Chapter nicknames: Silas = Valia. Meredith = Delilah.
Chapter 66:
Saving Grace
Silas returned from the alleyway and back towards the bustling crowd, passing out flyers with a smile as he snaked his way back to Eva and the rest of the crew to report the strange encounter with the nobleman in the alley. As he worked through the crowd, he could not shake the stinging feeling of being followed, so he took extra care to quietly pass through the crowd as he neared Eva's stage, handing out the last of his flyers with flashy smiles and quick exchanges. The only thing that slowed down Silas was the embellished fabric flats on his feet, which pinched his toes as he ran.
Just as he reached the stage, sliding behind a heavy red curtain backstage, he was greeted by Neema, who had her back to the men. Silas glanced around the tent, then said calmly, "Neema?"
Neema jumped at the sound of Silas's voice, but once she saw his face, she sighed in relief and said, "Ah, you scared me! Did you finish passing out the flyers?" Her hair was tied back into a curly ponytail behind her head, and she had applied dark makeup around her eyes, accentuating them in a flattering fashion. Even her clothes had been exchanged for a more formal Khymalian performance dress. "Lady Ivana is about to start her performance. Is Delilah back yet?"
As Silas was about to shake his head, the curtain behind he and Neema moved, and Meredith stepped inside the tent and stood next to Silas, his face flat as he looked behind Neema for a short moment and said, "Where is Ivana?" There was no warmth in his tone, but rather concern as he used Eva's nickname. "There's someone who wants to meet with her." He looked over his shoulder, his braided light blue hair shifting behind his back as he stared back, his eyes serious.
"I'm here, Delilah. What is it?" The familiar sound of heels clicked against the hardwood under their feet, and Eva stepped out towards them, donning a dark plum dress with jeweled embellishments sewn into the front. Her hair had been pulled back into a crystal clip behind her head, showing the youthful features of Eva's face.
Meredith looked behind him and began to speak, saying, "The-" But, his words were stopped by the sound of footsteps and there was a laugh as the curtain behind the small group was moved aside. Silas's eyes widened in recognition as Meredith grabbed his hand and stepped to the side, dragging his nephew with him as Neema closed the large book in her hand, staring at the stranger with a grim expression as Eva maintained her poised, calm expression.
"My, it's an honor to finally meet the enchantress herself, Lady Ivana." The noble snapped his feet together and bowed politely. His men quickly followed their master's lead, and Eva smiled gracefully and, taking a small bundle of her draping gown in her gloved hand, curtseyed at the noble.
"The pleasure is all mine, Duke Godfreed."
Silas's eyes widened as he heard the familiar last name. Godfreed? Could he be related to the prince? Silas closed his eyes and smiled warmly, though his mind was racing, Would he recognize me out of my disguise? Did he recognize me already?
Meredith glanced over at Silas, then smiled and curtseyed, "Please excuse us. We have to prepare for our upcoming performance."
"That's fine. Go." Eva waved them off dismissively, then stepped towards Duke Godfreed with an alluring smile, "You and I have much to discuss anyway. I must thank you for your generous donation. Without it, I would not have been able to come to the Kymhal Empire so soon." Duke Godfreed smiled in response, but as Silas and Meredith attempted to slip out of the room, Malcolm's eyes caught onto Silas's familiar appearance.
"Well, well, I didn't think we would meet so soon!" The familiar figure smiled widely as he turned towards Silas, who laughed lightly and curtseyed while Meredith stepped between the two.
"You've met my performer?" Eva asked curiously, her eyes twinkling as she placed a gloved hand on the duke's arm.
"We met previously. In an alley actually. I was afraid I held her up from her work with our coincidental meeting, but it seems she was able to make it back in time."
"Oh, no!" Eva said with a laugh, redirecting the duke out of the room with a small but firm grip on his arm, "I did not realize you were such a flirt, Duke Godfreed! And with one of my young dancers too!" Meredith and Silas watched them go, curtsying as Eva led the duke out of the room, before they made their way to the door.
