Chapter 146:
Where are you
After a strange introduction to Theresa's, everything soon fell into place for the group of four palace escapees. While the girls were not used to the atmosphere of a brothel, let alone the behaviors of commoners, Alywin attempted to help them settle as much as he could, telling them stories of his youth while Theo kept an eye on the town, watching for any sign of the soldiers tailing them.
In the meantime, Philomena and Charlotte settled well into Theresa's. While the atmosphere was dimmer than they had experienced in the past, all of the girls treated them like their own, sneaking them snacks between shifts, styling their hair into intricate styles, and making sure they were never bothered by customers as they completed other tasks in the back, away from the bustle of the establishment.
Philomena especially was treated like the brothel's mascot. The girls would often pinch her cheeks, tie her hair into sweet pink ribbons, and hug her until she turned purple, adoring her as they would their own little sister. Having lacked the close contact of other female family members, Philomena put her discomfort aside, enjoying the attention she never experienced. In exchange for the commoner romance books the girls at the brothel enjoyed, she would complete little tasks and other favors in their stead.
Charlotte, meanwhile, did her best to adjust to the hustle and bustle in the city, finally able to enjoy her own form of autonomy, no longer chained by the expectations of the royal court.
Nearly a month after their initial escape, it was just morning, and the girls were already preparing for another long day as they slowly woke up. Curtains were pulled back from their windows, bodies washed using clean towels, and outfits laid out to wear for another day of work. Philomena was currently sitting on one of the cushions, two of the girls braiding her delicate, long hair into two sweet, intricate braids, preparing to wrap them around the top of her head in a gentle fashion.
In her room, Charlotte was enjoying a leisurely morning reading the commoner's paper as she sipped at a glass of watered-down tea, still unused to the taste of the weakened tea in the city. It made her miss the spiced brews at home. Her knight stood by her side, still on alert as usual, leaving his own teacup untouched as some of the girls giggled at him, enjoying his handsome presence in the common area.
In the meantime, the morning remained busy. Alywin was spending the morning in Theresa's office, enjoying a warm cup of Earl Grey tea as they spoke of current Yursinean politics, their expressions dampened by worry as they thought of what was to come.
"Do you believe Clarence is still alive?" Theresa asked, quietly sipping her steaming tea with a stern frown.
"I do." Staring into his cup, his eyes murky, Alywin said, "The elves would have made a show of killing him. I think… the elf he escaped the palace with is keeping him alive."
"That prince… he's a fool." Theresa had long since heard of their escape and the escape of the elf Clarence had grown infatuated with, going so far as to trap the man in the palace. "He's very fortunate to have met that elf. I doubt others would have been as generous with him."
Knowing her words were true, Alywin could not help but swallow back the bitter taste in his mouth. The thought of his close friend dying was not one he could face yet, and even the thought of Clarence losing his life was enough to make him nauseous. "That, he is."
"Tell me, Alywin, you know the prince better than me." Theresa began, staring off to the side, holding her teacup in her hands as she was prepared to ask a difficult question. "Are those two in love?"
Cough. Alywin nearly choked on his tea at the question as he set his cup down, tapping his chest with his hand. "That's a strange question, Theresa."
"And I expect an equally strange answer." Theresa smiled to herself, gently passing Alywin a handkerchief to clean his chin. "You told me yourself the prince and the elf escaped the palace together, and they are believed to still be hiding together now. Tell me, would you hide with your enemies, expecting a knife in your back at any moment?"
"No." Alywin's frown deepened at the thought as he continued, "But if they didn't escape together, they would have died in the palace together. What love could be there?"
Theresa lowered her cup, her expression calm. "My hope is that, if the prince truly does love that elf, maybe the prince can change the kingdom's views on the elves, even a little." Theresa sighed. "I have been alive too long to endure this war any longer. I would like to see it end before I die."
Alywin frowned. "Theresa, don't say that-"
Before anything further could be said, Theo's steps rung out into the hall as he stepped into the room, his expression low as he turned to the pair with worry. "A strange carriage is on its way here. The knights in the city are moving with it. I think it's Malcolm."
