Days that are most expected are the days that take longest in arriving, still, Yuki and Jacek did not lose hope or their anticipation as they patiently waited for the scheduled day for their departure to Gouna.
The dawn of their departure soon arrived; it was a still one. It was characterized by outright tranquility and the soothing sound of leaves dancing to silent breeze.
The siblings did not sleep. They could not. For fear that they might sleep in on the fateful day, Yuki and her brother kept watch till they saw the hour hand of their living room clock strike one. As soon as it did, each rushed to their rooms to get dressed. They had bathe already, packed already , readied the attire they would wear and laid their beds. They were thoroughly prepared for the trip.
As their mother was still sleeping when they were ready to leave, Yuki wrote her a letter after which she planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "We will be back soon, mother," Yuki had whispered and exited the room.
At exactly two thirty, the duo left the house, boarded a carriage and headed for Yuki's godfathers', where Treyton agreed to meet them.
…
Treyton burst out laughing as soon as he laid eyes on the siblings. "Why, don't you two look…suspicious. And here I was, thinking you were afraid of being caught sneaking out." Treyton tried to control his laughter but failed.
Yuki and Jacek sized each other in puzzlement. "Do we look weird?" Yuki asked in a concerned tone as she stared at Treyton.
Her voice was mild and enthralling with a hint of unease. Her blue eyes which possessed an alluring glimmer gazed upon him with such innocence, Treyton regretted his words and conduct immediately. He was not sure if it was because of his terrific vision in the dark; Yuki looked beautiful in murky backgrounds.
"Ahem!" Jacek cleared his throat to break the sudden quietude between his sister and Treyton. It worked. The two looked away and snapped out of their thoughts.
"We aren't overdressed, are we?" Jacek asked Treyton as well. He didn't think they were. Jacek looked at his sister. Yuki was dressed simply. She wore a black woolen bonnet, a black dress, black gloves, black shoes and held a black bag; there was nothing amiss. Then he stared down at himself; black shoes, grey trousers, black shirt and a black overcoat. How were their outfits anything extra?
"You look…shady in that array. Black is an attractive color, you know," Treyton tried to word his thoughts as nicely as he could because of Yuki's offended expression earlier. And also, because, the duo looked like they candidly saw nothing wrong with their outfits.
Although travelling out of Echt was not tolerable for commoners, it was not entirely forbidden. However, by the way they were dressed, the two seemed ignorant of that fact.
"Should we change?" Yuki questioned with an anxious expression.
"No need." Treyton neared the girl, took of his beige overcoat and placed it over Yuki's smaller frame. "You should take off your coat, Jacek, you look like an apparition from a children horror story," he teased after taking in Jacek's usual loose outfits. Why were his clothes always oversized anyway?
Yuki chuckled at Treyton's comment which earned her a vicious glare from her brother. She coughed pretentiously in an attempt to curb her laughter while averting her eyes from Jacek's.
"I will not have you mock my style so early in the morning. Have you any idea how many women fight each other for my attention? Surely, you cannot relate, can you? Maidens probably ran off when you approach them, don't they?" Jacek snickered at the thought.
Treyton chuckled and straighten his back as if to exhibit his handsome stature, then he glanced at Jacek with a conceited look. "Do you candidly believe that? Though, I am not trying to spite you for speaking words that will make you feel better, I just hope you are more honest with yourself," Treyton retorted with a protruding chest.
Jacek enviously eyed Treyton's frame then spontaneously looked at Yuki, his expression darkening immediately. The girl's eyes were fixed on the broad and well-defined chest in her face. She stared intently at Treyton's chest without as much as a blink. Jacek was dumbfounded.
Following Jacek's gaze, Treyton looked down at Yuki, who was standing mere inches from him. Despite her curious eyes on his chest, Treyton's sole attention was how dainty she appeared with his overcoat on. He reached out his hand to fixed the collar of the coat on her.
