Next To You

Ch. 7~ D Day

*The sun rose over the autumn village, softly peaking through the cottages' windows and shining brightly over the elder woman's restaurant and home. Raedon walked out of his childhood home and stood to face the mountain where the restaurant was, he saw the sun only focusing on that area. It shined so bright that the colors of the trees became vibrant. It almost felt like a sign, the missing piece of the puzzle that he's been trying to solve for almost his entire life. *"Today is the day..."

*Raedon didn't waste another second, and began to hike up to the elder woman's restaurant. His arrival was earlier than any other day, he knew it wouldn't be open for hours. Nervousness ran through his body all night long, he came here without a wink of sleep but felt more awake than he's ever felt in a situation like this. He walked the color filled leafy path up the hill quickly, dodging all the rocks lodged into the ground, ducking under the tree branches with his tall stature. All of the motions he usually does to get there, yet it felt different to him.*

*Finally he arrived at the restaurant, walking in quietly to make sure to not disturb if she was sleeping. Looking around he didn't see her, until he heard a voice coming from the outside at the back of the building.* "Raedon, outside!" *He followed the voice, walking to the door that led outside to the back, and he saw the elderly woman sitting on a tree stump waiting patiently. She had three stumps of two different sizes here. One that was small enough to be a coffee table, and the other two large enough to be a seat. In the middle, lay the coffee table sized stump, with tea refreshments and the finest breakfast made by her. Pan fried eggs with bacon, and her home made bread.*

"Oh, you didn't have to-"

"Sit and eat well." *she commanded, cutting off his words before he could make an excuse on why she should've let him cook.* "While you eat, show me the letter." *Raedon nodded, sitting down and reaching across the table tree stump to hand it to her. Then he picked up his plate and began to devour the food. He knew this dish all too well, because any time he was here as a child this is all he would ask for. 'Grandma's speciality.'*

*She read the note slowly, deciphering every word Mikael left on the page. She remembered the last conversation they had, and realized what all of this meant.*

*Flashback*

*Mikael's last visit to the Autumn village was a week before the invasion, he sat at the top of the mountain with the elderly woman at the tree stump sitting area she created for special guests, and of course lounging purposes. She this time laid out her finest wine that she made herself, Mikael never hesitated to sip the wine immediately. He knew this taste all too well, but this night he devoured the wine in one gulp. The elderly woman looked at him in shock, something wasn't right.* "Mikael... something troubles you tonight?" *Mikael wasn't suppose to be there on that night, yet she found him standing in front of the doors to her restaurant doors alone as she was closing.*

"Merial... my last days are coming. I don't know when, but I feel it." *Mikael was the only one who called the elderly woman by her first name, sharing similar respect for each other. No one was around for them to care much about formalities.*

"Mikael don't speak such nonsense, you come to my restaurant far away from your home to speak foolishness? What's going on?"

"Atees... he's betrayed me."

"And you know this how?"

"My men have spotted his crowned spies around the palace, looking and searching for something. They've even told me that he's grown stronger so suddenly. I- I don't know, every night I pondered on this thought. 'Why would he want to suddenly take the throne?' Those thoughts, have no meaning now. I need to figure out what to do with all that I have done. My work... my progress into making this land a better place. Into raising my daughter now that her mother is gone. The boy... that is Atees' son. What will become of him?"