In case you've forgotten, Marquis Cyneric = Alywin :D
Chapter 84:
Beyond the Evil Road
A day had passed since Silas had returned to the Yursear Kingdom, the kingdom that he had once called home. The smell in the air had changed since he had last come through, smelling of cold, smoke, and dryness, the first signs of winter approaching. The tall trees had already become bare, leaving only the shells of the branches and trunks, exposing each of their twists, turns, and lines. The cover of the forest was sparse, but the mix of evergreen trees and pine trees would be enough for Silas to hide and recover his mana during the night.
He could use the shortening days to his advantage.
The sun was already high in the sky, breaking through the flurry of heavy grey clouds that had been pushed by the wind, brightening the dull grey sky with small bits of color, like beads of water on colored glass. Silas could not appreciate the natural beauty of the kingdom. It was forever tainted in bloodshed and loss, no longer holding the happy memories he once could remember.
Holding the reins in his hands, Silas urged his horse forward with more urgency, his head ducked down as he looked over the map of the kingdom. The next town is only a few miles from here. If I keep going at this pace I should be able to reach there by nighttime. Though it would exhaust his mana, Silas was ready to confront the past, and move forward into the future. It would mean confronting his inability to protect his family, and it would mean killing the once-child prince, Clarence, who he had been repeatedly unable to kill. Thinking that, Silas could only wonder if fate truly was playing tricks on him, or if the gods had truly given up on him.
The farther into the kingdom Silas traveled, the colder and colder his body became. While the temperature of the air had not lowered, Silas could feel the mana slowing in his body. His body was reacting to his memories, attempting to draw him back by slowing his mana usage, but his mind and his heart were two separate entities, and Silas could only listen to his mind. His family was on his mind, peacefulness, a simple life of returning home and laying on his bed, knowing he would be safe to wake up the next day without a sword to his throat.
Countless travelers rode down the paths in the kingdom. Many of them were simply riding horses or walking with their belongings strapped to their backs, most likely attempting to escape to a different town to start over before the war continued to worsen. It was only a matter of time before the marriage between the prince and a neighboring noble. The vast majority of Yursineans prayed that the marriage would quell the ongoing war and promote peace in the kingdom. All that was left was to see the selected candidate.
With any luck, the prince will never marry. Silas thought to himself, trotting past a bickering couple on the side of the trail, his eyes trailing forward as he adjusted the hood on top of his head, pushing it back to expose the tip of his bangs. If I can hurry and meet Duke Godfreed, I can finally end this.
The sky was beginning to darken, and Silas was only a short distance away from the next town, the town Duke Godfreed would be passing through. His mana was exhausted, and a whimsical pain flowed through his veins, poking and prodding his nerves like needles. As Silas entered the forest, his horse's hooves trotted against the ground. Reaching into his satchel, Silas grabbed a light purple herb. The herb was short, full of small, heart-shaped leaves. Carefully, he plucked one of the leaves off of the plant and placed the leaf in his mouth, sucking on the side of the leaf like a fruit.
The herb was not commonly found, but it often grew in the elven forest in the Yursear kingdom, but it could also be found on the eastern border of the Faelfier kingdom. Yulia had prepared some in advance to help Silas, and he could not help but appreciate her care. The herb would help slow the use of mana, allowing him just a little more time before he would have to return to his elven appearance. Silas, holding the leaf in his mouth, grimaced as he took a bite, his mouth filling with the taste of dirt and ashiness. While the plant tasted terrible, its short-term effects were well worth the taste. Quickly, he swallowed the chewed leaf down, feeling the mana shift in his body.
This should give me enough time to make it into the village and request a room. Silas thought to himself. As dangerous as it was to stay in town, he would be able to lock his room and stay inside until he recovered. In the forest, he would be unable to sleep. If any animals or people were to come through, he would have to run and hide, which would make it difficult for his body to properly rest.
Maybe then, he would finally run into Duke Godfreed. He was never able to send a response back to the duke, however if the duke was as cunning as he believed, he would be able to find him soon. There would be some sign, something that would direct him to the man.
