Chronicles of the Accursed One: Fatal Ties

~Angelus~

Something tinges at the back of mind. A wild brush of dead leaves being withered away and sending signals in the deepest depths of my mind that I have yet to understand or decipher. Just questions arose here and there of the previous night. Why did Agnius kill the queen? What is it that he could have been after for certain? Why was the princess involved in this? The only thing I can conclude of all this mayhem is that some great conspiracy could be unfolding as I ponder these thoughts, walking throughout the living quarters aimlessly.

I have yet to spot Princess Calena, which is rare in and of itself due the fact that normally she would find me almost instantaneously everyday as if it were some sixth sense. I could be out urinating and she would pop up from the very bush I was ready to go on and it wouldn’t surprise me. An unpleasant thought, I’m sure, but one that has been pondered.

Nowadays, considering the adventures of her life had begun to wither away due to the suitors’ arrival soon enough, I find myself thinking a lot more than I should. A few things stuck to mind from what Agnius said. Things such as how beautiful she was and how important she was to his master. I need to find out who this master is, but why is it that him saying she was beautiful in that lustful way gave me not only a sickening feeling but something else? I’m not sure what to make of it even if I tried for days to try to understand it.

I turn the corner and find myself within the gates of the living quarters facing into the courtyard between the living quarters and the castle. I can tell that the castle is going to be used more often. When guests arrive, it is only respectful for the king and his guests to sleep within the castle itself. A tradition I have yet to understand, but tradition nonetheless.

There, just a few paces from the castle, stood Princess Calena. I lean against the wall and admire the scene before me. She sits beside her newest servant Eunji, an easterner whose family moved here and killed leaving her homeless. She is a rather shy young girl, but I couldn’t blame her. At least she was treated fairly and is now under the protection of my lady. The princesses smile gladdened my heart when she took a small handful of Eunji’s hair and began braiding it.

I begin to walk up to them when suddenly a flashback of the previous night came to me. The sword that Agnius used stuck out the most from this split second vision and now began to eat away at my curiosity. I would love to further study the origins of this sword, but I buried it with Agnius deep within the forest where no one can find it. It would be a hassle just to go all the way back there for the sword. I guess I will have to ask my ladies permission for quill and parchment as well as permission to enter the library.

Without much thought put into it, my legs began to move on their own and by the time I had realized it, I was already within feet of the giggling pair. I lowered my head in respect, asking, “My lady, is it alright that I have quill and parchment?”

I look up at her, waiting for a response when instead I see a reaction. One that I could not quite understand why it was happening. Her face turned bright red and she had the most surprised look on her face I felt I could burst in laughter, but I held my composure. “Uh-uh….uhmm…. Yes you may?” Where did this reaction come from? What is the reason for her acting so?

“Is there something the matter, my lady?” I get down to one knee to see her face at a better angle, but she turned her face to avoid looking at mine. “Have I done something wrong, Princess?”

“N-n-no! No, of course not! You never do anything wrong! It’s just…I’m not having a very beautiful day is all! Yeah!” She chuckled weakly as if she knew her excuse was indeed very weak like her laughter. Of course, I had to let it pass. If she does not wish to tell me her reasoning behind all of this then she does not have to by any means. It is entirely her choice. Still…curiosity kills me and I will have to just die inside for now.

“Ok. Then is it alright to have permission to enter the library?”

Before she even answered, she got up, pulled me up, turned me around and began pushing me towards the doorway leading directly to the library saying, “Yes yes yes! Just go already! Please!”

I turned around, a tad appalled by this, and notice something. Once she stopped pushing me along, I faced her and asked, “My lady…are you blushing?”

She looked at me as if she had been caught doing something embarrassing, her face as bright red as it could muster. She turned away and ran towards the castle silently. Eunji followed after her, taking a second to look back at me in concern then rushing forward once more. Have I done something wrong? I wonder if I can mend the situation so easily. It’s times like these that I feel more like a normal friend than a servant when I have to make the decision to just leave her be and give her space. Then again even servants have to do that but for this…it feels different.

I can not keep dwelling on it though. I have a much more important mission to attend to. With that said, I make my way into the library. The library is located to the east of the courtyard, connecting both the living quarters and the castle giving both buildings access to it. As I walk in, I can feel the years of extensive research and development begin to hit me. I spend a lot of time here. I learn as much as I can. Somewhat unbecoming of a servant to have more knowledge than their masters, but I couldn’t care less. A bit of my rebellious side remained within me from the days when I was harassed, but for a greater good. My continuous search for knowledge has kept the princess from harm. I learned many herbal remedies from Miriam and furthered them with my own studies by learning of some roses and lilies possessing natural healing powers within teas.

I shake my head to return to reality and make my way into the furthest reaches of library where a cellar door lay beneath a red suede carpet stained by wine, dirt and candle wax. I removed the carpet and made my way down into the dark depths of the forbidden archives; a dark and damp place holding many mysteries in foreign tongues and historical tomes that told of many a times when the land was filled with conspiracy and treachery.