Mirabella accompanied Gideon to the castle. When he went to look for Calder to deliver the goods, she wandered off to the garden behind the castle. Most of the guests who arrived for the Crown Prince's wedding were busy inside the castle, engaging in socializing and dancing, leaving the garden blissfully quiet and empty. She admired the array of vibrant flowers the castle's gardener had planted and nurtured with care with a big smile on her face.
As she roamed around, a pale pink bloom near the pond caught her attention. She crouched down to brush her fingers gently over the soft petals of the flower and breathe in its fresh scent.
Unknown to her, a pair of sharp blue eyes observed her every little movement from a balcony. Eros, having excused himself from the bustling ballroom to get some fresh air, wandered through the castle's corridors when he sensed the familiar fragrance of the Hall of Void, which he had encountered in the market of Aerie Isle. When he followed the fragrance, he stumbled upon this scene.
The woman was fair with a small stature. Her hair was maroon, with the hue of orange akin to the dawning sun. She squatted on the ground with her knees flat on the grass and leaned down to breathe in the flower's scent. Two deep dents appeared on either side of her cheeks when she smiled.
Eros's eyes narrowed as he watched the woman glance around, checking to see if anyone else was nearby. Once she confirmed no one was near, she quietly nipped the flower from the plant and dashed away from the place like a thief with a big grin playing on her lips.
Eros's lips twitched at her playful act, and soon a mischievous smile spread across his face.
"Thieving at first sight, aren't we, little birdie?" he mused.
The garden felt dull and empty after her departure, as if its vibrancy had fled along with her. With one last look at the now-empty garden, he turned on his heel and made his way back into the castle to meet the King of Everdale to dealt with the important matters awaiting his attention.
Mirabel, unaware that her petty theft had been caught by someone, happily placed the pink flower on her hair and began to look for Gideon. After finishing his trade, Gideon spotted Mirabella approaching him. He bid his farewell to Cardel and led her to the ship.
With the Crown Prince wedding in ten days, the people of Everdale were already gathered around the streets, celebrating the joyous event. Among the prince and princess of Everdale, Crown Prince Orion was a particularly likeable and respected figure and people shared in the joy of his upcoming wedding.
The royal family of Everdale belongs to the Eagle clan, who ruled their land for centuries, holding the superiority over the other clans in the kingdom.
Having earned a handsome bounty, Gideon planned to stay in the capital for a month before setting off for another expedition. Feathercave, their native, was lying in the southern part of Everdale. People considered it the most ancient place in the entire nation.
The souls of the dead royal family's elders rumored to be wandering around Feathercave's cliffs, making it a sacred place.
Once they reached their ship, Gideon sailed Primrose to the Capital's port and anchored it there. He split up the bounty and distributed it to the crew members before departing to their home. Except Thaddeus, herself and Gideon, the rest of the crew stayed in the capital. Mirabella followed Gideon with Pipo, as they strolled through the streets many people greeted them on their way to which Mirabella replied politely.
Feathercave mostly occupied with cliffs and mountains with a small village residing at its foot. The number of people residing here is very less and mostly worked at the port nearby or likely owned a ship and went for expeditions often.
Even though it is her native place, Mirabella liked the sea more. The vast area hiding their horizons under its elegant and wild flow of water. She sighed and petted Pipo's head who lay in Mirabel's arms with his one leg over the other like a pampered royal child.
"Gideon, when will we sail again? she asked.
"Missing the sea already?"
She chuckled and replied, "I can't help"
"Hmm. If the paddy harvest doesn't finish within this month in Noctara, we don't have to sail for another month", he informed her.
Mirabella frowned, "Paddy? But hasn't the capital cultivated sufficient paddy this year", she asked in confusion.
Thaddeus who followed silently behind them chose to answer the question, "Soon flood will onset in Everdale. The production might be low compared to last year, we need to import it from Noctara before the rainy season starts"
Mirabella nodded her head in understanding. Before she could speak further a high pitched voice interrupted their discussion.
