Chapter 82:
Either with Force or with Fraud
"Your Majesty!" A large group of royal knights approached the clearing, their swords drawn from their scabbards as they filled the edge of the clearing. Their expressions were equally fierce as they saw the prince, blood smeared on his pale hands. Medics stepped forward and began to approach the candidates as the other knights on the scene surveyed the nearby forest and assessed the scene.
A group of medics rushed to Annmaria, satchels of medical equipment placed inside as they tore away the sash on her body and began to attempt to treat her. They, as much as anyone present, knew there was no way to save her. However all they could do was pretend, pretend as if they could somehow revive the poor young countess out of her lifeless state. Earnest had returned to the site of the scene to assist the medics. As the apprentice of the royal physician, he would be able to do far more than the medics basic training could.
While the medics cared for the princesses' injuries and treated an unconscious Olicia, Earnest stepped away from the still countess, removing the shawl that was completely covered in blood and instead covered her with a heavy dark sheet that he had tucked away in his satchel. He then motioned for two nearby medics to prepare the countess for her final return to the kingdom, his expression grim.
As the medics continued to treat the candidates, a group of knights found Duchess Ophira almost thirty yards from Annmaria's body. Ophira had been found hiding in the forest, shaken and terrified, though uninjured. She was unable to say much, her words stumbling over one another as she was led to join the other candidates by a group of palace knights.
"Your Majesty." One of the knights said, approaching Prince Clarence. When Clarence turned, the knight bowed deeply and spoke in a low voice, "We have finished our preliminary assessments. The perpetrator has fled, though we are sending out a unit to hunt them down. The medics are preparing the Countess for her return, and the bridal candidates have been checked by the medics. They have received clearance to return to the palace. How would you like us to proceed?"
Clarence frowned, his dignified face marred with distress as he looked at the bloodshed around him. The prince cleared his throat, straightening his back as he did so, "See to it that the princesses are comfortable and that Marchioness receives the best medical care. Wait until later to speak to them about what has happened; they have witnessed something truly horrific."
"I understand, Your Majesty." The knight said with a bow, "I will spread your word to the other knights."
"And don't forget." Clarence said quietly as the knight rose, "You all were picked because of your loyalty to the crown and your discretion." The blue light in the prince's eyes was dark, full of oppression as he smiled towards the knight.
The knight smiled in response and bowed again, "Of course, Your Majesty."
As the guards approached the shaken princesses, speaking to them in low tones, Clarence walked over to Ophira, who sat huddled in a ball after she had been returned to the clearing and reunited with the other candidates. Her body was violently shaking and her once-lovely hair was marred with dirt and matted. Tears streamed down her face and smeared her makeup, giving her a miserable appearance. Ophira did not so much as flinch when Clarence approached her. She just continued to shake, mumbling things to herself. Clarence sighed under his breath before he put on a heartfelt, saddened smile and bent down on one knee in front of Ophira.
"Lady Ophira, it seems you witnessed something truly awful." Clarence said quietly, reaching his hand out to squeeze her shoulder, "And I know things like this can warp your perspective on what happened. So, why don't you tell me what you saw? Just so we both know the truth." Clarence's grip on Ophira's shoulder tightened, his knuckles turning white from their iron grip as he knotted his brows, his face full of concern as he spoke to Ophira in a pacifying tone. Ophira's face paled as she looked down at the prince's hand, returning her gaze to the young prince's face.
His expression was full of compassion, but his eyes were void of any empathy, cold as his fingers resting on her shoulder. They bore into her flesh like claws, holding her in place with no way to escape. Bearing the weight of his hand and the frozen gaze of the prince, Ophira could only find the courage to mutter weakly, "Y-yes. I understand, Your Majesty."
A group of knights began to gather the candidates as Clarence stood, looking down at Ophira with the same compassionate gaze he had before, his gaze full of a strange softness. As the prince stepped back, away from the duchess, a medic approached and helped her to her feet, giving the young woman a tissue to wipe her face.
