Warning: This chapter contains some light ambiguous scenes and mild torture ideation.
Edification: The instruction or improvement of a person morally or intellectually
Chapter 71:
Edification
Holding Olicia’s hand with an unbreakable grip, Alywin used his other hand to lead Olicia by the shoulders as he hurried to the stone gazebo in the middle of the maze. As the sound of footsteps thudding became clearer and clearer, Alywin pressed Olicia down on the stone bench before sitting down beside her, holding her shoulders with his arm.
“What are you doing?” Olicia hissed, attempting to weakly pull herself away, her fatigued arms resisting poorly due to exhaustion.
Alywin grabbed her left hand and took it in his, pressing her flat on her back against the cold stone as he whispered in an exasperated tone, leaning towards her, the weight of his body pressing into hers, “Relax. You’re not my type anyway. Besides, do you have a better idea?” Olicia glared at Alywin as she pursed her lips in annoyance, realizing she didn’t have a plan at all. Olicia was so consumed with the thought of getting away, she did not think of what she would do when she ran into a dead end. As much as it bothered her, she would have to follow Alywin’s lead for now.
As the sounds of footsteps grew even louder, moments before the pursuers would emerge from the tunnels of the maze to the clearing, Alywin lifted his hand and pulled Olicia’s face towards him, brushing the tip of his fingers against her neck as he lowered his face towards hers, his rosy lips only a short distance from Olicia’s, leaving them at an awkward, ambiguous posture, their bodies appearing to be romantically intertwined in the discrete darkness of the rising sun. Holding her so close, Olicia could feel Alywin’s body heat through his thick coat, and the sensation of his long lashes brushing against her skin made her face blush a fierce shade of maroon, her teeth gritting in anger at the audacity of the young marquis, but the fear of being caught by her pursuers silenced any emerging protests.
Just as the two were nose to nose, their hot, nervous breaths tickling each other’s faces, two figures broke through the opening of the clearing and stopped when they noticed the two tangled together on the small bench.
“Who’s there?” One of the figures angrily shouted, their heavy pants breaking into the maze’s silence.
Alywin discreetly lifted his hand up to his shirt and pulled his shirt loose at the top while pushing his coat off one of his shoulders. Olicia watched in bewilderment as Alywin quickly disheveled his pristine appearance.
“Who’s there?” Alywin repeated with an exasperated snort, leaning away from Olicia and looking towards the voice, “I could ask the same thing! Who are you, and why the hell are you running around like a buffoon? I can hear your obnoxious breathing from over here!”
“We asked first, and you better answer if you don’t want to get hurt.” The louder of the two men said, his bulky frame shuddering with each tired breath. Alywin’s eyes widened at the statement as Olicia squeezed her eyes shut, trying to calm her racing, panicked heart.
“You fat oaf, I’m a noble! Speak to me again with that tone, and I’ll have your head cut off!” Alywin snapped back. Olicia turned towards Alywin as she heard this, and, as if by reflex, slapped his arm.
“Are you trying to get us killed?” Olicia angrily whispered, turning her head only slightly to glare at Alywin. He glared back before grabbing her hand that rested on his arm with a smile, bringing her palm to his lips and giving it a kiss.
“I’ll deal with this, my darling. Please be patient.” Alywin said with a charming smile that incensed Olicia further. Alywin’s words seemed to catch the interest of the two men, and the shorter one turned towards the angry, tall one, resting his hand on his shoulder. Heated whispers angrily passed between the two, but the other voice seemed to end it with a sharp, albeit muffled, tone. Finally, the shorter man, who up until now had not said a word directly to Olicia or Alywin, turned towards the couple wrapped together on the bench and cleared his throat, trying to hide the anger and frustration in his voice.
“Our sincerest apologies, sir. We did not think anyone would be in the maze at this hour.” The other voice said, stepping forward. Alywin watched him closely as Olicia pressed herself into the stone bench and turned her face away, terrified they would somehow recognize her. Her hair scattered across the stone and covered part of her face, covering her features from view.
“And so did I.” Alywin said sourly, “Who do you work for?”
