The Manipulator

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“Ah, well hello there, Xe’Reth,” a young woman says with a sinister grin upon her moistened scarlet lips while she sets down a teacup on the desk in front of her.

The woman is his Commander, she gives out the money here at the fourth payment stall because that’s also one of their duties as a leader of a squad. To take care of their unit, though only nobles get the privilege to be a Commander, unfortunately.

“Good evening, Honored Commander,” Xe’Reth greets as he gives an arc of his upper body to show respect to his superior, but his curtsied manner only makes the woman sprout a frown on her thin arched eyebrows; glaring with such a stare.

“Hmm... An empty quiver? Well… that will reduce your meager payment by one tenth of its whole sum,” the woman says with a slight smile on her rosy lips. She starts to go through the papers that she has on her desk. She skims them with uninterested puckering lips.

“Honored Commander, I beg your pardon, but the arrows I fired today were homemade. So that shouldn’t reduce my estimated payment, right?” Xe’Reth inquires as he peers at the woman who now flinches by the sudden words of insolence.

“Oh… homemade you say? Don’t try to trick me, Xe’Reth. You think I’m blind? I saw you take arrows out from one of the buckets. That’s why I’m reducing your payment now… but since you just lied to me, I’ll cut it by another one-ninth,” the woman declares as a smile form on her mouth as if she enjoys playing with him.

The people behind Xe’Reth are wide-eyed because this is indeed a rare sight. To see him in such a grave situation with someone so utterly dominant makes people taunt him. Some laugh and some just grin at him while he stands there in his pathetic frozen state.

“Though… if you confess your deed to me, I’ll take that as penance from your two-faced lying mouth and increase your pay, back to its original one tenth, which you would’ve gotten before you dared lie to me,” she says while gaining a hideous upward curve as her brilliant white teeth displays.

‘Have I ever done something to make her act like this towards me? Xe’Reth ponders, seeming lost by this kind of behavior from her, but nothing comes to mind. He has always known how proud this woman is… no, how this girl is. He always tries to stay away from the more prosperous people, to just stay with those who have the privilege to serve under such a person, the common folk.

The woman herself has reached her twentieth birthday, and she is from one of the most esteemed noble families, an Honored Family, who rules the city where Xe’Reth lives. He had heard that when she first introduced herself to her squad of archers, but Xe’Reth already knew that because he knows everything that goes on in that city of his.

She has blond hair that’s tied to form an upper ponytail while her long bangs are on either side of her face, so they don’t cover her appearance of splendor. Her azure-blue pearls of eyes are venomous, yet with a seductive sensation that can make any man want her, and her rosy lips seem so tempting, so alluring that anyone would want to push one’s lips onto those two rose petals and taste the forbidden fruit that lies slumbering inside her mouth. The wetness of constant tongue against tongue.

But, Xe’Reth just frowns at this person that’s sitting in front of him in a rather comfortable chair.

Does he need to degrade himself by saying something that isn’t true?

“Well? Are you going to confess your act of lying, Xe’Reth?” she asks, licking her upper lip, waiting for him to say untruthful words.

He did make those arrows at home, his home where he must quickly return to, because of someone that awaits for him which means more than his life or for that matter, his own pride.

Xe’Reth clenches his fists and hardens his teeth, so they grind together, but he gives out a sigh while he bows deeply, “Please forgive me, Honored Commander, for I have… lied to you.”

“Uhuhu, splendid, excellent. Here is your payment, ninety crowns,” the commander says with a face of victory while having such a charming smile on her lips, lowering Xe’Reth’s character, but yet her eyes show a hint of regret for what she just did.

As Xe’Reth is about to take hold of the pouch of crowns that she grips in her light-skinned hand, she pulls it away teasingly.

“What now?” Xe’Reth asks with a tone of impatience, but that just make her scowl with eyes narrowing, though she changes to a frightening gawk as she gazes at someone who's walking to be beside him, coming out from the hidden place, an alley-like crack between the payment stalls.

