Free Web NovelChapter 376: Chapter 376
"Kaz!" His voice rang through the corridors. He called again, louder this time until his voice became hoarse, waiting and expecting Kaz to appear around the corner with that familiar grin, to laugh at the absurdity of such a rumor and ease the crushing weight in his chest.
But only silence answered him.
Seeing his son now, alive and well, would have been all it took to prove that everything written in that missive was false, and Davien desperately needed it to be so.
But Kaz never stepped out. There was no sign of him anywhere in the house.
Davien’s fear spiked to dangerous heights. Panic seeped into his eyes as he turned in slow, disbelieving circles, scanning his surroundings as though his son might suddenly emerge from one of the many doors of the house, laughing at the absurdity of it all. He searched not only for Kaz, but for answers, answers that seemed determined to evade him.
He looked lost, hollowed out, a man already swallowed up by grief even while he still clung tightly to denial. A few of the servants who had been fortunate enough not to attend the banquet the night before paused in their duties to glance at him with open pity before quickly lowering their gazes.
His pulse pounded in his throat as he strode toward the banquet hall. Each step felt heavier than the last. When he reached the doors, he hesitated only briefly before pushing them open.
The truth had begun to take shape in his mind, and it nearly broke him. fгeewebnovёl.com
The bodies had already been removed. The servants had scrubbed and polished the stone floor until their hands blistered, had aired out the hall and righted the overturned chairs. They had done their best to restore the room to what it had been. But no amount of cleaning could erase what had happened there. Dark, rust-colored stains still marred the pale stone, dried blood that had seeped too deeply to be fully washed away. The faint metallic scent lingered stubbornly in the air, clinging to the walls like a silent reminder of the atrocities that were committed right there.
Lord Rycoff came to a halt before one such stain. The pain and sorrow he had been struggling to hold at bay crashed over him in a savage wave, threatening to consume him whole. His knees buckled beneath him, no longer capable of bearing his weight. They struck the cold stone floor with a dull thud, and the backs of his eyes burned as tears gathered, hot and relentless. His entire body trembled, as though the force of his grief had seeped into his bones.
A memory surfaced unbidden, of Kaz only days ago, laughing loudly, strong and vibrant, as healthy and solid as an ox. So full of life. Now, he was simply gone.
A choked sob lodged painfully in Davien’s throat as the first tear spilled down his cheek. His son was gone. Gone, and never coming back.
His boy was dead.
The agony tore through him brutally. He imagined this was what it must feel like to have one’s heart ripped from their chest and crushed before their eyes. There were very few people in this world whom Lord Rycoff truly loved, very few whose absence would have undone him in such a way but his children, all three of them, were his pride and joy. They were the rare goodness in his life, the light that softened the harsher edges of his nature.
And now one of them had been violently, selfishly torn away. Yet even in the depths of his despair, a sliver of relief flickered, small but present. His other two children had been absent from the house the previous night, both of them staying at one of their uncle’s homes. At that moment, he had never been more grateful for anything.
He would have to send word to them. He would have to tell them that their brother was dead. But he could not even rise from the floor.
His grief felt alive inside his chest, a heavy, crushing thing that pressed down on him, stealing his breath.
"I will not rest until I find out who did this to you," he whispered hoarsely, his voice breaking as tears streamed freely down his face. "And when I do, I will make them pay. I swear it. I will punish them all." His vow echoed faintly in the vast hall.
***
A man and an elderly priest stood atop the dais at the front of the chamber. The groom was impeccably dressed, his garments tailored to perfection, rich fabric draping elegantly over broad shoulders. Beside him stood the priest in flowing red robes, the color vivid and commanding. The color of his attire clearly announced his station at the temple where he served.
They waited for the ceremony to commence. The murmurs filling the chamber gradually softened as every gaze turned toward the woman making her way down the aisle.
She walked arm in arm with one of her female relatives, as was customary in Lamora. Her steps were measured and graceful, her chin slightly lifted. She looked radiant in an emerald gown that shimmered subtly when it caught the light. The fabric pooled at her feet and trailed behind her in a gentle sweep, the rich green hue complementing her complexion beautifully. Delicate embroidery adorned the bodice, fine threads woven into beautiful patterns.
By the time she reached the base of the dais, she stood alone. She ascended the steps one at a time, each movement lithe. The groom stepped forward the moment she reached the top and clasped her hand in his. Affection shone openly in his eyes as he smiled down at her, and she returned the gesture, her own smile soft.
They moved to stand opposite one another as the priest began to speak. Between them burned a contained fire, its flames dancing steadily within a hollow pit. It served as a symbolic substitute for the sacred Fire of Marzen that burned within the palace.
