“What is this madness?” Waharis was fuming mad for the first time in the history that he had been at the court.“Whatever do you mean by that, Chancellor?” Dasran asked innocently, like he didn’t know the reason why the supposed-to-be pristine and saintly man was not in the mood to be angelic today. “I believe we all heard the king say that we will resolve the hostage problem by paying ransom and not engaging the Mahan people in a fight. Everyone in the country knows that the Mahan people are magicians and we wouldn’t stand against them if they are triggered and declare war on us!” One of his close aides who was squatting at the floor along with the other lower ministers tugged at the hem of his ministerial robes, as if to remind him that he wasn’t supposed to raise his voice but Waharis didn’t care already. “Chancellor Dasran, you were the one in-charge of arranging the gold. Why did you make decisions on your own by answering violence with violence? What if we were found out and t
And just like that, Carysse’s resting time was shattered.She should not be surprised. Every time she was with Chaos, there was always something shocking. Like right now, Carysse was literally inside the same carriage and sitting in front of the royal prince of Apharoth.Carysse didn’t want to go with him to the king’s castle because someone like her wasn’t really up for royalty things but after much persuasion, Chaos was able to convince Carysse that he would explain things while they traveled. “My childhood as a prince stopped when I was five years old. I heard that my brother was going to the farmers located outside Apharothia. I was insisting on going with him but my parents disapproved so I sulked for weeks until my birthday. As a gift, my father finally granted my wish to go with my brother.”Carysse was munching on bread and fruits. She wanted to gobble them all at once but she didn’t want to be rude while Chaos was talking so she controlled herself, scolding herself that she
It was Carysse’s first time to be at a royal banquet. But at the very least, she was able to save herself from wearing such suffocating gowns and headresses.Earlier, they arrived at Chaos’ own castle which was small compared to the giant Adreic Castle. It was where they would rest while waiting for the night event. It was like a refurbished circular fortress as it was in the middle of the forest. It had two keeps, a bailey, and the three castle buildings enclosed by high walls and towers on its corners. It was surrounded by a moat with its drawbridge too slow to be let down. Carysse could see why there was a need for a rampart. The slow motion of the drawbridge would kill the ones passing through it if they were in an emergency and the rampart would serve as extra protection. Its roof was painted in dark hues of blue, earning its name as Saphiruss or Sapphire-born. If the Adreic Castle displayed grandeur, the royal prince’s castle was built for war.“I will go with you in the palace
The prince laughed an evil one after what he said, as if expecting the shocked reaction of the crowd. “What? There’s not a rule in Gairoshi that prohibits someone who just invaded a village,” he mocked. Carysse might not know him personally but she knew that he was one heartless and insensitive man, whether he was drunk or not. Carysse’s hand was already on the hilt of Chaos’ sword but Chaos knew her well enough to stop her immediately. Chaos’ hand was on top of hers, his fingers struggling against Carysse’s trembling hand, itching with the intent to kill. Her blood was boiling at the mere sound of his voice. Any more mention of Thalisse and she will let herself loose. “Breathe,” Chaos whispered as he looked slightly at her, still gripping her hand that was ready to draw the blade. Only then did she notice she was breathing hard like she just ran a thousand miles. He then turned his attention to Prince Saizen. “Looks like we’ll see each other in the arena, then. For that, you have
For the second time around, Carysse woke up in a good bed, only that it was larger this time.Carysse had her own room full of the necessities that any lady would appreciate. She even had a tall window that faced the direction of the rising of the sun. There were chests filled with clothes, a couch, a wide table, two stools, and a huge shelf stacked with books and clean papers.The sun was not yet up but she was already wide awake. This was her first official day as Chaos’ escort. Last night was just a bummer. Chaos said he had already arranged one of his chamberlains to teach her the right way. Although it annoyed Carysse that even here she had to learn, she didn’t deny that she was excited to see the way of the nobles. Carysse pushed open her window. She stood on its ledge and saw that even while standing, her head didn’t even touch the frame. She wondered if the other windows of the castle were like these. She hoped not because if the enemy suddenly decided to attack Sapphirus, th
“I see that you have already met Master Saber,” Chaos said as they ate at the table.They were gobbling on lobsters, river fish, and strange fruits that Carysse had never seen before. One was called dragon scales because of its fin-like skin and another one was called Vargo’s berry. It is said that when the legendary first king named Vargo was about to die in a cave because of hunger from being pursued by the enemies, the heavens took pity and made a plant grow in the darkness of the cave. The plant bore fruit that brought Vargo back to life and was able to defeat the forces that were trying to conquer Apharothia. Whether or not the story was true, the fruit was definitely heavenly. Its pulp tasted of fresh milk and had the most pleasant fruit smell Carysse had ever encountered. One thing that Carysse noticed that was different in the dining hall of Chaos was that everyone was supping together. Based on the stories from the travelers that she had heard, lords and servants do not eat
