The Marchioness Treasure | HIATUS

Chapter 14: Confrontations (1)

Marleigh and Alina made it back to the village and there, standing near the well, was the chief, along with Kai and Martha. Marleigh slowly approached the trio with her head hanging low in shame. When she neared the rim, Kai was the first person to greet her.

"Glad you are back." He said with a sad smile playing on his lips. His fists were clenched and his ever joyful expression had a dark shade to it today. Marleigh's heart thumped in pain.

"I-I am sorry, Kai. I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you," Marleigh said, fiddling with her thumbs, "especially when all you've been doing is helping me."

Kai took Marleigh's face in his palms and cradled it, wiping the traces of tears. "Look here, Marleigh. Those were all my choices. You don't owe me anything. Not even this apology. I was just doing my job. So don't overthink this."

Even after his speech, Marleigh felt Kai was not completely fine. Though he was smiling from ear to ear, she could see the storm of sadness etched in his forest-green eyes. She wanted to hug him, tell him that Marleigh did not mean what she had said. But she couldn't do it. She was in no position to do it. 

After a heart-wrenching encounter with Kai, she moved to where the chief was standing. The chief approached Marleigh with a smile on her wrinkled, tanned face. "Augur, I know you'd come around. My Alina never fails me."

Marleigh gave a quiet laugh, "No, she doesn't. I am sorry I was being irresponsible, chief. I-I just felt overwhelmed. This is all too new to me."

The chief in turn hugged her. She patted Marleigh's head and at that moment, tears once again spilled from Marleigh's eyes. The chief assured her that everything would be alright and that the Eidikos would teach her everything there is to know about Maegeic and Augurs. With a grateful smile, Marleigh broke the hug.

For the next few days, Marleigh and Kai both stayed in the village while learning about the history of Maegeic with the chief and Alina. Kai hadn't tried making a conversation with Marliegh in those two weeks they stayed except for a couple of polite greetings or small but sad smiles. Marleigh was badly hurt and decided to confront him on the very last day of the stay.

Meanwhile, Alina and Martha took turns teaching Kai weaponry and basic medicine. Kai was a bit reluctant to learn at first but he warmed up to the villagers pretty well. He had learnt how to wield a spear and to make delicious herbal tea. 

"Seems like you are enjoying yourself," said Alina, sitting on the porch of the hut Martha and Marleigh share. Marleigh with a scroll in one hand and quill in another nodded.

"You bet I am. I thought I wouldn't understand but it's fascinating." Marleigh exclaimed, her hazel eyes glowing with excitement.

It was true. Marleigh always thought maegic was something boring filled with long spells, twisty words, and rare ingredients. But the more she read, the more she was amazed at how fascinating and useful it is. 

There were even spells for baking cakes, opening a portal to other dimensions, and changing the colour of one's hair! Marleigh wished if she learnt these earlier, she could've saved a few silvers and a lot of hairroot damage.

Just then, Kai walked by them and gave a smile to Alina and a nod towards Marleigh. Alina uncomfortably looked between the two of them and got up from her seat, "I believe you two have things to sort out. I-I'll just go wait by the well. Don't forget that your trainings start at sunset."

Marleigh nodded and awkwardly gestured Kai to sit beside her. He, however, declined the offer and waved his hands towards the forest, "Shall we take a walk? We'll just go around the waterfall and come back."

Marleigh nodded and started sprinting towards the woodlands shouting, "Last one to the fall has to initiate the conversation!"

With a little smile playing on his lips, Kai started running, "You better prepare a funny joke for the opening speech because you'll definitely be loosing."

They arrived near the canyon, breathless and stared at each other in silence for what seemed like forever. All of a sudden Kai began laughing followed by Marleigh. They clutched their stomachs and their laughter echoed beyond the canyon, to the deep ends of the woodlands.

"W-wait, my shoulders aching from too much shaking," said Marleigh, standing straight from her bent position, "My bandage almost came undone."

Kai smirked, "You initiated the conversation so...I win right?"

Marleigh stared at him, her mouth hanging low, "W-What? No. You laughed first!"

Kai still had that smirk on his scarred face and shrugged nonchalantly. This annoyed Marleigh even more, which resulted in her hitting him on his back. He yelped in pain but quickly covered it with a playful smile, "You're too weak."

Even though he tried to cover it, Marleigh knew that he was hurting. No, it was not her intution or the way her heart clenched at his yelp. No, she knew it because he was squirming rather uncomfortably while eyebrows were clenched in pain.

Marleigh dragged him across the pathway and sat him below an oak tree, "Remove your shirt. I-"

"Whoa!" Kai exclaimed in surprise and in pain, "Going a little too fast, are we? I am not ready yet."

Marleigh rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue in annoyance, "Always, I mean always listen to what the other party has to say. Fully."

Marleigh then proceeded to rummage through Kai's worn out leather bag and took out a little wooden box containing a green paste. She turned around and closed her eyes, giving Kai the space to comfortably remove his shirt.

Kai laughed and asked, "I am good but how did you know I was hurt? I thought I concealed it pretty well."

Marleigh approached him with tiny steps, "Yeah, you are not a great actor. And besides- Whoa!"

What Marleigh saw left her speechless. His once tanned back was covered in purple and she noticed a few gashes with blood seeping out from them. Marleigh wondered how he had withstood such pain all these weeks.

"I know I am handsome. Don't need to stare." Kai laughed. Marleigh pressed into the wound while applying the oinment which earned a hiss from him. 

"Tell me the truth. How did you get this?" asked Marleigh, her eyes welling up with tears. She already knew the answer to it but she wanted Kai to be the one to give them to her. She thought Kai was someone who was childish and annoying but seeing this new side of him bloomed a warm feeling in her chest.

"I was chasing a bee and ended up falling from a cliff. Is that-Ouch," Kai yelled in pain and sighed, "Fine. When we fell from the carriage, I used myself to shield you alright?"

Marleigh finished dressing Kai's wound and gave him a light hug from the back while Kai grimaced from the strange impact. But he soon adapted into the position they were in and leaned closer to Marleigh when she whispered, "Thank you."

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Yes, TMT has officially has 1k reads and I am so happy. I'd like to thank all my readers and supporters who made this possible. We've more milestones to cross and much more to experience with Kai and Marleigh so I hope you will be together with them till the end. 

Yes, this chapter is unedited and I'll probably get to it when I am done with this book (or earlier. It depends on my currently non-existent will to edit). Hope yo had fun reading this!

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Love,

Julia Laone.