Maric hurriedly strode into the castle. He had not been gone long, but any time spent away from Colette was too much. He headed straight for Kierrai's nursery, knowing that Colette couldn't get enough of their daughter. He couldn't either, to be honest. A small part of him thought it odd that no guards were outside, but it was entirely possible that Colette had sent them away. She always said that their presence made Kierrai moody. He could hear his daughter crying from within, and he froze. That was not her normal cry. Something was wrong. His heart froze, and he was terrified to open the door. He forced himself to do so, and felt the urge to vomit when he did. Kierrai was the first thing he saw, her small mouth open and wailing. She toddled over to him as he entered, and he lifted her into his arms, frozen by the sight of blood all over her clothes and skin. He hurriedly checked her for injuries, and once he realized that she was all right, proceeded further into the room.
"No." he cried as he rounded the corner. Mechanically he set Kierrai in her crib, her wails sharp in his ears. Colette, his Colette, was spread across the floor before the crib, green eyes glassy and throat slit. For a moment, all he could do was stare at her form in disbelief. A mad roaring sound filled his ears, and he realized that it was coming from him. Somehow he had dropped to his knees and held Colette to his chest awkwardly, as a dagger was sticking out of it. His wails drowned out those of his daughter, and the agony of the situation filled his mind with a haze. Distantly he heard footsteps and shouting behind him, and he hoped that it was someone coming to end his life. He had no reason to go on now. He realized that the voice was shouting for guards, and he turned to see Lady Rosalind, weeping at the sight.
His mind in a rabid, furious haze, he lowered Colette's body to the ground before lurching to his feet. He did not know how he crossed the room so quickly, but suddenly he slammed Rosalind against the wall.
"Who did this?" he yelled, slamming her against the wall again. He heard a cracking sound like bones breaking but he didn't stop. "TELL ME WHO DID THIS!" He roared.
"I don't know, Maric! I don't know who did this! Maric, please stop!" Rosalind was shouting. The anguish in her voice stuck in his mind, and he finally stopped slamming her against the wall. He looked at her for a long time. She was completely disheveled from his violent attack, and blood was flowing out her nose. What had he done? Rosalind had been a friend for years, she did not deserve this. She would never hurt Colette. He continued to stare at her as she continued to cry. Kierrai's cries still sounded behind him. Gently he set her on the ground and turned back to hold Colette, rocking her back and forth as he wailed along with his daughter. After an instant, or maybe an hour, he felt hands trying to pull him away.
"No!" he cried.
"You must let go of her, your majesty."
"No! Colette! My Colette!" he roared as the guards succeeded in pulling him away. He could see her blood all over him, and he felt cold. He turned and saw that Rosalind had been healed by the castle mage and was holding a crying Kierrai in her arms. Their eyes met, and he could see that she, too, had been weeping. "Why her?" was all that he could say. His words caused her to cry even harder. It seemed that no one would have an answer for him. Colette was dead, just a few weeks before they were to wed, and he had no reason why.