"What?" Alywin asked, abruptly standing from his chair.
Theo stared at Alywin with concern. "We need to hide you all, now."
The pair fell silent immediately, their hearts beating in their chests with concern, knowing the moment they had been anticipating had finally come. Though they had anticipated the knights' arrival, there was no way to feel prepared. "Hurry and bring the girls here, please."
Theresa quickly sent one of the girls to retrieve Philomena and Charlotte, who had yet to eat breakfast before they were pulled into Theresa's office, their eyes full of worry and alertness, as if they had been waiting for this moment. They had yet to hear what had happened when they saw Theo staring out the window, his hand on his sword preparing to fight.
"What's going on?" Charlotte asked, suddenly alert. "Is it the soldiers?"
"Yes. They're approaching now to search the building. You all need to hide, now." Theo responded without looking back, his expression full of anger. "Alywin, go with them."
"There's no question who's behind this." Theresa's expression fell, anticipating something of that nature would happen again. "Alywin, take them to the underground path. They may investigate the rooms at this point. You are no longer safe."
The sound of horse hooves grew increasingly louder, causing everyone in the room to fall into panic. Theo hurried them with a wave and an impatient growl. "They're nearly here! Get moving!" The man had already moved from the window, adjusting his sword in his hand as he sheathed it. With rapid movements, he quickly used Theresa's bookshelf to hoist himself into the lofted ceiling, allowing him hidden access to the roof to continue to monitor the growing situation.
Once the group disappeared, Theresa said her last words to Theo before she left her office. "Stay there for now, Theo. I'll take care of this." Theresa said, her eyes narrowed dangerously as she watched the other man disappear. With swift movements, she walked to the hall and rang a small bell, echoing a tinny noise throughout the building, alerting something was amiss.
Feeling the tension growing in the air, Charlotte's knight followed Alywin to the underground passage once used by him and Clarence nearly a year ago. They moved faster than they had before, nearly running as they swept down the empty stairwell and into the cellar.
As the cellar door shut, three girls moved to cover the space in the floor with practiced movements, hiding the seam in the wood using a strange tool, ensuring nothing would show the hidden path. Instead of covering the doorway, they instead moved a rug to cover a more conspicuous part of the floor, where a hole had long since marred the floor, marking the home of a rat's nest. If anything, it would keep the soldiers at bay for another moment.
"Lucille, don't forget the perfume!"
"Jennine, please move the books off of the table!"
"Amie, please hide the luggage!"
Chloe spoke aloud, popping her head into the various rooms of the girls, ensuring they were ready to face their special guests with little notice. Fortunately, the girls were used to sudden guests, and their clothes and hair were neatly arranged, though lacking in intricateness. One by one, they ran down the stairs, their heels clattering against the wood as they lined up by the door, smiling and visibly awake. Once the other girls finished their tasks, they hurried downstairs and stood by Theresa, who faced the door.
Only a moment later, the door was opened, and soon a familiar figure stepped into the establishment with a sick smile."My my, it's quite early for you all to greet us like this." Malcolm remarked, his eyes glittering with danger as he stared over the aged woman he once considered a mother-in-law. "It's been some time, Theresa." His words were spat like a snake, dripping with venom.
Theresa curtseyed low, the girls following her movements. ""What do I owe this pleasure, Duke Godfreed?" She never expected the man to come to find Alywin in person like this.
"I'm sure you're well aware why I'm here." Malcolm waved his hand, ushering in a group of Yursinean knights, donning full sets of armor, their weapons drawn with intimidation. "Where is he, Theresa?"
I underestimated his sick desire. Theresa's smile was icy, her motherly instincts wishing to tear the man apart. "Where is who, your majesty?"
"This is no time to joke, you old hag." Malcolm's gentlemanly smile was stained with vulgarity as he spoke, his smile never fading. As he said the word hag, the girls around Theresa audibly gasped, their expressions falling chilly as they stared at the rude noble, daring to insult the woman that protected them. "Tell me where he is."
