Chapter 130:
Consideration
The night was short, and after all the building emotions had time to quell, it was already daylight. When Silas woke up, he was surprised to find Clarence in the bed, resting on the far side, nearly falling off the bed as he attempted to lay sideways, his eyes closed, but his face facing Silas.
When Silas sat up, it was obvious the other man was already awake by his twitching eyelids, most likely attempting to watch Silas's reaction. He had told himself he would leave for the night, but again, he found himself back in their room once again, not allowing himself to be banished to the cold palace. Silas was too annoyed to attempt to kick him out again, as it was already beyond the point.
"We need to talk." Silas finally said, the drowsiness in his face lightened by the dim sunlight wrapping around his sleepy figure. The small crack in the curtains was enough to envelope him in a warm light, sparkling like raindrops, and bright like the moon.
Staring at Silas's half-awake figure, Clarence felt his throat roll as he quickly sat up, and his mouth fell dry, his cheeks turning hot. Gently, he turned his face to the side, still able to see Silas in his peripheral vision. He felt if he were to turn his head away now, he would regret it later. "What do you want to talk about?" His voice was faint, and he felt his confidence draining the more he spoke to Silas, feeling as though the elven man would banish him from the room that instance.
Staring at Clarence's stiff figure, Silas let out a small, tired sigh. The sleep he had gotten last night helped clear his mind somewhat, but the years of anger still bubbled at the bottom of his heart, retaining some of the sourness in his words as he finally said. "Nevermind. Later. Let's talk later tonight. You're not doing anything else, are you?" He raised a brow, rubbing his right cheek absentmindedly with his hand. It was difficult to tell what he was thinking.
Clarence let out a stuttering, "N-no-" He cleared his throat, his cheeks turning red, as if he were asked out on a date.
Silas still had to watch Clarence, so it made asking him only a formality. Though, the flavor of the question felt strange, even to Silas. Staring at Clarence's shy reaction, he wanted to clarify, but he decided against it, attempting to extend the olive branch after his anger got the better of him yesterday. "Then let's eat breakfast. We'll talk about it later."
After washing their faces and getting dressed, the pair walked to the dining room. The halls were empty, void of any figures walking to and fro, as if everyone was still holed up in their bedrooms after last night's debacle. This allowed Clarence and Silas to walk quietly together, side by side, without a single word exchanged between them. However, Clarence felt closer to Silas at this point, even walking shoulder to shoulder with the other man.
The dining room was empty by the time Silas and Clarence had woken up, but the food, steamed buns and corn porridge with fresh fruit, was still warmly waiting for them. As they sat down to eat, Clarence sitting at Silas's side obediently, Jasmine entered the dining room with a mug of tea in her hand, tiredly yawning into her hand.
"Good m-" She froze mid sentence before she spoke again, eyeballing Silas and Clarence with suspicion. "You two made up already? That was fast, wasn't it!" She laughed aloud to herself, walking to the table as she sat across from the pair, sipping at her mug of fragrant, warm tea with a giggly grin.
Silas frowned, "Don't push your luck, Jasmine." He ate a spoonful of corn porridge before he said with lowered eyes, "Besides that… I would like to apologize for my behavior yesterday. It was inappropriate of me to yell like that, and what I said was inconsiderate." He bowed his head.
Jasmine nodded her head lightly, "You don't have to apologize to me, Silas, I wasn't one of the ones that got yelled at." She turned to Clarence with an even more taunting smile, "Right, Clarence?"
Ignoring Jasmine's taunting, Clarence continued to eat his meal quietly, staring down in his bowl to avoid meeting Silas's gaze that had traveled over his shrinking figure. Silas retracted his gaze before he said with a frown, "I'm sorry for some of the things I said, Clarence."
Clarence nodded fervently at this, refusing to lift his gaze. This was good. This was progress.
Watching the breakfast theater with a large grin on her face, Jasmine sipped at her mug of tea, watching as Clarence further buried his head into his bowl with reddened cheeks, appearing like an ostrich. Silas let out a sigh, attempting to hold back a snort as he glanced again towards the prince, who had yet to lift his head. It was truly a comical sight.
Jasmine sighed, glancing around her before she took a seat next to Clarence. With one hand holding her mug, her other hand reached out, pointing to the porridge with a straightened finger,
"Is that any good?"
Silas and Clarence did not know what to say. They had not even tasted their food. But Jasmine did not expect a response from them and instead began to dig into the prepared food, occasionally sipping at her mug of tea like an old man enjoying the morning gossip with his wife. It made the pair unwilling to speak, and the room fell quiet, leaving only the sounds of silverware to fill the air.