She gives the pouch to him all of a sudden, “Nothing, here, take it!”

Xe’Reth shows a bit of a surprise in his eyes. She just gives him the pouch willingly as if she has already had enough of playing around with him, but that isn’t the case. It’s because of that someone who is looking at his Commander with such a face of utter displease.

Another woman, standing beside Xe’Reth, and she had heard every single word that the two of them had said to one another.

Since Xe’Reth was so infuriated, he didn’t even notice the woman who came out from the alley to stand right next to him.

‘Crap! Why is she here?’ Xe’Reth goes alert with startling wide eyes as he recognizes the woman.

“S-Sister…” the commander says with anxiety, her whole face turning pale as she gapes at her elder sister who’s beside Xe’Reth, only the stall separating them.

“Wha-what brings you here, sister?” she asks with a newly lit face of deception, trying to hide her real arrogant expression that she had towards Xe’Reth.

“Dear baby sister… you’re acting so shamefully. You can see that he wasn’t lying, yet you made him say words that are untrue? Is this how you were raised to be, to be such a cunning woman? For you to do these things, have you no shame as an Honored One?” her elder sister asks with scorn, such a deep frown embedded onto her face, but she seems drained like Xe’Reth as if she had just come back from death itself.

She wears heavy plate armor which’s stained with so much blood that it still drips off of her black and red colored armor. ‘She just came from the middle gate,’ Xe’Reth notices as he gazes upon this woman who scolds her almost identical younger sister.

Though the elder sister is more strong-looking, a beautiful battle-maiden, while the younger sister, less sturdy-looking, rather, she has more of a body of a girl who hasn’t trained her whole life, she's thin with no muscles at all.

Under the elder sister’s plated armor must be a place of wonder Xe’Reth awes as he gives a quick up and down glance at her. Her face is like her sister’s, a most stunning face with those thin arched eyebrows, her full lips, her lovely yet poisonous eyes, and her long blond let out hair that soars with the breeze.

She’s truly a Goddess of War, a real beauty, but for Xe’Reth, this can only turn bad for him. Because his commander’s elder sister is scolding her right in front of him, and he can see the younger sister’s eyes that are filled with anxiety and complete anger.

Next time he’ll meet his Commander, she’ll probably be more menacing towards him than she is now…

“Excuse me, my Honored Lady, but it is true what your younger sister said. I lied about the arrows being homemade, so her concern is well placed. I tried to gain more crowns by trying to trick your Honored Sister. Please… I ask for your forgiveness,” Xe’Reth pleads as he lies with an unreadable expression on his face while he bows deeply yet again.

‘Bowing… bowing… bowing. These nobles are making me show such a shameful appearance,’ Xe’Reth rages inside, but yet no angry expression is on his face, only closed eyes that seek forgiveness.

Both of the women stare at Xe’Reth with wide eyes of complete surprise, but the elder sister just sighs as she understands the situation of this young man’s predicament. She shakes her head as she holds it with one hand as if she’s giving a shaking face-palm, but he can see her tired expression which’s weighing heavily on her with peeking eyes.

“Myyy lovveeely siiiisteeers!” a man’s cheery voice shoots out for all to hear, and from that sound comes a crowd of heavy-plate armored men and women, like the elder sister, while the man himself has such proud look to him, an appearance of tranquility and charisma. He’s way older than the two women that are beside Xe’Reth.

Following behind the man, rows of melee soldiers which are stained with so much blood upon their plated bodies. They fought in the thickets of the clashing armies by the gates; killing, spilling blood, that blood which now soaks the field of death with red dye.

‘I need to leave… now,’ Xe’Reth worries as he gazes at the man walking towards his direction.

“I-It is the number one squad and their leader, the mighty Honored General of the middle gate!”

“Oh, Divine Queens, what’re they doing here by the archers' and siege workers' payment stalls?”

