Heart Ache - Chapter Seventy Six

Amelia held James hoping to feel him breathe at any moment. "You can't leave me here alone." she sobbed.

All she could do is hope that he would pull out of it. "It's just temporary; he will come around," she kept telling herself.

It didn't take long before the nun arrived to see James. She wasn't sure what she was going to see but was worried about how sudden she was summoned to come.

She looked him over and over. She checked every inch of him for any signs of life. With a grim look, she turned to Amelia. "No, don't tell me, please don't say it's so." she began to sob before the words even left the nun's lips. "I don't know what to say, but he's no longer with us. I figure it was when he drank the potion that turned him into a human; it might have had a bad effect on him. Most would have turned them like you, and it would have been fine, but where he took the potion, it devastated his body. He probably still had some in his body," she explained to Amelia.

Amelia slumped over, laying on his chest. She cried for what seemed like hours. Her love and life were over. She couldn't face the truth. "Please come back to me," she whispered to him as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"What have I done?" she kept asking herself, trying not to fall apart. I killed him. I should have not listened to him," she mumbled to herself.

Kristen and William showed up after being notified by a messenger when James fell ill. She spoke to the nun to find out what was going on. "What's happened to my son? Why is he laying there like that, and why is he pale?" she asked, hardly giving the nun time to answer. "Your son chose to become like he was before, and with the potion in his system... he has died," she explained. "What, he's..........dead." Kristen was shocked with disbelief. "He tried to become cursed again?" she shouted.

Kristen and William stood by the bed, looking at their lifeless son. Kristen broke down into tears, sobbing almost uncontrollably. William covered his face to hid his tears.

When Kristen managed to pull herself together for a brief moment, her grief turned into hatred. She looked over at Amelia with pure hate. She wanted to kill her right on the spot.

Kristen walked over to Amelia. "What have you done, you stupid girl?" she shouted. "He begged, he did the research, he said it was ok, that's what he wanted," Amelia tried to explain.

Kristen cut Amelia off. "You took my world away from me. You have offended me for the last time. James is no longer here to protect you. You will pay for this," Kristen shouted at Amelia. Kristen and William set orders for James to be taken to be prepared for burial.

One of James' servants came and picked up James carrying him downstairs. Amelia watched in horror as his limp body swung as he carried him through the door.

Downstairs he was laid on a table. His clothes were changed, and he was cleaned up. "Prepare him for travel. He will be buried in the royal cemetery." Kristen ordered Sir Thomas. 

While Kristen and William were downstairs where James was, Amelia went to break the news to the twins. "I have some terrible news,, children," she began as she bent down to pull them close. "Your father became very ill.........and he passed away this morning," she explained. Arthur and Annabell began to cry,, not saying a word. 

Annabell began to cry as Arthur walked over to her to comfort her. "It will be ok, we will get through this together. Please don't cry," Arthur told Annabell,, giving her a big hug.

After many hours of crying, Arthur and Annabell finally fell asleep.

The next day Arthur found Willow. "My father has died,, and we have to go to my grandmother's castle to bury him," he explained to her.

"I'm so sorry about your father," Willow replied. "When will we be leaving?" she asked. "When the night comes, so my sister and mother can travel without the sun burning them," he explained to her.

Amelia got dressed and headed downstairs to see James for the last time before they headed out.

He was laid in a wooden box that was lined with silk. He looked like he was sleeping. It was hard to even tell that he was dead.

Arthur and Annabell came down to see their father. It was almost dark,, and they would be heading out soon. They all stood there sobbing as they closed the box and nailed it shut.

James's' servants,, along with William and the King of Spain,, helped carry him out. Kristen watched as they walked,, past her. She stood quietly, with tears streaming down her face.

Willows parents came to attend the funeral and help escort them back to the castle.

The men got James loaded into the wagon and secured the coffin from shifting while they traveled.

The rest stared at the box for a while,, then got into their carriages to follow the wagon back to Kristen's castle for the burial.