Anastasia & Wystan & Zarai
The aching from her midsection had faded into numbness by the time Anastasia found her. The air felt light and her head spun pleasantly as she turned her head to face the person she had been searching for the past half hour.
âMi princesita!â Zarai called back, quickly shifting the direction of her steps and began her way to Anastasia, a toothy grin on her face.
âI could not bear to be out in the battlefields without you!â Behind her, Sir Barrios tried to follow the ladyâs unexpected quick movement but the steel wheel caught on the dirt.
âYour faces bring such joy to me and fill my heart with hope!â She brought her hands up to her chest, her movements exaggerated enough to rival a theater drama. A few of the bystanders shot her looks but she seemed completely unbothered by them.
Anastasia gasped vehemently and ran toward Zarai as she had been approaching,
âMy little love! My sweet blossom! My angel!â She leaned down to put her arms around her and give her a careful hug.
âWell your face lights up the dark, dreary world with color and raaadiance!â Her voice took on a theatrical tone as she rubbed her cheek against the shorter girlâs soft strawberry blonde hair. She made sure to give the girl a long enough hug to make sure she knew she was missed. She broke it off and touched her shoulders at an arm's length.
âLady Zarai.â Wystan greeted her with a light bow.
âWystan.â Zarai greeted with a smile and finger guns.
âSooo⌠We donât have much time to stand around here⌠â She began.
âTo sum it up, I heard gunshots coming from the south down by the Calby house. We are gonna go check it out but donât worry. â She gave her a wink,
âI will keep you safe, Rai-rai.â Before Zarai could probably process the last few statements, Anastasia gasped and spoke again,
âBut before we do anything⌠I gotta know: Which of my brothers are you marrying? Auguste or Callum?â During the course of their exceedingly bright introductions, Wystan trailed alongside the princess and simply kept to himself. Other than a slight raise of the brow at Anaâs vow to keep Zarai safe, he did not attempt to interject into their conversation too much, even if the last question did perplex him quite a bit in regards to the second prince.
There was too much to process as Anastasia explained their current situation. Zarai quickly glanced at Sir Barrios, still struggling with the wheelchair. If Wystan and Anastasia were there with her, heâd be a bit laxer. However, the princessâs question threw her off. She blinked, unsure how to really answer her question and it looked like Anastasia wasnât the only one waiting for an answer. However, she didnât fully trust herself right now to respond truthfully.
âIâd rather marry you,â Zarai finally answered,
âHow could I marry them when you are standing here?!â Like the princess, Zarai gave her little time to fully answer.
âIâll go with you and Sir Barrios too.â She wouldnât mind walking, and if she grew tired, there was always the chair.
âAdventure awaits!âAnastasia initially looked a little surprised by her words, but she figured perhaps Zarai had been platonically affectionate as the conversation carried on in a manner that suggested so. She smiled and took a moment to turn to her guards as they too had joined them.
âWeâre all going to go south to make sure nobody is bleeding out on the beach. Can one of you please let the man with the big hat and pretty face over there that I have an urgent matter to attend to but I would love to hang out with him and his family later on? â The female guard nodded and turned around. She quickly ran over to Farim to let him know before returning back.
Wystan internally took note of this character. It was important to remember faces that the princess deemed herself familiar with, after all.
She turned her attention back to Zarai as they all began walking. After a thoughtful pause, she commented softly to Zarai,
âThe idea of eloping with you and running away from it all is fun to think about. We could take on new identities. Two cute girls with mysterious pasts on the run....â Anastasia grinned as she raised her head and proclaimed,
âI call being the sexy pirate captain with a dark past.âThe watchdog narrowed his eyes at this concept, unable to tell if it was a joke or not.
âIf you were to be on the run, then I would have to be as well.â Even though he said this, he himself was not sure how he would fare on the open seas.
A huge grin formed on Anastasiaâs face and her eyes glazed over.
âIâll be your first mate-wife obsessed with shiny things!â Zarai spread her fingers in the air with a toothy grin, arms stretched over her head like she hadnât been on the infirmary bed that morning.
