Chapter 255: 255. Perfect act.
"Is it really okay for us to sit around not doing anything?" one man asked as they sat by a fire in the forest, roasting a hunted game over it.
"Eh, so what? We already found the princess, it is obvious what must have become of her captor by now. Why must we waste time searching fruitlessly?" one man responded with his eyes mainly on the roasting meat.
"True. We have been searching for two days and two nights now, we have not found any man. What makes you think we would find one now?" Another asks.
"Let’s just wait here for a while and when dusk comes, we return back. ’Tis that simple."
"But does it not bother you all?"
"What?"
"That the princess was just conveniently laying on the ground? After how many days of searching? Besides, if the man was indeed devoted by the spirits if the damned, what chapped to his horse? If anything, she should have run away on his horse, do you not find it strange?"
"The only thing I find strange right now is you pressing the matter. I mean what do you want? We found the girl and she is what is most important. Also, the horse could have been a stubborn creature, she might not have been able to tame it, so she fled on her feet instead."
His words made sense. They truly did but still, "Then where is the horse? The spirits don’t devour horses, so where did it go?"
"It ran off! What more do you want? Without it’s master, it definitely ran out of this damned forest just like I cannot wait to get out, so stop thinking too much and just wait it out till dusk and we can all leave this forest in peace."
"Tsk, ah, I still have this feeling that something is not right."
"You always have that feeling," one man said and they all laughed.
"And he is always wrong." Another said and their laughs grew even wider.
"Unfortunately for you all, this time, he isn’t," came a voice from behind them. With no delay they all picked up their weapons and turned around to face the intruder.
However, their hands immediately trembled as they beheld the men who stood before them.
It wasn’t just one man, there were tens of them. Probably a hundred lightly armored men with arrows pointed straight at them.
As they wisely let their weapons drop to the floor, they could only wonder how such an army had moved without any of them hearing them.
***
"Tell my my dear, how are you feeling? How were you even able to escape that beast? I sent my men into that forest after you, I am sorry it took so long to find you." Lyle, believing he was the one with the upper hand spoke with the sweetest of voices, one meant to soothe, to seduce, to pamper.
"Oh Lyle," and she replied with a practiced voice of her own. The feeble voice, the terrified voice, harmless and desperate kind of voice... He spoke deceitful words to her and she dished out exactly what he was serving. Maybe even better.
"Lyle I’m so sorry. You lost a hand because of me." She cried taking his hand in her own, hot tears coming out.
"It iss fine my dear, this is nothing compared to my love for you. But how did you really escape that man?"
"Oh Lyle," she rose to her feet dramatically, "It was horrible, horrible I tell you. I should have known that one of Barak’s men would catch up to me!" she spat, "He had tied me up for a whole day in a cottage, I only managed to escape by faking a stomach ache. I then released me but before he could do anything to me, I pulled the pouch that repels the spirit of the damned from him and fled. Foolishly, he ran after me and—" she closed her eyes tight, as if recalling the memory was hard for her.
"I watched the spirits tear him apart until there was nothing left. Oh Lyle, I thought I would go mad." She cried. "It was so gruesome, I tell you. So I ran, and I ran. I had no idea where I was headed but I was ridden with fear," She shook vehemently and Lyle believing her words rose up and held her in his arms as she cried.
Thaddeus on the other hand stood outside the door of the room listening in on the entire conversation. "Just have your way with her and end this stupid charade." He thought to himself. He really didn’t understand why his master needed to pretend to still be kind in front of her. If all he wanted was her body, he could as well just pin her down and—
"My Lord!!!" A man came running towards him.
Thaddeus’ eyes widened at the sight of him. "What do you think you are doing?! I told you all to return to your stations by dusk! Not only is it not dusk yet, but you dare show yourself here! Do you not know it can be dangerous?! Do you want to expose his highness’ s whereabouts to the enemies!!"
Since the night they lost Neriah and Lyle’s hand was cut off, they had been moving about quietly because seeing how someone was able to locate them and harm Lyle they believed they had been slack with security.
This time even lesser of his men knew his whereabouts, and the ones like this man who knew where not supposed to show face unless called upon. Yet here he was trembling at the inn they were currently staying at.
"We have no time for this!! We have to move his highness!" The man said, evidently trembling.
"What the heck are you talking about?" Thaddeus inquired, roughly holding on to the man’s collar.
"The Tragonian knights! They have captured all our men in the forest!! And are headed for this in as we speak! We must hurry!"
Thaddeus eyes widened, he wanted to ask how that was possible, but knew there was no time.
"Your highness!" He pushed the door open. "We must leave at once! The Tragonians are upon us," He cried desperately.
Lyle’s eyes rolled in their sockets and Neriah stood by him trembling with fear. "Now, Your Highness!" Thaddeus screamed.
"Let’s go Neriah, we must leave at once!" He said, gently pushing her forward. She ran out of the door and he was right behind her, with Thaddeus following behind him.
"Quick Your highness!" Thaddeus urged them, as they all ran toward the back, with Neriah heaving heavily like she would pass out from all the entire stress.
"We must go through the back. They must have—" Thaddeus’s words were cut in his throat as Neriah who was in front stumbled and before either of them could hold her steady, she fell onto something.
More precisely, into the arms of someone.
He held her in his arms as he lifted his eyes to meet the men who had now halted, a smirk rose to his lips as he said, "Ah, go on, do not mind me, I was just admiring how brilliantly my dear wife can execute an act with such—perfection."