7

Seeing her stand few inches away from me suddenly made me forget all about the tiring encounter with Kayla, I couldn't believe she was back home.

" Mother ? " I asked, still staring at her, she had that terribly gorgeous smile on her face that put together with the colors of spring, made my day any day, her smile could make anyone smile, and I hadn't realized yet, but I was smiling uncontrollably.

I took after my mother in many things, charisma, physique, her long red hair, even her smile, but yet each time I always admired the beauty of it.

" Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to give me a hug ? " she asked, opening her hands out for me.

Without hesitating, I rushed into her arms, and hugged her lovingly.

" Did you really miss me that much ? " she asked with a slight chuckle, pulling away from me, and looking into my eyes.

" Very much " I replied, giggling like a child.

" Why did you take so long to come back, you told me you would return much earlier " I said, but she studied me carefully, as if considering with much thought how she would answer my question.

" There were more things to attend to than I had anticipated " she replied simply, tucking loose strands of hair that hung across my eyes behind my ears.

" Is everything alright mother ? " I asked.

" Of course, I'm just a little tired " she responded, and sat down on the bed.

" I'll get the maids to draw you a bath, then after that, " I said, holding her hands in mine " you and I are going to have lunch together, just like we used to " .

Mother and I had lunch that afternoon, she told me all about her trip and how grandfather had bested her in the game of chess multiple times, I on the other hand didn't have much to tell really, except for my brief meetings with Jenna and Florence, a short trip to the gardens and a visit to Jupiter, there wasn't anything nearly important to tell.

Anyways, hearing her tell her stories the way she did, compensated for both of us and fell asleep resting on her laps, her soothing lullabies so soft and yet heart achingly beautiful seduced me until I was completely and utterly lost in sleep.

I woke up to the evening breeze, a dimly lit room, and bright lights that reached in from the radiance of a full moon.

I took it all in, the last thing I had heard was mother's voice, she always sang beautifully, and I fell asleep everytime, but looking around the room now, I couldn't find her anywhere, not a trace, at first I assumed she might have retreated to her chambers, but then, as if realizing the possibility, I sprang up from my sheets at the thought of having dreamt all of that.

Could it be possible that I had dreamt about all that ? I thought to myself, desperately hoping that wasn't the case, but there was only one way to find out.

Throwing my legs off my bed, I slid my feet into my slippers and hustled down the hall, heading for my mother's room, her room wasn't very far from mine, but I was impatient, and getting there now seemed to take forever.

Finally I arrived at the door of her room, almost breathless, my heart racing in anxiety, I threw the doors open without knocking, and the next thing I saw left me more breathless than before.

I didn't know why I felt uneasy when I hadn't seen her in the room earlier, but now I did, and more than anything I wished that it would all be a dream.

There she was, her hands covered in blatant red stains, it was the second time I had seen this much of it, first was one time I cut myself trying to make confetti, so I knew exactly what I saw, if someone had told me, I might have never believed, but no one told me, and frankly I didn't need anyone to, it was clear as daylight, that was blood, and it was all over my mother.