The Fate Of The Red Eyed Girl

Chapter 5: His Shadow

Prince Dario sat down at his desk and started handling the reports while Maynard sat across from him and started handling his own share. Maynard handled the small matters while Dario took care of the bigger matters.

Dario glanced sideways at Maynard who picked up a particular file that sat by the edge of the desk and started reading it. His brows scrunched up and he fell into deep thought.

Dario looked back at his own files as he said, “The rain is much heavier this summer and the towns close to the border are always prone to flooding water from the Lon River and food and other necessities have to be sent there. I have always wanted to go in person but my situation does not permit me to do so,” he sighed and continued, “The file was sent by the chancellor this morning and he wanted me to give him permission to personally go and deliver the provisions but I did not give him an immediate answer and wanted to ask if you would like to go.”

The file Maynard had been reading was a report of the casualties that had occurred due to the floods. In most people’s eyes, these files were just mere words that explained of a suffering they knew nothing about, but to Maynard, they were a forever deep wound that left a mark on his soul.

Maynard upon hearing the prince’s intentions expressed his own desire on the matter, “Highness, young lord Maynard Whitman is willing to go and pacify the people.”

“I figured as much, well then, it seems you have to start packing,” Dario mused.

“Does that mean I have to leave immediately?”

Dario shook his head as he declined, “not yet, His Majesty will be arriving in a few days for my sister’s birthday, it will not look good if you leave before his arrival, so wait until then to leave.”

Maynard nodded his head in understanding, “That is true,” then he looked at the Prince in question, “by the way, why did you say, you figured as much.”

Dario observed Maynard and wondered if he should speak about it or not, he threw caution to the wind and spoke anyway, “You haven’t visited them in a few years right?”

Dario continued despite the down cast expression that had appeared on Maynard’s face, “I wanted to give you an opportunity to go without your father finding out. You have held back for so long and must have been thinking about it, so I knew you would accept it since this is basically your only chance.”

Maynard shrugged, “Highness knows me too well, then I should properly thank you.”

He got up from his chair and was about to give Dario a formal salute but was stopped by him.

“Take it as a favour, I will ask for it back one day.”

Maynard sat back down with a smile, “definitely, I will give you whatever it is you ask for when the time comes.”

“Should I take that as a promise?” Maynard nodded his head in an affirmative gesture. Dario stared at him deeply as he asked for confirmation, “I can ask for anything and you will grant it to me?”

Maynard again nodded, “You know it is a disgrace to break a promise right?” he asked again to which Maynard, again, nodded. Dario finally smiled as he said, “Fine then, I will hold you accountable when the time comes.”

He went back to reading the reports with new found energy after swindling a promise from his good friend and childhood companion.

On the other side at the library, Larisa felt as if her soul was about to be drained dry, she kept looking at the moving lips of the old man in-front of her as he taught her but nothing registered into her ears, all she knew was that he was talking but she couldn’t hear what it was that he was saying. Anyway, there was nothing new that could be taught to her at this point. She had read so many books over the years that she felt packed to the brim with knowledge and there couldn’t be anything she didn’t know already.

Her mind started to drift away as she anticipated her upcoming birthday in a few days. She would be turning fifteen and would be given a palace of her own. She was thinking of asking for Orchid palace to be given to her.

Orchid palace is where she was born and raised for the first seven years of her life by her mother. It was constructed specifically for the kingdoms Queens only and her asking for it could be met with strong rejection from the courtiers but she still wanted to give it a try, maybe she could find something that explains her condition since her mother seemed to have known all along.

The voice in Larisa’s head did not speak at all for the next few days. This has never happened before. At first, the voice would only be quiet for a day after she uses the emptiness mantra. But this time it had been quite a few days, leaving Larisa a bit uncomfortable at the sudden absence of its presence.

The next few days leading up to her birthday were spent with her acting like a puppet, she would wake up early, practice with her ribbon for a few hours together with Fay before she went to greet Consort Ari then head to the library.

She had been used to this kind of existence before but going back to it did not sit well with her.

This kind of existence had been slowly pushing her into a dark abyss of depression and selfhate when Maynard first appeared in her life. He broke into her life like a beam of light at the end of a tunnel that gives people hope for a better tomorrow, like a rope thrown down to someone stuck in a dark well, a cup of water given to a traveller in the desert.

She didn’t know when it started. In the beginning when he first appeared, she really didn’t care much. He had just been another addition to her monotonous life. But in between all those times that he walked with her to the library over the years through all the seasons of the year, something changed within her.

It could be how he brought for her the spring sweets from all over the capital knowing she couldn’t leave the palace and wanted her to have a taste of the outside world, or maybe it was how he held an umbrella over her head during the summer rains, or maybe how he fussed over her wearing little clothes in autumn and how he would put on an extra coat on her in winter fearing that she may catch a cold.

She didn’t know what it was, but his smiling, worried and annoyed face never ceased to bring a smile to her own face.

Larisa stood at the gate leading to the outer court, the weather was sunny and warm today but there was a deep and uncomfortable hollowness inside her heart that left her entire body cold.

It was the fifth day that she had waited to hear those familiar footsteps and see the smiling face that accompanies them. But not even his shadow could be seen.

Two days ago, She had mastered all her courage and went to ask her brother about his whereabouts.

Dario hadn’t looked up from his papers as he replied, “I don’t know where he is or when he will come back.”

“But he is your friend, shouldn’t you know where he is.”

“Like you said, he is my friend and not my son. He has his own private life that I can’t interfere in.”

She helplessly left his study, would it be like last time when they hadn’t seen each other for months?

She didn’t bother to send anyone to go and find out his whereabouts. After all, even if she where to know where he is, what then? She couldn’t even follow him regardless. She was like a caged bird.