Two souls don't find each other by simple accident
"Do you think she would make it?"
Levi put his hair up in a bun, his hair was white and as such was greatly admired by everyone. It was rare for someone to have such hair and coupled with being a Royal compliments were given all the time even when it wasn't needed and he had to smile for he was of a calm nature.
"I don't know" Reuel was greatly disturbed, he had already taken a liking to Cyane within the few moments he had come to know her and he hoped deep inside him that she survived.
His fingers for no reason had gotten his attention.
The events from the previous day still clouded their minds like a fog in the mountain
"Would she make it to sunset?"
Levi looked out the window, the sun was out and there was no sign of nimbus in the sky.
"I hope so, we shouldn't have let her climb that steep in the first place" Reuel buried his face in his palms, "We should have told her what had already happened to the deer"
"We couldn't, she's smart she would ask more questions" Levi stepped away from the mirror and sat down on the chair with Reuel beside him while Leondre sat at a corner.
The boys shared a look as they watched their eldest brother, Leondre could feel their eyes on him and he feigned ignorance. He didn't want them to know that he was also worried about her.
He blamed himself, if only he hadn't run in, if he had just left with her back then but he thought it silly of her to think that they needed help. They were not just any wolves but Royals and their was no way that they could get lost. Their sense of smell was profounding to find their way back home and besides they had guards assigned to them.
No king would leave his child unguarded and he smiled when he realized how naive she had been, she had no idea who they were.
He kept still hearing his brothers talk about a girl they barely knew. They felt sad for her and he did too but he wouldn't show it.
The thought of her dying would be very heartbreaking, he didn't know her but her spirit was unbreakable. She was courageous but too young to notice that she was being fooled by his brothers
"Okay I have had enough" he got up from the chair and left.
The boys gazes met, a knowing smirk appeared on their faces, they knew what he was about to do
"Get the prayer candle" Abbot Mateo walked to the altar, while the monk scurried off to carry out his instructions.
Antonio walked in slowly, his footsteps were inaudible and his expression was gloomy, he looked very tired.
The Abbot watched him closely, he looked sad and troubled. Cyane's condition was eating at his heart, he hadn't slept a wink.
"Antonio" The Abbot called and his head moved towards the direction of his call.
"Abbot" He bowed his head in respect
"What troubles you?" He felt the need to ask him even though he knew what was going through his mind, it wasn't a secret to everyone about the incident earlier.
"Cyane's health is detoriating, the physician says she might not make it to sunset and.." He hesitated and cleared his throat,"I'm sorry Abbot, I.." He rubbed the back of his head , his gaze was cast on the floor then he walked away.
The Abbot stared after him, he felt pity for him and even he couldn't deny that he had slightly gotten attached to the wolf girl.
Rane was tired, she had stayed awake all night watching Cyane who slept peacefully. She blamed herself for her predicament. If only she hadn't let her out of her side, she would be healthy at the moment and not lying in an infirmary.
Words couldn't form from her mouth, it was as though she had forgotten how to say even the small words.
Tears streamed down her face and onto her dress. She wiped it off with the back of her hand and sniffed in mucus. Her throat was filled with the same substance and she swallowed it.
She held onto Cyane's hand as she watched her pale face and when she finally found the courage to speak she said no other words but, "I'm sorry"
Leondre kicked a stone.
As the heir to the throne he had never felt responsible for anyone in his life. Things were so easy for him, he never had to stress for anything because they were all done for him even before he gave orders.
He was in that same place where she had fallen from, he rested on the wall as he threw stones in his palm and caught them.
Throw, catch, repeat.
At the last one he threw them in the air and they fell onto rough stones on the path, he sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
He felt bad for what had happened to her and no matter how much he had tried to convince himself otherwise there was always that one thing that turned the tables leading everything back to him.
"She should have listened to me" He muttered, "If only she had listened to me but no, she had to be so stubborn"
He drew in breath and released it, he sunk to the floor, both hands rested on his knees. He turned his gaze from his knees to the steep where she had fallen from and dread filled him. He stood up and walked towards the steep.
He needed to apologize for having lied to her, they were never lost she just assumed it, they were always going to go way home one way or another but her naive self didn't pick that up.
He shook his head, his gaze rose upwards and when he brought it down, he decided to break some rules.
Royals never associated with common people unless it was related to politics.
Antonio was in the market, it was crowded as usual and people bumped into one another not minding if the other was carrying goods, everyone just wanted to get to their next destination but Antonio had no destination, he wanted to clear his head until a place came to his mind.
