Priscilla And Hamilton

*cough cough*

Hearing the loud coughing noises, Myra instantly jolted up from her sleep. Her ash brown hair was still in a mess, her usual spotless maid uniform was now wrinkled and untidy, and her emerald green eyes were still half closed. Yet, unlike the aesthete girl she was, the only thing she cared about right now was the young master's wellbeing.

Myra immediately rushed towards Sethos' crib, and what she saw almost gave her a heart attack.

'Y- Young master had just coughed up blood and fainted!'

As a girl in her teens, Myra didn't have much experience on how to deal with sudden situations like these. Instead of asking for assistance from the patrolling guards, she was shocked into a daze. A guilty feeling crept into her mind as she blamed herself for not looking after Sethos properly. 

'I shouldn't have slept through the night. This was all my fault. The only thing I deserve is death.'

Negative thoughts kept spiralling in Myra's mind as she fell into a vicious cycle of self-accusation and helplessness. She bursted into tears while reminiscing about the time she spent with Sethos and the kindness that Madam Aurelia selflessly gave her when she was still a poor orphan living on the streets. 

'I'm sorry Madam, I couldn't protect your son from harm. I'm sorry that I couldn't repay the kindness you've given me.'

Throughout the tranquil night, the sobs and cries of a young maiden could be heard from both inside and outside the bedroom. Though the passing guards who heard the noises knocked on the doors, Myra was in no condition to answer them as all her attention was placed on the young master. She wiped the blood stains off his body, gave him a new change of clothes, and looked after him all night long. 

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It wasn't until the next day at noon when Sethos finally woke up from his slumber. He opened his eyes, and the first thing he noticed was Myra laying down next to his crib fast asleep. Her entire appearance was in a mess; her maid outfit was in disarray, her hair strands were tangled with each other, and tear stains were evident on her small face. 

'She must have been worried sick when I fainted last night.'

Sethos paused for a while, his mind went blank for a second. He wondered whether anybody had cared for him that much; whether someone had cried for him, felt sorry for him, or blamed themselves for his sake. Sethos was suddenly reminded of his parents from his previous life, how they showered him with love, worried about him, and forgave him when he made mistakes. Though he knew that as a spy, he shouldn't show compassion to anyone whatsoever since it could be a fatal weakness that others could exploit, there was something that struck him deep inside his heart when he saw Myra in that state. He didn't know what it was, but it was urging him to do something about the situation.

Sethos thought about it long and hard, before finally whispering, "I'm sorry, Myra. I must have worried you."

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As if she heard Sethos' calming words, Myra's mouth slowly curved into a smile. Sensing that the crisis was over, she allowed herself to fall into a deep sleep and enter the mysterious and unfathomable 'dreamscape'. Myra reminisced about her past, the hardships she suffered, and how she struggled to survive as a child. 

Myra was born to a beastman mother and a human father, making her half-beastman. As her mother was a wolf, Myra inherited the acute senses, stamina, and hearing abilities from her. This might seem to be great and all, but beastmen all had one fatal flaw which made them isolated from society and even enslaved. They were incapable of storing and using mana. Other species such as elves, demons, and humans all have decent aptitude in magic, allowing them to establish their own forces and contend against each other. However, in this world where the strong ruled above all, weaker species could only bow down to them in order to survive. 

Since her childhood, Myra was raised by her single mother in a small, worn-down hut located within a ginormous, dense jungle. Though their living conditions weren't ideal, food wasn't a problem as there were many plants and fruits that they could gather. Occasionally, if the situation permits it, her mother would also hunt and cook her favourite rabbit skewers for both of them to enjoy during the night. Myra remembered that she and her mother would sit by the campfire and watch the stars light up the dark sky. The best part about it was that her mother would tell her different stories, with most of them about how amazing and heroic her father was. 

Throughout her entire life, Myra had never gotten the chance to meet her father. According to her mother, there was a time when she had been attacked by a sleuth of bears when she was out hunting for animals. Due to the drought and climate changes at that time, it was exceedingly difficult for anybody, both humans and animals, to find food in the forest. That was the same for the five wild bears who were staring at her like a piece of meat waiting to be eaten. As Myra's mother was alone, there was no way she could contend against five famished bears at the same time.

'I-is this the end for me? Am I going to die like this?'

The impending death seemed closer and closer as every second ticked by. After staring at the wolf for a while, the crazed bears suddenly lunged towards their prey and unleashed a fierce strike. But what happened next wasn't anything that either of them expected.