In Carysse’s vocabulary, training meant pulling a stack of logs, chopping them, and then carrying them again. It could also mean hiking the mountains without food or water. And worse, the one that Carysse hated the most, jumping from the waterfall where your feet should land on a specific part of the water determined by a circular rope that Elder Shimar floated. Not only was it dangerous but it always left her head spinning and her ears filled with water for hours. These were her version of training, the one that she was used to, and not merely walking up and down beside a brook at the back of the castle that flowed outside the walls. “Master, what can I hope to achieve from this?” Carysse asked as she counted her 30th complete round from the hole that spewed the water up to the part of the wall that cut it short. “You will soon appreciate it, young lady. Follow my instructions for now and you will soon see,” he assured. But the way her master just toured around touching the plants
Chaos saw Carysse and Master Saber outside. She was working hard. He also had to.He sent for his horse.“Do you want me to call for the Captain or your men?” his servant asked. The prince shook his head.“No, it’s all right. I’ll just be quick,” he said.The boy didn’t reply but Chaos noticed the trouble forming in his head.“Is something bothering you, Joras?”“I do not wish to offend you, my prince, but you are alone. They might scold me if they find out that you went outside by yourself without telling anyone,” the boy whimpered.Chaos patted the boy’s head. He found Joras in the streets of Apharothia a year ago. He was discarded by his parents because his skin was burnt that covered half of his body. His skin made him ‘hideous’, as his parents called him, making them unable to sell him to the slavers. When they saw that no one would buy him, they just left him in the market. Now, that hideous boy is his most trusted squire.“Just tell them it's my special order. They’ll understan
Carysse lied when she said that she already ate her midday meal.Truth was, her stomach was feeling queasy and she didn’t want to enter the tournament with an upset stomach so she opted not to eat.She was met by Master Saber at the gate.“Do not doubt yourself, Carysse. You are strong. Have faith in your own strength,” her master emphasized.“Of course,” Carysse affirmed. “But I will be lying if I said that I am not nervous right now.”Carysse was confident in her fighting skills. Other than that, she was useless. Yet in Zeikontour, those ‘other things’ were the core.“Tell me, master, will I do all right?”“It does not matter, young one. We are humans who are naturally flawed. We are strong in one area and lacking in another. But it is in those weaknesses that miracles happen only when we conquer them. So go, be overwhelmed, feel inferior, and be worried. Whether you will do well or not, it all boils down to the meaning of why you’re doing it.”‘So I should put my life on the line i
When Carysse received the letter from the council that was in-charge with Zeikontour, she had a flashback when Chaos also sent a letter to announce his comeback to the village.That was more than two weeks ago. So little time has passed yet much has happened. Never did Carysse imagine that two weeks was enough to change the direction of her life. But looking back, she was somehow glad of this turn of events. She was just a mere guard, fighting everyday for the survival of the village but thanks to Chaos’ chaotic appearance, they finally got a chance to end their misery.“What does it say?” Chaos asked as he appeared from the doorway to the battlements. Recently, it was where they always found each other deep in the night. It was not surprising though. Even when they were children, they shared favorite spots.Carysse carefully folded the letter in its original form.“It will be tomorrow after the midday meal. Miss Veina Sahazii even sent her greetings saying that she is looking forward
Carysse pulled Chaos inside the carriage. “You’re awfully burning,” she said as she quickly brought out the herbs and oil that she brought earlier. She stooped and grabbed hold of something below the cushions. It was a good thing she had a thoughtful master. “The one you’re guarding is not any noble. He is the royal and only prince of Apharoth. It’s expected that some might attempt to endanger his life. You have to be always prepared,” Master Saber advised her once. Carysse brought out the box that her master had gathered himself. Inside were rare medicinal herbs for different kinds of poison, bandages, blades, some silver and gold coins, a wooden pounder, spoons, and small bowls for mixing. In this case, it was nature that was attempting to weaken him. She grabbed the leather skin that was hanging and poured water on one of the bowls. She took three leaves of the different herbs. She didn’t know their names but she was familiar with what would work for fever. Even Master Saber wa