Halfway through their meal, the doors to the dining room opened again, and soon, a short figure stepped into the room, looking as though she may not have slept well last night. Her short, dark hair was curled around her face, but the ends were frizzy, like a puffy cat, and her eyes were shrouded by dark circles. Even her clothes, a soft, frilly pink with a large red bow, seemed duller than yesterday's dress. Only the weak smile on her face remained the same as yesterday.
"Good morning." Jasmine greeted, sticking her spoon in her porridge with a tired smile, appearing just as tired as their other comrade. The caffeine in the tea seemed slow to start, Silas thought as he stared towards Angeline, who had sat herself next to Jasmine, across from Clarence. She did not acknowledge any of the three, instead picking at her fruit on the prepared plate. She was determined not to speak first.
Silas, however, was determined to bite the bullet and speak first. He knew if he were to remain quiet, Angeline's opinion of him would only lower, and they would not be able to cooperate effectively as they had before. Embarrassed, Silas put down his silverware and spoke first, "Angeline, I'm sorry for what I said yesterday. What I said was inconsiderate." He paused as he bowed his head in apology.
"I know you did not mean what you said, Silas." Angeline nodded her head, savoring the berries as she ate them with a smile. "But I won't be lenient if you say something like that again." Her eyes darkened as she stared forward, chomping her berries with a frighteningly dark expression.
"Absolutely. Thank you, Angeline." Silas bowed his head again, letting out a soundless sigh of relief, knowing other apologies were still due for his untimely outburst.
After the awkward meal had passed and the plates were cleared with light conversation passing between them. Angeline seemed to regain some of her spirit as she turned to Silas and said, "Meredith's condition has stabilized, so why don't you and Jasmine go visit him? I'll take Clarence with me this morning. I need some help on a project anyway." Angeline turned towards Clarence and winked, leaving a dim, foreboding feeling to linger around her. "
Jasmine, having cleared her meal and her mug of tea, stood up from the table. "It'll be nice to catch up with him once he wakes up." She dusted the crumbs off the front of her blouse, smiling as she said, "Come on, Silas. I'm sure you're anxious to see him too."
Silas nodded, his heart beating a little faster in his chest, feeling a wash of relief take over him, knowing his uncle would be okay. "Thanks, Jasmine. Let's go."
After a short goodbye, Jasmine and Silas left the dining room, hurrying to check on Meredith as Angeline and Clarence sat together at the table, the blush gradually receding from his face. Angeline stared at the prince with a small smile, giggling to herself
"Since you've graciously agreed to cooperate, there are two people I need you to meet." Angeline's smile only grew, knowing more trouble would come to the human man, but she instead said nothing, interested in how things would turn out for him. "Are you ready to share what you know about the palace? About your cousin? There's no turning back now, Clarence."
Clarence stood tall, his expression full of thought as he remembered the state of the kingdom, his family, and the power he had lost since his cousin had taken over his kingdom and his position as king. If he were to feel any pity towards Malcolm now, he would never regain his kingdom. After all that he had been through, all that he had put those around him through, he knew it was time to finally make amends, and do what was right.
"I will cooperate as much as you need." He responded resolutely, feeling he could finally take another step forward towards regaining his kingdom, and gaining the trust of this group.
Angeline giggled to herself, smiling brightly as she said, "Follow me. We're almost there."
…
Inside the medical room, the atmosphere was stiff and still, but the anger and frustration had sobered with a good night's rest, and emotions were no longer flaring. Bitter feelings still lingering in the air, taking time to dispel as everyone was on edge. Meredith's condition had become more and more stable as the day passed, and much of the stress the group had began to lower. Eva was noticeably calmer, and Silas was able to properly apologize to her, knowing how much Meredith meant to both of them.
"He should regain consciousness any day now." Maeir said once the discussion fell still, placing down a half-full bottle of mana potion prepared by Yulia. She stared at Eva and Silas, who had been quietly speaking off to the side, both of their expressions heavy. Once they heard the good news of Meredith's recovery, their faces seemed to lighten more.
Eva stood up from the chair she had been sitting on to the side of the room, her gloves still covering her hands underneath her dark spring dress. Standing next to Maeir, she looked down at Meredith's warming complexion and let out a small, relieved sigh. "Thank you for taking care of him, Maeir. Yulia should be able to take over shortly. You should rest for now."
Maeir stood up, stretching her arms across her chest with a frown. "I'll be alright for now, Eva. You should rest first. You haven't slept since Meredith came back." Eva wanted to refute Maeir's words, her expression falling but before she could refute her words, Yulia spoke first.