While he could not prove it, he was aware of Theresa's role in Alywin's disappearance one way or another, and he knew the young noble and the two princesses were unable to do it on their own. It was just a matter of who helped them escape, and how. Once Malcolm found them, he would never let them leave again, even at the moment of his last breath.
"Duke Godfreed," Theresa's expression remained calm, but the tension in the room gradually thickened, and her eyebrows twitched with unhidden aggravation. "I do not know who you are looking for."
"Break every piece of furniture, lift every rug, and unlock every door in this filthy establishment. I want you to find him now." Malcolm said with an eerie smile, his eyes full of dark hatred for the woman who raised Alywin, keeping him away from his side forcefully during their youth. Laughing, Malcolm snapped his fingers, mobilizing the knights as they stormed through the establishment, pushing girls aside as they began to search. "If he isn't found, I'll have you arrested for treason to the royal throne, Theresa."
Theresa stood by her girls, their expressions mixed as they stared at the older woman, her expression full of strength and calmness. "I have nothing to hide from you, Your Majesty. Please search the building. My girls and I will not impede you." There was nothing the girls or Theresa could do to stop the man's rampage, and it shattered their hearts to see the work and livelihood Theresa had created, the safe haven for her girls in the kingdom.
Furniture was intentionally broken, glass shattered, and fabric torn into pieces. It was as if the Yursinean knights took great pleasure in destroying the place, their joys leaking from their faceless helmets, acting like worker ants. Loud noises shook the building, and the scent of various broken perfume bottles filled the air, mixing in with the scent of dirt from the knights' boots.
Watching the men, a sudden thought struck Theresa as Malcolm stepped upstairs, his expression manic, nearly dripping in anticipation of finding Alywin. If Malcolm is here, what about the safety of the palace? Puzzling enough, Malcolm came himself to find Alywin, but Theresa had her suspicions regarding the safety of the palace during Malcolm's departure, making her more curious of the state of the kingdom without their ruler present. Hasn't the attack on the palace already begun?
Just thinking of the mess Malcolm would be returning to, Theresa could not help but flash a weak smile before her grin swiftly faded. As the rampaging commenced, she ushered the girls into the large sitting room, comforting some as they cried in each other's arms, horrified to see the place they called home shattered in front of their very eyes.
Please stay safe, Alywin. Don't let him find you. Theresa prayed, staring at the mess of shattered wood chips around her, her lips frowning deeper as she consoled the girls, keeping them away from the shattered wood and glass on the ground.
…
Inside the Yursear palace, there was a short walk to the hidden safe room, but it was difficult to hide the muffled shouts and crossing of swords from the stone walls. To help the weakened atmosphere even a little, Silas asked Clarence a question he had been holding since they killed the group of soldiers in the forest.
"Back then, with the soldiers, they mentioned someone's name. Who are you looking for?" Silas broached, breaking the silence between them with a direct question.
Hearing Silas's interest, Clarence fell silent for a moment before he answered directly. "It's my childhood friend, Alywin. He was in the palace not long ago, but now… I'm not sure myself. If he was here, Malcolm would have made a larger effort to protect the palace."
Silas raised a brow. "It's strange the palace was so easy to break into, but if that's what you're saying, do you think Malcolm ran off with him then? Or do you think he's abandoning the throne altogether?"
"That's impossible." Clarence shook his head with a disgusted frown. "I'm going to ask my mother if she knows where Alywin went. The soldier said Alywin, Charlotte, and Philomena escaped together, but I can't trust their words." Clarence's eyes narrowed, his expression falling. "When we find my family, we'll know for sure if they escaped the palace or not."
Watching Clarence's expression fall with worry, Silas fell silent, following behind the prince as they stepped forward down the narrow hall. It reminded Silas of the path the three of them escaped through in the prince's bedroom: tight, narrow, and damp.
