The entire table is dead silent — except for the raucous noise in the packed room of The Cross tavern. Everyone wanted to go to The Lattice since it is the most popular tavern in the Village, and served better refreshments, but Mira refused. She will not sit in the same tavern her brother resided, not after what happened.

They all seemed to understand and that brought them to The Cross. After the intense brawl, Mira immediately sought to looking for Kaleb and found him in the same place she left him in— beneath the tree. He mentioned that him and the team finished their searches and still had time to spare for drinks for a little while before they had to head back to Court.

Mira is a tiny bit intruiged about what these searches were about. But she also didn't care and just wanted to see him again.

Mira takes a small sip of her rum and gently swallows down the cool liquid, reminiscing in the way it cooled her throat and body from the overly-packed and stuffed room. She so badly wants to chug down the entire drink, but she knows it'll lead her to being the  unattractive drunkard and act like the complete opposite person that she actually is, and that is the extremely discourteous repellent person.

She quickly skims the table to Zalaena reading a book she found on the wooden bench when they arrived and Mira is still trying to figure out how one can read a book by turning to the next page every two seconds. But that is something Zalaena does when everyone else is awkward and quiet. She keeps to herself and never involves herself in such situations. It's always been something admirable about her.

Next to Zalaena —Adelaide is neatly propped on her hand, gazing dreamily across from them, at the too handsome Kaleb sitting beside her.

Kaleb is looking intently down into his drink as if he were wishing it could somehow lift out of the ale jug, his hair locks falling over his forehead into his eyes. Mira has been wanting to ask why he was so quiet since they entered the tavern, and why he was so hooked into his thoughts. But she found it mean to disrupt him and his rumination.

She is also all too aware of the rest of the guards sprawled around throughout the room having drinks themselves, and when their duty times are officially over  would they return back to Court, but Mira is pretty sure that they were only waiting for Kaleb to initiate the call for them to leave.

It wasn't hard to pick out who they were except for their uniforms — most people has stopped their drinking to gawk at the random men; which Mira instantly knew had to be the guards, concluding by the way they were staring at them. Some women were even around touching and trying  to seduce them and some men tried touching their swords but that only led to the drunkards running down the hall for their lives in fear of getting cut up into two pieces.

She has also noticed the fair amount of people watching them; well Kaleb for that matter. It isn't everyday when guards are sent here for work and go to the local inns for a bout. So as soon as Kaleb and the rest of his guards stepped into the inn, the room has been more busy with looking and being all busy in their business.

Mira sighs again. It is clear how exhausted all of them were. Even though the game wasn't that long and they didn't even take part in it; it was still exhausting to go and watch it, dedicating all your attention to the brawling. But Mira was happy with the results nonetheless. The one she bet on won— which  left Adelaide crying out too loud, and Zalaena not giving a single damn about who won or lost.

She even scanned the arena in hopes of seeing Jezio. But her assumptions were correct. He hasn't pitched up at all.

Just as she was about to take another sip of her ale did Adelaide; still in her dreamy stance, pipe up; "So Kaleb right?"

Kaleb suddenly and briskly jerks his attention from his ale to meet Adelaides red eyes, "Excuse me?"

"Your name is Kaleb? And you're from the Court?"

He turns to Mira and gives her a small grin which sent butterflies in her belly. "Yes that's correct."

Adelaide hums in response, cocking her chin on the other hand now, "And you are here why?"

Zalaena without looking up from her book answers her before Kaleb could, "Hell Adelaide. Give the man a break, can't you see that he is tired?"

"I didn't ask you Z. I was talking specifically to Kaleb over here." Scowls Adelaide, her beautiful smile gone replaced with a look of annoyance.

Zalaena rolls her eyes and looks up from her book, "All I'm trying to say is, don't interrogate the poor guy like that."

Mira stifles her laughter and sees Kaleb watching them in awe.

He finally smiles and clicks his nails against his jug, "It's alright," He meets Zalaena's eyes, but Zalaena's expression doesn't change one bit. It's still her usual neutral face — the non-smiling one. "I am here conducting some searches from around the Village especially close to the Crystal Waters during the festival which has happened a few days ago."

