THE 7TH ACCOUNT: THE WHITE ROSE GRAVE 2

We have to be discreet and careful as much as possible as we enter Beckforth's territory. To be safe, Labyrinth was anchored near the hidden shores of Hibu, a fishing village that was very close to Beckforth's territory. After we were sure that Labyrinth was disguised as a merchant ship, we rendezvoused with a group of fishermen that Neville trusted. From that, we went with our separate groups and sailed to Beckforth in fishing boats.

Each fishing boat will dock at different ports and from there we will travel by foot or by wagon or by any transportation possible to meet at Angelique's grave. We went in pairs or groups of three. Usually, they would go in groups of three and Jacob goes by himself. This time, Jacob will accompany me. Before we sailed away, Jacob made sure that I was armed just in case something happens.

"Everything will be just fine," he assured me as he fixed the hood of my cloak.

I nodded. I felt nervous. Not sure whether it was because we were entering Beckforth or because I will be alone with Jacob the whole time until we reach the grave.

"How long do you think it will take before we get there?" I asked.

"We will be there tomorrow if everything goes smoothly," Jacob answered and smiled at me. I widened my eyes that made him laugh. "Don't worry, Darling. I am a gentleman," he added.

"I did not say anything," I said and rolled my eyes.

"Yes, but your face says it all."

We sailed the whole morning. From time to time, Jacob would help the fishermen with their nets and sails. But through it all, I was never out of his sight. Even if I move away or help out someone, Jacob always finds me.

It was already dusk when we reached Igari's port. After securing us a waggon for travel, Jacob led me to one of the taverns in the place to have dinner.

"Keep your hood on," he said.

I nodded and followed him inside. The smell of broiled chicken meat wafted through the air as we opened the door. That was when I realized I was hungry. Jacob chose a table to the corner where not many eyes can see. He made me sit on the inner chair and then sat beside me.

"Keep your hood on," he repeated again. "We need to avoid getting into a fight as much as we can," he added and looked around. I followed his gaze and noticed most men were becoming drunk and were getting louder every minute.

"What's the connection between my hood and fights?" I asked. It did not make sense to me.

Jacob ordered our food first before he faced me and answered my question. "A beautiful woman in the midst of drunk men," he replied. "... and I would fight for you if push comes to shove."

My face turned red again. Good thing it was hidden by my hood. After our order came, we ate in silence. We would have some casual conversations about the food and what we would do after but we minded our own business. As we ate, we made sure we were alert of our surroundings. We managed to finish eating in no time without getting into any arguments and fights with anybody else. After Jacob paid the bill, we left immediately.

When we were a mile away from the tavern and any prying eyes, I let out a sigh of relief. I was seated beside Jacob while he was driving the waggon pulled by the horses so he heard me right away.

"What was that for?" Jacob asked and looked at me.

"My nerves are getting the best of me," I admitted. "I'm just glad we were out of other people's sight."

"I didn't know you wanted to be alone with me that bad," he responded and then smirked after.

I chuckled mockingly and rolled my eyes. He's back to his usual self, "That is not what I meant," I retorted.

"Why do you always contradict me, Darling?" Jacob asked.

"I do not," I countered right away.

Jacob laughed, "You just did."

"But not always," I reasoned.

Jacob looked at me unconvinced. "Really? When?"

"This. Right now. I came to Beckforth because of your request. I did not deny you this time," I said.

"Thank you," he replied then handed me the reins. "Here pull this," he said.

"What? I do not know how," I objected.

Jacob did not listen to my plea. He took my hands and put the reins in. "It's easy. It's good for you to learn this. So you're prepared the next time we're being chased," he said and smirked. "Now, is the best time to learn."

I sighed and complied. I could feel the horses tug the reins and at first it scared me. Jacob's hands did not leave mine until I got used to handling it and on how the horses moved. When he let go, he continued to direct me until I was able to speed up a bit. Soon after that, I was speeding like I was driving my whole life. It was easier than how I previously imagined it to be.

Jacob laughed. "You're a natural," he said.

"Oh you should see me on a horse. I always race Father," I replied almost pompously.

He smiled, "See? It helped. It took care of your nerves."

I looked at him in awe. So that was the reason he taught me to drive. To distract me from getting nervous. I had to smile back. That was really sweet of him.

When we reached a clearing, he took the reins from me and pulled the horses to stop under a tree. I looked at him confused.

"The horses need a rest. So do we. We should sleep for a bit before we continue," he said and went in the waggon.

I froze for a moment trying to comprehend what was going on. Did he mean we sleep in the waggon together? Jacob laughed after watching me. My face might have been too transparent with my concerns.

"Darling, I do not bite," he said.

I squinted my eyes while looking at him. I am not convinced. I saw him bite Namibel when they were kissing in her dwelling place.

Jacob laughed again. He must have read my mind because he replied with "Alright, I take it back. I won't bite YOU."

I narrowed my eyes even more. Jacob shook his head, "Man's honor! I won't compromise you…" I sighed in relief. Then he added nonchalantly, "If I do, I'll marry you!"

I gawked at him. "YOU WOULDN'T DARE!"

Jacob continued laughing at my reactions. "Of course I won't. So get in the waggon. It will be colder later."

It took all of my courage to step in the waggon with Jacob. I sat by a corner furthest to him and covered myself with a thick blanket right away. Then, I eyed him again warningly.

Jacob raised both of his hands. "I won't do anything… PROMISE… and you won't let me anyway," he said then he laid down. He put his arm on his forehead and closed his eyes.

I watched him for a while. He did not move. I relaxed and changed my position in a more comfortable one. When I was getting ready to close my eyes, Jacob spoke, "So when are you planning to tell me about you, Darling?" The sound of his voice was as sincere and curious as it could be.

I closed my eyes. I do not know how to respond to that so I just said, "I'll give it a thought if you tell me about yours."

"Touche…" he replied. "So what do you want to know?" he asked.

"You… Paco… Angelique," I answered.

Jacob changed his position so he could face me even if we were far apart. "Paco was a Father to me. As far as I could remember, he had already been there for Stella and me. He lived in Canupeer before but moved to Fildas after he got married."

"What happened to your real father?"

He shook his head, "I do not remember. I couldn't remember him or my mother. I couldn't remember any memories of my childhood before my seventh year. I would ask Stella but she wouldn't tell me. She said she forgot as well. So it had been Paco ever since," he said.

"I see…"

"So when I sent him a letter about my military training in Fildas, Paco told me to stay with them. You see, he lost his wife when Angelique was only seven. Angelique became like a little sister to me. I had always been protective of her. She was only ten when I met her," Jacob smiled upon remembering.

I smiled in response. "You must've adored her."

Jacob nodded. "She's very good with her hands. She's excellent with house work. She's a green thumb, too. Her favorite was her white rose bushes. Paco and I even agreed that we would give her suitor the hardest possible time when she comes of age. She's actually a better sister to me than Stella," he said then chuckled. "Don't tell her that."

I chuckled in response. "So what happened to her? How did she die?"

Jacob clenched his jaw and sighed. Then, he told me the story.