Chapter 58: Cats in the Castle
Fanmade cover by Reishamae Unico
"You are the woman who sank the Pirate City to the depth of the ocean and the sea of blood that replaced it is in your hands."
The accusation hit me with an impact of a wrecking ball. I thought I was prepared for it. I thought I had conditioned myself enough to receive such a blow. I guessed there was no preparation and conditioning that could strengthen me against this kind of attack.
"Isn't that what you wanted to hear?" Captain Rowaen asked.
After I rested for the remaining hours of the morning due to the exhaustion from the match I had with Captain Augusta, I decided to meet Captain Rowaen for an afternoon tea. He didn't reject the invitation this time and I found him waiting for me in one of the small balconies of the Borgian castle.
"Is that what you're thinking all this time?" I asked him back.
Part of me was scared of what he was about to say. I wasn't the type of a person who would wash her hands just to come clean out of a horrible tragedy. Lots of people died during the fall of the Pirate City and I would never be that heartless to belittle their sacrifices and death.
"And what would you do if that's exactly what's on my mind? Are you going to try changing it? And what if it's really your fault after all? Are you going to make prayers with your Priestesses and send thousands of flowers to the sea for the pirates' souls to find peace?"
"I... I..." As I looked for an answer to his questions, I concluded that I wasn't really prepared for this conversation. What could I have done if Captain Rowaen confirmed that it was my fault? Should I add the fall of the Pirate City to the long list of crimes of my bloodline?
"I... I deeply apologize for what happened, Captain Rowaen." And in the end, that was all I could say. I was about to kneel on the floor and asked for forgiveness when he suddenly grabbed my arm and prevented me from doing so. He waited until I was sitting back on my chair and staring silently at the untouched cups of tea that were resting on the table.
"It was never your fault, Lady Primrose," he finally said which made me looked up at him. His face was solemn; there was no hatred in his voice. "We're pirates and they're the West Land's fleet. It was bound to happen. If it didn't happen that time, then the clash would still happen in the future and the Pirate City would still fall considering that we've been careless for a long time. You're just a significant personality who was caught in the middle of a pirate war."
Somehow, his words lifted a little weight in my chest. But I still felt saddened by the deaths from the tragedy. "But just like what you've said, I was a significant personality and there must have been something I could have done to stop it –"
He chuckled softly and finally took his cup of tea to his lips. When he put it back down to the table, he looked at me straight in the eyes and I thought I had a glimpse of how he was heartbroken when I saw him leaving the grand vessel.
"You're so young and innocent. You don't fully understand war and death. You don't even know how to throw a proper punch. So, what could you have done to prevent the fall of the Pirate City?" He was insulting and teasing me and it was a surprise that I didn't find it offending at all. "We're pirates, Lady Primrose. And we always know that we will die in a war and the sea is our graveyard."
This made me think that he was still talking about a battle in the sea. But the war we were facing at the moment was happening in the land. Was he ready to change the place of his graveyard? "But the war right now is between the Borgian Kingdom and its evil rebels. What does it have to do with you? And what if someone stabbed you in the chest? Are you going to crawl back to the sea leaving a trace of blood just so you can die in your chosen graveyard?"
He gave me an amused look as if he found the morbid picture I've painted through words ridiculous. "Do you want to hear the story about the Pirate City and the Forsaken Land?" he asked.
I had to admit that this piqued my curiosity. I've seen lots of people struggling in the Forsaken Land, seeing the Mainland as a dream out of their hands. I wondered how most of their young men turned into pirates risking not being able to go back to their families and the cold, lonely death by the sea.
"I'm sure you've heard about the Borgian Kingdom and how the four families betrayed it and their allies. The rebels by that time were so powerful that they were able to plot against the kingdom and obliterate the old bloodline from the face of the land. But what happened to the good people who stayed loyal to the Borgian Kingdom? What happened to the people who knew everything; who witnessed the evil history of the Mainland?"
I saw a hint of anger and pain in his voice though his expression remained the same. I remembered him wanting to go the Mainland that he even tried to use me as his ticket. Maybe there was more to it than seeing the Kings and Queens. "What happened to them?" I urged him to continue.
