The Time Keeper

Chapter 26 - Personal Secrets

The afternoon glow cast rays of sunshine through the windows of the carriage, painting patterns on the interior and as we rumbled along the worn cobblestone streets. The rhythmic clatter of hooves creating a soothing song that gradually calmed my worries.

Fleur had her gaze looking out towards the passing scenery. The tall and refined buildings getting smaller and smaller as we departed from Fallholt.

Fleur finally broke the silence after the last few buildings left our view. "There are things you can't know, Elias," she said softly, her words carrying an undercurrent of secrecy yet serene.

"I beg your pardon?" I replied

"Father August. He's not someone I can oppose, not even Darius." She averted her eyes over to mine, "There are things you can't know," she repeated.

"I get you have to follow the rules and such, but isn't there anything you can tell me? At all?"

Fleur hesitated from my audacious response and took a moment to think before responding, her expression filled with scepticism.

"Elias, I understand your curiosity, and I wish I could tell you everything. I really do. But the truth is, the less you know now, the better," she said and paused to think of how to continue. "There are forces at play that go beyond what any of us can fully comprehend. It's, for your protection."

Her words hung in the air, a barrier between me and the answers I desperately sought. It was clear that Fleur had made up her mind, that there were boundaries she couldn't even cross. My frustration grew, mingling with a sense of helplessness that threatened to overwhelm me. Unfortunately, now I had even more questions.

I was starting to get desperate, to know anything at this point. All the previous questions that had been placed in front of me had yet to come forth, and now I had even more. What kind of powerful forces were there and was I getting myself into something too far above me?

"Fleur," I said, my voice tinged with a mixture of determination and frustration. "I can handle the truth. I want to know. I need to know."

She turned her gaze back to me, her eyes filled with empathy. "I know you're capable Eli, I've told you before. But sometimes, knowledge can be a double-edged sword. The more you know, the more you become entangled in this dangerous web I've unfortunately got you in. And I won't allow that to happen to you. I can't do this again."

Fleur had a slight pain in her voice, the kind I was familiar with. I must've hit a nerve.

A surge of emotion welled within me, and yet I still felt gratitude for Fleur's concern. "Fleur, I appreciate your concern, I truly do. But I can't just sit back and remain ignorant. I need to understand why I'm here, why I'm caught up in all of this."

Fleur's grip tightened. "All I can tell you is that the person that saved us is not only very powerful, but they have our best interests at heart. You won't have to worry."

I knew there was much she wouldn't be able to tell me, and questions I know I can't even ask. Thankfully I was very determined and had a stubborn resolve to uncover any kind of truth on my terms. I wouldn't stop until I was satisfied with the outcome.

Silence settled between us, the carriage carrying us forward as the weight of the unspoken hung heavily in the air. I knew Fleur spoke with sincerity—with a deep-rooted concern for my well-being. And yet, a part of me yearned for the knowledge to shape my own destiny, to grasp the unknown that lay just beyond my reach.

After a while longer, I pressed again. "What about Pandora and the pendant? What was her connection to all of this?"

"There are things you can't know," she repeated with more of a stern voice this time.