“We’re kitchen servants, sir. A girl stole some bread from the kitchen, and we were asked to catch her. We believe she might have run this away in an attempt to hide in the maze.”
“Well, my companion and I haven’t seen anyone,” Alywin said with an annoyed huff, looking over the men heavily, “Except for you two. Look somewhere else.” His blonde curls hung into his face, making him appear messy, but it only strengthened the seductive air around him. The cold wind brushed up against his open collar, but he ignored the cold sensation, lowering himself slightly closer to Olicia, as if he was trying to return to his interrupted tryst.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Alywin snorted as he raised himself up again, his eyes full of a challenging gaze as he turned his face towards the pair with a sneer, “You must also be the king’s fool if you are stupid enough to speak to me in such a way. Let me explain this to you in a way you both will understand, since both of you bumbling oafs can’t seem to put it together yourselves. If I were having a tryst with a maid, I would not be doing so in the middle of the palace maze at dawn, would I?” His voice was haughty as he continued, “Second of all, my partner and I have been here together all night, so unless my beautiful companion has the ability to suddenly disappear, steal something from the kitchen, and then return here without me noticing, she is not the person you are looking for. You most certainly will not bother her with your inquiries, so run along before you test my temper further.”
The shorter man interjected with a similarly strange accent, “While we appreciate your words, sir, we have to see for certain. If it isn’t her, then showing your partner’s face should not be a problem.”
Olicia’s figure curled in closer as her breathing picked up in pace. Her heart began to beat quickly, and before she could control herself, she reached out her hand and grabbed at the edge of Alywin’s coat. Feeling the tug, Alywin lowered his head lightly, looking at Olicia’s paling figure before he turned back towards the strange men and responded, “How impudent. Two mere palace servants attempting to threaten a noble? Guards!”
The shorter man’s expression fell, and his mouth opened to refute Alywin, but he was stopped by the taller man with a swift, “My apologies, sir. We overstepped our position.” He bowed at the waist, his head low. The other man, seeing the taller man bowing, quickly followed suit, making them appear apologetic for their transgressions.
“Pathetic.” Alywin said, his disgusted expression hanging heavily over them, “Get out of my sight before I have you apprehended and punished.”
“Of course, sir.” The shorter man said with a bow as the other man clenched his fists, his breath heavy as his eyes closely watched Alywin. The shorter man then rose and tapped the taller man on the shoulder, signalling to his companion that they were leaving. The taller man seemed reluctant as he watched Alywin closely, but the shorter man placed a firm hand on the man’s shoulder, guiding him back towards the way they emerged from with slow, steady steps.
“Should we kill them?” The short man whispered to his companion, his dark eyes trailing back towards the fleeting stone pavilion, where the two figures laid intertwined in each other’s arms.
The taller man grabbed the other man’s shoulder, directing him around the corner of the maze and out of the view of Olicia and Alywin, “No,” he responded quietly. “If we kill those two, we’ll have to clean up the mess. Besides, he’s a noble. It’s more trouble than it’s worth. ” The man grimaced, his frown tight as the two continued down the path towards the palace, as if they had practiced it many times before. “Let’s go back for now. When that man leaves his companion, we can check the girl then.”
The short man nodded, his face equally sour. The pair trailed off, their steps soon disappearing from the maze.
Alywin and Olicia looked at each other, their faces serious as they strained their ears to listen for any sounds. After the sound of footsteps faded, Olicia pushed Alywin with a heavy pat on his chest, sitting herself up as she said, “I think they’re gone, so you can get off me.” The flush on her face was still burning bright, but her eyebrows were knitted in irritation. The frown on her face was heavy, and when Alywin looked at her poor expression, he smiled, pulling himself back as he sat up on the bench.
“I’m sorry if that seemed forward, but I didn’t have any better ideas. And it worked, right?” Alywin said with a brilliant smile, before his face fell as his eyes hardened, watching Olicia’s dark expression, “Are you okay?”
Olicia frowned deeply, her face radiating heat as it continued to burn bright red, “I think so.” Olicia’s shoulders hunched with a shudder as she considered how close she had come to not only getting herself killed, but also killing an innocent person, “But I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if your plan hadn’t worked?” Alywin continued to smile as he nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. Olicia’s eyes widened as she watched Alywin seem to forget the immense danger they had just been in. It caused her to momentarily wonder if this was a common occurrence for the young marquis.
