Chapter 111:
Forgiving Past Transgressions
Crawling through the tunnel, there was a slight gap between Maeir and Silas and Clarence, allowing the two to talk for a moment without Maeir's awkward presence as they crawled side by side in the widened tunnel, their heads barely below the top of the tunnel. "Who is that woman anyway? She looks older than you." Clarence probed as he crawled, looking at Silas.
Silas nodded, turning towards Clarence with a frown, not wanting to speak to the man he held little good feelings towards, "Of course she's older than me, she's my mother."
"Oh." Clarence fell silent, feeling as though he had made a grievous error the past few hours, but he could not understand what he had done wrong.
There was a pause before Clarence asked again, "Why didn't you leave me in the dungeon? You could have left me there and escaped yourself."
Silas frowned, "I couldn't have escaped on my own. Besides, we would've both died." He thought for a moment and added, "In all honesty, I don't care what happens to you. All I care about is my and my family's safety."
The air between them fell quiet, filled only with the sound of their shuffling and their clothes brushing up against the hard dirt underneath. The path felt longer and longer the more they crawled, finding themselves in pitch black as they felt forward against the wall, using their sense of touch to find corners and random drop offs that could otherwise cause them both to tumble forward.
The two came to an unspoken, complicit partnership. They agreed to cooperate as they had in the palace dungeon to escape, allowing them both to survive the current unfavorable situation they were both thrown into. They helped each other navigate the dark tunnel, surprising each other how well they were able to communicate having previously only exchanged heated insults and physical attacks.
"The path should drop off here. It leads to the river just outside of the palace walls. It'll take us far enough, most likely out of the guards' usual search zone." Clarence said as he looked down the hole in front of the pair. It was large enough to fit one person at a time. "I'll go first."
"I think-" Silas's words were cut off abruptly as the prince next to him moved forward and jumped down the hole, leaving Silas alone and annoyed, watching as the prince's dim figure disappeared from view. He could hear the prince's body moving, until finally there was the sound of the splash of water, and Silas knew it was safe to leave.
Following Clarence, he jumped, moving down the hole and outside the confines of the Yursear Palace.
…
Maeir, dripping wet with cold water, stood up in the shallow water, her arms propped up to catch her son as he fell. Looking above, she heard the sound of someone coming near, and as she lifted her arms, she saw a blue clothed figure falling towards her, their arms waving as if they were trying to grip something on the way down. Watching the figure fall, Maeir took a safe step back and put down her arms, allowing the young man to fall directly on his rear in the shallow water, water splashing around him.
Clarence coughed up water as Silas climbed out of the tunnel, his figure falling down as Maeir opened up her arms and stood below the hole, catching her eldest son with ease, as if he were still a young child.
"You've gotten so skinny." She sighed, holding Silas in her arms in a princess-style carry. "Before, I would have never been able to pick you up like this."
Silas patted his mother's arm. "You can put me down. Thanks, mom." He smiled, stepping down into the knee-deep water with a frown. It was freezing cold, even for spring, Silas felt as if the water was cutting through his flesh and bones. He did not have enough mana to heat his body, so he could only shiver after stepping out of the narrow river, finding his coarse sandals were soaked to his skin.
With Silas safely on the ground, Maeir reached for her sword, her body tight. Holding her sword still on her hip, Maeir looked to Clarence, her gaze heavy as she stared at the wet and disheveled prince with hatred, wanting to tear the young human apart limb by limb until nothing was left. "Now that we're safe, there's no reason to keep you here." Maeir growled, her eyes narrowing as mana circulated around her figure. "The guards will be patrolling this area soon. The faster we kill you now, the faster your family will find your body."
"After letting you escape the palace, this is how you thank me?" Clarence laughed aloud, as if he had heard a joke. "Elves are truly savages. I do wonder how you treat your benefactors?"
Maeir stepped forward, her sword now drawn, the mana around her sword condensing into a freezing cold ice. Her eyes burned blue as she moved closer and closer, the cold air of ice dancing around her figure with a hazy fog.
Watching his mother prepare to kill Clarence like this, Silas stepped forward, blocking the prince between his mother and himself. Clarence was shocked, as was Maeir. They both stared at the young elf between them with confusion, wondering why he was doing such a thing.
"I almost took your life, you almost took mine. We'll call this grudge of ours even." Silas looked at Clarence with a heavy gaze, tilting his gaze up to get a better look at Clarence's dirt-stained face. "Killing you would not be worth it anyway."
