บท 66: She Gives Out A Scolding
When he opened his eyes, Robin's grinning face was the first thing he saw.
"Good morning, Sunshine! Time to get up~" She chuckled. He just stared at her blankly, then tried to move. To his surprise, he couldn't budge an inch. He looked down to see the ropes tying him to the chair.
"I blacked out again? And right before I was about to hand in my resignation. What happened?" He rasped. Robin couldn't blame him. After screaming that badly, it was a surprise that he still had a voice at all.
Robin leaned forward. "You did more than just black out, man. Can you remember anything?"
The man's head throbbed as he dizzily shook his head. "No. But who're you?"
Robin rolled her eyes. "I may be many things, but right now, I'm your doctor. You had a pretty bad case of possession, I might say."
"Possession? By what ghost?" the soldier guffawed, then coughed, as his raw throat surprised him.
"It was no mere ghost. It was a very dangerous man. The worst part is that this particular man is still alive. You wouldn't happen to have met any interesting foreigners would you?"
The soldier barked out a laugh. "Young man, this is a town en route to one of the most desirable vacation cities in the kingdom. We meet with thousands of foreigners every year. I've lost count how many people with that description I have met."
"That's fine. We don't need a number." Robin smirked. "Do you remember the person you met before your blackouts began?"
"This has been going on for over five years, young man." The soldier shrugged. "If you can tell me who you met five years ago in detail, then you'd have to be a genius."
"While I can do so, I'd rather not." Robin's blue eyes turned slightly frosty at the memory that flashed through her mind. "It wasn't a pleasant encounter I had that day."
Robin reached her hand forward and clasped onto his wrist.
"I am going to ask you a few routine questions to make sure your mind was not affected." She said, watching his eyes.
"Try to answer to the best of your abilities."
The soldier nodded.
"What is your name, soldier?"
"Dylan."
"Do you know where we are?"
"The captain's office."
"You have been having these blackouts for five years?"
"Yes."
"And you don't remember anything that happened during those blackouts?"
"Not a single da-er darned thing." The soldier refrained from cursing, as the captain was very strict about such things.
"Good." Robin nodded, then cut the knot open, freeing the soldier.
"Robin! What if he-"
"I measured his pulse, and watched his eyes. He was telling the truth" Robin said.
"What does watching someone's eye have to do with telling you if a person is lying or not?" Christian snorted, not believing it.
"Then, if I tell you it's my intuition?" Robin snapped in return.
"It is as I have said. His eyes are clear, and straight-forward. His speech was neither rehearsed nor hesitant. And his pulse was steady. While many professional liars have managed to fake one of these reactions. These three things put together are something a liar could never control.
"This is knowledge from my homelands. You may doubt its effectiveness. But do you doubt my character so much that you believe I would use something ineffective?"
She scolded him.
Christian turned his head away. "No." He replied reluctantly. "Very well then." He lifted up his hand, and a spark of light landed on the waxen royal seal enclosing Christian's letter.
"He has one chance. If the letter does not get delivered by morning, I will know. Then, if that happens, what will you do, Robin?"
"I will do what I can to ensure that what you fear shall not happen." She replied.
"Come with me, Keith. Looks like we need to check on how well the men have kept up their training." Christian cracked his knuckles as he strode out of the captain's office with a grin.
Even if the soldier's shrieking hadn't alerted the other guards, Christian was not going to go easy on them. He needed someone to act as a punching bag, right now.
And, since he wasn't sure how many more of the soldiers were like the one Robin had saved, he was just going to knock them all out. It would be a plus if he managed to give them a good reason to recieve a high heal.
Keith paused in the doorway, and glanced back at Robin.
"You know, he was only trying to protect you." Keith said.
"I know. But he forgets that I am no normal youth." Robin replied, tapping her wrapped blade. "I was chosen for this thankless task, so I need to make sure that I at least do my job well. He should know by now that I can take care of myself."
Keith chuckled. Although it was probably true, only someone like Robin would describe being a hero as 'a thankless task.' He left the room, hurrying after Christian to make sure he does not do anything rash.
"What was that all about?" Dylan asked.
Robin shook her head at him. "Now's not the best time to ask, I'm afraid. We're running out of time here."
She grabbed Christian's letter and placed it into Dylan's hand.
"Right now, I just got you a chance. You're the only soldier, currently, that we are certain is not possessed. Prince Christian needs you to deliver this urgent message to his Majesty, King Zephron, in person before the morning sun glows upon the horizon. Can you do it?"
Dylan stared at Robin, wondering just who this strange doctor was, before nodding.
"Leave it to me." he said.
------
Christian had already begun his surprise assault upon the soldiers, feeling particularly enraged, although he didn't understand why. He took it out on the soldiers. Concussions, broken bones, severed tendons: he really was not going easy on them.
Robin had never seen Christian in combat before. However, he was the student of one of the strongest men in the kingdom. If he also did not possess an extremely high combat prowess, after all those years of training, then he truly was an idiot.
While he fought, Christian couldn't get Robin's smile, and following coldness out of his head.
What kind of life had Robin lead to have such cold eyes at a memory of a person from five years ago? What kind of strength did he have to be able to smile so beautifully at his enemy? What kind of heart did he have to forgive the man who had been used by the enemy?
Christian admired Robin greatly. But now he was curious about what had happened to Robin after Robin's parents' deaths. What could have caused Robin to have such cold eyes? Although he was curious, he was also afraid to ask. Such a person must have caused Robin no small amount of anguish and suffering.
Christian was fighting by reflex against the soldiers, but, didn't notice the incoming assault behind him until a sword deflected the spear shaft aimed at his head.
"Oy, what's got your head in a knot, Christian? You'd usually have already finished halfway by now. And you would never ignore a strike to the head." Keith asked as he stood behind Christian and dealt with the ambush group even more roughly than Christian.
"Ah...thanks." Christian replied, as he snapped out of his thoughts and focused on fighting the soldiers until there was no man left uninjured. In all the commotion, Dylan was able to saddle a horse and leave through the front gates.
Christian finally realized why he needed a punching bag. It was because he felt unnessecary. Any problem that Robin encountered, he could easily overcome.
So why was Christian even coming along in the first place? To satisfy his ego? To become first rate baggage? The hero didn't need his meddling, Christian knew. Yet, still, he couldn't help but meddle.
Christian's mind drifted back to Robin's smile. 'If only he was a girl' Christian sighed. 'It would have been perfect-no, I am not thinking about this! I need to see Jasmine tonight.'
At the moment when they had finally taken care of the last soldier, a voice carrying authority boomed out.
"What is going on here!?"
Christian and Keith looked towards the barracks entrance. The captain had returned from his patrols.
"General Keith? What is going on? Why have you treated my men like this?"
Keith sighed.
"I told you, I'm retired. I am no longer a general, Captain Toby."
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BriarRose
BriarRose Sorry everyone for the delay. The past few days have been a bit rough on me, as I was stuck in bed with a really bad migraine ever since October 31st.
It has since then become much better today, so here is Thursday's chapter, enjoy!
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