Chapter 88:
Misdeeds
The sky was still dim when Silas woke up, but he could no longer stay asleep, plagued with the anxiety of returning deeper into the Yursear kingdom. Silas rose from his bed, throwing his legs over the side of the bed before he rose to his feet. He sighed deeply, rubbing a hand down his face, as he stepped over to the crackling fire in the fireplace. It was hardly more than a few white-hot embers, so Silas stooped down, relighting the fire easily. Feeling the warmth of the fireplace, Silas stood, his torso bare, rubbing his arms as he sighed quietly to himself, preparing his mind and body to return to a place he thought he would never see again. He stood in silence, listening to the crackle of the fire, appreciating the sharp heat from the fire that warmed his torso and arms. He grabbed his clothes from his satchel and began to dress quickly.
As Silas finished buttoning up his tunic, having already put on his pants and shoes, there was a shallow knock at the door, followed by a low voice. “Sir Lloyd, I have come to escort you out of the village.” Silas glanced over to the door, his hands falling to his sides. Before he turned in for the night, Malcolm had mentioned he would send one of his servants to escort Silas out of the village to join Malcolm on his journey back to the palace. This must have been the man he sent.
Still, Silas thought to himself, adjusting the dagger tucked into his belt, it’s better to make sure.
“One moment.” Silas shouted to the door, using the nearby poker to extinguish the small fire in front of him. He then packed his meager belongings, wasting no time to stuff his things into his satchel. Silas strapped his satchel on his shoulder and used the purple gem resting on his chest to change his appearance back to the plain human he had presented himself as before. Once he opened the door, the servant, someone Silas did not recognize, nodded solemnly before he began walking towards the entrance, after gesturing politely for Silas to follow.
Silas did so, cautiously looking around at his surroundings. The inn looked much different with the daylight beginning to creep in through the windows. The shadows that came from the lit lamps circled the plain walls. The dim sunlight revealed specks and marks on the old, well-traveled wood floors. The creaking sounds the floor made as they walked across it was the only thing that told Silas they were in the same hallway he had walked through the previous night.
“The carriage with the duke is waiting outside. For your and the duke's privacy, we have stationed the carriage in the alley beside the inn.” The man said with a bow as they walked through the small lobby area.
“I see.” Silas said, glancing towards the innkeeper who stood behind the counter, “I enjoyed my stay. Thank you for being so accommodating.”
“Of course, sir. Thank you for your patronage.” The innkeeper said with a knowing smile and a bow. The guide glanced back at Silas, then the innkeeper, before he smiled in return.
“Let us hurry, Sir Lloyd. We would not want the duke to wait.” He opened the front door, and Silas stepped out, glancing around the small town. The sun was only beginning to come up, so it was not surprising it was empty on the narrow streets. The debauchery and hidden secrets that ran quietly rampant during the day and night were, for a very short time, gone, leaving the small town deserted. The guide stepped past Silas, gesturing to him again, this time towards an alley beside the building, and Silas cautiously followed behind him, his hand never far from his dagger.
A simple carriage had been prepared and hidden to the side of the inn, but knowing the tastes of the duke, Silas could only think how it would appear inside. Wordlessly, he allowed the servant to lead him to the door of the carriage, opening it with a delicate shift of his hand.
As Silas lifted his foot into the seemingly-plain carriage, he saw the duke sitting to the left hand side, looking relaxed as he waited. Malcolm sat in the carriage, his right leg crossed over his knee in a casual fashion as he read a note in his gloved hands. A pair of thin, gold rimmed glasses rested on his nose, highlighting his golden eyes with a light glow. His black hair had been tied behind his head in a formal fashion, and his shirt collar was open slightly, exposing his shapely neck and collarbone. Looking at the man, Silas could see a resemblance between the prince and his cousin, especially in their eyes.
“Ah, Lloyd. I hope you had a good night’s rest.” Malcolm looked up from his notes, smiling brightly as he set the scattered papers down to the side, motioning for Silas to sit across from him on the red, velvet seat.
Chilly. Silas thought to himself, taking note of Malcolm’s demeanor. Though his words were friendly and open, his shoulders were stiff, and his body was positioned away from Silas. Though Silas never trusted the cousin of his greatest enemy, he found himself more alert than ever, “Well enough, Duke Godfreed. Thank you for the recommendation. It was a comfortable stay.” Silas responded formally, bowing his head slightly as he sat down across from the duke.
