After the meeting, there were only four people left. Their heads are still wandering on why Clarence Holton chooses to leave. She was one of the greatest knights in the castle. People are expecting her to stay in the capital and to sit in one of the most respected positions.
” Your highness, have you ever speak to Ms. Holton of the rewards she will possess.”
The knight commander asked in a low voice. The Crown Prince slowly shook his head. General affairs are not included in their conversations even if they talk most of the time. But, even so, he should have asked if the payment or the reward would be enough for her.
“This is driving me crazy! Up until the end, you still treat her as your loyal dog? You should have promised her something, anything.”
The wizard of the tower Kenneth screamed. The long silver hair that’s been hiding beneath the robes is now exposed as he slowly took it off. The priest beside him immediately gives him a look, saying how rude he is.
“Kenneth! you can’t say those words to his highness…
“What do you know exactly! So what are you going to do? You will just let your friend go when things have become easy for you? Is that it?”
The meeting room has gone quiet again. Of course, no one wanted Clarence to leave, but can they do anything about it. Can they stop her when she leaves everything behind? Can they when Clarence treats them as if they weren’t close and leaves them as if they were nothing.
” Wizard of the tower, Kenneth. Isn’t there any magic that could help us at a time like this?”
The knight commander asked, but Kenneth just hit his head on the desk for a moment and weakly replied.
“There isn’t.”
“… But you are the genius wizard who split the mountains and changed the weather just because you feel like it.”
” I don’t know! I don’t know if I can! I don’t know-how! There isn’t any mark I left on her, so I don’t know.
I really should have. Kenneth murmured to himself. He bumped his head again on the desk with regrets.
” Ah! Now that you said it, I suddenly remembered.”
Dale, the priest of the temple, exclaimed in glee and clutched his cross.
” I left her a mark, so its effect is still on her. Unless another priest has blessed her, of course.”
“Blessed?”
Prince Oswin asked. Dale’s face turned pale as he pulls his head up to look at them.
“When the war I ended and, I returned to the capital. I kissed Clarence forehead as a blessing…”
” What the hell did you do to Clarence? Aren’t you a priest?”
Kenneth squeezed Dale’s shoulder. The surprising fact is that no one seems to stop Kenneth and was rather pleased with his actions
“It- it’s a blessing. A blessing done to assure her future.
“That’s a blessing? wow, I’ve never heard of such a self-serving blessing.”
Kenneth’s uncontrolled shaking has now finally ended, but the fact that Dale is not clarifying his intentions seems to concern them.
“Alright, I got it. Now go ahead and track Clarence down. Oswin, you will ask him to search for her right?”
After seeing Oswin nodded his head, Dale clasps his hands together. His blue hair turned white, and soon the magic flew into his veins as his lips move. It was a different kind of magic. It was a prayer to God that only Dale could use.
He opened his eyes, and Kenneth immediately asks him.
” Did you find her?”
” Uhm…No,” Dale replied, embarrassed.
” Didn’t you give her that damn kiss as a blessing?”
“It is, but then someone must have kissed her.”
“Again? Who the hell is that?!”
Kenneth pulled his hair angrily, almost tearing it from his scalp that it makes him cry.
***
Clarence would need a lot of goods for her travels. The difference between the province and the capital city is too far and wide. There is also a possibility that it would take a lot of time. So she goes to the market to buy some goods.
The first thing she bought was a sturdy leather bag to store her goods, then a couple of dried foods and water. And then suddenly, her feet stop in front of a bookstore. Scholars and students were also looking at the book displayed on the shelves. Clarence has read a lot of books before, but the topics were mostly about geography or battle tactics. So she couldn’t say that it was fun. Well, it might be, but mostly not.
” It’s hard to finish a book you don’t have an interest in, isn’t it Knight Holton?
His majesty, Oswin, the crown prince, asked while reading a bunch of philosophy books that don’t interest him. She nods her head in agreement.
” Then, which books are interesting for you, your highness?”
” For me.” he trailed off while his hands are fiddling on the book next to him. Probably there were a lot of books to his liking.
” Storybooks.”
“Storybooks? Aren’t those written for children?”
” Yes, they are, but there are also books written for adults Knight Holton.”
“For adults?”