Yuki reluctantly tore her eyes away from Treyton's chest and stared up at him. When their eyes met, she abruptly averted her gaze. She felt her cheeks heat up with how intently he looked down at her.
Treyton's scent slapped Yuki across the face when sudden breeze surged pass him and towards her. He had a strong musky scent laced with a hint of forest and sweat. He smelt strong. He smelt like an apex predator with a savor to attract prey.
Jacek looked on to Treyton's closeness to his sister with discomfort, nonetheless, as Yuki was unusually passive, he had no choice but overlook the act. He took off his overcoat as he was instructed, folded it and put it away.
"Okay. Let us set off now," Treyton commanded.
⸎⸎⸎
At the outskirts of the entertainment district, Yuki, Jacek, Treyton and several people creeped through the thick woods that served at a border around Echt. The illumination of the moon was the sole source of light as the people made their way through the woods.
Jacek held on tightly to Yuki as she trudged behind him. Treyton volunteered to walked behind the two to keep watch over them.
The group, despite walking for a long while saw no ends to the trees ahead of them. Jacek panted as beads of sweat trickled down from his hair. His eyes shifted from the unending trail of trees in front of him to Yuki who was walking beside him. She walked steadily and tirelessly; her face devoid of any major expressions.
After what felt like eternity, Jacek could feel the soles of his feet throbbing. His breath was progressively growing erratic while his heart pounded in his chest. He glanced at Yuki who was as steady as when they started out. She was neither sweating nor panting. There was no mark of fatigue on her.
It had always been like that. She never seemed to get tired, or fatigued no matter what she did. She only perspired when she felt hot, but never because she was tired. And it was despite the fact that she worked tirelessly too. It was as if she had unlimited stamina or something along that line. Jacek wondered if this peculiarity had something to do with why she neither got sick or hurt.
"Should I tell Sir Athaulfe to let us rest a bit before going on?" Yuki questioned Jacek when she noticed his exhausted state.
Jacek glimpsed at Yuki then back ahead. "I am fine."
"But…alright then." Yuki bit her lower lip. She wanted to insist that they paused, but she did not want to do anything that could peril Jacek, emotionally or mentally.
It took a while, but eventually, the end of the trees came into view. Yuki sighed in relief while a spontaneous smile formed on her face knowing that her brother would suffer no more.
When Jacek in all his sweat and irregular breath, saw Yuki's charming smile, he smile to himself too, for he understood why his sister wore such a smile.
At of the woods and at the end of the path, a number of people stood behind a rail. Yuki and Jacek who had never seen one looked at it in awe. Jacek had seen and read about rails before and was more excited about seeing one in reality. He turned enthusiastically to look at Treyton, his eyes asking loudly if they were going to actually get on a train.
Treyton smiled and closed the distance between himself and the siblings after a few strides. "This is your first time seeing a rail?" he watched their curious eyes with amusement.
"We faintly hear the roar of the train's engine when it stops by Beicheden. No commoner as seen one though, well, except those who travel out of Echt, that is," Jacek explained.
Treyton was not surprised. He had heard and seen just how outmoded Echt was. It was one of the few duchies of that era after all. It was both secluded and sovereign. Until he experienced living in Echt for himself, he was not too sure just how outdated the duchy could have possibly been. Even the rules of Echt were archaic and absurd. That is why it came not as a surprise to him that Jacek looked so excited about something as simple as a rail.
"Well, get ready for an adventure of your life because we will be boarding a train," Treyton announced with a smirk.
Yuki stared at her ecstatic brother with a small smile. Then her eyes moved away from him to look around, she noticed the confused murmuring of the few people who stood behind the rails with them. She was curious about their discussions as she felt it was relevant for whatever reason.
Treyton's expression subtly shifted when he noticed Yuki's curious gaze on the people who stood not too far from them. When he noticed her brows furrow, followed by the skeptical expression on her face, he cussed inwardly as she turned swiftly to look at him.
"Wasn't sneaking out too easy? I kept thinking it was too simple the entire time, it seems the others share in my doubt," Yuki stated pensively.