Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 153: Restlessness

Chapter 153: Restlessness

Aideen stood outside the small wooden house, her trembling hands clutched together in front of her stomach, her bleak yellow and green eyes fixed firmly on the landscape before her.

After she had managed to successfully move the avalanche down from the Dragon Mountain and return to the village, the princess did not rest for even a moment, her frantic mind lost in the whirlwind of dangerously anxious thoughts, and her heart––a desperate bird, hitting its bleeding chest against her ribcage.

Sir Noah finally emerged from behind the house’s door, holding a large steaming cup of herbal tea and a warm woven blanket. Wrapping the blanket around her shoulders, he carefully placed the cup between her palms, and said in a worried tone,

"Yer Grace, please get inside and rest near the fireplace. You have been standing here for hours now; I managed to safely bring you back to the village like I promised His Grace so I cannot be thrown out because I dared to let you freeze to death."

Although she was grateful for the knight’s genuine concern, Aideen could not agree with his words.

Having adjusted the blanket with one hand, she shook her head and turned back to watch the empty snow field in front of her.

"Thank you, Sir Noah, but I cannot do that. I will not be able to rest without him here."

The man sighed, understanding the reason for his lady’s restlessness.

When they came to the village, to their great relief, they learned that every knight had made his return; some came back unharmed, and some required to have their wounds tended, but they were alive, they were back.

Everyone but one. Tillian was not amongst them.

The knights said that they lost sight of him while they were fighting the magic beasts and when they still could not find him after the beasts were defeated, knowing their lord, they simply assumed that he had already returned to the village.

’The sun is going to rise soon, I can feel the air changing... Why is he not back yet? I cannot help but think about all the horrifying things that could have happened to him while he was separated from his men. How can I rest?’

The minute she learned that her husband had not returned, the princess rushed outside and tried to focus her magic vision the same way she did when she tried to see the burning forest. She hoped that this method would work again and she would be able to find him this way, however, since she used too much of her magic power to put out the fire, her magic vision refused to work, devoiding her of the chance to find Tillian.

’How long will it take for my mana to recover its strength? If only I were stronger, I could have found him, I know. I’m desperate but I can do nothing.’

Sir Noah observed his lady’s quiet distress, attempting to combine all the encouraging and comforting words he could think of but in the end, he could only say what he really meant because he was sure it was a lot better,

"My Lady... I truly don’t think there is a reason to be concerned. His Grace will return before the sun rises, I am certain of it. After all, he is the strongest among us, I refuse to believe that anything dangerous could have happened to him. And in case it does take him longer to come back... After the knights have rested, they will set off to search for him, and with their forces combined, his return will be guaranteed."

"Thank you, Sir Noah."

With her gaze still fixed on the emptiness in front of her, Aideen forced her lips to smile which only made the knight release another quiet sigh.

As the man went back inside the house, the princess put the cup on the frozen ground, wrapped her hands around her shoulders, and closed her eyes, her whisper drowning in the quiet howling of the morning wind,

"Yes, he is the strongest. He will return."

***

The dimmed glow of the countless tall candles cast long shadows on the walls of Valon’s personal alchemy lab.

The second prince sat behind his wide desk, his narrow green eyes firmly fixed on the letters on the pages of a thick book spread open before him, his long thin fingers tapping on the surface of the desk as if he were trying to come up with some sort of a bizarre melody.

Valon was not particularly interested in the book’s contents, after all, he had read it at least a dozen times before, at this moment, all he needed from it was to help him lose the track of time that seemed to have only stretched every passing minute into eternity.

’I am getting bored...’

At last, the prince raised his ginger head and shifted his gaze towards the tall standing clock in the corner of the room. The time was almost six in the morning.

Turning his body in his chair, he looked at the small window behind him, his eyes piercing through the intricate pattern on the glass left by the nightly touch of cold.

’It is about time one of them returned. I am about to jump out of my skin.’

With nothing else left to do, Valon turned back to his desk and started lazily run his eyes over the same pages of the book when suddenly, a light but impatient tapping on the window glass brought his attention back to it.

"Oh! Finally!"

The second prince rose to his feet and rushed towards the window. With a sense of growing impatience, he opened the tiny metal bolts securing wooden window frames, letting in a small bird, its feathers––the color of bright, burning orange as if they were on fire.

Curling his lips into a wide grin, Valon grabbed the bird mid-flight, trapping its delicate body inside his fist, and murmured,

"Welcome back. I wonder what kind of news you have brought with you, little birdie."