It doesn't. Instead, the banging noises continue at the door, and the rhythmic clinking sounds continue in the other rooms. If it wasn't so loud, and if the storm hadn't been going on, Stephe would probably have gone back to sleep.
He goes to the building where Dr. Newton is found and brings along the metallic umbrella. As he reaches his office and knocks on the door, the clanging sounds immediately cease; several soft whirring sounds to accompany them, and footsteps approach. Once it's unlocked, he steps inside to find Newton standing in front of him, holding a clipboard. The doctor looks tired, dark circles under his eyes and uncombed hair, but otherwise unharmed.
"Good morning, Stephanie," he says, closing the door behind him. "How was your night?"
Stephe tries to rebuke him but decides not to. Nobody loves Stephe, but they love Stephanie. Why go back?
"I'm fine, Doctor," he replies. "How are you today?"
Newton smiles at him in a way that makes Steph feel uneasy.
"I'm all right. Just making sure everything here is all right."
"It's all right," Stephanie says.
Newton sighs.
"Nothing is what it seems. I'll tell you what. Here is a recommendation letter. Go to this location on the map and talk to the Lady behind the table." he says, handing Stephanie a map and a piece of paper.
Stephanie nods and turns around to look at the map in his hand. It's drawn out perfectly, showing every part of the city. He glances at it briefly before looking up at Newton again, but the doctor is already heading back to his desk.
Stephanie puts down the paper and grabs his umbrella from where he'd left it, leaning against the doorframe. The wind howls louder outside, as it does most days now, and the noise feels like it is ripping through him.
***
The rain stops when he gets home, and he changes into clean clothes. His feet hurt as he walks downstairs towards the kitchen. The kitchen is warm; Cliff has been cooking more often. Steaming plates of eggs and toast sit on the table, with freshly brewed coffee. They smell lovely, but when he sits to eat, Stephanie's gaze is on Cliff, waiting. Cliff is sharpening his dagger, a small knife on the table beside his plate. It's too quiet here, the only sound being the clang of metal against metal. Even though there are plenty of other things to occupy their time, Stephanie can't bring himself to speak. Cliff sets his knife down. He doesn't make eye contact. He picks up his mug instead and takes a sip of coffee.
"You need me to accompany you?" Cliff asks without looking at Stephanie.
"No, it's all right. This is a one-person job," Stephanie answers.
Cliff nods and turns his attention back to his work.
***
Steph stands in front of the Lady's table, clutching the paper Dr. Newton gave him, his mind racing a mile per hour. In his experience, talking to people was never easy, even when they were lovely. Maybe, because it made them uncomfortable. Or perhaps because they were difficult or rude. Whatever it is, Stephanie hates it. He tries to swallow but finds his mouth dry, his tongue heavy and thick.
"Can I have your name please?"
She's a beautiful woman with long blonde hair tied loosely in a ponytail, green eyes framed with long eyelashes, and a sweet smile. Her clothes are expensive looking, tailored to her perfect curves. Her hands rest on the tabletop, covered in jewels, rings, and bracelets. She looks friendly enough.
Stephanie swallows hard again, then says, "My name is Stephanie Pritchard." "You're going to be just fine here, little girl." the woman says. She reaches over to take his hands in hers. Stephanie flinches.
"Why do you do that?" Stephanie asks, his voice wavering.
The woman smiles softly.
"Don't worry about it, dear; everything will turn out all right," she says soothingly.
Stephanie nods shakily. When the woman lets go of his hand, he misses the warmth instantly. There's a sudden crash, and Stephanie jumps in surprise. A plate breaks against the wall, and glass shatters.
"What was that?" Stephanie asks quietly.
"Sorry, honey, did you say something?" the woman asks.
Stephanie shakes his head.
"Never mind. It would be best if you went on now. Have a nice day, Stephanie."
The woman turns back to her paperwork.
******
Stephanie walks home draped in heavy clothing as usual. He doesn't know why he's bringing along the metal umbrella.
To find peace. To be happy, at last. But he knows better. No one ever has, no matter how many times they ask.
All the hardships he has experienced have taught him that there is no free lunch in this world.
That life has a way of turning against you; all it takes to fall on your back again is another fight or tragedy. One more lost soul to add to his tally.
It had been raining nonstop since he left the reception area. The streets were flooded, and now the sidewalks would remain as such for hours at a time.
The rain, too, made people run, and some of them slipped and fell. Stephanie was already soaked from head to toe, but the wetness didn't bother him. After all, he'd endured worse.
As soon as he enters the wooden cabin, he sees Cliff sleeping near the fireplace.
His back faces the door, and he snores softly into his pillow. Stephanie stands there, watching him sleep for a while. He feels so peaceful, not even bothering to move in his sleep. He is completely relaxed and looks vulnerable despite the cold water dripping down his bare skin.
