Saudade (Published under Indie Pop)

Chapter 2: The Prisoners

Chapter 2: The Prisoners

They caught pirates. I couldn't put that thought aside. These western people caught pirates and, I knew it was dangerous and foolish but I wanted to see one. If I was at home, I would probably sneak out. It would be easy. But I was at a foreign place and getting past the guards outside my room and a servant assigned to me in itself was proving to be challenging.

Said servant was patiently combing my hair, seemingly uncaring about other interesting things happening outside these walls.

"So... what would they do with the pirates?" I asked the servant, finally snapping from being out of the loop of information. The servant given to me was tall and looked to be about my age. I guessed it would be fine to talk to her because she looked kind, too.

"The Lords would be the ones to decide on that matter, Lady Primrose," she answered with a smile.

I looked at her through the mirror. "Have you ever seen one?" I asked again.

"Well, Lord Threy—" She managed to stop just before saying what she meant and she looked scared. Even I didn't know what to say after hearing his name. It was silent for a few passing moments before I decided to speak again.

"You had served him when he's still here, then," I concluded. She simply looked at me and went back to combing my hair. It still wasn't clear to me how a person whom this city used to adore could suddenly be simply hated. Saying his name was a mortal sin in this place. How could they erase a person's entire existence this way, as if it was such a simple matter?

"Lord Threy must have treated you well because you still haven't forgotten his name." The servant looked at me with discomfort. And maybe, some fear, too.

"Please, my lady. There will be punishment for those who speaks of him. I must also be punished for saying his name in front of you," she pleaded.

I didn't realize how serious it was until I remembered that Lord Magnus had also stopped speaking about him.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized. In reality, I wanted to talk about him but the servant was afraid and I didn't think there was any way I could get her to break that one simple rule.

She continued combing my hair in silence. She left after helping me to settle down on the bed. But sleep seemed to be miles away because my mind kept me up with my own thoughts.

There are pirates outside. I had been wondering how they would look like. I had never seen one in my whole life. They were hated and feared with a subtle kind of awe at the same time. They were the villains who stand between the main land and the Outsiders who lived on the other part of the sea. Being an outsider was bad enough but living as a pirate was twisted. It was the most unlawful thing in the four cities.

But these pirates might have some idea about that person. They might have information about his whereabouts or if he was ever coming back. Despite knowing that coming back would be difficult, I still believed he will.

I hope he never finds that woman.

That was a mean thing to think of. I tried to stop my selfish thought. How could I think of such a thing? If he never found her, then everything he had done would just be for naught. But I wanted him back just like the way it was before. Not for the first time in recent years, I wished I could hate him the way I hated Chester Weston.

After a few hours, I got impatient because I couldn't be comfortable enough in the bed to sleep. The night was deep and the darkness foreboding. When the clock struck 1:00 AM, I gave up on sleep altogether and grabbed my feathery black coat. It was my favorite, perfect to use during nights just like this. I slowly opened my room's door and peeked discreetly out the hallway. No one was here except for a sleeping guard at the end of the hall. I frowned. How could he do that? How could he sleep like that why on his duty? I sneaked out of my room and carefully made my way to the entrance of the mansion. The whole place was definitely quiet except for the occasional discreet footsteps from other parts of the house.