The next week the ship that was meant to take Blakeley and the envoy had arrived. Shulia and Anatole went to send them off.
Claudina was left on by herself in her room. Sylvester and the rest were outside sparing. From the open window she could hear the clashes of steel and the clamor of the crowd that formed around in a circle.
She rolled on her bed. 'So bored.' She curled into a ball and rolled like that causing the covers to be undone. 'Why is there nothing in this stupid island?!'
To be honest there were many things in the island. It was going back to what it was before all the attacks started. Stiffness and watchfulness had been completely withdrawn now that people were going out of their homes. There was no need to board up their daughters and children in houses and just yesterday the harbor gates of Gull's Land and the northern kingdom that was opened for the ships to go to Whirlpool Reefs was a celebration that lasted until four in the morning. It was just Claudina who didn't go outside.
From an outsider's perspective it would look like as if she was being petty. When the people who rebuked her on the day of attack had already apologized for their mistakes one would expect her to forgive them after they groveled their heads on the ground. But there was more to it.
Claudina Von Crowley had lived in luxury and was taught from an early age to believe she was superior then all. Even when she entered the temple at eleven she was given the best of everything there as well. Duke Ivan Von Crowley her father saw to it that his heir apparent would have the noblest of blue blood so he raised her as such. However while doing so she no longer saw anyone equal to her. The only times she does respect someone is out of obligation. Since there is no one who is of equal to her even if they were willing to die for her, she would not do the same.
So even after apologizing she saw no reason to accept it.
They were not her equal. They were beneath her.
If she were to acknowledge them she would lower her status and the years-long noble pride she built up, will be crushed.
She sat up. 'Since there is nothing I might as well review what Sullivan told.' Getting out of the bed she slipped on her dressing robe over her lace nightgown.
She still hadn't changed her clothes. Previously, when she went down for breakfast she had been wearing her nightwear.
Ignoring the scandalized looks from the female patrons and the obvious stares from the men she sat down. Anatole kept his head lowered even after he left with a shell shocked Shulia. Sylvester and Sullivan looked anywhere but her. Though in the beginning both Anatole and Sylvester offered their coats only she refused saying she wasn't cold.
Halfway through breakfast, she realized what she had done.
In the future it had become a trend for women to have breakfast in their sleepwear after the second princess came down to eat in nothing but her night gown. A sensation like on other started when a foreign guest- the duchess of the Twi'ti Kingdom commented how free the kingdom was in letting what women wear. She said she would also propose the idea of women wearing what they want to the Twi'ti King to increase the general public's opinion on the Kingdom. Many noble ladies including her followed the princess's footsteps. In the future all trends were more free spirited than the last.
'Guess old habits die hard.' She left the table and went back upstairs as soon as she finished.
Finally after tightening the rope around her waist she closed the window and lit a candle. Earlier she had written down some of the finer details on a parchment in case she forgot. Today she decided to write all of the instructions. She thought of compiling it into a journal she could use as reference.
'No wait. I have always wanted to an author. What if I when I go back I publish it under my name?' The edges of her eyes crinkled into crescents. 'Maybe I could donate the book to the temple? Maybe the next generation of saints will read it and will find it helpful? Maybe they will praise me and my legacy will continue on even when I am dead?'
She gave a small laugh 'As if! Chronos will probably burn the book. He will think it as a guide to lead those poor saints to their deaths. He doesn't trust anything I do.'
She sat down on the chair and pulled out a paper and inkpot. 'No one ever did.'
Claudina jotted down the remaining data into clean straight lines.
After three hours or so she stopped. At this duration Oriane knocked on the door twice to invite her to lunch and both of those times she send her away. The last time they sent Sullivan over who peeked over her shoulder to see what kept her so busy. He shuddered the moment he saw. It was everything he told her with more details than he said.
They no longer bothered her.
However this gave her a horrible idea.
She wrote nearly twelve pages. She placed the quill back in the inkpot and went over the pages. So far she had written about ways to exterminate Legend grade demon, how to seal them, how to identify them, how to distinguish between other demons that give of the aura of Legend grade demons and how to seal a void gate rather than destroying it.
Making some simple corrections she was satisfied with her work. She leaned back and stretched out her limbs.
Taking a five minute break she was back to work. She didn't stop for dinner or sleep. When the others came by to see her they saw Claudina grinning and humming as she wrote away furiously. The front of her dressing robe was covered in ink. The candles that had been relit were now burning melted beeswax.
Sullivan was impressed that someone would find so much energy into putting what he hated the most into writing.
He continued to watch her after the others had left. Her bottle green eyes reflected back the flickering candle on the desk. Her delicate hand moved like a pianist as sophisticated letters flowed out of the quill. It looked like a ring of orange was surrounded by a green sea. Stray strands of raven black hair were undone from the hairpins. The green ribbon holding her ponytail came loosened and all the bark hair broke from their restraint and fell all over the place.
She hardly paid it any attention as she finished another stack of papers by binding it and dropping it on the floor.
Sullivan still watched her after Oriane went to bed. He sat down on a chair with his head being held by his hands. In his mind he though he has never met anyone as beautiful as they were devious. Claudina was both exceptionally beautiful but she was also cruel.
In reading over a page he saw she vividly described his emotional distress as he saw a child being possessed by an imp proceeded to cannibalize his family. In the end the child grabbed his chest and tore open his heart before he feasted on it.
The feelings from that time overwhelmed him as he thrust down the paper. He lowered his head. From the corner of his eyes he can see Claudina was staring at him through half lidded eyes though her hand never stopped moving. She smirked as soon as he saw her.