After stepping down from his horse, Silas retrieved his canteen from his satchel and rinsed out his mouth, spitting out pieces of pulp that had lingered in his mouth, coating his tongue in an ashy taste. Standing next to his horse, Silas closed his eyes, smelling the forest air as he slowly recovered.
There was a quiet sound behind Silas, trailing down the winding forest path. It was quiet, so quiet even a bird would not have heard it, however Silas knew he was no longer alone. The sound seemed to be the rustling of leaves, but it was muffled, as if someone were quietly stepping down the path to avoid making excess noises.
Having lived in the forests their entire lives, the elves were the only ones that could travel through the forest without a sound. It was a skill passed down through the forest elves in numerous tribes. Silas, traveling as a human and using his horse, traveled as quietly as he naturally could. The person behind him, however, intentionally quieted their movements, tailing him like a predator.
Sighing, Silas returned his canteen to his satchel and adjusted his sword on his hip, resting his hand on the hilt as he walked to the side of his horse, appearing to resume traveling. As Silas stood beside the horse, his free hand resting on the saddle, he heard the figure stepping closer, only a single step, moving carefully to avoid Silas's suspicions.
A tense, quiet air fell onto the wide trail. Silas turned his foot towards the direction of the noise, his eyes resting to the side as his head maintained its forward gaze. There was no trace of any shadow, not even footprints. The person was most likely walking down the grassy side of the trail, just off of the dirt path itself.
Silas spoke, appearing lazy as he turned down the path and said in warning, "I know you're following me. Come out." His hand's grip tightened on his scabbard, his sword ready to be withdrawn at any time.
The figure was quick to move by Silas, but they still retained enough distance to keep them out of Silas's sword's range. Silas removed his sword from his belt, pointing the tip of the blade towards the hooded figure, his eyes lowered, burning fiercely with aggressiveness. If the person were to take a single step forward, it would only take a short wave of his wrist to slice their throat.
"There's no need to draw your weapon, Silas." The figure put their hands up at their sides in a retreating gesture, a smile on their lips as they said calmly, "I've been waiting for you. I have been tasked with getting you to your meeting on time. If you would still like to go, that is. Seeing how you are here though, I'd say you're interested in going."
Silas blinked, the surprise of a sudden guest clear on his face, "Who are you? Who sent you to retrieve me?" He had sensed that he was being followed, but the sudden emergence startled him. It was clear to Silas who had sent the hooded figure, but he felt the need to reassure himself that the person in front of him was in fact one of Duke Godfreed's people.
The hooded figure smiled in response, their hood slightly lifting to reveal the tip of their nose, "My lord offered to meet with you, did he not? I was beginning to think you wouldn't come, seeing as your little trope already crossed the border, but he told me to wait one more day, just in case. You should thank him for insisting upon it, or you would've been left to wander the forest." Silas tightened his grip on his sword, and the hooded figure sighed, "You're still skeptical, after everything I've said? Would you like me to show you my seal?" The figure did not wait for a response, reaching into their pocket and throwing a small coin over to Silas. As Silas bent down to pick it up, his eyes never leaving the mysterious figure, they continued speaking, "Take your time looking it over, but please know that time is short. You already set us a day behind with your late arrival, so the sooner we leave, the better." The figure said, their voice lax as they stood in place, speaking with their hands in a nonchalant fashion. Their lasidascial response grounded on Silas's nerves, but he maintained his hold on his sword, reining in his irritation. "If you miss him, he will be very disappointed."
Silas looked over the coin intently, taking in each etching and mark. It was a Yursinean citizen's token, with a special denotation of the person being a part of the duke's house. Though Silas was skeptical, the token appeared to be real. And Silas knew there was a possibility he had gotten off track on his attempt to catch up to Malcolm. For now, Silas decided he would play along, "Quit playing games. Take me to him." Silas growled, his human face scowling as he threw the coin back to the hooded figure. He watched the figure bend down to pick up the coin, and his eyes narrowed into cold slits as he realized something. He lowered his sword slightly, still holding his defensive posture.
