172 Explain Yourself

Coral tightened her fists, her knuckles were turning white as her anger grew, "My daughter died by the hands of Vyrena Blackfire! She's a murderer!"

"What proof do you have? Did you witness it with your own eyes?" Carole roared in anger.

The woman was speechless. She did not have the evidence.

"No… but,"

"If you have no concrete proof, then shut up! I have seen how Vy and Lycster cared for her. Everyone in this town knows of the good that Vyrena had done."

As soon as Carole said that, some of the townsfolk rallied to her side.

"But if she did not, then why did she run away? Why isn't she here right now? Or are you harbouring her here?" the Baron rebutted.

Carole hesitated, she knew how odd the circumstances were and there was too much hearsay to know which one was true and which one was false. The unanswered questions plagued her too. Where were Lycster and Vy? Were they truly as their letter had said, in the Alterra Sector?

Or were they hiding somewhere, uncertain if they could return? Only they had all the answers. But Carole was not going to let this matter rest either.

"Don't you have other better things to do then to make a scene in our town? Who doesn't know that you've been bullying our town for years! If Vy had not called you out, or let you walk free, you would still be in the dungeon beneath our feet," Carole snapped back.

"Yeah!"

"Yeah, that's right!"

"Get out of our town!"

The townsfolk were coming together, backing Carole up. Back under the previous mayor's rule, the stall owners and merchants in Timbretune often shouldered huge losses whenever the Baron or his men came into town.

He and his men would use their authority, their social status to force them to sell them goods at rock bottom prices. All they could do was to suffer in silence. Vy's ownership of the town brought about positive change.

The townsfolk gathered together to push the Baron and his men out of the gates and close it on them. They also pushed Coral out, seeing as how she stood by the Baron's side. Carole pitied the woman sometimes, but she would never be able to understand why a mother would abandon her child just like that.

Caster and his guards did their best to keep the crowd under control. Some of the townsfolk had begun throwing rotten vegetables at the Baron and his men. One of the tomatoes splattered all over his hair and face, causing him to curse out in anger.

When they finally gave up and left the town gates, the crowd dispersed and things went back to normal. Caster let out a sigh and had his guards tighten the security around the town walls, in case they tried something funny again.

As the day drew to a close, Carole and Hazel went over to the chapel where Elette's funeral was held. It was a small chapel in the middle of Grey Oak Cemetery. After her body had been embalmed, she was laid to rest in a brown lacquered coffin lined with light coloured violets.

For the past few days, the townsfolk came forward to bid farewell to the little girl. Markus Duskton, the man whom Vy had brought back to Timbretune was distraught when he heard of Elette's passing.

After he had recovered from his injury from before, he chose to stay in Timbretune. He came to the chapel, like many others to leave flowers for Elette. As it was getting late, there weren't many folks in the chapel anymore. There were flowers and other various items left around the coffin for the girl.

Carole walked up the steps and stood next to the casket.

-What a pity for such a young life to be extinguished just like that.- Carole sighed internally as she slowly shook her head.

She had seen too many people go before her. It never got easy to bear.

"Miss Carole? I thought I might find you here," a voice echoed down the hallway of the chapel. It was Caster, walking towards her. The men that had followed him stood guard at the entrance.

He walked all the way up to Carole's side and said, "I didn't get a chance to thank you earlier, for your help."

Carole shook her head, "I merely said what I wanted to say, nothing more."

Before Caster could reply, Bankster walked into the hall and hurried over to Caster and saluted to him.

"What is it at this hour?" Caster asked.

Bankster was fatigued from running. After he finally caught his breath, he said, "Sir, Lady Blackfire and her brother Lycster has returned."

"What?" Caster asked in shock.

Caster turned to Carole and they both exchanged looks for a moment.

"Miss Vyrena and Lycster have returned?" Hazel asked as she overheard what Bankster had said.

"Yes, they're on their way here right now!"

Just as they were about to leave the chapel to go and look for them, Carole noticed two familiar faces entering the Grey Oak Cemetery. Caster and Hazel also came to the entrance of the chapel just as Vy and Lycster arrived.

"Milady…" Caster greeted Vy when they got to the steps at the chapel entrance.

There was something different about her, but he could not quite pinpoint what it was. Was the scar on her eye new? Or had it always been there and he merely did not notice?

Before he could ask, Carole stepped forward.

Without a word of warning, Carole slapped Vy across the face. Shocking everyone.

Lycster gasped in shock and covered his mouth with his hand. Caster and Hazel were speechless, they could only look in with their mouths wide open. Vy felt the stinging pain on her right cheek.

Vy touched the side of her face. It was bright red. Looking straight at Carole's eyes, she knew exactly why Carole slapped her. She knew she deserved it.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, Vyrena Blackfire," Carole said in a cold hard voice.