Stephanie can't stop her hand and touches his chest. 'Touch him... touch him more...'
The metallic umbrella starts rattling on the wooden table.
When he hears it, he jumps away as if someone has just shocked her with an electric current. He immediately goes into his room and throws the door shut.
He lies in his bed and stares at the ceiling, breathing heavily. The noise stops outside and continues slowly going up and down the street.
******
Cliff walks him to town the next day because he received a call on his landline. Walking through the frozen streets, they make their way to the Lord's castle. The cold rain has finally stopped, leaving only damp soil behind, and goes that is starting to decay.
They reach the gate, where two guards stand guard. They salute Cliff, who returns the gesture without saying anything.
Stephanie nods as well and follows him to the main hall. They walk in silence until they reach an empty bench. There are no other people in the lobby, just a few staff members sitting around waiting for something to happen.
Stephanie notices several knights sitting together and drinking tea. A few more come and go throughout the afternoon.
A few minutes later, a young woman enters the lobby. She carries three bags of groceries and smiles upon seeing Cliff.
"Oh my!" she gasps. "Is it true that you are the one responsible for putting that awful weather report on TV?"
"Well, you could say that," Cliff replies.
She laughs. "I'm glad I found you here! I need help carrying these things."
'That's the pretty lady from yesterday.'
Cliff obliges and holds the things offered to him. They end up following the woman to the kitchen behind the reception.
She shows him what everything inside is and gives him instructions. He listens closely and does as told.
"Who's the kid?" she asks.
Cliff shrugs. "Picked her up."
"Hmmm," she murmurs and puts away the vegetables she brought.
Stephanie watches her silently.
She turns around and smiles when she realizes she's being watched. Her eyes sparkle with amusement. She puts the last bag on the counter and approaches.
"Hey," she says. "I haven't introduced myself. I'm Charlotte Wan."
She offers her hand to shake. Stephanie shakes it politely.
"And you are?"
The woman laughs. "You must really be confused if you think I'm a knight."
Cliff smirks.
Stephanie frowns.
"Really?"
"No way!" she says. "This idiot's the knight; I'm just his lovely wife."
She pinches Cliff's cheek affectionately and smiles. "But don't worry, honey. We can get you used to it eventually."
Before either of them can comment, a servant runs into the room. "Your highness, Lady Charlotte," he pants. "Someone is calling for you!"
"What?" she sighs. "Now? That's never a good sign."
The man bows and exits.
"I have to go," she says coquettishly before sauntering off.
'Irresponsible.' Stephanie thinks but then smiles. He is getting used to the whole thing. Maybe it won't be so bad after all.
Looking at the ingredients on the table that costs a fortune, he wonders if there is anything she can do with the rest of it.
***
Later that same evening, after dinner and drinks, a maid knocks on Stephanie's bedroom door.
"Master Richard wishes to speak with you."
She enters and places a steaming plate on Stephanie's small round table.
"Eat your snacks first." the maid says.
"I'll eat afterward," Stephanie tells her. "Just leave the food here."
"But Master Richard requested-"
"Please. You heard my request, all right?" Stephanie asks impatiently.
The maid hesitates a bit but leaves the tray nonetheless. Soon after, a knock echoes throughout the hallway.
The door swings open, and a tall man wearing an officer's uniform with brown wavey hair enters the room.
"My, my, you are acting impatient little child. Is this how your parents thought you?" the man shows a tight smile, his regal and stiff posture towering over Stephanie.
Stephanie sits on his bed and thinks about the tragic life he's led before.
"I'm sorry... I had a bad time in London." he sniffles.
"I don't feel so good..."
His face crumples slightly, and he hides his face against his knees. His shoulders tremble. Stephanie waits patiently. Eventually, the boy straightens himself up. He looks much calmer now.
"I am sorry, sir," Stephanie says. "I wasn't trying to upset you. It's just that I've been feeling sick lately, and I don't want to waste any more time than necessary."
Richard nods.
"I understand," he says. "I'm sure you're tired. Why don't you go to bed early tonight? I'll see you tomorrow."
Stephanie nods.
"Thank you, sir."
"You had a long journey to reach all the way here." the man turns back. "I have a lot to discuss with you, young woman."
Stephanie nods and waits for him to leave. As soon as the door closes behind him, he lets out a shaky breath.
He doesn't know why Richard wants to talk to her, but she is curious.
After eating the food provided, he changes clothes into clean ones. Then he lies on the bed.
Thinking about the situation now, he tries to arrange his thoughts. It seems like these people want something from him. Why else would they be trying to help him?
The idea of getting closer to them doesn't sound appealing at all. However, he could try to change his behavior towards them. He could play nice if needed. He might even convince some of them that believing he has a promise is a good thing.
