[Seutsui's P.O.V]
In the realm of patience, I lingered enduring the passage of time alongside the person I found most distasteful, but as time goes he became so soft and truly solace to me without my mother, Edward Anselm. He was like the brother I never had.
In search of fortune, my mother ventured to Gemhill, chasing elusive dreams of financial reprieve. Yet, as the clock ticks, the echoes of my impatience resonate. 'Mother, where are you? As much as I would love to be with Edward and play with him I needed my mother.
I sat on the two small stairs that led to our small cottage and awaited her return, a silent sentinel to the promises yet unfulfilled.
"Anselm," I sighed, the name carrying a hint of protection. "With divine protection," I whispered to myself, my fingers running over the pages of the book clutched in my hands. That's what it claimed—Anselm, a name supposedly infused with celestial guardianship, of German origin. He must be well aware of that, I thought, a chuckle escaping my lips. Despite my judgment, nearly half a month in his company had revealed a truth I couldn't ignore. This person is a source of solace and fondness.
The weight of my age proved more burdensome than anticipated. Craving warmth, I longed for the embrace only a mother could provide, but she was absent. In her stead, I looked to him, expecting solace in return. Even tho Edward tried his best the warmth I so desperately yearned for never materialized.
His gaze lingered on me throughout the day, relentlessly in my every subtle action. Even in his sea of commands, we build a special bond in this short time period.
***
[3rd Person P.O.V]
"Carlson"
In the shadowed confines of the chamber, the old man turned his gaze upon Anipe, his eyes betraying a tumult of emotions.
"What?... How..." His voice wavered as he faltered with emotions.
"Are you Carlson, the healer of the late king's court?" The old man's words hung in the air, heavy with uncertainty. Anipe, her eyes ablaze with tears, approached him with hesitant steps.
"It is me, Anipe. Do you not recall? You rescued me from the grips of illness and sheltered me within the castle walls. You were my guardian, my savior. Please, tell me you remember." Anipe's voice quivered as she knelt beside him, her plea echoing in the silence of the room.
"Ani... is it truly you, my dear child? But... I thought I was the lone survivor of that dreadful night. How... How..." Carlson's voice cracked with emotion, his arms enfolding Anipe in a tender embrace. In that poignant moment of reunion, they found themselves swept away by a flood of memories, as if the threads of their shared past had at last woven them back together, guiding them toward the warmth of home.
Forgotten in the shadow of their reunion, Saitous remained a silent observer in the humble confines of the cottage. As he witnessed the emotional exchange between Carlson and Anipe, a realization dawned upon him, gradually unfurling like the petals of a long-dormant flower.
These two weren't just ordinary people—they had ties to the royal family. This realization struck him with the weight of history, as he saw their connection through a lens of shared experiences and hidden truths.
Saitous felt a surge of resolve building within him. He knew he needed closure for the unending conflicts that had plagued him. With determination in his heart, he was about to speak, ready to confront his inner turmoil and seek the answers he so desperately sought.
As Saito steeled himself to face Anipe, a sudden, piercing shriek shattered the eerie silence. A metallic blur sliced through the air, missing Anipe by a hair's breadth before embedding itself in Carlson's shoulder blades with a sickening thud. Anipe's terrified wails echoed off the walls of the cottage, her cries laced with sheer horror and disbelief as Carlson crumpled to the ground, a pool of crimson spreading beneath him, staining the floorboards with a chilling reminder of the danger lurking just beyond their sanctuary.
"Well...Well...Well... Look what we have got here," a sinister voice taunted from the shadows. Anipe's blood ran cold as the words slithered into her ears, sending shivers down her spine. The air around the room changed. A change that brings anyone to their knees. Trembling uncontrollably, she fought to staunch the flow of blood from Carlson's wound, the metallic shaft still jutting grotesquely from his shoulder blade.
