Una woke up suddenly, her heart feeling like it was about to come out of her chest. Her body felt like it was vibrating from the sudden rush of adrenaline. In her head, the sound of a scream resonated through her head. It took her a few seconds to process what was going through her mind. Whose cry was it in her head? Was it her own, frightened from the sudden realization that she had lost Darren?

She had gone through this many times for the past few days, remembering again each time she wakes up of the loss she has experienced. Her grief was more painful than having any sword cut into her flesh. She had spent most of her life with Darren, and within a few moments, their storybook closed once and for all. Worst of all, Una didn't get to see him go. She had hoped they would die together on the battlefield. This was a travesty to Una. To be such a strong warrior, Darren had been killed like a peddler as such an unworthy death. It wasn't a valiant end as it was supposed to be.

"Ahh!" Una heard a woman scream again.

It wasn't her after all. Una rose and threw her covers off of her body. She was still nude from her bath last night, so she quickly put on a large cloak to conceal her modesty. She opened her door and found that many people were charging toward one door. It was Marged's chamber door.

"What is the matter?" Una asked one of her fellow-servants running by with an armful of clothes and squares of linen.

"Me lady, it's Marged!" She bowed slightly and ran into the crowd outside the door.

She opened the door and slammed it shut in front of the people. They would not go inside where Marged was.

"Let me in!" Una declared as she weaved into the crowd and opened the door.

Una saw Marged on her bed, hunched over on all fours naked. Her face was redder than her hair, and tears streamed down her face.

"Get out, get out, get out ye devils!" She hissed.

"Marged..." Una said, closing the door.

Marged turned her head over and began to weep louder when her reddened slate-colored eyes met Una.

"Oh, me lady!" She cried.

"Look what the Gods have done to me!" She hunched up on her knees.

There was blood all over her thighs. Underneath her, Una could see bloodied cloth and linens. It was a gruesome sight. She suddenly doubled over and held her stomach.

"Aelwyd!" She barely uttered at she doubled over on all fours and gagged.

Aelwyd sprang forward with a bucket in her hands, and Marged was barely able to get her head in before she vomited.

"What's happening to her!?" Una asked, staring at Aelwyd.

"Her baby is with the Lord our God, in heaven." Aelwyd looked down and began to cry too.

Una ran to both of them.

"How can I help?" Una insisted.

"There's nothing much you can do, my queen. You must let this take its course."

She bowed her head while she still held the bucket up for Marged. You could hear Marged's crying between her spells of purging.

"Take its course?" Una asked as she reached out and rubbed the back of Marged.

"She's been bleeding since she lost her husband," Aelwyd said, averting Una's gaze.

"Four days? God's help us." Una sulked as Marged pulled her head away from the bucket.

Una knew what was happening. Marged was miscarrying.

"Oh, Marged!" Una said as she wrapped her arms around her and pulled her head to her neck.

Marged began to cry even louder as she felt Una embrace her even in the gore of her condition.

"He was all I had left of him!" Marged chocked out as her hot tears fell on Una's neck.

Una watched as Aelwyd put down the bucket and bowed her head. She clasped her bloodied hands in front of her and cried as she watched Marged bellow out in pain. That is all she could do.

"It's okay, everything's alright," Una said, rubbing her back and holding Marged close.

Una felt utterly helpless. She didn't know how to respond correctly to this. Una has never experienced anything like this. Her moon cycles can be bad but not debilitating like Marged was feeling. Una couldn't fathom the pain Marged feels, both physically and emotionally. She just lost her husband, the love of her life, and now she lost the only thing that was left of him.

"Why have the Gods taken him from me!?" Marged cried in Una's neck.

Marged reached up with her bloodied hands and held Una's arms wrapped around her.

"No!" Marged sobbed in a despairing lament.

"Why!?" Marged screamed, becoming hoarse.

"It will be okay. Everything will be okay." Una whispered as she rhythmically rocked Marged like a child to comfort her.

"No, no, no!" Marged bellowed out again, her tears and spat dripping down Una's chest.

Una hated it when people cried. It was hard enough for herself to cry. She had to stay emotionless as not to worry her people. If they saw her cry, they too would feel the need to out of fear. No leader should break themselves down in front of their followers. They had to be a representative. A strong leader who didn't let pain or emotions beat them down was invincible. But this moment was different. For everything that had happened, this week had sent Una in overload.

She found the son of the man who killed her father. She learned her father was less innocent than she was led to believe, and thus, her bloodlust quest for vengeance had to be ceased. Then the man she dreamed about nightly had tragically perished in pursuit of betrayal. Marged had fallen pregnant with his child, something Una had dreamed of having happened to her. Now Marged is losing this child, and strangely enough, she felt despair too.