The servant closed the door behind him, allowing the light from the simple windows to enter the interior, lighting up the duke’s face with a glimpse of natural sunlight. Silas stared forward, his hands resting in his lap as he looked towards Malcolm, his expression expectant, waiting for news of their plan.
“It’s been an early start to the morning, and I’m sure you’re famished.” Malcolm began, breaking the silence that had fallen between the two with a smile. He held a small box and held it out towards Silas, “Please, eat.”
Silas, feeling he could still not fully trust the duke, lifted his palm and responded, “No, thank you.”
Malcolm raised a brow, a small smile on his lips as he maintained his hold, asking, “Are you sure?”
As Silas opened his mouth to refuse again, his stomach instead answered for him with a long, single note of a growl, much like a fermata. Embarrassed, Silas pushed his fists in slightly on his abdomen to stop the contractions, but it did nothing to soften the sound. He could only weakly lift his hands and accept the box of confectioneries Malcolm had prepared with a sheepish sigh, thanking him in a low voice as he held the box on his lap in his two hands.
“Don’t worry, I would not feed you poison.” Malcolm said with a knowing smile as he watched Silas look at the food. He leaned forward and plucked one of the little snacks from the box, popping it into his mouth, “See? I ate it, and I’m fine.” Silas watched all of this, disgruntled.
I didn’t think it was poisoned, but now I am questioning if I should eat this. Silas looked down at the open box. The little snacks did look delicious, but Silas felt unsure. He had skipped multiple meals before. Doing so again, though he would not enjoy it, would be possible for him.
“You know, I’ve always been curious as to why my cousin has taken an interest in you. At least so far as kidnapping your family, just to have a chance at killing you himself.” Malcolm said, “But I can see why now.” He paused before he laughed and said, “You two are very much alike. He would never eat the food I gave him either. He was always terrified that I had done something strange to his food. I swear, I only did it once as a joke, but it scared him so much, he never ate in front of me again.”
A vein in Silas’s forehead throbbed as he suddenly looked down in disgust at the boxed food. His green eyes were full of venom as he shot an unsavory glare towards the duke, feeling even his jokes were in poor taste. This caused the duke to laugh heartily, putting down his paperwork so he could wipe his eyes.
“It was a joke!” Malcolm stammered out between his laughter, “I’m sorry. I understand if you wouldn’t want to eat what I have given you though. At the next town, we will stop so you can grab something to eat.” Malcolm knocked on the top of the carriage, then slid over to the window, opening it and repeating his orders to the carriage driver.
Silas frowned heavily, putting the box of food aside as his stomach growled again, this time louder. Silas sighed heavily, his face reddening as Malcolm laughed again, this time much harder.
I can already tell this will be a long trip. Silas thought to himself, chagrined.
The carriage continued forward, making its way through the Yursear Kingdom to the heart of the capital, Durbrame, another large step closer to the palace.
…
It had been only two days since Cordelia had been placed in the Yursinean dungeons, but she felt hopeful that she would only be trapped for just a little while longer, just long enough for her family to receive word of the inhumane conditions and the lies that had been spread by those damn nobles. Cordelia never wanted Annmaria to die, but her death marked one less candidate in the running for the position closest to Prince Clarence. If only it had been Princess Charlotte who died instead, Cordelia would have been truly happy.
Resting her head against the back of the wall, still dressed in her formal attire, Cordelia ran her fingers through her bright red hair, catching small snarls at the curled ends of her long hair. Her eyes were narrowed in thought, her dress marred with dust and dirt, but her temperament was still noble, making her seem out of place in the underground cell.
As the duchess rested, waiting patiently for any word from the palace, from her family, there was a heavy sound of footsteps, followed by the sound of a knight’s voice pouring through the bars of the cell, “Duchess Bernard, we will be escorting you now.”
Cordelia looked up to see a tall knight, his aged face stern and cold. She did not recognize the man, but she stood anyway, speaking in her usual haughty tone as she asked, “Escorting me where? I have already explained to his highness the events of that day. I had nothing to do with the death of Countess Annmaria!” Her voice was dry, shrill at the end with fatigue and anger. “I am not going anywhere until you explain what is going on! Is this how the Yursear Kingdom treats its guests?” She scoffed, turning away from the imposing knight.
The knight was unfazed by Cordelia’s insults as he continued, “We will be escorting you back to your carriage to return to the Vartien Kingdom. Your belongings have already been packed and placed in your carriage by your servants.” The knight’s tone was cold, his eyes still as he stared at the dirty duchess, sitting on the floor like a prisoner.