Adelaide frowns leaning closer to him across the table her eyes wide with interest, "Why? Anything happen? Oh my word! Someone died isn't it? I knew it."

Zalaena quickly scolds Adelaide and moves her hair over one ear, "Damn Adelaide! Seriously? You think someone died at the festival?"

"Hey you never know!"

Mira turns to him, "What happened?"

"Well we don't know if it is something to fret about. But some guards has been reporting sighting of something big and loud from the waterfall, but when we went there, all we were met with  was an icy wind and a few trails of blood on the ground."

Adelaide gasps again with both hands covering her mouth. "Someone did die!"

"Adelaide we can't be sure if someone died. What Kaleb said doesn't prove anything." Mira suddenly feeling parched and chilled to the bone, downs the rest of the drink and pours more. Pity she is getting the last drink. They might need more.

Well hell. Kaleb had to leave her for a reason.  So why does she feel guilty? Maybe because she was at the exact area where he was. And she saw her brother with a girl at the same time too, who might be some witnesses to what has happened. Surely it can't be a coincidence.

"Maybe it was a big big fight?" Zalana offers shrugging her shoulders before lifting her hand calling out for more ale, with a response that went something along the lines of, get it your fucking self you whore. But Zalaena, having the personality of a cold stone isn't  phased in the slightest and slowly draws her attention back to Kaleb. Her book still open. So if she was bored she'd ignore them all and go on reading again.

"We are thinking that too. But determining from the amount of blood, the person was bleeding quite a bit so it had to be a huge fight." Kaleb makes a pattern from his ale from the wetness beneath his glass on the wooden table.

"Oh someone got hurt! Well that's normal in the Village. I don't even think you should bother to be honest. The guards were a bit high on the powders." Adelaide seeing the jerking of her torso, is swinging her legs beneath the table and gently sips her rum from a straw. She is the only person that Mira knows who drank a majority of her drinks from a straw. Even her tea at times.

"Surely. If we find nothing after the week we might just leave it." Kaleb nods.

Mira runs her fingers through her hair and swings the lot to the left side cocking her head too, exposing her neck on the right. She could groan from the relief she is feeling from the thick locks removed that was blocking the cool air from wafting around her head and neck.

When she moved her head back up her hair still on the side and might just be left there; did she see Kaleb running his gaze over her neck and to her exposed cleavage, in an icy hot look that made her feel weak but sensual.

Luckily for her Adelaide and Zalaena didn't notice. Or if they did, they pretended extremely well to ignore it.

Kaleb looks across the table again, Mira knew because she couldn't feel the desired look from his eyes on her heated skin anymore.

"If any of you know anything or saw anything suspicious around there. Please speak to the guards."

His words are quick to make her chill again. There she feels guilty again. She didn't see what happened but she knows who might.

"Of course we will. I wouldn't want to wake up to someone killing me in my sleep." Adelaide shivers and draws her arms around herself.

"Adelaide my dear. You can't wake up to someone killing you. You'll be dead already." Zalaena groans and  Adelaide simply gives her a fake smile and a vulgar gesture.

Zalaena continues, "Well I don't know if this is important, but I just remembered something —the reason I came later that night, ignoring the fact that I couldn't find you guys, is because I left work a little later and there was this peasant living behind the Blacksmith and he kept pulling my arms as I tried to leave."

Mira didn't have to ask further. She knows it's the old  man with the bones. She is also surprised with herself of why she hasn't told her friends about this. She has kept it all to herself. And the old man's home is directly behind the Blacksmith. And since he is a beggar no one cared about him or tried to get him away.

"So you're saying he knows something?" Kaleb questions. The desire gone.

"Well I don't know. It was the night of the festival when this strange thing happened so perhaps. His mouth was all bloody too. Maybe it was him bleeding on the floor."

Mira crosses her legs over one another and can't help but to shake her legs uncontrollably. She takes in a deep breath and and grazes her thighs hard with her nails. It actually drew pain. Her heart beat so hard, it hurt her chest. It could be the old man bleeding on the floor that time, Zalaena was right.

