Jackson felt a heartache as he saw all the stuff, she bought but he didn’t have the heart to scold her. He only sighed inwardly as they walked to the carriage pick up point.They sat in the carriage quietly on the way back. Mira gave Jackson the buns she bought for him and dozed off as she was really tired. Jackson’s lips curled up as he ate the buns his wife bought for him. He was really hungry as all he ate since morning was the half egg and slice of bread at breakfast. He woke her up when they reached the stop near their home. He carried all the items while Mira carried the basket with needles and threads from the corner shop.“Let me tell you an exciting news….” She paused as she remembered the money she spent and sighed “Actually there is one good news and one bad. Which do you want to hear first?”“Bad news.” Jackson pursed his lips. He didn’t want to hear as he thought she was going to tell him that she regretted her choice and wanted to go back on her word to live a good life
“You’re here.” Almera smiled as she saw Mira waiting at the door.“Um.” Mira nodded.Almera invited her into the office and poured a cup of tea.“No one else has come?” Mira looked around curiously. The last time she came. It was earlier than this but there was a doorman at the door and a few salespeople at the front.“Friday is a day everyone starts late.” Almera smiled amiably as she sipped her tea.“What brings you back so soon?”“I finished the work you gave me. So, I wanted to check if it meets your satisfaction, or you wanted me to change anything.”“Finished?” Almera hooked her eyebrows suspiciously.Mira quietly took the completed cloth and placed it on the table for Almera to inspect along with the unused thread “I didn’t use the brown as I changed my mind. The others are…” Mira paused as she smiled sheepishly “I didn’t know how much I would need so I unwound them for washing… so they look a bit unkempt, but I swear they are not dirty.” Mira completed awkwardly in a low voice
Mira proudly handed her pouch to Jack as soon as they reached home.“You should keep it.” Jack pressed it back into her hand. “It is the wife’s job to take care of these affairs.”“Really?” Mira asked skeptically.“That’s how my parents did it.” Jack shrugged as a matter of fact and then pulled his pockets inside out “I don’t have any money now. But when I do, it will be yours to keep.”“I made you a pauper, didn’t I?” Mira lowered her head guiltily. She knew he had to take out all his money and also take a loan to buy this place.“I think it is a good thing.” Jack held her waist with one hand and with the other, lifted her face with a cheeky smile “Don’t we have our love nest ready for us?”“You… you…” Mira pouted as she gently hit him with her fists on his chest.“Let’s make the most of it.” Jack chuckled as he lowered his head and captured her lips. He deepened the kiss and ravished her senses, riding the storm with her all the way from the front room to their bedroom. Jack pulled
“What were you doing?” Mira asked curiously as they sat for breakfast.“You’ll see …. Soon.” Jack smiled as he poured her hot water.“Alright.” Mira didn’t ask further. She would wait for him to show her.“What should we eat for dinner?” Mira pouted as he nibbled the meat bun in relish.“What do you want?” Jack raised his eyebrows.“Can we go fishing?” Mira asked with an expectant sparkle.“Um” Jack nodded.“Then you finish what you are doing, and I will prepare some stuff for the fish.” Mira cleared the table as she spoke.“Um” Jack nodded as he walked out the door.An hour later, Mira had finished the preparation and also packed a basket with dinner which was a pot of tea, boiled eggs and a few slices of bread when Jack walked in “Wife, come take a look.”Mira followed him curiously.In the second bedroom was a beautiful stand with the height of a slightly tall table, her slate frame resting on it in a perfect fit.“Good Lord.” Mira shrieked in excitement as she circled inspecting t
“Aunt, I am home.” Jack stood at the door and announced.Unlike the last time they came, everyone was home today except for uncle and second brother. Farm hands at the Slegh estate had to work 6 days a week. Second brother was working as the blacksmith’s apprentice and also had to work 6 days a week.Anne-Marie the youngest came running as she heard her favorite brother’s voice. She moved back shyly as she saw Mira. She knew this big sister didn’t like them. Mira smiled sweetly at the little girl, but it didn’t have much effect, the damage from her previous vicious behavior was too deep.“Come in… why are you standing there?” Oden pulled the door to open wider.“This will always be your home.” Oden added as he saw Jack’s hesitation. “You left on your own, no one sent you off.”Oden wasn’t wrong. It was Jack who insisted on moving and never came back. None of them had seen him these 3 months. Actually, that’s not right. Beth did tell them about Jack’s visit 5 days ago, but no one bough
“What is it?” Mira asked curiously once she couldn’t see the horse cart anymore.“Must be tools.” Jack guessed as he opened the sack.Sure enough, the sack had 4 spades of two different sizes each, 2 hoes, 2 rakes and a pitchfork.“This….” Mira had a conflicted expression as she looked at the items. This would cost more than 10 gold coins.“Like Dad said, we must repay this kindness with our actions.” Jack knew there was no point in being conflicted. He swore inwardly to return this kindness when he had the ability.“Umm.” Mira nodded with determination.“Wife, has the fish soup finished?” Jack asked with regret as he saw the empty bowls on the table.“No. I have left a tiny portion for you.” Mira giggled as she took the bowls to the kitchen to wash.She bought a bowl full of the last portion of the fish soup after washing the bowl