Chaos and Carysse were watching the last match of the morning. This time, it was between two young knights. No wonder why the arena was so crowded when it was such a spacious building.“The brown-haired one is from Rayrra, the Lone Island of Apharoth,” Chaos said.The man was a deadly tornado with the twin swords twirling in his hands. He kept on missing the vital parts but his opponent was already bleeding in many parts of his body. Despite being clothed in armor, the hook of his sword was able to squeeze some cuts in the place where the armor can’t cover. Even his fighting style was not that of a knight. It was more like a barbarian whose strikes had no sense of direction. He was just attacking to wound or kill.Although it would be expected since Rayrra was a remote island who has had few exposure to how the knights outside Rayrra behaved and fought. Rayrra wasn’t originally a part of Apharothia but because of the success of the First King of Apharoth, the island voluntarily associ
Because of Tersherri’s presence, Carysse had her senses up throughout the ride. But when they reached Saphiruss and saw the wooden coffin of Liblei inside, Carysse switched over to her vulnerable side. She immediately broke down at the hall, holding back her mouth as she sobbed and sat beside Azelle and the other servants. “Change into your mourning clothes later. We will be having a special ceremony in an hour. I am sorry. Although I said that we will mourn together, I cannot hold you long in this castle for your own safety. I’m sure her home awaits for her as well.” Carysse knew Chaos was tired. But for him to go such lengths for her sake, he was also showing his soft spot. Azelle and the other servants wouldn’t stop thanking him. It was just too good to be true for a royal prince to show them this much kindness. An hour after, they were instructed to form a circle in the castle garden. They placed Liblei in the center and formed a ring around her coffin. During the ceremony, e
The whole point of being excited for the Gairoshi was ruined.Carysse was just supposed to be by Chaos’ side watching his back. Already, she was relishing the fact that she would be called as the royal prince’s escort. She thought this might be her opportunity to build some connections, especially that she was in contact with the royal family. She thought that this was the day that she would start her dreams of being a diplomat one day, a desire of hers that was put in the dark because of the two years that they had been living in fear. Now that she was in a steady pace, slowly reconciling with Chaos bit by bit, living in a castle life, experiencing new training under a second master, and even meeting a friend that was old and affectionate enough to be her mother, she thought she was getting back the life that was stolen from her because of the Thalisse attack that shook her peaceful world.But yet again, the death of Liblei shattered her heart. If destiny was a person, he must be a
Carysse froze. “What..” “The name of the woman was Liblei, I think,” the lady turned to the other at her back. “Right, sis?” “Yeah. Poor lady. She must have been stressed with what Mahan did to the noble ladies last time and the Zeikontour itself. But the organizers have no choice. They have to continue with the tournament as stated in the rules. May her soul rest. I heard the woman has been through a lot in her past life–” Chaos pulled Carysse away. The conversation was getting out of hand. He had to calm her down. She could feel her trembling hands. “She just met with me earlier. That doesn’t make sense,” she stammered. Chaos, too, didn’t feel like someone like that would suddenly take her life. She was pretty cheerful for the Zeikontour. Chaos could smell it. There was something more to this. “I have to go,” Carysse said and was about to walk but Chaos pulled her back. “What?” Chaos could see that she was about to cry. It was refreshing to see that Carysse was concerned with
Because of her insolence to not sleep earlier, Carysse had barely three hours of rest when she heard the sound of Master Saber’s bell outside her room. She was high up but with her keen hearing, it was enough to wake her up.She threw her blankets to the floor and opened the window in a grogged state.“Have you already forgotten, young lady?” Master Saber shouted from below. “Today is the day that you have been waiting for–your first ever formal training.”“Can’t you give me a break? I have my duties today as Chaos’ escort to the Gairoshi as well,” she bargained.“Only the dead deserve rest,” the master said with a firm voice. With no other choice, Carysse put on the first tunic that her hand found at the chair. She grabbed her dagger and jumped out of the window. Her body was jolted awake when her feet made contact with the ground. She just hoped that she would not pass out later because of lack of sleep.“So, what will you teach me today, master?” Carysse asked.“Something interesti
Just as Chaos thought, Carysse was at the rooftop again.Her room was just beside him so when he didn't hear any sound of her door opening or closing when he already passed by Master Saber entering into his own room earlier, he assumed that she was still outside.''It's already past midnight,'' he said. Carysse was staring at the stars with her arms resting on the spikes of the battlement like she was taking a nap while standing.''I know,'' she answered.''Tomorrow is already the start of the Gairoshi. It will do you good if you can get enough sleep. We don't know what the enemy has in store for us. We can't show any sign of weakness, especially that the people already know that you are my escort.''Chaos expected her to retaliate at his words. Surprisingly, she was in a good mood. Chaos went near her. Could it be that she had already fulfilled her first task to Master Saber?''You're awfully calm,'' he said. Carysse chuckled.''Relax, I'm still irritated by the fact that you are he