“Don’t you know? The Honored General has a sister here that commands one of the archer squads.”

The archers and siege workers start to talk among themselves as they look in awe upon the melee soldiers that walk toward the fourth payment stall.

“Elder brother! Why are you here causing a stir? You know that it’s forbidden to bring a squad of melee soldiers here to the side of the archers and siege workers, yet you still bring them?” the elder sister asks with narrowed eyes. She gazes around at the people that look at them, but thankfully, none of the archers nor siege workers show any malice, only admiration display on their various faces.

“Be at ease my fellow country men and women of the wall. I’ve just come to see how my youngest sister is fairing at her post as a Commander; then I’ll take my leave,” the brother says with a collected appearance that presents on his smiling mouth and gentle eyes.

“She’s handling it…” the eldest sister’s gaze wanders to Xe’Reth because he had said that her sister wasn’t lying about him taking the arrows from the buckets. But in fact, that was the lie, and she had caught that lie of his, though she fully understands why he did lie. “She’s handling it fine, brother.”

The brother raises an eyebrow as his eldest sister peer at an ebon-haired man, but he turns his head towards his youngest sister, putting it out of his mind.

As his eyes and mouth fixate on her, that’s when Xe’Reth makes his escape, right as the brother begins to talk to his youngest sister who witnesses Xe’Reth’s escape, but she keeps her silence, until the next meeting in three days.

‘Humiliating me like this, in front of so many people... just you wait... Xe'Reth,’ she promises.

Xe’Reth disappears into the crowd of people that have gathered here by the payment stalls to view the number one squad of the middle gate. As he gets far away enough, he begins to jog towards the city where he lives.

He weighs the crowns in his hands while having a relieved look since things could have turned for the worse.

The backside of the wall has no defenses, only a lot of buildings where people would go to buy merchandise, such as weapons, armors, food, or a bed to sleep on, and various other equipment. It’s a large military city, but it isn’t a place for living, it’s a place for war and fighting to prove who's the strongest in the kingdom.

Buildings where various siege weapons are being built, those terrifying weapons of war; the armory with the most expensive weapons and armors which Xe’Reth can only dream about getting.

Xe'Reth has no mount that can take him to the city where he lives because he’s not wealthy. Impoverished is what he is, even now when he has money to spend. All of his earnings go to a special place in his home. He needs to care for that unique entity with all his heart. Otherwise, he would become some other person entirely. His heart would be torn from his chest if that precious object of affection was to vanish.

Xe’Reth continues to jog past the hundreds of buildings, past the hundreds of people, and onto the road leading to the city where he lives. The woodlands that are covering the sides with its blooming green colors fill Xe'Reth's eyes, and not that reddened color beyond the wall, just regular trees of dark emerald.

He starts to move his legs faster and faster. He passes many soldiers of the wall, for they’re going to their places of refuge.

Xe’Reth is running because he doesn’t want to wait by the gate of the city where he lives, for it can take a while before he can get inside since it has a strict system where one needs a pass and inspection. His paper of being a citizen is inside a small pouch hanging on the waist.

He clasps onto his ebony bow and holds his quiver, so it doesn’t bounce around too much as he runs. In his bow hand, he also grasps the pouch of crowns. He sprints as he moves with the wind. His now dry hair has formed back to its slicked-back state, making him look rather vicious with his scarred left brow, his black eyes, and his striking yet malicious facial features.

Fast moving hooves also resound behind him, but he keeps on running with such speed that makes it hard for any regular mount to catch up to him. He breathes slow and steady breaths as he passes the slow moving soldiers, carriages, and mounted people that ride on their thoroughbred horses at a moderate pace.

The people just watch Xe’Reth with startling expressions as he vanishes, because he runs with such a haste towards the City of Tertinum, which is the closest city to the Ebon Wall, where Xe’Reth lives.

He keeps on running for a while.

