After the disappointing breakfast, Guinevere went to the gardens hoping the solitude would help ease her mind. She heads for the fountains and took a seat at a nearby bench, scowling ever since she left the balcony.
There were no swans on the water anymore, nor was the water falling from the fountain. There was only uninterrupted silence; loneliness.
Guinevere was lonely. Place her in a crowd full of friends and she would still be. It had seemed that no one really catches her eye, not even her brother who shared the same interests as her in almost everything.
Her brother Lancelot wasn't here anymore. He had left months even before her graduation. Though she hoped he'd arrive tonight. She could use the brief company before he would leave them again to travel. Lancelot was living her dreams, it had seemed.
As Guinevere remained staring onto the ground, she remembered the purple bonnet she threw away many years back.
It was never returned to her. Perhaps he took it, she hoped. She'd be glad, knowing it would be the very evidence she has found him after years of having an unfillable void.
"Miss Violet, are you here?"
Hearing the approaching familiar voice, the redhead stood up and replied, "didn't I tell you to stop calling me that?"
Gusion softly chuckled. He revealed a bouquet of roses from behind him and Guinevere blushed. "For you, milady. Congratulations on your graduation."
"You graduated too, you know." She groaned and took the flowers. With the wave of her sparkling hand, the red roses turned into violet.
"Goodness me! I forgot you prefer the color violet in almost everything."
"Are you being sarcastic?"
Gusion smirked. "Are you offended?"
"Yes, and I don't like being offended as you already know."
The two of them began walking side by side around the garden, listening to the chirping of birds and other sounds of the late morning.
Guinevere thought about the conversation she had with her parents earlier, of the arrange marriage and the one to wreck their family's reputation.
"What're you frowning about? Shouldn't you be happy now that I am here?" Gusion asked flirtatiously. Guinevere acknowledged him being a ladies' man, but he was a good friend. She never honestly loved him romantically, only as a best friend.
"Gus... You should know that I'm not ready for a lifetime of commitment yet."
He nodded, acknowledgingly. "You want to travel the world and I want so too. So what stops you?" He said. "Are you implying that....you're in love with someone else?"
Her heart began to beat faster for a moment. "N-No, it's just that..."
"Who is it? Don't worry I won't kill him, or her." He scoffed. He noticed she was still hesitating to answer so he added. "I am your best friend, after all, am I?"
"I-I'm not in love with someone else." Liar. "I think I'm just too young to marry to not be able to experience the life of a single and independent woman I've been wanting to be."
There was a look of disagreement in Gusion's face for her answer. She never meant to hurt his feelings but it was the ugly truth. But she didn't want to lose him just like she lost her brother. And so she will have to pretend, for everyone's sake.
After letting the bouquet of violet flowers drop to the ground, slowly grabbing both of his arms, Guinevere wraps them around her waist as she wraps hers around his neck. She pulls him close and their bodies have never been this close.
"I'm in love with you and only you, Gus. If I haven't swore to my younger self that I would someday become an adventurer, I would marry you in a heartbeat."
She felt him hugging back and she could hear his heartbeat was becoming fast. "I'm glad you feel the same, Guinevere. I don't care how long I must wait for you to finally accept a lifetime's commitment with me nor how much my family wants to wed us sooner. I just want you to return my feelings and become not only my best friend, but also my lifetime partner in crime."
Guinevere nervously giggled as she felt him kiss her cheek out of excitement. "Don't hasten!"
His eyes widen as he immediately knelt down for her forgiveness. "Forgive me, milady. I shouldn't have done such a thing."
"I better put these in a vase then before they wither." Guinevere said, implying about the flowers.
"I came here with my father actually. They're at the courtyard battling probably so I better join them."
Walking back inside together, Gusion asked for another hug before they depart. Guinevere gladly gave him so. "Say, when we get married, will you become a demon hunter with me and rule the Land of Dawn together?" Gusion asked, slowly walking backwards.
She mischievously shrugged. "Maybe...?"
"I'll take that as a yes!" Gusion replied happily before disappearing into a corner.
Guinevere chuckled. Perhaps marrying him would be the best choice she's ever had for she might learn to love him even more than a friend just like she has learned to accept that she will never claim her freedom.
⚜️⚜️⚜️
Alucard takes out a heavy sigh before entering the Monastery Of Light. The place was once a fortress in the War, now a monastery where young orphans are vigorously trained to become future demon hunters. As an orphan himself, he believed their training strategy was too much for the children.
He had overgone the same training they were having back then which had made him into a successful demon hunter. He was faithful the children in the monastery would too become as successful as him someday.
"Sir!" Fellow demon hunters along the way greeted him and he would greet back out of respect.
Alucard climbed a steep steps of stairs leading to the most prohibited room in the monastery which was what they simply called the Office.
Before he could place three slow-paced knocks at the massive wooden double doors, they were already being opened from inside.
Alucard smiled at the person in front of him. "Greetings, Granger."
He was tall, lanky man in a dark leather coat detailed with shiny metal and has a collar which almost covered half of his nonchalant face. Carrying a gun and a guitar case, he looked dauntingly unapproachable.
It was no mistake he was the Death Chanter.
"Alucard." His voice was deep, spine-chilling even if you were a demon.
"Is your Grandmaster inside?"
"No, he already left for a mission. He told me to meet you at his Office. I was about to leave when your tardiness was beginning to infuriate me."
Alucard laughed, taking it rather as sarcasm although Granger was in all seriousness. "Then shall we be off to the Baroque castle? We still have a hundred miles to go before our target would arrive in the designated location."
Granger walks ahead, giving Alucard no replies. As much as Alucard wanted to kick the boy and let him fall to his death on the very stairs at the moment, he refrained his urges knowing it will be a fool's move.
Granger was a decade younger than Alucard but much to his dismay, he was still stronger despite that he not only shoots with accurate aim and powerful blows but also wields dark magic.