An hour earlier before the attack
"Mave, I feel uneasy all of the sudden. Maybe we should go back." The Duchess says as both of them get out of the carriage. The duke remained still as he assist her getting out.
It hasn't been half of the day since they left the estate. He doesn't have to worry about anything after all...
"... Caesar is there and so are the twins. They will not let anything happen while we're away. Besides, they have the Vacarella blood flowing in their veins."
Yes, they are Vacarella and he thinks they can defend themselves if something happens. He wasn't expecting from them, he knows their capabilities. But the Duke wishes that the children would never be in any kind of danger while they're in the castle. Especially Wren, just thinking about her weak constitution wants to lock her up.
However, even after he said those words to Carina, it didn't calm her and to make her more uneasy, Joelle kept flailing on her grasp as she cried loudly.
"Stop crying now, Joelle. There is nothing to worry about." the baby didn't stop crying and flailing as if to escape from her Mother's grip.
"Is she hungry?" The Duke asks while his brows creased. Clearly he doesn't have knowledge about infants.
The Duchess momentarily paused, she sense of foreboding feeling rising from deep within her heart as she suddenly looked up at the skies.
The skies were filled with clouds, mostly covering the sun as it darkened.
"... The weather isn't good. We should head inside before it starts raining," Marquis Bright said however Duchess Carina is still grasping her feelings.
Something is reaching her and she knows it is in the tip of her tongue. Duke Vacarella then gently held her hands, a sudden bolt of electricity course through her body as light suddenly filled her vision.
At first there was only white surroundings until she smelled the faint scent of blood mixing with flowers. The Duchess is in a meadow, filled with different flowers and in front of her someone is standing there. Her long silver hair flutters along the wind as the flower bouquet sways along.
"Wren?" A mother's instinct can tell that it was her daughter even if she's turned back.
She flinched upon hearing her name, she slowly turned to look at her—smiling while her head was bleeding, blood drops on the flower she's holding. It suddenly dried as she dropped it on the soil.
Her plain, white dress is slowly turn to red as it seeped the blood trickling to her body. The ground shakes as it becomes a pool of blood with flowers floating— lilies, chrysanthemums and roses.
The Duchess mouth trembled, throat dried up all of the sudden as she stretched her arm, "W...ren"
The Wind blew harder making the flower petals scattered everywhere—then, there was nothing else in front of her besides the cold, dark place. She was shivering as her heart thumps loudly.
Suddenly Caesar is behind her, his touch is so cold that she freezes at his touch, his breath is close to her ears as he whispered something to her.
"Carina!"
She gasped with her eyes open wide, slightly trembling while staring at the Duke's eyes. Her wife is trembling and pale that even Marquis Bright is worried while carrying Joelle in his arms.
She fainted all of the sudden and was moaning as she sweats. Her gaze looked around and realized that she was in a room.
'Just what did I see... ?'
A faint smell of roses then reached her. Her trembling stopped as she sighed in relief.
"Are you alright Duchess?" Marquis Bright asks, "Yes, I'm alright now. Thank you for helping me, Marquis."
The Duke wasn't convinced and the Duchess was aware of it, "You are right. They can handle themselves."
His brows creased at the last sentence she said, but they soon walked towards the door.
"Now, let's meet His Majesty."
---------------------------------------------------
Tsk. I couldn't help but to click my tongue for the ninth time. After all, not only Prince Asterion tag along but also Prince Zairon and his Knight Theo.
Tsk. Both of them are persistent that I can't refuse. They didn't give a room to refute them and I don't have enough reason—except that they were Princes which they refuted that they have knights and they are talented enough to fend off for themselves.
"Don't worry, Wren. My adorable little brother will not let any harm befall you."
"Ah, I can protect my--"
"Of course Zairon did join us because he's worried about you."
I believe he had another screw loose. I mean this is not the time to tease me. Besides that, I am sure I can handle myself because I have three spirits that I can call.
Also, Prince Zairon looks like he is suppressing his anger at his teasing. His lips are pursed in a thin line—and there is a faint color on his cheeks. There is no mistaking it he really does hate me.
"Brother refrain from joking. We must find the young lord before they do something to him," he says while his eyes are glaring, "No fun." Says Prince Asterion as he pouted.
We left the mansion to the twins and the others there. I'm sure Laxus and Lexus have handled them easily. Yessenia and the others must have been protected by the knights. As for us we are walking through the forest right now.
The last clue we have about Lane is that they use this path. "That Prince should keep his mouth shut first because my ears are irritated." Boaife hissed while on my shoulder.
Adara is floating in the air and breezily touches Prince Zairon's face and says, "You have a good face. You two will be good together."
She's smiling so wide that Prince Asterion burst into laughter as he stammered with deep shade of red in his face, "W-w-where did that come from?!"
"... From you?"
We all became silent as we stride the rocky path. Honestly, after what Adara answered Prince Asterion is laughing at Zairon.