"You-" Clarence wanted to say something, but Silas's placid expression made him fall silent.
He did not hate Clarence, but he could not understand his actions nor forgive him for them. Silas wondered if it was the age difference between them, or maybe it was their life experiences, but there definitely was a small part of Clarence that was changing, much like when he himself was eighteen, still trying to figure out how to survive in the Faelfier Kingdom. Having been locked in the palace with Clarence for over a month, he quickly began to know the prince, and even understood some of his actions. While the prince had done things that needed to be answered for, Silas had a feeling Clarence would be seeking his own redemption for his past actions, learning from his past mistakes, much as Silas had done.
I thought he hated me. I locked him in the palace dungeon, I hunted him around the kingdom, and I even tortured him. Why… why does he care so little? Why does he not care about me? Clarence froze, standing still as he stared at the back of Silas's head, his blue eyes frozen on the water droplets falling from the tips of Silas's lengthened hair. Clarence wanted to grab the strands of that man's hair, wanting to pull him close and ask him if he truly thought so little of him.
Silas had tried to kill him repeatedly, yet after all this time, he was only a passing thought to the elf. Just a pitiful child that was chasing after a distorted dream. He felt his chest burn, a searing pain that made him clutch his chest, his blood feeling cold in his veins.
Watching Clarence's facial expression rapidly change, Maeir could only step forward. "I know what has happened between you two, a certain someone told me when we escaped the dungeon the first time." Maeir began, her voice icy, "But if my son is willing to ignore you for now, I will follow his wishes." Her gaze tore through Clarence as she added, "But if you dare lay even a finger on him, I'll deliver your dismembered body to the palace."
Silas wanted to say something, but Clarence beat him to it, "I won't." Clarence spoke aloud, his voice almost small. "I won't hurt him."
Maeir raised a brow, tucking her sword carefully in her belt. "Did his mood always change this much? It's creepy."
Clarence glared at Maeir, who readily glared back at the child.
Silas fought the urge to sigh.
After the air had cleared a little between Clarence and Maeir, Silas stepped forward, only feeling the water soaked through his shoes squelching aloud with a sickening sound. They would be walking quite a distance, and while it was not the most comfortable thing for Silas, he would prefer to walk barefoot. The fabric wraps he was given could barely qualify as shoes anyway.
"I can't walk in these. Let me take these off." Silas sighed, untying the coarse rope around his ankles as the coarse fabric fell from his feet, exposing his pale feet into view. His toes were petite, tinted pink at the ends, his nails straight like pink little shells. Even his heel and ankle were small and thin, the bone nearly poking out from under his skin due to how skinny he had become while in captivity.
Staring down at Silas's feet, Clarence averted his gaze shortly after, feeling his mouth becoming dry the longer he stared at them. He was almost tempted to take the shoes off of his own feet to give to Silas, but before he could open his mouth to offer, Maeir reached into her satchel, pulling it down from her back to her chest so she could look inside. After rustling around for a moment, she found what she was looking for.
"Prisoners lack proper clothes. I know that from experience." Maeir had a simple pair of leather shoes in her satchel. Holding them in her hand, they looked to be sized for Silas, as if they had been specially prepared for him. "Put these on, Silas. You can't injure your feet now." She dropped them down on the ground in front of Silas, a smile on her aging face.
"Thanks, mom." Silas thanked her, sliding his feet into the shoes with a smile. Once his feet were covered, he took two steps, adjusting the back of the shoe before he was ready to keep walking.
"Why are you still following us, you human brat?" Maeir asked, watching as Clarence followed behind them like a lost lamb, feeling unashamed of his behavior.
Clarence stared forward, his face devoid of any shame. "I won't survive by myself. My only option is following you two."
Clarence had escaped the palace before, but he could only roughly remember the route he had previously taken before he was found by the kind farmers. Having been pinned as a criminal within the place, he only had a short period of leniency before the whole continent would know the false charges against his name. Traveling with the two elves at his side, he was even more likely to be captured and killed alongside them as an elven sympathizer.
He could only travel with the pair for now. While he did not find Silas disagreeable, he found Maeir to be nearly intolerable. Anytime he would get too close to Silas, Maeir would step between them, as if forming a line that the past prince could not cross. Silas did not seem to care, but the prince found her actions downright infuriating. Thinking to himself, he deemed her only use as a bodyguard, laughing internally as he imagined her having to act as a guard to protect him.
