Chapter five

It was already getting late, but Emilia was still seated alone in the graveyard., deep in thoughts.

Dorian Burke.

What was he even doing here in the first place?? Had he been expecting her?!! If he had, how had he known she would be coming here??

She stared long at the gravestone he had been looking at when she arrived. It had the word " Siri" encrypted on it.

Siri? what kind of name was that?

She said getting up to leave, heading back to her carriage.

But wait!! Siri spelt backwards is Iris, right?!!

I think I'm going crazy...

she laughed sadly.

Meanwhile Dion went to his uncle's house first, intending to head to Emilia's place afterwards, if not for the fact that the lights were off, and something felt terribly wrong. He jumped out of his carriage and ran towards the house. The door was left ajar which did nothing to ease the tension and adrenalin, he ran in towards his uncle's room.......

He stood rooted on a spot, a body lay cold on the floor, a pool of red fluid encircling the body...... Blood!!!?

He took shaky slow steps towards the body, he collapsed to the floor, his eyes flashed with recognition, rage....... and regret.

Patrick's dead body lay motionless in the middle of his room;

Dion refused to accept what his eyes beheld, his uncle, mentor, and friend, lying dead in a pool of his own blood. Shaky hands reached out to check his pulse; nothing!! The body was cold, too cold for it to have been done anything time recently, which meant he had been killed a long time, earlier during the day.

But who!!??

Who would do such a thing?!! His uncle had no known enemies, no one in Buckingham even knew his true identity. What would he tell his father and family!! That he wasn't able to protect just a single person!!?

Realisation set in; his uncle was gone!!

Dion got up slowly, silent sobs escaped from his lips. He felt loss, regret, PAIN!!!!

He made his way out of the house and started towards the Earl's mansion.

Emilia was getting ready to go to bed when a messenger arrived informing her father of the tragic death of Patrick Snow, Dion's uncle. She almost collapsed to the ground,

What?!

Dion!! Where could he possibly be? and what kind of thoughts are going through his mind??

she thought worriedly.

What about his nephew?

She questioned hurriedly.

Tod(the messenger) then turned to her.

He walked out of the house when we arrived at the scene,......... but we're suspecting that he might be the one who did it. We don't know who he is or where he's from, we aren't even sure if he's really Patrick's nephew. So he's likely a suspect.

He said.

No! he didn't do it, I know he didn't do it!!

Tod looked shocked.

She bowed her head slowly.

It's not him, I'm sure of it, infact! I'll go look for him.

In this heavy rain?!!

Alex said.

Yes!! In this heavy rain.

She marched towards her room to get ready to leave. When she arrived at her room door, she collapsed against it.

Who could've done such a thing?! Is it somehow related to the case?

She reluctantly opened the door, her breath caught in her throat when she caught a glimpse of a figure sitting motionless near her room window.

She thought about screaming for help but muffled it with her hands and approached the figure slowly.

Who are you?

What are you doing here and how did you get in here?

No response.......

What do you want??

Without warning the figure stood and grabbed her by the shoulder. His grip was tight and firm, his breathing was shallow, his hair was poured down, covering his face; Dion??

Oh love, is that you?

What's wrong, talk to me, how do you feel.

She pleaded.

Emily, I feel : frustrated, angry, useless, furious.........

You're mourning.

She finished for him.

Yes, I am.

he said.

Tell me what happened Dion.

He shook his head -

I don't want to talk about it.

But you have to, you have to darling, so you can let go, you have to.

He pulled away from her embrace to look her straight in the eye.

The killer, the killer is the same person that has been killing men from the Burke family, I'm sure of it.

Are you sure about that Dion??

Yes, I am.

She fell down into the chair Dion was seated on before.

Then that means it's somehow related to the case?

she asked, looking up to face Dion in horror.

Yes, it does. I think it's because he talked to us about the Irish maid, probably there's a spy in Buckingham that's working for the killer.

So you're saying the reason the people didn't want to talk to me was because they were afraid of being killed, and the reason why your uncle was reluctant to tell me anything was because he didn't want to get killed?

he nodded once.

Then it means he died because of me?!!

No!!

This didn't happen because of you, you didn't force him to do anything. The one to blame is his killer, the question now is who could be the spy among the people that's close to the Burke family?? I currently can't think of anyone.

Then let's go investigate,

he said as he made for the door. She got up quickly to grab his hand to stop him, she turned him around to face her;

Dion, are you alright?

He smiled faintly.

Don't worry Emily, I'll be fine when the killer is served justice.

As she was surprised, so was her family when Dion told them he intended on going to investigate after his uncle just died, but knowing him, they knew he would only publically mourn when his uncle's killer was punished. At first mention my father was against me following Dion but seeing Dion's current state.........he escorted us both into his personal carriage and sent them off into the heavy rain. And who would have thought! - a dark secret.

Inside the carriage he briefed her concerning his visit to the underground market.

The slave trader I talked to told me that a rich royal came to buy a slave from him earlier before I arrived but was turned away by a stubborn slave girl who turned out to be the Irish maid's little sister, though they both had different slave masters.

Really?? Are you sure she was her sister?

Yes, I am. Plus, she almost fit the description of the Irish maid we got from the people and she knew certain things about the Irish maid we didn't know.

Like what?

Stuff like : The Irish maid's real name is Iris Magnus and her sister's name is Rose. They were taken as slaves from their countryland and sold to the Burke royal family, later they were thrown out after a terrible accident between their masters son and Iris. From there onwards they had been living as slaves. But according to the sister, Iris changed in a drastic way, she changed from the caring, loving and compassionate she was to a bitter and sinister person. She started shouting at the sister and was busy getting rid of other slaves that didn't do exactly what she told them.

But what could make her change that much? I'm guessing it had something to do with the incident concerning the Irish maid and her masters son.

Emilia said

What else did she tell you?

Nothing else, but she obviously wasn't telling me everything but she had a certain hatred towards royals.

Oh, she figured out that you were a royal?

Yes, she did.

I don't know how this adds up but I met someone suspicious today, called himself Dorian Burke, said he was an assassin from the Burke family here to kill Sarah Burke for murdering his father, but I doubt that's true. He really did have a disturbing resemblance with Justin Burke, a lot!!

Did he show you anything as proof of who he claimed to be?

Well, their family crest was burnt into both his arms, isn't that enough evidence?

I guess that's enough proof,

he said thoughtfully.

So what about what the slave trader told you, about the royal??

He said the royal was a male, looked too young to have broad shoulders, sad green eyes. Fits the discription of Justin Burke doesn't it, I'm guessing it was this Dorian guy.

Dion rubbed his temples.

Why would he need a slave?!!

I don't know either.

And don't forget the little girl that killed herself and the sister with bloodied hands.

Ah!! She screamed in frustration.

And the fact that Justin's children are no where to be found.

But we're not sure about that yet.

Yes, we're not, but it's a possibility isn't it?

Of course it is.

They both sighed...........