Chapter 44

𝕾𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔 𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖙𝖔: 𝕾𝖙𝖆𝖙𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝕲𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖊 𝖇𝖞 𝕿𝖆𝖞𝖑𝖔𝖗 𝕾𝖜𝖎𝖋𝖙

***

When the sparkling rays of hope went to bypass my clothed warmth, thoughts of certainty came passing through the walls of my soul, and in the blink of an eye, through that yellow-orange hot mists of the morning air's breath, like a feather, everything felt light.

"Milady, it's time for breakfast----"

"And a good morning greeting accompanied by the sun's kiss to you as well, Anna," I looked at her to hear her soft laughter.

To have that kind of soft fluffy descending melody like a harp come through my ears was enough for my morning's rhythm. But I know Anna wasn't aware of the little things she does when it means as if they're the world to me.

After teasing her a little, she prepared everything I needed. Although I wanted to try new things even though I'm still eleven years old, she would almost do everything. I know I'm being spoiled by my friend but I can only keep up with the age of my body right now.

We descended to the breakfast hall, and I could see that my parents were already present. Before coming to pass the door, I heard Claudius and Henry talk to them. My parents seemed to be jolly in their interactions with my friends.

However, this was the first time, I came to see something I'd been missing ever since I was born.

Looking at the four of them, I could see gold glittering around, accompanied by this majestic warmth. I put my hands at the center of my chest, and it felt heavy like I couldn't breathe for a second before hearing Anna's wavering voice.

"Are you all right, Milady?"

I put my hands on Anna's shoulders to maintain my balance and she gladly took my hands as I smiled at her.

"Never been better than now Anna," I say but I wasn't looking at her for that moment. As if my mind told me to look at the painted scenery in front of me and my lips curled up in a manner that I never imagined.

When I decided to look at Anna, I saw her looking at the same view that had been plastered in my memories for as long as I could remember. The first reaction I caught from her today was a silent tear with her lips lifted.

"Silly, why are you crying?" I asked her.

Then I went to caress her back when I saw her shoulders were shaking.

"Milady, it's because young master Henry and Sir Claudius will leave for tomorrow, and seeing that the duke and duchess were having their moment with them made me feel sad. Especially that you're close to them and now they would no longer be by your side. I can't help but cry..." She wanted to speak loudly but every word came like a passing whisper of cold breezes

I understand Anna a lot and what she's feeling had been the same thing that accompanied my mind throughout those days when I knew that Henry would leave to pursue medicine in the imperial academy leaving his knighthood behind.

But I have trust in him, that he would come back not only as a knight but also as a worthy doctor.

Soft chuckles escaped my lips making Anna look at me and I just gently messed up her hair like I would usually do like in the past.

"Anna, it's not yet the end of the world, right? Remember when I asked why people are hurt? Well, it hurt me to be left alone but I guess it's also my time to be more mature right now and I'm hoping that by the time they come back, I will be worthy in their eyes and I would have grown up by then..."

After those words that I've said, Anna finally let go of some air that she had been holding on to. I continued to caress her back. After a few more seconds, she looked at me and held both of my hands.

Both of my eyes widened at her sudden gesture but her words came filling up my opened mouth.

"Milady, even if they were far away, you could still send them letters, right? Then don't hesitate to send them what you mean and what you're going through because I know that in the end, they still want to be connected to you in any way if it's not physical then it might be emotional..." Anna's voice became deep, as if there was more depth to her words but I nodded with a smile.

Later that time, Father saw me and Anna, and he invited us over, Henry came to my side and pulled me away from Anna, while my eyes never escaped the way Claudius glared at Henry for always teasing me.

Henry then made fun of Claudius' expression while both of my parents laughed. My mother talked to Anna and Anna waved her hands at me as she closed the door.

This breakfast I have with the people I love will be the most memorable experience I will have in my entire life not because it was irreplaceable but because this moment is my own happiness and I'm hoping it was theirs as well.

Mother would always advise me to be careful with food, but because I only wanted to eat Claudius' favorite tart cream, he allowed me but as a condition, he put the cream on top of my nose. Henry shouted at him and father only laughed while my mother put her hand on her forehead.

