The Prince's Duchess { Illyria Series 1 } - COMPLETED

Chapter 5 - Grief on both sides

Leo's POV:

When I heard about my Uncle's death. I had just finished another meeting and was due to attend several other obligations.

I had my secretary cancel and reorganize everything to resume the next day.

I spent my time in my office, once it was locked; I allowed myself to sit down on the couch and take a deep breath, but still I felt a throbbing pain somewhere and realize that my fists were clench tight.

He was gone.

The phone email I received from Valentine had a picture snippet of my Uncle's body and his signet ring.

I allowed myself to mourn him because I was not by his side.

I remember doing this for an hour.

The was the first time I cried in years.

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"Ah Leone. I heard it too. I am sorry man." Charles sat beside him in his office couch. "According to Val, the Illyrian Embassy will confirm the duke's death to the Royal Palace in a week after they manage to prepare his body for transport."

My cousin had visited me and took one look at me before he also sat down to mourn our Uncle.

"Did Valentine know the cause of death?" I asked.

"He will send a report on that but I can help you find out about it now if you want?"

"Do it. I want every information about his death by tonight." I said. " I want all the information to go to me before my father gets wind of it."

"Understood."

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That night, Charles came to my home and I met him at the pool where I had been doing some laps to take the edge off the day's stress.

It was grueling day at work and the palace affairs had me busy so I had to swim to relax my battered body, Blotting the wetness from my neck as I got out of the pool, I sat on one of the tables that are scattered around the pool.

"It says here he died saving someone. But according to Val; he was already weakening because of his long exile." he reported as he sat on one of the tables and handed him the files he collected.

After drying myself and sitting beside Charles, I pulled off the documents and examined a copy of my Uncle's medical records.

Then I saw a few other photos and a file of a woman.

I suddenly became uneasy as I examined a picture of a small woman whose eyes were wrapped in bandages and is bedridden. Her black wavy hair was braided and she seemed to be restrained.

My eyes narrowed at her bandaged face as a prickly sensation went up my neck in shocking intervals. Who is she?

"That is Sarina Larusso. 25 years old, she is a nurse at Hope Nursing Home and is said to be the closest person to Henry." Charles said. "It seems like your Uncle really loved her because even though he knew he was dying, he gave her his corneas. Val told me that she had a progressing eye condition that could have blinded her if she didn't get operated on."

"This woman has my uncle's eyes?" I frowned then he looked at her again, a strange feeling kept poking at me like a hundred needles. "Does she know what the consequences of accepting my uncle's eyes mean?"

"Apparently not because after she went crazy when she heard of Henry's death, to prevent from aggravating her further; the doctor refused to let Val reveal anything that will stress her for the next 6 months."