What happened to Lord Nicholas?

Adora was lying on a cot when she woke up. She looked around, but only saw fuzzy shapes moving around the room. She blinked and groaned. Someone rushed to her side. "Adora! Are you ok?" Adora only groaned and blinked once more. Finally the person came into view and Adora smiled. It was the old slave healer Susan. "What happened?" Adora's voice was weak and she tried to sit up, but screamed with the pain. "It only hurts when I move," Adora laughed weakly. "What happened?" Adora asked again.

"What do you remember?" Susan countered.

Adora focused on the uneven, rough, cave-like ceiling. "A cave! The slave's quarters!" Adora frantically looked around her, ignoring the sudden throbbing pain in her neck and head. Was I punished and sent to be common slave again? She was definitely in the slave's quarters but she was lying on a cot, not on a normal slave's straw bed at all. "What...?"

"What do you remember?" Susan asked again.

Adora tried again. This time she closed her eyes and images flashed through her mind. Fragmented, confusing. "A fight. In the throne room. Father throwing magic. Where was I? Near him. Protecting him. A bright light. Pain. Darkness." Adora looked around again and realized something was wrong. Father's not here. But that's not too unusual. Then is came to her. Silence. All I hear is silence. Since I was born, Father and I have shared a mental link. As much as I hated it, I never realized how it would be without it. "Susan, what happened to my father? Where is he?"

Susan got a strange look on her face and only patted Adora's hand. Then, before Adora could ask anything more, Susan walked away to check on the other patients.

Adora relaxed, closed her eyes and tried to call out to him. Father. (Silence) Father! (Silence) Nicholas!(Silence) Hope and fear swirled in her. He hates it when I call him by his name. Yet he did not answer. The only thing that could break our link would be planer travel or....death. Wait! Sometimes powerful magic can block our contact. "Susan!" Adora yelled. Susan came rushing over.

"Yes, Adora, what is it?"

"Answer me truly." Adora's eyes locked onto Susan's. "Is my father dead?" She emphasized every word.

Susan looked away for a moment then turned back and nodded. "All magic points to it, but we were waiting for you to wake to make sure." Adora stared at the ceiling in shock. She no longer heard anything around her. Father, dead? It's not possible. How? A cleric came over to Adora and began chanting over her. The healing power flowed from the cleric into Adora, bringing blessed relief. When the cleric left, Adora tried to sit up and this time only received minor protests from her body. Adora looked around and finally saw all the injured. Most were soldiers but some were her father's special fighters. There was only one cleric healing everyone. But only being able to cast so many times a day, that was a slow process. Susan did the best she could with her herbs and salves, but that wasn't much help. But Adora didn't see her father anywhere. Of course not. Father wouldn't be with the commoners.

"Take me to him. Now." Susan quickly moved to obey Adora's commanding tone. "He's in his room." Adora knew where that was, but she still allowed Susan to lead the way. The slave's quarters could only be entered and left by a door to the throne room. When Adora entered, she gasped. It certainly wasn't much of a throne room now. There were huge char marks on the walls from fireballs and various other magical blasts and blood was splattered everywhere. But there were no bodies around - either of Nicholas' men or of the "enemy". Her father's throne was nowhere to be found and most of the blasts seem to have hit the dais where it usually sat. They left the throne room and walked slowly down the hall. No one was seen and the silence was oppressive. Finally they reached Nicholas' room and Susan opened the door. Adora suddenly found it very difficult to breathe. Adora didn't enter the room, but only stared at the open door. Susan gently pushed Adora inside.

Her father was lying on his bed, looking very pale. She took a few tentative steps on her own, then she saw movement. But not from the bed. Adora turned to see Flagg standing there, watching her. Adora fell to her knees before him. "Adora," his rasping voice called out. "Get up. You need to verify his death." Adora swallowed hard and looked into Flagg's face. He reached out and helped her to her feet. He guided her to the bedside and she stood there looking at her father.

"He's only sleeping," Adora said.

"Adora. You need to make sure."

Adora reached out and touched his hand. She closed her eyes and attempted to enter his mind. If he was alive, he would be furious at this intrusion. She shuddered at the memory. This time there were no barriers to pass and she entered easily. Too easily. She found only silence. She probed deeper but again met no resistance nor thoughts of any kind. She pulled out and blinked. Adora stared at her father until Flagg tapped her shoulder. She turned to look at him with a vacant stare. "He's dead. There is nothing there."

 Adora turned back to look at her father's face. How can you be dead? I thought you would never die. What about your magic? Your protections? Adora stood there, staring at him for seemed an eternity. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to look. But it wasn't Flagg. It was her sister.

They only discovered each other a few years ago and haven't seen much of each other since. Adora especially didn't like Alia much because she always thought Adora was exaggerating about Nicholas' cruelty. As expected, Alia and Adora have different mothers and Alia lives with her mother, not with Nicholas. Adora stepped away from the bed, "He's dead, Alia."

"I know." Her sister gave her a stony look. "What happened?"

Adora shook her head, "I don't remember much. Fragments. Bits and pieces. I was knocked out, I guess."

Alia nodded slowly, "I see. I'm not here as your sister Adora. I'm here as the head of the Council. This will be investigated."

Adore looked at her sister dumbfounded. "What's to investigate? He's dead."

"Yes," Alia agreed, "But who or what killed him?"

Adora instantly knew what she was hinting at. "I didn't kill him! Gods above! I am his slave! Or was. He was still alive when I was knocked out!"

"That remains to be seen."

Adora was incredulous. She collapsed into a chair and her sister walked out. Adora lashed out at her father. "Damn you! I can't escape from your treachery even after your death! I am innocent! You bastard!" She continued to yell and threw everything she could get her hands on around the room. Adora yelled again and ran out of the room, then outside onto the grounds. She ran around the property until she was completely exhausted and collapsed onto the grass. Sleep came instantly.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Adora stirred awake. She was still lying on the grass.

“Welcome back.”

Adora didn’t need to open her eyes to know that voice. “Hello Alia. Are you here to arrest me?” Adora kept her eyes closed, waiting for judgment.

 “No.” Adora jerked her head up and stared at her sister. “The guards verified your story,” her sister continued. “They, thankfully, filled in more of the details that you could not remember. I would suggest you talk with them to fill in your memory blanks.” Alia paused and took a deep breath. Adora still didn’t trust herself to say anything. “I am now here as your sister. I will stay and help with the final details, but you have much to think about.” Adora sat up. “You are free now, Adora. And since you are free, you inherit all our father’s possessions."

Adora shook her head, “No. You are the older sister. It belongs to you.” Even if we do have different mothers.

“That is true, but I have already signed away my rights to it. I would have no use for it and I certainly don’t have the time for it. Besides, you know his business better than anyone else.” Alia stood, “Now then. I will find a room and get settled in.” She left without a backwards glance.