Olicia paused as she pondered that thought before she continued, “But I guess I do owe you a thank you. You saved my life, afterall.” Olicia took a deep breath, pushing down her emotions for the time being, just like Alywin had done. She then nodded resolutely and stood up, standing in front of Alywin with her hands out. Alywin looked at them quizzically before she grabbed his hands from his lap and closed her hands around his. She then bowed deeply, bringing his hands to her forehead as she dipped her forehead forward. His hands felt the cool sweat that clung to Olicia’s forehead as she pressed his hands against her forehead, but he ignored it as he watched Olicia’s display of appreciation. Olicia’s vulnerability and gratitude felt foreign to Alywin, and he felt uncomfortable by her whole-hearted display. He also had an odd, sudden urge to tease her mercilessly.
As she lowered their hands and released Alywin’s, Olicia said in a quiet voice, “That is a Falfierian gesture of deep gratitude. It means you saved my life, and because of that, I will do one favor for you as thanks. Just don’t ask for anything weird, alright?” Her voice was still shaky, as if she were still regaining her bearings after the strange men had disappeared.
Alywin’s smile turned mischievously as he listened to Olicia speak, “Is that so? I do have one thing I need from you then.” Olicia’s nervous face caused Alywin to laugh, momentarily breaking the fearful tension that still surrounded them, “You have a really dirty mind, you know that? You’re always panicking that I will do something bad to you.” Alywin’s smile curved up, making him appear cocky as usual.
“Well, you do have a bit of a reputation in the palace.” Olicia mumbled, her embarrassment coming back strongly as her pale cheeks flushed pink again. Alywin smiled and rolled his eyes, as he stood up and adjusted his clothes.
“Well, let’s go. I want you to tell me everything that happened to get us in this situation, and then we’ll figure out how to get you some discreet protection. If we’re too obvious, we’ll put a large target on your back.” Alywin held out his hand to Olicia, who looked at it uncertainly, “I guarantee you that those men are still somewhere in the maze. It would be best that we kept up our little act until we were out of here.” Alywin lifted his hand a little higher, which Olicia rested her hand on with some reluctance.
“Just because you saved me doesn’t mean I like you now. I still remember how you locked me in a room with you and refused to let me out.”
Alywin grabbed Olicia’s hand that rested on his hand with his free hand and pulled her in towards him, wrapping her hand around his arm. Olicia considered pulling away, but closed her eyes and sighed, tightening her grip on Alywin’s thin arm. Alywin’s eyes slid down to Olicia’s arm around him, then looked forward with a smile.
“So where are we going?” Olicia asked as Alywin led them through the maze with ease.
“You’ll see.”
Silence wrapped around them like a snake as they continued through the maze, Alywin leading them with confidence and ease. They both had many things that came to their minds, but it was as if their lips and mouths had frozen in place, rendering them unable to even mutter a syllable.
Finally, as if prying her lips open with her tongue and forcing her mouth to work, Olicia cleared her throat. “You make me nervous.” Olicia mumbled as she looked down at her hand, which was comfortably wrapped around Alywin’s arm.
“I don’t hear that often.” Alywin said with a laugh, as he led them out of the garden, a sigh of relief stuck in both their throats as they leisurely walked back to the palace doors.
…
“Announcing His Majesty, Prince Clarence.” The knight outside the throne room announced in a booming voice, his spear to the side of his armor in a dutiful manner.
The large, embellished doors opened quickly, groaning out like wails. Clarence did not acknowledge the guards as he entered. He only held his head high as he walked, his dark blue suit embellished with various golden decorations. The items swayed as he walked, bringing Clarence’s cold figure some warmth as he continued to descend down the long hall towards his mother, Queen Racliffe. Without the presence of the king, the room felt somewhat empty, but Queen Racliffe’s presence was enough to fill the middle throne chair.
The throne soon destined to be Clarence’s.
