Chapter 271: Their death secrets

"I want you to go out too." said the oracle looking at Cassius. "Only Marianne would stay here" she took my name as if she knew me since ages.

Cassius frowned as he held my hand tightly. He behaved as if we were on the enemy's border and we could get attacked any time.

"I will stay with my wife," he said in an authoritative tone.

"Cassius, go. I want to talk to the oracle." I cut him and tried to get my hand back.

He looked at me dumbfounded, but then his face hardened further.

"No, this place is not safe, and I can not leave you here alone." he said looking around.

It was a dark and crumpled dome with only one fire lamp in the corner that was too dim to see anything. There was something spine chilling and blood curdling here. Even the woman who was talking could not be seen in this darkness.

The room was colder than the whole area as if the sun never peaked in. There were no windows and the door was also covered with heavy drapes.

There was a chuckling sound which terrified the situation further.

"Safe place you say" she started, "do you think your palace is safe, duke? Did not your whole family die easily, were you able to save them? And your wife.. She was killed in her own chamber, what were you able to do? Oh I forgot…" she stopped midway and started chuckling again.

I stood there dumbstruck..

What was the lady talking about? His parents were killed and burned by robbers, the whole empire knew. They were carrying precious jewels and a lot of gold so they were robbed and killed and later burned in case any evidence was left. It was not only them but many rich families who crossed that area in the same week received the same end.

Later after the knights interference and killing all the robber did the path was secured again. And weren't Elizabeth died by sickness. She has been sick for ages. Her body parts rot quickly due to her disease that was the reason she was buried urgently too. It was a famous case of a rare disease which rotted your body parts even when you were alive. 

Then if this woman was telling the truth, had Cassius lied to the whole empire but why? Why would he do that? Should he try to find the culprit and punish him?!

"Cassius, what is the oracle saying? Have your parents and Elizabeth did not die the way i know?'' I asked but he did not reply.

His face was handed and his jaws were clenched.

"Do you believe any woman who would spout nonsense now?" he asked with so much coldness that I never knew could exist in him.

Yet his eyes were clear as if he was telling me the truth.

"I think we need to go from here." he said as he held my hand but i still wanted to know further.

"But then…"

"Marianne.. Do you think i will sit silent and hid the fact if it would have been murder?" he asked tilting his head towards me and then looming straight into my eyes and i shook my head.

He had tough power to punish the culprits then why would he do so? Or he didn't even know like us? He was also fooled to believe lies?

My thoughts turned into a mess as I stood there and kept listening to them.

"I still want to talk to the oracle Cassius." oi said and without waiting for his reply i walked in.

He stood there, neither stopping me nor walking out.

Finally when I sat there I looked at the woman again. A small light falling in her face, she was looking ethereal to me. Her face though old, there was a glow on it. Something that I had never seen before.

She looked at me chuckling too.

"So you finally reached here, you made me wait form a long time?" she asked as if she was waiting for me for centuries.

"How do you know us?'' I asked and she laughed again.

"I know everything you can think of, my dear. But it doesn't mean that you have the right to know everything too. Things are hidden because it was not the right time for you to know about them." she replied, shaking her head.

"What do you mean?" I asked pensively and she laughed.

"This is not the question for which you are here, are you?" she asked as she raised her gans and put it on the center of my forehead.

"What are you doing to her?" I heard Cassius shouting before my eyesight was blurry. My body suddenly felt light. It was like my soul was leaving my body.

It pained so much as if I was dying. My heartbeat turned slower, and soon my eyes closed. 

I stood up with a start. My breaths were shallow and fast. My whole body was covered with sweat. My eyes were still hazy. I rubbed them and blinked a few times to get my vision clear. I looked around and I was not in the dark hut anymore. I was back in the palace but something was not right

The room was not like it was when I left, which was the way I had designed it in my later years.

"Your highness, your highness" I heard the urgent sound and I turned to see Lina running towards me.

My eyes widened as I looked at it. There was no more a young chirping girl, but a middle aged fearful woman. I almost ran and walked towards the silver mirror

My once beautiful black hair has grey hair now and my face that was glowing with youth till a few hours ago had turned aged again.

Was I back in time? No!! Why?! I stood there thunderstruck. I could not believe that it happened to me.