TRUST
***
"WHY DO YOU hide your ice?" Astier queried. "It's really a shame that you can't showcase it. I could stare at it all day and still be amazed. The satisfaction is far greater than what I have imagined."
"You spoke too familiar to me. The words you declared seem as though you've known quite a lot about me." She finally turns to face him, her blue eyes can literally freeze someone in an instant. "How long have you been existing in Azalia?"
The question somehow dumbfounded Astier. All he can hear are the wailing of the ambulance, the tyres screeching on the road when he suddenly falls on a cold pavement. People are clamouring around him but his body felt too weak to move.
"Did you find that question too difficult to answer or is it just a habit of yours to stare at people?"
He caught back his present thoughts. "I-I'm sorry but I-I don't know."
"You don't know?"
Astier wasn't able to find his words so the queen added, "You don't know how long have you been existing?"
"No," he finally answered with a soft voice.
"You don't know your age?"
Astier opened his mouth as he was about to respond but the queen preceded him, "I thank you again, noblemen---"
"And in exchange for your kindness," the princess decisively interrupted, "for accompanying us through the night, I would like to extend our hands to help you find this sage that you speak of. We have a record tracking all the sages that live in our kingdom. If you still don't have his name, then perhaps, locating him from one doorstep to another might be of your convenience."
"That is already a lot of help to us, Your Highness. We are truly grateful," Grim replied, lowering his head in respect.
"Shall we go now? I'd to head back as soon as possible. If that's alright with you all," declared the queen.
"Of course, my queen," Astier inserted, which only resulted in the queen rolling out her eyes.
'I'm not forbidden to freeze him, aren't I? But Cordiena will still surely kill me.'
♛♛♛
THE GROUP SOON find themselves on the wagon, following the trail of the shortcut. The princess, together with the two men had themselves sitting comfortably behind the wagon while Astier drives it with the queen sitting beside him. His heart throbs so wildly that he fears more of the queen hearing it rather than having his attention focused on the road.
"Do you know normally drive this fast?" The queen's voice startled him.
"Are we in a hurry? Slow down, mate. No one's chasing us," yelled Ardelian.
He swallowed deeply. "I'm sorry about that. I wasn't paying attention."
"The driver should always pay attention to the pathway. Otherwise, we'd be as good as dead should you unknowingly take us on a different route," the queen stated. Even her voice is enough to send chills to Astier's spine.
This lump in his throat kept returning no matter how many times he swallowed. He took in a deep breath after slowing down their horse to an average or normal speed. It nearly took him a moment or two before he was able to deliver his words.
"It won't happen again, my queen."
"I'm not your queen," she finally expressed.
"I'm sorry. I just heard so much about you that every time I speak to you it feels as though we already met before."
Neiryl gave him an incredulous glance. 'What kind of audacity does this man possess?'
"Is that right? Perhaps, your mind just assumes too much. Hearing a lot of things about me doesn't make me your queen."
"It just felt so close."
'He speaks pure nonsense.' But he 'did' felt very familiar to her. His presence left quite a remark on her that each time he was near she would immediately identify his location. Neiryl recalled the moment she plunged a piece of sharp ice through Destroyer's chest. She was so certain of his death so how in Azalia did he survive that?
Could it be that he's running around the world now, wearing a different face to avoid being recognised?
Neiryl furtively glances at their driver again. His presence was indeed quite similar to that of Destroyer's yet somehow different at the same time.
'There is only one way to settle this and have your mind be spared of the doubts and fear.'
"Astrid, right?"
He glances at her. "It's actually Astier, my queen."
"She's not your queen," Princess Nyrinn simply inserted.
Queen Neiryl thoughtfully nodded her head. "Of course. My sister told me that you travel a lot. So, you've been to many places. You must have an Identification card."
"Are you going to ask me if it would be alright if you could see it?" Astier concluded.
"Yes," the queen immediately replied.
"You still don't trust us? We are not bad people."
"I don't trust people, my lord. That single mistake gave us suffering in return." Her voice was filled with bitterness that Astier could imagine her spitting out how much she despises human beings. "May I see your card please?"
"Of course." He took it out of his pocket and relinquished it to her.
"Vikrastier Caz Igreed. A demi-human?" she read aloud.
