Chapter 6 Elizabeth and Lysia: Unease

"You know each other?" Elizabeth asked in bewilderment.

"Yes... of course, Grace gets along with my brother very well."

"Not well at all…" Grace interrupted with a straight face.

"Ah, But I remember back then you've always gotten along…" Elliadria asked skeptically, "Why would I always see you with each other?"

Elizabeth shifted her gaze between them, Grace was silent.

Lysia chuckled from the side, before saying, "They had something more than friendship, they were trying to kill each other. If the stories are to be believed… Although I'll admit, I've only managed to pry some tales from Sophia, Grace would never tell me her past. It is sad that Elizabeth and I had gotten to know them much later, I'd also only met you briefly before your brother left for war."

"This way ladies," Lysia added as she began on a trail further into the Lavdrianna forest.

The air was heavy with the scent of pine and earth, and the soft bed of leaves crunched beneath their feet. The dappled sunlight filtering through the trees played tricks on their eyes, casting shadows that seemed to move as they walked.

Elizabeth caught sight of insects and creatures scurrying in the trees, on the dead logs and brushes along their path. Thankfully she'd been through enough of Lysia's Hunts that she had long lost her fear of insects

"I am glad to meet you again, Elliadria," Lysia says.

"I am glad as well… that said, I had gotten the impression that since they are always together that they were close… Perhaps I was too young at the time, I've probably remembered wrong…"

"Yes, you have forgotten," Grace said.

"Dear Grace, needs to be teased… Say Elizabeth, have you seen the letter I sent you?" Lysia asked.

"I have." Elizabeth smiled.

"Isn't it wonderful that the war hero is Mikah, Grace's long-time crush?"

"Yes it is indeed wonderful, what a wonderful coincidence it is that Grace is holy in love with the war hero Mikah, her childhood crush" Elizabeth could not help teasing her further, even despite the many thoughts running through her.

"Gosh! I can't, not you too Elizabeth..." Grace blushed. She fumbled with her hands awkwardly.

"Oh please… everyone knows already." Lysia grinned brightly as she spoke.

All this was too strange… Too strange.

At first she had thought that the archduke was the War Hero. When she'd gotten news Mikah was the War Hero she had automatically assumed… Mikah, who is the War Hero, is the Archduke.

She was wrong, Grace seems to know Elliadria's brother the archduke and hates him deeply…

She could hear herself swallow, as she gazed upon her friends.

Too strange…

Why did the archduke receive all that land if he weren't the war hero? It was about the size of their empire, he could very well establish his own empire…

Lost in her thoughts she could hardly hear the rest of their conversation, before long the trail ended upon an expansive clearing with several log cottages built around the forest edges. Several fires were started and the horses were tethered to stables on the side. Targets and bows were placed along another end.

"Will Emma be here as well?" Grace asked.

"She will, she can't shirk us forever, especially since this is my event!"

"Ah, I'd forgotten, I've asked my brother to come as well." Elliadria chimed, "it will bother you right, Grace? I did not realize your relationship with my brother was so bad, and I'm sorry Lysia for the late notice."

"I'll say it is fine. I want to see Grace's face when he walks by." Lysia said while giggling.

"Do not start again, Lysia. It is fine, Elliadria. That was ten years ago."

Elliadria smiled in response to her words.

"This is quite a segregation…" Lysia noticed.

The men were gathering at a log cottage east of the clearing, while the ladies seemed to steer towards the western side.

"Ah, Miss Vissaye, the men are planning to head deeper into the Lavdrianna forest."

Miss Mornoon approached to tell her.

Lysia's face turned serious. "That is a very serious matter, do the men know that there are beasts and monsters further in?"

Miss Mornoon, stumbles over her words to speak, "I-i believe they do. Perhaps you may want to speak to the man in charge of their excursion."

"There is a man in charge now? Heh!" Lysia laughed at the absurdity. "So they not respect that this is my father's land that they are on?"

"He is of very high standing amongst the men, that they naturally gather around him" Miss Mornoon blushed.

"Ladies, I must speak to this boor." She spoke with a scowl as she stormed off towards the gathering of men.

As she approached the gathering, many saw her and allowed her passage.

Lysia made out a striking man amidst the crowd.

With quiet confidence and a perfect figure, for a moment she'd forgotten her purpose there.

It was the same striking man from the ball, a man Grace spoke ill of, Hisin. Today he wore a suit so tailor to his body, her eyes lingered on the various cuts and lines of his figure. Her heart skipped a beat.

Perhaps she should've asked Elliadria to follow her. This was her brother after all…

Elliadria also had his dark hair and crimson eyes.

She watched as the men around him spoke, he spoke back with a perfect grin across his lips and a burst of chuckle broke amongst them.

Her chest drummed louder the closer she got. God damn it she was the organizer of this hunt… why would he ruin it for her?

He noticed her as she closed. The world around them was dragged into deathly silence by a raise of his hands.

Her eyes darted around her, it was a deafening silence that sent shivers down her spine.

Men stood with wine glasses and plates of food, but they stared at her. Some nodded when her gaze met theirs.

She allowed herself a nervous swallow as she forced her footsteps in front, one after the other. The crunching of grass beneath, she'd hadn't realized before today, was so loud...

"Miss Vissaye." A smooth low voice broke apart the silence.

Lysia breathed.

Lysia kept herself from bowing lowly, she felt as if she may crawl if she weren't consciously controlling her actions.

That was the pressure he was exuding.

He walks in front of her. She looked up into his gaze, beautiful crimson irises and a handsome smile. His hand stretched out.

"May I?"

She gave her hand, tremblingly. He brought it to his lips.

It was like ice pressing her flesh on a hot summer evening. A jolt. A current. She shuddered.

He brought his lips away, his gaze she saw herself still reflected in them. Her bewildered expression.

"It is good to meet you. I am sorry about the disturbance I've caused, but we are not used to hunting deers and boars. I will give you meat of beast and monsters if you'll let us… and…"

Still holding her hands, he grabbed a green orb with his other hand and placed it gently in her hand. His large hands wrapped hers, easily forcing her fingers to curl around it.

She felt the coldness of the orb, smooth and round like a ball of metal.

"This was from a beast that had gotten too close to our gathering. Its core matches the colors of your eyes. There is something we must do in the Lavdrianna forest."

Yes, the core was an emerald that changed in colors like her eyes when light reflected off its surface. An ever changing hue of green.

She stared fixedly upon the core, in her hand wrapped in his.

"Tch, he said it was close. Pft"

"The beast was close…"

She could make out soft whispers of the men around them.

She blushed bright red. A smile still played his lips as he let go of her hand and took a step from her.

"Miss Vissaye, please allow us the honor of a hunt in your father's territory."

"I-I want to go with you." She spoke.