The chrysanthemums
The place that he had taken Cyane to. His feet took him there and he sat down on the floor watching the flowers. He thought of her and how she would love to come with him.
He broke into tears giving no care to anything nor the fact that men weren't supposed to cry.
When his breakdown was over he heard a noise behind him and he stood up to check it.
He only saw a silhouette of a boy and nothing else and as he wondered who the boy night be until it clicked in him that it could be one of the children the previous day.
He went out to try and see if he would find him, he fastened his steps and when he got out into the market, he couldn't see him again.
He had gone into the crowd
Leondre bent his face as he passed through the market, no one stopped him to ask any question they were all busy with their activities
Everyone in the village knew themselves so when strangers came it didn't take them much time to point them out.
Leondre had ordered the guards not to say a word of what they had seen the previous day.
He didn't want to ask for directions so as not to draw unwanted attention towards himself in case if someone wanted to hurt him after all he was only but a kid and the next in line to the throne
He sighted some monks walking together and guessed that probably they were heading to the monastery and he stalked them keeping his distance and being very quiet.
He watched them enter the monastery and he smiled as his guess was correct.
When he got into the monastery, he hid from another set of monks he saw as they came from a certain direction and when they left he came out and continued walking at the same time turning every fifteen steps to trace his way back.
He saw another group of monks come out with medical equipments from a corner and guessed that it must be the infirmary.
He wondered if the monks always worked in groups because that was one thing he had noticed since entering the monastery. They were always in pairs.
A group of two, four or eight and he smirked at that thought.
He went towards that direction still avoiding being seen and stopped once he saw a woman seated on a bench, he his behind a wall and watched her.
Recognition set in and he knew she was the one from the previous day. She was looking pale and he stood there for a while watching her and silently praying that she would leave the place and his prayers got answered when she got called by an older monk and he kept watching them till they left the place.
He let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding then he walked towards the place the woman was. There was a door there and he guessed it would be where Cyane was and luckily for him it was.
He stalked closer to her bed, his footsteps made noise as he put one foot before the other. The room was well illuminated as the window was open for the purpose of ventilation
His gaze rested on the bed and there she laid looking very pale as though she was going to be dead in few minutes.
He came closer to her and watched her features. She wouldn't make it to sunset that he knew. He shook his head slowly, "You should have listened to me, Cyane"
That was the first time he had said her name and he liked the way it rolled out of his tongue
He reached for her hand, it was cold as ice.
He felt bad that she thought he had killed the deer, he wasn't as mean as she thought he was.
If only she knew what happened back there. He wished that they had told her, if they did then she wouldn't be right there on the bed fighting for her life that was almost lost.
He took in a deep breath and felt her hand slowly become warm under his touch and same with the rest of her body and when he let go of her hand, he noticed her eyelids move even though they were closed.
He stood up slowly and dropped her hand beside her then he beelined for the door without glancing back.
He followed the same paths through which he came while trying not to get caught as he made his way out of the monastery.
He had done to her what he did to the deer back in the cave, a gift only him possessed.
There was a rumour that the Royals had gifts which he just proved with Cyane as he had done with the deer, healing.
As Leondre left the monastery's gate, Antonio sighted him from afar, recognizing him as one of the children the other day and the one he had seen earlier at the mountain and the boy was gone like he had done earlier, blending into the crowd
He was confused as to what the boy had gone to do in the monastery then Cyane clicked in his mind and he rushed inside and didn't stop till he got to the room where she was in.
He scrutinized her over and over then he checked her wound and was shocked when he saw nothing.
Something was amiss, Cyane hadn't shifted yet and the wound was deep and infected.
He knew that she couldn't have done it by herself.
He pieced everything together right from the moment he saw Cyane being carried by the guard.
He knew those people weren't from the village and they had some visitors at the moment.
Then it struck him that the boy he had seen was not only a royal but future ruler of the ten provinces.
Once he left the room to see if he would try and find the boy though he knew it would be futile, Cyane awoke.
That night, the three of them stayed in her room. They talked with her. Seden told her the whole story, how they didn't sleep and how Antonio had stayed the night in the prayer room, Rane stayed outside her room and how he was preparing her medicine with the physician.
Antonio knew that part was a lie because they both stayed the night together in the prayer room asking the goddess for her mercy.
Seden had exaggerated everything, He was so happy that she was alive and thanked the heavens right in front of them that she was healed but Antonio knew what had truly happened, and also felt that it was the heavens doing because he had lost faith in them just the previous day.
