INNOCENCE (Completed)

Interlude

Interlude ~19XX Victorian Era

It was dark. All I could see from a distance were wild burning flames amidst the endless darkness and thick clouds of smoke were covering the beautiful stars of the night sky. The home in which I've lived in for so long was burning down into ashes before my very eyes. I felt hot tears streaming down my face. I couldn't stop crying. I don't know why. I don't remember at all. I could hardly breathe; it felt as though my chest was being suffocated. I felt hopeless, sitting there in a dirt tattered dress all alone in a wide field of grass.

From a distance, I could hear someone calling my name but I was too numb to look for its source. All my focus was at the grave sight before me. Suddenly, I was forcefully pulled up by a young man who must've called my name.

"Olivia! Look at me! Are you alright? Say something!" He was frantically shaking me; his eyes were so full of concern and worry when he asked me this.

"Xander?" I reached out to touch his face as if though to assure myself that he was really there and not a dream.

He suddenly hugged me in relief. "Thank heavens I found you!"

"Xander. . . the mansion a-and father. . . I-" I said in panic while covering my face with my hands. It was clear to Xander that I was trying to block the tears that were beginning to flow once more from my eyes. I then stopped crying when he suddenly wrapped his coat around me.

"Olivia, it'll be fine. I'm here." he gave me a reassuring smile.

I managed to force a smile though it was difficult because I was sobbing.

I was startled when he unexpectedly carried me and carefully guided me on his horse. He hoisted himself behind me.

"We must hurry. They must be looking for you. If you are still tired, you can lean on me." he said with a serious but caring tone. After that, we urgently headed towards the forest and I slowly fell asleep in his arms.

~

When I woke up, I found myself staring at a wooden ceiling. I was in a small unfamiliar room. Just when I was about to get up, I felt a stinging pain on my shoulder. 'This must have been when I tried to find a way out of the mansion. I must have bumped into something.'

"Oh, you're finally awake." It was Xander who came in bringing a tray of food.

"Xander, where are we? What happened?"

"We're in Laik. It's a small village far enough from the mansion in Castel. I didn't go any further because you had a wound. It seems that the mansion was attacked last night. It wasn't foreseen when but it was known that your family would be targeted soon. You needn't worry. Your father is safe and so are the others." he handed me the tray of bread and tea as he said this.

I vaguely remembered what had happened last night and I felt as though all the memory of it started flooding through my head once more.

"Is that so? It is good to hear that they are fine." I said in relief.

"I went to find you after your maids noticed you went astray. As your butler, I have to take care of you, Lady Olivia." Hearing him say this, it sounded as if he was doing this dutifully for my sake and that left a pain in my chest.

"Do not speak of titles in this time of day. You know what I think of you." I told him before taking a sip of my tea from the tray. I was angry at him. Lowering his stature because of me is wrong.

He took my hand as he sat beside me, looked me in the eyes and said "I'm sorry Olivia but you need to be reminded of your title. You are in danger and I can't ever forgive myself if anything bad ever happens to you." I can tell that his eyes were honest at that moment.