Sustaining The King's Life 97 The Unveiling Of The Enemy Part 3

Faustina eyed Orwell, almost frowning. What is he trying to say?

"Is it that important, that even you, cannot tell your Brother?"

Faustina sighed. "This is what happened…"

Flashback . . .

"A necklace?"

"Yes." The duke answered, and then he turned to the window once more, peering from outside. The bright afternoon light made his silhouette darker, as Faustina's gaze fixated on his tall stature. On Faustina's hand was the necklace, from the pendant's back was a carved snowflake, few dents evident from it.

"To someone named Owen?"

"Owen Lopez." Duke Feuerlon says, his emerald eyes compelling and deeply lost in thought. "Bring it to him. And if he does not want it, you must force it to him, if necessary."

"Can I tell Lucas?" Faustina asks.

"No." The duke answers. "You must give that back to Owen alone. I don't want Lucas to see that."

"Why?"

"Because that necklace mattered to me more than my children." He says grimly. "It was a time I long wanted to forget. I want that off my sight, now that I see Adalia's sheer happiness."

Faustina remained silent.

"Even if it isn't permanent, Faustina. I can see my wife being genuinely happy now. I want everything about… the owner of that necklace… gone."

**

"I was tasked to deliver a necklace to Owen Lopez," Faustina says. "He wanted to get rid of everything that reminded him of… that person."

Owen clenched his fist and winced in disgust and anguish. How could he not? The duke was clearly a hypocrite. He did not speak, but how his jaw clenched showed his anger.

"But I don't understand… why did he have you, my sick sister, run the errand instead of me?"

Faustina sighed.

"Because he thought you aren't fit to the task, Brother," Faustina answered, which startled Lucas.

"But it's dangerous for you, Faustina!"

"I was given this task because unlike you, I did not meet Rose when I was a child. I was in mother's care and hidden because I was sick. You, and Brother Bethrion, are both holding anger towards that woman. Father knew that. I was the one who was neutral and Father wanted to entrust me with a task he thinks I can handle. It is just that things turned bad and Father did not expect that. Neither did I."

Silence.

Orwell smirked.

"I see," Orwell exclaims. "I guess your sister holds a point, Lucas. Duke Feuerlon has innumerable decisions we fail to understand, but I believe he does this for the greater good."

Faustina smiled.

"But how did you end up in a sewer with Ezekiel Johann Unsterblich?" Orwell asks. "That part is what I do not understand."

"What do you mean 'that part'?! I don't understand WHY and HOW my sister's attacked, even!"

Faustina sighed.

"I went to the sewers because I believe it was the meeting place. It just happened that we encountered a marionette who wanted to take me. I don't know why."

Orwell nodded, and then shifted his attention to Ezekiel.

"How about you? I don't understand one bit how you got tangled up with all of these." Orwell asks.

"I met Faustina at the Chateau. We met again outside and we danced." He says. "She was in a hurry, so she dropped her shoe. I followed her so I could return it."

"W-w-wwait!" Lucas stutters. "YOU DANCED WITH MY SISTER?!"

"Tone down, Hothead," Orwell says. "You followed her to the sewers, in short? Did you see what happened?"

"I didn't. I was behind. I reached her side when she was escaping the marionette. I believe they were waiting to ambush it, which would be futile, so I stepped in."

Ezekiel told them the story from that point he was there and how he broke into the infernal s.p.a.ce and inform Lucas and Orwell about the situation. Owen told them the supporting details until all the pieces have been brought together.

"In short, we were all attacked," Orwell says. "This can be the Forsaken's doing. Francois escaped when we were defending ourselves from the Shades."

"Speaking of Francois, where is he now?"

"I already sent a fire letter to the Court about what happened, and the castle was informed as well. The officials are in a manhunt right now. A bounty was placed on him already. I think it won't be a matter of time until he's caught." Orwell explains.

"If Francois is the enemy, how is the Feuer Manor, which is his possession, be safe?" Owen asks. "Y'all are staying there, right?"

"Good question. The officials may be searching for him there now." Answers Orwell.

"But y'all weren't worried about being stabbed in your sleep?"

