Tales from the Former Universe

14. The Consolation in Truth

The mushrooms and leaves it goes, as Lepille prepared a special dinner for the family.

"What ya cooking?" Asnerald questioned closely.

"Fricassée—my mother's recipe, it is," Lepille said. "Reminds me of her."

"Yeah well, a reminder of us, I implore you owe of us, especially me. I do the working, you all do the housing and lallygagging, Lepille," Asnerald said. "Met a prick today, bring my dinner to my room, it's easier for me to be more lucrative in bed than it is on empty dinners."

"Sure, Uncle Asnerald," Lepille listened to his lectures

"You all better be," Asnerald said and left.

"Oh, Gouver... quelle perte pour notre famille. Que serions-nous devenus, Hwillfyrd et moi, sans toi ? (In French: Oh, Gouver... what a loss in our family. What would Hwillfyrd and I have become without you?)"

Royyega wasn't able to absorb yet again Walbode's irrelevant and repetitive advice and stories—nevertheless, she wasn't also able to accept Walbode's picture of the story, so she immediately went out for herself.

"Royyega, ROYYEGA! ROYYEGA!!" Walbode screamed. "COME BACK!"

"Royyega, is something wrong?" Millian passed Royyega who was concerned, until Royyega too passed her off.

Royyega just wanted to run away, get away from them as quickly as possible. Joyda and the girls passed Royyega who was in their convertible vehicle.

"Hey, city girl, what's wrong? Can't fit yourself in this city, huh?!" Joyda amused. "Or are you just trying to be a sheep after failing to impress others with that cow of yours?!"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Royyega engaged, Joyda sped up her vehicle splattered the puddle to her, and laughed off a great flee from a great deal of Royyega's anger.

The puddles in her sweater only urged her to find a more secluded place. But because of her desperate urge, she lost control, she lost track of where she originally wanted to get away. Her only distinct memory of direction was the crowded town square. She wore her cap, covering her monstrous eyes, desperate for a sheltered space. There wasn't any place or point she could calmly maintain her own, than what's behind the only tallest building in the vale, the town hall. She rushed behind the town hall and found an empty fountain, big enough to hide herself away, big enough for her to cry as loud and tear as fully.

In her space, there was a leftover ale bottle right in front of her. She grabbed and cried to that ale bottle, and threw it away. Arlaion got the noise of the wasted ale bottle, and he led himself to Royyega. He didn't say anything and just was present for her until she wanted him to speak.

"What do you want?" Royyega saddened. "Are you gonna ask... how I got wet?"

"No," Arlaion said. "This is... not a place where I expect you to be," he said. "Is... something wrong?"

"Just go, Arlaion. Let me suffer," she dearly requested.

"Depart, you really want me to aghast?" he asked again.

"Yes," she said. "You wouldn't understand."

"Why do you think I wouldn't?" he wondered. "Stupid, is it because?"

"No... your pure and innocent soul, it is because," she honestly stated.

"Pure and innocent... it only means I could try," he still sat with her.

"You don't have to be present to accommodate problems of my own," she said.

"I will try," he promised.