"Eva, you rest. Silas and I will take it from here." Yulia turned to the side, towards Silas's general direction as she said, "Silas, can you pass me a mana potion, please?"
"Of course." Silas stood up from the small stool he was sitting on as he moved to the side of the room, towards the makeshift medicine cabinet as he grabbed out a dark blue bottle of medicine. Once the medicine was in her hand, Yulia carefully opened the bottle and used a dropper-like item to drip the potion into Meredith's mouth, gently feeding the liquid to him the best she could in his unconscious state. Silas was at Meredith's side, lifting his torso and head to keep the medicine from flowing down into his windpipe.
Once the mana potion was emptied, Eva stood up from Meredith's bedside, quietly squeezing his hand with an expression full of fatigue. Her pallor was poor, nearly white, and her hair was not nearly as neat as it had been before Meredith had returned. Even her dress was wrinkled, and her gloves tightly wound around her hands, as if they were gripping onto her, keeping her awake.
"Please let me know the minute he regains consciousness." Eva rubbed her eyes, holding the back of the chair she had been sitting in with a dull expression.
"He should regain consciousness later today." Yulia said with a dim expression, her thoughts difficult to read as she added, "At that time, we will need to ask him about Holland first. We have no idea how long he will remain conscious for."
Jasmine nodded her head, her expression somewhat dimmer than Silas had seen before. "Holland was captured, but we don't know who captured him. If he was killed, his corpse would have already been paraded around the kingdom." She clenched her fist, her knuckles turning white with the force. "
"Do you want me to-" Silas stood up, but Eva stopped him with a wave of her hand.
"Stay here until Meredith regains consciousness and make sure to ask him about Holland. Once we know where he is, we can finalize our rescue efforts." Eva said, her voice low as she moved to the door, turning her back towards the group as she said, "I'll be in my room." Even wearing heels, Eva's pace was quick, and her clicking steps were quick to disappear down the hall towards her room.
Maeir moved to the door by Jasmine, staring at Silas with a faint smile of her own as she said in a gentle tone, "I'll return to my room as well. Please keep me posted on his condition." She patted the doorway with a light sigh, rubbing the space between her own brows, her crows feet appearing deeper than before. "By the Gods, we all could use a little rest."
"I'll join Angeline and Clarence for now." Standing in the doorway, Jasmine shot the pair a light smile, but her worry was lingering on her face. "Once you have that information about Holland, bring it to the meeting room. You know where it is?"
"Yes. I'll let you all know as soon as he's awake." Silas nodded as Yulia bowed her head slightly as they saw Jasmine and Maeir off together, their footsteps hurriedly echoing down the hall as the Silas and Yulia sat together, not having spent much time together since their arrival at the countess's mansion.
Yulia was often quiet, often seeming as if she were dreaming at times, but she was very aware of her surroundings, even without her vision. Every so often, she would reach forward, holding Meredith's hand as she rested her fingers on his wrist, checking his pulse and mana flow before she retracted her hand, returning to her still pose, as if lost in thought.
"It's a shame we haven't been able to know each other more." Yulia said suddenly, startling Silas. "Now that we have time, there are some things I wanted to discuss with you. Things about Clarence. Do you mind?"
Silas shook his head. "Not at all. Please, ask away." He did not feel particularly close to Clarence, but everyone associated them as a pair. At this time, he could only embrace it.
"You and Clarence are close, aren't you?" She smiled, her face gentle as she said, "He relies on you."
Hearing her words, Silas rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "He only relies on me because I brought him here." His voice was low, his eyes lowered as he said dimly, "If we didn't help each other escape the palace, neither of us would have lived to make it here."
Yulia rested her hands in her lap as she spoke again, her voice quiet in the still room. "I think you're more important to him than you know."
"You think so?" Silas asked with a raised brow. "I'm not sure I believe that."
"He has become more aware of his shortcomings being with us here." With a thoughtful hum, she added, "That being said, Clarence has the potential to be a great leader, but he will need guidance." Yulia said thoughtfully. "I hope you can lead him by his side, Silas, while he is here with us. Slowly, he has changed his opinions on the elves. Hopefully he can change the kingdom's opinion of elves as well."
Pondering her response, Silas could only smile, letting out an awkward chuckle as he nodded, "I hope Clarence can too." Though, Silas had no confidence in Clarence's leadership. As much as the prince wanted to return to the throne, he severely doubted the rebels would allow him back in power as he was before. "But, why do you think he has potential to be a good leader, Yulia?" He was curious to know the woman's thoughts, even if he had no faith in her words.
