Guilt

Rionara looked outside the ornate window. The illuminated streets contrasted with the dark sky. Below the lamp posts were crawling with guards patrolling with their weapons on hand.

She looked back at the room given to her and it all felt hollow. A blonde elf maid was pouring her a drink, but the scent of tea that was supposed to make her calmer only served to unnerve her further. Her eyes drifted to the side and she witnessed Priscilla bobbing gently back and forth in complete silence while staring back at her.

“Your tea is ready, Miss Jeanne.”

Rionara stared at her and nodded once, quietly. The maid bowed respectfully before leaving the room. The high elf remained still for a few more minutes until she decided to walk up to the table where the tea was set.

She sat down on the ornate couch. The silver metal framing alongside the fine cushion made for an excessively impressive seat.

Normally she’d be impressed by such comfort, but nothing made sense anymore. She kept staring at the steam coming from the cup of tea. The swaying motion reminded her of Priscilla and as she turned to her, the knight was still staring with her empty crimson eyes.

“Pris.” She called softly. “Come have a seat.”

She waited but the knight simply groaned. She didn’t seem to understand or care for what the high elf said.

Rionara hesitantly raised her hand at Priscilla. There was a faint sensation tugging her chest towards the corpse before she physically closed her hand and said with a firm voice.

“Come.”

That time, the knight responded with her feet slowly scraping against the carpet. She stood right beside Rionara, still gazing at her.

“Sit down.”

She motioned with her hand and Priscilla tried to bend her back, but each attempt made the knight’s upper body twitch as if it was difficult to sit down. The high elf gently put her right hand on the knight’s back and calmly guided her upper body downward with the other. The corpse eventually bent its knees and sat down—all the while staring at Rionara.

The high elf sat beside Priscilla and stared at the poured tea. The fancy cup made Rionara curl her lips inward as it reminded her how Priscilla would always slip back to her noble teachings during a meal.

Her blue eyes were locked on the cup. She raised her right hand towards it and said firmly.

“Pris, grab that cup.”

With a twitch, the corpse complied and shakily reached for the cup. But instead of holding it by its handle as Priscilla normally did, she wrapped her entire palm around it as if it were unfamiliar. The strength she put in the grip was making the porcelain creak slightly before Rionara shouted.

“Let go!”

She instantly opened her hand and the cup fell with a thud, spilling its contents on the carpet. The stain spread like an open wound across the textile. Priscilla’s eyes gazed down for a moment before turning back to Rionara—as if waiting for the next order.

The slow realization made the high elf close her eyes in silence. Her mind was filled with fragmented memories of the past few days.

Many of which were of Priscilla’s voice and mannerisms. But upon opening her eyes and looking at the corpse beside her, it finally clicked.

“I’m sorry, Pris.” She leaned her forehead into Priscilla’s shoulder and hugged her tightly. “You were never meant to be… this…”

Her heart ached. In front of her, only the husk of the knight’s former self remained. No warmth, no breath, just mana and an unfulfilled duty.

Outside the room, the maid was standing in front of the door with her hands together in front of her body—waiting.

Muffled footsteps echoed from down the hall and she turned to the source. Rhys walked towards her and the maid responded by stepping closer to him.

“Lord Rhys, your guest is quite troubled.”

“Troubled?”

She nodded once.

“She was crying inside the room.”

He remained quiet for a brief moment before looking at her eyes again.

“Did she request anything from you?”

“No, my lord.”

“I see. Continue to serve her as you’d serve me.” He let out an exasperated sigh. “I’ll go talk to the Baron, I won’t be back until later.”

“Understood.” The maid opened one of her eyes before bluntly asking. “Should anything be done about that… thing?”

“No.” There was a bitter sensation in his mouth as he spoke. “Don’t do anything unless she attacks you first.”

“Very well, my lord.”

He adjusted his white overcoat and headed outside the mansion again. Guards patrolling the noble district saluted him as he passed by them. He would go past them with a discreet nod and keep walking.

His footsteps felt heavier than before.

‘Why did she go down there…?’ He rubbed his thumb and index finger together. ‘Why did she have to follow her father’s footsteps…?’

A royal knight. He knew that title wasn’t just for show—her skills were recognized by the Queen and her Commander. A feat that could come close to heroes.