The fast moving hooves that he heard before are still resonating behind him, so he stops dead in his tracks to do a quick spin of his body, to catch with his eyes… the elder sister of Xe’Reth’s commander riding on her thoroughbred white horse.

As he stops, she waves with her plated arm and gauntleted hand.

She had wanted to shout before, but she was surprised by the endurance of this young man that ran with such hastening speed, so she just kept on following him until now since he has turned around to look at her with his blackened eyes.

‘What does she want?’’ Xe’Reth worries while smiling to hide his inner feelings of fear.

As she comes strutting on her white mare, she jumps off of it and goes up to Xe’Reth; her face is beaming in a lovely mood.

“Xe’Reth… was it? I thank you for interrupting me earlier, if you hadn’t, I think your life would’ve become… complicated by my foolish actions. I know that my little sister can be very… noble-like. She does what she wants; insults whoever she wants, and that's hard to handle I’m afraid. But please don’t feel hatred towards her, she’s just a foolish girl, so I hope that you can forgive her, for her unfair treatment of you,” she says with a pleading voice while smiling with a gentle curve on her mouth, waiting for his answer.

What Xe’Reth can’t understand is, why is she trying to implore his forgiveness for her sister’s actions? He isn’t an acquaintance with them, so why would he care about such a simple act of an arrogant noble, which he has seen so many times before.

The younger sister is his commander, but no words have ever existed between him and her, other than the previous payments and today. He was surprised when she said his name all of a sudden as if she has known him for a long time.

Why the sudden attention from her? He doesn’t know, maybe a spur of a bored noble?

“It is alright, Honored Lady. I’ve no hatred towards her; only disappointment is afflicting my mind, for I’ve such a commander as her above me in rank,” Xe’Reth affirms with such truth behind his words while bobbing his head to recognize her Honored presence.

What Xe’Reth said were words of disrespect towards an Honored woman, which make the eldest sister think of what he just said with a gauntlet holding her chin while her other hand holds onto her elbow, standing in a pondering stance.

“Good,” she whispers as she’s pleased with that kind of response from him, even though that was a straight insult to her baby sister, but she takes it to heart and knows that it’s true, for her sister is honestly not someone people like.

‘She is a very tenderhearted woman... it seems,’ Xe’Reth catches as he looks upon this stunning beauty in front of him. ‘Maybe she’s too kind for her own good? Let me see.’

“Honored Lady, you must care deeply for your sister because normal people wouldn’t do these kinds of things; coming to ask a person to forgive one of their family member who you don’t even know,” Xe’Reth begins with gentle words while his curves turn into a reassuring smile.

“Yes, you’re right. But I only want nobody to have ill feelings towards my dear sister. Because things can happen if she pushes someone too far, which happens to a lot of nobles that have too much greed and power to think that they can do whatever they want,” she says, sighing as she shakes her head in shame for her fellow lesser nobles.

“Thankfully there are people like you, Honored Lady. For you can see through the wealth and power that people have. To see what is important. That my Honored Lady, is truly a noble of greatness in the making,” Xe’Reth praises while leaning slightly forward as he put on a little act as if he wants her to take in those words of admiration so she would lower her guard a little bit.

“Y-Your words are too kind… but do you know who I’m?” she asks, being slightly interested in his thoughts about herself. Though, she already knows he recognizes her because he heard the conversation between her and her sister. Also, the way he acts towards her is a dead giveaway.

“Oh, who doesn’t know who you are, Honored Lady? You’re the mighty Second-in-Command of the number one squad of the middle gate. You who fights with such beauty and elegance when you hold onto your sword and shield. You’re Malinda of House Tertin, who controls the city where I live,” Xe’Reth says with such respect while showing a beaming face, but he doesn't stop there, he sugarcoats it with more praiseworthy words. “Your beauty is truly unmatchable by the other Honored Ladies that are around the kingdom, for you’re a Goddess of Battle, a Goddess among ordinary women. You’re determined, gorgeous, intelligent, and considerate of others who doesn’t deserve your wrath. Who doesn’t know your benevolent self?”