In the end, the hall was filled with these funny noises and one of those leading noises came from Henry as he would always argue with Claudius.

He even gave me his cake though I knew he never liked sweets in the first place. Then suddenly our experience within the cake shop reminded me of this.

Only that Celna and Cain weren't present but it's fine since I get to have my time on both amazing people I could ever have in my life.

"Vestia..." I blinked my eyes and turned to where the voice came from.

I was paying so much attention to my thoughts on what happened earlier that even if I looked around the large tree, the mesmerizing rays, and curled my hands to the soft grasses like linen, it goes back to the smiles and laughter of the past hour and until I get my thoughts back to the present.

"I know that we would be by the South Lake this day, but... I wanted to give you this..." the voice that could caress a soft linen, like a cotton before it was made one, came descending to my ears like velvety warm honey and my gaze went from his face to his hands.

"I know that it's not much because I----"

"Henry, I know, and you know what?" I paused and stepped forward, maybe two steps nearer to him then I leaned in closer with nothing but curled-up lips.

"I would always treasure what my friends would give me, especially when it was made out of effort," I took the long golden scarf from his hands and unfolded it.

I was about to put it on my neck when I saw my initials on the sides. Then I looked at Henry and I hugged him.

"You never fail to surprise me as always Henry, did you master embroidery now?" I heard his soft laughter and felt his head moving up and down.

"I would never be able to make this if it weren't for you that day when I surprise visit you and well, I guess I would always thank the duchess for teaching me how to do it..."

I chuckled at his soft voice. And that moment, I never would have thought that someone from the shadows of the tree would stay in the calm but terrifying waterfalls.

After a few seconds, we chuckled, and Claudius came. He bypassed Henry and pulled me closer to him. He halted and I did the same, but with a blink of an eye, his grip on my hand tightened and I gasped when he started dragging me far away from the place where I was with Henry.

When my head turned back, the scenario of falling leaves swayed by the passing winter whispers, left behind a silhouette of my precious friend, a young man holding the long soft fabric that I once held.

I tried to open my mouth, but the words flowed through my throat in one gulp before the scenario faded and turned into a place I had never seen before.

The only sound that came out of my mouth was dry and rough but I could only hear him sigh the moment darkness engulfed my eyes, but warmth replaced that dim light.

"I know you haven't been here yet, but do you know where this is, Vestia?" Claudius' voice went through the depth of my skin seething every hair I had only to collide with the warmest breath touching the back of my ears.

"Then enlighten me, where are we, Claudius?" I asked and slowly, the darkness was divided by the upcoming light until I could see that we were inside of the room where we first met.

It was the place where I gave him his name, but every corner of the place screams the vagueness of familiarity the sincerest captured memories kept on spiraling in my head making me float in the abyss of the top sky, this resounding unknown kept me filled up with thoughts of the past vividness and how this time, it became different.

"And I know the duke especially the duchess gave me permission to recreate this room and now, I've made this hoping you could keep our memories together alive, through the years when I'm not around with you, Vestia, can I ask you favor?"

My mouth hung open, and my eyes continued to stare at the vast place. Every corner had these pieces of roses but Claudius explained to me that these wouldn't wither.

Aside from the wooden bed and the walls painted like scenery in the middle of the meadow, and windows that captured the rays of the warmest shine, Claudius led me in front of the fireplace that was new to me.

He twisted the candle's handle hanging above it and beside the fireplace, where the bookshelves reside, divided into two and it showed me the stares downwards with yellow-orange lights, later I knew they were lamps attached to the walls.

I wanted to ask Claudius if he had discovered something like this the same thing I discovered in the past where there were six passages.

But before I could open my mouth, my gaze started widening after seeing Claudius's lips plastered upwards while he wasn't even looking in front but at me.

"I know it was so sudden but if there's a sudden intruder and I can't protect you, I'm sure this place will protect you in my stead, Vestia. This passage was meant to lure assassins not to escape because, within the deepest of this, beasts are waiting to be fed on..."