Crowned 9 - West Wing

 

CHAPTER 9

The soft crackling of firewood engulfed the otherwise silent living room. The indent on the shiny red sofas placed in front of the fireplace indicated a party of five people. A soft scent emanated from the candles decorated on the mantlepiece. Like the rest of the Estate, the living room of the East Wing was a flurry of glazed wood, books and antique furniture which Elvira walked past.

Her neck was craned up and her hair were tucked behind her ears in order to catch the faintest of sounds. The layout of the two wings seemed to be similar as Elvira paced through a hallway of doors, opening and closing them to check inside.

Just as she opened the last door in the hallway, she heard two maids walking up the staircase. Instantly, Elvira entered the dark room and hid behind the closed door.

“How long will it last? My feet hurt, ugh.”

“It’s a full night thing. But thankfully there is overtime pay.”

Elvira scoffed, ‘It must be nice being human.’ She thought.

“I feel bad for the slave girl, they don’t even get paid.”

“That’s their fault for being born wrong.”

“Yeah…”

Their voices disappeared around the corner and Elvira sneaked out to run downstairs.

“I’ll just make sure that she’s safe and then I’ll leave,” Elvira whispered as she eyed the empty hallway downstairs. She could hear a loud orchestra on the left end and proceeded to follow the noise.

There were guards at the door, Elvira spotted, then squared her shoulders and plastered a smile on her face. The guards opened the door for her, considering her a maid. She entered what she assumed to be the ball room owing to the majestic ceilings decorated with crystal chandeliers, hanging like upside down trees. The opulent carvings of gold made her breath hitch, people dressed in elaborate gowns and elegant masks meandered the circular dance floor, clinking glasses, passing whispers and in the center of it all stood Clary, scantily clad in a bedazzled brassier and panties, tied to a pole. Her eyes were covered with a silk cloth and a bejewelled clamp pursed her lips.

Her pale forehead was in a frown and her body shivered with every strange touch lent by a passerby.

Elvira saw red.

Her mind forgot all sense and let a scowl ease onto her face. Her tongue did not twist into another sweet-talking monologue and her knees did not buckle at the sight of the Count surrounded by his men.

The skies rumbled outside and the orchestra reached a crescendo.

Elvira stormed out of the ballroom, up the stairs and began kicking every lantern and candlestand in sight. She sped into the living room upstairs, grabbed the fire poker and tossed all the firewood outside. The hardwood floor and the furniture easily caught light.

“FIRE! FIRE UPSTAIRS! THERE’S A FIRE! EVACUATE NOW!”

She shouted as she ran downstairs. Panicked maids rushed past her, guards jogged upwards and other servants ran to their masters’ aide in the ball room. Elvira entered the ball room, amidst a crowd of servants and scoffed at the frenzy with which the nobles were running around.

Paying no consideration to the girl tied to a pole.

Elvira beelined towards her, shoving past numerous servants and reached Clary’s side.

Her chest was heaving and upon close sight, Elvira noticed how badly all of Clary was shivering. Elvira placed a hand on Clary’s back and she jolted away from her touch.

“Clary, it’s me, don’t worry, I’m here,” she reassured as she unlatched the clasp from Clary’s mouth. The girl moaned as soon as her mouth was free but the painful bruises of the clasp remained on her pretty face. Elvira pulled the eye cover off her head and Clary cringed at the sudden assault by light. Realisation struck her down; her knees gave up and she descended to the floor.

The screaming had trickled to the outside as the guests managed to escape. The crowd in the ballroom had thinned while Elvira attempted to unfasten Clary’s hand binds.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be done in a moment and we can leave,” Elvira assured, clawing at the thick rope to get it loose.

“I—it’s okay…” Clary said but her tone showed no optimism. Her voice was barely above a whisper, too afraid to let out and catch any more attention.

Elvira desperately pulled at the knot, attempting to undo it but all her strength could do was fray the thick rope. She swore under her breath as waves of heat threatened their safety. The fire must be descending down, Elvira concluded – was there no mage on the premise who could get rid of it? All she had wanted was a big enough distraction and an equally immeasurable loss to the Count but she did not want to endanger anyone else.

“It’s, it’s loosening, trust me,” Elvira said through gritted teeth as her nails dug into the crevices of the rope and blood oozed out of them, “I’ll, I’ll get it done.”

“You should run…” Clary whispered, her gaze mesmerized by the way the ballroom door caught fire.

“We- we, we will go together,” Elvira seethed through a clenched jaw as her fingers were finally able to breach the tight constraints. She heaved as she pulled apart the thick knot and dropped the bloodied rope on the floor. “Le—no, wait,” she looked around and ran up to pull a curtain off a window. The rod fell down with a resounding thud and Elvira hastily pulled the curtain off it. She ran back to Clary’s side and draped the fabric over her shoulders, “Let’s go now.”

The fire had caught up to them and the entrance to the ballroom was ablaze. Elvira rushed Clary to the window and used the curtain rod to break the glass. She got rid of the small shards encasing the window pane and called for Clary to jump.

The darkened gardens awaited with a promise of momentary peace.

Yet, Clary stared at the approaching flames, unmoving.

“I think I understand Yuna now. And I get why you and her are so brave…” Clary whispered, “Dying today is better than suffering every day.”

Elvira widened her eyes as she turned to face Clary.

Her light orbs reflected the fire and an odd sense of peace veiled her face. Gone was her gentle smile and earnest eyes, exhibiting all the hope and kindness in the world.

“No, Clary, death is not an escape.” Elvira countered sternly, “We are leaving,” she snapped and grabbed the girl by her shoulders.

Clary shrugged out of Elvira’s grasp and turned to scowl at her.

“Why do you keep saving us? Why do you insist on living? We haven’t had a good day ever since we failed the Awakening and we never shall! If we live today then we suffer tomorrow! So what if you helped me today, he is going to kill us tomorrow! And it will be even more humiliating! I do not want this anymore!” Clary screamed, molten rage pouring out of her voice and eyes.

Elvira gritted her teeth as she looked around, “No Clary, I cannot die because the world has yet to see all of me. You cannot die because the world has yet to see all of you. Just because a group of people reject you does not mean you are not worth the effort others put in for you. The world beyond the mage villages of Lunaria is better than you expect. We’ll run, we’ll escape, Lira, Yuna, you and I, we’ll run and we’ll build life for oursel--”

Suddenly, two crystal chandeliers exploded and their shards shot outwards.

Elvira’s eyes widened as Clary pushed her out of the window.

She propelled downwards, gasping, as horror graced her vision.

Crystal shards shot into Clary’s nape, back and feet, disabling her to the burning ground.

“No, no, no, no, no, Clary! No! CLARY!!!!”

The ear-piercing scream birthed a crimson magic circle over the burning estate. Winds howled in response and nearby church bells rang with fervor. Blood oozed out of Elvira’s eyes as she fell onto the damp prickly damp grass, chanting, unblinking, “I have to save Clary, I have to save Clary, I have to save Clary.”

She tried to get up but another sound of explosion tripped her back to the ground. Pain twisted her limbs and yet another ear-piercing scream escaped her throat. Her vision darkened as her bruised fingers clung onto the grass, digging into the soil, grounding herself under an immense yet invisible weight.

The last thing Elvira saw was a crimson magic circle expanded all over Count Aramia’s Estate, glowing furiously, before the darkness consumed her.

Amidst Northern Hills, a man shouted, “Kairo! I can sense her magic!”