There was a reason for everything that happened.
"It's time to sleep now" Rane kissed the top of her head while Antonio and Seden were smirking.
"Ok" her lips tilted upwards.
"Sleep little one, I have more stories for you tomorrow" Seden touched her cheek lightly.
"I can't wait" Cyane smiled and turned to Antonio expecting him to probably say something.
He smiled and kissed the top of her head, "Sleep well Cyane"
She smirked, "You too Uncle"
Rane closed the door behind them slowly after leaving her with a lamp, she couldn't sleep in the dark yet.
"What happens next?" Seden broke the silence
The question was expected as it was hanging in the air
"Her mother still wants to see her and.."
"We can't, it is too dangerous" Antonio interrupted her, "She almost died today"
"I know that but the lady doesn't" Rane regarded him as her eyes darted between the two of them
"So she didn't abandon her?" Seden asked another important question, he always had a thing for hitting questions like a hammer to a nail; right on the head.
"No, this proves that she didn't"
"What if he is lying, no offence little sister but what if he is lying?" Antonio folded his arms. He couldn't deny that he still had doubt's about his sister's love interest.
"I trust Charle" she looked at the both of them, "with my life"
"I don't know, I haven't met this person you are both talking about but I just want Cyane to be safe"
"I'm not asking you to trust him, I'm asking you to trust me"
Antonio and Seden both shared a look and nodded.
Rane could feel a weight being lifted from her, "Thank you"
"When does she get to see her?"
"We will let him contact us" Antonio replied immediately
Rane gave him a look and he was quick to defend himself, "Well he did it the first time, he can do it again, if he is really serious he would contact us if not she isn't going anywhere"
"I'm with Antonio on this one"
Rane both gave them a look ans they shrugged and she palmed her face, "Ok we will wait for him to contact us and by the way I wasn't planning on her going alone"
She walked away.
Once the day broke, Rane was already by Cyane's side, she had woken up early and found her way to her room. Cyane was so deep in sleep to have noticed when the door creaked.
She made breakfast and waited, there was no sign of Charle.
Cyane woke up late and still there was no sign of Charle, he hadn't come yet.
They both freshened up and still no sign of him. She lost all hope of him coming which would only prove her brother right.
Once it was noon Antonio came around, he brought fruits that he had plucked from the mountains. He had expected to not see them at home since his sister hadn't stopped mentioning Charle but a part of him was still expecting to see her in the house and he guessed that was the part that still doubted the poor man's intentions.
The door was unlocked and Rane was seated on a chair looking disheveled.
He wasn't the least surprised just disappointed.
"So he didn't show up?" Antonio teased and Rane glared at him
"What? I was just asking"
"I don't know" she rubbed her head, "I don't think.."
A knock at the door interrupted them and Rane got elated that her brother would be proved wrong only that the person at the door turned out to be Seden.
"He didn't show up?"
"No, he hasn't" she closed the door behind him
"Well I guess that Antonio was right, maybe he isn't to be trusted"
"I trust him" Rane defended
"Rane, it has been a while you saw him. He might not be the same person that you used to know"
"He's right Rane and you feel it too" Seden held her shoulder with both hands, "I'm sorry"
She nodded lightly, "It's ok"
He brought down his hands and she slowly walked away from him.
"Want some fruits? They are fresh" Antonio tried to lighten the mood but she wasn't having any of it, she was sad and it was in her body language as she sat down on the seat with her face buried in her palms.
"I want some" Cyane came out of her room and headed towards them, "Good afternoon Uncle Antonio and Uncle Seden"
"Good afternoon Cyane" they said in unison.
Seden extended two fruits to her which she gladly took and began munching on one.
"I will be right back" Rane stood up from her seat and started heading towards the door
"Wait, where ate you going?"
"I'll be right..." She opened the door only for her to see Charle standing right in front of her and the remaining words slipped past her tongue unnoticed, "Back"
"Hello my love" Charle smirked
"Hi" she opened the door wider for them to see who was at the door and to see that they could trust him, "See.." She regarded them, "I told you he would be back"
Charle exchanged greetings with the men then he told them about the Lady's desire to see her daughter
"If she could she would come but she can't, Lord Algon has a keen eye on her and wouldn't let her leave unguarded"
"If she can't leave unguarded then how would she her daughter?" Seden once again asked the most important question which had Antonio smirking
"There is a place where she would meet her"
"Oh pray tell where is this place?"
