Courage for a Farewell

Frill stood still and stared blankly at her father’s tomb, not really thinking of anything in particular. Beside the grandiose gravestone, workers were digging a grave for Liona. She would be cremated, and her ashes would be kept in the shrine inside the manor, so this particular grave was smaller, serving only to be a reminder that her sister once lived.

Frill tried to imagine Liona’s gravestone beside their father’s. She couldn’t stomach the picture, and so she stopped thinking entirely.

Veli Manor had a luxuriously large courtyard, almost five times larger compared to Minaveil Manor. And the green rays of the sun elevated the vibrant shine of Celosia’s garden. Frill had not seen this view for three years, but even that was not enough to distract her from remaining completely blank.

The graves were at the far east of the courtyard. Celosia had had the garden done so that it felt like entering a shrine rather than a graveyard. This was different to the one inside the manor proper where they kept the family’s ashes. The one here was for the gravestones.

There were currently two stones. The first one, Frill already saw, was for Histrom Veli’s tomb.

Histrom was a Royal Knight charged with the king’s assault force, and Captain Garm’s brother-at-arms. He had fought during the eighth Void encounter of Monarch Denis’s rule and was able to repel it with the exchange of his life. He was then buried here when Frill was about to turn seven. Since then, he had slumbered in peace until he was raised by The Hollowing Storm eight years later. Celosia, though in tears, had burned her husband to ashes that day.

As far as memories of her father went, that was it for Frill.

Frill’s eyes turned to the second stone behind Histrom’s grave. It was much bigger, a large pillar looming over her. The Veli family had been cremating their dead long before it was a national decree. Whenever a new generation would take over the manor, the gravestones were replaced and the names were then written on this monument.

As the rightful heir of the Veli family, her death would mark the arrival of the new generation. She would replace her father’s gravestone, while his name would then be immortalized on the memorial behind.

It was tradition, but only now did Frill think about how sad a tradition it was. Just imagining how alone she would be on that patch of ground while her family were reduced to mere writings…

“You should eat, or at least entertain your guests.” Celosia’s voice reminded Frill of the present. Nagging as it was, she understood the gentleness of her mother. Three years of scolding her sister and the Princess made her understand such affection.

Frill did nothing, at least not for a while. She simply stared at her father’s tomb.

“I can’t even remember him anymore,” she said finally.

“You make your father sad.” Celosia settled a hand at Frill’s shoulder. She leaned on her mother, and the two spent time in silence in their embrace.

“The pictures help,” Frill said, “and I can still make his face inside my head. But I have no memories of what we did together.”

“It can’t be helped, sweetie. You and Liona were barely youngsters when he passed on.”

“How are you okay with this, Ma?” Tears started to fall, Frill’s voice broke into soft sobs. “They’re gone… How can you be so strong?”

Celosia smiled while her felintine ears drooped. “I’m not made of stone, Frill. I’m made of ice. Your father’s death taught me when the ice should stay frozen and when it should melt. Now is not yet the time for me to melt. But for you Frill, my dear, you can learn when to freeze the water later.”

Frill buried herself into her mother’s bosom, unable to control her emotions any longer. “I miss her so much!”

“She’s with you now, remember?” Celosia brought up her daughter’s face and wiped away her tears. “Would you show me?”

Frill took the time to calm down. Her mother was patient, soothing her back to help temper her emotions. She realized she had missed her mother. And when that realization hit, another dam broke, and tears came rushing through.

“It’s alright, sweetie,” Celosia said, embracing her daughter once more. “I’m here. Don’t worry.”

“Can I stay just a bit longer?”

“Sure, sweetie. Take your time.”

When Frill next straightened herself, she was able to finally wipe away her own tears. With a mere flex of her emotions, she was able to manifest her meiyal marks.

The marks sparked above her right, purple eye, expanding further like a wing. They depicted red, formless marks swimming on their respective spaces while sparks of blue struck each of them.

Frill observed her mother’s jaw hang agape. In that, she found some semblance of confidence.

“They’re beautiful,” Celosia said. Her eyes returned to her, observing her meiyal core. “I still don’t understand why you gave your sister’s core to him.”

