A week has passed and Elyse is still avoiding Raymond and other members of the Student Council. And in those times, Arbor was there right beside Elyse. After class, Elyse would stay at the Academy Garden alone when she saw that there were no people occupying the space.
As Elyse went into the huge tree — sitting below in the shade, she sighs and closes her eyes while she let the sunlight wrap her face and body as she sits there, looking like sleeping.
Arbor spot her from afar when he was walking alone after class. He doesn't have the energy to go to the Archery Club because he knows Elyse won't go in there anymore. She's been preoccupied with other things that a Student Council must do, other than learning swordsmanship from Raymond and studying magic at the Academy's Library.
Starting from the moment when she found out the truth, she didn't frequent all the places the four — Eli, Arbor, Arrow, and Elyse would always go.
As he spots her, he froze and went to Elyse quietly sitting beside her as he watched her beautiful sleeping face.
"Are you tired?" Arbor asked. Of course, he knows Elyse is not asleep. Elyse sighed and opens her eyes only to meet her hazel eyes to Arbor's deep blue eyes.
Arbor's heart suddenly skipped a beat — mesmerized by the beauty of her hazel eyes looking straight into his.
'What?' he asked himself, not sure of what he just felt at that moment.
"Can you please leave me alone?" Elyse said looking at Arbor pissed. Arbor's expression remains cold and distant as he sighs and turns to look away.
"Elizabeth and the others already know your condition." He spoke and Elyse seems uninterested.
"Is that so?" Arbor nodded his head at Elyse's dry reply.
"Elizabeth is worried about you. I have no other choice but to tell it to everyone." Elyse was silent after what Arbor said as she turned away from him.
"Why are you always here?" She whispered but Arbor heard it.
"What here?"
"Here." She glanced at him as their eyes met again. Everything fell into silence and only the birds chirping above the tree can be heard. The wind gently sways their hair — playing with them as Arbor's heart skipped another beat again.
As they drowned in silence only staring at each other, his heart beats faster. Arbor for the first time felt the word "scared". Scared of what if Elyse heard his heart thumping fast for her.
But Elyse didn't hear and only find him weird. Because he was only staring at her.
"Hey, why aren't you answering me?" Elyse asked and it made Arbor go back to the present from his daydreaming.
Strange. He always found Elyse ordinary but beautiful. But — how can he ever put it into words, she looked like a Goddess for a moment. Her hair gently swayed with the wind, brown like chocolates. Her hazel eyes glimmering at the beam of sunlight — that scenery made him frozen. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
He opens his mouth. "I promised, remember?" He answered still staring at her.
Elyse leaned on the tree's trunk now looking away from him.
"You shouldn't have bothered yourself," Elyse answered while looking at the beautifully grown flowers in the garden. Elyse then remembers that it's the flower festival of Rahania today. It's already been a week since then. The Flower Festival of Rahania lasts for 2 months. Elyse wanted to go to the Rahania Empire but knowing that Louisette is there made Elyse doesn't want to go in there.
She doesn't want to pick a fight with her and she doesn't want to get in trouble again from her childish pranks. But aside from that, there's also another reason. Her inner self is telling her to not get in any further trouble when Louisette is there — because she felt that there's something big going on in the future.
"Why not? I can do whatever I wanted to do." Arbor replied and she couldn't help but smile.
"Thank you." She said and genuinely smiled at him. Arbor's heart beats faster as he admires Elyse's beauty from afar.
"A promise, is a promise, Elyse." He whispered but Elyse heard it. She pretended as if she didn't hear a single thing from him. There are no exact words coming from her mouth hearing the words Arbor says. Elyse strangely felt something in her chest – as if it was the first time she experience a promise that should be meant to happen, and not broken.
Arbor sat down beside her silently as they watched the blue sky and quietly listens to the bird's chirps together.
For Arbor, this feels like heaven for him. A new emotion arose from himself and the warmth he always felt whenever he was beside Elyse – everything felt so new and strange, but it wasn't a bad thing.
*****
Night came and Elyse has finished her work, she stood up as she stretches her body and yawned — ready to go to bed. She blew off the candles and the lantern on her table as she went into her bed, snuggling as she covers herself tightly.
The next day arrived and Elyse went for her morning classes as always. In the middle of the professor's lecture, Raymond knocked on the door and the Professor noticed him. The Professor then went to the door to open it as Raymond appeared with a smile on his face.
"Good morning, Professor." He said and the ladies behind her started to squeal. His blond hair and ocean blue eyes made the ladies behind her captivated by his ethereal beauty.
'Wow.' Elyse said in her mind trying to hold her laughter.
"Good morning, President. It is indeed such an honor to have you grace your presence to us. Is there anything you need, Your Highness?"
The professor said while bowing his head to Raymond. Well, he is Hezelle's nephew after all.
"No need to do that. I just want to know if Miss Elyse is here?" The ladies behind her gasped and soon talked about her behind her back. She noticed Chad that popped up from Raymond's behind. Elyse sighed and stood up.