Jack walked around for a while before he returned back home. The walk cleared his head and there was a smile dancing on his lips as he entered. Mira was waiting anxiously, she kept pacing back and forth in the front room.“Jack” Mira’s voice was strained as she rushed to him. She was stepped back in confusion as she saw his smile. She knitted her brows with a pout.“Wife, you are right.” Jack chuckled as he gently knocked on her forehead.“I know I am right.” Mira pouted as she rubbed her forehead “What are you talking about now?”“That you were too stupid.” Jack chuckled as he embraced her.Mira pursed her lips into a resentful pout as she gently fisted on his chests.“Do you want to hear what I figured out?” Jack tapped her nose with an affectionate gaze.“Um.”“Do you remember saying that you thought I stormed out of the room because I overheard your conversation?”“Um…mm” Mira nodded confidently.“That’s why I said my love is too stupid.”“Huh??”“Think about it…. you told me what
The next few days were without events. Mira completed all the embroidery work that she had bought home by the time Jack returned home on Thursday.“I will come to the city with you tomorrow.” Mira informed Jack as they sat for supper.“So fast?” Jack raised his eyebrows “Didn’t your Madam give you 10 days?”“Um” Mira nodded “But I finished them early.”“Love don’t tire yourself. I will work harder.” Jack frowned. He knew she was straining herself too much.“Not hard.” Mira smiled “The stand you made for me is too good. I don’t get tired that easily. We need to pay our debts and get better.”“I will make those stands.” Jack pursed his lips “Let me do the hard work.”“We will work together.” Mira smiled sweetly as she leaned onto his shoulders.“Um” Jack nodded with determination. He would work harder so that his wife didn’t have to tire herself.“The seedlings have all grown.” Mira remembered as they laid down.“Um” Jack nodded. “I will go to Godfather’s to pick up the horses for ploug
Thomas and Orseus stepped on their toes as they leaned over their father’s shoulders and read the scroll along with them; tears rolled down Cornelius and Baldwin’s cheeks as they saw the scroll in their sworn brother’s hand and read greedily.Their tears didn’t stop even though they finished reading the letter. The guilt of not being there when their sworn brother needed them the most was eating into their soul; they listlessly handed the scroll to Jack and Mira.“So now we have to find Esmeralda to cure Uncle Jerome.” Orseus pursed his lips. He called out to Jerome as Uncle Jerome smoothly, he had no difficulty as he grew up hearing these two names, Alex and Jerome; to him, they were family, more closer to him than Uncle Alaistair and his sons.“If we have guessed correctly, we don’t have to go anywhere searching for her.” Cornelius shook his head and added with an air of mystery “She is much closer than we think.”“Are you saying that the healer that we go to is, this Esmeralda that
“If only we knew….” Harry sighed regretfully “Then we could have followed that man’s trail and found Alex sooner.”“You think too beautifully... Alex would never lead a trail if this was his contingency plan.” Baldwin sneered before his expression turned serious “But we may have stumbled upon some unexpected luck in finding Alex.”“Did granduncle Zumerong shed some light?” Orseus asked, leaning forward eagerly.“Heh!” Corenlius scoffed “They were kept in even greater darkness than us.”“Then are you talking about the man who lives at Mer waters?” Thomas asked hesitantly; he really didn’t know why his father and godfather were so confident, just because he trained with Jack?“Son, you don’t know.” Cornelius shook his head “Leal can never be separated from Alex; wherever Alex is, he will follow, whether it is in life or death.”“There has never been a more loyal shadow.” Baldwin too sighed regretfully.“Then what are we waiting for?” Almera looked around curiously; Mira leaned forward a
Jack and Mira, along with the rest of their group, dragged their exhausted bodies and reached Southamberston palace at the break of dawn. Without making any noise, they all went to their respective rooms without any fuss. Everyone had a room at Southamberston palace even though they each had cottages specially prepared for them; both Martin and Oden went to the rooms that were prepared for them instead of their cottage.Early morning was unusually noisy with many unfamiliar faces around the breakfast table and yet it was as if no one noticed the familiarity of the unfamiliar faces at the table; the only exception was the three unfamiliar unfriendly faces as they sat through the farce as though they were watching a show and not part of it.Almera and Katherine joined them shortly after breakfast, as noisy as ever with Almera complaining that her husband didn’t love her anymore and that he was in love with his first wife, the estate responsibilities and that she always came second.Firs