She relinquished it back to him. After keeping it safe, Astier replied, "If you don't remember me telling you yesterday, I am not like any of them."
But the queen's next gesture greatly startled Astier resulting in him stopping the wagon when the queen suddenly laid her hand on his wrist. He literally hears the wild pumping of his heart. Blood gushing through his system and rushing to his cheeks, warming them up.
"Why did we stop?" Grim innocently asked.
It took a moment or two before the queen removed her hand. Astier wasn't able to recover that quickly so the queen told him to proceed now.
"I-I'm sorry. I-I spaced out." He quickly urges the horse to keep moving again.
"Spaced out?"
Astier glances at her with an inquiring look before he realises that he is using unfamiliar terms that he learned in his original world.
"Uh, it actually means that my mind isn't with me at the present moment--- sort of drifting away--- somewhere far. N-not literally that my mind flew away from my body. I-it's just an expression to describe that someone is not fully paying attention to the present moment---"
"You didn't have to explain it, I completely understand," the queen cuts him off, "but thank you."
"So, Lord Vikrastier Caz. Shall I address you that way?"
"N-no. Astier is fine, my queen."
"Where did your Caz came from?"
He didn't answer immediately. How was he to know? Ardelian was the one who created that name for him. 'Astier Igreed was fine. Why did he have to make it so complicated?'
"Are you aware of your existence?" The queen's voice interrupted his reflection.
"What do you mean?"
"Because every time I ask you a question in connection with yourself you always seem to be unaware. It's almost as if you don't really know who you are." 'Or maybe you're just a good pretender.' she mentally added.
When she held his wrist earlier, she felt a strong magic swirling within him but inconveniently, he doesn't bear the same dark energy as Destroyer. Also, she wasn't able to sense in him that snowflake that she planted on him.
But if this man has nothing to hide why can't he answer the simple questions she gave him? Were they too personal? Perhaps, this demi-human is only practising cautiousness. His kind hasn't been able to receive any good treatment from most beings, especially from humans. Humanity has always been jealous of their magical gifts and peculiarly rare and unique features that oftentimes they are treated as outcasts in their hometowns.
"Forget my question," Neiryl finally said. 'Caz. Where did I hear it from?'
From afar they could already see the exit of the forest. Astier informs his companions of them being near their destination. He thought their peaceful journey would last until they reached the Virgam Kingdom but the sudden appearance of an Imperial soldier made him clench the rope.
"Stop the wagon here," the queen immediately commanded.
"But---"
"Just do it," she yelled.
Reluctantly, he lowered his head in agreement. "As you wish, my queen."
"Blast it," the princess exclaimed angrily. They found us again."
They all quickly dismounted the wagon. General Aston Pryce of the imperial soldiers approaches them. As soon as he does so, the queen quickly loses her balance, fortunately, Astier catches her again.
"My queen, what's wrong? W-what's happening to you?" he panicked upon witnessing her struggle to breathe.
More soldiers surrounded them. General Aston ignored the presence of the three men and approached the princess.
"The emperor demands news from you. Where is Destroyer's head? Why haven't you given him the bounty when you already had the chance to kill him?"
"You didn't have to bring 'it' with you," declared the princess, her fists clenching tightly.
"I'm just following orders," General Aston nonchalantly replied. He looks down at Astier and his companions. "Who are these men?"
"Nobody. They're only peasants we picked up from the forest when 'your' soldiers attacked us."
"I see. Well, I only came here to remind you of your duty. The sake of your people lies in your success."
Astier did not like the way how he looked down at him. He clenches his fist, apparent dark violet electricity appears around it, and his emerald green eyes glow in anger.
As his heart was throbbing wildly, ready to pounce on the general who looked down on him, the queen's soft touch on his hand awakened him once more.
"N-no," she weakly whispered.
"My queen, please. I can take them all down."
"N-no," she gasped for air. "D-don't do it." 'I can't speak up. Why did have to bring that stone?'
"The emperor will receive his reward in due time," the princess finally declared.
But General Aston Pryce wasn't pleased with her answer. He repeatedly clicked his tongue while waving his pointing finger in front of the princess. "Uh-uh. THREE DAYS, my princess. The emperor wants his head in three days or your sister is done for."
"How dare you threaten the queen?" Astier growled. He has had enough of his nonchalance and repulsively, compelling him to attack the general, engendering a fight.