"Thaddeus!" The woman, carrying a basket on her hip, spotted the trio entering the village. Her eyes sparkled like a gem when she saw the burly man walking beside Mirabella.
At the sound of the high-pitched voice, Thaddeus visibly trembled. He quickly spun around and started walking in the opposite direction from where he came, hoping to get far away from the approaching woman. The woman who yelled his name earlier seemed unfazed by his action and smiled brightly at Mirabella.
"Hello, Mirabella! I hope you had a pleasant journey," she greeted her warmly and without waiting for a reply, she hurried after Thaddeus, who was now starting to run as if his tail were on fire.
Mirabella laughed at them and couldn't help but comment, "Talia is a good woman. I don't know why he's so wary of her."
"Good woman! Who knows? Maybe the wolf is afraid of being eaten clean by the rabbit?", Gideon murmured under his breath.
She tilted her head, not quite grasping his words, but Gideon didn't plan to repeat himself. Once they reached their house, Mirabella started to prepare their lunch. The house was a simple two-story building with a small hall, kitchen, and two rooms.
She made a simple meal of stewed lentils with rice and salted fish. Once she finished cooking, she called Gideon for lunch. They both ate their fill while Pipo opted for the banana Mirabella had given him earlier.
After lunch, Gideon went out in the evening to meet his peers for a friendly drink, whereas Mirabella planned to visit the market to buy some vegetables. Because of their constant travel, they rarely kept grains and vegetables in stock. But since Gideon had mentioned they would stay here for a few more days, she decided it was time to get some necessities.
She took the money Gideon had given her for household needs and headed toward the market, which was situated near the port. Pipo, who felt bored, perched on her shoulder, insisting on accompanying her. She roamed around the market and bought the vegetables.
"Mirabel! You are back home", the elderly woman from whom she regularly bought the cabbages exclaimed in surprise when she saw her.
Mirabella smiled politely and answered her, "We arrived just this morning and plan to stay for a month"
"Good, good. It's not appropriate for a lady to be travelling often by sea," the woman remarked as she weighed the cabbages.
Though Mirabella opposed the idea, she chose to keep her thoughts to herself, knowing the woman spoke out of goodwill. Once she finished purchasing the goods, the bag she brought along with her was filled to the brim. She balanced one bag on her hip while carrying the other bag in her hand. Pipo, who saw her struggling with the bags, hopped down from her shoulder and placed the bag she carried by her hand above his head.
Mirabella laughed at him and praised, "Our Pipo is a gentleman"
Pipo let out an enthusiastic "Eek eek!" as if he agreed with her, though he worried that the friction between the bag and his head would pull out his majestic hair. They began to walk back to their home. Even with Pipo's help, Mirabella felt that the bag on her hip was slipping due to its weight. She adjusted it several times, but on the fourth attempt it completely slid off from her hip and began to fall.
Before it could hit the ground, a pair of strong hands caught the bag and the side of her waist at the same time, steadying her. Mirabella's eyes widened at the unexpected touch and immediately looked up at the person. Her breath caught in her throat as she met a pair of unique shades of blue eyes which carried the intensity of the deep ocean in it. She couldn't tell if the time was frozen or the man had placed her in a trance.
"My lady?" The man addressed her respectfully and slowly retrieved his hand back from her waist. He held the bag in his other hand as if it weighed less than a feather.
The deep, magnetic voice seemed to stretch the time for Mirabella. She quickly snapped out of her daze and stepped back to put some distance between them.
"Thank you…" she whispered softly, extending her hands to take the bag.
The man waved his hand nonchalantly and placed the bag on his shoulder above her reach. "Don't mind, my lady. You might need some help with this."
Mirabella refused and replied, "My home is just nearby. I can handle it. Thanks for your help", she said, bowing her head once again, trying to get back her bag. She noticed that the man seemed new to the town. Despite wearing clothes from Everdale, his features were unlike those of the local people here. His golden blonde hair and the honey dusk skin was enough to confirm that he doesn't belong here.
He exudes an aura that doesn't match his clothes. Mirabella grew wary of him, as she is aware that the danger often lurks in beauty.