"He isn't a reckless killer. I cast magic in the whole suite, I'll know if he enters the premises." Orwell says. "I had it under control. Also, we were leaving the capital today. We weren't staying longer after this incident."

"W-we're leaving?" Faustina asks.

"Yes, Faustina." Orwell adjusted his gla.s.ses. "Don't worry. I completed the task you wanted to do."

Faustina blinked, and then her expression slowly eased.

"Is that so?"

Silence.

"I believe Ezekiel and I need to complete our duties," Lucas said after a brief pause. "It's what I came for here in the capital, after all."

Orwell nodded. "Faustina and I are also talking about… certain things. Teacher-student things."

Owen coughed. "R-right. I also have informant business to attend to. Y-yeah. So…"

"Let's call it a day?" Lucas exclaims. "We all have our own task at hand. Orwell…"

"I'll take care of Faustina." Orwell smiles. "Owen, we must be going. Thank you for providing the place for the talk,"

"No probs." Owen answers. "But I have to ask a favor."

"What is it?"

"Can the kid stay here for a while? I have to ask her about some things."

Orwell eyed Faustina.

"It's okay." Faustina answers.

Orwell nodded, and then although hesitant, Lucas and the others exited the office.

"Kid… y'know, you didn't tell them everythin'."

Faustina remained silent.

"I ain't pryin' but why didn't ye tell them about the essence? About how ye defeated the marionette? You didn't tell them what ye did."

"They didn't ask."

"They didn't know it was defeated." Says Faustina. "And we didn't know if I really defeated it."

"What do you mean?"

"Daybreak," Faustina says. "Marionettes cannot survive sunlight."

Owen sighs.

"I know what I saw, kid."

"Okay."

Owen wanted to ask more, but it wasn't his business anymore. He knew she was building her walls. He knew the child was not going to give him answers, even if he asked.

"About the necklace…" Owen says. "I want ye to keep it."

Faustina blinked. "My father wanted you to have it, whatever it takes."

"It's not like I'm not takin' it. Just think about it like this. I'm givin' it to ye. The picture in the locket, that, I'll take. But the necklace is yours. I want ye to replace the empty locket with a picture of someone important to ye." Owen says. "That's all I want, kid. I won't speak about what ye did, in exchange for you agreeing to my terms."

Faustina opened the locket and handed the picture to Owen.

"Deal."

**

When Owen exited the office, Orwell entered holding his staff. He chanted a mantra; a spell to cast a barrier upon the entirety of the office to enclose it. It was done so that no one could spy on them from the outside.

Orwell smiled.

"I'm impressed." He says. "You're growing to be deceptive, Faustina."

Faustina clenched her fist around the dress she was wearing.

"I had to," she says, closing her eyes. "I didn't want to deceive Brother Lucas…"

"He's a real, honest guy." Orwell smiled sadly and then sat beside Faustina. He placed his hand atop hers, "I didn't want to deceive everyone too, Faustina."

Faustina's eyes opened and then she raised her head to meet Orwell's gaze. Through his spectacles, she saw how pained he was.

"Orwell… about the business you completed…" Faustina mumbles, "is it about Nebel?"

"It is."

Faustina gulped. "What did you find out?"

Orwell sighed.

"I ordered Abe to be the one to do it. I had a friend who searched the Archives for Nebel, but it was just a piece of general information. It's a village on the First King's time, but it doesn't state if it still exists to this day. That's when I ordered Abe to search in the Hidden Archives, located underneath the Capital's Archive. The Hidden Archives comprise of records that cannot be seen by the general public, and neither I nor my friend had access to it." Orwell explains. "So I had Abe to check it out. He didn't have access as well, but he's a High Knight, and he's an a.s.sa.s.sin. He could hide his presence. He's the best person to sneak to a concealed domicile."

"Wh-what did he find out?"

"Well, Abe's not reliable." Orwell sighed. "He didn't arrive in time."

"What do you mean?"

"There was someone who arrived at the Hidden Archives way before he did," Orwell explains. "The Diener des Lichts."

"Sheila…!"

"Apparently," Orwell smirked. "There is something the Priestess wants to hide from us."