“It was on the spur of the moment, Ma. I had to make a decision. I couldn’t let him die when he was willing to help—”

Celosia nodded and smiled. “Even if I don’t understand, sweetie, I know you did the right thing.” Her hands moved, reaching out for the marks.

Physical touch on her floating meiyal marks didn’t do anything to Frill. So she allowed her mother to be mesmerized and observe for as long as she wanted. Finally, Celosia smiled and touched her face. This, she could feel easily.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

“You can get through this, sweetie. Darkness and suffering go hand-in-hand with a fulfilled life. Endure, but never forget to ask for help. We’re always here to help. I love you, you know that.”

“I love you too, Ma.”

“Those were your father’s words.” Celosia tapped Frill’s face before letting go. “Make sure you remember them.

“I’ll go back inside and prepare something for all of you to eat. Don’t forget to visit Liona, alright? We’ve waited long enough, so we have to do the Ritual of Peace tonight.” Celosia gave her daughter a small peck on the cheek before heading back to the manor.

Alone, Frill recomposed herself. Her mother was right; she had to visit Liona one last time. Just the mere thought made her hesitate.

“Hey.” Xiv’s voice was just as shocking as it was uplifting. Frill spun towards the entryway of the shrine. There, she saw him looking at her, and further back was her mother giving her a wink. “Your mother said I should help you visit your sister.”

“Help?”

Xiv just nodded, disregarding her sarcasm. “I know how it is to lose family. You should see her one last time.”

At that, Frill lost her words. He was honest and sincere, just like always. “You could use a little humor, you know?”

He smiled. “Given the circumstances, I don’t think it’s the right occasion. Maybe when all this is done and you need something to smile about, I’ll have a joke ready.”

“No more dates until you can make me laugh, then.” Frill moved past him, determined now to see her sister. But when she heard no footsteps following closely behind, she turned again. “Come on, then.”

Xiv was just there, frozen. “I… uh…” He stammered his words and scratched his head. She found him adorable.

“You’re supposed to be encouraging me, not the other way around.”

“I just…” Xiv started to walk. “I’m not sure what jokes you like.”

Frill held a laugh, failed, and snorted. “You’re an idiot!” She continued walking and smiled a little when she heard his footsteps.

The way to Liona’s wake was on the other side of the complex, on a large patio surrounded by yet more amazing gardens. On their way there, Frill noticed Frein and Katherine talking with each other in one of their training halls. The place was meant for about twenty practitioners at once, and the pair had the entire venue for themselves.

Curious, Frill decided to take a detour.

“Hey,” she greeted them. “What’re you guys up to?”

“Hey, Frill.” Katherine waved and pointed at Frein, who was deep in thought. “He’s trying to figure out a way to counter Mesiffera.”

As always, Frill was impressed by the Visitor. She had barely grasped the concepts of Mesiffera, but here he was finding a way to block it.

“Any progress?”

Katherine shook her head.

At that, Frein exhaled and let his concentration collapse. “Hey, Frill,” he started, “do you have your M.O.B.I.L.E. with you?”

“Yeah, what for?”

“I have some songs to share. They’re from my world. You might find them interesting.”

“Oh!” Frill lit up and produced her device. Frein transferred about a couple hundred songs, which caught her off guard. “Any recommendations?”

“All of them are great,” Frein replied. “There’s a good mix of genres, so you won’t get bored. But if you want a personal recommendation, I think, for you, the song ‘Light Up The Night’ might be the best one. It’s from an independent singer, so the quality’s not that exemplary, but it’s great nonetheless.”

“I’ll listen to it later.” With a smile, Frill stored her M.O.B.I.L.E. She always appreciated something to look forward to. “Where’s Kristel?”

Frein pointed towards the other side of the building. There, just outside the glass sliding doors, was the Princess. Small as she was, she had a habit of putting her hands on her waist to seem bigger. It never really worked.

“Midan called,” Frein explained. “Looks like an envoy from Vyndival arrived.”

“Envoy?” Xiv asked, immediately alert.

“Don’t have the details yet. Kristel said she’ll tell us later.”

