546 Epilogue (The End)
Music Recommendation: Blue Orchid Temptation
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Marceline watched her grandparents walking away from her cell while leaving her speechless because, in some part of their twisted minds, she was supposed to enjoy her time here when in truth, she despised the House of Purgatory.
She held the grills of the gated door tightly until her knuckles turned white, and she finally let it go once her grandparents were out of sight.
“Looks like no one wants you out, limpy,” one of the cellmates remarked when they were passing by her room.
Marceline glared at the woman, wanting to rip the person’s head off. But she remembered bitterly how she had no fangs and was at a disadvantage here. Ignoring the woman, she made her way back to her bed. Out of anger, she kicked the foot of the bed, but this only led to her wooden leg hitting the harder surface of the wood and breaking.
“ARGH!” Marceline grunted in frustration.
After staring at the wall for a long time, her eyes finally moved to where the letter Vincent had given was lying in the corner. Hopping across the room, she finally reached the letter and picked it up. Tearing the envelope, she quickly tapped the letter out of the envelope and unfolded it to read—
‘My dearest Marceline,
If you are reading this letter, it only means that you didn’t get to read the first letter I wrote for you. And if it is how it is, my heart aches for you, my dear daughter.
I don’t know where your father and I went wrong when it came to raising you and Vincent. We have loved you equally, regardless of how you feel, that I have been partial to your brother. Forgive me. Forgive me for not being able to be next to you to guide or cheer you. I cannot tell you how sad it makes me, knowing the time you are reading this letter… years must have passed since I am gone.’
Marceline’s eyes widened at her mother’s words, as it seemed like she knew that she was going to die way before her death. How was that possible? Her eyes quickly continued to read the rest of the letter her mother had written for her.
‘As I write this letter, a part of me wishes to change things, but I also know that it would be unfair and not right. You must be surprised, wondering how I know I have limited time with you and the others. I have always known Marcie. I knew my time would end sooner than the others, and believe me when I say that I love you and Vincent very much. You were the joy, the mark of love that your father and I share. And it also saddens me that you haven’t thought to change your ways.
You are a member of the Moriarty family, and if you decide to change yourself for the better, where you will return to the light than be lost in the darkness that you have strayed into, everything will be alright. I hope that one day you have a change of heart because it makes me sad to know that you decided to choose a path of loneliness.
I am not sure how things are going to end for me because I never heard or asked about it. As your mother, I can only hope that I can love you and your brother with the little time I have been spared with. And if the day comes when I need to protect you, or any of our family members, I will do it with the conscience that you will be safe and no harm will come to you after it.
My dear daughter, life is too short for the hate and pain to be gathered when you have a family ready to forgive you. I believe in you.’
At the end of the parchment, her mother had signed ‘Your mother, Katherina’.
Marceline wasn’t sure if her brother was trying to fool her by writing a letter in their mother’s name. But this wasn’t Vincent’s handwriting in the letter, and it belonged to her mother.
The vampiress’s face stiffened, but at the same time, her lips trembled after reading the last paragraph. And as beautifully as Katherina had written the letter for her daughter in the hope that things would change, Marceline whispered to herself,
“I didn’t do anything wrong to be forgiven for…” while deep down, she knew the truth as if the curtain had been drawn away from the windows to let in light.
[Music Recommendation: Love Theme- Guy Farley]
Seven seasons changed in the lands, inviting the eighth one back where everything began. And though Marceline Moriarty continued to stay as a resident in the House of Purgatory, there were other people who were learning to change their ways of living.
At the front of the Dawson’s residence, Eugene pulled out the pocket watch from his coat. He was dressed in a better attire that suited his position in the Council, and the townsfolk, who were walking past the house, were nice enough to greet him.
“Good morning, Mr. Weaver! Nice weather, isn’t it?” Asked the townsman, and Eugene smiled.
“It seems like perfect weather. One that Lady Aubrey likes,” Eugene answered the man.
“How is the Council work going? I had a problem that needed to be looked at, but the magistrate has been away to the South. Would it be alright if I were to drop by the Council?” the man asked.