"I think you may have misunderstood, Lady Ivana." Malcolm replied with a small blush, "Though your dancer is lovely, without a doubt, I already have someone very special in my heart."
Eva patted his arm as they slipped into a back room, "Please, do tell me more! I absolutely love a good story!" The flap of the tent closed behind them, and the duke's guards stepped into the tent, their hulking bodies taking up a great deal of room in the tiny tent. They positioned themselves right outside of the tent flap Eva and Malcolm entered, their faces tense and stern. This did nothing to the quiet Neema, who slipped right between the two men and entered the room with a jug and cups in her hands.
"Let's go. We'll speak to Eva after." Meredith whispered as he pulled on Silas's arm. Meredith's look of irritation made Silas nervous, and he could tell Meredith had something he wanted to tell Silas. Meredith pulled the tent flap aside and slipped out, the gems on his outfit clicking together with each step. Silas followed Meredith's lead as Meredith released his tight grip on Silas's arm as they found a secluded place to speak just outside earshot from the tent.
"I'm sure I don't have to tell you that's the Yursinean crown prince's cousin." Meredith said quietly, his tone low. Silas nodded grimly, his hand unconsciously running up and down his arm, as if trying to warm the limp arm. Meredith looked over at Silas, then ran his hand down his face, letting out a heavy sigh as his hand reached his chin, "Well, I don't think he knows who you are, so that's one good thing. Still, we should proceed with absolute caution. I promised you I would reunite you with your family, and I meant it."
"I don't think he knows who I am, but I won't lie, him following me into the alley was suspicious." Silas thought for a moment, thinking back to that time, "He said he was looking for his cat, but the cat didn't look like a domesticated cat. It was dirty and skinny."
"He might have recognized you worked for Eva, but that doesn't explain why he'd follow you and reveal his identity outright. Did he tell you his name in the alley?"
Silas shook his head sourly, "No, I thought he looked familiar though."
"Okay, let's go find Holland and Saoirse. They were looking for the duke anyway."
Before Silas and Meredith could start their search, a voice called out to them, "No need." Someone said from a distance, which caused Silas and Meredith to turn around. Behind them, smiling, was Holland, who was followed by a frazzled, annoyed Saoirse. Holland stretched his hands above his head and Saoirse glared over at him, her annoyance growing, "Long time no see, ladies." Holland said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Seems like you found the duke before us."
"He's speaking to Ivana right now." Silas sighed, tilting his head towards the tent in a feminine fashion as Meredith shifted his weight to the front of his feet, looking over a huffing Saoirse, "It seems you two were quite busy."
"Don't." Saoirse said evenly, pushing hair out of her face as she stomped past the trio and into the back of the tent, her fist clenched at her sides as she disappeared under the cover of the fabric.
Silas and Meredith watched Saoirse disappear before they then turned back to Holland, their faces bewildered by the typically demure elf's sudden change of mood. Holland caught their stares and grinned awkwardly, looking away with guilt, "It's a long story." His tone carried a hint of disinterest, as if he were unwilling to share the details of their journey.
"She smelled like sewage." Silas noted, glancing back at the tent, then back to Holland, "Were you both checking the sewage systems for our special guest?"
"No, she slipped." Holland said slowly, trying to step away from the questioning duo.
"Saoirse? Slipped? That seems unlikely." Meredith said with a raised eyebrow, "What did you do, Holland?"
"It was an accident. Besides, don't you two have a performance to prepare for?" Holland snapped, making quick strides to escape before the pair could question him any further. Seeing his looming escape, Meredith sighed before whispering something under his breath. All of a sudden, Holland's tight, belted pants dropped to the ground with a loud thump, the belt buckle undone from the center as if it had been taken off. Holland yelped aloud as his legs tangled in the dropped pants, and, with a hard smack, Holland fell to the ground on his stomach, his pants bundled at his ankles comically as Silas and Meredith stared at his legs, holding back their laughter.
