Retrieve the Kingdom

A Help from a Lady

Anna didn’t have a choice but to follow Phoebe. As soon as she saw the water, she knows what she was planning. As Phoebe count three, she did her best to jump far enough with the small energy she has and the adrenaline that’s in her. Her companion and rescuer followed her after she kicks the horse to go right, letting it go in another direction. Both of them landed on the river as it made a big splash. They were laying on their backs in mid-air and titling a bit when they fell on the water. Phoebe felt a rock rubbing on her skin as she screams in pain before her head submerged in the water. Her head bumped on a rock so hard that her eyes slowly close as she fully succumbs to darkness’s arms, cradling her to sleep. The last thing she saw was Anna falling in the water as well. Her last hope before she sleeps that the guards wouldn’t see them lying on the river and be the one to get them.

Phoebe slowly opens her eyes as she looks and tilts her head. Speaking of it, just as she woke up, she felt every pain she experienced before. Her headaches as well as her blurry vision went to clear, she has the chance to see where she was laying on. The thing she noticed was a cloth on her upper arm as she pats it, it was a thick cloth wrapped around that area. She can feel tightness on her head, she brought her hand to her forehead as she feels a cloth texture on it. Her eyes then travel across the room, looking and observing every detail and object in this room. “It must be a commoner’s house… Based on the way the wall is built. Wait… Commoner’s house…” She sighs in relief as she let herself comfy.

The door suddenly opens as she was a bit startled but calmed down when it revealed a woman with a skinny physique as she was holding a wooden tray with a pitcher and some food in the wooden plate and bowl. She has dark brunette hair as she seems to have a wounded and really rough half side of her face. It seems that it was rubbed in the cement. Phoebe shivered in the thought of it. “Oh, you are finally awake.” She said as she placed the tray on the bedside table as Phoebe looks up to her. “W-where am I? Who are you, good ma’am?” She said as the lady giggles, “You are in my house. I am Miss Jean, you can call me Jean if you want. But most of my friends call me Miss Jean. Would this make this house Miss Jean’s house?” She smiled at her as she pours tea on a cup from the pitcher. “Here, drink this. It will make your throat smooth and your body much better. And eat this bread. Later you will eat lunch. Excuse me, I will call your friend. She misses you so much and has been praying to the gods that you wake up and not sleep forever. I am sorry for that rude phrase earlier. I’ll be right back.” She smiles as she left the room with Phoebe left hanging. She was going to ask more questions, but the lady was so fast at saying everything and shifted away from the room or was just struck by her beauty even as a commoner and even half of her face were a bit dodgy she is not to judge about that.

The half of her face made her interested in this lady. It’s bad to interfere with someone’s life but she was really curious about what happened there. She grabbed some bread as she started munching them, asking questions in her mind. The unaffected half of her face made her curious too. It was vaguely familiar, it’s like she saw her before. But she shrugs it since she says it to a lot of people that she meets every day. She might saw her before in the streets, it wasn’t a peculiar thing to say since she likes looking in the streets. If she had, she might have memorized the people walking, working, and doing their businesses in the streets if she wanted and had the time and care in the world. She giggled in the thought as she drinks the tea that was served to her. The door opened but from there it popped another entity and identity. It was Anna, the one she rescued from the councilor’s mansion. The possible and probable witness she can take to the archduke if she comes back home. “Hello there! I am glad you are awake.” She exclaimed while smiling as she sits beside her on edge of the bed.

Phoebe smiles back as she set aside the tea that was given to hear back at the bedside table as she looks at her. “Hi, Anna.” She said briefly but with a big smile plastered on her face. She was glad that she was okay even the last thing she saw of her was her falling on the water with her. A lot of possibilities emerged from that time. With one hit hard on a hard or even worst, pointy rock. She could have died, she could have lost the only ace she has against the councilor. “So—” She was cut by Anna, “Before you asking anything in particular like asking how I was and what happened. Let me ask this question, who are you and what’s your name. It’s been two days and that quest—” The latter was cut too by Phoebe as she exclaimed in shock, “Two days!?” Anna calmed her down as she sighs, “Yes, you have been sleeping for two days. Now, answer my question.”