I don't know what the other thinks but as for me, I'm thinking about those assassins back in the mansion. There is no doubt that it was the Marchioness who sent them. If she wants to clear her name it is too late for her since she hit rock bottom because of what she did in front of the gates. Ah, this won't do, my head hurts.
"There is something that Marchioness wants over Lane. What do you think it is?" Prince Asterion asks me as if he read my mind.
Tsk, and whenever I watched a scene in anime about a person answering another person as if they were reading its mind was cute and all, however, it is annoying for me since it happens so often.
That branch is going to fall off... eh? Wait, that is familiar —nah. That wasn't important.
*****
"Are we lost?" I asked. After all we have been walking around for hours and yet we are still inside the forest. The sun is setting and yet I haven't seen a clear path nor Lane's tracks.
"Weird. I was sure we were getting out of here."
oi, oi. He can't be serious right now.
"Wren aren't you supposed to be the one leading this group? Since this was your territory."
Well, that part... there is a reason for that. Remember that I haven't gone out much except I'm needed to. I can't lead the way! Also...
"Oh, Wren you don't know the way do you?" Adara said casually that it hurt my ego.
I am ashamed that I do not memorize our own place. Besides that I thought Prince Asterion knew this place since he was the one who walked in front.
"You're a bird right? Transform and navigate from above." Prince Zairon suggested as he pointed her and the sky.
Probably waiting for Boaife to transform. Heh, Boaife will not follow her as she was—, "Right. I should have done that"
"...It didn't cross your mind?" Adara asked with an exasperated look which Boaife nodded, "Not even a little bit?" This time Prince Zairon reconfirms as if he cannot believe it.
He better believe it since she's an idiot.
"Wait, what are you talking about--" Theo was soon cut off because of Zairon as he says, "That woman is a bird spirit. Enough questions you will see it with your own eyes."
Boaife huffed as her feet tapped the ground repeatedly in anger, "You people are bei--"
"I said get your hands off of me!" That was Lane's voice and it sounded near us, "Boaife, go to him."
Heeding to my command, she took off in her bird form from above. The problem is this place is being controlled by someone forcing us to run in circles.
"Play time is over." Somehow, I got a bad feeling from the 1st Prince as he crouched down on the ground. Light burst from below as our surroundings slowly changed.
"You should have done this earlier." He's annoyed. Zairon is openly showing his displeasure as he hissed in front of him.
"All is well. We can still save the young lord." He says and walks towards where Boaife left.
A sharp pain made me flinch. Right, I have been constantly sharing some mana with these three spirits lately.
---------------------------------------------------
"Unhand me!" Lane's shouts were to no avail as he was being thrown off into a run-down carriage, "Shut his mouth. We should deliver him by today."
Lane glared and attempted to bite the muscular man and that did not work as another man made him smell something to lose his consciousness. They tied and covered his head and mouth before latching the bolt outside of the carriage.
"Good thing only the young ones were left in that mansion. However we took heavy damage." One commented as he glanced behind him.
Only half returned from the men they brought and most of them were severely injured because of the twins. They were thankful because the twins were the only ones at the castle, Caesar isn't at home based on the information they gathered yesterday.
"I knew this was gonna happen. The boss should have declined the request." one complained, "The boss couldn't decline it. He was paid a huge amount to get the kid at any cost."
"There is another reason why the boss sent us..." a chilly voice came from behind as the others looked at him with surprise.
Unfamiliar with him especially the sly smirk he's giving under the hood is making them uneasy as they distance themselves from him.
"..." they became silent that the man continued, "You lot are easy to discard for a cheap price." he let a low laugh under his hood.
The man gritted his teeth. It was obvious however he didn't want to admit it. But the thing that made him angry was calling their lives cheap.
"Don't be too angry. You don't have any value to your boss... besides that..." Upon a shadow fell on them, a squawk can be heard throughout the forest.
Its eyes cast on the carriage and on the people—Boaife. The Fire element of Wren has found Lane and the assassins.
["This will be easy"]
A grin formed in his face as he looked at one of the men at their eyes— his purple eyes glowed like gems.
"Your accomplices... they were in the way. Kill them," He says, "What are y---"
Surprise took in at the fast speed. All of the sudden his abdomen is bleeding and the pain slowly takes in his system. Blood gushing out as he spit blood. His eyes quivered as he watched his surroundings. The man in the robe has a wide grin and a pair of vicious purple eyes is looking at them.
"A... Vacarella!"
The oldest kids of the Vacarella whom they thought he's at the academy wherein fact right in front of him. With a sinister smile plastered in his face.
Strong wind caused by Boaife made his hood removed. The man has its mouth open in realization. Their information is wrong and lacking. It was never mentioned that Caesar Vacarella has returned. They have thought that the twins and the Princes were the only ones they need to mind while doing the job.
"Now, you had fun in the mansion. I will let you play with me." he shivered at the mere thought of the word play.