"I guess that was an accident too." Meredith said with a small smile, as Holland cursed and tried to pick up his dropped pants, stumbling slightly as he stood up, grabbing the pants from the center.
"You bastard." Holland cursed as he stood up and yanked his pants back up to his waist, "I'll get you for that." A dark light flashed in his eyes, but the same testy smile remained on his lips. It would not be a forgotten grudge.
"Sorry, we have a performance to prepare for." Meredith said, turning on his heels and walking away from the fuming Holland with a naturally fast pace. Silas smiled apologetically and followed after Meredith with a hurried gait, his face full of curiosity as he stared at Meredith with a grin.
"That wasn't like you." Silas said as he caught up to Meredith.
Meredith looked over at Silas with a small smile and a shrug, "I guess I felt a little bad for Saoirse. I know how Holland can be, I've experienced it first hand. And," Meredith's eyes twinkled as he continued, "I kind of wanted to get back at him for earlier."
"I've never seen this side of you." Silas said with a laugh, surprised at his mischievous uncle. Meredith had always seemed so straight-laced, but in front of Silas, there was a hint of childishness and youthfulness that reminded Silas of the few memories he had of his father. When he would ask Maeir about it, she would tell him about the trouble Meredith and his father used to cause, driving Maeir nearly mad with their antics. It seemed it was not just history.
"Come on, they should be done talking by now. The performance is bound to start." Meredith nudged Silas lightly, bringing him back towards the direction of the tent as Holland followed slowly behind, attempting to fix his belt Meredith had unlatched.
When Silas and Meredith entered the tent, there was no sign of Saoirse, but Neema and Eva were standing with their arms crossed, discussing something between themselves with frowns. Duke Godfreed and his men had already left, allowing Silas to release the breath he held, slipping out of his lips with a relieved sigh. As Eva turned to the pair, her expression flat, he turned to Eva with a curious expression as he asked directly, "Why did Duke Godfreed come here?"
Eva's brows were still knitted, but she shook her head lightly with a small shake and said, "I'll explain after the performance. I can't risk you making any more mistakes." Her lips fell into a small frown as she added, "Prepare for the performance. It will be starting shortly."
As Eva walked towards the side of the stage, followed by the nervous Neema, Silas turned to Meredith and repeated his question to Eva, feeling a tingling sensation in the tips of his fingers as he asked, "Do you know, Meredith?"
He shook his head in response to Silas and said, "Come on. We need to get on stage soon, Valia." Smiling, Meredith laughed as he patted Silas's shoulder, bringing out a chiming sound from their dresses. Together, they walked towards the side of the stage, preparing some of the props to be used using their simplistic dance. Silas was full of trepidation, but the thought of seeing his family again was enough for him to put his feelings aside and prepare whole-heartedly.
…
The start of the performance was boisterous and full of energy of the pulsing crowd as Silas and Meredith danced on the stage, moving their arms as the embellishments chimed on their costumes. Waving their arms in a circle, Meredith and Silas circled the stage as their sleeves dangled around them like the fins of a fish, coloring their surroundings like splashes of color. With the final cheers of the crowd they stepped behind the stage curtain as Eva stepped out, smiling and waving to the onlookers with a kind smile and a gentle move of her wrist.
Eva smiled as she approached the front of the stage, her figure standing tall as she greeted the crowd, paying particular attention to Duke Godfreed and his shoulders, occupying the VIP row erected in front of the stage, just below Eva's nose. He waved with a large smile, looking much unlike the other watching nobles, who had secured positions near the front of the crowd. The commoners behind them stared on at the stage, smiling and cheering, taking note of the Yursinean noble who had come to the empire as well. All of their movements were noted by the watchful crowd.
As the first song began, the crowd began to quiet as Eva's voice drifted through the crowd, lowering their voices with her call as she looked forward, smiling and singing naturally, as if her life's wish were to sing for them. Only Silas and Meredith watched from behind the curtain with wary gazes, staring at the duke below, his eyes fixed on Eva's singing figure and the curtain behind her.