He might have seen it wrong because when he blinked Claudina's concentration was on the paper. He looked away.
In reality Claudina had been staring at him the whole time he was reading the paper. She specifically wanted to see his reaction; it was mixture of terror, anger and sadness. She wrote it in such a way to incite these reactions. The trap she laid out for him was success.
Ducking her head while she held back her laughter was the hardest thing for her. Because if she laughed, it would all be ruined.
Unbeknownst to her Sullivan knew it. He knew she planned it. To make him more miserable. To kick him when is down.
He just didn't comment on it. She was an awful woman but clever. And she knew it. Rather than helping others with it she used that intelligence to find pleasure in other people's misfortune. He was sure her marriage will be ruined before it ever started. No man would be able to stand her personality. It would be a miracle if someone stayed with her after they were bewitched and has come to realize how cruel she is.
No, knowing her. She would act docile before injecting her poison. And by then it would be too late for anyone to leave. Before they know it, they are already in her web.
Despite everything Sullivan continued to watch over her all night as she wrote on and on.
The following day everyone prepared to leave.
Bags were packed as voices shouted over finding missing keys, lost letters and clothes were haphazardly placed inside open trunks.
Sylvester was the first to pack all his things. He lingered long enough for Claudina to begrudgingly ask for help.
All the manuscripts that she wrote were placed inside a metal crate so the parchments are not ruined by sea salt. When the lid was locked in place she placed a magic tool; a magic circle on a small piece of paper to make an object lighter. She placed another more expensive and advanced one to electrify anyone other than the person who placed the seal. She stuck both of them on the side beside the postal service. It was directed to go to the temple of Chronostis.
By the time she would be done with her work in the borders the crate will have arrived in the temple.
Just as they were leaving she asked Sylvester to go on ahead to deposit the crate. She excused herself by claiming she needed to buy something.
When she saw that Sylvester was gone for a few distance she hurried to the nearest pharmacy to buy seasickness medicine.
At the pharmacy she urgently asked the pharmacist for the drugs. He only stared at her mesmerized. "Hurry up!" she barked. He got over it and stumbled over to try and bring them over. "Also some sleeping pills!" Though it had no effect on her fear if she lost consciousness during the majority of the trip she thought she would be alright.
She drummed her fingers on the counter. She could feel the stares from the people in the store; it was mixed emotions of hypnotized, apologetic and leers. 'Bunch of lowlifes!'
The pharmacist bought over the medicine in a brown paper bag. She threw down some coins, snatched away the bag and walked out without waiting for her change.
She quickened her pace for people were starting to take notice of her. Cursing them in her head, she made it back to the inn where the last of the preparations were completed.
The other saints were just about to wear their travelling cloaks when she flounced in the room and went upstairs without a word.
In a minute she came back downstairs with her satchel bulging under her new cloak. Before she left she drank the seasickness medicine. She calmed her nerves down by pacing back and forth.
After they returned their keys they set out for the harbor. As they walked down the street people cheered for the saints' help. Children ran down the streets waving banners for them. People lining the streets all the way to the harbor threw confetti at them while some rained down flower petals from roofs.
"I thought we were under cover," Claudina mumbled loud enough for the others to hear. Shulia flinched. "We are…" she said grumbling.
She looked around with scorn. "Doesn't look like it."
Oriane bended down for her to whisper in her ear. "But don't you like all this attention?"
She crossed her hands as her eyes wandered. Once or twice they stopped but they always moved on. "I live for attention but I have class." She narrowed her eyes. "I would rather stay in the army barracks again then accept anything from street urchins."
She quailed down beside her. Fidgeting with her fingers she didn't look up. Claudina rolled her eyes. 'Such sensitivity was what ultimately caused my mother's downfall.'
Even when they boarded the ship, people continued to wave at them thanking them for their help again and again.
Claudina had her eyes closed the entire time she boarded the ship. Before she left she informed Sylvester. He took one look at her sweating, pale face. He escorted her himself down the cabins. He comfortingly patted her shaking shoulders.
Immediately as soon as they reached one of the cabins they rented she went inside one and locked the door shut. It was a common cabin with a bed in the corner with a dresser, a lamp hanging from the ceiling and a desk and chair opposite the bed. A water jug rested on the table. She closed the porthole but then she made the awful mistake of glancing at the deep sea.
She couldn't look away. Her legs trembled. It felt like she lost control of herself with how the waves tumbled over themselves. Any second now it felt like the waves would morph into a mouth and swallow her. Sweat rolled of her head. She could hear how wild her heart was beating.
She shut the porthole with a bang. Clutching the porthole with both hands she lowered her head, shaking all over. She took a deep breath and tired to hold it in before she slumped and slid off the wall. She hugged herself and bought her knees to her face. She rocked herself all while muttering words of reassurance.
With a shivering hand she reached for her satchel. Digging out the brown bag from it she blindly searched for the medicine inside. With great difficulty she fished out the bottle of sleeping pills and the liquid medicine of seasickness.
Managing to get up on her feet, she fumbled with the water jug. After spilling water there was a half full glass of water. She uncapped the cork of both bottles. She first drank the red liquid. Then she put three of the sleeping pills under her tongue. She washed it all with water. While she waited for the medicine to work, she practiced the breathing technique that her teacher taught her before her debut.
Though, she had no idea if dread can be compared with excitement.
She crawled back to bed and closed her eyes. Without taking of her cloak she let the sleeping pills pull her in to sleep.
Her sleep was dreamless.