Crown in The Mist (ENGLISH)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The weather was fine. I closed my eyes as I felt the buttery sunshine on my skin. I could hear the soft sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks. I felt my lower body cold and wet against the water. I was sitting on a rock half-submerged in the seawater. I only had my undergarments with me as I was drying my clothes. I removed my sunglasses when I felt the fishing rod tugging slightly. I immediately stood up and held the fishing rod tightly. I rolled the reel. Slowly at first then eventually getting faster until I pointed the fish pole upwards, hauling the fish to the surface. 

"Not too bad for a first-timer," I muttered and tied the scarf around my waist before I went to get the fish. I immediately went to put the wood I gathered earlier then I made a fire. I have survived in the streets for a long time. I learned things the hard way. Fishing and living out here should be easy. After all, I have a boat, more than five hundred thousand Quird, a Lazuli Diamond, and leverage for two days. Life isn't that hard compared when I only have my wits to survive on the streets. 

I grinned when I remembered what happened yesterday. It was a bad choice on his part to come close. I knew he had something in his coat pocket. Armed with my instincts and my experience, I gambled and went for it. And I got lucky I fished out something that seemed important for him. He agreed with me staying here for two days without him interfering with my business. That necklace must be something, then. 

I inhaled the fresh scent of fish being barbecued. It was so refreshing and mouth-watering. I wrapped the coat around myself and continued to cook the fish. After staying here for two days, I should be sailing for a while. Then I would sail west to buy some supplies, and find someone that would answer my questions. Right now, what I need is money. So I figured I would sell the pocket watch. I also need to get in contact with some people who might know someone who would keep this. I don't know if this ould cost much as it looked old, and I couldn't possibly tell the buyer the Crown Prince of Oregon owns it even though I would definitely catch a generous payment if I do that. 

Getting rid of the pocket watch would be a wise choice. Ares, for all I know, with his skill in finding people, it makes me think that he might be able to find me if I keep the pocket watch in possession. 

I was tempted to sell the Lazuli too. But something deep inside me told me not to. So I kept it. Even though I was so tempted to throw it in the sea. 

I have never given it much thought. I mean, I still couldn't believe it. Even for the fact that the Diamond had my mother's name engraved on it. Or even for the fact that I was chased and almost got killed because of it. Or the fact that I am a wanted person in Central Carnes and Royal Guards are free to shoot me on the spot should they see me. Or the fact that I once agreed to marry the Crown Prince of Oregon to save my ass. And the fact that here I am in a small cave with a ship, hiding and trying my best not to be discovered. All of those facts are now laid in front of me yet it still feels unbelievable. I never even wondered what it's like to have a father. I just . . . didn't care.

That's how surreal it is for me. Maybe if I stay far enough from the Royal Guards' noses, the Queen would give up and just let me be. But I shouldn't be too certain about that. The Queen was hell-bent on disposing of me that she even hired bounty hunters. I shouldn't be too careless. 

I took the fish out from the fire and my mouth watered with the sight of it. I immediately went inside the ship and enjoyed my meal for today. I'm going back to the island with the boat and ask around if there are any people there interested in buying a piece of jewelry. 

But first, I have to ask Lance for help. Judging from the way he easily ordered that boat owner yesterday, Lance seems like someone who holds authority in this place. That means he must know the people residing here. And besides, I have something that he owns and I'm sure he will follow what I saw as long as I have his necklace. 

* * * 

The coffee shop was quiet. But Lance's footsteps were loud as he crossed the distance between us and pushed me into the wall. I flinched when I hit my head but he didn't care as he kicked the door closed. His blazing eyes met mine and I gave him a smile. I jumped from where I was standing when he punched the wall next to my head. 

"You got the nerve to show up here after what you did yesterday?" I saw how his jaw clenched and I could tell he's just restraining himself to wring my neck.  

I gulped and said, "Well, I need to make sure--" I was cut off with another punch in the wall. 

That necklace must be so important to him to react like this. He fished something from his pocket and it was the necklace I threw yesterday. He threw it on the floor without taking his eyes off me. 

"What the hell is your game? Why are you here?"