“I don’t see why not,” Eugene answered, and once the man left, he wondered what was taking his wife this long. He called her, “Rose? Are you ready? Everyone must be waiting.”
“I am coming!” Rosetta replied before stepping out of the house and being followed by Mr. and Mrs. Hooke.
From being a proud Marchioness, a lady flocked by the members of high society, Aurora had turned into Mrs. Hooke, who didn’t control her daughter anymore. The elder vampiress asked,
“Where are the flowers, Rose? The blue ones that I gathered.”
“I have it placed inside the carriage, Mrs. Hooke,” Eugene replied to his mother-in-law, who nodded.
“Oh good! I was worried it was left inside the house,” Mrs. Hooke replied and watched Rosetta lock the house’s main door. “My apologies, I didn’t know we were going to be late. Little Nelson needed a little changing to be done,” she said, carrying her grandson in her arms.
“We still have a good few minutes and it is nearby. Everyone must have arrived as they had to travel,” Rosetta took Eugene’s hand before climbing and sitting in the driver seat, where her husband accompanied her. Mr. and Mrs. Hooke sat inside the carriage. “These flowers have grown very well, haven’t they Eugene?” She asked him as she took a look at the blue flowers.
“As Winter is here, the flowers will slowly start to shed and freeze. It is good to have them cut and put to use before they wilt,” Eugene answered. Taking hold of the horses’ reins, he finally got it moving.
Once they reached the front of the cemetery, Eugene parked the vehicle, and everyone got down. Rosetta noticed the Moriarty carriages, and she remarked,
“Vincent and Eve have arrived with the others!”
Mr. Briggs pulled the carriage next to the Weaver’s carriage. Getting down, he then pulled open the carriage door. Vincent stepped down before turning around and offering his hand to his wife. He cautioned,
“Careful with the ground, darling. It is slippery.”
Eve placed her hand in Vincent’s, holding it firmly before carefully placing her foot on the little stool and then on the ground. Her other hand was placed on her belly, which had grown big because of the baby that was to come soon.
“The weather feels nice today,” Eve commented while a little amount of fog escaped her lips. “Though I must say I feel like a bear now.” It was because Vincent had wrapped a thick coat around her shoulders to keep her and their child warm.
“A cute little bear of mine,” Vincent hummed, leaning and kissing her temple.
Vincent’s parents and Allie stepped down from the other carriage to join the occasion. Vincent said, “Let us go in.” Everyone agreed, stepping inside the cemetery.
Eve walked beside Vincent, with others who followed right behind them. They finally stopped when they came in front of a gravestone that belonged to Lady Aubrey, and it read— ‘Aubrey Dawson. A loving wife, mother and a splendid governess.’
Feeling Eve’s hand tighten around his arm, Vincent held her tighter, knowing how much she missed Lady Aubrey. A year had passed since Lady Aubrey passed away, and her death had been peaceful as the woman had gone to take her afternoon nap in her chair in front of the fireplace and had not woken up after it.
“I miss her,” Eve whispered, and Vincent replied,
“Me too. She must be happy now,” his eyes moved to look at the gravestone next to Lady Aubrey that belonged to the late woman’s husband, Rikkard Dawson.
Rosetta remarked, “I didn’t know Lady Aubrey had bought a plot next to him many years ago.” She had taken little Nelson from her mother, now carrying him in her arms.
As much as Eve had used her ability to remove any pain that Lady Aubrey could feel, she couldn’t lengthen the time of the elderly woman to stay with them longer and had to let her go finally. She wanted to cherish all of their memories because each of them was precious.
“Hm, where is our priest?” Eduard asked, turning to look back at the entrance.
“Probably taking someone’s confession,” Vincent hummed, putting his arms around Eve, wanting to keep her close.
Far away from the entrance, a black cat pranced, making its way to where everyone was, surrounding Lady Aubrey’s gravestone. Timotei shouted, “Wait for me!”