"And I would quit this job." Sir Barrios retorted behind them, completely bewildered by the princessâs willingness to go along with Zaraiâs nonsense. No princess should marry a lady, especially not one such as Zarai. Besides, Sir Barrios was afraid of open waters and what might lurk in the depths of them. The thought of it alone sent a shudder down his spine.
âNonsense, Sir Barrios. You and Wystan would be our trusty crew as we sail across the world. Defeating other pirates and exploring islands for buried treasure.â Zaraiâs smile only widened when she saw the defeated look on the knightâs face. If the summer didnât work out and she didnât find a tolerable husband, she might just become a pirate. Captain Zarai, no, Captain Luz! She could drag Fritz and Udo along, too, take them far away from this continent, away from their problems, away from anything that might harm them. Her smile began to dwindle as their faces flashed through her mind. She had to force them back out.
âPerhaps there are pirates on the beach.â Zarai tapped her index finger against her chin.
âWhat do you think might have happened?â She turned to Anastasia and Wystan.
Anastasia had been daydreaming for a moment about the idea of Wystan, Zarai and Ser Barrios in pirate costumes. She smiled pleasantly as if she had seen something beautiful before being called back to Eromora by Zaraiâs direct question.
âHuh. Oh. I dunno! Very unusual for there to be trouble in that area.â They were crossing the road over to the residential area. The distant sound of waves from the beach could be heard. It had initially seemed tranquil, but as they approached, they noticed more guards, known as Edin Enforcers (EE), patrolling the area. She tilted her head with curiosity as she watched one of the men start to look through a bush. As they got closer, they would notice a few more of the EE walking around the perimeter of the Vikena Estate. She paused her walking to continue taking in the scene.
Finally, she noticed Count Calbert outside speaking with a few men. He was very expressive with his arm movements and he seemed to have a permanent angry expression on his face.
âThereâs olâ CalbyâŚ. He doesnât look too happy⌠But the good news is, I donât see any dead bodies.â She folded her arms thoughtfully.
âStill think maybe we should ask whatâs going on.ââPlease allow me, Princess.â The watchdog took initiative and stepped in front of the princess and Lady Zarai. Perhaps he was on his heels, but the situation was increasingly becoming more concerning with every development. On top of this, Wystan found the man suspicious but could never quite understand why; needless to say, such an individual was one that he would have to keep an eye on.
âOkay. Itâs just Calby though.â Anastasia had said in reply then followed on his heels.
Wystan led them to the group of guards being yelled at.
âRemember, we are only going to inquire about the situationâ not meddle in it.â The tone he spoke in would let Ana and Zarai know that he was not leaving any room for jokes.
âBut what if they need help? Shouldnât we meddle then?ââI will be in charge of that along with Sir Barrios.â The watchdog stated simply.
âYou and Lady Zarai have to be kept safeâ please donât do anything you are not trained to do.ââLooks like they have yet to catch the ones who fired the gun,â Zarai ignored Wystanâs warning as they approached the group, to which the bodyguard narrowed his eyes but said nothing about. Despite the heaviness of her eyes, they wandered around the bushes and around the building. People had begun to gather around trying to catch a glimpse of what had happened as well but were not willing to much closer afraid that the perpetrator would emerge again.
âGhost pirates.â She arched her eyebrows at Anastasia.
Anastasia nodded fervently to Zarai.
âDefinitely ghost pirates.âIt did not take long for Count Calbert to notice the three coming toward him. His brows lifted and he tilted his body to face them. The guards followed his line of sight then bent down on a knee seeing the princess. Some of the aggravation melted from his countenance, but not all.
âPrincess Anastasia, Lady Zarai Lesdeman andâŚSir Wystan Blackmane.â He began to greet them, his eyes falling on Wystan. It had taken him an extra second, but he had taken some care to remember his name. The man had frequented Prince Augusteâs side enough to deem himself worth remembering.
âCount Damien.â Wystan tipped his head in respect to the man, then towards the guards.
âYes... I do hope youâre here to help⌠Though Iâm concerned to have you all in the area right nowâŚâ He let out a frustrated sigh.