A man in a red cape suddenly jumped out from behind two trees, casted a powerful, flashy spell, and instantly incapacitated the bears. He then reached out his hand to the beastman and said, "Are you alright, my lady?" 

The young wolf couldn't believe what happened. Just earlier she was on the brink of death, but now there was a man in front of her asking if she's okay. She took another glance at him, and realised that his attire looked to be extremely expensive. The man was wearing a black suit laced with gold, he had snow white gloves that covered both of his hands, and the coat he was wearing had silver buttons that sparkled under the sunlight.

"Pleased to meet you, my name is Hamilton Ashford from the Ashford County." 

"I-I am Priscilla, nice to meet you too, good sir." 

At that moment, the man felt indefinitely more handsome in Priscilla's eyes. Her heartbeat started speeding up as she looked at Hamilton's gentle eyes and warm smile. Being part of the fierce and prideful wolves, it was the first time she experienced being saved by a noble like a damsel in distress. However, she didn't dislike the feeling of being protected by someone, that someone being Hamilton. 

Meanwhile, Hamilton also had thousands of thoughts racing through his mind. 'That girl, is she wolf kin? The way her tail twitches when she's embarrassed is really adorable.' 

'Wait did I just think she's cute? Snap out of it Hamilton, you know beast kin and humans can't intermarry. Especially when the Ashford family is under the Starcaster Duchy. They despise any other races other than humans.'

'Perhaps I should ask her out for dinner, it's alright if it's only a night or two right?' Hamilton persuaded himself.

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It wasn't only a night or two. 

After both Hamilton and Priscilla got to know each other over dinner, they fell for each others' charms and started meeting regularly. The more they spent time together, the more unbearable it was when they had to part with each other. 

It was another windy day during autumn, The fresh, green leaves were starting to turn yellow and crisp. A slight, cold breeze blew across the lands, signalling the slow change from summer to winter. 

Today was yet another day for the couple to meet up. Priscilla blissfully skipped towards the Tree of Hope, which was the meeting spot whenever they went on a date. However, the same couldn't be said for Hamilton. His usually warm face was now pale and ashen, with his eyes almost on the verge of tears. Instead of the usual black suit he wore, he was only wearing a plain white shirt. Hamilton slowly walked towards the meeting spot with a devastated look on his face, as if he's about to see Satan himself. Though every step of his was extremely heavy, the young man still courageously dragged his tired feet to bring the life-changing news to Priscilla. 

When Hamilton saw Priscilla in the distance, he immediately rushed towards her and bursted into tears.

"Priscilla, I'm so sorry.. I-"

"What happened, my dear?" 

"My family found out I have been meeting with you and they ordered for your execution! Please, run away with our child. I'll bear the consequences, I don't want you to get hurt."

After hearing the disastrous news, Priscilla was thrown into shock, but she quickly regained her composure as she somewhat expected this to happen. 

"D- Don't worry my dear, I will escape to the Redthorn Woods and raise our child there. B-but what would happen to you?" Priscilla asked with tears filling her eyes. 

"Me? l was ordered to go participate in the demonic war. I'll probably be sent the the frontlines considering father's personality. Don't worry too much though, you know how strong I am, I'll definitely make it back alive." Hamilton replied. 

"It's not like we have any other choice, do we?" Priscilla muttered while caressing her pregnant stomach. 

"If fate allows it, we shall meet again. Remember to bring a Marcus or a Myra with you when that time comes." 

Priscilla wiped the tears from her eyes, and chuckled. "Yes next time I see you, I'll definitely bring our child along." 

The couple hugged each other for one last time, and shared a passionate kiss. When their lips touched, the Tree of Hope suddenly reacted. The fading orange leaves that were withering a moment ago were now revitalised, and pink blossom leaves started to swirl around the couple. 

Both Priscilla and Hamilton opened their eyes, and found themselves trapped in a barrage of beautiful petals. Magic particles that were visible to the naked eye floated everywhere around the tree, and paved out a path towards the Redthorn Woods.

"See, even the Tree of Hope gave us its blessing," Priscilla said with a grin. 

Hamilton nodded as he gave one final smooch on his girlfriend's cheek. Afterwards, he started walking back towards the direction of the Ashford Mansion. Even then, he couldn't help but look back from time to time just to take a few last glances at Priscilla. As for Priscilla, she wandered towards the direction that the sparkles and petals need her. With the Tree of Hope's blessing, the young wolf was sure that there would be a day when both of them would meet again.