The Knight of Settadel

Chapter 8

The brothers had walked the remaining path up to the Palace since they had to leave their carriage by the gate.

Curio is still shaken, but Raymond had calmed him down with assurance that they will ask King Tristan to have some knights patrol the Kingdom to look for this unknown creature, and Curio believed his brother.

"We'll wait for light before traveling back, okay?" Raymond said and Curio had just nodded his head.

They were soon being escorted by one of the guards to the King. It may already be late at night, but there sat the King, on his throne, and ready to listen to the brothers' request.

Of course, they had first told the King about the creature that they had seen, partially forgetting the real reason why they had traveled at night in the first place. Hearing about a strange creature lurking at the Kingdom is nothing new for the King. During his long reign, he's had countless of reports, ranging to people hearing strange noises at night only to find out it was caused by forest creatures, to some creatures that cannot be explained - that is if you're not a resident of the Settadel. If you are, then it can be explained by one thing - the sorcerers.

"There were also rumors of sightings of the wolves again, and I think that what we've seen is related to this" Raymond said and King Tristan nodded his head in understanding. "You can tell the townsmen to not be alarmed, I will have some knights investigate this and I will also personally speak with Emilia regarding this issue"

At the mention of Emilia's name, Curio had suddenly remembered his temporarily forgotten friend through the shock that he's still feeling. "Uhm, your Highness" for the first time since they had arrived, Curio finally spoke.

"Yes?" King Tristan replied.

"May we ask how our friend is? Elyse? Is she - is she okay or?" Curio trailed off, unable to say what was the remaining of his sentence. The King felt pity for the man and Curio took the King's frown a bad sign and a burst of sadness had overtaken his body.

"She's recovering" the King then said. Both brothers perked up, Curio not trusting himself to be hearing the right thing, but the hopeful look on his brother's face had assured him. "What happened to her is really bad and we do not know until when she needs to recover or if she would be the same, for that matter"

"So, she's going to be okay?" Curio asked, wanting to hear it from the King himself.

The King nodded. "Your friend will be okay"

If they weren't at the palace and in front of the King, Curio would've jumped in joy and hollered at the top of his lungs, but he had to postpone his celebration for when they're back home.

I can't wait to tell Emily about this.

"Why are you so fond of this outsider?" King Tristan asked, the curiosity is evident in his eyes and voice, but there was no trace of judgement there. "Are you not afraid that she will be like the rest?"

It was no secret that, before Elyse, everyone had been skeptical of outsiders, most despises them, and for a good reason, too. Although it had taken quite some time for the residents to warm up to Elyse, they can say that there is something about her that made them give her their full trust and they are just hoping that she would not break it.

It took Curio less than a second to began explaining to the King why they know that Elyse is different from the rest, hoping that he could convince him to let Elyse stay. Well, that is if Elyse still wants to stay.

"You will know what we mean once you see here" Curio said after all the explaining he had done, and the King trusts him.

"I can't wait to meet her then" These words from the King had made the brothers smile, knowing that he is willing to give an outsider a chance.