Worlds Apart: Back to Drevothia

Episode 7

Everywhere is the Same

Caiwen let out a guffaw after noticing her flushed cheeks. Viktorina's eyes widens, realizing that the latter thought will never be the case. Before she could stop herself, she responds. "I am still, very in love with my husband, Lord. There is no way I could think of that way." The tone of her voice rises reflecting her surprise by her sudden statement. She immediately regrets what she says and sealed her lips in embarrassment.

"I very much know of it, Princess. It was just my presumption that you might like my friend, am I wrong?"

"Like... How could I?" She thought it was presumptuous of her and she doesn't feel good thinking about it. There is no way she would betray her feelings for Eldrion! "I want to get along with him, Lord."

"Why? You are not staying here for too long, Viktorina. We only have to wait for your body to become better and you can go back to your world."

Viktorina averts her gaze from the Lord. The Lord's eyes follows her very movement. Her face lost its crimson blush like she comes back to her normal self, only that, she is in a deep thought. She also could not understand why she has to get along with a human like Lance. Caiwen's case might be understandable because he is their Lord, but Lance is just an ordinary human. She should not involve herself too much to people of different kind.

"Perhaps it was my sense of responsibility to get along with everyone inside the walls of your home, Lord."

"Do you not understand it yourself?" Caiwen probed.

Viktorina sighs. "I... mean it, Lord. I sense a feeling of darkness around him that I had the urge to watch over him. It's not the darkness that hurts and haunts other people but rather the darkness that gobbles himself."

Caiwen nods and slants his body, prompting himself at the edge of the countertop nearby the stove, he crosses his legs and tap his bony fingers at the tiled-top.

"I see... You do not have to worry about that. I am watching over my friend as well just as much as I watch over Drevothia. And I reckon Lance will surpass what he thought was his limit."

Caiwen fills in the task that she is suppose to do, not that it is really meant for her when she just stole the job from Caiwen. She goes back to the living area to watch the movie. It has now progresses far from where she left off but she does not know how to roll it backwards so she continues watching without any word.

Caiwen takes care of Lance while Viktorina lends him a helping hand, just within the limit of her capabilities. Caiwen even teaches her how to cook porridge and the ingredients to prepare. It has become her job to feed Lance the food she cooks herself which is finally edible.

"This is the liquid body soap, hair essentials..." he lends it to her one by one, giving a clear description of everything beforehand. She might use the shampoo to her body and the soap to her hair! What would become of her? "When you use this, the shampoo, you massage your hair--"

"Yes, Lord. I know that much, thank you," Viktorina says, stopping the Lord of his inner panic. He may not look like it but he seems scared she might summon him inside the bathroom for an unbecoming lessons! Eldrion will surely kill him, Caiwen is sure of that, once Eldrion will have a knowledge of it!

"Then, do you know how to use the soap?" Caiwen asks, feigning concern.

"Yes, Lord. We have soap, hair essence and body scrub in Drevothia."

"Ahh..." Caiwen, dumb-founded for awhile before he gives himself a slap in the face. "Of course! How could I forget? I am the Lord!" He murmurs seemingly for himself.

What a weird Guardian, Viktorina thought. But she couldn't help but feel happy if their Lord is this civil towards them. If that is the case, then without a doubt, he will become a good Lord of his duty.

Lance's condition has become better that he is able to move around without feeling dizzy. Caiwen takes that opportunity to show Viktorina the world outside. Lance refuses the invitation and chose to stay inside his room until he fully recovers. He has to go back to his work that was long overdue.

"Wear a shorter dress like this." Caiwen presents to her the dress that is often worn by the ladies in his world. It reaches atop her knees but not short enough for humans to feel bare, however, it is a different case for Viktorina. She is used to wearing surcoats, peticots, girdle, kirtle dresses and gowns as a princess and not a short dress openly presented to everyone. Since she mostly spend her time as a knight, she usually wears linen shirts, surcoats, breeches and leather boots along with her daggers and sword hanging on her baldric belt.