Maeir casually listened to their conversation before she spoke up, expressing her own opinion. "With the current state of the palace, I wouldn't be surprised if Malcolm was hoping for an attack on the palace to draw you back here. He was most likely hoping you and your family would get killed by the rebels." She looked forward, her eyes narrowed as she added, "Be fortunate your servants care for your family so well. Otherwise, we would not be finding them alive."
Her words were true, but led to an awkward silence falling over the tunnel. Their pace increased, and it quickly became apparent Maeir's words had scared Clarence. The tunnels were narrow, but it did not slow the prince's pace at all as he hurried along, his palms brushing along either side of the tunnel walls.
Finally, they had reached the end of the tunnel. A rusted metal sheet blocked the entrance, most likely an old door that had gone unused for too long, obviously unused by the queen herself. With some anxiety, Clarence first tried the handle for the door, and when it did not work, he slammed on the door with an open palm, causing the door to shake.
"Give me a minute-" Clarence gritted his teeth, stepping back as he rushed forward, thrusting his shoulder into the heavy metal covering. With a sonorous bang, the metal door was thrusted open, and Clarence grabbed onto the edge of the open hatch to steady himself. Before Silas could look over his shoulder, Clarence had hopped down the three foot drop, partially covered by a shadow in the dimly lit room.
"Do you see her?" Maeir asked, approaching Silas from behind as he stood in the open doorway, somewhat nervous to step down. The room was not large, but it was well hidden, tucked away with no windows, a batch of storage items, and a single bed that had laid unused.
What caught his eye the most, however, was the three people inside. There was a young boy, around ten years old, and a young girl that looked to be around eight years old inside. They were hugging their mother, whose intricate clothing was dirty with dust. She held her children close to her with a fire pick in her hand. Her expression was fierce, pointing forward at the shadowed figures until they completely appeared in the light, making the queen nearly drop her fire pick onto the ground.
"Clarence? Is that you?" Queen Racliffe asked in a hoarse voice, her eyes nearly welling up with tears as she stared at her eldest son. She stepped forward to approach him, but as she moved forward, she paused, staring at the two elves behind him with a look of horror.
"Julian… Eloise. I'm back." Clarence knelt down and opened his arms for his younger siblings, taking them up in his arms with a smile as they ran to him, smashing into his chest like darts. They sobbed aloud, hugging onto their brother, not noticing the two elves behind him. Their voices were drowned out by the queen's next words.
"Who are they?" The queen lifted her fire poker yet again, her teeth gritted. "Them… those elves. Why are you with them, Clarence?"
Jumping down from the hole after Silas, Maeir stared forward at the queen, keeping her own sword withdrawn as she looked at the woman with dull eyes of anger, keeping her temper in check for the two children present. Silas's gaze fell on Clarence, who slowly stood up, keeping the two younger children at his hip with a gentle hand patting their shoulders.
"Mother, these are my… friends. They are here to help me rescue everyone." The prince let out a sigh, as if he had been holding it for some time before he added, "You should be more than familiar with having elven friends."
Queen Racliffe's expression fell, the pick in her hand trembling as she stared forward, the tears in the corner of her eyes spilling down her flushed cheeks. "Clarence, you-" Her words trembled, nearly a whisper.
"Now's not the time for that, Clarence. Let's talk about that later." Silas cut in, stepping forward, keeping the conversation from escalating in another direction. "Didn't you want to ask her about Alywin?"
There was a small movement, and the boy at Clarence's hip glared at Silas with a heated gaze, attempting to protect his brother. Silas stared at the young boy on Clarence's hip. The boy's navy blue hair had a slight wave, tied back into a small ponytail at the back of his neck with a silver ribbon. He still had a face full of baby fat, and his face was nearly seven points similar to Clarence's. His eyes were large and round, full of a mix of surprise and fear as he stared at Maeir and Silas with hesitation.
"Julian, it's fine." Clarence said, patting the boy's head. "Mother, do you know where Alywin went?" He looked to his mother, anxiety dripping from his figure as he waited for a desirable answer.
