Retrieve the Kingdom

The Two Sides

“Oh… Uhm… It’s a long story.”

Phoebe looks at the lady who was frozen in place as she asked that question. It created a silence between the three as Phoebe cuts it herself. “You don’t have to, Miss Jean. I was just curious. It might make you remember a lot of trauma that you experienced. I am sorry if I ever triggered something in the back of your mind, I really didn’t mean to. I was just fascinated by your face. It’s not that you are ugly or anything. I am quite really curious and interested about the half of your face.” She said as she shuts her mouth in the next minute as the lady sighs, “It’s fine. I was just shocked that you bothered to ask. Everyone just laughs and assumed that I was born like this.” Miss Jean said as she sighs, “For the past… Like 50 years of my life, wow, I just realized that I outlive my co-commoners that only live just in their early 40s.” She giggles as she looks at the two, “Take care of yourselves, you can reach this age as long as you guys can eat nutritious food. Anyway, enough of that. I was not born like this, it was an accident. When I was around 30 years old, I was involved in an accident on a cart bus. I was one of the survivors but since we fell on a cliff, my face was distorted a lot. There was a doctor that was kind enough to take on me or else I could have died. Ever since I was like this. I sometimes wear a veil to hide this or even I just wear some robe but the guards dismissed me as too suspicious when I wear those things. So, I left with no choice but to show the whole world what I look like. I was a beautiful maiden, now I look like a monster.”

“You aren’t a monster, Miss Jean. If you were, you are too nice of a monster to save us from the cliff of our death, well, river, perhaps.” Anna said as Phoebe agrees, “I can see that beautiful maiden on the other side of your skin, Miss Jean. It’s not fully covered, people must look at the other side of yours, literally and figuratively. You are beautiful inside and maybe half at the outside. I am not gonna even lie, yes, that accident really did a significant change on you. But honestly, judging you by your looks and just pampering my mind that you are ugly is the least of my priorities. Those people who make it a big deal seem to have no better things to do in their life and that’s bad for them, not for you. There are better things to look at and appreciate from you. They just missed their chance to have a new friend that is nice and initiative to the core. Again, thank you for saving us, Miss Jean. I feel the urge to pay you back something nice as well.”

“No, no, no. It’s fine. It’s my duty to make you guys safe. It’s my duty as a resident of the kingdom to help the other people who reside in it, for harmony and peace. You don’t have to be a burden to give back what you took. I am already happy that I helped you guys and it’s my honor to help one of the futures of the kingdom. I am proud of you, Miss Phoebe. I am glad that I witnessed your progress into your goals to help someone in need. And that’s already enough.” She holds Phoebe’s hand, clasping them together as she smiles, “Please, continue your journey. Be safe, I will call a cart bus for you two and you take the lead to your home.” She released as the black-haired girl was frozen with the praise and even how she holds her hands. It was so comfortable and it made her smile a lot. The lady left them two to do what she has said to call a cart bus to finally help them go home. “Do you think that the councilor is already awake and finding us now?” 

Phoebe looks at Anna, who bit her lower lip as she sighs, “I don’t really know how much damage I have done to him. All I knew I managed to knock him down miraculously with my arms. I still can’t honestly believe that. But, most likely, he’ll be already awake. I wish your family and friends escaped his guards and finally be free.” She looks at the ceiling, “I just wish everything will go smoothly. But based on what I learned before, nothing goes smoothly as it is. It will be a miracle if it did.” She looks back at her that made Anna sighs, “I wish to Phoebe. I don’t want your efforts to be wasted and we left unjustified and even claimed as the suspects not the victims in this crime.” Anna holds her hands as Phoebe smiles, “Don’t worry, I have someone to help us. If he hears your situation back there, he might do everything to help you guys. Anyway, you said that that Councilor Desmond has other slaves—well, servants in the other places he has, right?” She looks at her as she nods, “He does. I knew it when I was eavesdropping in a conversation that he has with another person that seems to be a councilor too. I don’t know that the king is assigning heartless people in the positions where people are dependent on, where the kingdom is dependent on.”

“Do you believe that the king will be the one that will help you there?” Phoebe asked as Anna was a bit shocked, “T-the king? I mean, I wouldn’t be shocked since that’s his job. But, I am unworthy to be even defended by the king himself, the person with the highest power in the kingdom.” Anna was confused as her new friend starts giggling, “Oh… You need a lot of recapitulation in the outside world. How many years have you been in that mansion?” She looks at her, “Five—” Anna answered as Phoebe nods, “Yep, a recapitulation is needed.” It made the girl beside her more confused, “What do you mean? Why did you laugh at me? I… I am such an i***t, ain’t I?” Phoebe looks at her as she immediately shakes her head in disagreement, “No, no, no. Don’t say that, you aren’t an i***t. Don’t say that to yourself.”