"So you believe me?" The hooded figure asked, their smile growing at Silas's drop of defense.
"No, but your boss and I have pressing business. Besides, if you become a problem, I'll just kill you." Silas smiled back at the hooded figure, but his icy smile clashed with their warm one.
"I'm glad we feel the same way." The figure said, opening their arms as a gesture to Silas to follow. Silas nodded in understanding as he finally resheathed his sword. He grabbed his horse's reins in one arm, keeping the other free to grab his sword at his hip or his hidden dagger, just in case. Silas's guarded behavior made the mysterious figure smile, their grin turning towards the trees where they heard a rustling.
"What was that?" Silas asked, turning his head to look towards the bushes as his foot rested on his stirrup. His horse tapped its hoof against the ground, looking nervous.
The hooded figure shook their head, the smile on their face still plastered stiff as they said, "I'm not sure, but there isn't much time. Follow me." Both Silas and the figure sensed something was amiss, but staying could lead to confrontation with whatever was hiding. Meeting with Malcolm was far more important than wasting precious time.
Without another word, Silas fluidly jumped onto his horse, quickly followed by the hooded figure, whose horse seemed to appear out of thin air. After sitting on the saddle, the figure snapped their fingers and directed Silas forward, leaving the area still and quiet as they made their way through the twists and turns of the forest, their path soon lost in the tall green foliage.
After the pair disappeared, there was only the sound of footsteps exiting the bushes, and a head of dark hair illuminated by the dimming sun. Their bright eyes watched the two retreating figures with a stern gaze, wanting to know more of the sudden meeting between the hooded figure and Silas.
"Why is Duke Godfreed getting involved?" The figure asked themself, releasing their hold on the handle of the dagger hidden inside their tall boot. Their heavy coat rested on their shoulders, a tall hood hiding the figure's dark complexion. They quietly shook their head and said in a low tone, "This situation is becoming too much."
…
"Duchess Bernard, it seems you have seen many rough days of late." Willis stood inside the palace dungeon, his fine burgundy attire out of place in the damp, dark dungeon, full of the smell of rot and must. The frilled white edges of Willis's sleeves were pristine white, a sharp contrast to Cordelia's mud-ridden, stained hunting dress and poor pallor. His sharp nose was wrinkled as he stared down at the duchess, his thin lips twisted into a patronizing smile.
The young duchess's hair was in disarray, her face swollen and red, bruised from where she had been grabbed and dragged away to the dungeon. Her nails that had once been impeccably kept were now cracked and broken, dirt stuffed underneath the nail beds as she attempted to claw her way out of the steel prison she had been locked in. The guards carelessly tossed her inside, treating her with the barest amount of dignity they could spare on such a traitor, knowing of her status as a Vartien duchess.
"Willis, what is going on?!" Cordelia yelled, her voice hoarse and raspy as she reached towards the man, her dirty fingers clutching onto his white collar. "Why, why was I taken here?! The guards said that I had killed someone! What happened to our plan?!"
Looking at the dirt staining the duchess's hands, Willis grimaced and pushed her hands away, affronted. "You made a mistake, duchess, that has completely ruined your plan." He began as he took a step back, as if repulsed by the woman in front of him. "Countess Reid was killed in the forest by someone, and that someone has become you. Duchess Carrillo made a statement that she witnessed a young woman attack Countess Reid, and that young woman fit your description perfectly." Willis's words were biting.
Cordelia's eyes widened, her lips quivering as she responded, her voice low and trembling, "I was in my room during the hunt! How could I have possibly attacked her?" Her words were dripping with fear and rage, knowing she had been set up. "Ask any of my maids. They will tell you no different!"
Willis laughed quietly to himself, mockingly so as he then said, "Then why was it that Captain Beau Laurent found your shawl in the forest?"
There was a strange pause that fell over the two as Cordelia's eyes darkened in understanding. "What did you do, Willis?!"
Willis looked down at the filthy young woman, whose disheveled clothes and dirtied face repulsed him, "I did nothing. It was because someone overheard you speaking about using one of the other candidates to gain the crown prince's favor that you are in this position. Obviously whoever overheard you told someone in power, and in an ironic turn, they used your plan against you." Willis laughed, amused as he thought about the surprise twist.
