Tiriara pulled Aeneas and carried him on her back with the help of the power of her Zeal. The girl's face was filled with horror as she ran back to the Caspius manor, shouting, "Help, Aeneas is bleeding, help!"
Her breathing grew heavier, and her heart was pounding harder with every second that passed. All that filled her head was the thought that the boy she was carrying might die before she reached their manor.
Eluard was polishing some blades in the backyard of the main residence and planned to check on Aeneas after doing his task when he heard Tiriara's loud wailing for help. In a swift, Eluard rested the blade he was working on and rushed to the terrified girl.
"What's going on?" Eluard asked. He saw Aeneas in the back of Tiriara and called for the others in the manor.
Tiriara's terror-stricken face showed a little sign of relief when she saw Eluard. She passed Aeneas to him, who was still squirming in pain, he didn't even know where he was and how he'd gotten there.
"He, he…" Tiriara couldn't explain what happened. Her breathing became unstable. All she could hear was her loud beating heart which seemed to have masked the sound of her surroundings.
"He's fine, worry not," Eluard said. He carried Aeneas and passed him to Donos who heard his call for help. Arsen's knights also tried to assist, but Donos told them that he got it. He also instructed one of the knights to head to the Chronis manor and inform their lord, Arsen. As well as to inform the Chiliarch that his daughter was in their residence.
Eluard turned to see the young girl shaking and staring at the ground. Her white shirt has streaks of red. He knew that Aeneas was in good hands and that the one who needed his help was Tiriara.
Although a rare occurrence, it wasn't the first or second time such a thing happened to the young boy. When Crisa saw him being carried by her husband inside the main residence, she asked her daughter Issa to take his medicine as well as an anesthetic. Meanwhile, Yri filled a bucket with warm water.
Donos carried Aeneas to his room. Yri followed, she took the anesthetic medicine and injected it into Aeneas. When the boy calmed and fell asleep, she cleaned the blood that dripped from his eye. The bleeding became much less but was still ongoing.
"Alright, everyone out," Donos said. He took Aeneas's medicine that Issa was carrying. It was a blue glowing liquid stored in a vial. None of them knows what it's made from. It was brought by the lady Caspius, Aeneas and Arsen's mother, the first time Aeneas experienced the same sickness.
At first, people in the manor were curious, but, as time passed by and the medicine continued to work in taking away Aeneas's pain, they have come to learn not to ask questions. Well, even if they continue asking, the lady Caspius would just answer that she made it through her research with a healer and not go into detail.
Everyone waited behind the door of Aeneas's room. All of them were worried even though they knew that the medicine would work. Then, after a minute, the door opened.
"How's the young lord?" Crisa asked.
Donos smiled, "He'll be fine," he said. Hearing Donos's answer gave all of them great relief. Now that the young lord wasn't in danger, Yri remembered that they were cooking a dish in the kitchen. She and Issa rushed down to tend to it.
Crisa peeked into the room, "The poor boy," she muttered, "What even is his illness? Why does it keep returning?" she asked.
Donos shook his head, "I don't know," he said.
Crisa has her doubts. Every time Aeneas falls ill, Donos always asks everyone to leave the room. It was the instruction of Lyra Caspius, the lady of the manor and Aeneas's mother. Crisa knows that her husband is keeping something from them. But, she trusts him and pretends that she hasn't realized it.
Outside the manor, Eluard assisted Tiriara in coming inside the main residence. She was still shaking and worried about Aeneas. Tiriara thought that it was her fault. That it was the duel she instigated that made Aeneas ill.
Yri and Issa were coming down the stairs when Eluard and Tiriara entered the building.
"Aeneas?" asked Eluard.
Issa smiled, "Father already gave him his medicine. Aeny just needs some rest," she said.
Eluard turned to Tiriara, "You heard that, young lady? No need to be worried," he said.
Tiriara fell on her knees.
"Young lady?"
The girl began sobbing, "I thought he was dead," she muttered. Sniffling the dripping snot out of her nose while wiping the tears from her eyes.
Eluard smiled. He decided to let Tiriara cry it out, as he felt that it would help release the weight on her chest. Tiriara's crying stopped after a while. Only her sniffling remained. Then, her stomach released a loud grumble.
"Come, young lady," Issa said as she approached her. She assisted Tiriara in one of the seats in the dining room and served her a hot bowl of meat soup that had potatoes and other vegetables in it. Then, Yri took out a loaf of bread and served the young lady with a portion of it.
