Chapter 112

Fluttering Hearts

"We are doomed to love, as we are doomed to die; for those who despise a soul, cursed they are to lie."

Proverbs

Asandra was currently rifling through sets of parchments hastily, scanning them with her eyes for a moment before moving onto the next one. She would occasionally glance back at the doors before resuming the process. There was a trace of anxiousness on her face, though it was marred by far greater levels of excitement.

However, as the pile of parchments dwindled, her excitement levels dropped, replaced with frustration. By the time she reached the last one, she forced out a sigh and slumped onto a chair for a moment.

Her ears perked up suddenly, causing her to jump up and race toward the slightly opened window, leaping out onto the ledge. A warm wind quickly battered as she found herself faced with a hundred feet long drop, and an open horizon overlooking the whole city. She grabbed onto a nearby beam and pulled herself to the side, using the ledge to shuffle across the building’s façade.

She nimbly heaved over a large pillar, crossing a wide section of the building and reaching another window through which she ducked into the room. It was damp and stuffy, as well as empty, void of much but spiderwebs and years of neglect. Frowning and closing her nose with her fingers, she quickly reached the doors and exited out into a winding corridor, breathing out. Grunting in frustration, she made her way out of the building, greeting the guards on occasion.

That was the eight one, she thought – and nothing yet. The more she looked into it, the more fruitless it all became.

When Noah reminded her that she had completely forgotten her goal when she joined him, she had found herself embittered by reality. Thus, ever since she came back to Elucido, she would break into various Dacents’ chambers to look for some proof or a link to any foul activities. Either her luck was bad or she was just terrible at looking for things, but she was yet to find even an iota of evidence supporting what she knew to be true.

As she made her way across a wide-strayed compound, trees of purple and red heaving into the sky, a singular fountain belting out water from several holes, her eyes landed on a wide mansion and a single window on the third floor. Sighing, she made her way over, though suddenly stopped when she saw a figure approaching her – Princess Olivia.

Gone was the innocence she bore on her face when Asandra first met her, and gone was the naivety in the eyes. There was now a sense of maturity, a sense of reality present both in her gaze and in her gait that reminded Asandra of how she used to be a long time ago.

“Your Highness,” Asandra bowed a greeting. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes,” Olivia replied somewhat hastily. “I… I would like to discuss something with you.”

“With me?” Asandra tilted her head in confusion. “Wouldn’t it be better to seek Dacent Noah if you require advice?”

“No, I’d like to talk with you,” Olivia said as she grabbed Asandra’s arm and clutched it within her own, forcing Asandra to follow with a silent protest. The two made her way onto a walking pavement, a set of dirt paths that took walkers around the Royal Grounds, often used for visitors who wanted to see the wonders of the Royal Grounds. “You are aware that… Dacent Vorvil committed suicide, no?”

“… I am, Your Highness.” Asandra replied, frowning.

“… what you might not be aware of… is the reason.”

“The reason?”

“Hm,” Olivia nodded. “He left a letter behind.”

“… he did?” Asandra frowned, though her question had little to do with Vorvil himself. It was more a question aimed at herself, wondering how Noah had pulled everything off.

"In it," Olivia said, taking a deep breath. "He confessed to being the man who ordered those attempts at my life, and that the guilt, fear, and shame from his actions were too much for him."

“… that…” Asandra’s frown deepened. That bastard will have to give me some answers, dammit…

“… you were not aware of it, I see.”

“No, Your Highness,” Asandra replied, realizing that Olivia was probing her. “Though I had looked into the assassination attempts per Dacent’s request, my investigation is still quite young.”

“… do you trust him?” Olivia asked suddenly as the two made their way past a greenish pond of water, a school of red-dyed fish swimming in looping circles.

“Him?”

“Noah.”

“… why do you ask, Your Highness?” Asandra asked back, appearing wholly confused on the surface.

“… do you?” Olivia asked, the tone of her voice implying almost a plea. Asandra stared at the faintly maturing face of a Princess, realizing she was facing the same demons and devils Asandra was facing herself.

