Death is never easy. It doesn’t matter if it’s a death you’ve caused, happened near you, or happened to one near and dear. There are different degrees of feeling, of course. For Neri, every death carried a little sadness, but she also understood its necessity, so for the most part, it didn’t phase her. When some of the Scions were killed, it hurt her heart, but she had not known them well. The Sultana? It had been s hocking, but Neri had known her less well than the Scions, and had, for some time, been more preoccupied with clearing her name and finding the other Scions. Fortunately, the Sultana was still alive.
But Haurchefant? He had been a true friend. While she considered the Scions friends, she did not know them terribly well, and they were always asking of her. While it was true she didn’t know Haurchefant extremely well, and had often asked things of him, he had always been heart glad to see her. He was always smiling and laughing at her antics – even the time she had been angry and frustrated and had let off steam by dancing on his desk. Haurchefant had never minded her antics, or her favor requests.
Her heart ached horribly at his loss, especially knowing he had died trying to protect her from one of the Heaven’s Ward. He’d had a smile on his face until the end, knowing he would die. And all he asked, all he wanted, was for her to smile as he faded away. The ache was almost more than she could bear. She never wanted to lost someone close to her like that again. She vowed, then and there, to get back at the Heaven’s Ward, and the Archbishop, for doing this to him.