Jack and Mira rushed back without stopping; their pace was originally fast, but it became even more rushed after they received John’s message which wasn’t much, just a short line written in a shaky hand ‘Matthew and Harry are back with three visitors’.Don’t misunderstand the shaky hand, it wasn’t fear… It was just John trying to write in his best hand. But unfortunately, it was bound to be misunderstood, due to John’s years of acting, acting timid, which was more believable for his son and nephew, more believable than his daring persona.Thomas had just entered his palace when his page rushed in and announced that he had a note from Southamberston and passed the note. It was the same note that was sent to Jack, written in the same shaky hand, 'Matthew and Harry are back with three visitors’. However, it evoked an entirely different expression from Thomas.Thomas stood up excitedly as he reached for his cloak that he had just hung up; he wrapped it around as he walked and called out to
Back at Southamberston, by late afternoon, a travel weary Matthew and Harry had arrived back at Southamberston with three additional unfamiliar men who were covered from head to toe, leaving only sharp eaglelike eyes.Without Harrison’s calm balancing act, the household was on the verge of being thrown into chaos when Beth walked in, in a hurry, ushered in by one of the maids who was flustered.The chaos resulted from the fact that there were three strangers who looked suspicious; the imaginative minds of the young staff who worked at the castle had worked themselves up with a theory they had concocted.Their theory was that the two elders who had gone to relax were held hostage, and they were unable to escape and were brought back here for the young Duke to save them; but the young duke wasn’t here; even Lazarus and Harrison weren’t here.The young maid who ran over to call Beth and gasped, almost out of breath “Lady…. Lady… Lady Beth, the elders have been held hostages by three sinis
Jack and Mira set off in the afternoon along with their men since there was nothing left for them to do here, at the manor and considering that they had been away from the duchy for almost a week.They first made a stop at the healer’s place as per Jack promise to Cornelius and Baldwin; however, there was still no one at the cottage. Jack quietly took the scroll that he had prepared previously and jumped over the wicket gate. He walked around the cottage a few times and returned as though nothing had happened.This was his agreement with the healer; he never understood why she was so paranoid, but he had always respected her rules in her place. When he returned, he no longer had the scroll in his hand. He had placed it in their usual place, inside one of the potted plants, one that looked just like the many potted plants that were placed in the backyard and yet she would correctly identify the one with message scroll.Out of curiosity, he had watched her once as she walked in through t
Everyone had rested at the manor after their late-night discussion and was up at the break of dawn, filled with vigor and new hope for answers to their decade long search. Somehow, they all had the feeling that they were closer to their quest, closer than they had ever been….After breakfast, everyone dispersed as quietly as they had arrived leaving behind Oden and Martin who were going to follow back with Jack and Mira.Corenlius and Baldwin decided to go by the healer’s cottage once more before heading back; Jack accompanied them while Mira stayed back to sort out and implement the plans she had previously discussed with Jack for their manor.However, both Cornelius and Baldwin were destined to be disappointed; the wicket gate was still locked, and the cottage desolate as ever, without any signs of life. Both Cornelius and Baldwin had a defeated expression as they considered what to do next.“I will come over once we have finished our plans for the manor and check on them.” Jack open
“Godfather, why was your interaction with the commander who came to our aid a bit weird?” Jack asked once he remembered their encounter with the cavalry that had rushed to their aid.“Che!” Cornelius sneered the disdain on his face couldn’t be more pronounced “Did they think that I Cornelius Richard the fourth am an ornamental fool to have sat firmly on the throne for the last decade?”“Didn’t you also note the abnormality?” Cornelius hooked his eyebrows towards Jack.“Whose they?” Orseus asked with a curious smirk, looking at his father who was riled up.“Who else, other than the Sorens?” Thomas shook his head helplessly as he answered even though he knew his good brother did not need an answer to his question.“Why would them helping us through the crisis annoy his highness?” Martin asked Jack in a whisper; even though it was a whisper, other than the woman who were not trained, everyone else heard him.Everyone’s gaze consciously or subconsciously turned to Jack to hear his response
Jack led everyone to their basement room under Mira’s workroom after dinner so that they could quickly get to the bottom of the reason for the waterworks. However, even before they all got into the room the doorbell rang.“10 gold coins that’s Martin.” Jack winked as soon as he heard the bell before shrugging “It’s a wonder he didn’t rush back with Harrison.“Your grace, he wasn’t there.” Harrison informed with a nonchalant expression although his lips were twitching non-stop “He was at the smithery when the carrier pigeons came in.”“Makes sense.” Jack chuckled as he walked towards the door.“10 gold coins that’s my pain.” Baldwin shook his head.“Mine would if he could sneak out…. but that’s going to………” Cornelius’s complacent expression has already started to crack; he hadn’t even completed his sentence when he heard Mira exclaim “Your royal highness…”Cornelius shook his head helplessly rubbing his forehead wondering if he was to eager to enjoy life and whether his son was ready fo