Bab 6: Arlan is gone

Some of the villagers looked at her in disgust but she acted like she was unaware of it as she covered the basket of vegetables with a thin cloth. She knew the cause behind all this was coal that was smeared on her face and clothes and her messily tied hair.

It wasn't like they have not seen her real looks but it was just that whenever she walked out like that, there will be a few men around her trying to act nice while having other intentions for her.

Esme lowered her head. Something like that happened in the day when a man tried to touch her with the intention of having her as his mistress. And she ended up...slapping him. If her Aunt has not dealt with the situation delicately, then they might have been in trouble.

There was a time when she despised it having the edge of her gown dirtied but it seems this is her fate now.

She inhaled a deep breath and walked in the direction of the auction hall.

"Esmeray..."

Her footsteps came to a halt as she turned around, "Aunt Mary, what happened?" She glanced at the slightly plump middle-aged woman who panted with her hands on her hips. Back then when they came to this place, she was the one who helped them to find a proper roof above their heads.

"Arlan...He is taken away," She said in between her gasps.

'Bam'

The basket of vegetables landed on the ground as Esme glanced at her in disbelief, "What do you mean by taken away? He just went to collect the gold coins for the herbs from the auction house. I will go look for him."

Mary grabbed her hand, "You won't find him."

"What do you mean?"

"He is taken away by the Royal Family."

Esme was stunned, "But why...What did he do? The Royal Family has nothing to do with us."

"He was walking out of the auction house and a royal carriage stopped in front of him and a woman stepped out of it. She said something to your brother and..."

"And what?" Esme grabbed the woman's shoulder.

"And after that, Arlan went with him willingly."

"That's impossible," Esme knew her brother very well to be sure of his cautious nature. He didn't trust people easily then how could he go with a stranger?

Mary sighed, "I have seen you both growing up in front of my eyes. I don't have any reasons to lie to you. I called out to him but he did not look at me even once. They have already left and we can't catch up to them anymore."

Esme closed her eyes as she took a deeper breathe, "Royal carriage... The royal family..." Her eyes snapped open, "I will go to find him."

"Where will you find him?" Mary glanced at her helplessly.

Back in their home.

Marlene walked back and forth near the door as she waited for both of them to come back. The sky had already turned dark by this time and she could not help but be worried about them.

Her nephew was impulsive and arrogant all the time. Moreover, since his talent in magic is also good along with the growth of his main nerve, he was ambitious. If somebody offended him or his sister, then he would never let the person go even if the opponent was stronger.

On the other hand, her niece could be the calmest person until she was genuinely angered. The girl was stubborn with her views and morals and would never bend to situations.

And living with both of them, Marlene felt like her heart was at edge every day. She was afraid that they would end up offending someone powerful if it goes like this and then they would have to leave this-

She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the sound of the hurried footsteps.

"Mary," The middle-aged woman came to her view first before her gaze landed on her niece, ''Esme, what's wrong?" Although Esme's face appeared calm, but Marlene could feel something was amiss given the way Mary was panicking.

Esme grabbed her hand, ''Come with me," She walked inside the house and Mary followed after them.

"Esme, what's going on?" Marlene asked once again as Esme made her sit on the armchair, "Where is Arlan...?"

"Aunt, calm down first," Esme squatted in front of her as she held her hand.

Marlene glanced at Mary, "Where is Arlan?" Her aura intensified this time.

"H-He is gone..." Mary stuttered as she shrank back, intimidated by the woman's cold gaze. She has always seen Marlene as a soft-spoken and kind lady. It was her first time witnessing this side of her.

"What do you mean by gon...cough cough..." Blood splattered out of her mouth as her chest heaved up and down.

Esme stood up as she moved behind her to pat her back, "Calm down..." She stroked her back softly. Ever since her aunt's main nerve was injured that night, her internal organs have suffered many damages along with the loss of her powers.

"How do you expect me to calm...cough...where did he...go?"

"He is taken away by the Royal Family," Esme glanced at Mary as she pointed her chin towards the glass of water kept at a distance.

"R-Royal Family? But why?"

The middle-aged woman brought the water to them with trembling hands and she passed it to Esme, still a bit afraid of Marlene after her outburst.

"Drink it," Esme passed it to her, "I don't know what happened but I will get Arlan back, safe and sound."

Marlene gulped down the water under her niece's stern gaze, ''But you...You can't go there. It's so dangerous."

"No one has to know me.." Esme softly muttered.

Mary could not understand what they were talking about except for the part that Esme was adamant about going there. "My niece works in the Royal Castle. Maybe she can help you get inside and find you some work."

"I'll go with you..." Marlene grabbed the girl's hand.

"Your condition is not good. Believe me, I will not let anything happen to him..."

"I..."

"Aunt, no one knows," Esme reminded her once again.

Marlene lowered her head as her fingers curled into a fist when she thought about what her niece was trying to say. As long as Esme pretended to be an ordinary girl working in the Royal castle, no one will have anything to do with her. With her poor health, she will only drag her down and they both won't find Arlan in that way, "Promise me that you will blend yourself properly with rest," That was what bothered her the most.

No matter what she did, Esme had always attracted unwanted attention towards herself. While they lived in this village, people despised them for being poor and she made sure to keep Esme away from the prying eyes but despite that, some men tried to lay their filthy hands on her again and again.

"I will have everything under my control," Esme reassured her.

"What are you both talking about?" Mary was confused.

Esme glanced at her for a moment before averting her gaze, "Aunt Mary, do you remember the woman's face?"

"Which woman's face?" Mary's attention was diverted in an instant.

"The one with whom Arlan left."

Mary's eyes visibly widened as her cheeks puffed up in anger, "How can I forget her? She had the looks of a vixen. She must have charmed our young boy."

Esme blinked, "Wait here," She quickly ran inside her room and pulled open the door of the old, creaking cupboard. She removed her clothes to the side and grabbed an old thick diary and the ink before walking back to them.

"Take a seat," She offered the woman before settling on the opposite chair, "Can you describe how she looked?" She opened an empty page and dipped the brush in the ink.

"You know how to paint?" Mary asked in astonishment. It was very rare for villagers like them to know about all this. She has heard that only royals spend time in such things during their leisure.

"She...has learned a little from here and there," Marlene quickly spoke up.

According to the woman's description, Esme managed to paint the outline of the woman with a few simple strokes. "Is this how she looked?" She turned the diary around.

Having never seen a painting before, Mary gasped. She has heard that there are many paintings in the Auction house and the royal castle but she never imagined that she will see such an exquisite painting up so close. The paper was yellowish at the corners but the painting was so magnificent that it overshadowed the low-quality ink and paper.

"Yes, she looked like this," She spoke up, snapping out of her trance, "And she had copper eyes..."

Esme glanced at the alluring woman in the painting for a few seconds before she stood up from the chair, "Thank you," She nodded at the woman before glancing at her Aunt, "I should leave now."

Both the women stood up.

Mary grabbed Marlene's hands before placing a small bag of gold coins in it, "Arlan had dropped it when he went with that woman. It must be the coins for the herbs you sold so I brought it with me."

"We should rent a carriage with it," Marlene suggested to which Mary agreed.

Esme shook her head, "I'm not taking a carriage. I want to reach there as soon as possible."

"The journey to the royal castle from our village will take more than two days and one night. How will you travel so far?" Both the women glanced at her in confusion.

Esme pursed her lips as she looked at her Aunt, "I have an idea, only if you agree."

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