Stopping at the stairs to the throne, the prince bowed his head lightly and addressed his mother with a nod, “Mother, it is a pleasure to see you. How is father’s health?” This tone was clear and calm, like the surface of a still lake. Clarence’s expression was light, but there was a stifling air of heaviness lingering around the prince, making it difficult for those around him to stand close.
The queen’s heavy velvet gown pooled around her thinning body. Though her face had slowly aged, her body was beginning to show signs of aging, particularly after the king’s illness had worsened. Her cheekbones had sharpened, and the makeup on her pale face appeared heavy, but the queen’s voice was strong as before as she spoke, “I heard a horrible, baseless rumor from the palace servants, Clarence. One that needs to be addressed immediately if we do not want to shame our family.” Her lips were flat, covered with a heavy shade of red as she spoke again, neither smiling nor frowning. Clarence waited patiently for her to continue, but the queen waited before she finished, watching Clarence’s face closely, “Some of the servants have been whispering that there has been a change to the upcoming final event. They have the audacity to whisper that you’ve changed the hunt from being all the noblemen, which is a Yursinean custom, to being all the noblemen and noblewomen in the kingdom. That, of course, could not be true, since it is not appropriate for women to participate in such an uncouth activity.”
The servants had been sent away by the queen, leaving only the two royal figures standing in the large room, sunlight streaming in from the tall windows, uncovered by the heavy silk curtains. The room was quiet, and the only sound that could be heard was the sound of the wind outside, picking up the loose leaves that had fallen from the trees outside the palace.
Clarence looked up towards the queen, smiling as he said, “I’m thrilled it’s gotten around so quickly! Yes, it’s true, Mother. Any noblewoman, and of course the bridal candidates, will have a chance to hunt with the noblemen at the upcoming hunt. Rather than the nobles and I hunting for prey alone, the candidates can demonstrate their strength and determination to the Yursear Kingdom by hunting with us.” The smile on his face widened slightly, the excitement in his voice unhidden, “Of course, they will need to learn how to hunt before they can participate in the event, but I am sure the bravest candidate won’t disappoint me.”
The queen’s hands were clenched, but she let out a small breath, attempting to rein in her growing impatience at her son’s blatant ignorance. “Clarence, this is not feasible. You cannot have a group of women go into the forest like this. The noblewomen of this country, and the bridal candidates that are here are debutantes, not countrywomen. Not only do these women not know how to hunt, they would never do something so embarrassing! And did you ever consider how that will make our country look? We will be no better than those savage barbarians that hide in the woods!” The queen paused for a moment before she added, staring at her son, “This is a poor idea, Clarence. I will never allow it. The shame it would bring on you and this family would ruin our reputation and weaken the power your father has currently in this country.”
Clarence’s eyes narrowed as he listened to the queen; her refusal to even consider his idea made Clarence immediately displeased.
“Mother, displaying the strength of our kingdom is paramount to success. Presenting the future Yursinean queen in such a fashion would only strengthen the-” before Clarence could finish his words, the queen stood up, interrupting him with little patience.
“I will not hear anymore of this, Clarence.” There was a shrill note to the queen’s voice, but she only stood in front of the throne, her gaze full of anger. “The hunt will be completed traditionally, without the noblewomen hunting like barbarians. There is no need to disgrace our kingdom and it’s vast culture in such a manner.”
Clarence’s brows were knitted, “But mother, I am the future king!” He interjected, his voice loud as his mother’s, nearly shouting at the woman.
“But I am the queen!” “I will not hear anymore of this nonsense. You are too young and naive to understand what your actions would do to this kingdom. Your actions will affect the entirety of the kingdom, not just yourself. It’s time for you to grow up, Clarence, and learn to be a proper king.” The queen’s fists were balled at her sides, and her voice echoed through the empty hall like a roar. Her breathing was labored, her chest full of disappointment as she could only look down towards her son, standing below the steps to the throne with a face of childish anger and say, “This will not be discussed further. I will address these baseless rumors, so return to your room and reflect on yourself.”
She flicked her draping sleeves, returning to the throne as she lowered her body and stared forward, refusing to look at Clarence anymore.
