Strange and unknown I

The whole of Pearltown was in Chaos.

A strange event took place at the market square and caused some casualties.

" Cassius, don't stress yourself that much, I'll send some pe…,"

" Get me Louis, I don't have time for jokes!" Cassius cuts Roxanne off and yells at her.

Roxanne drew back in shock as her heart thud heavily against her chest. She didn't expect that, at least not from Cassius who always does as she says.

" I'll do so immediately."She replied and walked out of the King's chamber. Roxanne has never felt so embarrassed in her entire stay in the palace nor as the King's advisor. Just a small strange crack in the town and he almost knocks her out.

Her fingers dug into her palm angrily as she stormed out of the palace to get the Duke, who was the King's cousin.

" Lady Roxanne, why that toad face of yours? It's rare to see you angry," said a young lady who was walking towards her only to stop and ask about her expression.

Roxanne sighed inwardly and turned to face the lady, " I'm fine, just a stomach ache." She feigned.

The lady immediately placed her golden hand fan on her face to hide the smile of mockery on her face. " Oh really? The King would never let his sweet royal Advisor leave the palace in this hot weather with a stomach ache," Oliver berates Roxanne.

" I'll do anything the King orders," Roxanne replied and straightened her back as if the words of the lady didn't hurt her.

Oliver raised an eyebrow in amusement, " last time I remember, Advisors we're not sent on errands, isn't it?"

Roxanne hates this as much as she wants to slap the hell out of this fool of a lady. If not for her royal standing, she would have done something crazy.

When Oliver saw she had hurt the royal advisor, she finally turned and ambled away with pride hanging on her shoulder.

Roxanne watched the lady's back disappear from her sight and quickly made a mental note about this event, " you won't get away from me Oliver Crest," she murmured and left for what the King sent her.

***

Louis was standing by his floor to ceiling window, overseeing the maidservants working in the garden and on the cobblestone path. It has been three days since he grounded Aurelia in her room.

He wasn't in his best outfit but casual to receive guests at any time. His dark hair looks messy as they fall to the side of his face, giving him a mesmerizing look.

" Have you checked up on her?" He asked the moment Stanley got into his room without looking behind him.

Stanley shut the door gently and bowed. " She's good but not alright, refusing food."

Louis' jaw tightened subconsciously on hearing what Stanley said about Aurelia. He had also asked the chains to be used on her, probably something that has never happened to her before.

" Okay," he replied with his nose.

" Lady Roxanne is here. The King requests your presence in the palace," Stanley reported just as Roxanne had said.

" Get the carriage ready then," Louis replied and quietly strolled out of his room.

.

Roxanne was sitting quietly on the couch in the drawing room admiring the beautiful paintings and collections when Eva walked in with quick steps.

Seeing another Crest, her face contoured in distaste for them. " A family of jinxes," she muttered under her breath. Eva Crest is the youngest daughter of the Crest household.

" Roxanne? I must have walked into the wrong room," Eva exclaimed and held her dress on both sides to reach the royal advisor quickly.

" What are you doing here? You look emaciated to the point your eyes are bulging out of its socket. Are you sick, scrawny!" Eva bad-mouthed Roxanne who couldn't retaliate but silently fumes in anger.

" Nothing. I'm fine." She replied and stared deep into Eva's eyes which scared the hell out of her.

" No, don't look at me like that." Eva laughed and sat on the couch. " What brought you here?"

" Don't pry into my affairs Eva, it irritates," Louis who was walking down the flight of stairs had seen everything that transpired between both of them.

Eva felt awkward at that moment and she used a pretentious laugh to cover it up. " It won't happen again," she replied as the elegant lady she plays in front of the Duke.

" Let's go." Louis said to Roxanne who quickly nodded her head and trailed behind him. She didn't forget to look at her back to see the ugly expression on Eva's face.

" When you returned from your journey, Cassius was worried about you," Roxanne said when they had already boarded the Duke's carriage while hers followed them from behind.

She didn't want the atmosphere to remain tense between them. Roxanne also admires the Duke and perhaps it worked but it came crashing back on her a few years ago.

" I prefer silence, you're not with Cassius," he reminded her.

Louis wasn't fond of noise but could tell Cassius do and also making a lady like Roxanne his advisor was enough to prove that.