Hearing the knight’s words, Cordelia snapped her head at him, her fists clenched as she said in a furious tone, “Escorting me back to my kingdom?” She was beside herself, her voice loud as she said, “I am a candidate for marriage to his highness, the crown prince! How dare you treat me like this! I refuse to leave like this!”
Another knight walked towards Cordelia’s cell, his eyes moving from Cordelia to the tall knight, motioning with his eyes.
“There’s no time for your antics, duchess.” The tall knight motioned with his hand, motioning one of the guards to assist him. With a short bow, the abrupt appearance of the second knight was cut short, and the man disappeared out of the dungeon with quick steps, appearing as if he were only delivering a message.
With the second knight gone, the tall knight motioned again for the guard, who quickly approached.
“Unlock it.” He said sternly, gesturing towards Cordelia’s jail cell. His patience was obviously wearing thin.
The guard nodded, quickly selecting the key from his key ring and stepping towards the door. As he unlocked it, the knight and Cordelia made eye contact. Cordelia, who felt adept at staring down anyone, quickly turned away from his intense stare. His small pupils did nothing to hide the red veins on the sclera of his eyes.
The door unlocked, and the guard opened it, stepping to the side to allow Cordelia to exit, passing her a thick black cloak in the process.
Though I would rather stay here, I don’t have a choice right now. Cordelia’s eyes narrowed. That knight would sooner drag me out by my hair than argue with me to get me to leave. She was not a fool. As much as she wanted to resist, there was no favorable outcome she could foresee by resisting. The knight would not allow any room for discussion. For now, the duchess could only obey the knight.
Cordelia decided to follow the knight’s orders as she stepped through the cell doors and towards the knight. As she did so, two knights approached her from behind. She glared at them, startled by their sudden appearance, but they were unfazed, standing upright as they waited for orders. The tall knight nodded, and the group began to walk forward once Cordelia had adjusted the cloak over her head and shoulders, covering her face entirely.
Cordelia glanced behind her only once. This is when she noticed the knights stayed close behind her, acting as if they were there to protect her, rather than to restrain her. The stationed guards held their heads high as the duchess passed, their gazes focused forward on their respective cells. The torches flickered brightly, lighting the darkened cells with a thin glimpse of light. Cordelia looked through the bars of the cells as she passed, her gaze heavy with indignation and frustration.
When I return home, I’ll speak to my father about this. I cannot allow the royal family to treat me like this without repercussions! Cordelia thought to herself, stepping forward. Though Cordelia thought this, something about the whole situation felt wrong to her. She put on a strong face as to not let the knights know her fears, but she had to use every ounce of her will not to shout or cry for help.
As they turned down the hall of the dungeon, Cordelia heard the sounds of chains clanging, and the sound of deranged laughing, unlike anything she had ever heard before. There were no pauses to the laughter, just the sounds of heavy breathing, like wheezes, occasionally breaking the startling sound. Before she could help herself, Cordelia found her eyes scanning her surroundings, searching for what creature could make such an inhumane noise.
As she passed by one dark, dimmed dungeon cell, she saw a pair of eyes, dark, burning green. She could barely make out the figure’s face, but she could see their elven features, including the pointed tips of their ears. Cordelia involuntarily recoiled as her gaze met the elf’s, her body falling cold.
“My god.” Cordelia whispered, finally understanding what situation she was truly in. In the Yursear kingdom, where elves were banished and despised, there was an elf, hidden in the dungeon. If there had been an elf in the palace no less, the news would have ripped through the kingdom. Even Cordelia, who was also locked in the dungeon, would have heard about the elf. But she had not. It was only by walking past that she saw the beastly eyes and the pointed ears. But why? Did they walk her past the elf by accident? On purpose? Cordelia could not say, but she knew her life was now in immediate danger.
The figure in the cell watched her, their smile growing as they said in a raspy, hoarse voice, “You’re next!” The figure first said, gradually growing into a startling shout, flailing their arms, their lips spewing saliva as they continued to howl at Cordelia, “Or if you come over here, I’ll make it quick for you, just like I did for your little friend! I wonder if you would scream like she did?”
“Shut that prisoner up!” The second knight yelled. The guards, hearing the man’s call, quickly moved towards the cell with practiced movements, only leaving behind shadows as Cordelia was led towards the outside exit of the prison, away from the watchful eyes of those in the palace.
