174 She Will Be Missed

Looking over to Vy, Carole realised how much older she looked. It felt like it was just yesterday that they had met for the first time. She had looked so young, so full of life. Something about her had changed.

It was at this point that Carole noticed the injury around Vy's eye.

How could she have overlooked that?

Thinking back to the previous time she had seen Lycster, something was not quite right either. Was he missing an arm?

How and when did all of this happen?

Carole began to regret slapping Vy across the face. It was like rubbing salt on Vy's wounds.

"I'm sorry for the slap," Carole apologised as she looked towards the side.

Carole had been so focused on her own emotions that she failed to notice the pain that Vy and Lycster had gone through. To have suffered such injuries and witness Elette's death first hand must have taken a toll on both of them.

None of it could have been easy to bear. Especially for Lycster, he was just a boy!

Vy was surprised by Carole's apology. Subconsciously, Vy touched her cheek where she had been slapped.

"I deserved it," Vy said as she warmed both her hands around her cup, watching the steam dissipate into the air.

Caster could not find the right moment to join the conversation. He could tell that Vyrena and Lycster had been through a lot. How could a simple trip to the Capital turn into such a tragedy?

"According to what Hazel told us, something happened on the night of the Ball?" Caster finally asked.

Vy nodded. She took in a deep breath of fresh air and told them everything. She left no stone unturned. Everyone listened in silence. When Vy got to the part about Elette's death, her voice broke and wavered. But Vy kept going. She finished her story with Dotty's sacrifice and their escape into the night.

"That princess sounds like a bitch," Carole commented.

How could someone use another as a shield? Let alone a child? The lack of concern for life did not sound like something any princess should do. Aren't they usually supposed to be kind-hearted? Placing the welfare of the people first?

To have survived such an ordeal was not easy either. They escaped, but where could they go?

"With those injuries, where did you go?" Caster asked.

Vy continued her story, about how she managed to get Lycster and herself to the Alterra Sector in the Elves Alliance. She spoke of Nayla and the elves who helped them to heal.

"Lycster's arm, they couldn't heal it?" Carole asked eagerly.

Vy shook her head, she bit her lip, "It was too mangled, beyond repair. They tried to rebuild it but the materials they gathered were insufficient."

She continued her tale as she recounted the offer she received from Future Eye and her intentions on fulfilling their requests. That way, her brother would be able to get a new arm.

"But if even the Elves couldn't do anything, what makes you think they can?" Caster remarked, "For all you know, they could just be using you."

Vy had considered that before. The likelihood of it happening was high, she could not deny it. But if there was even a sliver of hope that they could deliver on their promise, Vy was willing to take that chance with them. The uncertainty of the final task unnerved her, but Vy was not a docile sheep either.

There were many things about Future Eye that intrigued her. Their mysterious ways made Vy wonder if they might have come from another Kingdom or country where they were more advanced compared to the Arkwing Kingdom.

"It's a risk I am willing to take," Vy replied as she took another sip of her tea.

The benefits simply outweighed the bad.

For now, all Vy wanted was to ensure that Elette would receive a proper burial so that she may rest in peace. It was at this point that Carole and Caster informed Vy of the Baron's most recent visit alongside Coral, Elette's mother.

"Coral made her decision when she abandoned Elette. But I will not deny a mother her right to be at the funeral of her child. Elette is part of the Blackfire family and so she will be buried here in Timbretune," Vy made her statement.

The next day, Vy and Lycster woke up early and dressed all in black for Elette's funeral. Vy had little sleep. After her chat with Carole and Caster, she had returned home. But no matter how much she tossed and turned in bed, she could not fall asleep.

Even with the blanket that covered her body, she felt alone. She felt cold.

At the cemetery, only a selected few were invited to attend the funeral. This included Vy, Lycster, Carole, Caster, Hazel and Markus. All of them were dressed in black clothing. The sky above them was overcast, covering the cemetery in shadow.

Seeing everyone that attended brought Vy immense guilt. Coupled with her sleepless night, she felt as if she had aged years in the span of a night. When the coffin was lowered into the ground, everyone maintained their silence.

Some whispered prayers under their breath, others wiped their tears with their hands.

Vy stood out from the small gathering. She wanted to give a eulogy. Though she had nothing prepared ahead of time, the words flowed naturally from the tip of her tongue.

"Elette was a bright young girl. So full of life. Her smile could easily brighten your darkest day. She was taken from us all too soon. But we must keep smiling, in her memory," Vy said, trying hard to keep her voice steady.

As she looked down at the coffin that was laid in the ground, she continued, "May she find peace and have a beautiful long life in her next. She will be missed."

Vy looked over to Lycster, both of them with tears in their eyes, "She will always be our little sister."

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