Maeir sighed aloud, her face full of dark lines. "This little twit-"
Silas patted his mother's back, his expression flat, "Mom, just leave him.
Few words were exchanged with the group, Silas and Maeir choosing to effectively ignore Clarence, who understood his now diminished position in the group.
The unexpected trio walked for miles, their bodies cold with river water and the night air of the Yursinean Spring. Following the old elven paths, Maeir led the two young men down old trails and through rough terrain, their feet catching on rocks and stones of overgrown paths that had seen little foot traffic in the last decade. It only demonstrated how few elves were left in the kingdom, and how many had left their kingdom to avoid being captured like livestock.
"The Faelfier border is too far for us in this condition. For now, we will need to make contact with one of Eva's informants. There is supposed to be one near the Highland District, at least two day's journey from here." Maeir stared at the sky, using the stars to calculate their current position as she said, "We're heading north-east now. At least we're headed in the right direction."
Clarence felt tired, having been awake since the break of dawn, but he kept walking without complaints and casually joined the conversation at hand. "The Highland District? That's the Zavior family territory."
Turning to Maeir, Silas asked, "The Zavior family?"
"It's the merchant family of the north Yursear border." Maeir stated simply before she explained the family to Silas, who had lived in the Faelfier Kingdom long enough to forget the lower-standing noble families. "They control most of the trade routes entering and exiting the kingdom, leading one of the largest caravan crews in the continent. Without a doubt, they are the wealthiest noble family in the Yursear Kingdom."
It seemed that the past Count Zavior had passed down his family business to his daughter, having her lead the lucrative and successful merchant business after his retirement. Countess Zavior had slowly amassed fame and fortune as she began to create contacts within the Yursear Kingdom, expanding her empire across the continent. While the influence of the count's family was not as strong before the countess's takeover, it was now an undeniable powerhouse within the kingdom, led by a lower-standing noble within the empire.
"What will happen once we reach the highland district?" Clarence asked, directing his question towards Maeir.
Maeir frowned, "You'll find out. Come on, we need to keep going."
Urging the two young men forward, they continued their arduous trek through the elven trails, flattening overgrown grass and vegetation under their feet as the sky began to darken completely, extinguishing all light from the sky, wrapping them in darkness.
…
Over an hour had passed since they had first started walking. The pair had passed over three miles walking before they found themselves face to face with any other signs of life, as they laid low in the various unused elven paths, expecting no one, not even humans to be able to find the deeply hidden, overgrown paths. Not even the trace of the old trail edges existed, completely erasing the past as if it had never existed.
To their surprise, on the northern trail that used to connect most of the elven traffic, there was a thin dirt path cut into the middle, appearing wide enough to accommodate two people walking on foot side by side, at largest possibly one horse. There were holes in the dirt, scattered stones littering the ground, making it a difficult path for anyone other than those familiar with the forest able to bear it.
Maeir held up her hand. "Quiet, I hear something."
Stepping forward, Maeir's eyes narrowed as she stared forward, her eyes glued on a batch of trees that had begun to lightly shake. Silas watched carefully, his eyes slipping between Clarence, who had quietly stepped behind him, as if asking to be protected. The trees shook until two shadowy figures entered the trail, a basket in one of their hands.
In front of them were two women. One, an older, aged human woman that had a basket of fresh fruits in her hands. Her grey hair was loosely tied behind her head in a messy bun, her back hunched with age. There was a piece of fabric tied to her head, holding back her bangs, and her dress was a similar-colored fabric, dyed with a light blue color.
The other woman was much younger, nearly Clarence's age. Her hair was a burgundy red, braided on either side of her youthful face. Her eyes were violet, narrowed lightly as she looked forward towards the strange group in front of her. She did not wear a dress, but rather, she wore a pair of simple brown pants and a button up shirt. Seeing a woman in pants this far into the countryside was strange, and it made all three of the group wary.
When she saw the two elves and the human with them, the older woman stopped, her face full of surprise as her gaze traveled over each of the three faces with shock and curiosity, the winkles deepening on her face.
"Get behind me." Maeir said, her hand on her sword as she sized up the two women with her eyes. She lifted her arm and pushed Silas behind her protectively, leaving Clarence to stand to the side and defend himself.
