Vow Of Silence

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

1st PERSON: Pelomina Lorenzo-Capiz

A lot has changed after that.

It’s been five days since that day, from the moment Java, Eustace, and Keion entered the room with red faces filled with tears, filling my empty room with loud sniffles and excessive catering and pampering. But seeing as how painful those ‘sicknesses’ hit. I now understand why everyone was so darned worried. It feels like hell on my end. I could only wonder what it looked like on their side.

I also thought I heard Polly, I mean Polly was indeed in the garden but I’m not sure if I heard her voice call out above the other noises that rang in my ears during that time but when I asked her if she was the one who kept yelling she answered yes with teary eyes.

I must’ve added on the trauma of the poor thing.

Now, I always have Polly next to me. We still have our signals and codewords at hand, but for some reason, we hardly even catch a shadow from Lykus. Not a single strand of his bright silver hair. Who knew it only took one incidence of me being in absolute gut-wrenching agony was all it took to get him off my back?

It wasn’t easy at all, though. I seriously thought I was dying.

I also saw my actual self at that time. I was so close to getting back into my world. What happened? And more than that, who was the man that was in my room last time? I’ve had my suspicions, but there’s just no way on Earth that was Lykus. The man was just too gentle, too amicable, albeit tactless that he had to ask that question to me.

‘It’s just weird. Why would you even think like that? A true love’s kiss is acceptable, but salvation from s*xual acts is just…’

Who thinks of that?

Anyway, because we’ve accepted that the high and mighty Lykus will mind his own business and do both of us a favor. He doesn’t like me and I don’t like him, if we just don’t look, talk, or listen to one another I think both of our worlds will continue to revolve in peace.

I’d love that, to be honest.

But more than that I’m starting to walk around the castle more freely. I do have Polly accompany me and I’m starting to get a grasp of the big place. It’s big, of course, and has what I’d estimate, would be around a hundred rooms. There are also trademark locations.

There’s a fountain right in front after getting in from the main entrance, and like any usual castle this one has really tall walls and sturdy metal gates, there were people on it, guards or archers or something, but they’re up there, nonetheless. That’s another problem of mine. When I’ll leave, they’ll see me creeping out and operation escape will be useless.

I’ve spent most of my time around the library, of course, it wouldn’t merit me anything if I stare at books, I don’t even understand, but for some reason, there are children’s books in one farthest corner of the library and there were guides in letters and how to read so I hung about in that area to find what I need, bringing them back to my chambers to read and study at night.

I managed to learn them, of course, the language and pronunciation remained the same. I was able to catch up quickly.

So with constant practice and writing, I was working my way toward getting closer to being able to read books; I read the books in lady Vaustero's room first, so I could practice reading and learn more about Pelomina’s character, hitting two birds with one stone. She really adores nature because the book wasn’t a storybook as I thought, but an almanac.

I learned about some plants and their uses and functions, I could already tell that I’ll be using them soon, seeing as this world’s medicine must not be as developed.

We usually walk around the courtyard, which is also filled with flowers, and there was a clearing in that area where a wooden square deck was slightly elevated from the ground. It must be somewhere to have picnics and rest.

But out of all the places that I visited, the one I wanted to go to most was the knight’s training hall but every time I suggest it, Polly would ask if I wanted to see Lykus because he was always there.

‘Always’

Not a day in the past five days had there been a moment where Polly didn’t tell me of Lykus’ presence there, even if I did ask at different times of the day. Does he train for a whole day? What is he training for? His one-on-one with a dragon? He better not strain himself. I don’t want to see a raging beast hurt a poor, innocent dragon.

Are dragons even real in this world? I hope so, that’d be cool.

Still, if dragons aren’t real, I’d at least want to see knights in action. I mean, I’m already planning to leave this place. It would be just fine if I wanted to sightsee everything there is to see in this place. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I could leave immediately, but if I don’t act promptly, I’ll be held down in this place.

But first I want to see some knight fighting action in this place, what’s a sickly lady have for entertainment around here? Given that the view is awe-inspiring and out of this world, what else can I do? Should I frolic about in the garden? That would be ill-advised for someone like me, for all I know frolicking could end up being an extreme sport for this body.