“… I do, Your Highness,” Asandra replied honestly, taking a deep breath. “Whatever his faults may be, he is most concerned for your well-being.”

“… yes, I think so too,” Olivia nodded, her lips curling up into a smile. For some reason, however, Asandra got a bad feeling. “Then… I… I have another question for you. Woman… to woman.”

“… huh?” the bad feeling grew larger, causing Asandra to suddenly feel like ripping herself away from Olivia and running away.

“… how… how should I go about… seducing him?” Goddammit… "I… I mean, I've tried… a few times, actually. But… he never seemed receptive. I… I don't have any experience in these matters, but I have been told plenty that I am beautiful. That… it seems… isn't enough, though."

“…” Asandra felt as though a corkscrew was shoved through her eyes and into her brain, momentarily stunned. Isn’t… isn’t he like twenty years older than you?! “You… you fancy… him, Your Highness?” Asandra asked through gritted teeth, suddenly regretting never engaging much with other girls her age when she was younger.

“… I do,” Olivia replied with a faint blush. “He’s strong, smart, calm… and incredibly handsome. And he does care for me, I know. But… he doesn’t seem to want me.”

“…” I’d be worried to all hell if he actually did! Asandra found herself stunned, perhaps more so than ever before in her life. I’m fairly certain this wasn’t that bastard’s intention… “Have you… tried talking to him about it?”

“Yes,” Olivia nodded. “But he always changes the subject, as though he is uncomfortable.”

“… pardon me, Your Highness, but… you are much, much younger than him.”

“From what I had seen,” Olivia said. “Men his age all find women much younger than them far more attractive, no?”

“… uh… I, I really think I’m not the best person for this, Your Highness…”

“But you have experience, yes?”

“Well, yes, but—”

“How did you, then, seduce a man?” Olivia interrupted, leaning into Asandra’s face, causing the latter to nearly stumble and fall.

“… I…”

“Hey, you two,” a voice suddenly came between them, causing Asandra to faintly believe in Light for the first time in her life. Turning to the side, however, caused that little faith to immediately vanish.

Olivia backed away, her cheeks reddening further as she nodded toward the newcomer and bolted back from where she came, leaving Asandra standing there alone. She realized she had gone all the way to the back, the so-called ‘Garden of Statues’, where roughly two hundred white-marble stone statues stood erect in a perfect circle.

Noah stood leaning on one of them, curiously looking at her. She couldn't help back but think at Olivia's words, giving him deeper scrutiny. At the very least, she concluded, he didn't look twenty years older than Olivia. But, in her opinion, that was as far as it all went.

“… she asked you how to seduce me, didn’t she?” he suddenly asked, sighing.

“… quite conceited, don’t you think so? Believing a Princess is interested in you.” Asandra replied, unwilling to feed his ego further.

“… so? What did you tell her? I hope you didn’t advise her to sneak into my room naked one night.”

“… you don’t have a very high opinion on me, do you?” she quizzed, squinting her eyes.

“I do, actually – the highest of all the people I’ve met here,” he replied with a smile. “But I also fear your grudge.”

“… what did you do to her, anyway?” she asked, relenting and walking over.

“… I promised her something nobody else was willing or capable of giving her,” Noah replied, gazing toward where Olivia vanished, sighing. “A very dangerous thing to promise a woman.”

“… didn’t you promise me the same thing?” Asandra glanced at him. “And yet, lo and behold.”

“Oh, just you wait,” Noah grinned, glancing at her. “Before long, you’ll be in her shoes, you’ll see.”

“Shove a sword through my throat the day that happens.”

“Ouch. I don’t think fancying me is that hateful, you know?”

“It is quite hateful, though,” she replied, grinning back. “You’re an old, decrepit, willy, unpredictable man. Everything a woman hates.”

“Oh? So, you hate me now? I see…”

“Twist my words however you like,” Asandra said, shrugging. “You still have the Princess problem.”