âI am in quite the crisis though.â âSuch is understandable. â The watchdog affirmed the Count with a solitary nod, browsing the perimeter himself before speaking.
âThe Princess herself and a number of folk nearby have heard a commotion involving gunshots. Perhaps do you mind specifying the crisis?âZarai studied, or try to, the way Count Calbert acted. He was angry, rightfully so, what kind of person would do this to a manâs home? An enemy of his? The count looked like he would have a few here and there. A break in? No, it was the middle of the day, no one smart would do that. The more Zarai thought about who could have done this the heavier her eyelids became.
âI must offer the help of my knight; Sir Barrios is at your disposal if a need for him arises, Your Excellencyâ She greeted the older man with a slight bow, blinking away the drowsiness.
â"Thank you, Lady Zarai, for your concern," Calbert said,
âBut as a guest in our kingdom and one who is injured, I must insist that Ser Barrios take care of you first.âZarai made a face at him when he looked away from him, and quickly replaced it when Sir Barrios shot her a look.
Then he looked at Wystan. After a heavy sigh, he began to elaborate,
âA man by the name of Kazumin Nagasa was invited over to my house for a discussion. My daughter had accused him of stalking her and that had been my initial reason. â His irritation was leaking slowly into his tone. He did not harbor his usual restraint.
âMy next reason would be that he was seen with an alleged murderer, the one whose face was in the paper this morning. Kazumin was apathetic towards my grievances and even found them to be humorousâŚ. The same woman then attacked me and my home with deadly weapons during our meeting and the two of them ran away from the guards, practically vanishing from thin air!â His aggravation became more and more palpable with each and every word
Calbert pinched his nose with stress. Wystan on the other hand was deep in though. He took his time to listen intently and scour the many shelves of information he had stored in mind for the princesâ use. Though his expression was vague, he had plenty of thoughts regarding the supposed perpetratorâ especially after seeing a fresh copy on Augusteâs table that morning.
Anastasiaâs mouth had been covered for the majority of Calberts explanation. She had been attempting not to interrupt. As soon as he had finished talking, she freed her lips and blurred out,
âKazoo!?â The countâs gaze fell on her. So did the watchdogâs. Zarai simply blinked in mild confusion.
âI danced with him last night. I remember Crystal ran away from him upset and he had seemed really sad that he had hurt her feelings. To be honest, I think itâs a misunderstanding ! Kazuminâs super nice.âZarai was about to jump in and inform Calbert that Anastasia was right. She met Kazumin last night as well, and he had seem quite sympathetic to her own grievances while on the roof. Not at all to what he was saying right now. But the count dismissed the princessâs words quickly.
Calbert felt that the princessâs words were useless, given her reputation,
â With all due respect, your highness, you did just meet him last nightâŚIt takes more time than that to have a solid judgement of someoneâs character.â âExactly. So you donât know him well enough either to know heâs a bad one.â Anastasia retorted.
A look of exasperation crossed his face.
â Princess. He was amused at someoneâs murderâŚDo you doubt me?âAnastasia tapped her chin then bluntly answered,
âYes!â Zarai stood next to her, nodding in agreement to show her support.
It was then that the watchdog cleared his throat and adjusted his collar while giving the princess an unassuming look. After spending long enough together in the same household, however, she would know that it was his signal, telling her to reign it in.
Anastasia caught his look and involuntarily bit her upper lip to prevent herself from pouting. Her eyebrows did furrow slightly. Surprisingly enough perhaps, she did shut up, to which the bodyguard nodded satisfactorily and internally breathed a sigh of relief.
âWe understand your distress, Count Damien. Especially the concerns regarding both your daughters, itâs only reasonable for you to be worried.â It was the watchdogâs job to acquire information where possible. After all, given the situation, it was definitely going to be hard to convince the man of anything, especially after the two supposed perpetrators had up and gone without much of a word. Either way, it was not his issue to handle unless ordered to do so.
âWas anyone in your household injured during the commotion? Property damage?âCount Damien appeared unfazed by Wystan's attempt to calm him, his posture relaxing only slightly.
