oneirataxia

1.27 - truth (3)

"Why'd you do it?"

"Do what, young master?" Okumura asked, his head leaning against the wall as he glanced at Blake from behind the bars.

Okumura Kenma, a respectful and young knight who had a bright future in front of him, now sat in a dirty cell full of rats and dust. Accused of poisoning the young miss of the family he loyally served for years. He looked miserable, his once proper hair, was now messy and unkempt as his face was covered in dust. He wore only a simple brown shirt with dark green pants. He was only 17, how could he ever try and poison a young princess of a duchy? Unless he has a death wish, he would never.

Blake didn't understand why he took the blame. No, he just couldn't understand. Why? Why? What made his loyal knight betray his trust like that just to cover up everything someone else did? Was the person sir Kenma covering for so important? Was it a family member? Was it a friend?

"Why... did I not treat you well enough?" Blake asked. He looked straight at his former knight, tears prickling his eyes.

"that's not it, young master. That is and never will be the reason. You've treated me so well. If I told you the reason, you wouldn't believe me," he turned to look at Blake, flashing a sad smile.

"Tell me. Please... if it wasn't because of me, then what was the reason?!" Blake shouted, his tears streaming down his face as he bit his lips, trying to contain his tears only to fail in doing so.

Sir Okumura sighed, getting off the hard floor and walking towards the bars of the prison while Blake stood on the other side. He crouched in front of Blake, cupping the child's face in his rough and calloused hand before wiping away the tears that fell with his thumb. "If I tell you, will you stop crying?"

Blake shrugged and looked down at the ground, ashamed that he cried over something so small.

'I guess being in a child's body had made me convert back into being a child,' he thought.

"well, where do I even start?" The teen laughed as he pulled his hand away and sat down cross-legged, looking at Blake with fondness in his eyes.

"The beginning,"

....

"I was a child who didn't know who my parents were. An orphan who was lucky enough to be adopted into a family in the eastern region. Life was fine, the family wasn't that well off but I was always eternally grateful that they took me in.

One day, when I was 13, my adoptive parents died. A noble killed them. I heard it was because my adoptive father accidentally said the wrong thing, making that damn noble kill both of my parents that night.

That was also the night I found out I had a sister. A biological one who ran away from the church I was abandoned in before I was adopted. I found out that my sister was working here, in the Acker duchy as a maid, so I worked hard to become a knight. Just to meet her again.

Years pass and I entered the duchy 2 years ago, when I was 15. A few months before you arrived, young master. There, I found out my sister was the nanny to lady Flora. So, you can guess why I would protect her... even though she never knew I was her brother, we were quite close you know.

I found out that she had feelings for the duchess... however she was too scared to say anything about it.

That's... my story," Sir Okumura laughed awkwardly, holding his calf tightly as he looked down at the ground. "She's the only family I have left, you know,"

"So that's why you went so far as to take the blame," Blake sighed as he too sat down on the cold and dirty floor.

Sir Okumura only hummed as he leaned his head against the cold steel bars of the prison.

"But... why would she poison Flora and try to blame me?"