Vow Of Silence

CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE

1st PERSON: Pelomina Lorenzo-Capiz

The bath was taken over by these four. Polly seemingly rose up in ranks and these three… well, they’re already fixed attendants to the lady of the house, so I suppose they just helped around in the absence of one. Still, they were quick and skilled, as usual, and in no time I was out of the bath, with a simple address ready for me so I won’t have to walk the halls naked, or in a robe.

I thought I was ready for it, but walking the path back to my bedroom, and upon entering, it hit me like whiplash. I was washed over with a sensation one person would feel if they visited their childhood home and saw nothing had changed. From the bed sheets, blankets, pillows, trimmings, the curtains… they were just as I left them.

And do I dearly hope they were recently washed, but I assumed that would be the case because the room smelled wonderful, I smelled wonderful, vastly different to how I usually am ever since I’ve joined Klaus’s team—Right! Klaus!

As Eustace and Java fought over the dress I should wear, something they do since way before, I wasn’t paying as much attention because I was bathing so much under this nostalgic feeling; I forgot about the two people I came in here with. I whipped my head to Polly who was going through hair ornaments, not sure what she was planning on using those for.

“Polly–Polly I need your help,” I started leaning in closer as I squashed her closer,

She leaned down with a frown, nodding before I even said anything, “Of course, my lady, what can I help you with?” she replied,

“I came here with two friends, they are currently in the dungeons,” I started, and just with that as the start of my narrative made her concerned looking at me with a grim expression, I tried to wave it off as something light with a forced chipper smile, “Don’t worry, they were just mixed up with the wrong folks, I’ll talk to Lykus about them, but for the meantime…” I trailed off,

“Please bring them food, delicious food if you can,” I pleaded and although confused, she gave me a firm nod,

“Consider it done, my lady, I’ll send food down to—ah, w–what are their names, my lady?” she asked, as she stood back straight,

“Klaus and Seth, one has an outrageous maroon hair color, and the other has bandages all over his face,” I said, giving her their more distinct description, and with one last bow, she left. I would at least want both of them to be well-fed while under there, then I’d do everything I can to get them—no, us out of here.

Finally, Java and Eustace agreed on a dress, but we are met with yet another challenge.

I no longer fit into any of my clothes. It turns out that I grew quite a bit in mass since I’m not certain all of this is muscle; I did eat a lot today. Still, this calls for an emergency for these three, and even Keion was freaking out.

“Dear me, how do we deal with this?!” Java exclaimed in a high-pitched voice, very visibly shaken.

Eustace was pacing all over the room, looking at the corset around my torso, already pulled so tightly. I didn’t even have it in my heart to inform them that I stopped breathing for a few seconds because they were so rattled. I’m also rather proud that I outgrew those clothes. It shows just how much my body developed from someone like that to someone like this.

To try and help, I cleared my throat, “Do we perhaps have some clothing that are not… dresses?” I began, pants are my usual clothing. After all, I would prefer pants just for overall practicality.

All three of them looked at me like I said the stupidest thing and waved me off, “Oh please—my lady, now is not the time for… oh, do you mean skirts?” Eustace granted only to stop midway and rest her raised fists on her hips, and so the three exchanged looks. I smiled.

Okay, I can work with skirts, “A-And a loose top, perhaps?” I added in and they shrugged.

Java nodded, her lips pursed, “I supposed, alright then, I believe you won't need the corset anymore,” she said, and I sighed in relief making them chuckle as they took the damned thing off my torso, “I have to say, my lady… you look… rather strong,” Java commented and I chuckled,

“Well… I will take that as a compliment, Java,” I replied,

Her eyes grew wide, “Ah–but of course! I’m simply in awe….” she trailed off, patting my chin to raise it up, Eustace also nodded along as she pulled out a thick, deep emerald-colored skirt “Back then you looked like a twig during winter,” she followed and I snorted, raising my hands up and partially crouching down to at least help them put the two skirts over me.

One was lighter in color, more frilly as well, but it wasn’t so bad, followed by the top, which was, apparently, the perfect pair for the skirt. It came as requested, loose, but it had a low neckline that showed a lot of my clavicle. It had long puffed-up sleeves that reached my wrist where the seams fit snugly.

I thought it was too revealing until I looked at the mirror and just realized that perhaps me wearing turtlenecks as a staple did make me a bit conservative. Finally, we were done. The socks and the shoes were also somewhat of a challenge, but turns out I owned pairs that were slightly bigger than my usual shoes. It’s not like my feet grew tremendously bigger than before.

My hair was brushed in a more flattering manner, all of them were attempted to be pulled back instead of blowing up in all directions, and clips were even used to achieve the look, there were just some stray strands of hair in front of my face that just didn’t want to follow orders, and it looked better that way.

After admiring their work, I excused myself and marched my way to Lykus's study, I kept at that determined energy all the way to his door, and just before I could knock, I had to take a deep breath, clicking my tongue as I pulled my balled up fist down, “Crap… do I really just barge in?” I whispered to myself,

Trying to think over all the possible ways I could pick from. I could knock first, but it doesn’t assert dominance, and that’s what I want to look like—I want him to realize I’m not the submissive women he met years ago—although I did somewhat beg him not to kill us earlier—ugh, this is all wrong, I should just walk in normally—

“How long will you be pacing at the doors of my study?” I heard a deep below behind me, almost similar to that of a growl.

I flinched as I slowly turned around to meet the displeased face of Lykus. And as I ran through the most violating and cruel words, I could snap back at him… I chuckled. Nervously.

“I… was just about done,” I replied, stepping aside so he could access the door of his sweet, sweet study, plastering a forced grin that it made my cheeks ache,

His scowl deepened, but he said nothing as he entered the study, and just before he could close the door, I wedged my foot to bring it to a stop, peeking through the gap I looked at him, “However, I do have something I wish to talk to you about,” I said.

Once again, he said nothing and simply opened the door for me and close it, walking over to his seat behind his desk, littered with papers. It looked like Lykus has a lot on his plate; he sat down and so did I, on the single chair he had in this room, unlike before he had couches in this room. How could this place just become even less welcoming compared to how it was the first time I've seen it?

He picked up the quill in one hand and looked at me over his eyelids. “Speak,” he ordered, and I sucked in a deep breath. Years of no contact, I don’t want to put the blame on him since there was some sort of betrayal too on my part, but for him to act this way—even after all that?! The nerve.

Still, I reeled myself back, I’m here to ask favors from Klaus and Seth, “The two men who came with me are innocent, they haven’t stolen anything from Temog,” I began and he simply sighed as he started writing on a blank parchment, but even with that response I went on, “You can’t just lock them there—one of them is unconscious, you have to let them go,” I pleaded at this point.

He gave me a blank look, “And why would I do that? Why would I care for the wellbeing of the men my wife came to enter Temog with?” he raised and I kept my fists balled up, feeling my nails digging into my palms,

I scoffed, “Oh, if you only knew—they were the ones who so painstakingly accompanied me on my journey here,” I paused, gulping a lump in my throat as his expressions remains cold and unchanging, “Why I even bothered with a journey here, I don’t even know, but if I could take it all back and turn back time, I wish I never even spared you a thought,” I hissed, now standing up.

I tried to even out my breathing, but it was no use. He plucked out emotions out of me that weren’t even there.

He leaned back in his chair, “I’ll see for myself whether they’re worth letting loose, you can leave now,” he instructed with a dismissive wave of his hand.

A single disdainful laugh escaped my lips as I looked at him in utter condemnation. Forget that, I couldn't even look at him long enough before my eyes stung.

“I will make sure the next time I leave, I’ll die peacefully knowing I escape you twice,”