From the market, Tilda and Marley rushed back to the castle as quickly as they could. The news of the Baxarte's deaths had spread like wildfire, and Tilda's connections in town filled her in on all the details.
By the time they arrived, Delrik was already meeting with Angelo, getting the news himself.
Delrik said, "Your information has been received. You may go now."
Angelo hesitated, "Yes but I worry about the Lady. She was so distraught when I told her. I fear she may be wounded in some unseen way."
Delrik said, "You may go, Angelo. I wouldn't want to have you thrown out of my castle for overstaying your unannounced arrival. This is a family emergency. Need I remind you? You're not family."
Angelo grinded his teeth to stop himself from mentioning that in a year's time, after their contract expired, Delrik wouldn't be considered family either. He said, "Yes. Very well. I see that you are correct in this. I shall see you both at the funeral then. Know that should either of you need anything, I will be here without a moment's notice."
Taking his pride with him, Angelo left.
Felux and Tilda barged into the office room. Delrik was holding his head, trying to stop an oncoming headache.
Delrik turned to Tilda and asked, "Have you seen her yet?"
Tilda nodded and said, "She's in shock. She isn't moving or responding. It's like she's turned into a statue."
Felux said, "I'll tell the servants to postpone the trip."
Delrik said, "No! We cannot afford to do that. It's too dangerous for Cosaria here. Grysle is closing in on her."
Tilda said, "But what about the funeral?"
Delrik clenched his fist. She would be expected to go, after all, she would be the sole inheritor of the family's property. Delrik said, "Grysle will be planning on her attending. If she goes, we'll be leading her right into his trap."
Everyone could see that Delrik was right. But that didn't make it clear what the next move should be.
Tilda said, "Let me try talking to the Lady again. I want to support her in whatever she wants to do."
The room silently agreed but fretted at the response. They each knew Cosaria's heart. They knew that she would want to attend the funeral.
༻✧༺
Gordana handed Tilda a letter for Lady Cosaria. It was from Pamtha.
Tilda went into Cosaria's room and found the Lady staring out the window like an ethereal statue. If not for the rise and fall of her chest, one might have thought she wasn't living.
Tilda said, "I have a letter from Pamtha. Would you like it now? Or I can set it on the table for later."
No answer.
"I'll set it on the table."
Cosaria spoke, "I'll take it now."
Surprised, Tilda walked over and gave the note to Cosaria.
Cosaria opened it and read:
"Beware the giant green vultures. Hatching from their little eggs, the babies look to feed. They look for home. They look for mothers and fathers. Beware their father but their mother is harmless."
Cosaria handed the note to Tilda and asked, "What do you think it means?"
Tilda read, but like most of Pamtha's notes, she had no idea.
Cosaria said, "I think she's sending her condolences. Somehow, it comforts me."
Tilda pursed her lips, thinking, If chicken scratch comforts her, who am I to tell her otherwise.
Tilda said, "My Lady, we suspect Lord Grysle will use the funeral as an opportunity to corner you. It might be dangerous to attend."
"The funeral…" Cosaria said the words as if it was her first time hearing them.
"Lord Delrik would like to carry on with the trip and send you to the CPG but you'd miss the funeral all together."
"Miss the funeral…"
"We are waiting to know what you want to do."
"What I want to do?"
Tilda nodded.
Cosaria looked out the window with hollow eyes.
"I want to cry but the tears won't come. Somehow, I'm glad that they're gone." A forbidden tear fell down Cosaria's cheek as she said, "How terrible is that? I'm a terrible person. I'm terrible, just terrible!"
Tilda hugged Cosaria as the sobbing commenced.
Cosaria cried, "I should feel sadness, pity, anguish, but Tilda. All I feel is relief. I'm terrible. Terrible… terrible. I'm relieved this happened. I'm relieved about their deaths. I'm terrible!"
Without knowing what else to say, Tilda said, "Sometimes you can't control your emotions and you have to let yourself feel whatever it is you're feeling without judgment. It's okay to let yourself say what you want and feel what you're feeling. I'm here for you and I'm safe."
Cosaria cried harder, "Oh Tilda! I hate myself for this. I should want to grieve for them but all I can feel is how relieved I am that I never have to be afraid of them again. I should want to go to the funeral. But I don't! I don't want to go."
Surprised, and slightly relieved herself, Tilda said, "Then you don't have to."
And that was that.
The trip could continue as planned, except that Delrik would stay behind to take care of the funeral arrangements and inheritance details. When the work was done, he would take an entourage and meet up with them later.
Felux intended to stay behind with Delrik but Delrik insisted that he was needed to help protect Cosaria instead. Felux asserted that safety in the CPG would not be a problem, but Delrik was adamant. The priority was Cosaria's safety and Felux reluctantly agreed.
