"So? Who is he?"
Anne stared at her friend, her curiosity peaked, she had her doubts, about whether Clarice really knows about Justice's identity. What she wants is a clue, the four men's reason to be in the forest was to hunt, the forest in Viora village isn't a massive one, and it doesn't have dangerous animals. the Minotaur that they killed, as an example of there's something wrong. The dangerous monster is not from the region.
Clarice giggled and hummed for the rest of the journey, the only thing that she said to her friend, was, "You'll see."
"Oh my God, really, Clarice! Really?! Ugh…" Anne is angry but also feels silly because how everything about the four men piques her interest.
Her old life was full of heartbreak and disappointment. Reasons why she turned celibate at a forty-year-old. Her heart pang a bit. Remembering her old life tend to make her depressed.
They finally arrived at the grassland, there's a meet-up for every graduate from the village and the town nearby, her school is located between Viora village and Versemus Town, that's because the population of the two areas isn't dense, that's why the village children go to school with the towners.
Two men wearing a silk robes, welcoming Anne and Clarice with their condescending look. "Well, look who's here, two dirty hillbillies and their shabby carriage."
Clarice gasped, and isn't going to hear any of it, she just walks ahead and stomps on their feet. The two-man screamed in agony, while She go back to Anne, and pull her away, not before smiling at the two of them, and said, "I'm so sorry, gentleman, these dirty hillbilly shoes just trampled on the snobbish townie shoes."
Most of the townies always look down upon the villager's kids, even the countryside nobles like Clarice. Anne feels a bit sad, thinking in every world, there's always a class different for people. Here, the townie's children already gathered and make their own group, while the village children are scattered around.
Clarice glared at Anne, "Why for the love of God, you asked me to go to this gathering?"
"Why for the love of God, you agreed to come?" Said Anne, meekly at Clarice, who knows very well, she's going to let out wrath after seeing the arrangement of the gathering.
"Ugh, Anne, just looks at it, they gave us a sh*tty place, while they dance around in a perfect place!"
"Sorry…"
Rolling her eyes, she took Anne's hand and pulled her to one of the tables, "Just, forget it, let's eat something, and go home. I'm going to eat until I got all of my share money for this sh*tty gathering."
Admiring her bravery and brashness, Anne saw her friend and feel amused, just like in their school days, Clarice always defended the weak and the bullied, for Anne, Clarice always shined and mesmerizing, a heroine material, rather than her, who's weird, and disconnected.
A highborn girl with a sense of purpose in life, the kind of like, Justice. Not the arrogant boy, but the meaning of the word itself. She always knew, there's a reason for everyone to circle around Clarice, Anne never resented nor was jealous. The sense of wanting to be like her is the one that she had.
They sat at one of the tables, while the others around the table looked at disbelief. One of them scolded Anne and Clarice.
"Excuse me, it seems you're at the wrong table."
Both of them stared at him, they recognize the man as their classmate, a townie named Hans.
Clarice is ready to sink her fangs into Hans, she smiles so sweetly at him, and said, "Hans, so you're here as well, I don't think you're going to come after the graduation incident. You know, those loose pants on the stage."
Anne has never seen a man that was so angry, all of his face become as red as the cherrytomato fruits. Hans jumps from his chair and tried to grab Clarice's arm, thankfully there's a capable hand, preventing Hans to get closer to Clarice. The man is Xavier, along with Vale, behind him.
"Whoa… What's the matter with you, jumped into a lady."
"Sir Xavier, I… I'm sorry my hand just slipped." Said Hans, nervously to Xavier.
Vale scoffed, and his eyes sent a dagger to Hans, "Slipped? More like you were ready to choke the girl?"
"No… Please, I was just…"
"Just go!" Warned Xavier.
Hans, the townie, run as fast as he could away from the table. Clarice and Anne said their thankful to Xavier and Vale.
"No worries, we actually spotted Anne from afar, and wanted to say hello to her," Xavier said to Clarice, while a very bright smile, adorned his face.
The gasping for air, could be heard coming from Clarice, she noticed, the other two from the famous quartet from every high-born party, are here, with them.
"Thank you so much, Sirs, we were so grateful for your helped," Said Clarice to the two of them.
"You're welcome, miss." This time it was Vale, who was talking to her.
Anne looked at the two of them, a question then come to her, "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I can see that you're already friends with these two gentlemen, something that you want to share with me?" Said Clarice to her friend, with a threatening smile on her face.
"Err… yes, their friend's, Henry, got into an accident, he's in the clinic, right now."
Clarice is in disbelief, she pulls Anne away from Vale and Xavier, and asked her so many questions.
"Are you kidding me?! The famous quartet is in our village, right now?! Why don't you say anything?!"
"Quartet? Why do you call them a quartet? To my defense, the accident's happened, yesterday, so…"
"Yesterday? God have mercy! Anne, I must meet with Henry."
Anne chuckles at her friend's reaction, "Alright, but, he's injured, so maybe a short visit."
Squealing at Anne, Clarice hugged her friend, "Oh thank you, Anne, now I can brag to those townie nobles!" She smiled at her and goes away, "My fiancés are here, I'll be inside the entertainment tent if you need me!"
"What?! you're going to leave me with them?!" Shouted Anne, frustrated at Clarice.
A voice coming from behind her. "Whoa, she just abandoned you? What a friend."
Anne turns around, to see Xavier's face, so close to hers. His warm smile still lingered, while Anne back off, a bit.
"She… well, her fiancés were inside the tent, she need to accompany them, for a while."
"I see, well, won't you join us, then?" offered Xavier.
At this point, she doesn't have much of a choice, Anne then takes a deep breath, following Xavier to the table, where the aloof Vale was sitting with a glass of drink in his hand. Xavier pulled a chair for her, she is now sitting beside Vale and Xavier, making her more nervous than before.
"You must be surprised to see us here, right?" Asked Xavier.
Anne took a glance at Vale, he still tried to avoid her.
"I was, but then after Clarice told me about your popularity…"
Suddenly, the atmosphere was heavier, and Anne felt a tension on her left and right.
Vale, unexpectedly turned to face Anne, and asked her, "Wait, what did she tell you about us?"
"Oh, err… something about a quartet?"
"Oh, that…" Mumbled Xavier.
The atmosphere was getting lighter, after she answered Clarice's information about them, Anne felt there was something odd about their behavior. Anne looks at her left and right, between Vale and Xavier.
"What were you doing here?" Asked Anne, not in any particular of the two.
Xavier's the one who answered her question, "Well, one of the nobles saw us at the market, and then…"
"I wasn't asking about this gathering." Said Anne, standing up from her chair, she walk and goes to opposite Vale and Xavier, and stared at them, "What I'm asking, is, what in the hell were four famous nobles doing in the middle of nowhere?"