88: The one that lived that night

The one that lived that night

By the third day after Larissa's engagement ceremony, even the weather took on a peculiar demeanor, carrying particles of sand that everyone presumed had originated from the desert. Such an occurrence happened only once a decade, adding an ominous backdrop to the already tumultuous events surrounding a heartbroken Adela.1

"There you are," Arkin coughed, interrupting Adela just as she was about to enter her father's study. His exasperation mirrored her own emotions.

As if afflicted by a collective fever, the behavior of the older generation had surpassed mere suspicion and breached the boundaries of acceptability.

"Is the Baron still missing?" Adela inquired, her worry palpable.

Arkin let out a sigh, weariness evident in his voice.

"My mother has spent the entire night waiting by the window, hoping for his return. I am truly concerned... He's been acting so strangely... But apart from that, I am a platoon leader, not the Commander of the whole damn order," he grumbled.

"...Perhaps if you were a bit more lenient with the knights," she suggested.

He raised an eyebrow in response. "I have a reputation to maintain. They truly need the Baron's guidance,"

Placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, she spoke softly. "The commander is human too. I'm sure he will return soon. Perhaps he needs this time for himself to sort out his thoughts."

Adela shared her friend's pain, for Arkin had always idolized the Baron, much like she idolized the Archduke. As children, they would rarely argue, but when they did, it often revolved around who had the better father and why.

He rested his hand on top of hers until she withdrew it.

"...What about Their Excellencies?"

It was her turn to let out a weary sigh. "Mother has secluded herself in her quarters, and Father is nowhere to be found. He is either searching for the Commander... or they have gone somewhere together,"

Arkin and Adela exchanged a long, apprehensive glance. Whenever their fathers left together without informing anyone, it invariably signaled trouble ahead.

Adela frowned upon spotting the same guard who had turned her away from meeting with Egon the day before.

Occasionally, there were knights of noble lineage foolish enough to develop feelings for Lady de Lanark. The flush on the guard's face indicated that he was her latest victim, but he was about to become Arkin's victim now. His depleted patience wore thin as the guard approached them.

"What?" Arkin barked.

"S-Sir Arkin, if you would kindly accompany me back to the King's former estate," the guard stammered. 

"So you're aware that you shouldn't have come in the first place, and now you expect me to accompany you? What are you, a damsel in distress!"

"It's the Commander. He has summoned you," the guard explained.

Arkin and Adela exchanged a quick glance before hastening towards the stables.

The ride to the adjacent estate was a blur, the horses galloping with a sense of urgency. Adela clung to the reins, her heart pounding in her chest. Thoughts raced through her mind, wondering what could have transpired to summon her knight there in such haste.

Upon reaching the King's former manor, the sight that greeted Arkin and Adela was perplexing.

Standing in a solemn line were four figures who seemed strangely out of place together. The Archduke, his trusted Commander, Egon von Conradie, and Leopold von Conradie. The atmosphere surrounding them was heavy, as if overshadowed by an impending tragedy.

Leopold's countenance especially stood out as his usually bronze skin now bore a ghostly pallor with a green shade mixing strangely into it.

As Arkin dismounted from his horse, his protective instincts surged causing him to glare intensely at the von Conradies. The fierce love and loyalty he held for his father fueled his determination to put an end to the unbearably ambiguous situation.

"What is the meaning of this, Father?" Arkin demanded with a worried tone.

"Sir Arkin," came the Archduke's voice, cutting through the tension. "I am promoting you to the position of Commander."

Devastation threatened to knock Arkin off his feet as he was offered his father's position. He looked at his father's pained face and felt an overwhelming wave of misery wash over him. Yet, he couldn't utter a word of complaint in front of the Archduke.

Adela, who had been watching Arkin's internal struggle couldn't help but intervene. "Has the Baron made a mistake, father?" she asked cautiously.

Egon shot her a sharp look, but she paid it no mind. Unlike Egon, Arkin was someone who would always belong to Adela, and she was just beginning to understand the depth of that true bond that survived every test it was subjected to. Unlike another one.

"The Baron will appoint another platoon leader in Arkin's place," the Archduke explained. "I am establishing a second order of knights, with its headquarters located here."

Confusion flickered across the faces of both Adela and Arkin.

"The von Conradies will collaborate with us to eradicate the rebels in the forest," the Archduke continued. "Sir Arkin will lead that operation,"

Adela felt a chill run through her veins when she saw the intense hatred in Egon's eyes as he looked at her father. It carried the same hatred she had witnessed him direct at the Archduke on the day the knights attacked his carriage when she fitst met him.

Something had gone terribly wrong in the past few days.

"Sir Arkin, I expect you to be here first thing in the morning so we can work together on this matter." Leopold said with a soft tone.

Arkin was repulsed by the sudden change in Leopold's attitude towards him. The last time they had crossed paths, Leopold's glare alone would have severed his head if such a thing was possible.

"Lady Adelaide..." Arkin began, on the verge of pleading for the oath he had made to always be by her side.

"She will be in charge of replicating the Knight's infirmary in this estate," the Archduke interjected. "For the time being, both of you are expected to maintain a presence here."

Adela would have resisted the idea under normal circumstances, but she had to stand by Arkin's side.

"Now leave us, Adelaide. We need to finalize a few last things about our agreement," the Archduke instructed, his voice laden with an ominous tone before he turned to Arkin. "Make sure to protect her always."

The foreboding tone in his voice, combined with his contorted face obscured by the swirling sand in the yellow air reminded Adela of the feud between the two families, one that seemed to have no end in sight.

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