Erica

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There was no more resistance nor fighting as the Countess was escorted to her cell. She was like a rag doll as she walked.

It was as if her body was soulless and completely empty inside and that's exactly how she felt.

The images of Walter's final moments kept on replaying over and over again in her mind. It was like a continuous nightmare but only it was true.

She had killed him...

She had never meant to do that. So why?

Why had he jumped in the way of the sword?

Why had he sacrificed himself to protect that filth?

Why...?

For a mother to lose their child is no easy thing. A part of their soul disappears with them.

For the Countess, it was even worse for she was the one who killed him. She would forever carry that guilt. It would eat her away and destroy her to the core for the rest of her days.

She did not care about anything anymore. She had completely given up. Her whole world has shattered and her will to go on was lost.

In her cold and dark cell, she let out a cry. A heart-breaking cry. Its sorrow could be felt deep within the aching heart. The pain was unimaginable as her breathing became restricted and her chest ached.

She did not care that Walter had written her off like it was nothing, she did not care that her own son hated her. He was still her son, and he would always be her son.

Her mind drifted off to the moment he was born. From his wailing cries to his loving eyes.

His little hands that wrapped around her finger so tightly. He was her little boy and she wanted to give him the world.

As the years began to pass and her baby boy began to grow, he was always so loving and so gentle. When his little sister Sibyl came to be, his wide eyes gazed down at her with fascinated curiosity.

The memories of her son in the years that followed started to become very vague and distant as the Countess's youngest, Sibyl, began to take up most of her mother's time.

The Countess realised that she did not really know her son. She loved him as much as her other two, but it was if she had unknowingly side lined him. She knew more about her eldest Sorin and her youngest Sibyl than she did about her middle child.

Her chest ached more. Everything was ruined. She would never get to make up for all the lost years. She would never get to learn about her beautiful son and get to know him better.

She would never get to see him again.

"I'm disappointed with you." An oddly calm voice disrupted her thoughts.

She did not need to look up to know who it was. She instead chose to ignore him. She did not want to deal with this right now.

When she had needed him the most, he had not been there for her but now she just wanted to be left alone and he was the last person that she wanted to see.

"Please leave." Her voice was cold and empty. Gone was the kindness that she always showed him.

The Count frowned at this as he watched his pitiful wife through the iron bars, "You do not even try and deny it?"

The Countess's blood shot eyes reached his own as she looked up at him, "I do not want to deal with this right now."

"You selfish woman." His expression was still blank but is tone was harsh, "After I gave you everything; you go and do this."

"Leave!" The Countess did not want to see him. She could not bear the sight of anyone right now.

"You have single handedly tainted the Alvore name." The Count let out a strong short breath through his nose.

"Don't put all the bloody blame on me!" The Countess finally lost it, "You started this mess by bringing home an illegitimate child and expecting me just to get over it and accept it!"

The Countess was now seething as she stood up and reached for the bars separating them.

"You gave me no explanation! Nothing! Then proceed to show her favouritism over your other children. You think no one noticed? I had to take care of hours and hours of crying from your other daughter when you continuously displayed the fatherly love and acknowledgment that she so desperately craved to another." The Countess had tears pouring down her cheeks as she let out all of her rage, "It was like a wall had been placed between us separating you from your family and that girl was the whole reason for it and when I finally got rid of the problem, you did not even notice so don't act like a saint!"

She pushed herself away not wanting to face him anymore. She could not deal with this right now. Her heart was too broken and now the pieces were beginning to cut.

There was a brief silence before the Count let out a long sigh, "You know that your execution date has been set for two days from now."

"Good. I don't care anymore."

"Sibyl has been let off but her punishment is still to be decided." The Count continued.

The Count watched closely as his wife gave a soft sigh of relief at the news. At least her daughter would be okay.

Sibyl may have had a nasty personality and aided in bullying Erica but in her shallow daughter's defence, she had not done anything to warrant her death.

"I have tried to seek an audience with the King and our daughter Erica -"

"Your daughter you mean." The Countess interrupted.

The Count just chose to ignore it and continue, "But I was rejected and turned away. I wanted to try and stop your execution."

"Why?" The Countess's eyes shot to her husband startled by his words, "I deserve to be executed. I've done so many things that warrant my death."

"It is because you are my wife." The Count stated like it was the most obvious thing.

"Me being your wife means nothing." The Countess rolled her eyes, "You have never loved me..."

"I care for you. You are the mother of my children."

"Yet you betrayed me and slept with another woman."

The Count frowned, "I never meant to betray you."

A guard walked up to the Count, "Your Excellency, I'm afraid your time is up. You must leave."

The Count nodded before turning back to the Countess, "I should have told you this the moment that I walked through the door with the child in my arms," A sad smile twitched the corners of his lips, a rare expression, "She was not mine."