Where...
Then he panicked.
No, they couldn't have possibly seen that...
"Ah, Krielein. About time you woke up, dear." The warm voice of his aunt, Lady Faleboro, and the smell of rosewood and lavender calmed him. There was still the nagging suspicions though.
"Aunt, did..?" His slip of regal speech showed he was still a bit worried.
Faleboro chuckled, bringing over a cup of milk tea. "Of course not, my lovely child. I did promise your mother, and most importantly, you." She clucked. "I may be old, but I'm not forgetful of my promises."
"Mistress, you're not old." The lady shook her head, silver-black locks of hair tumbling, and smiled.
"Ah, I can feel it in my bones. Your uncle, well, let's say his humor hasn't improved. Ge liah." she added, in Alosian tongue, "and your company is keeping heat at the dining table. The lad was worried, as well as the daughter."
Kriel looked around. "Uh, mistress, do you have...?"
Faleboro chuckled and handed Kriel a worn black shirt, as well as faded grey baggy pants, with an indescribable symbol decorating one leg.
"Mistress, you always have everything ready."
Jarald was leaning on the velvet chair he was sitting on, crossing his arms as he went on watching Seriya stuff herself with all the fruit she could eat. Figs, grapes, apples, as well as exotic fruits all went down her throat.
"I like fru-tsu." Seriya cut him off before he voiced his thoughts.
The squire raised an eyebrow, which quickly turned into an impassive face as Kriel trotted down the stone staircase in the corner of the dining room.
"Hey." was all he greeted.
"Is Kriel-kun feeling better now?" Seriya asked, toying with a strawberry.
Kriel shrugged, casting an indecipherable glance over the stone faced Jarald. "I suppose so. Lady Faleboro works wonders with healing. Enjoying the fruit?" he asked in return, delicately plucking a grape from the plump bunches. The girl watched mesmerized, as Kriel unconsciously peeled the purple skin into a flower shape, split the meat into four parts, and popped it into his mouth.
"Hm?" said Kriel, when he caught Seriya staring at him.
"You eat funny."
"Or maybe he's just showing off." The annoyed voice of Jarald cut through.
Icy silence, dense as the air before a storm, hung in the room. Even Seriya was nervous to slice the cold quiet between the two.
"..Whatever." Kriel stalked off.
Jarald just resumed leaning in his chair, as Seriya drew her eyes towards Kriel.
"Jarald?"
"If it's gonna be about the bloody king, I don't give a damn."
"..Can we follows him and saw where he goes?"
The squire almost toppled.
"Why not?" he grunted.
"Who's that?" hissed Seriya, almost leaning further to get a better look.
"I dunn- careful Seriya!" Jarald watched Kriel greet a young girl, with fair skin and chestnut hair. Her sapphire eyes seemed to reflect despondency, and as Kriel held out a hand, she avoided viewing his face and clasped it.
"Ooo, maybe it's a lover?"
Jarald almost choked, silently laughing as he recalled a "romance" scene performed several times by a knight in love.
"Well, unlikely that he'll get a fiancée, too much of a undecided lad, mates."
The mortal feeling of terror almost resulted into the two shrieking in fear. Amongst the short chapter of chaos, Kriel and the girl had disappeared.
"Curiosity, my friends?" Duke Javer raised an eyebrow in mock teasing.
"It was Jarald's fault!"
"What?"
Duke Javer just chuckled. "Well, to satisfy your appetite, that's his lovely, delicate sister. Ah, but by some reason, she's mute. Won't talk. Krielin feels as if it's his fault and taken upon himself that she gets better. Ah, it torments him so..." With that, the man waltzed off, leaving Seriya and Jarald in respectable silence.
"What do you think Kriel did?"
"Did?" Jarald shrugged. "Dunno maybe, something horrendous? Like killing something?"
"Jaaa-rald." Seriya hugged herself a bit. "Don't say that. Make me sick."
"Can't think of anything else."
"Still wanna follow?" Seriya gestured down the hall.
The squire hesitated a moment. "Sure..."
"Marie..."
Soft silence covered Kriel and Marie like a cloud. She just grasped his hand tightly.
"Does the Duke and his Lady treat you well?" he inquired, and Marie nodded. Her deep blue eyes were misty, like a veil of rain covering her window to the world.
"I'm going to go away for a while, sister." There was a pause. "And maybe...I'll find something to make you happy again."
Her head tilted, Marie looked up with worry at the world 'away'. She clung with both hands to Kriel's right hand, as if desperate for him to stay.
"I can't stay here..I don't want you three to be in danger..." Kriel choked a bit, feeling warmth rise to his eyes. He shook his head and patted his besotted sister. "Don't worry, I'll be back...and maybe with something to free you from the cage." He awkwardly hugged her. She just closed her eyes and wept silently against the king's shirt.
"I'll be fine. I promise."
Kriel then looked around. "And..you guys, can you stop lurking?" His voice was chilling, cold fury embedded. Marie looked up in surprise as Seriya and Jarald appeared behind a pillar.
"Observant, are you." Jarald offered no indication of what he had seen. Seriya hung her head, abashed at her spying.