"I am here, Mr. President." She said with an intimidating voice. She's not in the great mood to talk sweet and lovely in front of Raymond. He quickly noticed her expression and smiled.
"Please come here for a second, Miss Elyse." He turned around after he spoke that and the Professor allowed her to go outside. As she went outside, Elyse followed Raymond to a quieter place where there is no student available.
"Is there something wrong, Mr. President?" Elyse asks while he turned to look at Chad and shakes off his head. "No. As a matter of fact, Chad wanted here to talk to you." He said pointing directly to Chad.
He gasps and starts trembling. "H-hey! I told you don't say that!" Chad said with his face covered in panic mode.
"Hey, you actually drag me here —"
"HAHA! there's no way I would drag The Student's handsome President! PFFT! —" Chad laugh while stuttering with his words. Elyse sigh.
"I should get going then," Raymond said with his collected face.
"N-no, wait!" Chad pleaded but it was too late since Raymond had already left quickly walking away from him and making Chad leave alone with Elyse who seems to be pissed.
"Do you need anything?" Elyse spoke breaking the silence between them and Chad flinched. He turned to look at her and sigh.
In the past few days, Chad found out the whole story from Arbor. He already knew half of it which confirms his suspicions about what Louisette did that day. He has already expected this to happen but for some reason, he stayed away from her to give her a space. Because he was sure that Elyse needed to calm her heart and mind first. But what is happening now made him feel worried about her. At those times when Elyse walks alone in the hallway, in the garden, in the club, in the training ground — everywhere made Chad want to go with her.
But Arbor was there right beside her following Elyse. He couldn't just barge into their conversation because of the jealousy he was feeling.
But what's more important is that there is someone out there not only him but others too — staying beside Elyse's side whenever he isn't there. Although he hates it, he comforts himself with this kind of thought.
"You're blaming me, aren't you Elyse?" He spoke.
"Of course not," Elyse answered.
"Then why you didn't go to the Student Council room today? It's been days, Elyse." He spoke.
"I just don't —"
"Why you can't look me in the eye?" He said almost in a whisper. Elyse glanced at him.
"I know, it's fine," Chad said as he didn't wait for Elyse to answer. He already knew that Elyse is blaming him because he has the connection between Hezelle and the other leaders of the District. After all, he is The Alpha's Messenger which is he is also the Master's Messenger.
"I know you won't believe me but —" He paused and looked at Elyse straight into her eyes as they both stare at each other.
"I never knew this is going to happen. I know you wouldn't believe me because I am their messenger and I have connections to the District Leaders especially Yohan but Elyse," He pauses and stared at Elyse with his almost pleading eyes.
"I never wanted this to happen." He continues and Elyse was only looking at him, quietly.
"In the past, I thought Aniya's bloodline will be the end when I heard a certain family died. Hezelle at that time was looking for you. She looked for you to save you. At that time, I don't get why you needed to be saved, turns out it was because your family was murdered. Hezelle kept it a secret to herself because she knows very well how loyal is Yohan to Lucia — the old Master. He will never believe her."
"Hezelle tried to explain but Yohan didn't listen and they even got into a fight. Lucas was the one who stopped their duel them. Maria told me to meet you and she commanded me to test you but one day she changed her mind and welcomed you into the ranks of the Student Council."
"And the reason for all of this is because of your family's death," Chad explained giving all the information Hezelle shared with him in the past as Elyse looked at him.
"Then why did they hide it? Why? Is it because I would break if I knew? Thaddeus, my family is more precious than myself." Elyse grits her teeth.
"I keep asking myself — every day. Why did they do this to me? What I have been doing all my entire life? Why won't Hezelle and Dain help me? What's the reason for all this...?" She said whispering to herself as tears that she's been holding back to herself started to stream down her face.
"It was fun being with you all. I mean it. But I can't help but prioritize my family because I love them more than my friends. Because family cannot change — they stay forever both in your heart and mind. Friends, always change. They change as time goes by but family...."
"I only have one family, Thaddeus. I don't want to lose them."
Elyse cried and Chad let her be. She remembered the time when she dreamt of her little brother Luke blaming her because of his death — his mother and father. She's been all alone, pretending to be fine.
"I know the master very well, Hezelle must've had reasons why she didn't help you. But I assume she mentioned Seth to you?" Chad spoke and Elyse nodded her head.
"The King of Chetan is my only last hope. I needed his help more than anything else. If he's going to reject my help too, I..." Elyse starts trembling and Chad calmed her by wiping off the tear from her face, and smiling at her.
Chad's touch's warm feeling made Elyse's heart skip a beat and blush. For a moment, her heart was calm.
"I should've been there when you needed me the most." He whispered but Elyse heard it as she glanced at him.
Chad patted her head with a smile.
"You've endured hard," he said.
"I'm proud of you." He continues and Elyse starts crying again Chad was still there, comforting her while patting her head until she calmed down.