Led by her knight, Charlotte looked over her shoulder one last time towards the prince. Clarence spoke to a pair of knights, his words full of concern as he held his head high, making himself appear like the model ruler. However, the young man over her shoulder was nothing like a ruler in her eyes. Before Charlotte could retract her gaze, she caught sight of Alywin, standing only feet away from the prince. His curly blonde hair was in disarray, and his clothes were wrinkled and dirty with dirt stains. His expression was full of disappointment as his eyes fell on the prince, still speaking to the two knights.
It was as if he were asking Clarence how far he would continue to fall.
…
"Silas." A gentle voice whispered as a small hand touched Silas's shoulder, coaxing him out of his dazed state. Opening his eyes, Silas blinked twice, until the shadow of a figure became clear. Standing over him with a smile was Yulia. Seeing he had opened his eyes, Yulia smiled and said, "I'm sorry for startling you. I tried to call your name, but you were not responding. I wanted to make sure you were alright."
"It's alright." Silas mumbled after taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, running his fingers through his hair with a small sigh, "I'm sorry for worrying you. I was just sleeping." He could still feel the weight of sleep on his eyes, the heaviness plaguing his under eyes, making him want to sleep for longer and longer each passing day. With the mana supplements, the heaviness was no longer so overbearing.
Yulia watched Silas for a moment before she nodded and smiled, pulling her hand back as she rested it in front of her with her other hand, clasped in front of her waist, "I'm glad. Everyone will be relieved to hear that too." Yulia stopped speaking, pondering if she should continue, "Well, everyone's already left, but I'm sure they would be relieved if they were here."
"How long have I been asleep?" Silas asked, clenching his fists, then releasing them, attempting to waken his sore, tired muscles.
"It's morning now, so you slept all night." Yulia said with a gentle smile. Suddenly, she gasped and reached out to her dress pocket, patting the outside of it until her hand bumped something. She then reached her hand into the fabric pocket and pulled out a small vial, "I almost forgot, Mr. Meredith asked me to give this to you when you woke up." As she stared forward, she held out the vial for Silas to grab. He did so gratefully, looking at the clear liquid as it swished around the bottle, holding it between his two fingers, "He said it was to help you recover. He wants you to join them as soon as you can, so he asked me to tell you to drink it immediately."
"Thank you, Yulia." Silas said, forcing his fingers to cooperate as he pulled the cork from the vial. He took a deep breath, then threw the bottle back, swallowing all of the liquid at once. As the strong, earthy flavor touched his tongue, Silas violently coughed, disgusted by the familiar flavor as he finished swallowing the thick medicine down his throat. He fought the urge to gag by covering his mouth, ensuring all of the medicine went down.
Yulia, hearing Silas's coughs, reached her hand out to the side table next to them, reaching her hand out until her fingers bumped into the glass of water that was sitting there. Using her hand that was touching the glass as a guide, she grabbed the full glass with her other hand, grasping it tightly as she held it out for Silas to take. He gratefully did, drinking deeply between breaths to rid himself of the awful flavor. As the water hit his tongue, the strong flavor coated on his tongue began to wash away, giving Silas immediate relief.
"Thank you." Silas said between gasps, glaring at the now-empty bottle with loathing. This caused Yulia to laugh.
"I'm sorry," Yulia said between her chuckles, "Meredith said you might react that way. He was the one who asked me to prepare the water, just in case."
"You'd think with all his preparation, he'd be able to make it taste a little better." Silas said sourly to the empty bottle as he placed it to the side, on the end table next to the bed.
"Well, I should let you rest." Yulia said, her smile growing at Silas's childish reaction, "Meredith said you should start to feel better within the hour, so I will return to check on you in an hour. If you feel ready to leave then, I will help you."
"Thank you, Yulia." Silas said, his appreciation for her kindness leaking through his voice, "But before you go, I have a question."
This seemed to surprise Yulia, as she tilted her head in curiosity, "Oh? What is it?"
Silas fumbled a little, trying to find the right words so as to not offend Yulia, but to still find an answer to his curiosity, "Why did you stay behind?"