Phoebe sighs as she looks at her after she took a bite on the bread that’s in her hand. “I am Phoebe of Mires. I am the scholar of the archduke. I came there to investigate things. I didn’t mean to actually create chaos there. But I can’t stand just watching you and hearing your screams of help up there at the councilor’s room. I knew I need to do something, I need to. Now some of your friends and maybe even your family is dead. I am sorry for that, I am so—” SHe was shocked as Anna hugged her, so tight that she almost can’t breathe or even burst the bread on her mouth. “You don’t need to be sorry. You deserve every thank you and gratitude in the world. It’s been years since we are like this. I already grew up there, just another slave for the councilor to punish and suffer.” She released as her eyes were already in tears, “You don’t know how happy I was when I see myself stepping out of that mansion. Alive, breathing, and can feel the freedom you just gave me at that moment. Yes, the others may have died, but it was the greatest thing in their lives. Be able to fight and have a chance to do it collectively. With the councilor unconscious, the guards aren’t that strong. Because some of them are our allies, it was such a great feeling. I wish I can pull them away there but they did their things. I hope they all survived.”

“If one of the guards were your allies, did you ever tried to escape one by one?” She asked as she laughs, “We hope we can do that but there are more guards that are willing to see us dead on the ground than helping to fight these evil things that the councilor is doing to us.” She started crying a lot as Phoebe comforts her. “I can’t handle this happiness and sadness. They are mixing. I can’t pull myself together.” She said as Phoebe caresses her back, suddenly, she remembered what she needs to do. Her heart races as she looks at Anna, “Is there a servant named Vien there?” She asks as Anna looks at her, wiping her tears on her cheeks and her eyes, “N-no… Why?” She said as Phoebe sighs in relief. “Well, to be honest, I was there because I was investigating, right? Well, it’s for my friend’s father. Like you, I heard you guys are there for a debt.” She said as Anna nods, “We do, since my father’s debt is too high, he demanded that all of his family will serve him. Did your father’s friend is in debt too with the councilor?” She asked as Phoebe nods, “He was, I was finding possible evidence of his doing or possibly rescue him alone. I don’t even think of this too well, but I need to start to do so. I wouldn’t be surprised if I would be dead again.”

“Again?” Anna asks as Phoebe suddenly realized what she has muttered in front of her, “N-nothing, just omit the again.” Anna giggles as she wipes her tears that were pouring again. “Anyway, are you already okay?” She asked as Phoebe nods, “Honestly, yeah. I got a surge of pain earlier but I feel I am already fine.” She attempted to get out of the bed as she successfully stands on the floor with bare feet. But as she stands on her feet, she was a bit in pain as she looks under her left foot. She has some wounds that are still healing on it. “It must be the rocks. I swear I have shoes when we jumped, right?” She said as Anna shrugs, “Wounds are very confusing.” They both laughed as they went out of the room as went downstairs.

Phoebe handed the tray with the empty plate, empty cup, and a pitcher with some contents in it still. “Oh! I thought you were still in the room.” Miss Jean said she was a bit shocked as she looked away from the sink, where she washed her dishes. Phoebe smiles, “Thank you for serving me some delicious bread and tea. I don’t know how can I pay you back, Miss Jean.” The lady smiles as she giggles, “You don’t need to. Honestly, you are the one who needs some payback for all of the things that you have done. You are brave, I can say. You don’t know how Anna cried when she woke up. Anyway, can I ask you your name, little miss?” She smiled, “Oh! Yes, I am Phoebe, Miss Jean. Phoebe of Mires.” She said as the lady puts her hand behind her back as she follows her to the table where Anna is, sitting on one of the chairs. “Can you tell me about yourself, I am still unaware that all of the people that could save people like Anna, it’s you. A little girl that seems still in middle school, correct me if I am wrong.”

Phoebe giggles, “I am in high school, Miss Jean. Particularly taking Politics Path. Well, it’s all for my friend, honestly. Anna is just a probable witness. I am still shocked that I saved her and managed to run away from the guards. Most importantly, I managed to survive.” She said as the lady nods, “But, you can say it to others who can safely do that and not pouring your life into this, right?” Miss Jean asked as Phoebe sighs, “I don’t know why I am so impatient, I feel like I need to do this myself. I know I can ask the archduke since he is literally my scholar provider and even supports me on this. I am just so stubborn.” She bitterly laughs as she sighs, “I can’t stand people suffering, Miss Jean. I feel that’s the purpose why I am here. To help people, even in extremes.” “I am proud of you and really inspired by you. I wish I can help our co-citizens here.” She said as Phoebe smiles, “You can, Miss Jean. Be loud with your voice, speak of what is right. By the way, can I ask you about something?” The lady smiles, “Sure, I am glad to answer it.”

“What happened to your face, Miss Jean?”