Staring forward, Clarence stared at the aged woman. Ignoring Maeir's warning, he stepped forward, looking towards the woman with a warm smile as he said aloud, recalling a name he had almost forgotten. "Auntie Josephine!"
Everyone but Clarence fell silent for a moment, but before the silence could continue, the woman opened her mouth and spoke to Clarence, her expression stiff with shock.
"Y-your highness?" The elder woman stepped forward, ignoring the urging from her companion as she began to slowly approach Clarence, the basket of fresh fruit falling to the ground next to her feet. "What are you doing here? Your clothes…"
Maeir spoke out before the woman could approach closer, "Stay back." Holding her sword, she glanced towards Clarence, asking in a cool tone, "Do you know this human?"
Clarence smiled, "Of course I do! She's the woman that saved me when I escaped the palace!"
The woman next to the elderly human woman, Auntie Josephine, walked up to the elder woman, putting her hand on her shoulder as if to stop her. Her gaze fell on Maeir as she said, "We're not here to fight you. We'll just leave this area and act like we never saw you."
Josephine said in a quiet voice, "Jasmine, we have to-"
Hearing the name Jasmine, Maeir's ears twitched. Her expression fell flat as she stared at the younger woman, her eyes cautious.
"Aunt Josephine," The younger woman, Jasmine, sighed, "It's impossible to help them with this many guards. Besides that, that's Prince Clarence! Any guard with two brain cells could recognize him!"
The older woman frowned at the young woman, Jasmine. "I would expect better out of my niece." She shook her head, staring at Clarence with the concern of a parent. "Is that really you, Clarence?"
Clarence smiled, "It's been a decade. I'm happy you still remember me."
Silas fought the urge to roll his eyes at Clarence's soft display, remembering the various violent encounters the two had had in the past.
Aunt Josephine patted her apron as if dusting off the mud on her hands. "It's far too dangerous for you three to be here. The guards have been active since nightfall. Had we known they were this active, we would have never come out here." She sighed, her expression full of concern.
"What are you two doing out here?" Maeir questioned, her hand still resting on her sword scabbard.
Jasmine's eyes fell challengingly on Maeir, "That's none of your concern. Rather, what is a group of elves doing here?"
The two were at a stalemate, either side unable to determine the others' motives. But before they could continue their conversation, there was a shout from inside the forest.
"They have to be nearby! Search the area!" In the distance, there was the shout of guards. Silas's group had already reached far into the forest after walking for so long, ready to disappear into the forest and attack the guards if the need arose. It was too dangerous to fight the guards with the strangers they had encountered.
"Dammit." Jasmine whispered under her breath, her brows wrinkled. "We need to get out of here, now. If they find you all with us, they'll capture us too." She reached into the lower pocket of her dress, holding a dagger in her hand. "For now, you three follow us. I know a good hiding spot."
Maeir shook her head, "We can hide on our own-" She began, but another voice called out, stopping her words with a sudden halt.
"Check this path here!" A guard shouted, their voices coming closer and closer by the moment.
In a harsh whisper, Jasmine said, "There's no time! Go!" She grabbed the thin wrist of her elderly aunt and ran towards a small opening in the woods, the two figures soon disappearing into the vegetation, the sounds of their footsteps muffled by underbrush.
With the guards rapidly approaching their spot in the clearing, Maeir could only grit her teeth and say, "We can only follow them for now. Come on." She urged Clarence and Silas forward first as she glanced over her shoulder, her gaze narrowing as they ran into the forest, their steps light and their heads low, their hearts pounding like drums as they disappeared into the shadows of the forest.
…
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Ah, I lost track of time! This was done early, and I'm actually ahead on the chapters (the stockpile will stop by the end of the month ;; ), but here it is now! Sorry.... Hunny and I will be on vacation starting Wednesday, but the chapter will be posted as usual! I'll be streaming Tuesday as a result with Hunny, though, so if you're an Amnesia Memories fan, you can watch us play my husband (Toma)'s route~~ If you like yanderes, you'll be very happy lol
As for the special... it's author's choice now hehehe~~ It'll be posted at the end of the month, the 25th, and I will hopefully have a special illustration done for then. See the sketch here on my twitter. Thank you all always for your support! Very much looking forward to the next chapters to come >u< Oh, the special chapter will be spicy, my friends ;D Well, Cat Masseuse spicy... ;u;
See you all next Sunday! Thank you again >y<~~