Blood and Lilies - Part IV

"..."

"The knights?" Alice repeated thoughtfully. "Well, Marquis Beaumont will be providing them. Why is something the matter, Elias?"

"!"

How could I have overlooked this?

None of this made sense in the first place. In the report, only three bodies were found: Alice’s, Karen’s, and the charioteer’s. Four, if I included the horse, too. But not once was there any mention of knights accompanying them.

After all, no sane noble would ever send their daughters unguarded on the road. So… where were they during such a tragedy?

Had they been killed somewhere else?

Separated from the very people they were meant to protect?

Or perhaps... they were the perpetrators themselves?

The thought chilled me. After all, it was those very knights who had delivered the news of Alice and Karen’s deaths two weeks after the incident. Yet not a single trace of their supposed comrades had been found near the site.

But then again, there was no way to confirm it. It was only assumptions from my first iteration that Alice and Karen had indeed been escorted by Beaumont’s knights. 

Even so, it was too great a risk to ignore.

"Alice. Karen." My voice came out firm, sharper than before. "Whatever happens, do not proceed with the knights Beaumont has provided you. No matter what excuse they give, just don’t."

"..."

"May I ask why, Elias?" Alice tilted her head slightly, confusion in her eyes.

"Well…" I paused, steadying my breath. "I think they may be tied to your deaths in my premonition."

Karen leaned in. "How so?"

"Well. In my vision, it was reported that only four bodies were found: the two of you, the charioteer, and the horse. But—"

"No signs of the knights were ever mentioned," Alice finished for me, her sharp mind already connecting all the pieces together.

As expected, Alice caught on quickly. I felt a strange relief; they weren’t dismissing me outright, even though, to an outsider, my words would have sounded like paranoid ramblings. Perhaps it was that fascination girls often shared for omens and the occult.

Still, both Alice and Karen were handling this far better than I had dared hope.

Exactly. As expected from my sister," I smiled faintly.

"Oh, you little charmer, trying to make me blush," Alice laughed lightly before smacking my back.

"Ahh!" I winced, clutching my ribs.

"Sister! What are you doing? Elias is still recovering," Karen scolded, immediately rubbing my back as though her gentle hands could ease the pain.

"Thanks, Karen," I muttered weakly.

"It’s fine," she replied with a playful glint, then pinched my cheek. "But aren’t you being cheeky yourself? Calling us by our first names so freely now, Elias? Hm?"

"Oh, sorry, I didn’t realise."

"I’m only teasing. We don’t mind it," Karen said with a soft smile. "We’d rather prefer you speaking to us openly than keeping a distance."

"That’s right, Elias," Alice added warmly.

"..."

I cleared my throat, pulling us back to the matter at hand. "But to continue, whether it’s just an assumption or not, no knights were ever found. And worst of all, they might have been the ones who had reported the incident itself. That alone makes me suspicious of them. So, please… I beg of you, do not go with them, Alice, Karen."

"You really are a vivid dreamer, aren’t you?" Alice chuckled, though her eyes were thoughtful.

"If that’s the case," Karen chimed in, ever full of ideas, "why don’t we just ask to be escorted by Father’s knights instead? He should be back soon, too. We can speak to him directly."

"That’s a wonderful idea, Karen! Why didn’t we think of that sooner?" Alice praised, patting her sister’s head affectionately.

"So? What do you think, Elias?"

I let out a long breath, my chest easing with the first trace of relief since I had started this conversation. "That’s a great idea, Alice. Karen. Truly."

"..."

As discussed, everything had unfolded as planned. Father eventually arrived on his wyvern mount, and Alice and Karen immediately ran to him, hoping to secure the escort of his knights for their journey to Marquis Beaumont. Though Stepmother was initially hesitant about the week-long delay, fortunately, she was forced to relent under Father’s insistence. For her, as long as her daughter attended the engagement meeting, she did not care much.

As for those shady knights, they were dismissed and sent back to wherever they had come from. Initially, they did try to dispute at first, but no amount of bluster could stand against the Duke’s authority.

During that week, Alice and Karen visited me constantly, feeding me, entertaining me, and showering me with love. Their presence made me so happy that I found myself healing faster than I had in the first iteration.

Then, at last, the day of their departure arrived. Early in the morning, the twins stood ready, suitcases packed for their long journey to Thornwick City. Leaning on Clara’s support and my cane, I watched them with heavy eyes. Fortunately, Father had assigned six of his most trusted knights to guard his daughters. Stepmother and Timothy were, somewhat surprisingly, nowhere to be seen.

I looked at my sisters with quiet sadness. We may have possibly managed to prevent their deaths this time, but they still had to attend the engagement talks they despised. But they had assured me it would be quick, and that their return would be before I even realised they were gone.

After embracing Father, Alice and Karen turned to hug me.

“Don’t look so down, Elias.”

“Yeah, we’ll be back before you know it.”

They tried to reassure me.

“You’re right.” I forced a smile, hiding the weight pressing against my chest. They, too, were forcing theirs.

“Take care, Alice. Karen. Have a safe journey.”

The carriage began its descent down the main road, flanked by two knights in front, two at the sides, and two behind. I watched until it disappeared beyond the horizon.

Well… I guess that’s it for now.

"..."

A month later, I had recovered fully, thanks to Clara and Tessa. I had once again built a good relationship with them, slowly reshaping my image in the household. Timothy, of course, continued to jeer at me. But this time, it was only because I hadn’t yet threatened him with the shard of porcelain vase.

— Maybe I should give him a little taste of it.

My relationship with Father had improved as before, though things with my eldest stepsister and Stepmother remained unchanged. As for my eldest stepbrother and his mother, they were still nowhere to be seen.

Then, one fine afternoon, the great doors of the mansion opened. In walked the knights of House Vandrelis, having finally returned. Following behind them were Alice and Karen.

They had lived!

— Thank God! I'm so relieved.

My heart leapt, and I wanted to run to them, but froze when I saw their faces.

They looked dejected, almost ashamed, their gazes fixed to the floor.

Not once did they look at me. Without a word, they hurried straight to their rooms.