This child would be all that Darren left behind. Now it too has joined the Gods. Una had planned to help Marged raise this child in the kingdom. It would not have an upbringing as Una had. Una wouldn't allow it. The whole kingdom would raise this child, knowing who their father was. Una could feel her eyes hot with tears. She began to weep for Marged, for her loss and grief. Though Una never showed it, the emotions of others had a significant effect on her. She hated it when others cried because she felt helpless, and nothing was worse than being useless.

"I love you, Una." Marged weakly said.

"My sweet sister..." She said in broken words.

"Don't worry, Marged. Everything will be alright. It will always get better. We'll look back at this day and remember..." Una trembled as tears fell off her cheekbones.

"You've never been wrong..." Marged said with labored breathing.

"I'll be alright..." Marged said, her voice trailing off.

After what felt like ages crying in each other's arms, Una could feel Marged cease her laments. Her body shook and trembled like a scolded dog, but she cried no more. Aelwyd lifted her head, her eyes red from crying too. Everyone was mourning Marged's struggle. Marged was very headstrong and was even more emotionally standoffish than Una. The only difference is that Marged had a mean streak in her, which made her appear even more robust even though her body was weak. If she cried, you knew something was wrong. Others could help but tremble in the presence of such a strong woman that suddenly breaks down.

Marged was beautiful though, that was the only thing that made her approachable. Her skin was fairer than Una's and unfreckled by the harsh rays of the sun. She didn't need to cover her cheeks with blood powder or use soot on her eyes. She was lovely without cosmetics. Marged was ruggedly beautiful. Her stone-gray eyes were like her father's, beautiful, but they sent a shiver down your spine. Her father's presence did the same as well. It was dark but alluring. As Marged got older, her aura began to exude the same energy as well. That is what drew Darren in when Una introduced her to him. They both had crushes on Darren, but Una let Marged have him, for she could not. She couldn't be in love until her sword crushed through Cynan's murderer's sternum.

She had spent most of her life next to Una's side. When she was a toddler, she wanted to play with Una and the older children, so they all grew up together. She was the daughter of a marquess who always advised Cynan. Her father always treated Una like his own when Cynan was off trading. When he perished during a great plague that struck Snowdonia, Marged would be cast out with her seven older brothers. Instead of this, Cynan knew what an attachment Marged had to Una since her mother died while in childbirth with Marged's little sister. They both didn't survive.

Una feared that this would happen again, but today this became a reality. Marged stopped shaking, and all her body weight fell into the strength of Una. Una figured that she was so tired and heartbroken from this unfortunate tragedy. Marged would never tell anyone her problems but Una, and even now, she hid that she was pregnant for fear that Una would be angry. And now, Marged feared telling Una that she was losing her child.

Una would never admit it, but she had always been jealous that Darren married her. This looked like anger in Marged's eyes because Una became very obstinate about what had happened. Marged and Una had different kinds of beauty, but they were always equal in that regard. They didn't act like friends after Marged and Darren eloped behind Una's back and didn't tell her not long ago. It wasn't until now that Una actually worked as if she cared.

"I'll be okay..." Marged said, closing her eyes and wincing.

"Time heals all wounds," Una whispered.

Marged's heavy breathing ceased, and her bloody arms fell forward limply.

"I'm here, Marged, I've always been here," Una said with tears burning down her cheeks still.

Now that Marged sees that Una cares, she doesn't feel completely abandoned. Marged had lost as much, if not more, than Una. For many days, Marged was struggling quietly with her condition. It was only today that she could not handle the pain after delivering the dead fetus that morning. Marged said nothing more but laid close to Una as you could hear Aelwyd weeping softly still.

It was as if a heavy burden was lifted off of her shoulders when Marged saw that Una came to see her in her hour of need. She believed that this meant Una had finally forgiven her. She was at peace again. Una was unaware that Marged had fallen quiet because she had slipped unconscious from hemorrhaging, and at last, after her struggle, Marged died in Una's arms.

It took a few moments for Una to realize something was wrong. It was only when she started to feel her body grow cold did Una recognize that she was gone.

"Mar...ged?" Una's voice trembled.

Aelwyd suddenly clasped her hand over her mouth, and she ran, running out of the room frantically, leaving the door open. The people on the outside looked in and saw Una holding on to Marged's body like her lost child. Blood was everywhere, all over the bed and walls, all over Marged and Una too.

"Gods!" A man cried and ran in.

"What have ye done to deserve this dreadful fate!" The man cried, looking at Marged.

Una was in shock. She had no emotion on her face, only a thousand thoughts running through her head. She was convinced now that the Gods were definitely punishing her for something. It was she who killed Darren, and it was now she who killed Marged and her child.