The queen paused, her heavy eyes falling on the two elves behind Clarence before she said directly, "He escaped with the two princesses nearly a month ago. They're not here anymore." She paused before she said again, "Malcolm left to find them, and soon after, the palace was attacked. This was all premeditated. If it weren't for my maids, we would have never made it here in time." Queen Racliffe lowered her stick, her hands still trembling as she stared at Silas and Maeir. "Tell me, why are you with them, Clarence?"
Clarence stared to the side, looking over his shoulder at Silas, who stood warily, not far from his mother. His eyes were bright, twinkling like fireflies, and his face was full of a warmth Clarence had gradually become accustomed to, so much so that he never wanted to leave that feeling behind. "I made a deal with them. They're going to safely escort us out of the palace and to a safe house. We can't stay here any longer."
The queen's lips quivered, the tears staining her face darkening as she spat. "After so long, we have to leave this place, our home, because of these damn elves? Why must things be like this?" Her hands were clenched at her sides, the fire pick still lodged in her fist like a knife. "Why does this have to happen again?"
Hearing her somber voice, Julian ran to his mother's side and wordlessly held her free hand, his expression full of concern for his grieving mother.
As much as Maeir wanted to say something to the hypocritical royal, she held her tongue, not wishing to aggravate the annoying queen further in her eyes. Instead, Silas stepped forward, standing near Clarence now that Julian, his younger brother, had run back to his mom, his tail between his legs. "We should talk about this later, Clarence. For now, let's get out of here. I think there are a few things we should discuss once we're safe." His face was lit up by the dim candle now, finally bringing his full face into view.
Unlike her protective brother, the little girl, Eloise, had a wondrous look on her face as she stared at Silas, her eyes twinkling as she pointed at him and said in an unintentionally loud voice. "Handsome!" Her fingers were still small, and her voice rang out with a childish ring, bringing back many memories for Silas of his own siblings.
The child's sudden voice in such a tense moment caught them all off guard, their expressions mixed between surprise, frustration, and laughter. Maeir could not help but laugh, staring to the side as she said inaudibly, under her breath, "A love of elves must run in the family."
As the atmosphere retained a moment of warmth, the castle began to shake, nearly moving them off of their feet and onto the ground. Silas helped to steady Clarence, who held his sister still, ensuring she didn't fall and hurt herself. Maeir braced her stance and looked over to the queen, who had done the same to protect her young son.
"There's not much time. We need to get out of here." Maeir, while disliking the queen, refused to go back on her word. "We'll use this exit. Clarence, you go first and help the children into the tunnel-" Silas and Clarence moved first. Silas moved the door cover and helped Clarence inside before he turned, looking at the queen.
Inside her eyes, it was obvious she was fighting a difficult battle in her mind, questioning whether to agree or disagree based on her own bias. But, as she stared at her children, there was only one answer. "Fine." Queen Racliffe, while despondent, stepped forward, dropping the fire poker she had clutched so strongly onto the ground with a clattering ringing sound. "Tell me where to go."
…
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Are we finally saving the mother-in-law? And is the mother-in-law a huge hypocrite? Yes and yes! Excited for more interactions between her and Maeir. Getting major Hank Hill vibes, since Maeir reminds me of someone I know that literally sounds like Hank. The unspoken communication has gotten better between Silas and Clare though ;u;
Also, Hunny, my friend Coco, and I will be attending Fan Expo in Chicago and hosting a panel on Friday! There will not be a chapter that weekend (~August 10th) so we can prepare and don our cosplays! My day job has been very stressful, but I'm still working hard on my business so I can make a big career shift, as my job is making me physically ill from stress :( If my next few interviews go well, I should be back on Youtube/ Twitch soon and back to enjoying life again and not being on call all the fucking time :D Should see an increase in quality on YMtK too >y<
Very much appreciate the sweet words. Y'all are dolls ;u; I'm working hard to change things for my health, so if I am a little spotty in the near future, I'm working on some life stuff C: Sorry, all. Being an adult is ass, but hopefully I should be back next week with more MIL drama >u<