Chapter Seven

Year 2775, 4th Sun

Vicinity Twelve (Diton)

The clouds journeyed across the sky, lost behind the mist that enveloped the earth. Aradag had to sit next to Lady Avis to be able to see her expressions as she spoke.

"Men always attempt to approach women like me," she began, "but they come with ulterior motives and shallow taste. It is my beautiful appearance that attracts them like moths to a candle, a curse rather than a blessing.

"Those whom my father allowed into his castle asked for my hand in marriage. Without a fault, every knight, every count had attempted to place a ring on my finger. My rejections did not diffuse their futile hopes; rather, they seemed to spur on my father. He began searching for suitors himself, as if he were hurrying to marry me off to some nobleman or the other."

Aradag thought to himself during the Lady's pause, trying to understand the motives of such a plan. Was the Count aiming for a political marriage?

"At first I had many a reason to say no," the woman interrupted his train of thought. "This one is too old, that one too ugly, another one too tall... and then I started to give senseless reasons, started looking for specific facial features, demanded unreasonable amounts of money. After this approach began to lose effect, I resorted to unexplained rejections. All of this greatly angered my father."

The noblewoman stopped to breathe, giving Aradag time to take in what he had heard. He nodded to her as a signal that it was okay to continue, but she sat still, unresponsive.

"M'lady?"

"Martha was his name." Aradag shifted uncomfortably at the forlorn smile on the noblewoman's face. "He was a strange mysterious man, one who never spoke of himself nor of his bloodline. He always gave me the care and time that I sought from the world. I-I loved him for it."

"I assume he was a friend?"

"In a sense. We were together more often than apart. I always sneaked out to meet him without having to worry about my guards. He sometimes infiltrated the castle; once as a gardener, another time as a servant... no one took notice of his appearance.

"One day, he proposed under the moonlit sky. Everything happened so quickly. I thought it too early for marriage, but it was like he had some magical grasp over me. I eventually said yes." Lady Avis caressed the gem on her finger, recalling the memory. More silence ensued, broken only by Aradag's gentle voice.

"What happened after?"

"We spent a romantic night together that would seal the promise of our marriage," she said. "When I woke up the next day, I was met with empty space. I felt troubling thoughts begin to consume me, all pointing towards this man, my beloved who loved me and left. When I eventually found him, I..."

Aradag scanned Lady Avis's face for signs of distress, but they disappeared as soon as he recognized them. "Lady Avis, I understand that this tale brings you pain. If you would like to—"

"I appreciate your concern, Navy Captain, but I have long since made peace with these anxious thoughts." Despite the confidence in her voice, Aradag couldn't bring himself to believe her. "Moving on, I saw Martha morph into a ghastly beast that did not resemble a human being in any way. I could not describe his... its appearance to you without you rightfully thinking I belong in a mental help facility.

"His hands waved in the air, and then a gate opened. A portal of some sort, if I may. His—its shadow disappeared into it." Lady Avis bit her bottom lip. "I thought I was dreaming and would wake up to his face next to mine, but I know the way he looks at me all too well."

While the tale did seem far-fetched to him, Aradag tried to convince himself that the noblewoman was telling the truth. The pain in her eyes said it all, after all. "Have you told His Excellency the Count about this?"

"Yes, but he did not believe my words. He accused me of excusing my sins to avoid a lawful marriage. I am now locked in the castle for life, running errands as the Castle's keeper."

"So you sneak out of the castle?" Aradag pursed his lips.

"I managed to coerce some servants into letting me out from time to time."

"I see." Aradag decided to take his chances at improving her mood. "So how does it feel opening up to a stranger from a foreign land, m'lady?"

Lady Avis eyed him with her signature cold expression, making him regret his words. Just as he began to apologize, she laughed to herself. "You are awfully snarky, Navy Captain, but I suppose it feels almost relieving. I must thank you for listening, but..."

"But...?"

"I must hasten to inform you that if a word of our conversation reaches the wrong people, I will have you imprisoned."

A smile appeared on his face in retaliation. "You have my word, Lady Avis."

The duo lapsed back into silence. While Lady Avis took to looking at the stars, Aradag thought over what he learned about the noblewoman. Her situation was highly unusual, that was a given, but what could he do about it? Whisk her away from her overbearing father?

Well, upon further inspection...

"Come with me, m'lady."

Lady Avis's attention snapped to him in an instant. "Where to, exactly?"

"Wherever in the world I set foot next, come with me," Aradag elaborated. "Let's just go home, my home."

"Pardon?"

Aradag smiled nervously. "I-I'm serious, Lady Avis. I will have the Duke—"

"What an atrocious offer!" Aradag couldn't tell what the noblewoman was feeling, but... "Dear Lord... let's say I do take you seriously and accompany you back to your vicinity. Do you think my father wouldn't dispatch an army after us? That is, of course, if we even made it alive past the vicinity borders."

Lady Avis shivered in her seat, suddenly stood up from where she rested. Worry replaced the incredulity in her stiff face, and her eyes chased the dark shadow roaming atop the grass. Aradag stood and caught her by the arm, calling her name multiple times but failing to catch her attention. Alarm radiated from her still posture, her fists clenched.

"Calm down, m'lady, talk to me!" Aradag shouted, shaking her by the arm a handful of times before she could hear him.

"I feel him," Lady Avis said, her voice strained as she looked straight behind Aradag. "He's here, he's here!"

Aradag turned around, found himself face-to-face with a man with a stern face. He felt the heat in the stranger's eyes long before he realized who it was. Oh, hello Martha.

The shadow-cloaked man was dressed in all black with flecks of blood red wrapping around his body. To Lady Avis's surprise, Martha stood so close to her that she could reach out and touch him, if only to make sure that he was real. Avis was too stunned to speak, her jaw hanging agape despite herself, while Aradag shared in her shock.

After a long minute, the man called Martha decided to shatter the tense silence. "Stay away from her."

He disappeared into thin air, leaving the duo distraught.

"Take me home," she said, "take me home now."

Aradag barely slept that night. Yesterday's dilemma didn't sink in yet when he woke up in the morning, but he didn't make a big deal of it. He pulled on his uniform and called for a servant to take him to the Count's office. He thought it best to inform the Count of what he had seen, if only to clear his daughter's name. The shadow-human, Martha, who tricked his daughter into sinning, looked like a force to be reckoned with. His promise to Lady Avis would have to be somewhat broken, for her own safety, he reasoned.

Aradag predicted ahead of time that the Count would be angry. The Count was furious and asked him to immediately leave the island. Fury licked at both men, but Aradag resorted to leaving anyway in hopes that he wouldn't create any more problems for Lady Avis, who would surely despise him. Aradag had a hope to meet the lady once more before he sailed, but no arrangement was made. Instead, he could do nothing but write her a letter.