"In the middle of the night, they rummaged their houses and made them parade with their families to the coastline where a huge ship was waiting for them. They threw them to a poor soul's land where they left these people to die. They called it the Forsaken Land. They thought that by doing this, they could bury the ugly truth of the past and covered it up with stories of witches and lies. And my ancestors were one of them. During that time, they knew that the only weapon they had against the traitors is the truth. And that's why they swore not to forget. We will never forget."
I suddenly felt cold, like every time I would discover something about the past, the ghost of it would crawl its way to me and touch my skin. The list of sins was getting longer and it would be harder for the sinners to pay for them. I reached for my cup of tea in search for warmth but it was only then that I noticed my fingers were trembling so I just put the tea back on its place.
"The ghosts in the woods," I gasped.
"Excuse me?" he asked.
I swallowed the bitterness in my mouth and said, "I think there are still people who know about the old bloodline up to these days. But they shut them up and sailed them away to the sea." I suddenly felt like crying; guilt was starting to overcome me as I remember that day when I found Dorothy. "I wasn't able to do anything to help them. I found a hungry child and took her. I didn't know that her family was suffering this bad."
To my surprise, Captain Rowaen reached out and held my shoulder. It was gentle and assuring, but it didn't help ease the sick realization that I had done nothing to prevent evil even though it was already happening in front of my face. We all had choices to make and not choosing at all was probably the worst move one would take.
"What we did, and what we could have done were all in the past now. The choices we make in the present that would somehow determine the future is more important. We don't need someone who lingered too long in the past. We need people who will take action now." Listening to him was like introducing a new side of Captain Rowaen. He was different from the boastful captain of the Pirate City.
"What happened to the annoying captain I've met before? How could you be so smart now?" I asked as I managed to control my guilt.
He shrugged. "Maybe, the fall of the Pirate City changed me after all," he answered.
"But what about the ship that brought these people to the Forsaken Land. Who are they?" I asked.
He sighed deeply as if contemplating whether he should let me know about this one or not. But in the end, he decided to tell me the truth. "There are pirate ships that made an alliance with your people. In exchange for bags of silvers, they transport them to different islands and left them there for themselves."
"But they are also like them. How could they do that?" I protested silently.
He shook his head in regret, as if he was disappointed with the choices made by those pirates. "A hungry pirate could be more terrifying than the most-feared sea creatures. A hungry pirate is a dangerous man," he stated.
I was about to speak again but the change in his mood showed that he didn't want to discuss it anymore. He stood up and turned to look down at the book that was resting on my lap. It had been there with the intention of being read in case the captain refused to talk with me.
"You're reading about medicine?" he commented.
I glanced at it. "I got it from the doctor who helped me this morning. These are just basic treatment for simple wounds and not so complicated illnesses. I realize that fighting is not really my thing. I don't think I can be just like those remarkable women like Captain Augusta."
He shook his head smiling. "You don't have to be like Captain Augusta to be remarkable."
I felt warmth through his words. I thought that I would hate the audacity of this captain of the Pirate City. But that was before the fall of his treasured grand vessel. The tragedy, despite of it being catastrophic, definitely changed him for the better.
"Thank you, Captain Rowaen. I apologize again. And thank you."
I was probably speaking nonsense for that was when he decided to take his step towards the door. But before he left completely, he turned to me once again and said, "You're intelligent, beautiful, and has a strong heart. But you aren't perfect – none of us are. You can try saving a person but you won't be able to save everyone. Don't be too hard on yourself." And with that, he left me in the companion of a book in the balcony.
I stayed there for an hour trying to read the book I had borrowed from the castle's doctor. It was couple of hours more until I decided that I wouldn't be able to concentrate and finish reading and so, I closed the book. My mind was finally free to wander in all the dark and complicated places it wanted to be like wondering whether Dorothy knew why her family was travelling to the coast and hated me for being a Crimson, or if she wasn't aware at all of what was happening and that she was simply lost in the woods. But no matter what the truth is, I still failed her. She wanted to be with her family and asked for my help to look for them, but I wasn't able to do it. At some point, I became selfish. I thought that if she remained in the East Castle for a little bit longer, she might decide to stay. For in that manner, her life would be easier. But what if it was her way to show me the evil in the system? What if she wanted me to see what my blinded eyes couldn't? What if she was asking help not only for herself but for all those people? I failed them.
"You aren't perfect. You can't save everyone."