The queen clapped her hands, speaking aloud once again, “Bring in the advisors. The discussion has ended.”
Hearing her cold words, Clarence lost his will to fight, and he turned on his heel, his thoughts seething with rage as he stormed out of the throne room, startling the nearby attendants as he slammed the heavy wooden doors open, his expression dark.
…
After the difficult, brief meeting with the queen, Clarence left feeling a sense of disappointment. While his mother’s reaction was not outside his expectations, her refusal to recognize his place as the future king upset him immensely. He could only retreat for now, repairing his wounded pride by stepping away from his mother’s injuring words.
Clarence had returned to his room, his footsteps slow and steady as he looked ahead, the smiling never waning from his lips as he walked down the series of hallways and up the long stairwells to his room, his eyes facing forward with a determined energy. With a wave of his hand, he sent away his knights, ordering them to stand outside as he entered the room, closing the door behind him with a mild click of the lock.
“You’re back.” A lone figure was standing by the window, their back to the side of the wall as they moved into view. “I finished preparing the letter, just like you asked.” The figure’s expression was flat, but there were notes of impertinence in his gaze as he held up an envelope in his hands. All the anger Clarence felt bubbling up inside him extinguished immediately as his eyes locked onto the finished letter, sealed in a small envelope.
Before he could stop himself, Clarence hurried to Theo’s side, ripping the letter out of the young man’s grasp as he stared at the front of the blank envelope. Before he could stop himself, he turned the envelope over and ripped it open with his hands. He stuck his shaking fingers into the plain envelope, pulling out the letter. The thick paper felt heavy in Clarence’s hands, but the joy he felt as he opened the letter and read it made him feel like screaming in excitement. It was as if all his hard work was coming to fruition. Staring at the finished letter brought him an insurmountable joy, bringing the feeling that one day he would have his revenge.
It was only a matter of time now. He had the trap to ensnare the beast, but it was not enough. He had to have him too.
Carefully, he laid the letter down, holding the edges with both of his hands as his fingers traced over the plain margins of the paper. Clarence could not desecrate this perfect creation.
And soon, he would have the elf. His hands shook with excitement as he thought about what he would do when he had that elf in his hands. About how he would torture the elf to finally enact his revenge. Clarence rubbed his fingers against the heavy paper as he imagined how he would pluck every single hair from his scalp. His eyes twinkled as he fantasized about how he would remove every single nail from his fingers and toes. His hands tightened on the letter in tight fists as if he could hear the elf’s screams of pain, and his pleas for Clarence to stop. But Clarence would not stop. Instead, he would relish in his cries. He would bruise every inch of his skin to recreate the pain he has felt each and every day after he was betrayed so cruelly. He would torture Silas endlessly, robbing him of his sight with a blindfold, blocking his hearing with fabric, and sew his mouth shut with twine until his desire for bloodshed was finally abated, and when the elf would finally be dead.
These thoughts excited him.
Holding the quill in his hand, he dipped the tip into the inkwell, his hands trembling in anticipation. Clarence’s lips were twisted in a light smile, full of anticipation.
“Get prepared to leave. This will be done soon.” Clarence said, his head turning towards Theo, but his eyes remaining on the empty page in front of him. Theo nodded and noiselessly left the room as Clarence began to furiously write.
…
I almost fell asleep before finishing this, but it’s finally done ;; Sorry for the lateness. I had to host an event today for work, but it was fun! I’ll be busy this month coming up, as I am learning two new databases at work, so there may be some small delays in the future.
Again, please note the torture scenes will be coming in the future, though I can’t say how bad yet. Read the tags on the novel page for a reminder! Depictions of Clare’s unstable mental state are already showing, and I really love the ambiguity of it all, as it makes you wonder is it really happening, or is it just a dream of Clare’s? I find his mental instability fascinating in a sense, but I could never be around it, even if it were my own :C
Thank you all for reading, and a huge thanks to Hunny for getting so much done today ♥♥ I appreciate your kind words, and to those lovely lurkers, thank you for visiting us each week. I’ll try to see if I can get out another holiday special, but that will depend on work. See you all next week ;D ♥♥
And this, lads, is why we don’t leave any survivors~