Caesar

CHAPTER TWO • CONCEAL

Danbury sits in her carriage. The sound of voices outside is inaudible as she stares at her father, the Royal physician. He is asleep with a whitish brown newspaper resting carelessly on his laps. She is only few minutes away from her house yet her mind stills ponders on the young man she had seen the previous night. Her eyes look around the village she passes through, various people hold posters or rather paintings of an unruly handsome man. In his eyes, there is an emotion so unfamiliar to her and the mystery of it makes her more interested.

"It's him...!" Her eyes refuses to take its gaze off the paintings as she mouths silently the words on the paintings and posters.
"Hwansu, the god of Yunchi; when the gods abandoned us, the Hwansu saved us!"

"He's the Hwansu?" She moves her hand circling her blonde hair, her cheeks reddens and a wide smile appears on her face.

"He's beautiful...!"

"...and dangerous!" She hears a silent whisper. Glancing around, she sees only her father who is sound asleep and has drool coming out of his mouth. She ignores him and what she heard earlier and continues fantasizing.

"Why do i feel so drawn to you?" She whispers with her eyes still on the paintings outside.

Above her head in the space meant for bags, a bag glows in the midst of other bags shaking aggressively then it falls to the ground right in front of Danbury. She unzips it and pushes some books aside, her hands bring out the glowing mirror but weirdly, in it's reflective glass it showed her not her own reflection but instead the reflection of The Hwansu. The mirror shakes aggressively as it glows bright red in her hands. Her fingers touch the glass and it gambols like the waves of waters. The Hwansu stares blindly in its glass, dragging a sword which drips blood.

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MOUNTAINGROIN, EASTERN YUNCHI

Silence rings loud with as lean golden wheels climb over the rocks on a roughened ground. Verbena's eyes focuses on the marine waters as its waves gambol slowly.
"I am willing to let you explain..." her father finally speaks out dropping the paper he held. His dark lids close then open as he breathes slowly.

"I have nothing to say." Her eyes remain on the landscape outside the window refusing to look at her father.

"Young lady, i shall not have you speak to me in such tone...!"

Verbena refuses to give a response, her eyes move with the blue ocean and green trees. Her breathing is controlled as she inhales slowly with her lips pressed together.

"What is wrong with you? Is this because of the Hwansu? Has his outrageous looks blinded your eyes and sense of judgement?!"

Verbena's gaze is fiery as it shifts to her father, her eyes question and so do her lip in unison.
"The Hwansu?' Her laugh is derisive maddened with anger.
"The Hwansu did the thing you failed to do as a father...he protected me!"

His eyes glow bright red with worry and partly anger as his breathing pace increases;"What do you mean?"
He asks in between heated breaths.

Verbena ignores his question and goes back to staring at the scenery. The carriage wheels moves slowly on the white sand.

"Verbena Riferos, Answer me!"

Her eyes remain on the marine waters watching its calm and soothing waves. The ocean waves move washing against the shore, carrying back some sand.

"Do not use silence as your leverage, Verbena...now you even dare to lie about your safety for the Hwansu, using it as an excuse to act all goofy at his lowly wooing ... It is all over Yunchi that he has such effects on stupid girls...i never imagined you to be one...!"

Verbena shoots a cold dead glare to her father. Tears fill her emotional eyes yet they refuse to run down over her olive skin.

"So you think i am so lowly that i will lie about MY OWN safety!" She shouts at her father.

Her father's face soften, all his features like jelly but he persists not giving in to his emotions."The daughter i raised wouldn't... but clearly you weren't acting like her earlier this evening..."

"... I was almost assassinated, Father!" The tears finally fall down her cheeks as she tries constantly to push them in brushing her hands against the chilly moist line left by the strolling tears.

"I didn't raise you to weak. You already have a weak body, you can't afford to have a weak mind and weak emotions! Do you expect me to believe that you my sole heir and well taught student would be put down by mere assassins?"

The tears run down freely, her throat feels stuffy as words seize to exit her mouth. Sad chills cover all her skin.

"No!...i do not!" She looks down facing her laps as her face becomes dry devoid of tears or sorrow. She was raised to be strong, without flaws and powerful. She whispers slowly; "All the emotions, Push it in!"