Once Saoirse returned, clean and fresh, with a new performance dress prepared by Neema, she and Neema worked together behind the stage to finish some small tasks and ensure the performance was completed without problems. Holland stood behind the stage near the curtain entrance, guarding them and their belongings with watchful eyes, aware of the many thieves wandering near the performance stage.
After two hours of singing and dancing, the performance ended with the crowd jeering for more. Eva only smiled and departed the stage with Neema near the edge of the curtain, holding it open with her hand as Eva slid behind the heavy fabric. Silas and Meredith were not far away, sitting on two crates with watchful expressions as Eva sighed to herself, looking tired as she lowered her performance facade. Saoirse was not far away, donning wet hair and new clothes, no longer scented like the sewer, while Holland grumbled and held onto his belt, staring at Meredith with a heated pout.
"Is everything prepared, Holland?" Eva asked, removing the crystal clip from her hair, letting her short hair fall to her shoulders like fallen leaves.
Holland, standing near Silas's crate, nodded his head, "The carriage is prepared, Eva. We can leave here as soon as needed." He adjusted the sleeve of his armor as he added, "I'm sure Meredith and Silas would like to change out of their costumes." Though Holland found the costumes entertaining, he could tell by the mens' faces that they were not comfortable. Silas especially kept adjusting the wig on his head with a grimace.
Meredith quietly waved his hand towards Holland with a frown, but Eva shot a look over her shoulder and said with a cold tone, "I'm sure they'll be fine spending the rest of the day in their costumes." It seemed even Silas and Meredith were still facing the brunt of Eva's withstanding temper, but there was nothing they could say to rebuke her, as they had both made mistakes as of late, and Eva was not in a position to tolerate them.
Silas, Holland, and Meredith finished loading the last of the materials into the carriage, Meredith helped Eva into the carriage while Neema sat in front of the carriage with Holland, chastising him with a low tone as he bowed his head and apologized to the serious Neema, attempting to bribe her with some snacks he had prepared for the trip. Saoirse rested in the back with Silas and Holland as Eva sat by her side, sitting with one leg crossed over the other as they finished traveling through the quieting streets of Neela.
The air around Eva was calm as Silas looked forward, staring at her with a questioning gaze as Meredith cut straight to the point and asked her, "We've only been here a short time and we're already leaving. What's going on, Eva? Why did we see Duke Godfreed here?"
"The whole reason we came here was for the duke, Meredith." Eva stated, her gaze falling on Meredith, "Things are happening in the Yursear Kingdom right now, things we don't know about. Meeting with the duke was a way to monitor that. The process of changing power was already so fragile with the Yursinean king's illness, something was bound to happen."
"What happened to Clarence?" Silas asked, thinking back to the young man he had fought in the city that day, dripping with blood, seeming as if he were seeking death that day. It was an image he could not erase from his mind,
Eva's voice fell as she responded, "Prince Clarence was poisoned."
…
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Trying to fit in so much in this chapter just about killed us, but it's done! I would not like to relive this chapter tbh.... ^^; Eva's just so hard to write ;; RIP I wrote nugged, couldn't think of what word that was. Was nudged...
Also, Hunny told me nah, Cat Masseuse, the long awaited reunion is going to be closer to chapter 80 with our current plot! So good news, that should be around the new year with our current schedule. If we post any specials for Christmas again this year, I'll try to post a new chapter instead if we can make it! Reunion will be including the warnings on the novel description, of course, so watch out :D If you've read this far, you probably already know that, tee hee ♥
Thank you all for reading ♥ I will be looking forward to hearing who you all think is Malcolm's "lover" (crush)~! I don't think y'all will expect it, but it's been coming for some time >u<~ Welp, I'll be playing South Park's Stick of Truth! If you like offensive turn-based RPGs, I highly recommend it! See you all next week!