Yulia laughed again, this time covering her mouth trying to hide her laughter. Silas's face grew red in embarrassment, and he thanked the gods Yulia was not able to see his blushing face, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh." Yulia said, still laughing, "You just sounded so nervous, it was cute." This caused Silas to blush harder in embarrassment, "But please don't stop being open with me with questions you have. I'm glad to answer any questions." Yulia paused again, trying to remember what Silas had asked. As it came to her, she clapped her hands together, "But I didn't answer your question, did I? There are a few reasons I stayed behind, I suppose. Someone needed to be here to care for you while you recover. And while my blindness doesn't stop me from doing most things I want to, it can make dangerous missions a bit difficult for everyone else, so I tend to stay behind for those. And then someone has to be here for Vaan too."
"Vaan is here? He didn't go with Eva and the others?" Silas interrupted, shocked by the news he was hearing. In response, Yulia shook her head, her bright smile dropping into a frown.
"Unfortunately, Vaan still has some injuries he is healing from from when we were attacked, and since I was the one he was protecting when he sustained them, it's only right I stay with him until he heals completely."
So Vaan is still injured? Silas looked down as he thought, He got hurt protecting my family. Because I couldn't protect them.
"Silas?" Yulia called out, frowning deeply, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you. You're still trying to recover yourself."
And he isn't the only one who has made sacrifices for me, because I was too scared to make them myself. I can't let anymore people get hurt, because of me. Silas thought distantly, losing himself in his mind for a moment.
"Silas? Are you alright?" Yulia asked, reaching out her hand to touch the bed. Feeling the mattress shift from her small hands pressing on it snapped Silas back to attention, as he weakly smiled,
"Yes, I'm alright. Please don't worry about me, Yulia."
Yulia straightened her back and smiled again, though this time her smile did not reach the rest of her face, "Well, I'm glad you are feeling better, Silas. I should leave, so you can rest."
"Wait, Yulia." Silas said, pulling the knitted blanket off his body and pushing his legs off the side of the bed. With both hands on the bed to support him, Silas rose to his feet unsteadily, "I'm actually feeling much better. There's no need to wait. I'll leave now."
Yulia was immediately distressed by this, putting her hands out as if to grab Silas. With a step, Silas moved himself back, out of Yulia's reach, "No, Silas. It's only been a few minutes. You need to rest at least an hour. Please lay back down."
"I appreciate your concern, Yulia, but I'm alright. Besides, the longer I wait, the harder it will be to catch up to everyone." Silas said, his demeanor calm but his tone resolute. He shifted his weight on both legs, testing their steadiness. Though his legs buckled at first under the weight, as he moved them, the blood began to flow back to his stiff legs. He could feel the mana running through them, strengthening them.
There was no question anymore. He could walk, so he was leaving.
"Silas, I can't let you go." Yulia said, walking around the bed, using her hand as a guide, "What would Eva think if she saw you in this condition?"
"Yulia, please don't stop me." Silas said, meeting Yulia at the end of the bed. He stood in front of her as she stopped, sighing heavily.
"Is there nothing I can say to make you stay?" Yulia asked, already knowing the answer as it left the tip of her tongue.
"No, I'm sorry. I have to go. I've let other people fight my battles for too long." Silas spoke resolutely, staring down to the ground, "If I don't go now, I feel like I will just keep running away. And Duke Godfreed promised he would help me find my family if I meet him. I have to at least try, even if it's a trap."
"You are much stronger than you give yourself credit for, Silas." Yulia said with a faltering smile, her hands dropping to her sides weakly, "But I'll go grab your things. There's a change of clothes in the dresser. Make sure you get changed."
"You don't need to grab my things. I can grab them!" Silas said, flustered. He might have been determined, but he was still embarrassed to ask someone to do something like that for him. He had been taken care of for so long. It was time for him to take care of things on his own, once and for all, without the help of others.
"Don't be silly. You have to get ready to go." Yulia said, stepping away from Silas and walking towards the door. With confidence and ease, she stretched out her hand and found the doorknob, opening the door. Standing outside was someone Silas did not recognize, but based on Yulia's cordial greeting to the man, Silas assumed he was someone who was working for Eva. The man wordlessly nodded to Silas before he closed the door behind Yulia, slowly leading her away to the kitchen.