" I know, also know we are not the same, I prefer a lively atmosphere, filled with joy and laughter and not your gloomy life," she replied with a sweet smile on her well painted lips.

Louis stared at her for sometime before shifting his attention to somewhere else.

Roxanne smiled even broadly when she got his attention to be on her even if it was for a few seconds. She was attractive and intelligent, a lady with etiquette and orderliness. This was what most men are looking for in a woman but not the Duke.

He didn't like the saying of ' beauty with brains'

Louis looked out of the window as his thoughts went back to Aurelia who Stanley had said wasn't alright. He quite forgot to check up on her before leaving the mansion and the need to rush back home starts disturbing him.

Roxanne stared dreamily at Louis who wasn't aware about what she was doing as he watched the carriage climb onto the bridge.

Despite the fact that everyone believes that Louis is evil and wicked, she was one of the few to believe those rumors weren't true. Louis was the kindest easygoing person she had met in her entire life but one mistake had pushed her away from him. Recalling those memories, she felt like crying but that would only show she was weak.

" It's better if you look somewhere else, I don't want the people to get a wrong impression about us." Louis said when the carriage was almost near the palace.

Roxanne nods in understanding and shifts her attention away from him despite it hurts. To her, it was ' so close yet, so far ' for her.

" What will the people say that can be able to influence you as a Duke?"

Louis' expression darkened, making goosebumps crawl on Roxanne's skin. She should have shut up and obeyed but now, he might do something unbearable to her if she says another word to him.

For the next few minutes, there was silence on the carriage.

The carriage rode into the large palace, following the cobblestone path. Roxanne, who was in the Duke's carriage, noticed the King was outside in company of the Crest eldest daughter, Oliver.

A contemptuous expression appeared on her gracefully, gorgeous face making Louis raise an eyebrow. " Clingy," he said incoherently before exiting the carriage.

The moment Cassius saw the Duke, he left Oliver and walked towards him.

Meanwhile, Oliver was awestruck by the handsome man everyone knows as the Duke. Each time Eva visited home, she would keep blabbering about the Duke and his handsomeness, and all that.

She then starts walking to meet the Duke and introduce herself as if the Duke doesn't know her when Roxanne suddenly emerged from the Duke's carriage.

She was greatly taken aback by this and seeing the triumph smile on Roxanne's face, Oliver felt small before her despite her nobility.

If a lady that is not of her caliber could become the King's advisor and also ride in the same carriage with the Duke, then who was she to mock her.

" Louis! Why didn't you inform me you've returned? I kept pondering about you," he exclaimed before giving Louis a playful hug.

A small smile suddenly graces Louis' lips, sometimes, he wonders if Cassius was his relative for always behaving childish before him.

" I know you will throw a grand party for me the moment you hear of it so I decide to rest for the time being." Louis replied fluently.

Oliver's eyes almost popped out of its sockets. The Duke doesn't get along with people but this was the longest sentence he has made in her on some occasions of seeing him.

" Duke Elathan, I'm honored to be in your presence," she suddenly took the spotlight away from Roxanne.

" Mhm." Was Louis short response before he and Cassius ambled into the palace.

Oliver frowned in surprise and arranged her hair, planning to go inside the mansion but Roxanne was still standing with her.

" What?" She questioned when Roxanne started giggling.

" How does it feel to receive nothing after being honored, Oliver? You're just a wretch," she berated the clumsy idiot before walking into the palace.

Oliver fumed heavily and stomped away from there towards her carriage, she couldn't wait to leave before being embarrassed the more.

__—

" The townspeople in Pearltown said something about seeing a portal." Roxanne said while the two listened carefully.

" Portal? It might be some witches or anything," Cassius gave his thoughts about the matter before looking over to Louis who was quiet.

Louis on one of his journeys had experienced the portal appearance of a thing. " Something foreign has got into Devontae. Precisely here for someone," he was sure about what he said.

Cassius didn't question Louis because he knew Louis was a hunter, he must have had an encounter with one.

" How are you so sure about what you just said Duke Elathan, it might be something dangerous." Roxanne wasn't convinced.

" It didn't hurt anyone, that shows it came for someone or something." Louis pointed out.