The Realm of Roses

13

"Every woman is a rebel."― Oscar Wilde
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"Sakura?"

The woman was pulled out of her thoughts as she reached her chamber's door. Eliza had entered the room while the wounded huntress was standing quietly at the doorframe. For the last few minutes, Sakura was reflecting on the moment of seeing the beast in the gardens. It was not his appearance that had caught her attention, but the expression that flashed over his face; his eyes that held so much conflicting emotions.

"Did something happen?" Lien softly asked, observing her sister. Sakura, in return stared at the glowing flow of magic around her leg, thinking of what had just happened.

"Has he hurt you?" Quickly, the youngest of the sisters spoke louder, her stance growing protective as she laid both of her hands on Sakura's shoulder.

Sakura on the other hand shook her head, "He did not . . . H-he helped me." It was not a lie, because the man had supported her leg and slowly, she could feel how her limb healed under the magical power. The question, why he had done that was stuck in her head and she wondered why he was behaving differently from their first meeting. Was it the presence of his brother?

"How long are you planning to stand outside?" Eliza frowned, not due to the sisters' private conversation – which she understood needed to take place – but rather due to Gilbert's constant staring that was becoming exhausting for the barmaid. The moment the door would close, he would not have the opportunity to gaze at her intensively. At first it did no really trouble her, but now, she disliked the look in his eyes whenever he glanced at her.

"I'm sorry," Sakura quickly replied, pulling her sister inside the room. She had not been completely oblivious to the curious eyes that were watching her. However her thoughts had been elsewhere and not focused on the Beilschmidt brothers.

Closing the door behind her, Lien discovered that the other two females' faces wore a blush, which she did not question, as her attention was quickly drawn to the room.

"This is your private chamber?" Lien asked a little baffled; she had not expected such a luxurious room, but a cold cell.

"Yes . . .," The brunette barmaid commented and shot the closed door – despite her red face – a glare. "Unfortunately, the door is always guarded."

"After my attempt of escape, I can only understand . . .," Sakura mumbled, touching the glowing on her ankle that had still not ceased, even if she rested on a chair near the window. Her dark eyes wandered outside, looking for a certain hooded man. This act was an astonishing one for her, because she had no reason searching for him . . . And still her body moved on its own.

"What is going to happen to us? The beast seemed so upset . . .," Eliza announced, her voice laced with slight nervousness. Of course she had acted strong in front of the cursed Prince; the brunette would not shy away from him – but now she was a bit afraid of the consequences she would face. Before Eliza could dwell more on that thought, Gilbert's words suddenly echoed through her mind: Everything is going to be all right.

"I am sorry," Lien sighed, blaming herself for the inconvenient situation. She and Sakura shared a glance.

"You are not at fault, Lien. I wanted to hunt him down for the sake of money and failed."

The concerned woman nodded, stepping towards her sister to hug her. "I am so glad you are not dead . . . I was so worried when I received that letter," she whispered, finally finding the time to word her worries, which he had not wanted to utter in front of the two Beilschmidt brothers.