Sniffling, Tiriara looked at Eluard and the others, "Are you not eating?" she asked.
They were quite surprised. Although it's common in the Caspius manor for them to dine together with their lord, most rich or powerful families make their servants eat after them. Eluard, Yri and Issa didn't expect for the daughter of their region's lord to be quite similar to the Caspius's.
"We'll eat later, young lady," Yri said. She took out a towel, damped it with water she conjured in her hands, and wiped the dirt from Tiriara's face, same for the snot that the girl kept returning inside.
"Then… I'll wait, and eat with you," Tiriara said. She gulped when the aroma of the food reached her nose. Then came the grumbling of her stomach.
Issa smiled, "You should eat, young lady. We'll wait for the others."
"You sure?" Tiriara replied.
Issa nods. Since she was hungry, Tiriara ate the food in front of her with much gusto. While chewing, she stopped and turned to Issa, "I'm no lady though. I'm a knight," she said.
With Issa and Yri watching over Tiriara, Eluard smiled and told both the older girls that he would go back to his chores.
"Okay, but be back for lunch," Yri said.
Eluard raised his hand, "Of course," he said.
On the other hand, Issa and Tiriara were still chatting.
"But there are also knights that are ladies," Issa said.
Tiriara stared at her. Though she didn't stop indulging in the meat soup and bread. She thought that what Aeneas said might hold some truth but was still stubborn about her views.
"Wrong, there isn't. You either be a lady or a knight," Tiriara said.
Issa smiled, she found Tiriara's innocent belief cute, "But aren't lady knights much grandeur?" she said, "Don't you think so, sister Yri?"
What she said took Tiriara's interest. She turned her gaze to the oldest woman in the room.
Yri smiled, she looked at the young Chronis, "Of course. Lady knights are very impressive. When I was younger, I wanted to be one. Wearing beautiful gowns while being the best in battle," she paused and looked at the girl listening with her full attention, "I think Aenie also admired a lady knight when he was younger, right Issa?"
Issa nods, "Yes, I think so."
Tiriara started nodding, "I see," she muttered.
When Tiriara finished her food, Yri brought her a change of clothes and washed the one she was wearing using her magic. Tiriara thanked them with a Panteran bow. Then, she muttered something before changing her bow into the version Panteran women do.
Both Issa and Yri returned the gesture, "You're very welcome, young lady knight," they said.
Tiriara's smile grew. Then, she heard someone walking down the stairs. It was Crisa and Donos. Tiriara went to them, "Is he awake?" she asked with a loud voice.
Crisa and Donos were a bit startled by the enthusiastic girl, "Not yet, young lady" Crisa said with a smile as she patted the girl on the shoulder, "The anesthesia will last for four hours."
"Then I'll wait till he's awake."
"Have you eaten, young lady?" Donos asked.
"Yeah," Tiriara paused and bowed the same way she did earlier, "Thank you for the food," she said.
Donos and Crisa smiled. Although it wasn't rare for prominent families to have children who had great manners, it was far more common for them to look down on others, especially servants and people below them in status. They wouldn't blatantly disrespect them but wouldn't also give the same respect as they would to people of the same status or higher.
"Can I see him?"
Crisa looked at Donos who nodded in response, "Sure, young lady. But please do not cause too much noise, we wanted the young lord to get some good rest," she said.
"Okay~" Tiriara replied.
Crisa guided Tiriara to Aeneas's room where he remained sleeping.
"I'll be heading down, young lady."
Tiriara nodded, "Don't worry miss, I won't wake him up," she whispered.
When Crisa left the room, the girl walked closer to Aeneas, she leaned forward to look at his right eye which was bleeding before. She had the greatest impulse to open the patch with her fingers, but she forced herself to keep her promise to Crisa. Instead, she placed the back of her hand on the boy's forehead, "No fever," she whispered with a smile on her face.
After checking on Aeneas, Tiriara wandered around the room. She looked at the shelves of books, some of which she couldn't read the title of. Then, she saw a children's book titled, 'The Unmarked Hero'. Tiriara brought the book to the table near the window and started reading it. It was a story set thousands of years ago in the continent of Nusterra about a man who despite not bearing a Zeal, became a hero to his people.
Tiriara fell asleep after reading four pages.