Malinda’s heart does begin to throb with ache as she hears those words of endless praise from this black-haired young man who she just met, her forbidden fruit even licks her now dry lips to moisten them.

This emotion is indeed a first. But never has a mere commoner been brave enough to utter such elegant tones, rather, this young man's bravery takes her aback as though his tongue is imbued with magic.

“But, who am I to speak to you with such esteem, you’re unreachable by the common folk like the snow-capped mountains that stand guard around our precious realm. My Honored Lady Malinda, it pains me to say this, but I must sadly be on my way, for I’ve things I need to attend to at home. I beg you an Honored farewell,” Xe’Reth says with distant lonely eyes while giving a bob of his head as he turns around and begins to walk away, but as he’s facing his back toward her, he sprouts forth a slight ominous smile while he raises one scarred eyebrow.

“Xe’Reth, wait! Hold on a moment!” Malinda shouts as she grabs the reins of her horse to follow him.

‘Malinda, you’re very naive if only those words trembled your noble heart,’ Xe’Reth pities her but becomes gladdened.

If he can get someone like her around his fingertips as a friend… or as a lover, his life would become easier to handle than his current state of poverty, or moreover, he’d be set for life.

He takes a deep breath and puts on his most unreadable mask of his very being. A cover of trickery that will take things to the limit to reach whatever height that needs climbing, because he desires money, he needs money for that individual that he has at home.

His goal in life is simple, to be like those who stands with the royal family in the capital. Those Honored families! He doesn’t want people to look down on him… he wants them to fear him, for he wants much more than his current position.

If he must step on people, trick people, even kill people to achieve his goals, he’ll do it. He isn’t kind nor is he forgiving; he’s a schemer. He has lived his life with a smiling mask for over four years, yet that mask will be on for the years to come until he can take it off, and spread his tucked in emotions that are weighing him down immensely.

He turns around to face Malinda while he puts on a saddened expression because those words he just said: That she’s unreachable by ordinary men. If he can make her think that her high status saddens him, he can take advantage of it.

“Do you need anything else… Honored Lady?” Xe’Reth asks with a tone of sadness, but not too much sorrow in the words since it would just seem suspicious for the sudden pathetic man to reveal himself.

“You’re heading towards the city, aren’t you? Because you said, you live there? If that’s so, y-you don’t mind if my presence is beside you on your journey home?” she asks with slightly flushed cheeks as she walks close to him, and she catches that glint of sadness on his face.

She doesn’t know why he has become filled with such an aching expression.

‘Was it because we weren’t going to see each other again?’ Malinda considers with unease, but with thankfulness. ‘Does… Does he perhaps like me? …Well, his words were… they were…’ She gulps as she flickers with her eyes thinking about those words that he had said to her. ‘Many have tried to seduce me but failed… is he also trying or am I just overthinking it?’

She doesn’t like to experience people with worrisome faces. Since she’s years older than him, she does feel a somewhat duty to take care of this young man who’s standing there beside her.

She has been very strict on those she spends time with, rather, Malinda doesn’t have any male friends, only the scarce females of the Middle Gate, who rarely converse with her since she isn't the most social of women. But even they can be stale in her presence, for she has a stern look to her when she speaks about various important subjects, which makes her most unapproachable by the common nobles that are stationed by the middle gate.

“My Honored Lady Malinda, your presence will be most welcomed, and with your help, I can probably get through the city's gate faster, heh,” Xe’Reth chuckles as his expression then turns gloomier with eyes closing, “But, I shouldn’t let you… You’re one of the figureheads of the city, so being seen with a person such as myself is something I cannot allow. You’re too precious to be seen walking beside someone as poor as me.”