"Now...Now... As your humble king, I suppose honesty is in order," he sneered, his grip on Anipe's chin tightening painfully as he forced her head to turn. Saitous made a move to intervene, but the guards seized him with an iron grip, rendering him powerless.
"I had every intention of sparing your life, Anipe, or should I address you as the 'head maid'? My interest lay solely in retrieving long-forgotten medical records. However, it seems fate has delivered me two prizes with one stroke," he chuckled darkly, relishing in the cruelty of his words.
Anipe seethed with fury, unable to comprehend the depths of his heartlessness.
"Now... you just had to wander into the lion's den, didn't you? Well, lucky for me, I suppose," he snarled, seizing Anipe's braids and dragging her across the floor.
"And you," he turned to Saitous, who bristled with impotent rage.
"I have no desire to soil my castle with your presence. You can simply leave," he spat, gesturing for his guards to drag the old man along with Anipe.
Saitous could only watch helplessly as the scene unfolded before him, his frustration boiling over into a scream of utter powerlessness.
...
As Anipe's desperate fingers clawed against the unforgiving floor, her mind raced with thoughts of Seutsui, the innocent princess whose fate hung precariously in the balance. Amidst the chaos, she found herself turning to Saitous, the one person she dared to trust in this perilous moment.
With a glance that spoke volumes, She implored Saitous to understand the weight of her unspoken plea. In his eyes, she saw a reflection of her own turmoil, a silent acknowledgment of the gravity of their situation. And then, in a moment of vulnerability she never thought she'd concede to, she made her decision.
Summoning every ounce of courage, She mouthed the words 'P-R-O-T-E-C-T-T-H-E-P-R-I-N-C-E-S' to Saitous, a silent vow echoing through the chamber of chaos.
But as she was mercilessly dragged out into the unknown, leaving behind a trail of uncertainty and desperation, all she could glimpse was Saitous's anguished expression, a mosaic of bewilderment and sorrow etched across his features.
She could only hope that her plea had found its mark, that Saitous would heed her silent call to arms, and that somewhere in the shadows of uncertainty, the truth about Seutsui would find its rightful place.
***
[Seutsui's P.O.V]
As always I sat on the doorstep waiting. I found solace in Edward's companionship, his presence a comforting balm to the ache left by her absent mother. Three long months had passed since her departure for Gemhill, promising to send letters every week—a promise left unfulfilled, leaving me stranded in a sea of longing and uncertainty.
While Edward received his weekly correspondence from Saitous without fail, when I asked Edward to show them to me he always kept me in the dark and I hated It Whenever I asked him about my mother he stiffened and either changed the subject or avoided me this made me so worried but what can I do? Nothing. Edward's stoic demeanor only added to my mounting anxiety, his attempts to divert my inquiries leaving me feeling powerless and isolated. Sometimes he can be such a pain in my back. He always wanted me to listen to him because he was the one who was 'in charge'. No matter how good of a person he was he just sometimes could be so controlling.
"Seutsui I think Saitous will arrive today" Edward's voice pulled me out of my inner conversation. And I couldn't be happier.
"At last I thought she's gonna never come" I smiled. But Edwards's expression was nonchalant he didn't look that happy or excited which obviously worried me. So I got up and clutched onto his shirt when he turned to go.
"Edward, please tell me—is there something wrong that you aren't telling me?" Seutsui's voice trembled "Then please tell me I know that you think of me as a little girl but we are just a few years apart so please tell me" I pleaded. Edward was almost eleven years older than me and it didn't help that he trained himself every day for whatever reason and the fact that he looked much more mature than his age.
He crouched down to my height and sighed. " Listen here, muffin," he began, his tone gentle yet firm "I wish I could tell you, but I think it's better if we wait for Saitous. So now, be a good girl and stop worrying so much, okay?" There was no room for argument yet his voice... I didn't feel the reliance I always felt when he talked. He gently patted my hair and walked towards his room. This is worrying me more and more...