It was Zalaena who noticed her and concern was drawn onto her brows, "Mira? Are you alright?"

Mira swallows and nods, "Yes I am," another gulp, "I saw that man. His tongue is cut off. And I saw some people at the Crystal Waters that night. When you were there."

With that she gives her attention to Kaleb and locks her gaze with his.

He looks deeply into her eyes as if he was trying to suck the truth out of it. Even Adelaide and Zalaena has quieted and leaned in, waiting for her to say something. Mira is pondering whether Kaleb thought she had something to do with it, even though she was with him around that time. Not to mention that she appeared there after he did. She doubts the old man could be much help. His mouth is all bleached and cleaned up, but those stains she saw could be evidence enough.

"Who were they? Were the doing something?"

Mira realizes that she should of shut the hell up. Was she betraying her brother? Not really if she thinks about it. He was innocent in this matter by the looks of it. He was simply having the time of his life with a girl. She hasn't noticed them doing anything else. So it couldn't be them. But still they were there, and could count as witnesses.

Or maybe something has happened, but he just wouldn't tell her. Because that is what he has been doing these past few days anyway; acting like she is not his sister anymore.

"Not really no. I saw them uhh... Doing some uhh... Well sex I suppose." She doesn't know why that made her blush but it did, and she felt colour rising onto her cheeks and avoided everyone's eyes. Thinking of your own sibling  having sex is flagrant.

Kaleb clears his throat and continues, "That could work. Do you know them?"

Her answer was too quick for her liking. "No."

"And this old man?"

Fuck.

"I'll show you where he stays." Mira could almost strangle Zalaena for exposing the poor man.

"When I come back again yes I will. You work at the Blacksmith?"

"Yes I'm there most of the time. So you won't have trouble finding me."

Mira doesn't know how she feels about him going to the old man, she knows she should be feeling better that finally some puzzles would be resolved. But why did she feel uneasy with them going to the old man.

She sees Adelaide still listening in on the conversation but Zalaena has now taken this as her time to continue reading the book, her middle path encrusted with jewels gleaming under the dim lighting.

Mira had to raise her voice slightly now, because the singing and dancing and going on in the tavern has suddenly increased a notch. "If I see their faces or something then I will let you know."

Kaleb nods and once again looks down into his drink and swirls the liquid around.

Adelaide starts twirling her hair around her finger and it is clear that she is a little tipsy —because the swinging of her legs has become faster."So Mister Kaleb, you're literally living in the Court?"

"Yes." Meeting her eyes.

Adelaide gasps and cups both cheeks looking at him intently, "So you stay with the Elemental?!"

"Well not together in the same chambers. She has her own chambers on the top floor and the guards are in the middle."

"Duhh." Adelaide replies a little too loud, "And what about her? Is she pretty? And Oh what dresses does she wear? Is it lace? I always loved lace-"

"Here are your drinks!" The voice belongs to a very young girl, perhaps a year or two younger than Mira with hair black as sin and eyes even darker. She smiles brightly as she sets the jugs onto the table from her tray and picks up the empty ones.

Zalaena has stopped her reading to watch the girl herself, running her eyes over the torn corset tightly wound around her breasts and the tattered edges of the dress as it brushes the girls shins.

"Call if you need anymore." She burps and giggles immediately after pressing her one hand on her mouth, the other balancing the tray as her cheeks turned into ripe tomatoes.

The poor girl was a mess— her messy bun and loose strands frames her face which looked drunk as fuck.

Zalaena watches her sternly as she returns to the back of the tavern — probably to get more drinks.

"Uggh, finally!" Exclaims Adelaide as she pours another full glass of rum.

Zalaena scolds her for pouring so much and told her that she is more drunk than the girl who served their drinks.

Adelaide simply and drunkenly ignores her by moving out of her grasp as Zalaena tried hitting her hand, causing rum to spill over.

"Leave me alone Z! Now look what you did? You wasted some precious rum for me!"

She looks to Kaleb again, and Mira clenched her teeth at how red Adelaides eyes were. She definitely drank too fast and way too much.

Zalaena scratches around beneath the table and draws out her cigar, lights it up and and blows out wafts of smoke.