༻✧༺
As requested, Cosaria entered Delrik's personal chambers. Her eyes were puffy, but she was still ever so beautiful.
Cosaria said, "You called?"
Delrik said, "I need you to perform the healing spell on me."
"But why? Aren't you coming?"
"I am not."
"You're not coming?"
"I must attend to business. It's unavoidable."
"But Delrik, your curse. What if it flares? What if-?"
Delrik took her hand in his and said, "With your blessing, I'll be fine."
"But…"
"I will manage."
Cosaria bit her lip, unsure. She decided to trust him. Her hands moved up to his neck and down into his shirt.
Unable to resist the intimate touch, Delrik took hold of Cosaria's hips and pulled her closer to him.
Cosaria squeaked as her face turned red. She said, "Please Delrik, don't tease me now. I have to concentrate."
Their faces were inches apart. He wondered how she would react if she knew he wasn't teasing. Finally, Delrik backed away, the closeness to her was intoxicating.
Then she healed him. Body and soul.
༻✧༺
After breakfast the next day ended, Cosaria stood next to Delrik as they waited for Sir John to bring Delrik's horse.
Delrik turned to Felux, who was nearby marking supplies, and asked, "How much longer till the preparations for Cosaria's trip are complete?"
Putting his work aside, Felux said, "Couple'a hours. We'll be ready by this evenin."
"I see… Cosaria."
Cosaria jumped at the mention of her name, saying, "Yes?"
Delrik said, "This is goodbye for a while."
"You're leaving?"
"Yes, I have business at the palace so I won't be able to see you off."
"Oh," She said as she looked down, disappointed.
Delrik said, "There is too much here that still needs to be attended to but Sir Felux will keep you safe. I'll join you come two fortnights."
"But… Delrik," She whispered, "Your curse."
He whispered back, "I already told you. I'll manage. I still have your holy water and the curse itself has gone almost completely dormant, thanks to you."
He brushed a wild hair out of her blushing face. She pulled away, which caused a pained expression to cross Delrik's face.
He whispered, "Our contract might be ending sooner than we'd first anticipated."
Alarmed, Cosaria said, "What?"
"I'm almost completely healed. As soon as I'm healed, there shall no longer be a need for our fake marriage."
"Fake marriage, oh." It was like Cosaria had been punched in the gut.
"Then you'll be free of me," Delrik said. He thought, And I vow that I will continue to protect you from afar.
Delrik received his horse's bridle and mounted the beast. He said, "Goodbye, Cosaria."
As he rode away, Cosaria whispered, "Goodbye, Delrik." It was as if he was already miles away, months away, years away. The separation was as close now, as it would be when it was finalized.
A tear came to her eye.
Watching, Felux said, "If you like the Lord, you'd best let him know sooner than later."
Cosaria wiped her tear away as she said, "I couldn't. We're such good friends and I don't want to change that. Besides, he doesn't see me that way."
Felux frowned. Confused. Delrik was so obviously in love with Cosaria it would take a brick wall not to understand that. He said, "You sure do have a way with spoutin nonsense. Change is comin and you're already layin tracks for the direction you'll be goin."
Cosaria asked, "Is that one of Pamtha's prophecies?"
"Naw. It's more of a warnin."
"A warning? For what?"
"Fer change. I'm guessin yer likin the way things are? Want them to stay this way?"
Cosaria sighed. She said, "Yes, very much so. I wish that Delrik and I could stay this way forever."
Felux said, "You won't. You'll either grow together, or grow apart. It's yer choice."
"Oh…" Tears well up in Cosaria's eyes. She said, "That is quite harsh, Sir Felux."
Furrowing his brows in confusion, Felux said, "Was it?"
"You must excuse me," Cosaria said just before running off in tears.
Felux stood there for a moment. Confused.
A bird landed in front of Felux. It tilted its head, looking at Felux.
Felux said, "What?"
The bird flew off.
༻✧༺
By midafternoon, the preparations were completed.
As Beniter tightened the straps on one of the horse's saddle bags, he said, "That's the last of it. Sir Felux, I think we're ready."
"Aye, soon as the Lady comes out, let's be headin off."
Soon after, the Duchess stepped out and young Beniter saw Lady Cosaria for the first time. Tilda had described her many times in her letters home: Hauntingly beautiful. Piercing sky-blue eyes. Hair like the platinum threads of a spider's web. And to top it off, a kind heart, pure and dazzling.
The letters didn't even come close to reality, Cosaria far exceeded them. But the letters also had slight mentions of her less than favorable personality traits: Timid. Naive. Passive. Slow-Witted.
Beniter had never been a fan of the Lady described in the letters, and now, as he watched Cosaria stare at everything as if she hadn't a clue what anything was, he realized that those descriptors had also been extreme understatements.
