Eloise

Chapter 25: Behind the Walls of Credieu

Gasping for breath, the little girl ran through the other side of the vast forest. Her lungs felt out of air as she cannot breathe deeply enough. Sweat ran down her small forehead but the fast beating of her heart continuously rang on her ears, the fear of getting caught plagued her thoughts. She continued to run even when her knees were about to give up.

Just as she anticipated, she stumbled into a rock and fell on the grass. Fatigue succumbed to her body that it refuses to get up. Before she knew it, knights caught sight of her and to her fear, the hostile knights immediately drew their swords.

The seven year old felt helpless on her death's door. With widened eyes and hitched breath, she waited for the sharp blade to take her life but like a salvation at the last minute, a blade emerged from her side and parried the blow that was meant to take her life.

To her shock, another group of knights arrived at the location but the two groups seem to be in a dispute.

“The Count's order is to bring the lady and the child to the Credieu household.” The tall man with dark brown hair stated as his blade blocked the other the same time he stepped his body forward and obstructed the child's line of sight.

“We act in accordance with the Countess' command and it is to kill on sight. You must step aside, Sir Caris.”

The other group of knights stayed hostile. Caris do not recognize them from his troop. It seems like the Countess made her own move without the Count's knowledge and deployed her own group of knights. His grip tightened as he thought of the possibility that they might be a step ahead of them.

“Drawing your sword to the little lady who shares the blood of Credieu is an offense against the family.”

“I am merely acting upon my master's order.”

“Then I'm afraid that you'll have to go against me first.”

The man appeared infuriated with his words and fixed his stance. Just before a duel brewed between them, one of the knights came forward and whispered something to the other, making him draw back his sword to its scabbard.

Sensing the loss of hostility, the other group of knights also sheathed their swords. The little girl who was shocked with the trail of events was frozen in place, her feet feeling numb as she trembled in fear. Her consciousness felt like it was hanging on a thin thread.

The knight, Caris turned to look at the child with the familiar hair color. The long wavy hair that he used to adore, it was an unusual color among the kingdom and he only knew one person with the same lilac hue. It was as if he was seeing the childhood of that person, though her blue eyes that trembles in fear states otherwise.

Caris reached out his hand but quivered as it stopped midway. His heart felt full with emotions he cannot name. Memories buried for the past years surged like wildfire, hunting him to painful misery. He thought he finally escaped from this wretched fate, but ghosts of the past still haunted him.

This little girl was undoubtfully her offspring. The child of the woman she once promised to marry. But unfortunately, she doesn't share his blood.

Do I hate her or do I pity her?

Caris was confused with his own emotions. But to answer his questions, his body moved on his own. He removed his coat and wrapped it around the shivering dainty body. Little Eloise was taken aback when the light coat enveloped her body. The warmth of the coat reached her heart the same time as the kind voice reached her ears.