Their conversation was cut short as the lady comes back, “The cart bus is here, you may now leave as you please.” She said as Phoebe smiles, as she stands, she feels something is missing. Her shoulder is a bit light weighted. She looks around as she realizes that her shoulder bag is missing. Anna noticed that as she guessed what she was finding, “Miss Jean, where is Phoebe’s bag?” She asked, “Ah! Wait for a second.” She said as she rushes to the backyard she comes back with Phoebe’s already dried-up bag and some items that survived. “I am sorry for your notebook, it seems important but I tried my best to dry it up. I didn’t attempt to open it since it might get ruined more. If something’s important written in here, I am sorry, that’s all that this notebook can handle.” She said as she hands them to Phoebe as the latter immediately checked the notebook that now was all dried up. Some of them were glued to each other, torn apart, or just wrinkled or crumpled. All of the ink smudged as she can’t see anything clearly anymore. She sighs in defeat as she puts it in her bag with all of the other items. “I guess that’s how long this notebook will survive. This has served me for a decade, maybe it’s time for it to rest and just retire on the best thing it did, to accompany me with my mood swings and adventures. Well, small adventures. Anyway, thank you again, Miss Jean. We hope to see you soon and may nice things happen to you for your kindness.”

The lady smiles, “It’s fine, and thank you! You too! Good luck with all of the things that you guys will do. May Alvi guide you on your way home and be with you in your goals!” She waves as she left her home to finally go to their own home. They smiled and wave the last time as they approached the cart bus and board it. They took their seats as they started moving, inching towards Enoch. “It’s been years since I rode this thing,” Anna said as she started swinging her feet as Phoebe smiles. The rescued one looks at the window, just watching the surroundings as the cart bus moves. Phoebe can really sense how happy she is that she can see what’s outside, not just enclosed in the walls of the mansion that she was in before. Not because she lives there, but it’s the definition of hell for her. Where she experience inhumane things a teenager didn’t know that she would be experiencing. Now she’s here, making herself comfortable with the wooden chairs this cart bus has that will drop them to Enoch. The place where everything about her life will change. They were in this cart bus for a total of half an hour since the Archduke’s mansion is not that far from a destination to travel to.

As they arrived where the cart bus is capable to stop that’s near the mansion, they step down it as Anna’s eyes sparkle as she saw the mansion right before her eyes, even they were several distances from it. It was her reaction every time she saw big buildings and their intricate designs and building styles. “This mansion is so beautiful and I bet people that live in there have beautiful intentions and goodwill.” She said as Phoebe giggles, “Well, you bet they do. Come on, let’s enter.” She said as she approaches the gate, the guards open it up as one of them ran towards the mansion to tell the archduke she already came back. Anna was still admiring the place and how big it is, “This is bigger than that councilor’s mansion! Good people have better lives, that’s why he is grumpy, he is envious of good people and went against them.” She giggled at her own thought as it took literal minutes to even reach the steps that elevate the ground floor of this mansion. Before they can even step up, the archduke and his wife showed up to welcome them.

“Phoebe, my dear!” Lady Naia rushes to the stairs and hugged her tightly. “Oh, how I miss you so much! We are so worried about the whereabouts of you. Bermin already sent some of his men to find you and finally, you came back! Where did you go to? Please say it to us next time.” She said as she caressed her cheek as the archduke approaches them, he doesn’t look happy. It made Phoebe concerned and started asking a lot of questions in her mind. ‘Does he already knew about what happened in the councilor? Why is he mad? Is he mad because I didn’t say this to him?’

“Come inside, come on. You too, Phoebe’s friend. Let’s talk about this inside.” He said briefly as he went up as Naia assisted the two girls up the mansion. Anna and Phoebe look at each other with Anna forming a face that seems confused, Phoebe responded with a shrug and a sigh. They entered the mansion that Phoebe already missed being in. “Why does the archduke seems mad, Lady Naia?” She asked as she looks up, “Don’t worry, he is just worried.” They arrived at the living room as the three ladies take a seat, the two in front of the couple.

“What came into your mind to raid Councilor Desmond’s mansion!?”