NARRATOR
"I have given up a lot in my life for his sake. Ah! The present king, I mean. His ideals don't bond with mine."
"Huh? Sir?", his servant said in a shaken voice.
"You heard me right."
"Are you really going to con…spire…?"
"Yes, I will. But that path leads to a far greater cause. I am nothing more than a puppet with power," he laughed at his own sarcasm."And I would rather live as that, than as a puppet with none. The fault does not lie in our stars. We must make our own lives worthwhile. Speak no more. Here — take this."
He plops a few gem-like objects. "These are exceedingly rare gemstones. Do not mishandle them. Plant them throughout the castle. Everywhere!"
"The whole castle? Then it might take years. What do these-"
"Shhh! We must weaken the empire at its very core, the Royal Palace itself. Also, have them send a few people. By them, I mean…"
"I understand."
"Excellent!" He patted his back and walked towards the exit. "A few tasks must yet be fulfilled, for there dwell many powers greater than the king alone. When God averted His gaze, a devil came forth to my rescue."
ISEUL
"Arrows!", we exclaimed in sync.
Just then, we could hear a wood-breaking noise, just like a carriage falling down a cliff.
"Oh no!"
"?!"
I looked outside, half-scared and half-I-know-I-messed-up-again.
Brother got off the carriage and asked me to stay inside. I begged him to stay.
He said, "It is my duty to protect."
I looked out of the other window, but the only thing I could see was the edge of the cliff and the void beyond.
I could not sit alone inside the carriage when my brother was out there fighting. I got down from the carriage and saw a man with a sword in his hand about to strike my brother. I sprinted and shoved the man's hand with my weak ones. My brother turned around, and so did the man.
He raised his sword and was about to strike down, when a shadow emerged from behind me and countered the sword. The swords clanged and trembled from the force on both sides. I gave a hand to the shadow behind, and our joint force made the enemy weak.
He was pushed back but not defeated! He redoubled his strength, this time with red flames floating around his sword. Our other knights were fighting the masked men, and this person looked like their leader.
The person had already half-slashed the sword at me when I felt a spark in my heart, which grew in size, and small crisp flames shot out like arrows from mid air, but they were weak. It only served as a distraction to unprepared eyes.
My brother attacked from behind, and before he could turn around, the shadow left my back and charged forward.
His cape covered my eyes, loud, clinging sounds rang in my ear, and by the time I removed it, everything was cleaned. The man we saw attacking us was nowhere. That is when I heard a thud. It echoed through the mountains and amplified in my ears.
The hero with the cape turned his head. A young, brown-haired guy. His hair danced with the hollow winds along with some scrap cloth wrapped around his arm. He stabbed the sword into the earth and walked up to my brother. He picked him up and placed him on the rock.
My brother's arm was bleeding. I quickly ran over and held his arm.
"Brother!"
The cape-guy took out a small bottle, and I tore the fichu off the dress and handed it to him. He looked up, somewhat pleased to find something he was looking for.
The knights of the duchy had captured the small fries. They were made unconscious, and its effect lasted for three days. Enough time before we reach the academy in the Capital.
The wheel of our carriage was replaced, but we lost most of my brother's luggage.
NARRATOR
The atmosphere inside the carriage was tense.
Ruelle's brother looked out of the window with his eyes closed. The cape guy rubbed his sword with a piece of Ruelle's fichu.
She noticed now that he was quite the handsome 'lad'.
She asked, "Monsieur… cape... I mean, what is your true name, Monsieur?"
"Sylvan."
"Ah Monsieur Sylvan- "
"No need to address me so formally. Call me Sylvan. I dare not take the title 'Monsieur' from a lady noble or a lord… to be suffered entry into the carriage is reward enough."
Even if he said it was overwhelming, his tone was slightly sardonic.
"And yet, you dare silence her midspeech?" Ruelle's brother said without looking. His face was somewhat unreadable, but he seemed frustrated.
"He saved you. Ruelle quickly changed sides.
"How cou-!..", he could not say anything.
The whole carriage ride was awkward, and then they finally reached the capital city.
She looked out of the window. A bright sunny noon. Decorated carriages everywhere. Beautiful buildings on either side of the streets. Mansions, luxurious shops, Noble estates, parks, and tea shops filled the place. This was the Capital. It was precisely how she expected it to be.
Their carriage stood in front of a large gate, beautifully sculptured in ivory.
Around the gate was a sea of carriages. Decorated and less decorated. Some had children of noble families, while others had talented commoners.
My brother stepped out of the carriage. I, too, put on my hat and got down. Sylvan and the knights helped to get the luggage out. A knight was sent inside to inform of his arrival when an older man showed up.
He was a man in his sixties. Colossal. Sagacious. Her grandfather. The ex-Duke, whom she never met in her four years here. He wore a silk white tailcoat with gold embroidery and a cream vest inside it. His grey-streaked beard extended till his chest. A red jade ring hung from the belt. The most striking genetic characteristic is the golden iris and the distinguishable feature of the Delacroix family, a monocle on the left eye. She has seen my father wear it too, but at essential events. He cherishes that thing and gives it the utmost care.
"Good afternoon, Grandfather."