Justice for the Forest-Beasts

Chapter Twenty-Three - In Which the Twins Speak to the Fool

Estelle and Lucian hurried down the street, moving as fast as their legs would allow. Their heeled boots slowed them down, but Estelle knew she'd prefer them over running barefoot on the cold, stone street. The frigid breeze was enough to chill Estelle all the way through to her bones, stinging her nose and lungs on its way there.

The twins entered the castle through the servants' entrance, in order to avoid the people that still crowded the castle's main entrance. The sudden change in temperature made Estelle feel unbearably hot. She and Lucian rushed upstairs and down the hall to Halloran's office, where he spent most of his time. Estelle didn't bother to knock, slamming the door with as much force as her tired body could muster.

Halloran's office didn't feel as homey and relaxed as the twins' office. Large bookcases lined the walls, though Estelle was sure Halloran hadn't read many of the books that filled them. A big, wooden desk stood proudly in the center of the far wall, which Halloran sat at. His personal servant, Etel, stood obediently by his side.

"Oh, hello, children," Halloran greeted the twins.

Estelle didn't bother to return her father's greeting. "Why did you order the Royal Guard to take Rain?" she demanded.

"Your mother was pronounced dead this morning," Halloran said simply, "And so, I carried out one of her final wishes: Stop the twins from getting so infatuated by the beast. That is all."

"Do you not feel any remorse for this?" Estelle said, "Come on! That is an innocent child the two of you keep imprisoning!"

"Of course I don't," Halloran said. He kept his tone matter-of-fact, as if it'd kill him to show the twins any emotion at all. "This is my duty. This is what I agreed to when I ran for king. If you cannot understand that, I don't think you are cut out to be monarchs yourselves."

Rage bubbled up inside of Estelle. She wanted to scream or stomp her feet, but she'd never forgive herself for acting so childish if she did. Instead, she turned around and left. Lucian was confused, unsure what to do. He hesitantly followed after Estelle, closing the door behind them.

"Are you okay?" he signed as he caught up to Estelle.

Estelle shook her head, "No, but I will be." She took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. "Let's find Cecilia. She's bound to know where Rain is."

Cecilia was Halloran's jester, who was often right by his side when important decisions were made. Truthfully, Estelle wasn't sure if this decision was considered important enough for Cecilia to be present. She didn't care much though, as it was more appealing to Estelle to talk to Cecilia than Halloran, after dismissing herself so abruptly.

Together, the twins walked to the servants' quarters. The quarters were located right against the castle's southern wall, and it housed every one of the castle's servants. The quarters were small and cozy—nowhere near the elegance and formalities of its neighboring castle. Estelle knocked on Cecilia's door, and they waited for only a moment before she answered the door.

"Hello, sires," Cecilia greeted the twins with a soft smile, "What brings you here?"

"We were wondering if you knew anything about what the King is doing with Rain," Estelle said.

"Rain?" Cecilia repeated, eyeing the twins oddly.

"The winged beast peasant," Estelle elaborated, though she wished she didn't have to call Rain such a thing.

"Oh, yes! Come right in," Cecilia stepped aside, letting the twins enter her room. She closed the door behind them.

Cecilia slept alone in her own bedroom, unlike most of the servants. Her room was rather small, filled completely by her bed and her wooden desk. The desk was considerably small, covered with papers, books, and pens. Estelle found it odd that Cecilia did not seem to own a dresser, wardrobe, or closet of any sort.

"What exactly do you want to know about them?" Cecilia asked.

"We want to know where Rain has been taken," Estelle said. Lucian nodded in agreement.

Cecilia thought for a moment before she gave her answer, "South of the castle, I imagine. They're being executed by starvation, so they're being brought out into the woods and trapped in a cave or some other sort of thing that they won't be able to escape on their own. I doubt the Royal Guards have taken them there yet, and it'll be dark before too long. If you're hoping to go out and rescue them, I think I'd wait until morning."

"You don't know where exactly xe's being taken?" Estelle asked.

Cecilia hesitated, before she answered, "Okay, okay. I do know." She went through a few papers that were piled on her desk, soon pulling out a tattered, old map. She showed it to the twins, and it took a moment for Estelle to recognize what it was showing. It was a map of the woods behind the castle, and there were several marked areas, each paired with a name. Most of them, Estelle didn't recognize. One of them, though, was labeled, 'bird beast.' Cecilia pointed to it and said, "That's where they're being taken. It isn't very far, but the terrain is rough out there. You'll certainly want different footwear."

"We've got boots without heels, and we've got plenty of experience in the woods. We'll be fine," Estelle said, staring at Cecilia's map and doing her best to memorize Rain's location.

"When are you going out to look for them?" Cecilia asked.

"Tonight," Estelle said.

Estelle didn't notice Lucian signing, "No, absolutely not," in response to her answer. Cecilia looked at both the twins, seeming unsure.

"You can take the map, if you'd like, sires," she offered, "I doubt I'll need it before you return."

Estelle smiled happily, looking up at Cecilia, "Truly?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Thank you so much, Cecilia," Estelle said as she rolled up the map, "For a fool, you are very thoughtful."

Cecilia chuckled, "Thank you, I suppose. Just stay out of trouble, okay?"

"That's quite the opposite of our goal, but I appreciate it."

"Fair enough. Stay safe, then."

"We will. Have a good evening. May Mianebi bring you a peaceful sleep and lovely dreams."

The twins left Cecilia's room. In the hall, Lucian grabbed Estelle's shoulder, demanding her attention.

"Are you crazy?" he signed furiously.

"What? Why?" Estelle signed back.

"There's no way we'll find xem. Just accept that xe's dead so we can move on. Please."

Estelle did nothing to hide the offense she felt. "Absolutely not. It's our fault xe's in this mess, so it's our responsibility to get xem out of it. Xe'd do the same for us."

Lucian sighed, utterly annoyed by Estelle. "Okay, if you say so."

Estelle smiled softly, "Just trust me, okay? If we don't find xem before noon tomorrow, we can give up."

Lucian hesitated for a moment before he nodded and signed, "Okay. I trust you."

"Thank you," Estelle signed.