Percival Leonhart was a master of making excuses. The second Vran had dismissed the court, he had successfully secured Tish by arguing with the High Priest Anton Veskar that she was needed to work at the outskirts of the city - healing and blessing injured soldires. The High Priest wanted Tish to return to the temple to 'pray and meditate'. According to him, she should pray more and more during these times of crisis.
But Anton had very.... strong opinions on how to pray properly. To him prayer meant pain. It involved hours of her kneeling on cold stones until she could no more longer feel her legs. It involved days of fasting in the name of purification. It meant coercing her to read holy sermons until the letters stopped making sense to her. It involved her sitting in a prayer room with incense so thick she would pass out from sheer lack of air.
So Percival's intervention wasn't just welcomed, to Tish, it was practically a small miracle.
However, Tish had a feeling he could not have won against Anton all by himself had he not been backed by the Rān himself.
"Let Tish go to the outskirts of the city," The Ruler of Benevia had decreed, "She is needed there more. I believe Goddess Rāva will understand."
Then he had looked at Tish and smiled warmly, "Take care of Mamon, will you? That boy only listens to you."
Tish had smiled back even though she hadn't understood how was she supposed to take care of a full grown man...the Crown Prince of Benevia at that!
But she hasn't protested. She had followed Percival outside the Royale Courtroom and headed back towards where she had left Mamon with the Dragon Prince.
"You know that the King is nice to you because he wants to marry you off to Mamon, right?" Percival said abruptly. Tish almost tripped on flat ground.
"Nonsense," she said under her breath, "Mamon is...well, Prince ! And I am a nobody," her voice fell quieter as she remembered, again, Rudra's cruel words, "I am a nobody.... just a daughter of a stable boy and a maid."
Percival stopped and whipped around so fast, Tish gasped, startled. "You are many things, Tish," he pressed, "You are the Saintess of Benevia. You are the bravest, kindest, most honest woman I know!"
His gaze was so intense Tish had to look away, flustered. But Percival didn't back down. He didn't touch her. But his eyes felt more intimate than any touch.
"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met."
"Liar," Tish grumbled, "I bet you say that to every woman you meet." It was a petty thing to say and she knew it wasn't true. Percival didn't get offended. He just chuckled, utterly delighted, "That's right, I would have said that to every woman if every woman was Teresa Williams."
"What a player!" Tish scoffed and started walking fast, but there was no venom in her voice. Percival was still chuckling as he followed her. He caught up with her pretty fast because of his long legs.
Everything with Percival was so easy. He always wore his heart on sleeves.
It was opposite of everything Rudra was.
Tish couldn't remember a single time when Rudra had been kind to her. The nicest thing he had ever done to her was that one time she was running high fever and he had come to check her out, slapped his palm on her forehead and announced, "You are so hot you could breath out fire."
And now. The same apathetic, narcissistic, psychopath was back demanding that she married him or he would start a war.
The thought set heavy in her chest making it hard to breath.
"I don't want to go back to Partha," She said aloud, "I'd rather die before going back there."
"Tish," Percival's voice dropped an octave, "I would rather die before letting him take you back there."
"But what if he really burns down Benevia, Percy?" She whispered in a trembling voice, "Am I really worth all this trouble?"
Percival suddenly yanked Tish by her elbow. Tish stumbled back and crashed against Percival's chest, her hands flying to his shoulders to regain her balance.
"You are worth a hundred Benevia to me," Percy said fiercely, "You fear that he'd burn down Benevia to take you? I would burn down the world to keep you."
Percival's devotion was alarming. Tish knew she should feel concerned. But all she felt was a numb sense of relief, "Thank you," she croaked out, "For everything."
"Don't thank me now," Percival stepped back. But then he took her hand and started pulling her, not towards the High Bank of Rā, but away from it. Towards the Temple.
"Percy?" Tish's voice rose with mild alarm, "Where are we going?"
Percival didn't give direct answer, "You heard about the scrolls the High Priest and his people discovered from the innermost sanctums. They had more information aside from the tragedy of Saintess Rāvanya," he hushed, "They had information on the Sword of Mamon."
Atfirst Tish thought she heard it wrong. "Sword of Mamon?" She asked, just to be sure she hadn't hallucinated Percival saying those words.
"Shhh!" Percy hissed, his hand clamped on her mouth, "Can you be any louder ?"
"Mmpph mmphh!" Tish did her best to apologise.
Slowly Percival lifted his hand. His eyes darted every direction before he leaned forward, "The scrolls. They speak of a no-man land where this weapon can be found- one that can kill the dragons."
Tish searched Percival's eyes trying her best to find out if he was just bluffing or lying. But his eyes were clear. He didn't look like a madman singing of some mythical sword which Tish would only see in her dreams.
He sounds awfully.... confident.
"Where is this place?" Tish croaked out, her fingers dug into Percival's shoulders. He felt like the only solid anchor in the storm that had started in her heart.
"It's in the lost city of Alaka," said Percival, ''And the scrolls have a map on how to reach there."