"My plan?" Cordelia seethed, pushing her stray hair out of her face, "Don't try to pretend you didn't play a part in this, Willis! You're the one who told me to do all this! You told me if I went along with your plan, I would be back in the prince's good graces, and that he would pick me as his fiancée!" Willis glared down at the young woman with disdain, which caused her to laugh, "Don't forget you can't abandon me, Willis. You are just as intertwined in this as I am." Cordelia dragged her tired, dirty frame towards Willis, grabbing his collar again as she leaned in closely to him, her dry breath spraying across his face. He stood in place and smiled at the laughing duchess, "If they heard me, they definitely heard you too. It's in our best interests to find the person who did this and get rid of them."
"I agree, duchess." Willis said, grabbing her clenched fists and pulling them away from his dirtied collar, "That is why I came to speak with you."
Cordelia lowered her fists, her expression poor as she spoke, "Then what are we going to do, Willis? With this threat over my head, they will never allow me back in the Yursear Kingdom. I'll be fortunate if they allow me to return to my country with some honor at all." She ground her teeth, her face darkening, "If you were to find the true murderer, then I could be released and allowed back at the prince's side!"
"I have my people hunting for the murderer as we speak." Willis's mouth laid flat, neither smiling nor frowning, speaking with little interest in continuing the conversation.
As the conversation between Cordelia and Willis fell to a standstill, a male servant approached the cell and bowed his head, his expression full of worry as he said, "Sir Willis, there has been an announcement. You must return to the palace at once." The servant bowed, his forehead full of cold sweat.
Willis stepped back, away from Cordelia as he waved his hands, signaling the guards to close the cell doors behind him as he stepped out. Duchess Cordelia stepped forward, allowing the gate to close only inches away from her nose, enclosing her back inside the dungeon walls. Her dark eyes narrowed as she looked to Willis, who had already turned to leave the dungeon.
Guards bowed their heads as Willis passed, his servant quickly following by his side as he asked in a low tone, out of the duchess's hearing. "What happened?" His frown lines only deepened, the irrigation growing as the space between his brows was full of wrinkles. He could barely hide his displeasure, knowing the bad news had yet to be announced.
The servant held their hands in front of their waist, keeping their steady pace as they said, "The queen has announced the final candidate has been selected. The prince will be announcing it in the next coming days." The servant paused before they added, "There is some speculation that this will happen the day Duke Godfreed arrives at the palace, sir."
After receiving the news, Willis sent the servant away as he returned to the main palace, rubbing his chin in thought. That only leaves a few days to find the eavesdropper. He dusted the dirt off of his collar with the back of his hand as he strode down the hall, It would be best to send my informants to investigate who was present at the time of the murder. But the candidates will not be easy to approach.
With the death of Countess Annmaria Reid, it would be more difficult to approach the candidates. They were now resting in the Queen's palace, protected by the palace's knights. Two of his hired men were already recognized. They had found one of the candidates engaging in an affair with Marquis Cyneric in the garden early one morning, but nothing else had come out of the investigation after. The eavesdropper fell silent.
Maybe it is time to start looking into Marquis Cyneric and his lover.
…
I'm very excited to see all the things we've prepared for finally coming to a head. The hardest part was keeping together all of these schemes and varying story lines, but they're beginning to intersect and become a road of its own ;u; Ah, so satisfying. I've been feeling ill as of late, due to work stress and other things, so I am hoping to push through this arc and take a short break once we wrap up (most likely a week or two, nothing long ♥).
I'm shooting to get that cover painting done soon too! My tablet isn't portable so it's been hard, but I hope it's done before the next arc! Next arc's name is "The Painted Devil", and I'm not quite sure what chapter it'll start at, but I'm looking at pushing it in for chapter 100. Tbh I think I'm more excited than anyone for it ♥
Thank you all for reading ♥ I will be looking forward to starting arc 4 with you all :D Any guesses on who Clarence will choose?