June hesitated.
What was the Knight doing up? He should only come into the picture after April was dead. So why was he here now?
Surely if June just ignored this strange development then he could continue on with the normal sequence of plot points.
He would catch December's attention. And die at his blade.
November would activate the power laced inside the earrings. He would go to the infirmary and finish off his job.
And he would escape from the castle. The Princess and her Knight would catch wind of the developments. And they would hunt down November, where he would meet his end as well when the moon hung high in the sky. He would take down the Knight him.
That's what was supposed to happen...Or was it?
June snapped out of his thoughts and was about to go on his way, ignoring the odd developments.
But then he remembered earlier when this March went off script and stole Marilyn from Kaleidoscope. He stopped in his steps.
Was this a product of the Knight gaining awareness?
A new spark of inspiration flickered in June's heart. And for the first time in ages he felt heart-throbbing excitement so vividly it was maddening. He abandoned his target and instead chased after Treize, purposely positioning himself ahead of her route.
When Treize rounded the corner, she was too slow to react to a pair of doors opening and wide hands circled around her and dragged her in.
A scream was upon her lips but June's shushed her with a hand pressed to her mouth.
She blinked, her heart beating so terribly she thought she was going to faint. The room was a wide one with a table set in the middle and couches and armchairs. There were several exits and entrances but her eyes were watching the one where she was dragged in, expecting the Knight to burst in at any second.
"I didn't recognize you with all that crazy paint," She tried to laugh and wave June off. But instead there was only a hoarse strangled sound that came out of her lips. "I'm sorry, I didn't expect this to happen with the Knight… you told us he wasn't supposed to be there!"
"He isn't," June affirmed, "he's acting off-script."
Treize grumbled and frowned, concern mixed in with the mind-numbing fear, "Then…what do we do? The Gardener is still in the infirmary…"
"Don't worry about it," June gave her a lazy smile. "Just go and look for November. Make sure you let him know the situation before he makes it to the infirmary. I'll take care of the Knight."
Treize blinked up at him, uncertainty clear in eyes, "But…" She could not understand how he was so calm.
But June showed her nothing but confidence. He took her by the shoulders and was already pushing her toward a set of doors on the other end of the room. "Go down the hall and turn right. But I'm sure you already know that, don't you?"
Treize was still unsure. But eventually she nodded, "I didn't spend hours studying the blueprints for nothing. But the castle…"
"Has a personality," June finished for her. His voice was hushed and rushed. No doubt he could feel the approaching danger like she. "Don't worry then. I'll bargain with it so you'll be able to get to your destination without any more trouble than usual."
She had no idea what she meant nor did she have the time to question him because June shouted at her to "Go!" and shoved her out the room.
Treize wanted to scream. She wasn't feeling good about any of this! But what could she do?
Nothing. She, now caught in the churning cogs of the City.
It was too late to regret everything now! Determination renewed she schooled her expression and once again marched down the castle halls, this time more certain of her destination, more certain of her purpose.
Luckily, November was not difficult to find. He was around the corner of the hall where the infirmary was located, casually leaning next to a doorway. There was something dazzling about him, a serene elegance that matched well with his disguise.
Lorn was always a really handsome person in a sweet and gentle way.
He caught sight of her and beckoned her over.
Following the scripts of their roles, she curtsied, "How can I be of service, my Lord?"
November scratched the back of his neck, "Hm, actually, I think I need help searching for something. Come with me."
They slipped into the nearest room. There were so many rooms in the castle that it was almost just as easy to get long in the rooms as it was the winding halls.
The room they stepped into had dark and muted hues. Unlike the majority of the other rooms she had the chance of glancing into, there was something inherently archaic about this one. The lily patterns on the tapestry, while familiar, was a little out of style much like sharp arches that the pillars all tapered off into. There were shelves all along the walls but nothing upon them which led Treize to believe that this was once a library now stripped of the core of its existence.
"Ah, where's June?" November asked with a hushed voice, "Was he not supposed to meet up with you?" Much like June, there was calm composure about November's aura that made Treize jealous. She couldn't quite tell if it was because of the fact that they were Months and not Numbers of it was some sort of genetically determined personality trait?
Both seemed possible. "He's busy with the Knight. There's only the two of us to deal with the three left in the infirmary."
November raised a brow but did not betray any other signs of distress, "The Knight? Huh? I thought he wasn't supposed to show up until later."
"That's what I thought too."
"Hmm," November hummed, a subtle frown pulling his lips. "There's still the Gardener in there. He's even more dangerous than the Knight."
That was right. Out of the entire Kingdom, the Royal Garden was the most skilled swordsman and only second best to the Princess herself when it came to wielding magic. Saying that he's more dangerous than the Knight was almost an understatement.
A terrible chill traveled through Treize's body. That was the problem wasn't it? November had to deal with the Doctor and April. Which left…
Herself.
She would have to take on June's original role.
But she was no Month! She had no plot armor! And after being stalked around the castle by the Knight she wasn't so eager to try her chances with the Gardener.
November frowned, having come to the same conclusion as she. But he was not so eager to send her to her doom, "I'll try to think of something…" he muttered, "Maybe I can.."
"No!" She eventually said, her body was going numb from the words that were about to come out of her mouth, "No…don't worry about it. Please. I shall do what I can and you just focus on what you're supposed to. I might not be June but I believe that I can distract him for long enough."
Displeasure was visible on November's face. "You do understand that…"
"Of course, who do you think I am? A fool?" She forced a smile upon her lips.
November sighed but he smiled as well, "No. You're the Lioness." He brushed his hair over his ear, "Alright. Then I leave things in your capable hands, my Lady."
They both shared a nod.
Before exiting back into the hall, Treize felt a hand on her shoulder.
November's expression was grave, "Don't die."
She didn't know if she should laugh or cry. So instead she quelled her fear and her sadness and smiled, "I won't." She was always quite good at lying.福