He stood just beyond the gates of one of the smaller houses in the noble district. There he was greeted by a tanned towering woman wearing gambeson and a kettle helmet. She was almost twice his size and was using her warhammer as an arm rest. She smiled while waving her hand casually.

“Good evening, Lord Rhys.”

“Good evening. Is the Baron in?”

“Yes, he just came back.”

Rhys was about to reach for his dueling saber’s sheath, but the woman simply raised her hand and shook her head.

“No need, he trusts you enough already. Also it’s a pain in the butt to remove that thing all the time, isn’t it?”

He let out a short chuckle.

“I suppose you are right.”

He walked past her and into the private property. The stone steps lead the captain to the ornate wooden door. He could feel a stare come from the gilded windows beside it before the door was eventually unlocked with a loud metallic clunk.

“Greetings, Lord Rhys.” A thin elf woman bowed slightly once she saw him. She had visible dark bags under her eyes. “Master is waiting for you inside.”

“Is everything okay, Lydia? You sound more tired than usual.”

“Master was… rather proactive yesterday-”

Rhys sighed as he waved his hand, dismissing the comment.

“Alright, I understand. Rest well later.”

“Mhm. I shall.”

The captain cleaned his boots before stepping inside.

There was a distinct scent of tobacco in the air alongside a slightly woody taste.

The furniture was all made out of wood polished to perfection. The dim lights and small interior made the place feel antique. Sitting across the room flanked by two voluptuous women was a familiar man.

Brown messy hair, confident hazel eyes and an equally assertive smile were the first features one would see on him.

“Hey, Rhys.” He had one arm around each woman as he flashed a smug smirk towards the captain. “What brings you here?”

“An urgent matter.”

He sat down and the black haired woman with brown eyes stood up from the Baron’s left. She poured a drink into a short stout glass. She then walked over to Rhys and slowly sat on his lap before bringing the drink close to his mouth.

He grabbed the drink and took a sip before turning back to the man in front of him.

“Urgent you say? What could be more urgent than enjoying life?”

Despite the woman’s increasing body contact, Rhys remained serious throughout the exchange.

“We had multiple casualties.”

Those words made the baron furrow his brows for a moment as if he didn’t hear it right.

“Who did it? Was it that Arcadian knight you mentioned?”

“No, at least, not directly.”

There was a brief pause as the baron lifted his left hand and smiled quietly to the blonde woman on his right.

“Wait for me upstairs, okay? This is business.”

She smiled and nodded before running her finger under his chin and standing up. The black haired woman did the same as they both left the room. With them away, he leaned forward with his hands and fingers interlocked.

“So, who did it? And why should I not have their neck in the guillotine?”

“It’s… complicated.”

The baron leaned back and snapped his fingers. Lydia came over to him as if she was trained to do so. She sat on his lap and only then the baron gestured to Rhys to continue.

After a long while explaining the situation to him. The baron became less and less annoyed and far more curious about the person that massacred a dozen with the lift of a hand.

“So.” The baron had his right hand under his chin while his left rested around Lydia’s stomach. “You’re telling me this elf woman resurrected it?”

“Yes.”

“And that it can fight?”

“From what the men said, yes.”

“Very well. You may continue housing this woman, but do make sure this doesn’t get out to the public. This is a chance that doesn’t just drop on our laps.” He leaned back and tapped his fingers around his leg. “Best take it before someone else does.”

There was a hint in his eyes that made Rhys uneasy. The captain took another sip of his drink before leaning slightly forward.

“I understand your priorities, Hector, but for the sake of this city as well as the citizens. Do not lay your hands on her.”

The baron smiled before chuckling.

“Do you think of me as a wild animal or something?” He stood up, carrying Lydia in his arms. “I will return to my ‘business’ now. You may go, Rhys.”

The captain nodded and stood up before taking his leave. He could hear faint laughter coming from the room upstairs as he closed the door behind him.

“Lowlife scum…”

With furrowed brows, Rhys grit his teeth as he walked away. He gave the front guard a short nod as he went back to his own mansion.

He stood in front of it for a while. The two-story building was too much for a man like himself. He preferred to sleep at the barracks, but with what happened there earlier, he wasn’t sure if it would be a good idea to have Rionara also be there.

He sighed.

“Curses.”

He walked inside. That big mansion was managed by only two maids that also slept in the guest bedrooms and there were still plenty of rooms to go around.