The light of the outside blinded Cordelia momentarily, and she had to pause for a moment to blink away the colored orbs blocking her vision before the two knights could continue to lead her forward. Once she blinked enough, she was forced to continue forward without another break. Walking at a brisk pace, Cordelia could only force herself to keep up, her heeled shoes digging into the backs of her ankles, but the thought of the elf she had just seen dulled the pain, bringing a deathly chill to her body. Even with her cloak, the air outside felt warmer than her body.
There were no knights on the back trail, only the sounds of the few birds that were left to bear the growing chill in the air. The trees were sparse, but there was enough cover from the foliage to hide their figures as they made the short trek towards the side entrance to the palace, where the deliveries and servants would come and go. The ground had begun to dry as the weather chilled, and the trampled mud underneath their feet was uneven, but their steady pace kept them straight on their feet, allowing no time to waste as they trailed away from the protected dungeon exit and towards the tall gates of the palace.
The closer they approached the small building and the stables, At this time of day, as early as it was, there were no sounds of horses, no sounds of servants nearby. It was strange, but Cordelia could not put her finger on why she found it so strange. Her thoughts were no longer hers as she was forced forward, her feet almost dragging at the rapid pace as they stepped onto the small stone ground, their eyes greeted with a small, embellished carriage without a family logo encrusted on the outside.
As Cordelia approached the carriage, the knights released their hold on her arms and allowed her to step forward on her own. She looked over her shoulder at the two men, memorizing their faces with a heavy glance before she turned to face back towards the carriage, her expression dark with rage.
I won’t forget their faces until the very day I die. She thought as she stood in front of the carriage, lifting her dirtied hand to the slim, golden handle delicately, as if it was the first time she had seen such a thing.
There were no servants to open the door for her, so Cordelia strengthened her nerves and opened the carriage door for herself, much like a low-standing noble. As the door to the carriage opened, a figure stood up inside, their face full of worry as they clutched the white handkerchief in their hand.
“Lady Cordelia!” The woman was her personal maid, Victoria, a sweet young woman almost five years older than Cordelia herself. Though Cordelia wanted so badly to believe that this was a good sign, that she would be returned home, something in her screamed the opposite. “I was so worried when I was suddenly called back from my return home! They only just told me what has happened to you, those scoundrels! Oh, look at your dress, and your face! They never should have treated you this way! Here, let me wipe off the dirt!”
Cordelia stepped into the carriage, using the doorway as leverage to lift herself inside, her sore foot resting on the small step as her body passed through the doorway. Victoria held the duchess’s arm tightly, helping her enter the small carriage. Once her skirt rested on the seat, the door behind the pair was closed with a heavy thudding sound, leaving the two women to talk in the small, confined carriage.
“I have to get home, Victoria.” Cordelia whispered heatedly, pushing away Victoria’s hands as she tried to wipe the dirt off of her face. “After the incident with Countess Annmaria and the poor treatment of foreign nobility in this kingdom, I’m sure my father will take action. I have to get home and tell him everything that has happened.”
Victoria’s eyes were wet with tears as she nodded her head, feeling saddened by the horrific treatment of her lady, “They won’t get away with this, my lady!”
“If I have anything to do with it, they won’t.” Cordelia whispered, grabbing her maid’s handkerchief as she began to wipe her face herself, to her maid’s utter surprise, “I’ll make them pay.”
As Cordelia settled into her carriage, the coach stared at the tall, imposing knight with a blank stare, his eyes covered by the brim of his hat as he spoke in a low voice. “We will be leaving now.”
The knight nodded his head solemnly, his voice low as he responded, “Make sure she is taken care of.”
The coach smiled in response, “It will be done.”
As the area fell quiet, the coach urged the two horses forward with the reins, leading them outside of the open palace gates with a hurried pace, speeding through their departure at a steady pace. There was no one to greet Cordelia as she departed, only the two knights that stood, carefully watching the carriage disappear towards the north and into the forest.
The gates steadily squeaked, gradually coming to a close with a loud clang, closing the last exit off.
…
This chapter was a beast, but it's done! I feel really good about this one, and so does Hunny, so I think that makes us both feel better :D Any thoughts on Cordelia?
Unfortunately, Hunny and I are both feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, so we're going to take a break as planned for next week. I bought Dazai's "No Longer Human" to read while relaxing, so it will not be without some suffering!
Thank you all for your continued support ♥ We will be back April 2nd for the (hopefully) short bit left before the end of this arc! Until then, much love ♥♥
Edit: I've always been curious... do you all have a favorite chapter? I think I would say my favorite is Clare and Silas's adult reunion! (chapter 40-something, I swear)