“Yes.”
“It’s fun. It’s nice to read such fantasies even when you have grown up now. It gives you hope in a world like this… and that maybe is also the reason why I like reading them. ”
Isn’t that escaping from reality? Clarence wanted to ask, but she couldn’t do it, so she looks away from him for a moment. Beyond the tent, they were in was thousands and countless deaths on the battlefield. And also because of that situation, they can freely talk to each other. Silence remained so the crown prince Oswin apologized to Clarence with a troubled face.
“So- sorry. It’s probably boring. So I don’t think the story could entertain you….”
” It’s okay. I just remembered something. What is it about?”
” It’s quite interesting. You will love it. Can I tell you a story? if you don’t mind. ”
Oswin asked, excited.
” As you may, your grace.”
“I am not bragging, but the imperial library is so long. It was my only friend growing up, so I almost memorize it’s contents like it’s my brother’s name.”
From that day onwards, Prince Oswin began to tell Clarence the story of the books he reads. Of course, the stories are long, they can’t finish it in one sitting, so they continue it when they bumped into each other.
Before she knew it, Clarence becomes so engrossed in his stories and would always ask the crown prince to tell her more. Clarence likes what he is talking about but mostly by how the crown prince speaks it, how he modulates his voice from high to raise tension, then low to tone it down. It was as if his usual timid behavior was a lie.
” Thank you, your highness.”
” ….huh?”
When she was a child, she just freely roam the streets with her brother. Alone and all by themselves, they didn’t have any adult to protect them, or let alone tell them bedside stories at night. By the time Clarence got into her mentor’s care, he only taught her the basic things she needs to survive.
” I just realized that this was the first time someone told me about a story.”
” If you wanted to hear more in the future. You can call me whenever you want. It will be an honor…”
He shook his hand with a blush, opposite to his expressions, and the way he speaks like a knight earlier. The brave knight whose ready to stab the dragon’s heart is now gone that it makes Clarence smile a little.
And indeed, it was an escape because, after their talk, blood, war, and ranking vanish to Clarence’s head for a moment.
Tinkle
As Clarence entered the bookstore, a small bell rings. Clarence stood at the entrance for a moment and looked inside. It was a scene that could bring peace and warmth to anyone’s heart. At the corner was a scholar, tightly embracing a book whose much thicker than him. Next to him were students in their uniforms, whispering and recommending each other books to read at night. Everyone seems to be busy in their own worlds that Clarence felt she’s the only one who didn’t have any business here. To be honest, buying a book didn’t even cross her mind when she enters the store. Her feet just unconsciously drag her to the door when those memories rush through here.
Clarence turns around, hesitating, wondering if she should just go back. Her heart was beating rapidly, knowing she steps into a place she should not have come, but before she can even make her way to the entrance, a staff stops in front of her with a smile.
” Welcome. Is there any book you are looking for?”
The staff asked in a friendly manner, something that Clarence couldn’t just brush in. Out of nervousness, her hands couldn’t stay in place. How could she even think of coming into a place like this? She doesn’t know anything about books either.
“Uhmm..”
” It’s okay if you don’t have any book in mind, you can freely look around here.”
Clarence thought that maybe she should pretend to look around for a bit then go out once it was long enough. Clarence quietly nodded her head as a response, and the staff asks her to call her if she finds any book she likes with a sweet smile.
The bookstore’s staff is so different from the staff at the arms dealer. The owner Ms. Kern is a nice person, but if she sees you just stalling and not making purchases, it’s obvious she will get mad then will most like say to you,
” Those weapons are not displayed there just for you look at! I am a busy person, now get the hell out of here this instant, before I stab this to you!”
Clarence glanced at the nearby bookshelf to look at some books. The first book she encounters was geography, a book she complains was boring.
As Clarence walks a little further political book are peeking side by side. The books here are meticulously arranged based on their contents, so organized that you wouldn’t need a staff to help you. The store was so different from the arms dealer that Clarence couldn’t help but compare. Ms. Kern, the owner of the arms dealer, is estranged to the word order. One time Clarence bought a dagger, she rummages all through her store to find it.
Clarence suddenly remembered Oswin’s story. It was an interesting story, but she never heard what happened at the end.
_____________