have no business in this place anymore."
I raised an eyebrow in both frustration and mild surprise. "I didn't take you for a coward, boy. You very well know that this is your daughter's doing, and by extension, yours. Do you really want to endanger the Royal family's life just to save your ass?"
"Listen to me," I stood up in a quick move, letting the legs of his chair scratch the floor. He pounded the table as well, waking us up a bit more. "I know what I did, what my daughter did, and I apologize for it but look at what my family has become! My daughter is still unconscious and no one can even assure me if she will ever wake up again. My wife is starving herself, killing herself slowly because she desperately want to see our daughter wake up. And my sons! They are still so young and now they're little lives are even more complicated after witnessing all of this chaos. If I don't go back to Bedoco, I will lose my mind as well. My family is important to me and you know that, Tywin."
Silence. Each of us grew quiet. I can't form coherent sentences to further back my point up and I think neither of my companions as well. Not Maester Pycelle, though.
"My Lord, forgive me," he started slowly due to old age. "But I have examined your daughter for almost a week now. If you are to go back to Bedoco, I don't think she will make it in time. Staying here in my care would be the best option at least for now."
"I still refuse." Looking at Ferardo, I saw a stranger. His ice cold glare was replaced with something much more depressing. His face dropped and every feature of his said nothing but defeat. He lost all hope. He is submitting to reality. "I want my family back in Bedoco. If my daughter doesn't make it, I might as well bury her in the land of my ancestors." He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry but I will not change my mind."
We all watched Ferardo walk back to the door slowly. Only, when he was about to reach for the handle, the door was thrown open and revealed his wife with streaks of tears on her face. "Ferardo! Ferardo! Corabella is awake!"
Author's Note: Please, please, please do leave reviews and suggestions for this story. I keep running out of ideas on how to move this forward so your input would be much appreciated. Thank you!