“N-Nonsense! Do not belittle yourself, Xe’Reth. I walk with those who I want to walk with!” she shouts because his praise makes her feel not so good about herself, but that’s what Xe’Reth wants, to make her guilty of her high status that follows her wherever she goes.

“But sadly that’s how it must be because jealousy would just spread if people saw you with a male beside you all of a sudden. And if I may be so bold to say, my Honored Lady, you have never really been that interested in men, am I right?” Xe’Reth asks as he gazes at her with questioning eyes, but behind Malinda… people are coming.

He needs to quicken his actions, so they don’t come and interrupt them because they had gone far in front of the others who travel from the Ebon Wall.

“Ho-How did… Is it that obvious?” she asks with scarlet cheeks that blossoms on her face. “But so what! I decide who I want to walk with, and if you were to run into any trouble because of me, just come and visit the Citadel! Come, I demand you to walk with me!”

She starts to pull her horse yonder towards the city, which’s an hour away from where they’re at the moment, though it depends on how fast they move. Xe’Reth displays surprise on his face, for she just acted like an arrogant lady that wants her follower to follow...

“Then I’m in your loving embrace, Honored Lady Malinda,” Xe’Reth says as he walks up to her, to be right beside her, rather closely with a smile on his scheming mouth. “Though I would much appreciate it if you would ride your horse instead. Because as I said, I need to return home before the sun is swallowed up by darkness because someone precious to me is waiting for my return.”

She flinches as she hears ‘someone precious,' but she doesn’t inquire about what person that might be. She turns her blond-haired head to stare at him while showing a disappointed downward arc upon her lips. “Oh, I see. Let us make haste to the city then.”

She climbs onto her horse with her plate armor, without any effort at all, and with a “Hiya!” her horse gallops forward. A horse for someone as powerful as Malinda.

Xe’Reth begins to sprint to catch up to her with quickened strides. He’s just tapping the ground with one foot after the other while he jumps through the air. Her wide eyes gaze at him in surprise that fills her whole face yet again.

‘Who in the world is he?’ Malinda asks herself, riding on her horse as her heavy plate armor clatter with the galloping movements.

They keep on going on the road for a short while.

“HIYAA!” she yells as she drives her feet into the horse, making it neigh loudly.

The horse gallops even faster.

“Wow! He-Hey! Wait up!” Xe’Reth yells because he can’t possibly keep up with a full galloping horse, or can he?

*Neigh!*

“Easy, easy there, girl!” Malinda shouts as she jerks her reins, which makes her horse slide on the ground with the metal hooved shoes that give off tiny sparks as they grind against the small stones on the road.

“Aaa… Haaa… Truly… An excellent horse you have there, my Honored Lady Malinda,” Xe’Reth says as he comes up beside her with heavy breaths. But he’s just faking it, for he doesn’t want her to know him that well.

He has thought it through; he’ll begin to court her, and that needs time to settle in. Her heart needs to be jerked into his embrace. He hadn’t thought about trying to gain someone of higher standing before… but now?

'This perfect opportunity that has come to me, I’ll not let it slide away. Even if I have to use her,' he decides as he continues to breathe. She’ll become his stepping stone to wealth; he needs to do this, even if she’ll become a mere tool to him for his goals, his selfish, ambitious goals.

If Malinda didn’t come and interrupt the bullying that he suffered from her younger sister, she wouldn’t need to mourn this fate that’ll come upon her. But it all depends on how Xe’Reth plays his part out. Maybe he’ll mess up royally and get her to hate him?

“Come, Malinda! Let us go now, together, come!” Xe’Reth shouts with a cheerful expression, a face of genuine fake attraction that makes Malinda’s heart shake once more, for he didn’t put any ‘Honored Lady’ in his sentence, and that causes her to let out a yell, “Yes!”

They then journey toward the city…

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Thanks for reading! I must warn you. If you don't favor a manipulative, slightly evil and cunning Main Character, this probably isn't a story for you. :P

Until next time! :D

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