“… can’t you talk to her? Woman to woman? Remind her that I’m an old, decrepit, willy, and unpredictable man. Everything she, as a woman, ought to hate.” Noah said, sighing bitterly.

“… you are dependable,” Asandra said, glancing at him. “Yes, in your willy and decrepit ways, but dependable nonetheless. That is probably much more than she ever received in her life from anyone else.”

“… I’ve discovered something that might interest you.” Noah suddenly changed the subject as the two reached back the pond of greenish water, with the fish inside still swimming in circles.

“What?” she asked.

“Instead of spending your sleepless nights going through the drawers of Dacents,” he said with a faint smile. “Perhaps you should follow a specific one, Dacent Ongur, tomorrow night… and see where it takes you.”

“… you’ve realized?” she asked.

“I am the willy and unpredictable one, remember?”

“I didn’t ask you to look into it,” she said. “Just help me when I get something.”

“… you are who you are, Asandra,” he suddenly came to a stop, causing her to follow his lead, turning toward him. “Whatever armor you put on to hide it, you live with your heart. I don’t. While I find old men abusing and manipulating children despicable and distasteful, I don’t feel it to be my crucible.”

“…”

“But… you do,” he added with a faint smile. “And, seeing as we are chained together at least for the foreseeable future, it becomes my crucible by association.”

“… not an honest word out of your mouth,” she groaned, glaring at him. “Tell me the truth, Noah. Was Vorvil involved? Is that why you killed him?”

"… I didn't kill him," Noah shrugged. "He committed suicide, remember? Royal Physician confirmed it."

“… you said you want to go back home,” Asandra said, ignoring his quip. “Is this, all of this… necessary for that? Can’t you just… leave? The same way you came?”

“… doesn’t the fact that I’m doing all this tell you enough?”

“… I won’t let you condemn my home in pursuit of yours.”

“… Vorvil had to die.” Noah said hollowly.

“Who else has to die, then?” she asked.

“… Lightbearer Yeow. At least according to Vorvil, that is.”

“Thank you for—did you just… did you just say Lightbearer Yeow?”

“Yes.”

“No,” she shook her head. “Him dying would usurp the entire Kingdom beyond recognition. Anyone from Principality dying is off-limits."

“… why?”

“What do you mean why?!” she growled angrily. “They basically run the place, Noah! Especially now that the King is dead and that there is no one to reign them in!”

“Doesn’t it strike you as odd, then?”

“What?”

“How it all worked out perfectly for them. And how more perfect would it have been were Olivia and Maria killed.”

“You aren’t accusing the Principality of conspiring against the Royalty!” Asandra muffled her voice, racing over toward him and grabbing his collar, leaning into his face. “If anyone even so much as heard the rumor of you saying this, your head would fly, Noah! Fly!”

“You asked for honesty,” Noah replied with a faint smile. “Now, we’re in the same boat.”

“…” she glared at him for good while before sighing, letting go. “You give us crumbs, claiming it’s a whole cake. Whatever, do what you want. I’m already a mortal enemy of the Principality.”

“… have you spoken to anyone about it?”

“Besides you, you mean?” she asked, rolling her eyes.

“Well, yeah.”

“No. I very much like living, thank you.”

"After some time," he said. "We'll leave for a while, see the inns and outs of what happened to you.”

"… will you tell me then what you know?" she asked after a brief deliberation.

“I will. I promise.”

“… I’m going to go and prepare,” she said, turning around. “I’ve some stalking business to do tomorrow.”

“Don’t kill them,” Noah called out softly. “If you want them dead, let me help.”

"… I'll let you know." She paused briefly and waved at him, not turning around, however. Noah stared at her fading back with a bitter gaze, shaking his head.

He quickly forgot about her as his mind drifted to Olivia; his face darkened as the gears of his mind spun rapidly. Will I really need to give in just to keep her from exploding? He rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration as he made his way back to his room, preparing for some stalking business of his own.