"You were saying Kaleb?" Continues Adelaide.

Mira pours herself a drink too and decides to listen in on the conversation. She didn't really care about the Elemental if she were honest. It's not like anything would change? It's just a stupid crown going to be placed on her head and then? A magical spell will happen? Are they then all going to be turned into mages and witches? Mira finds this entire crowning  adsurd and pointless. She doesn't know why the villagers were going on about it too.

Prepping new curtains, cleaning gardens and their homes, purchasing the special foods which are usually sold during festivals and making huge feasts. All for what? It's not like the Elemental would come ahead and check if their homes were clean and if they were eating the good food. So why go on?

"She likes short dresses and she is very beautiful I suppose."

"And? How is she like?"

"Goddammit Adelaide, we won't meet her why are you asking all these questions?" Zalaena blows the smoke into Adelaides face to annoy her.

Adelaide wipes it away and goes on, "I'm just curious. You know we never hear anything from the Court. It's like a library— boring and quiet. And besides maybe our senses of fashion are similar and she offers me a place at Court," she sighs dreamily and sips her drink slower this time, "Imagine that guys! Waking up every morning in the Court and being treated like a princess. Isn't it your dream?"

"Only for you yes." Zalaena blows again.

Mira shakes her hair out widly before replying to Adelaide, "I actually think it's perfect here for me. You have everything you need here, only difference between here and the Court is the fact that at the Court everything is spoon-fed to you. Need to take a piss, the maid will take you. Need food, they'll cook it for you. Things like that."

"Exactly! See Mira understands me." She starts swirling her hair  around her finger again.

Kaleb chuckles and starts skimming the room and starts speaking without breaking his gaze from looking for his guards, "She's pretty nice. I think she'd make a great leader."

Mira doesn't know why, but the way Kaleb was describing her —brought a maelstrom of jealousy swirling uneasily in her belly.

Adelaide continues babbling on and on about the Elemental. This time it was how their routines worked, what she ate, her looks and body type — she even asked Kaleb if he would kiss her. That caused him to blush and it brought back the memories of them against the wall. And she wishes so much to do it again.

She does wonder if he would kiss the Elemental however, they are close everyday because he is technically her personal guard and is to be with her for the entire day for protection. So being that close like that all the time  — Mira wouldn't be surprised if he did.

"Ayy, I need to dance! Just look at the place! It's crazy!"

Everything that spilled out of Adelaides drunk soul was true — the partying here in the tavern has doubled more than it did just a few minutes ago. The movements were rough, the singing louder she could even the hear the moaning and banging of a couple getting at it against the door right in front of their eyes. Mira wrinkles her nose in disgust.

"Yes you guys dance. I'm leaving. This whole evening was draining for me." Obviously that was Zalaena but she wasn't even paying  attention to them; she was eyeing the servant that served them earlier as the little girl made her way to the doors. Seemed like her shift was over, there was relief in her eyes as well. Glad to finally be over with her dreadful work.

Without another word Zalaena was gone right after the girl.

"Uggh she's such an ass. She always leaves us like this." Adelaide rolls her eyes and stands up whilst sipping the remnants of her drink.

"She likes her quiet time Adelaide, you know this." Squeaks Mira as she gets up on the other side too.

"Well I'm going to find me a man and dance. I'll see you tomorrow Mira!" Adelaide smacks her lips together after she practically inhaled the last of her drink and just as she turned, a young man who looked like he was about to leave got stopped by Adelaide. He frowned and started objecting to her that he didn't want sex.

Adelaide smacks his arm and drags him back to where he came from and started pressing herself against his now stiff body. The young man looked too innocent and fragile to force himself away from her.

Mira grins as he finally started giving in and moved with Adelaide.

She turns her attention to Kaleb as she stands up and walks around the bench to his side, "So? You want to dance with me?"

She didn't exactly care what his answer would be, because she took his hand from around his glass and pulled him up so that he towered over her. She knows they were both drunk again, but she is sure a dance before he goes  back to court, wouldn't hurt.

She is also eminently in love with his rough  warm hand in hers as she intertwined their fingers, she could feel the hard callouses on his fingers as it brushed her smaller softer ones.