"It's easy to catch when you two are clumsy." Kriel folded his arms and gazed furiously at the two. "I don't need any meddling."
Marie tugged on Kriel's shirt.
"..Hrm." The king just sighed. "Well, this is Marie, my sister. She's..."
"Mute." Jarald's voice echoed.
"Yeah."
An awkward silence held in the air. Marie tugged again and pointed at the unknown twin and girl.
Seriya looked up, and grinned nervously. "I'm Seriya, and this is Jarald! He's a bit grumpy and scary, but he's actually nice." An intimidating stare from the twin shut her up, however.
"We're not friends, Marie, if you're wondering." Kriel said scathingly, obviously infuriated by the two's presence.
"We're...we're sorry Kriel san." The whispers of Seriya was barely heard as she began to be feeling bad about following Kriel and was close to tears. "It-it's my fault, I wanted to.."
"Actually, I was curious about what kind of 'activities' you did behind our backs, so I made Seriya follow." Jarald cut in before Seriya could sob. The girl just hid behind the twin, more miserable than ever. She knew something bad was going to happen.
"Great way to show trust, huh."
"It's your fault I lost Harald," Jarald spat, "your fault we got in trouble. Your fault that we're on the run. And see, it's your fault that your sister is silent, isn't it? You're just someone who cause grievances, some who causes-"
Thrawck. Kriel socked Jarald in the stomach, who recoiled in pain.
"Jarald!" Seriya tried to help the toppling twin, who pushed her away.
He breathed heavily, as the last words came out.
"You're just a curse to everyone, an infliction of misery."
Kriel, rigid, clenched fists, wanted to kill him. Kill the guy who told the truth that he'd had believed in.
He's right, you know? A mocking voice tormented his thoughts. You always cause pain, and can't even help your sister. You didn't protect her, you-
"STOP IT!" The scream tore from his mouth, and he ran, far far away from the problem, through a blur of white and blue, away from the voice.
But he couldn't run from the maddening guilt and the misery of being unable to help the one he loved.
He never could erase that memory, much less rid the shock of his sister.
It haunted him for so long, and so much. Hating the fact that he was powerless to do anything, unable to turn back that fateful day, and now he had also put someone else's life in the danger he should have seen.
It was true. He, himself, just caused misery.
But the king was still powerful.
He could get revenge on whoever had destroyed the castle and captured the twin. And maybe, just maybe, he could make Marie laugh again. Somehow, someway, just to hear her voice again.
The flames would keep him going.
Of vengeance and hope.
The day signaled a good day.
The skies were blue, cloudless, birds chirping in the concealing forest. Very few people knew of the exact location of Duke Javer's mansion. His 'other' one was just a decoy, for the Duke always believed that some strange creatures would attack them.
"They will descend on us from the night sky," he would whisper, eerily, " and destroy and take over our world as we know it. Even the Council would be hapless."
Faleboro would often remark in mock scolding. "It seems that the Council is good at keeping those creatures from us in the first place." The Duke would just chuckle and warn Kriel and Marie to watch out for 'odd beings'.
But today wasn't a day of high spirits. Even Duke Javer, whose usual child-like personality melted into grave concern.
"You..sure you want do to this, child?" He watched as Kriel saddled Epona, who was weighed down slightly with an odd assortment of supplies.
"Mhmm." The king-turned fugitive mounted Epona. "And, if I stay here, there's bound to be trouble."
"Well, child, if you ever find the need for safety, we're here." Faleboro smiled sadly. "And..you're leaving the two behind?"
Kriel shrugged in an almost casual way. "I need no help from them, and they'll just drag the trip down. And, well, we're not on good conditions, my lady." The Lady's eye raised a bit at statement, but made no speech to comment on it.
Duke Javer handed Kriel something. "It's a note," he explained, "for if you ever stop by Norehound, talk to Chief Xercendra. Norehound is a good place for, ah, help."
Kriel bowed as well as he could on Epona. "I am deeply in your debt, Duke." But all the Duke did was pat his head and laugh.
"We're family, child. Family don't owe debts to each other. If they did, the world would be one complicated place. Well, actually, it already is." he chuckled.
The king languidly smiled. "Ah, yes, it is..."
It had been about three hours since Kriel set out.
And he had to admit he was lost.
"Peruse's teasing, haven't been here in a while..." It was unsettling being lost in the deeper area of the woods, and becoming slightly harder for the king to fight off panic.
Then there was a crash. And a swear. "Revior's curse."
Kriel hated his luck.
"I'm coming." The third time. The third response. Kriel just gave up arguing.
Besides, he needed someone wise in the ways of traveling.
"Do as you wish."
"I will." The fugitive's irritation sparked a bit at Jarald's snide response. He massaged his nerves, and paced. Wondering if he was going to go mad from such a companion like this.
"Kriel, I mean, uh Lord?" Seriya was feeling uncomfortable in the tension between Jarald and Kriel.
Kriel just smiled grimly. "I'm not a 'Lord' anymore, Seriya. Proditus has taken over, it seems. And is out for our captures."
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