“We aren’t going anywhere. We just arrived,” Eve replied, noticing Timotei was no longer a regular cat by appearance, and it had nothing to do with her. She still remembered last year when Timotei had found a cat so that she could experiment on it.
‘Ta-da! I have brought you a willing cat, Eve. Now time to whisper those magical words and turn this cat into a vampire,’ Timotei had brought another black cat, hoping to turn into a person like the rest.
‘Where did you find this cat from? He looks almost the same as you,’ Eve remarked.
‘That can’t be true,’ Timotei had harrumphed, ‘No one can match my shiny coat and the amazing me. ButI thought a little similar would be like using your magic on me. Come now,’ his tail moved back and forth in excitement.
‘Here I go then,’ Eve replied before raising her hands and using her ability. A blue light had formed on the other cat, and when it was done, Timotei looked back and forth, looking for a person, but instead, his eyes fell on a rat.
‘AHH! You must be kidding me!’ Timotei looked appalled, and his ears flopped.
‘I don’t think it’s going to work, Tim,’ Eve let him know before she sat down on her heels and said, ‘Why don’t you achieve whatever dreams you have while you are still a cat? You are a unique being, a talking cat that shows your amazingness already.’
Timotei, who was sad, suddenly cheered up as if Eve’s words made sense, and he bobbed his head, ‘You are right… I can do that, can’t I? I mean, I have connections with influential people like you and Vincent.’
And that is how Timotei was no longer an average cat as he wore a white robe tailored to his small body. He had chosen to be a priest. Eve could tell that the black cat enjoyed listening and imparting his wisdom to the townsfolk, which was vested upon him by the approval of the Council.
Timotei huffed and puffed when he finally reached the gravestone. He said, “I am so popular, I have no time to spare as everyone comes to confess to me. I have two people to marry tomorrow. I feel so powerful!”
Eugene got everyone’s attention, “Now that all of us are here. We should pay our respects together.”
Everyone who had brought flowers with them began to place them in front of the graves before sharing kind and thankful words for Lady Aubrey’s soul. When it was Eve’s turn, she said,
“I hope you are doing well, aunt Aubrey. I cannot believe it has been a year, yet it feels you are with us, a feeling I am grateful to. You already know how all of us feel, and I only wish that you are happy. Eugene and I share the fond memories we have built with you, and we are thankful and grateful. For taking us in when we had no one, for giving the life that we live now,” Eve smiled, taking a deep breath and then saying, “I will come visit you soon.”
Eugene gave a nod. He had always held the woman with such high regard that when she had passed away, it had been hard to wrap his head around it even though they knew it was going to happen. When Lady Aubrey died, he had found out that the woman had left the house in his name to take care of it, and knowing how much she loved the house, he was touched by her gesture.
Slowly everyone began to leave one by one, walking towards the cemetery entrance while Vincent and Eve were the last ones to leave as they took their time to walk slowly. Vincent said,
“I received an invitation from the Sullivans. They are hosting a ball next week, and wish for us to be there.”
“Then we shall attend it,” Eve smiled at the memory that her friends had finally married each other, happy for Noah and Anaya. She said, “I am glad everything worked out.”
“All because of your kind heart,” Vincent brought the purple umbrella forward and opened it when the snowflakes started to fall from the sky.
“You give me too much credit, Vince,” Eve turned to look at him while he brought the umbrella above their heads.
“You just don’t know what you are capable of,” Vincent walked beside Eve as they continued to talk and smile. “You are my precious Eve.”
“My crazy Vince,” the smile on Eve’s lips spread before a small chuckle escaped from her lips.
Once they got inside the carriage, Eve leaned towards Vincent and placed her head on his shoulder.
There was nothing she would trade, as everything was perfect. A loving husband, a family that cared, a talking cat, and a child. Vincent and her child where they were ready to be parents. Their hands found each other, where their fingers intertwined as the carriage began to move.
[An ending music song- Rebecca- Des Roses]
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You can now move all the votes to GOP, power stones/ golden tickets, as AOTN is marked complete, it won’t show up in the rank anymore.