Antonio asked this time, he wasn't going to let Cyane go without getting full knowledge about her whereabouts.
"The mountains, not that far from here"
"It is far from here, I have lived here all my life"
"Antonio" Rane tried to get him to calm down
"I'm sorry but it isn't far to me" Charle shook his head
"I'm coming with you" He wasn't going to let Cyane go with him"
"Fine, if it would ease your doubt's then do come with us and we leave now"
"Fine by me"
Cyane had understood what they were talking about but couldn't quite make out who wanted to see her
Who was the Lady and why did she want to see her?
They followed him out and Antonio gripped Cyane's hand, he was skeptical that Charle was telling them the truth but he even wanted to believe that maybe he wasn't lying.
He wanted Cyane to meet her Mother but wasn't going to be fooled because of that.
Seden stayed back at the monastery since Antonio and Rane would be handling it, he wasn't really needed.
They had walked for half an hour before they got to a path that led up the mountain.
Last time Cyane had been on a mountain she had almost died.
He gripped her tighter and she looked up at him and he looked back. She could see the doubt in his eyes and somewhere beneath it the fear.
"This is where she would go alone" Charle gestured to the path
"No" Antonio shook his head, "Someone is coming with here or she doesn't go"
"Ok"
"Rane" Antonio turned to her,"Go with her, I will wait here"
"I wasn't planning on her leaving her alone in the first place"
They both chuckled
She grabbed a hold of Cyane's hand and they made their way up the path while Antonio stood watching them, Cyane side glanced at him and he smiled and she returned it then she turned forward and kept up with the pace.
They had walked for a while before Charle signaled for her to stop, "We are here"
He looked round and waited then he walked up a bit and came back to where they stood, "Her scent is getting stronger, she's coming"
Cyane held onto Rane's waist, she didn't know what to expect. Her mind was too young to fathom everything that was happening at the moment.
"She's almost here, I would leave now"
Charle left and Rane stood there with Cyane still holding onto her waist. She wasn't a wolf so she couldn't perceive the scent but she had a weird feeling that something was wrong.
She could feel it in her bones.
Was her brother right?
Could she trust Charle?
Was he the same person she once knew?
She decided to leave her spot with Cyane and try waiting amidst the bushes to see what surprises she would get.
They hid in the bush for a while before they heard sounds coming from the opposite direction, she signaled for Cyane to be quiet which she obediently did.
They stood in silence for a while until they saw a figure come into the clearing to the place where they once stood. The person wore a cloak and their eyes darted round before taking off the cloak to reveal a woman, Lady Anya in all her glory.
Rane was elated and she tried to step forward with Cyane before she heard more noises and remained still.
The lady wasn't alone. It looked as though the lady hadn't expected the company that came with her.
"Anya"
"Algon"
At the mention of that name, Rane's heart skipped a beat, fear enveloped her. She stood still not moving. She couldn't comprehend what was going on.
Was this a trap?
Had Charle brought her here knowing that Lord Algon would also be here
"Did you follow me?" Anya was shocked, she didn't expect Algon's presence
"What are you doing here? Are you meeting up with a man?" Algon was angry, his fist was clenched
He had brought soldiers with him they were up to eleven.
"No, don't be ridiculous"
"Why don't I believe you?" He came closer towards her, "Search the entire area" he tilted his head and the guards went into the bushes.
Rane gripped Cyane's hand tighter and took a step back and unfortunately a branch snapped. The sound drew Algon's gaze to that spot and he saw her.
Her eyes widened and she turned around and they started running.
Lord Algon hadn't seen Cyane because of her size and the bushes that covered her.
They hadn't gone far when they heard noises behind them. The footsteps were loud and fast.
Rane knew that the soldiers had shifted and they wouldn't make it at such pace. The wolves would catch them and turn them over to Lord Algon and Lord Algon wouldn't spare them.
They reached a spot and were panting heavily, they had ran out of breath. Cyane was scared and Rane couldn't calm her because she felt the same emotion too.
They hid in a small opening in a cave and the wolves passed above them then they came out and continued with the run towards the paths they had come through.
They had barely reached before a wolf jumped in front of them blocking their path and another at their back.
They snarled, saliva dropping from their teeth, the one in front snapped its teeth startling Cyane and she held onto Rane and Rane held her back.
The wolves got closer to them and at that moment Rane wished she had listened to her brother probably he was right, this could have been a trap all along.
As the wolves got closer, they closed their eyes expecting the inevitable and then the wolves jumped.