"No one was hurt, thankfully, but there was significant property damage. She shot arrows that broke my glass windows as well as an exorbitant chandeleir." He crossed his arms over his chest and drummed his fingers thoughtfully, his expression revealing his clear dissatisfaction with the situation. Then, with sudden intensity, he turned to Zarai.
"Pray tell, Lady Zarai, why were you nodding in agreement with Her Royal Highness? Have you also had dealings with that scoundrel, Kazumin?"Almost immediately, Wystan shot Zarai a steely glare. âWatch your mouthâ, it said.
Zarai brushed her hair behind her shoulder as a response to the watchdogâs glare,
âNot dealings, per say, he did make me drop all of my lovely grapes yesterday at the ball.â She paused, tapping her pointer finger on her cheek as if in deep thought. In reality she was trying to come up with someone to say that wouldnât get her in trouble with the count, and her mother. Or get on the Damienâs bad side.
Anastasia gasped in disbelief in the background. She muttered to herself,
â Just when you think you know somebody⌠Who are you KazooâŚâ âI was simply agreeing to the princessâs statement of not knowing him.â Her eyes felt heavy now, but she still continued, staring at the spot between his eyebrows.
âStill, it does not excuse his behavior and potential involvement with a criminal, that woman tore through your lovely home! She not only caused damage to your property, but potential trauma to your household.â Her words were genuine, for the most part. Zarai shot Wystan a look, âBitch, I got itâ, it said. He simply rolled his eyes in return.
Anastasia, inspired by Zaraiâs words, raised her fist in the air and proclaimed,
âJustice for Calbert!â She then opened up her hand to offer Zarai a high-five,
âThatâs my girl! Nailed it!âZarai laughed, returning the high-five with a toothy grin.
Calbert glanced at the princess with a raised brow. She sensed his gaze and momentarily forgot Wystanâs command.
âHave you considered ghost pirates? There is a ship by the docks down the beach. Itâs totally spooky too-â âThank you for your honesty and sympathy, Lady Zarai. It clears he has a trend of unappreciated behavior.â Calbert quickly cut her off, redirecting his attention to Zarai. Subsequently, he then addressed Wystan,
âBlackmane. I sincerely hope you let the Princes know about those two hooligans. I also implore you to keep the princess away from that Kazumin Nagasa as he seems to be a dangerous man.ââDuly noted.â The bodyguard nodded assuredly.
âThe Princes will hear of this at once. And as usual, the Princess will be kept safe.â His eyes darted to Ana before looking back at the Count.
âThough I must ask for prosperityâs sake⌠Given the situation as it is, what are your plans in dealing with this matter?â âI am going to report everything high up as well to make sure that the attention is kept on this⌠Gods forbid they hurt anyone else.â Calbert answered Wystan.
Zarai remained close to Anastasia, leaning in to whisper,
âCan we get something to eat after this? I am craving something sweet.â A tint of rent had begun to cover her corner of her eyes.
âOr should we ask the Count? Doesnât look like his kitchen was affected by the attack.â She hummed, rocking on her heels now unable to stand still.
âNo it would be rude.â She gave no time for the princess to answer her.
âOf course!âAnastasia exclaimed, not bothering to whisper. She smiled at her and took her hands,
â I know a great place for breakfast food and also know an amazing bakery. Whatâs more your speed, Rairai?â âGods, I could go for some amazing baked good right about now.â Zarai grinned, swinging their hands between them.
âSe me antogo una concha y un cafesito.âA man with slicked back hair and a large mustache could be seen at that moment approaching from the south. He calmly walked over from the front of the house and stood before them.
âSir, Baron Asteroth has returned and wishes to speak with you.â âThank you HenryâŚâ Calbert then tilted his body to address the three with a humble bow.
âThank you all for listening. I appreciate your assistance. Take care of yourselves please..â With that, he followed Henry back towards the front of his estate.
Anastasia watched the two men leave, the sound of the waves crashing once again filling the silence. After a moment, she continued the previous discussion,
âSoo⌠Everyoneâs hungry right?â
Member
Experiment 249
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