"By my bones! Lady Radelaine is that you?"
"hmm" distorted in the head, Radelaine woke up with heavy eyes. She got up with her hands on her back feeling the tightness of her corset and was staring at a shimmer on the table as the night light reflected on it.
That's when Lord Phraselm woke up and saw her waist-length hair covering each side of her face.
He removed his hand holding the arm of the chair and held his chest feeling his pounding heart calming down.
He swallowed in between his breath and said still looking at Lady Radelaine unusually, "How are you feeling?"
Upon hearing a voice, Radelaine shifted her eyes toward the side where Phraselm is and squinted her eyes.
Lady Radelaine is certainly not at her best self. She hardly understands what she's looking at and what the voice is saying. Her eyes blinking is very infrequent as well.
"Lady Radelaine?" he called for her and thought that she must be feeling foggy and woolly thinking. It must be the effect of opium, he thought.
She looked out the window and gazed at the sky passionlessly.
Lord Phraselm stood and as he got close to her, he waved his hand in front of her trying to take her attention.
His hand was tranquil as she diverted her gaze to the palm of his hands. The shadow that is cast when Phraselm blocks the rays of the moonlight turned her aimless stare into a curious one.
She lifted her hand and trailed the palm of Lord Phraselm with her fingers. She looked at his hand like it was the first has ever seen.
As he felt her cold fingers, he felt tingles running down his arms. And even though it's his hand that touches her skin, he felt his spine tingle as well.
He looked at her eyes; it was so empty that if Lord Phraselm knew her so well, he wouldn't recognize her. It won't feel like the same person. Still, he was charmed.
Although he would only barely know whether the Magistri's stories about her are true if he only met her very briefly at the banquet. He doesn't know if this moment counts as an encounter.
He sat in the bed in front of her with her fingers still fiddling with his hand that covers the light in her eyes.
He sighed looking at the state she is in.
"It's a good thing you're not in pain anymore," he said trying to feel rather relieved.
She looked at his face as he said those words. It got her curious again.
Radelaine is feeling somewhat relaxed. Her intense attention to light and shadow gave her a sense of peacefulness and peacefulness only there is. Hardly any thought or emotion in her.
But hearing his voice or any sound at all is different just like how the sound of the door opening is even mind-boggling.
The door was opened by a maid that bought the henbane and hemlock from the temple. He glowered at her who is cowering in fear and couldn't even look at him but he choose not to holler at her in front of Radelaine.
"I'm here to light the candles and the fireplace," he then nodded and was already thinking about how to reprimand her.
The maid right away lighted the candles on each corner of the room with the lantern she was carrying and then after, she strikes a piece of flint that created smoke as the fire created is going through the top of the chimney.
Lord Phraselm waited for her to leave the room but after she did what she said she will do, she stood by the shelves and glanced down at the floor.
"I was going to give her tea but she was still sleeping so I went back to get a torch and lantern to light the room..." she nervously uttered.
"... and I also brought her a new dress to change into." she continued and pulled the tunic into her arms that she placed on the table a while ago.
He was going to dismiss her right away but it was everything that Lady Radelaine needed so he decided he'll be the one who will leave the room.
He sighed and before he left, he looked at Radelaine whose curiosity is slowly giving her some hint of thoughts in her mind. The fire got her more hooked than with her looking at the palm of his hands. He is rather envious.
She's starting to wonder what her senses are feeling. What is it that she's seeing and who is it that was talking?
As soon as he closed the door, he noticed the dark hallway with freshly lit candles. The maid must have gotten these new candles herself. This part of the manor house is scarcely passed by anyone except the manor guards and a few servants. This specific wing of the house was meant to be renovated to be a parlor area for the late Lady Nemago.
Ever since she left the world, the family also left this area empty, until Lady Radelaine.
He walked a little further to reach his chambers. He passed the library and saw a Magistri picking a book from a top aisle. He ignored the Magistri and proceeded to his room. He still has to redraft the contract for mercenaries going to the palace. He believes the Magistri is not his guest. It could be his father's.
He went straight to his table and picked up a barely written parchment and left his chambers right away. He wondered where Iulian might be.
Iulian however was recently summoned by Sir Herelph which was why he wasn't able to be with his cousin for a period of time.
"There's a lot of canon law history and litigation bibles. I am looking for any books based on somber sacred chants, do you have any?" a voice he heard by the library.
His feet halted and in his thought, he knew he recognized the voice. He quickly walked downstairs and went for the door of the library at the first level.
"Master Bingen!" he exclaimed as he saw the man he knows so well.
"Goodness me, Lord Phraselm, it's you," Master Bingen with a huge smile placed down a book he was holding and shake off the dust in his hands with his chasuble long tunic to exchange greetings with the Lord.
"It is, Master Bingen," it always feels nice to see someone you know after a long time. Lord Phraselm is grateful that he was able to hear his voice from afar.
"What brought you here in Little West?" he asked the Magistri as he knows he resides in the temple of Dolor Town, west of Takeif.
"I had an errand with other Magistris... " he said as they sat at one of the tables of the library,
"Get us some tea," Lord Phraselm whispered to the servant
"... when I saw a familiar maid of your manor rushing to the temple," the Magistri continued.
"Ah, about that," with a heavy sigh he's trying to hide from Master Bingen, he is thinking about how he's going to lie about this. His father wouldn't like it if he babbled about what happened even if it is only Master Bingen.
"Yes, I was worried, somebody has fallen ill in your manor house but turns out it was the maid's mother..." taken aback by the news the Magistri has brought to him, he reposed and another lift of worry was taken not because Master Bingen thought wrong but because a setback is now unlikely to happen.
"... but I still had to check if you are all well that's why I paid you a visit..." Master Bingen already asked for tea a while ago so the tea arrived earlier than Lord Phraselm would expect, "... so, are you all well?"
"Well, to start, we are all robust," he replied.
"Sure, there's more to it I believe?" Master Bingen queried as he felt Lord Phraselm still has words to give to him. He sips his tea that was on the table as waits and listens to what Phraselm is about to tell him.
"Lady Radelaine is here," Lord Phraselm revealed finally to Master Bingen what those medicinal herbs are for, It was for the Lady. The Magistri blinked not really expecting what he'd say.
"Daughter of Lord Derktse Sarcheden, you say?" Master Bingen clarified, although what he said is not too far-fetched. If the lady is in anywhere not with her family mansion, it would be at this manor.
"Indeed, Master Bingen, Lady Radelaine Sarsheden is here and unwell," he repeated and breathed remembering the state of the lady before he left.
"Can I visit her?" he asked and Lord Phraselm understand his worries for the lady as well, although he couldn't really tell if he is or not. His facial expression stayed the same.
It didn't bother Lord Phraselm that much, he just thought that his age took away his bearing.