Enigmatic Lady

Another typical day arrived and the girls went on about their chores as usual. While Malia tended to her father, Dabria was busy washing the clothes.

She was finally done and decided to check up on their father. As she opened the door, she accidentally bumped into Elara.

Elara, as always didn't take it very lightly. Her face was twisted in a grimace and her eyes retained disgust for her. Seeing as how she was dressed, Dabria realized she was going out, presumably to some place fancy.

Elara grunted but didn't say a word as she walked away with a high chin like some nobleman's daughter.

Dabria quietly went inside but immediately she stepped a foot into the house, she met face to face with Lovessa, Elara's mother.

An egoistic grin split her lips open as she proceeded to speak.

"Elara is quite on a rush today, she has somewhere important to be." Lovessa stated with a smug look, the kind when she had something to boast about but Dabria couldn't care less.

"Alright, I see." Dabria simply said and was about to walk away when Lovessa continued.

"Nobleman Herminger asked to see her. He's interested in her hand for marriage." Lovessa finally spat out with a drawl.

"That's lovely to hear, congratulations." Dabria said with a smile but as she was about to leave, Lovessa gave her final remark.

"It's alright dear, you don't have to be jealous, she's older." Lovessa snickered.

"I'll try not to cry myself to sleep tonight." Dabria quipped in a sarcastic tone and walked away, leaving Lovessa displeased by her nonchalance.

Dabria walked into the room where Andrew lay bedridden. He was almost nonrecognizable anymore, it broke her heart the moment she laid eyes on him.

He was no longer the man she remembered, he was a shadow of his former self, sickly thin and pale, his life deteriorating before her very eyes.

Dabria wished so badly she could do something to help him, but she had no money, no resources or abilities to make that happen.

Not realizing she had been standing at the doorside, Malia's voice snapped her back to reality as she called her "Dabria?"

Dabria's head snapped toward her before it fell on Andrew.

"He's dying." Malia whispered with a sullen look on her face.

"I won't let him die." Dabria intoned with an unwavering resilience, tears filling the brim of her eyes.

Malia stood up slowly as she approached her. Even though Dabria wasn't short, Malia was a foot taller. Her height was something she admired about her, but it was also one of her intimidating features apart from her menacing eyes.

"You can have hope, but also prepare for the worst." Malia said to her.

"I'll find a way, It won't be fair if he died." Dabria sobbed, but she swallowed back her tears instantly.

"Nothing is ever fair, but don't worry, we won't stop trying until the end. I'm not letting him die either." Malia said enthusiastically.

"I'll go to the forest in search of potent herbs, if I'm lucky I could find some." Dabria said hopefully.

"You're not still hellbent on finding a Lynx flower right?" Malia said as she narrowed her green eyes skeptically at her.

"I'm hopeful but not too hopeful, but I hope." Dabria sighed and Malia shook her head doubtfully.

The Lynx flower was said to be highly effective in magic but it also retained potent healing abilities and could cure any illness regardless of how critical it was. The Lynx flower was rumoured to appear in the deepest parts of the forest where Faeries usually appeared. It was said that the presence of the Faeries usually brought about the growth of the Lynx flower. Sources unknown.

"It's just a baseless rumour like every other rumours in the kingdom." Malia said as she waved her hand in the air.

"No, it's not. I know it's real, I just have to try and find it." Dabria said in enthusiasm.

"They are so many baseless rumours, like the rumours that say you are a siren or the ones that say the king is a demon from hell and they actually call him the demon king and even more ridiculous, they say one of them has a pair of red and blue eyes." Malia scoffed.

"They could be real, we just don't know." Dabria said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Right, I forgot you read books, you're as delusional as them all." Malia said as she rolled her eyeballs.

"Delusional? I love being delusional, but not as delusional as Lovessa." Dabria whispered and they both chuckled.

"They've been shuffling through suitors for years and finally, they've gotten a potential husband for Elara." Dabria drawled.

"That's news and definitely their problem. I thought they would go on with their rejection for five more years." Malia scoffed.

"Anyways, I'll be off now to find the Lynx flower." Dabria said sarcastically.

"Fine, go on but be safe. You remember our fighting lessons?" Malia asked with a prudent stare and Dabria nodded quickly with a "Yes of course, see you later!" before rushing out.

To avoid stares, Dabria ever rarely left the house without putting on her cloak and hiding her hair securely beneath the hood.

Putting on her cloak, she dashed out of the house and soon, waltzed into the forest. The deeper parts of the forest were prohibited from going into since it was at the edge of the barrier separating the human kingdom from the other kingdoms, thereby making it dangerous.

Cases of supernatural attacks and killings had been heard of around the vicinity of the barrier. The kingdom was safe but not so much if one wandered too far off from the safety line.

Everyone knew that yet some unlucky folks got themselves in one incident or another. Dabria on the other hand was determined on finding the miracle Lynx flower, if it was real, but she was scared to wander too close to the dangerous parts of the forest.

Dabria resorted to looking closely for any potent herb or perhaps the Lynx flower before taking a last resort to wander to the deeper parts of the forest.

Moving through the familiar path in the forest, she finally took off her cloak since there was no one around, while she searched for herbs.

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A figure leaning against a tree trunk as he stood atop a branch watched from above as a cloaked figure walked through the forest path.

The figure stopped for a while as it took off its cloak to reveal locks of snow white hair cascading down her back in silky waves, oblivious of his presence.

His eyes narrowed down at her as he took in her delicate features. Her gleaming purple eyes shone under thick lashes as she wandered around. She possessed an enthralling beauty, yet there was an inexplicable air of enigma around her, one he couldn't quite explain.

Although the enigmatic lady seemed familiar with the forest path, her innocent eyes paved way to a lost soul who was oblivious of her place in the world and he suddenly felt the urge to unriddle the puzzles surrounding her enigmatic existence.

His cold silver eyes glinted drearily as dark excitement swelled within them. He had found a prey.