“I really want to see that knights,” I mumbled to myself, yet it seems that my mumbling was loud enough for Polly to hear,

“Well, my lady, if you want to see no one is stopping you,” she said,

“Yes, but Lykus is—”

“What about the lord, my lady? Are you two still in a row? Oh, I doubt that,” she jeered, shaking her head with a smile,

I sighed, looking at her, she’s still in the bliss of ignorance of what Lykus’ and the real Pelomina’s relationship is, it’ll only break her poor heart if I tell her now, maybe before I leave, just so she’d know my reason why I left and not blame herself for not stopping me when the time comes.

“Well, we’re here my lady,” I heard Polly say, and we stopped at an archway to an open area, it’s like the courtyard but five times bigger with patches of bare soil, a fighting ring, and a weapons rack, there was also weights and shiny armor was littered all over the entrance, what is this? Do they actually have complete armors?

I peeked inside and the loud clanging of metal and the loud cheering of men filled the air. I looked around to see where the noise was coming from and saw them gathered at the ring. Don’t tell me someone is fighting in here?

I looked at Polly, who only giggled and shook her head as if watching a bunch of children,

‘is everything okay, then?’

She offered her arms for me to hold on to as we threaded inside carefully, or at least I did, Polly had no hesitation what-so-ever, still, they remained surrounding that ring and I’m starting to see figures and along with that the yelling and the metal’s clanking but I couldn’t see anything clearly, either these men were really tall or Pelomina Vaustero’s body was a lot shorter than my real one because even attending concerts wasn’t an issue with me.

Polly hummed as she tapped one of the knights on the back, the man glanced at us and did a double-take before bowing and tapping the next guy beside him, and from that, they started lowering their heads like dominos until I had a clear view of none other than the mountain-like figure of Lykus and a SWORD COMING TO s***h HIM—

“BEHIND YOU!” I screamed, covering my eyes, not wanting to see the next scene, and a tense silence filled the air.

There was no other sound of someone groaning in pain so maybe Lykus’ back wasn’t sliced open, or maybe he’s dead, both seemed like terrible variations. So I kept my hands pressed against my eyes sockets even when my eyes were already shut tight, why are they quiet? Did something terrible really happen that they were left speechless?

I felt cold, rough hands on mine and they slowly peeled them off from my eyes. I slowly opened my eyes just in case I’d see a corpse first and foremost, but instead, I was looking eye to eye with Lykus’s golden ones,

“What are you doing here?” He asked, straightening his back and towering over me, and his hair in a man bun, shirtless and showcasing his enormous biceps and forearms, rippling pecs and abs glistening in sweat—SIR EXCUSE ME.

“Where are your clothes?!” I asked too loudly than I intended. I couldn’t help it. I was mildly freaking out. His only good trait is his looks. Well, at least he wasn’t left with nothing.

“That’s not the issue here,” he mumbled, letting go of my hands and walking back to the ring, I looked at his back, and despite not having a big bleeding gash on it, it was filled with old scars, “If you have no important business here then you better leave,” he added as he stretched his neck and rolled his shoulders,

‘You don’t have to tell me.’

“I just wanted to watch the knights doing… knightly things,” I replied, how do I say I want to see some knight-fighting action now when I strained my vocal cords after seeing that, the other knights looks at me with raised brows so I just cleared my throat, “But it seems like I’m only a bother so I will be leaving, goodbye,” I followed and spun on my heel, I didn’t need to be told twice.

Polly rushed to my side and as we got close to the archway, whispered of the knights in the background until I heard his voice call out, “Hold it,”. I paused and gave him a sideways glance,

“Yes, lord Lykus?” I asked in a monotone.

“You could stay,” he said in a cool tone like he was just forced to say it after the knights jeered at him for it,

“There’s no need, lord Lykus, we’ll be off,” I replied. I really don’t want to hang around the place when the atmosphere is like that,

“No, you said you wanted to see them perform their 'knightly' duties. This is the closest you can see those unless you’re coming with us tomorrow,” he said.

I frowned, turning to face him completely, “Tomorrow?” I repeated,

He smirked at his men, “Yes, tomorrow… we’ll be hunting the bandits at the Okuzal,” he announced and the knights cheered.

‘Doing the what to the what?’