“Oh. Alright.”

Frill tapped Xiv’s shoulders to get his attention. “Well then, we’ll get going,” she said.

“Where?” Frein asked.

“I have to see Liona one last time,” she replied. There was a feeling of sadness, but Frill pushed it away. She could feel everyone supporting her, and she didn’t want to disappoint any of them. Especially not her own sister.

“Oh.” Frein passed a look to Katherine.

The Lady nodded in understanding before returning to Frill. “We already visited her earlier. You don’t have to wait for us.”

“What about the Princess?”

“We…” Frein stopped, awkwardly touching his nape. “She said she wanted to visit Liona first before you. She said you deserved to be the last person to see her. She, uhh…” He turned to Katherine for help.

The Lady sighed. “Kristel said if she cried while you’re there, you won’t be able to, because you’ll try to comfort her instead. So we already helped her out with that. You go take your time, okay?” Her eyes turned to Xiv, who nodded, understanding his assignment.

“We also brought Fittey and the other yumas,” Frein added. “She exhausted herself to sleep, but she’ll be there tonight.”

“Thanks, Frein,” Frill said.

With that, the Aria returned from her detour. She entered a hedge maze and still knew exactly how to go through to reach the patio.

The yard surrounding the area was freshly trimmed, and the pool where she used to play was still there, clear and empty for now. There was a small gazebo as well, where an image of Liona was surrounded by many flowers. Guests had already come and gone, filling the structure with their farewell gifts.

The main patio housed Liona’s coffin. There she was, unblemished and peaceful, as though she was simply sleeping. The gaping wound from her left shoulder down across her chest was sealed, to provide her with some dignity before her eventual cremation. Unmoving, but as Frill continued to stare, she half hoped her sister would just simply open her eyes and tell her it was all a prank.

Still clinging to hope until the very end.

Frill shook her head, trying to dispel her delusion. Xiv held her shoulder, wrapping her around his arm. Only then, did she realize she was shaking.

“Any excuse to touch me, huh?” she said, trying to act tough. The sniff that followed instantly broke her façade. “Damn it…”

“You’ll be alright, Frill,” Xiv said. “You’ll be alright.”

Frill allowed herself to let the tears go. She leaned on Liona’s coffin, embracing it entirely. She wailed on her, called her name, apologized, and then cried some more. When her sister didn’t respond, she just wallowed in her sorrow.

All the while, Xiv stayed with her. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t comment on how ugly she looked while crying, he didn’t mention how annoying her crying was, or how childish she seemed while desperately trying to cling on something that was already lost.

He just stood there and stayed, waiting until she finally calmed down.

Frill looked at Liona. This time, she gathered all her strength, all her courage. She focused on her final words, on her promise, on the flame that she kept burning.

She felt Xiv’s hand unfolding her clenched fist, urging her to relax, to think of just Liona and not of the flame. His eyes said how much she understood her. That vengeance wouldn’t bring her sister back; that it wouldn’t solve anything.

He gave her peace.

“Liona.” Frill looked at Liona. This time, it would be the last. She accepted the truth, anchoring her wavering determination on Xiv. “Goodbye.”

Frill was the final person to arrive. Liona waited for her until then. Without anyone else, it fell on her shoulders, as it was tradition for the Ritual of Peace, to close the coffin.

Her hand wavered. This time, she already expected that. She also expected Xiv to help her out. Together, they closed Liona’s coffin and sealed it for cremation. They had to wait for the night.

“Thank you,” Frill said. “I should probably busy myself for a while.” Her mind went to her M.O.B.I.L.E. She wasn’t exactly in the mood for them, but maybe Frein’s songs would lift up her mood.

Xiv scratched his head. “If you’re looking for something to do, I could use a haircut right now.”

Frill raised an eyebrow. “Where did you learn I give haircuts?” She observed the Vyndivalian’s head. He could really benefit from one right now.

Xiv just shrugged. “You make clothes, maybe you know about scissors than just cutting fabrics.”

Frill smiled. She didn’t really care. She was just happy enough to have something to distract her mind at the moment.

“I’ll make you bald.”

“Please don’t.”