Tilda stood beside Cosaria as Felux escorted Cosaria and Marley into the carriage. Holding his hand out to Tilda, Felux said, "And you?"
Cosaria popped her head out and said, "Oh Tilda, you absolutely must travel with me and Lady Marley in the carriage."
Tilda said, "I don't think-"
Cosaria said, "Please! You must!"
Tilda sighed, "Alright, but this isn't protocol I'll have you know."
Then Felux escorted Tilda into the carriage and the journey began.
༻✧༺
The entourage traveled all night through the red forest with Felux, Beniter, and the other knights on careful watch for monsters. They had decided on this plan as a way to begin travel unnoticed. As no one traveled through the red forest at night, that meant no one would think to follow. The strategy had been a success and by the next day, they were safe out of the red forest.
By the following day, the trip started a precise routine. Beniter and Felux would wake early and train while Tilda and a few others prepared breakfast. The entourage would eat, and begin to travel. They'd stop for lunch. Beniter and Felux would train. They'd travel again until nightfall, when camp was set, and again Beniter and Felux would train, while Tilda and the meal crew provided sustenance. Sleep and repeat.
Beniter was uncomfortable riding a horse and was grateful for every chance he had to get off of the thing. He enjoyed training with Felux, spending time talking with his sister and playing silly games with Marley. He mostly tried to stay away from Cosaria. She was strange to him, like a new species from beyond the stars. And whenever he saw her, all he could think about was about the tragedy of her awful family.
From Tilda's letters, Beniter and his family knew about how Cosaria was being abused. It was a common topic in the Attaway household. Beniter had asked his parents questions like, "Why would anyone do that? If the little Lady is so good, why do these bad things keep happening? Doesn't anyone care, why isn't anyone doing anything!?" He had constantly condemned the Baxarte's in his mind. Now they were all dead and it felt awkward even looking at Cosaria.
As time passed however, and Beniter got comfortable riding in the saddle, he also started getting comfortable viewing Cosaria, not as the girl in the letters, but as the Duchess to whom he was assigned to protect.
༻✧༺
On a certain lunch break the entourage stopped in a beautiful clearing. Cosaria picked flowers while Felux and Beniter worked through the basics of defending and blocking.
Tilda turned to the ladies and asked, "Lady Marley, would you come with me to get some water from the stream?"
"Sure!"
"Would you like to come, Lady Cosaria?"
"Not this time. Perhaps next. I'm watching some birds in that tree there. I think they're trying to tell me something."
"Very well." Tilda said, thinking, If she thinks there are birds trying to talk to her, who am I to disagree. I've seen weirder things than that before.
By a sparkling stream, Tilda and Marley filled pails of water.
Tilda said, "We're close to the border now. Just a few more days and we'll officially be in the Central Providences of Galtrum."
Marley said, "This will be my first time traveling out of the Ragdor kingdom."
"Mine too. You nervous?"
"Oh man. No way. I'm excited, you know!"
Tilda lifted her pail full of water and said, "I was thinking this would be the perfect test for you."
Alarmed, Marley whipped her head to face Tilda and said, "What? Another test?"
"A test to protect Cosaria." Tilda felt that Marley had shown herself more than capable. Now was the perfect time to give her a bit more responsibility while navigating their time in the CPG.
"Protect her from what?"
"Cosaria can be a bit…" Tilda paused, struggling to find the right words. "Unaware, dense. She can easily get herself into trouble. Your job will be to keep her out of trouble."
Marley spoke fast, "But what if I can't. What if, despite my efforts, she gets into trouble?"
"Then you get her out of trouble."
"Oh man, but, but what if I mess up? What if I get into trouble?"
"Then I'll get you out."
"Oh," Marley said. She relaxed in knowing that Tilda was still going to be there to help support and guide her in her tasks as lady in waiting.
"You ready for the responsibility?"
"Uh… I want to be."
Tilda smiled, "That's an honest answer. If you need anything, let me know. Aside from that, I'll let you handle Cosaria's affairs, including her social interactions."
Marley took a deep breath.
Having finished their task, Marley and Tilda brought their water buckets back to camp and found Cosaria staring up at the trees.
Tilda asked, "Did you figure out the message from the birds?"
Cosaria nodded, "They have a nest up there. I think they want us to take their eggs for the journey but I told them no thank you. Though they were very insistent."
Marley furrowed her brow. Did Cosaria honestly think that birds talked to her, or was she just pretending?
Tilda said, "It's a good thing no one else is around then."
Cosaria said, "I agree. Others might have convinced us to take the eggs with us."
Tilda said, "You are so right Lady Cosaria." Cosaria had no sense of how crazy she sometimes looked and acted.
It was at this moment that Marley realized Cosaria was an idiot.
As Tilda glanced at Marley's jittery, wide-eyed, worried face, she thought, And that's the face of someone who knows they have their work cut out for them.