Yulia paused for a moment, staring off to the side as if she were thinking before she muttered with a smile. "Because he has finally experienced the hardships of those he once considered beneath him. He understands now."
Silas could only wonder what in particular Clarence understood as he nodded his head quietly.
As the conversation fell still, there was a coughing sound from the bed, and Silas quickly turned to face Meredith, his eyes weakly opened into slits as he attempted to sit up, only to fall back down on the bed with a painful grimace. His long hair was still tied into a tight braid, most likely tended to by Eva, who had kept him safe while he remained unconscious. His face was pale, but a red flush filled his cheeks, and his eyes were dark, bloodshot and restless.
"By the Gods, Meredith!" Silas's face was full of smiles, his eyes wet with tears as he helped Meredith sit up. "How are you feeling?" He grabbed Meredith's hands, feeling the warmth of the mana begin to circulate at a faster pace, quickly warming his body.
Meredith, still weak, gently closed his eyes, falling back into his nephew's embrace with a weak push as he attempted to catch his breath, his breathing weak, but persistent. "I'll be fine in a few days." Meredith responded, coughing again before he added, "That's not important. We need to save Holland."
"Meredith, what happened to Holland?" Silas asked as Yulia prepared another medicine for Meredith to take to ease his pain.
"He-" Meredith began, cold sweat pouring down his temples, his pale lips colorless as his face as he said in a dry, almost inaudible voice, "He was captured by the Yursinean knights."
…
With Angeline at his side, Clarence felt a little strange, but he kept up the slow-paced conversation Angeline peddled naturally, and he squatted slightly, bowing his back forward, to speak to her due to their noticeable size difference. The walk felt longer than he imagined, but to Angeline, it was a fun conversation full of taunting.
"Don't strain your back. I can hear you just fine." Angeline giggled, staring at Clarence as he shifted his back in a strange bow, attempting to be polite. "Mille is only a little shorter than you, you know, and we talk just fine standing like real people."
"I-I'm sorry." Clarence coughed, standing tall again as Angeline smiled at him, her gaze containing the warmth of a sneaky big sister.
As they turned down one of the many hallways in the mansion's addition, they finally came to a stop at a set of two tall, oak doors. Inside the room, faint voices could be heard discussing the war effort, but the information was too muffled to understand clearly.
Inside the room was Vaan and Adora. A large map was spread out on the large round table in the middle of the room. There were small wooden articles spread all over the table, notes spread across the table in a controlled fashion, appearing
Led inside the room by Angeline, Clarence's steps were timid as he met the gaze of the two soldiers inside, donning heavy sets of armor and their swords resting at their waists like
"I was trying to avoid meeting with you, but it seems like we can't avoid it now." Adora said with some spite, staring at Clarence with a heated grimace. Staring at Adora's figure, Clarence was reminded of a small dog, barking and growling, attempting to nip at his ankles. "I'm Adora Calin, captain of the Faelfierian royal guard. You must be Prince Clarence then."
To be a Faelfierian guard captain, she must be strong enough to hold her position. Clarence thought as he said, "Yes, I'm Clarence." His words were lukewarm, matching Adora's tone as he stared towards the other side of the table, where Vaan stood placidly, his expression unchanging, as if Clarence were just thin air.
"That's Vaan. He's not much of a talker, but he's one of the strongest fighters within our group." Angeline said, patting Clarence's arm with her hand as she walked past him, moving towards the table to check over the map that was carefully placed out, filled with written notes in a neat, cursive handwriting. "Now, let's discuss why I brought you here. These two will be asking you some questions about the Yursinean army and palace. You should know better than anyone here what the palace is like."
Staring at the two unfriendly-looking knights, Clarence swallowed the dry saliva in his mouth as he said, "Tell me what information you need. I will fully cooperate."
Adora leaned forward, her eyes fixed on Clarence's figure as she said, "Perfect. Let's discuss the palace's operations."
…
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Weakly edited. Apologies for the delay (again)... I'm in my work office atm ;u; Wanted to get this done ASAP and posted. A lot of things changed to the draft yesterday and I didn't have enough time to get it all done before I had to go to bed.
I felt touching on the apologies would only take up more space on the page than necessary, so some things were chopped. Nearing the end, so chapter content is more important to me! :D Also, please check out my other project, Misted Winds, on Scribblehub/ here on Webnovel if you have heavier taste than YMtK! >y< It's our secondary project, but our next project as YMtK finishes and should be around 50-60 chapters total. I'll look into moving it onto CG once YMtK ends~~
Thanks so much for reading, all! So many lovely and supportive comments across all of our platforms! ;; It really does mean a lot! Have a good, safe week, all~~!