I sighed. "I told you, didn't I? You don't need to know. And besides, haven't you learned your lesson yesterday? Staying this close to me, all your pockets are open for my hands to slip in." 

Before I could even blink, I felt a sharp thing under my chin. I gulped when I realized what it is. 

"Give me back my necklace," he said. Dead calm. I could feel the sharp tip of the knife under my chin.

"I don't have it with me," I said and he pressed the knife harder. Any more pressure to it would draw blood. 

"What do you really want?" He said and I could feel he isn't just pointing the knife at me for show. He will really slit my throat. "I already agreed to allow you to stay here for two days. Give me back my necklace," he said in between gritted teeth. 

I stared at him directly in the eyes. "I don't trust words only, mister. I need to have leverage against you so you would agree. I've learned my lesson the hard way." When I trusted Aizen, the person who I thought would never betray me. And Ares . . . No. I shouldn't be thinking about him. 

I slowly took the diamond out of my pocket and showed it to him. His eyes darted towards it and his brows furrowed. 

"That is not my necklace," he said.

"Obvious. I am not stupid to take your necklace here with me. This is a silver pocket watch. I want to find a place to keep this. I just need your help with where could I find a place like that?" I gulped when his eyes narrowed. "I promise I will give you back your necklace after two days. Just two days," I said, muttering a silent prayer that he won't slit my throat.

"And if you're still not gone by two days?" His face was dark. "What will I do to you?"  He pressed the knife closer. 

I eyed the knife he's holding then my eyes went back to his face. "You are free to use that knife on me if I'm still here after two days," I said. 

A wicked smile escaped his lips before he took a step back, taking the knife away from my chin. I took a relieved breath. 

"What business do you have here?" he asked. 

I shrugged. "Who knows? For today, Mister, I want you to help me find someone who would keep this." I wriggled the pocket watch on my hand causing him to look at it again.

"Why?" He asked. My brows furrowed.

I shrugged.

His eyes narrowed. "Tell me, are you a thief?"

Maybe it was a question that popped right into his mind considering what happened recently. I don't know if he knows about a thief on the run in Central Carnes. But if he does, then I'm in deep s**t.

"So what if I am?"

"That isn't yours," he said and eyed the pocket watch again.

"The owner of this did something terrible to me. Stealing this pocket watch was just a small thing." 

"You stole that from who, exactly?"

I heaved a deep sigh. He sure asks a lot of questions but I just said, "Where can I find a place to keep this safe?"

He threw the knife to the table. "If I help you today, you give me my necklace and you will be gone tomorrow."

"And you will tell not a single soul that I have been here," I added.

He just shrugged. "I don't feel like talking about you, anyway."

I blinked. Unable to process if I should be thankful or insulted. I decided to take the former.

"So, where to begin?"

* * *

I am used to walking long distances. I think I have been to most places in Central Carnes on foot. When you walk, you tend to see and observe things around you. Even the smallest detail like the posters plastered on the walls, or the tiny vandals on the posts, or what the people are talking in hushed whispers. I preferred walking.

But Lance Forth, apparently, was more adept at walking than I was. We've been walking for almost three hours without rest and we still haven't reached our destination. Sure, Dalian is a small town in the southwest of Carnes. You can roam around most parts of it in just a day. But walking is a different story. Turns out, this jeweler he was talking about was several kilometers away from the coffee shop.

"You don't fancy using a car, do you?" I mumbled and he just gave me a sideways glance while he still continued to walk. I don't know how long do we have to walk but I just followed. At some point, I thought he was just going in circles but I have noted every path we took.

I discovered Lance wasn't the talkative type. During our almost three hour walk, the only time he talked was when we were about to set off. 

"Let's go," was all he said.  

I didn't mind the silence. But Lance Forth looked like he was about to pull something off or maybe push me off the cliff. But so far, he hasn't done anything . . . not yet. 

"You've been giving me that look for quite a long time now, what is it?" he started and I blinked.  

I looked at the road ahead. The crowd in this part is thinning. We already passed several marketplaces but the ones here are smaller.

"I was wondering when you'd pull out a knife and slit my throat or push me on the cliff.  We've been walking for hours and I can't help but think you're just bringing me to an isolated place to finally kill me," I said and continued to look straight ahead.

