Vasillis has reached Capella, it has been a while since he last went to the manor of the Midford. He could remember that the last time was when he discovered what happened to his precious friend. After that, he left the Midfords with a determined declaration that he will bring Alexandria back.
Yes, that was the goal. "Finding her, bringing her back." he muttered.
He stepped out of the carriage and as he walked towards the household, a voice suddenly whispered in his ears. The beast that greeted him everyday with words that wanted to corrupt his mind, wanting to make him stray from his goal.
'What if she is really gone?'
'What if you really will not be able to bring her back?'
'What if she is dead?'
'What if you cannot find her body?'
Vasillis held his head when he was attacked with headaches. No matter how much he tried to get rid of the beast that howls at the back of his head, it just would not go away. Maybe it would only bid him farewell once he gets to the bottom of all this chaos.
He marched his way and passed by the fountains where he and Alexandria always sat for chats. His heart aches to see that it was impossible for them to get together like that, unless he succeeds in finding her.
He did not want to go to the front because he did not want to see Anthony Midford or even his friend, Alexander Midford. Instead, he went to the back of the manor. To the garden that Alexander took care of, for the woman that he needs to meet.
He approached the woman who was bending over to the flowers of innocence.
"It has been a while, Mrs. Midford."
~~~~~~~~~~
Before the chaos,
Alexandria's hands made its way to her chest. It felt weird, she thought but she did not understand. She felt her heart beating faster than normal and immediately turned her head to look for Cross.
Why did her heart suddenly beat so fast, it was not normal. Something must be wrong with her, a sickness maybe. Perhaps palpitations?
Her feet moved on its own without her realizing it and found herself approaching the woman in the field of flowers.
She was no longer near the tree, yet her body felt even lighter than it did. Lighter than the tree made her feel.
It as the first time she felt light, especially if it involves a person. A human.
She stood there looking at the lady dressed in simple clothes. She must not be in any household for her to dress like a commoner, or maybe she liked dressing in those clothes and found it comfortable, she thought.
But who was she kidding, even despite wearing a clothes that commoners wear, her looks and the aura she emitted proved otherwise. She looked like a noble, perhaps on the same level as the princess of their kingdom.
Princess Carmilla Howard was known as the Sun of the Royal Family, but the sun that Alexandria saw was not the princess, but the lady in front of her.
Alexandria took another step then lowered her gaze to the ground and saw the lady's hat that the wind blew away. She approached the lady who was looking for her hat, "My Lady? I believe this hat is yours."
'My Lady?' the lady thought and turned around, seeing a woman dressed in a casual dress yet still looked fancy. 'A noblewoman for sure.'
Alexandria put her hand on her chest again as it beat faster again, she could have sworn that she drank not a sip of coffee.
A smile formed on the lady's face as she saw the hat that was blown away by the wind, she bowed as she tried to express her gratitude. "Yes, this is mine. Thank you."
The lady giggled, "You are so formal, how could a woman call me My Lady." she said.
Alexandria stared at her, "I apologize. I do not know what to call you, Miss..." she responded.
"What about you, Miss? What is your name?" The lady asked in curiosity, still keeping the smile on her face.
Alexandria fell silent, she disliked giving her names to strangers and people she does not trust. But somehow, she did not dislike the feeling of telling her name to the lady she just met.
"Alexandria..." she muttered.
The lady stepped closer to the lady of Midford, "Pardon? I could not hear you much because it seemed like a whisper." the lady said.
"Alexandria. Alexandria is my name." she repeated, making it louder the second time.
The lady smiled after hearing her name, now she does not have to call her a noblewoman anymore, somehow she felt like this will not be the last time she gets to hear or call her name.
"How about your last name? I wonder what your family name is?" The lady asked, she knew for sure that she was a noble. If she could get the name of her house, perhaps there would be more chance for them to meet again.
"Telling my full name is not my sort of game." Alexandria responded with a straight face.
The lady was taken aback for a bit, but chuckled at her straight answer, "Clever, do not tell your name if you do not have to. I would also not tell mine." she said.
Alexandria flinched when she heard the lady say that she would not introduce herself as well. Did she make the wrong decision? 'Should I tell her my name?' she thought, but then slowly shook her head.
The lady bowed and was about to leave but there was something inside Alexandria that did not want her to leave immediately.
"How about yours, My lady? I gave you my first name." Alexandria said, "It is only fair that I get yours as well."
The lady stopped as she saw a beautiful daisy on the field. She picked one and turned around to Alexandria Midford with a smile, "Clauzia." she answered.
"A beautiful name, I thought for sure I would be right that your name was daisy." Alexandria said and Clauzia let out another chuckle.
"That was either a cheesy pull or a joke," she said, "Either way sounds amusing seeing how your expression looked entirely the same."
"I hope you would be able to remember my name, Alex." she said, making a nickname for the Lady of the Midford House. "Farewell, I believe we will meet again."
She turned her back and slowly walked away, leaving Alexandria in the middle of the field of flowers.
Alexandria who was always a shadow of her brother, even in the flowers, her presence was nothing more than a grass.
Unlike the lady she just met, a flower among flowers, perhaps the sun that went down by itself to give light to the flowers. Maybe even to give light to Alexandria who was covered in darkness.
"Clauzia..." Alexandria whispered. Even the name that left her lips seemed to linger, embracing her whole body.
It was the first time she felt that way, although she does not understand what kind of feeling it was.
She returned to the tree where she was sitting earlier and touched the trunk. The tree that was special to her and Alexander felt so useless compared to the presence of the lady daisy.
All of the sudden, Bastien Cross was already standing by her side. "I think I ordered you to stay there while I am here at the tree." she said.
Bastien Cross bowed apologetically, "Forgive me, My Lady. We need to hurry back to the manor." he said.
The travel to the place between Arcturus and Capella took much from their time. Marquess Anthony must be expecting the meeting to jave ended by now, so they ought to return back to the household before the master becomes suspicious.
Alexandria let out a scoff, "Why sre you afraid that he would be suspicious? Even if he did not know that we left, he would know it directly from Alistair Lockhart." she said.
"Even so. The coachman that we promised would be involved." Cross reminded.
Alexandria remembered their promised and had no choice but to comply. "All right."
The carriage has arrived and Alexandria's butler opened the door for her. Even though the expression on the lady's face never changed, Bastien Cross could tell that something great happened for her.
Bastien Cross sat down and close the door of the carriage with a smile on his face, "I saw that you have made a friend." he said.
"A friend..." Alexandria muttered, "A friend, you say." she repeated. She did not dislike the sound of having a friend. Perhaps after many years, this was the dirst time she made another friend besides Lucian and her twin.
"Clauzia, the lady...she bid farewell." Alexandria stated.
"And?"
"But I did not." Alexandria said and her body felt light, signaling that she was happy.
Bastien Cross looked at the lady, "Why did you not bid farewell to your friend?" he asked.
Alexandria stared at him for a while before turning to the window to look outside to watch the scenery as the carriage moved.
"Because I am certain that we will meet again."