Stephanie closes her eyes and falls asleep instantly after lying on the soft mattress.
Morning comes quicker than he expected. When he wakes up, light shines through the cracks of his windows. He rolls from his bed and walks towards the bathroom. After washing up, he dresses quickly.
He dresses in the same clothes he wore when he was first put here. He doesn't bother drying his hair.
At first, he walks through the halls like every other morning, heading down to the dining hall in search of breakfast.
However, he finds it empty except for some people standing on attention.
They seem to be discussing something, judging by the solemn expressions on their faces. They stop talking abruptly when they see him approaching. One of them steps forward, smiling.
"Good morning, guest."
Stephanie looks around. He sees Cliff sitting at the table with the man from last night. He walks to him and sits at the table. This place looks fancy, better than the places he's been in before, and it looks old and ancient.
The Master of the house, Marse Richard, is sitting at the end of the table. He has the most beautiful curly brown hair and a big nose. He wears an impeccable suit and sits very tall. His piercing blue eyes stare at Steph, making him shiver. He looks relatively old. He's probably a middle-aged man.
The room is filled with people, and they are dressed beautifully. Some look as though they are nobility or royal family and others are servants.
"Good morning!" the gentleman exclaims happily. He grabs a cup of coffee from one of the waitresses and sips on it. "How did you sleep, kid?"
"It was fine," Stephanie mutters.
"Good, good..."
Marse Richard places his cup on the table and clears his throat.
"One of our Knights, Cliff Dokubo, has assumed his role as your father. Of course, that's why you're here, kid," he says.
Stephanie glances at Cliff and raises his eyebrows. The guy shrugs in response. He's unsure what to make of this situation, and apparently, he just adopted a white kid.
"And I'm pleased to hear that," the master continues. "There have been many rumors concerning the current situation in London since you arrived here. Now everyone knows about it. I don't mind telling you that it has made me very nervous. So now it's best that you stay out of trouble, okay?"
Stephanie nods.
The Marse smiles and sips from his cup. Something happened in London, and he knows it's not a coincidence when the kid arrived here in Trademonton. Something strange is happening to this island.
"All right, we will let that matter alone now and move on," he announces cheerfully. "Anyway, it's getting late, and you need to rest."
Stephanie blinks, a slight confusion clouding her mind. Rest? Sleep? It's 9 am.
"Go to your room. You'll be going somewhere tomorrow," he explains.
A servant opens the door and escorts him to another hallway. Before he enters her room, he hears the Master of the Castle say:
"I'll bring you a book later, and you can read it until you get sleepy."
Inside the room, he stares at the metal umbrella leaning on the desk on one side. He looks at the bookshelf. Most of them have covers, and some have pages ripped out. The other shelves, however, hold different kinds of books, each with a picture of a character. There are books of fantasy stories, science fiction, history, geography books, historical novels, and travel guides, but they look weathered and old. They look dusty and aged.
Some of them have stains of blood. Stephanie gulps nervously.
'I can't believe this,' he thinks. 'Is this my life?'
As he walked along the castle corridor, Stephanie kept looking at the walls. She notices several paintings hanging from it. The men in these paintings wore intricate clothing, formal and regal. The fields and meadows in the illustrations are in stark contrast to the cold and frigid weather just outside the building.
Their faces seemed to shine brightly, and their eyes looked mysterious. He also noticed that these paintings were all depicting different people. A man with long hair, a woman with short black hair and a dark purple dress, three boys played together, and three adults held onto children's hands. A beautiful young lady is having a baby in the far corner.
And right above her, a woman holding a newborn baby. All in various styles of dress and appearance, yet their eyes were sparkling and full of life.
Suddenly, someone taps Stephanie on the shoulder.
"Sir Richard is waiting for you downstairs. Are you ready?" the maid asks.
"What about staying in my room?" Stephanie asks.
The maid gives him a poignant look and walks away.
When Stephanie arrives in the dining hall, Richard is already seated on his chair, staring at his empty plate. When the waitress offers him the prepared meal, he turns her away.
"What's wrong?" Stephanie whispers to him quietly enough that nobody can hear her.
Richard doesn't reply and sits silently. The Marse is silent for a moment. His eyes are watery. He looks at Stephanie, his eyes pointed and alert.
"I know what you are." The Marse says. "I know that you are gifted."
Stephanie swallows hard, her mouth dry and her heart pounding.
"What do you mean?"
"I think you already suspected, didn't you?" The Marse leans closer, his face full of excitement. "Trademonton needs a talent like you."
Stephanie remains quiet. She knows that it is impossible to lie to Richard.
"Yes, I knew that," she answers. "Why do you want my help?"
"Because I know you need it," the Marse replies. "You want to have an easy life, right?"
Stephanie nods.
"Then do your duty to your country."