He scoffed. "Killing you is a waste of time," he said.

"You've killed someone before?"

"Have you?"

I shrugged. "I asked you first."

"If I am going to kill you now," he said and looked at me, "you'd be the first one."

"How certain are you that you'll be able to kill me?"

"Very certain." He gave me a vicious smile. "I can tell it would be very easy to kill you by the way you trembled earlier when I had a knife under your chin."

"You talk openly about murdering your victim."

He shrugged and looked straight ahead. "You're one to talk. You stole my necklace inside the pockets of my coat right under my nose. And threatened me with it." 

"Touché." Was all I could say. 

Then we were covered in another cocoon of silence until he stopped by a stream. It wasn't that deep and it wasn't shallow either. The water was crystal clear and I could see the fishes on it. There was a wooden bridge that would lead us to a wooden shack built on top of a flat hill in the middle of the river.

"Is this it?" I asked but Lance did not answer. He started walking and I followed suit. Seeing as there are no other buildings in the area, then this must be it.

The wooden bridge creaked while we walked that made me hesitate on walking but Lance did not seem to mind as just continued walking as if he couldn't hear the wood creaking beneath us. 

When we reached the hill, it was bigger than I thought. The shack was at the very center of it.

"Let me do the talking," Lance and I just nodded as I was busy noting the surroundings. A forest was across the river and I was tempted to ask Lance what's behind the forest.

Lance knocked on the wooden door before he opened it. The inside of the shack was surprisingly different. From the outside, it doesn't look like a jeweler is making a living inside. 

"I can't remember the last time you visited this shack, Lance." 

We both looked to the side of the room where a woman my age was standing in the doorway. 

"Kiera," Lance greeted. 

The woman named Kiera bowed dramatically before her eyes darted towards me. Her scrutinizing eyes didn't escape me as she looked at me from head to foot. 

"And here I am, thinking you're still head over heels with that ex-girlfriend--" 

"Kiera." Lance's tone was dangerous. Whatever Kiera was going to say, it must be something important and somehow, I got a hint of what it was all about. But I decided not to inquire. Having a knife under my chin once is enough. 

"She has something," Lance said and gave me a glance. He then jerked his head urging me to let the pocket watch out. So I did. 

Kiera's eyes narrowed in slits as she came close and snatched the pocket watch from my hand. She then eyed me again. 

"Someone foreign coming all the way here to sell this old pocket watch?" Her eyes darted to the watch again. "But it does look vintage. But still not worth more." Her eyes went to me again. 

"Where did you get this?" She went to the table and got a loupe. 

"Found it," I answered. Keeping my response short would be best.

She nodded. She examined the necklace further and she even went as far as trying to separate the chain from the watch. Checking it was strong enough, she gave up. 

"I can accept this. I'll give you a price of a hundred and fifty," she said and put down her loupe. I felt Lance's gaze on me. A hundred and fifty. I wonder how much is this worth? It's Ares' watch. It should be expensive. But the watch is old. I shook my head. At least, I got rid of it and got money in exchange. 

So I nodded. "A hundred and fifty," I said. "I will get it back in six months." 

"That's too long," she said. "I can only grant you sixty days." 

I looked at Lance and he was shaking his head as if regretting something. "Kiera, just give her the damn six months so she can leave this place." 

Kiera stared at Lance for a long time as if they were exchanging messages inside their heads. Later on, Kiera shook his head. "Sixty days. If you don't come back with the money after six months, this goes to another owner." 

I stared at her for a long time but she looked like she's not going to change her mind. So I sighed. 

"Understood," I merely answered. 

"So what is your name?" 

I stopped. I felt Lance looking at me. I think he just realized that he doesn't know my name either. I am not sure how far does the news of me being a criminal has spread but I hoped it doesn't look like it has reached this place. But it will be a matter of time before it does and before that happens, I'll be gone from this place. And for some reason, the Queen hasn't disclosed what treasure has been stolen. 

A lot of questions emerged in my mind but I shook them all off. I have to focus on what's happening now and I will worry about others next. 

So I looked at Kiera and said, "Eleanor Robynn," I looked at Lance who was raising a brow. "That's my name." 

* * *