"Isn't this too short, Lord?" She gestured the dress' length.

Caiwen goes back to his closet and continues rummaging for something more comfortable for her to wear. He does not know what women prefer to wear that he bought the dress he first had in his hand without even considering. He never paid attention to small details and all he is sure about is that Viktorina wears dresses because she is a princess. He did not take the possibility that she might not wear a shorter one.

A knock on the door makes them turn their heads to where the sound comes from. Lance is standing at the doorway with clothes in his hands. He stood proudly in his domineering height but he seems not getting better from the contagious illness he has been saying. Although he is able to wear a light-looking clothes--a tee shirt--he still haven't gotten rid of his mask also, his midnight locks are covering his forehead and eyes.

Lance tilts his head for a rough cough. "Make her wear this." He utters in a deep and rough voice.

"Oh... T-Thank you then, Lance." Viktorina stands up and accepts the clothes to spare Caiwen his energy. Caiwen nods his head and prompt himself on the nearby chair, relieve.

Viktorina wears the clothes offered by Lance. It is a black hoodie and loose pants. Surprisingly, the pants fits perfectly on the waist like it is especially made for her. Viktorina remembers, Lance uses the hood of the garb to cover his head. She tries doing that but she feels irritated by the heat. She is already sweating when she removes the hood. In the end, she let her hair sprawl loosely on her back. Her ginger hair is rather noticeable that people's head are turning towards her as she passes by. Viktorina seems to have not notice it and just gracefully walks, its mermaid curls swaying along with her movements.

Caiwen brings her to the University. He starts introducing her to some places that might interest her for the time being. They went to the cafeteria, the open field, oval, library--but they did not proceed inside for she does not know the rules there--and at the garden upfront.

A lot of people have been greeting Caiwen and sometimes strike a conversation with him. It takes them time before they could proceed to another place but Viktorina is patient enough. That's because she is enjoying the view that she, once in her life, never saw not until this day.

The students are having conversations and freely laugh with each other. It makes Viktorina's heart burn in glee, however, does not implies that she prefers living in the human world. This world is just as beautiful as theirs although there are a lot of things she has yet to uncover. Everything here is unknown to her yet beautiful but that is just what it is all about. It makes her happy that there are also different beings living in another dimension happily other than them.

She wonders... are there beings also being swallowed by greed and envy in the Earthland? The world she sees in their covers are ethereal but she knows it is only topmost part of it and she has not seen the deepest part of their world. It is the same with everyone when having to experience living a different world for a short period of time.

"My apologies, it took much longer than I thought it would be."

Caiwen, out from a short jog is already sweating hard because of the warm weather. He handed her the ice cream he especially bought perfect for the hot weather.

Viktorina smiles and accepts the ice cream from Caiwen's grip despite the curiosity about the unfamiliar food. She is enjoying the peaceful view in the park where few children are playing with their mothers. Caiwen excuses himself a while ago and run errands to a nearby convenience store for a small cup of ice cream, Viktorina stayed on the bench and rested for a while.

"The place is rather peaceful, Lord. I have no qualms being left here alone," she mutters gently and smiles to herself after catching a sight of a mother bird feeding her nestlings.

Caiwen's eyes drifts towards her. He starts to feel worried that the tranquility might bring back the memories she wants to bury. After all, he knew everything about everyone of them. Their heartaches, their circumstances, their will, desires and regrets.

"Did it make you happy then, Viktorina?" he asks carefully not to harbour animosity for his reckless questions.

"I do not know, Lord... The only thing I am sure of is the hollow inside my heart from longing."

The wind caresses her skin, tending her aching heart from being homesick. The dimensions might be far apart from each other that they have to take portals to travel but she is certain that the whispers of her beating heart will reach to them through the wind. The message she wants to send will be carried through the wind. She is certain, they will feel them.