Silas found himself pondering just how many people Eva knew as he walked over to the small, wood dresser to his left. It creaked open as he pulled the drawer towards him. In the middle of the drawer, folded neatly, was a fresh change of clothes.
Silas pulled the clothes out, starting with the shirt that was on top. He placed it on top of the dresser and pulled his hands over his head and behind his back, pulling off his sweat-soaked shirt with a stern pull. The cold sweat on the shirt slid against his skin uncomfortably, but he ignored it as he removed the shirt completely, his chest now bare. When a cold sensation touched his bare chest, Silas felt himself jump as he looked down to see the wedding ring hanging around his neck.
Silas's mind went numb as he stared at the little, circular piece of wood and metal. All the memories of the nightmare he had had of his past flashed in his mind. Emmeline, his mother, his siblings, the village, everything burning down.
Emmeline's transformation into a monster.
There were no happy memories held in the ring, not anymore. Silas shut his eyes as a wave of nausea took over him. He felt like he could hardly breathe, but every breath he managed to take in made him sick and made his head spin like a leaf in the wind.
No, Silas thought to himself, wrapping his warm palm around the small piece of jewelry. He ripped the metal chain away from his neck, I won't do this anymore. I can't. The ring began to warm in his hand, but the warmth that passed from his hand to the ring only disgusted him. His hand felt dirty, as if he had submerged it in mud. Wanting to wipe away the filth he felt, he threw the ring, ignoring the echo as it hit the nearby wall and clattered on the floor.
Instead, Silas put his energy into changing his clothes. He grabbed the clean shirt, staring at it in his hands as his hand unconsciously lifted to where the ring had once sat. As if the flesh had been burned, there was a throbbing, phantom pain coming from the area. Looking at his broad chest, there were no marks, only an expanse of toned white flesh. Silas let out a small sigh as he pulled back his hand, looking at his thin frame with a frown.
I've lost weight. Silas had always had a smaller, muscular frame due to his duties as a soldier. Due to his mixed ancestry, he was taller than most elves, but he did not carry weight much like the humans did. His joints were thin and flexible, but his skin was thinner, exposing his slimming frame even more. Silas could only think if Adora saw him now, she would force him to eat more.
Holding that thought, Silas grabbed the shirt from the pile of clean clothes and began to drag it over his head. Though he had lost weight, his back muscles were prominent, holding a hidden strength as his shoulder blades moved with his arms, shifting him into his shirt. The fabric passed over his thin waist and stopped at his hips, resting comfortably. The long sleeves were enough to cover his wrists, bringing some warmth back to his cooling body. Before he put on his vest, he quickly changed into his pants, exposing his long legs for only a moment before they were covered again with the fabric pants. After he had slid his arms into the vest and tied the clasp closed, he felt a wave of relief, a wave of preparedness taking over him.
As he changed the rest of his clothes, Silas refused to look over at the corner the ring was sitting in. It was as if the corner had become a dark void, and if he looked into it, he would be sucked into it. He did not want to dull the determination he had worked so hard to find again, so he turned away from the ring, exposing his back to it as he frantically grabbed the rest of his things and stuffed them into a small bag Yulia left for him. Without a single glance over his shoulder, Silas exited the room with hurried steps.
The ring sat untouched in the corner, silently resting on the floor.
…
"... either with force or with fraud" is from Inferno canto 11. Full line is: "Of every malice gaining the hatred of Heaven, injustice is the goal, and every such goal injures someone either with force or with fraud" (22-4). I love The Divine Comedy, so if you get the chance, I highly recommend reading it! Fraud is considered the worst offense to God according to it, so it really made me think of Clare :D
Sorry, this may need more editing but my carpal tunnel is flaring up in both of my wrists, so I'm typing this with braces on, feeling like a panda TT^TT Huge thanks to Hunny for getting so much done this week! We got a little sidetracked looking at 3d resources for webtoons ;u; Now I can afford to invest in those, so it's nice!
RIP thanks for reading, all. I'll be taking a break for now on my wrists, so see you next week! ♥♥