Those Lovely Shards (BXB)

Chapter Thirty-Three

The perpetual skies of summer are buckled with clouds, and they flare up in a luminous, neon-blue when the mood takes them.

A goulash of scents twirls above the satin soft petals, and the pear-sweet taste in the air is a blessed joy. Neil smiled as he once again knocked on the door of the place he had known as his second home.

"Finally, you came. I was so worried when Cassius told me that you abruptly left, and then the queen took away Prince Dove, and now he is going to be publicly hanged. Agh! It's all such a mess," Eryx yelled at Neil.

"Eryx." Cassius lovingly took his hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly. "Breathe, okay?"

Eryx smiled and tip-toed to place a small peck on Cassius's lips.

Neil's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped open. He was positive he and Dove were the only eccentric ones who liked each other. But there were more people out there like them. And somehow the thought eased Neil's heart a little.

"What? It's bad to stare, Mr. Moody," Eryx said.

"I hope that nickname doesn't stick," Neil muttered under his breath.

Just then, Azealia stepped out of the kitchen. Her curls fell over her forehead, her apron was wrinkled, and there was some flour stuck near the bottom of her left cheek. She looked just as he had remembered her.

"Neil, you came back!" She engulfed him in a warm embrace, which Neil gratefully returned.

"How have you been?" Neil asked. They talked for about ten minutes. Azealia couldn't stop flaunting the fact that the prince of Alynthi was actually in their house. She praised Eryx and filled him in about what happened after he and Dove left for Dove's godfather's place.

Instantly, guilt gnawed at his stomach. He apologized to both Eryx and Azealia profusely. He hadn't thought that they'd have to be the ones shouldering the consequences of his reckless decisions. Both Eryx and Azealia forgave him. Both of them reassured Neil that he wasn't the one to be blamed for it.

Just then, the front door to the Knight's cottage opened, and Mr. Knight stepped in with two dead ducks tied around his walking stick. His face morphed into a look of pure joy and astonishment when he saw Eryx and Neil.

They talked for a while, and then later, during supper time, Neil shared his plan to rescue Dove.

"I'll need all the help I can get, but at the same time, I don't want you all to participate in such a risky mission," he sighed.

"Of course, we're staying by your side. Why do you think me and Cassius—I mean His Highness—traveled all the way here? It was to help you and Dove. We'll do the best we can."

And so it was decided. The next day, their journey had begun.

They had rented a wagon for the purpose and were currently on their way to reach the Royal Castle.

The sun was a muted, wax melt-yellow, but shafts of light still poured through patches of cloud and onto the lake. Lances of its molten-gold beams splashed onto the walls of the kingdom, illuminating it in a beautiful resplendent glow.

Neil, Eryx, Cassius, and Azealia had infiltrated the castle, disguising themselves as locals who came to deliver the rations at set times in the castle. They had managed to swap positions with the actual staff who were allocated the task without much difficulty.

Cassius was tasked to ride the wagon while Neil, Eryx, and Azealia hid inside the wagon's compartment along with sacks of grains and dry goods. The guards inspected the chariot lazily and didn't even bother to open the compartment. They were so used to the mundane routine that they didn't even have the slightest bit of suspicion in their heads.