Forgotten Wife Let the traitors kneel Down (by Patricia Maradiaga) novel Chapter 245

Part II: Cowardice and indecision

When Sirius and Abril returned to the village, Taren ran toward them and asked,

“Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

Abril replied, “We were cleaning the village. How are the villagers?”

“Everyone has woken up. They have started asking questions about us. I think it’s best if we leave.”

“Yes, we have thought the same. We have done everything we could, so let’s go.”

Abril looked at the village. It was silent and looked desolate as the villagers were resting at the inn where they had left them. In that uncomfortable silence, she prayed for the dead to find peace. She also prayed for the villagers, for their lives to return to normal someday. She prayed that they could overcome their

pain or learn to cope with it, and she prayed that they would never have to go through something like this

again.

Sirius told Taren, “Go get the horses.”

“Why do I have to go?”

“Do you want me to force you to do it?”

“Forget it, I’ll be right back.”

After Taren left, Sirius told Abril, “None of what happened here is your fault.”

“Then why do I feel so guilty?”

“Because you are too kind. You laugh with those who laugh, but you also suffer with those who do. But

don’t put a burden on your shoulders that doesn’t belong to you.”

“I wish I could believe what you say is true, but I could have closed the Hades rift before, and I didn’t.”

Abril lowered her gaze and clenched her hands tightly, digging her own nails into her palms. That pain

made her continue speaking.

“Even when I could have done it.”

“But didn’t you think you couldn’t use your power because of your pregnancy?”

“It’s not that I couldn’t use it. I chose not to. I was afraid that using so much power would affect my baby,

that I could lose it. That’s why I decided to stop using my magic. My cowardice and indecision have

caused all of this.”

“No, you have only been human and put your family first, something that anyone in your place would have

done as well.”

“But…”

“Abril, you can’t fix everything just by wishing, and even though you have great power, you’re not obligated

< Partil Cowardice and indecision

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to use it for the benefit of others. And yet here you are, wanting to help thousands of strangers. You weren’t the one who opened those cracks, nor the one who let out all those monsters. Don’t take responsibility for something you haven’t done. Don’t bear the sins of others.”

Taren returned with the horses, somewhat agitated, and said, “We better leave immediately. Some of the villagers saw me take the horses and tried to stop me. They say they have many questions that they need to ask us, and they seemed somewhat annoyed because we buried their dead without permission.”

Sirius took his horse and mounted it. Abril did the same, and without thinking twice, they set off, leaving behind that town and all those people with unanswered questions and doubts.

At noon, one of the maids approached Maya and told her that she had visitors. She was finishing feeding Lissana, so she asked the maid to let them in since she couldn’t go to receive them herself. She also asked her to call Cassian and tell him that Barto had already arrived.

The maid left and did what Maya had asked. She first went for the guest and brought him to where she

was.

When Maya saw her brother enter, a big smile appeared on her face. Although they kept in touch, it had been a long time since the last time they had seen each other, but he still looked the same, with his straight black hair reaching his waist.

Upon seeing his sister carrying a baby in her arms, Barto was taken aback and asked her, “Do you have a daughter?”

“Of course not, silly. This baby is Princess Lissana, the king and queen’s daughter.”

Barto approached, gave his sister a kiss on the forehead, and said,

“Hello, little sister. You can’t imagine how happy I am to see you.”

“I’m also glad to see you, little brother.”

“How have you been? How is your life with that arrogant little prince?”

“You already know how it is. Why do you ask?”

“Because I want to hear it directly from your mouth.”

“I’m fine, Barto.”

Although Maya said she was fine, Barto felt that Maya was lying to him, but he didn’t want to force her to

speak. If he pressured her, she would get angry, and he didn’t want to anger her, so he changed the

subject.

“You haven’t come to visit us again. Our father is very worried about you.”

“I’m sorry. Tell Dad that I will come to visit him soon.”

“He will be happy to see you.”

Part # Cowardice and indecision

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Barto sat next to his sister and asked her, “Why did you bring me here? Even though I am happy to see you, and I know you are also happy to see me, I know that’s not why you brought me here.”

“Why do you always know everything?”

“I don’t know everything, but I know you, and I know that you have been avoiding me. That’s why you didn’t

want to see me or Dad. Calling me means that you need something. Am I wrong?”

“You’re not entirely wrong, although it’s not me who needs something, it’s His Majesty the King.”

“The king has summoned me?”

“Yes, he wants you to find something for him–two mirrors that can show the reflection of the other person and through which he can speak as if through a window.”

Barto remained silent for a moment. Maya asked him, “Haven’t you heard of anything like this before?”

“It’s not that I’ve never heard of it. What seems strange to me is that the king knows about it.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s not something a human should know about.”

The door burst open, and Alessandro and Cassian entered. Intrigued by what he had just heard,

Alessandro asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Barto stood up, made a small bow, and greeted, “Long live His Majesty the King.”

“Do not ignore my question. What did you mean by what you said earlier?”

Cassian put his hand on his brother’s shoulder to calm him down and said,

“Lessan, calm down.”

“I won’t until you tell me what you meant.”

“What His Majesty desires is not something that has been created by humans, and therefore it is not something that a human should know. How did His Majesty learn about the existence of those mirrors?”

“So they are real.”

“Yes, they are. Those mirrors were created by the fairies.”

A big smile appeared on Alessandro’s face, and he asked, “Do you know where they are?”

“Um… maybe.”

“I need those mirrors. I will pay whatever you ask for them.”

“I said maybe I know where they are, not that I have them in my hand. If it were that easy to obtain, I would

have given them to my sister.”

“Where do you think they are?”

< Part I Cowardice and indecision

“In the fairyland.”

“Are you sure?”

“No.”

“You could go to the fairyland and bring them back.”

Maya spoke instead of her brother.

“Barto will not go to the fairyland. I won’t let him.”

Alessandro tried to persuade Maya to change her mind, but this time it was Barto who responded, “Your Majesty, just like my sister, I am half fairy. The fairy queen has a great interest in me. If I go, she will not let me return, so I’m sorry, but I won’t accept your request.”

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