Captain Rowaen's voice was like a wake-up call; a warning that I was again being too hard on myself. I straightened from my seat and decided to stay there for another hour to catch the sunset. The balcony was located in a room in one of the corners of the castle. I noticed that no one was really passing by it so I decided to get comfortable and took a nap.
But the nap was cut shortly when I felt the cold tea accidentally spilled on my chest. I opened my eyes and saw that Janeia was casually sitting across to me; playing an empty tea cup on her hand.
"Now you're getting Captain Augusta's approval and even summoning the great captain of the Pirate City. Don't you think it's too early to play queen now?" Her voice was still enchanting just like how I remembered it when I saw her in the grand vessel. It was just that this time, she was spattering poisons and insects from her mouth. I swore every time I meet her, she was continuously getting less attractive.
"I think even those who are not a queen deserve a peaceful nap," I answered calmly. No, I wouldn't want to lose my temper on her. If the situation was being compared to having a deadly brawl with Captain Augusta, I think the latter would be definitely worth my time.
Her grip on the cup became tighter. The calmness she found in me seemed to unnerve her. The way her face contorted in an utter annoyance had proven my conclusion about her fading beauty in my eyes.
"You've made a good job fooling everyone here. You could have succeeded in seducing the Skull. But you will not fool me. Your blood stinks and I could smell it even from a distance."
A total waste of time – that was how I was seeing the situation; a waste of a quiet, peaceful balcony, a beautiful sunset, and even the cold tea. Deciding to end the conversation immediately, I rose to my feet to leave the place. But before I could even step back, she was grabbed my injured wrist and pulled me back on my seat. I winced in pain; the doctor would probably need to take a look at it again.
"You will not go unless I told you to go!" she gritted; her face had moved an inch closer in anger.
"What do you want, Janeia?" I asked in annoyance. I always tried to be out of her way. I didn't even want to see her nor talk to her. I had a lot in my hands at the moment and dealing with her was not my priority.
She laughed humorlessly as if she found my question silly enough to laugh at. "I think you know exactly what I want!"
"Janeia, look – just let go of me so we can talk like two civilized people."
But she didn't let go of my wrist and instead, she tightened her grip on it. I shouted in agony; the woman was already crossing the line. If I didn't try to stop her, she would definitely continue to harm me.
I rose from where I was sitting and tried to get away from her. But she also stood and followed me, cornering me on the rails of the balcony. I was actually surprised with her strength. But then, she lived in the Pirate City and had been with the pirates for a long time. So basically, she was a pirate. And all pirates were strong.
"Pay for the sins of your ancestors! Lock yourself and die in the dungeons! And most importantly, stay away from the Skull! Those are the things that I want you to do!" She was screaming at my face. Gone was the beautiful mermaid. She was now the evil sea creature that lures people to their death.
But I wasn't scared of her. I pushed her back with my uninjured hand and she stepped back from the force. "You don't know how I suffered upon discovering the history of our bloodlines. You don't know how I cried knowing that everything I believed in my life is just a lie. You don't know how I wanted to die when I saw you with the Skull and when things started getting into me, crushing me into pieces, pushing me to the edge!"
I didn't know where I got the strength but I pushed at her again. Her grip on my injured wrist was still painful but it was being lessened by the anger and frustration I was letting out from inside of me.
"If I could apologize again and again; to everyone my bloodline had wronged, I would do it. And I'm sorry, Janeia, if you lost everything because of that rebellion. But I wasn't there! I didn't do it. I didn't want it. If I could I would have stopped it. And I want to kneel in front of you to make you feel better but I will not do that. Because I know that whatever I do, it will never make you feel better. Because you want something more and I just couldn't give you the things you desire, Janeia!"
Her eyes glistened, but she swallowed back the tears as pride and anger enveloped her realizing that I would never do anything she wanted me to do. "You're right! Whatever you do, I would still hate you. Your bloodline stripped us of our crown in the past. And now, you're trying to steal the throne and the Skull away from me! Why don't you just go back to where you belong and just whore yourself out to every young lord you meet –"
Her dirty words were cut off by the slap I gave unto her face. She gritted in anger and tried to bend my injured wrist but I had long endured the pain that it mattered less to me now. And so, I slapped her again with all my might. "That's for kissing my man in front of me!"
