"We don't have water- Listen!" Remembering Iuliān was about to say something, he didn't mind Lord Phraselm's excruciating face of disrelish — with exaggeration.
"Alright, okay, so! We'll go to Acairè!" He said seriously looking at Lord Phraselm and waiting for his response.
"And? That's your plan?... Ah! great plan. What are you, a multiple-count crime offender? — think like a trained criminal in a syndicate with no record, start from there." Lord Phraselm said hardly recovered from the rotten apple.
"I know, I know... We're not in the legal business Lord Phraselm, shut up — sorry. Alright, okay, so! We'll go to Acairè!" Iuliān said once more.
He badly wants to go to Acairè there's no denying that. Not alone to take Geiyra away from this place but to witness how fallen Acairè is, that no kingdom had ever wanted to rule for a long time.
Is it really what the legend says? It's been a long mystery.
Lord Phraselm lifted his head leaning to the tree and saw a canopy of trees blocking the cold, dark, peaceful night sky. He sighed with a heavy heart.
"Even if we would Iuliān, can we leave everything behind?" What Lord Phraselm said submerged both their thoughts into the probable possessions and burdens to be left behind.
Iuliān knew not of the depths of his idea.
He knew not and do not care.
After all, he is not fond of the immeasurable pressure and malignant chaos of the courthouse fighting for legal power through illegal ways.
Also, he's scared he might be murdered by the unsatisfied client or an opposing counsel's client.
What more can he lose of this place when he only lives off the cousin he owed a lot before — not now, he paid his arrears with his service far too long now.
He's more worried about Lord Phraselm. Lord Phraselm has far greater obligations as his work in the legal profession is accompanied by his family registry, which has clean records in royal judges and will be held accountable if anything goes south of his liabilities towards his service to the royal family. Lord Phraselm's rank as Royal Justice Councilor and an Advocate to his town, Little West could only go wrong without his presence.
And right now, he is far too long gone from his paper works.
Lord Phraselm pinched the bridge of his nose and pressed his lips tightly. He remembered he still needs to find Radelaine. Heaven knows where and even if he knows, where would he know how? Unlikely.
Too much going on.
Few trees before them, Lady Geiyra stands hesitantly on her feet hearing them talking for a while. She likes the plan.
Her tight grasp on the pot made the water feel her trembling selfish despair.
A part of her now wants to storm away accompanied by these men.
Lady Geiyra who's never used to being alone has finally faced the consequences of the independence she silently wished for before.
She didn't want to be alone in her life but she still gets suffocated.
Being alone this time is something she unlikely would ever wish for now. She needs them the most and this need is what she wants. She can't turn into a monster again. It's something she really wanted out of herself.
Selfishly, Oh so selfishly, with all shame, she walked towards them and awkwardly sat with the pot she now placed on the ground to be boiled after a while.
But silence fell upon them and she didn't know what to say.
"Here, let me take this pot to boil," Iulian said and took the pot in her hand.
"How are you feeling Lady Geiyra?" Lord Phraselm asks softly.
She looked at Phraselm and then to the ground feeling not so good but certainly better than before.
"On the mend, Lord Phraselm," she said and lets out a hardly reassuring smile, "Thanks to Iulian," she added.
Iulian was feeding wood to the fire when he heard his name from the lady.
"Just returning the favor," he muttered with eyes stinging a little from the smoke.
"Favor?" she questioned and was feeling the burning sensation that Iulian must be feeling. She's a little far from the fire so it only gives her warmth but Lady Geiyra seeing his face hissing, hisses as well.
"Your mother particularly. I am returning her favor." he looked at her eyes resembling her mother's hazel eyes.
He went back to attending the fire and continued, "I handled my first case as a legal proctor without an advocate with me, Lord Phraselm is the advocate I assist for a long time now mainly because Sir Herelph trusted me from then on," he explained and finally sits back down to his seat, "Having to have your mother onboarding me, a low ranked proctor with no nobility status in my name, to a job not usual for me to take, was very kind of her." he added smiling at the thought of it.
Iulian's life took a turn ever since then. The rise to the nobility of Sir Herelph Nemago and the rest of his family — that excludes Iulian since he is only a relative, but was able to rise as a proctor when his life as a commoner was meant to only have a job at farming or shopkeeper. For him to be living in the manor because of the earned trust was because of the job Lady Madelra Sarsheden got for him.
"I didn't know a such thing happened. I am elated that my mother was there to help you." Lady Geiyra hearing this story made her realize that indeed there is a world out there that she didn't know. All these legal things and whatnot.
Her perspective of life was rather limited to her and centered on her family with noble power and privileges. She hardly cares for anyone other than herself, her sister, and her parents. That was what mattered to her.
"It wasn't a big case, I doubt your mother even remembers anything about it," he assumed as he thinks it was too trivial of a matter.
"What was it about?" still, she asked.
"Just a dispute between a trader in Little West and a low-ranked noble winemaker in your town, Kilruin" he answered trying not to give much thought about it because he is starting to get worried again that Lady Geiyra is going to breakdown crying after hearing about her mother.
"I see," she nodded and with a heavy sigh, she rested her chin on her arms that she wrapped around her knees.
A still and peaceful mourning silence was felt among them. They took their time feeling their own emotions and sentiments as they look at the pot that is starting to boil in the fire before them.
Minutes later after barely eating their dinner, Lord Phraselm initiated for them to sleep for the night. Not for him though, he'll probably stay up to keep watch.
Not knowing what tomorrow lies, they find themselves a comfortable place to sleep and trusted that whatever happens tomorrow is for tomorrow's account.
In the cold ground of the dawn, Lady Geiyra in her half-awakened sleep hears footsteps from afar. She wanted to open her eyes but the nightmare keeps pulling her back.
And alas, the rustle of the fallen leaves tingled her ears and she gets up on her toes wide awake. She suddenly felt anxious and looked around for nothing in particular.
"What was that?" She whispered to herself.
Everything seems calm and quiet but somehow, she felt disparate. What's this feeling?
On the north side of the forest, a few civilians most likely peasants were lurking. The Sarsheden Garden Forest is known to have rare resources. With everyone suspected dead, they waste no time getting their hand on these rare riches.
For what seems to be heightened awareness of Lady Geiyra, the presence of the civilians is felt even from hundreds of meters away.
Lady Geiyra sat back on the ground still bothered by the sound she heard. She looked over to where the two men she knew were sleeping.
But she sees none.
Her heart pounded loudly in her head and her breathing begins to process uncoordinatedly.
She stood back again and just like being pricked with countless needles she bawled with a stinging pain in her heart.
'They left me.'
She roamed her eyes again and saw the traces of ashes and wood. Even the pot she filled with water last night is left tilted and empty.
'They left me.'
Once more, she heard the same rustle. Her body felt clenching and with the betrayal, she felt crippled.
And it angers her. She couldn't seem to grasp the sanity of her state right now. She wanted to shut herself down.
'This is not happening'
Her hair begins to turn dark, her hazel eyes turn red, and she slowly loses herself again.
'They left me.'
Right now, this is the second time she didn't resist the darkness she has been trying to silence.