[Music Recommendation: The Sound Of Silence ~ Disturbed]

Oriana retreated to her room, locking the door behind her. When she was sure she was all alone, her knees buckled, and she fell to the floor. All the strength and confidence she put forward earlier now melted as tears. The powder she applied earlier to brighten her face dissolved as sorrowful streams flowed down her cheeks.

"Adric, where are you? Please come back, I’m scared," she whispered, her voice trembling. The pain from her past, which she endured while in Orion, now returned with twice the intensity, leaving her breathless.

After a silent cry, Oriana felt her body heat up again, fearing she might fall ill. She rushed to the table, grabbed the vial of tonic water left by the physician, and drank its contents in one gulp.

"Uh!" she groaned, clutching her stomach as she stumbled towards the bathroom and vomited. Warm sweat now drenched her face, leaving her feeling cold and shivery.

Oriana returned to her bed, embracing the pillow as if it were Adric. Her hands mindlessly touched the spot where he used to lie beside her. As she lay there, her lips quivered, and her body grew colder.Oriana closed her eyes, imagining Adric’s gentle embrace, his warmth enveloping her like a shield against the darkness she now found herself in.

As she drifted into a dreamland, a soft smile spread across her lips, and her heavy heart began to melt, slowly releasing its burden. But the serenity was short-lived, shattered by a sharp, rapt knock that shot her upright, sending her heart flying like a startled bird.

"W-who?" Oriana’s grip on the sheet tightened as she asked, afraid of receiving more devastating news and hesitant to open the door as she had heard enough for the day.

The knock grew louder, prompting her to swiftly stand from the bed. She dashed into the bathroom, splashed water on her face, and wiped it clean, hiding the evidence of her tears. Taking in a deep breath, she approached the door and opened it cautiously.

"You have the guts to sleep? On a day like this..." Gwen’s icy voice pierced the air.

Oriana’s eyes widened in disbelief. She closed her eyes, then opened them again, wondering if she was hallucinating. Gwen wasn’t supposed to be in the palace; she had been...

"Exiled?" Gwen chuckled. "You must think you are something to keep me away from my own home."

Oriana noticed the confidence the woman spoke with, and she knew immediately that something was amiss. "If you are standing here, you are defying the orders of the King, and as his Queen, I have the power to add to your punishment. Now leave the palace before it gets serious."

Gwen threw her head back in laughter. "Serious? You are the one who needs to wake up, dear. A queen can never be pushed from her throne by a mere commoner. Like you," the woman pointed at Oriana, her fingers almost getting to the girl’s eyes, but Oriana took a cautious step back.

"You are not a Queen, but now Lady Gwen," Oriana spoke with confidence. "And my bloodline doesn’t define me. I am still Queen Oriana Galgani of-" her words were cut short by the mocking snort of Gwen.

Gwen hummed, shaking her head. "I guess you will only wake after you see Adric’s headstone erected. You better go out now and say your final goodbyes."

Oriana felt her throat dry up when she heard this. "Final...what are you talking about?" her voice softened, breaking at the end.

"Now you want to know what I’m talking about? The entire palace is paying their last respects to Adric, and you should too," Gwen moved to the side, gesturing with her hand the path Oriana should take.

With wobbly knees and barefoot, Oriana walked outside the palace. She almost passed out when she saw ministers dressed in their mourning regalia with their heads bowed as they conducted a funeral for Adric.

"Adric is not dead," Oriana whispered, shaking her head as she got closer to the place. "My husband is still alive."

Everyone turned to look at Oriana when they heard her voice, watching her with pity. To make things even more dramatic, Oriana heard the loud wailing of Adelaide, and beside her was Nicholas, who had a sad expression.

"What are you all doing?" Oriana asked. "Why have you decided to bury one who is still alive?"

Nicholas sighed, hugging Adelaide gently. He walked towards Oriana. "I had asked that nobody bother you while we take care of his funeral. Who let the Queen know of this? She is still mourning her husband..."

Gwen raised her hand. "I did. A wife needs to stay with her husband even in death. That was the vow she took on that day," the woman paused, wiping away tears that didn’t exist. "Adric wasn’t pushed out from my womb, but he is still my son," the woman started crying as maids rushed to hold her.

Nicholas knelt down. "Adric, the only friend I’ve ever known in this cold world. I can’t believe I have to take your place. I don’t want to, please come back."

Oriana felt like her world was spinning and she had been taken back in time to the day her grandmother was buried, and she was called the crazy one. The same actions her family members performed were what these people did, but this time she was older and knew there was nothing funny about it.

"Take his place? What do you mean?" She asked, her heart beating very fast.

Nicholas sniffled back his fake tears. "I know the pain is unbearable and you can’t even think straight," to make his words believable he looked down at Oriana’s gown and bare feet that were now covered with sand.

"If anyone should feel the loss of Adric more, it’s you. And because you’re unstable, the ministers have decided I take over for now... Adric, why..." Nicholas threw his face to the side, starting to cry again.

Oriana turned to see the ministers that were looking at her. Slowly, her eyes scanned the entire palace. These were people who used to tremble in front of Adric, but now they quickly wanted to take his throne, burying him without even his body.

Oriana made her way to the coffin that was placed for Adric. On everyone’s watch, she pushed it open. Seeing the jacket that was covered in blood, she took it out.

"Adric is not dead," Oriana gulped, her hands trembling. "You all should go back home," she chewed her inner cheeks harshly, trying not to cry in front of them.

Dragging the jacket with her, Oriana made her way out of the place while sharp stones and sand cut into her feet, but she didn’t stop walking, her eyes looking lost. All she wanted at the moment was to rest in Adric’s arms and laugh like a child again. Seeing this part of humans scared her so much that she wished not to even spend a moment with them.

"Oriana..." the soft voice of Fidelis was heard.

Oriana paused in her steps when she saw the man. Without saying anything, she raised her gown and ran to the man, still holding Adric’s bloodied shirt. She hugged Fidelis closely, her eyes now closed, tears streaming down her face.

"Father, Adric is not dead." The tears Oriana had been trying to hold came pouring down as she gripped Fidelis’s shoulder tightly. But being too tired to even cry, Oriana lost consciousness again.