He was evoking so much heat her head started spinning and she knows it wasn't from the alcohol.

"I can't stay long." He whispers that against her ear, his hot breathe tickling her ear and sent tingles down her spine.

"I know." She whispers against his neck, and she loves the reaction she got from him just from that —the shiver and goosebumps pebbling his skin.

She wanted him so badly. More than she has ever wanted anyone before. And she didn't care if he would lose his reputation at the Court or if the Elemental would want to burn her alive for causing this in the first place.

She met him at the festival and since then, she felt something deep within her that drew her to him. She wonders if he felt the same way about her, or if both times when they wanted to rip each other's clothes off was because of them both being heavily intoxicated.

Still. Right now. She didn't give a fuck.

She circles her arms around his neck and his immediately wrapped tightly around her waist. His arms around her are imprinted in her memory —especially the way it settled right above her ass. His body is so warm and hard heavy with muscle. Even though the room smelled of musk and alcohol and was so stuffy and hot, he still sent shivers running through her body.

"Did I scare away your lover that night?" He looks half drunkenly and and titillating into her eyes.

She nearly forgot about that, she was with Jezio just before he came along. She feels guilty again for lying to him about her knowing who the witnesses were at the waterfall.

"No. He was my brother." She giggles which sent him smiling.

"You have a brother? I didn't know."

She giggles again and starts swaying to some song she hardly recognized with him even though all around them everyone was more rough and erotic with their moves. A few paused to watch them.

"There are many things you don't know about me Kaleb."

He flicks his gaze ahead skimming the room before dropping down onto hers again, "I'd sure like to find out. I want to know something from you."

She lays her head onto his broad chest, and feels the fast pace of his heart. She hums softly in response and hopes he could hear her from over the loud noise.

"Were you following me after we... You know... kissed?"

She flits her eyes up and locks onto them, "No. No I wasn't. I heard something and went back to see."

"Hmm. Well I remembered that I had to go back to Court so I uhh, I had to go and leave you for that. But when I left to go back a guard alerted me that something was wrong." He quiets for a moment and has resulted to resting his head onto her head which made her snuggle in deeper into his neck.

"I hope you are not mad that I had to leave you like that."

"No not at all. It was great." She laughs again. She is so drunk, she is sure as hell that her face matched his — bloodshot eyes and sweaty face, "I was hoping we could finish where we left off then."

He chuckles and it sent her heat right between her legs she was elated that he kept his arms around her, because it felt that she was about to collapse. "We could finish that another time. It really is my time to leave."

Her head is buzzing so much she could of sworn that Kaleb kissed her head.

She grips onto him tighter and stands on her tip toes to hold him tighter, he but only returned the gesture.

"When?" She is almost too afraid to hear the answer.

"Some day. Don't worry. Tell me where we can meet when I have my breaks I'll try my best to come and see you."

Mira starts thinking whether she should bring him to Grasel, but she feels that Grasel would get the shock of her life. Perhaps Kaleb would file and imprison her for selling weeds around the Village illegally. Was it forbidden? What were the Elemental's thoughts on it?

"You can meet me somewhere in the Market area."

He nods and she feels the cold loss of his head on hers as he lifted it from her. She lifts her head too as he leans into her face. She suddenly feels like the only girl in the room. The only one for him. It was just them. And nothing else mattered.

She slowly feels his hands gently grazing over her bottom till the end of it, cupping her softly over her dress and trailing lower and lower until his bare skin made contact with her naked thighs. Her breathe hitched in her throat and she had to allow herself several times to make absolute certain that this was real.

He then slides his hands up her thighs and cups her bottom tightly in his hands; him breathing raggedly in her ear, "I have an off day around the end of the week. In two days we can meet at the Market, front of it. If I'm not there, just know I didn't leave you. It's most likely things at the Court."

In order to stop her burning core she presses her lips to the corner of his lips, and already it was soft and warm.

And a few moments later he was gone with the rest of his guards.

The absence of his body against hers made her feel cold and lonely.

She was instantly met with an insanely long strand of black hair resting on her face. And it wasn't hers.

She already knows whose it is.