‘Such a waste of space…’

He went up the stairs and into the hallway. The elf maid was still there in the same spot, just in front of the doorway as if she had never left it.

“Ah, welcome back, Lord Rhys.” She turned to him and bowed low. “How was your visit?”

“Must you really ask?” He removed his overcoat and asked while folding it in his hands. “How was she? Did she talk?”

She shook her head.

“She was still conversing with it. Never once mentioned leaving the room.”

“Adelia. I understand why you speak the way you do, but please, refrain from calling Priscilla’s body a ‘thing’ from now on.”

“As you wish, my Lord.”

His shoulders slumped as he turned around, looking for someone.

“Where is your sister?”

“In the kitchen, she spent the evening preparing a meal since she heard you’d be staying here for the night.”

“What?”

“She enjoys your presence as much as I do, my Lord.”

“Well…” He handed her his clothes. “Do tell her to arrange an extra chair in the kitchen then.”

“Are you going to have her join us, my Lord?”

He nodded.

“That is the plan.”

“I advise against it.”

“Huh?”

“She hardly touched the sweets prepared for her, I doubt she would eat in front of strangers.”

“I can’t let her starve on her own.”

“I shall attempt to provide her with care, my Lord.” Her brown eyes had a strange confidence in them. “Have some faith in your servant.”

He sighed.

“You are no servant of mine.” He stood in front of the door and waited until the maid was gone before knocking on it. “Rionara. Can I come in?”

There was a long silence before a quiet voice came from inside.

“You can come in.”

Rhys took another deep breath before opening the door. He was expecting the scent of death to hit his nose as soon as he entered, but contrary to his belief there was only a sweet scent of syrup and a faint hint of tea in the air.

Rionara was sitting between Priscilla’s knees on the couch in front of the large bed. She didn’t look at him and just kept staring at the plate of pancakes on the table.

He walked over to the other couch across from her and Priscilla’s eyes tracked his movements quietly.

“Did Adelia treat you well?”

She nodded twice, barely moving her head.

“Mhm.”

“Aren’t you hungry?”

She shook her head, again barely moving her head.

“Mm-mmm.”

He leaned back against the couch and kept looking from her to Priscilla. He couldn’t picture the two of them knowing each other, but given how adamant she was in staying beside her—he couldn’t deny the proof in front of him.

“Can I ask where you met Priscilla?”

That question made Rionara blink a few times before turning her eyes to him. His calm demeanor reminded her of Priscilla a bit.

“Do you know about knights?”

“I know about them. Especially the Arcadian ones.”

“I… I always dreamed of meeting one.” Her gaze returned to the pancakes. “And Priscilla was far from what I imagined a knight to be.”

“She certainly is unique in that regard.” He crossed his left leg on top of his right and rested both hands close atop his lap. “You’d expect a knight to wear armor.”

“Yeah, but… she was… amazing. The rapier in her hand felt like a brush painting a picture, a vivid, living image.” Her fingers dug into her own arms as her heart began to ache. “But now… I…”

“Rionara, what you have done is not something you can easily walk back on.” He also lowered his gaze to the table before turning to her again. “But, I promise you. As long as you seek forgiveness, there is still a rightful path for you to walk on.”

“What is there to forgive?” She shut her eyes. “I ruined everything Priscilla was meant to be. She was a knight, a hero, someone that would save many and yet-”

“It’s not yet over, is it?” Rhys uncrossed his legs and placed his hands on his thighs. “You are still alive, you can still make amends.”

‘I on the other hand…’

He clenched his teeth as if trying to kill the feeling of guilt burning inside of him.

“Amends?” She said in a bitter tone. “I’ve killed people. They also had their lives and I ended them.”

“Do you want Priscilla to be known as the result of your selfish desires instead?

“No I… I never meant for her to be… this.”

He stood still for a while, eventually leaning back against the couch again.

“My men died trying to protect our city. Honor their sacrifice by seeing this through.” He stood up. “I planned to take you under me so you can at least try to work your way out of this. Rionara, understand that I am not doing this from the compassion of my heart. I’m doing this because I still believe Priscilla should have a clear end and you’re the only one who can provide it.”

He left the room and left Rionara to her thoughts. She grabbed Priscilla’s arms and wrapped herself around them as she tucked her head between her own knees.

“A clear end…”