The Age of Solace: The Silver Wolf

Chapter 21: The First Revelation

Faradeigh was intensely massaging his temples as he aimlessly wandered the many halls and corridors of the castle. He was being followed by his personal servant, Phillip. He had to admit to himself that he felt guilty for most certainly getting poor Phillip into tremendous amounts of trouble, but he had stated several times that he could get around just fine, and also that he had no need of a servant. Rudeness was not the intention, but he had spent so long caring for himself that he did not know how to allow others to care for his every need. Receiving help once in a while, or having someone to watch his back would not have been so bad. Rather, it was Faradeigh's greatest desire. But being treated for every little thing was nothing short of overbearing to the young Demon Slayer.

"Look, Phillip." Faradeigh said, stopping in his tracks to address the young servant. He was no older than Blyke was. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, I really do. And I also understand you are just doing your job, but I'm sorry to say that I have no desire to have a servant. Just tell me who I have to talk to, and I will arrange for you to work for someone else."

There was more to it than Faradeigh's discomfort, although that was of course the main reason for this decision. Having a servant would greatly interfere with his relationship to Syckle and Rigel, as well as his personal space. However, Faradeigh did have to admit that it was a bit unfair to be taking all of his stress out on the young serving boy. Faradeigh was still avoiding everyone at every possible turn, despite days having passed since the incident. He simply did not know how to deal with his problems.

"But Sir Shackle..." Phillip started.

"Just Faradeigh, please." Faradeigh insisted with a hint of annoyance.

"Faradeigh... sir!" Phillip continued, much to Faradeigh's disdain. "The castle and surrounding town is a vast place! You have been here just shy of two weeks, most of that time spent recovering from injuries. Surely you still need a guide?"

"Where are we?" Faradeigh asked.

"We are..." Phillip hesitated, looking around as he attempted to gain his bearings.

Evidently, Phillip had been so preoccupied that he had not been paying attention to which of the many corridors that they had meandered into. But Faradeigh knew the entire time, and the look of victory due to having this knowledge was plain as day on his face.

"Around that corner is the hall that leads to the castle's armory." Faradeigh spoke, "And for some reason, across from there is the room that belongs to Princess Stella. I imagine walking past there unannounced would get us both into serious trouble, yet you made no moves to stop us. It was not hard to figure that you did not know off-hand where we were. Tell me... do you need a guide?"

Phillip was speechless, and Faradeigh stared him down. They looked into each other's eyes, trying to get a read on the other's thoughts. Faradeigh looked into Phillip's eyes, and saw a young boy who had no idea what he was doing. He saw a boy that was trying his best, and was constantly being met with more and more barriers in his path. Faradeigh frowned at this for he never felt so bad in his life. At a time that was not so long ago, Faradeigh, too, had been having those same thoughts and actions. In some ways, he still was. Despite this, he knew his harsh words were necessary, for the both of them. As such, he held firm and stood his ground.

What Phillip saw when he met Faradeigh's eyes had frightened him. The blue eyes of the warrior were fierce and hard, yes, but what sparked the fear in Phillip's mind was how old they seemed to be. He was looking into the eyes of someone who had seen much, and knew even more. There was experience in those eyes. They held no emotion and betrayed no action. It was as if they knew what to portray, and posed for Phillip specifically. He shuddered at this and backed off.