I didn't know what made her lose it: the pain from when I hit her, or from the words I told her. She snarled at me and reached for the tea cup on the table behind her. She swung cup with the intention of hitting me on the face with it. She was about to smash it down to me when an arrow whooshed passed us and hit the cup directly, causing it to fall and scatter in pieces on the floor.
We both turned from where it came from and saw Dorothy with another arrow pointing at Janeia. The woman looked at the girl horrified. It was the first time they saw each other and Dorothy had already pulled her second arrow against her.
"Should I shoot her between her eyes? It would probably look fantastic. Or maybe at her forehead? That would end up cleaner. So, is it going to be the fantastic or the clean one? What do you think, Primrose?"
Her voice sounded like a little girl, but she was definitely the weird and the hot-tempered kind. She didn't like me when I first saw her. For sure, she wouldn't like Janeia either.
"I think you should put down the bow, Dorothy. Janeia is letting me go now," I answered.
Janeia immediately let go of me and stepped back. "Whoever this child is, I'll let the Skull know about her intrusion. And she will surely be punished for threatening me!" she scowled as she slowly made her way back to the door.
Dorothy was still watching her so she needed to be careful. "You can do that," the girl challenged. "But first, why is there an ugly, evil witch in the castle? Aren't they supposed to be in the deepest part of the woods, hunting the travelers?"
Janeia glared at her insult. She was probably wondering if Dorothy was really just a young girl. When she was finally out of the balcony, Dorothy lowered her weapon and said, "Maybe, I should shoot the author of the book I've read in your castle."
I laughed at her disbelievingly and spread my arms to welcome her. She immediately ran towards my direction and enveloped me in a warm embrace.
"I'm so glad you're alright. I came here with Aiden. He said he knew these people who kidnapped you. You should be thankful that I was able to rescue you from that evil witch!" She was sniffling. And I caressed her hair fondly. She could be arrogant and sarcastic sometimes, but she was still an adorable child.
"I'm just fine, Dorothy. It seemed that you've gotten your archery lesson from Aiden, huh?" I teased at her.
She let go of my arms and looked at me frowning. "You shouldn't let someone like her hurt you. What if no one came to stop her? I should teach that woman a lesson."
I laughed loudly this time. "Hey, Dorothy, you can stop now. You're sounding like an old hag already." She scowled at me and crossed her arms. "Did you really find that woman ugly? She's called a mermaid in the pirate seas." I questioned.
"Well, she looked completely ugly to me the moment I saw her about to smash the cup on your face. Actually, I even imagined you having shards of glasses buried on your cheeks. And you would ask for my help to get some out of your eyeballs –"
"Alright, stop. Whatever genre you're reading in the library, you need to save it for when you get a little older." She pouted her lips in protest but then, she seemed to remember something as her eyes light up. I also remembered about what Captain Rowaen told me and despite the pain in my wrist, I needed to talk with her about it.
"Dorothy, about your family –"
"Oh! We can talk about that next time. For now, I have to deliver an urgent message to Lord Threy Weston."
And this also got my curiosity. "A message for Threy Weston? From whom?" I queried.
She pulled a letter from the pocket of her dress and handed it to me. "From your ex-fiance, Lord Chester Weston. Oh, I'm telling you, Primrose. The man has gone mad. The four castles are preparing for battle and all he's talking about is how he will get you back."
"Who is getting Primrose back?"
We both turned to the baritone voice behind us. If I thought in the afternoon that no one was really wandering around this side of the castle, the situation had completely changed after sunset. I wondered how many people would soon come by and join us.
"Threy, there is a message for you," I answered and gave him the letter. My hand was trembling; it was maybe due to the cold and the pain. He studied me first before reaching for my hand and with his other hand, he took the letter. He opened it in a single, swift motion and I watched him frown as he read it.
"What did he say?" I didn't know that I was holding my breath. Part of me remembered the man who changed himself just so he could be a better person to marry me. I remembered him standing up against his father just so he could stay by my side. I stared at Threy's face and I thought I saw the sadness in his eyes as his jaw tensed in what was written in the letter.
"Show it to me," I demanded.
When he didn't move to give it to me, I reached and grabbed the letter from him. There were only few words, but it surely meant something between the two men. I frowned while reading it:
The Lake of Dreams. Dawn of the third day after receiving this. Brothers of the West.
Lord Chester Weston