Alright guys, here I am with a much happier story.
Below he she could faintly hear the soft tune of a paino, expected since her brother was gifted in the arts. No, not just gifted, he was one of the few who was blessed by the heaven above in the arts. Whether is be an instrument or a brush, Feliciano could make a masterpiece. Meanwhile, she had nothing. She was never blessed. She, the first born, was given nothing.
She ignored her brother's music and decided to look herself in the mirror. A fine dress was replaced by a ragged, dirty shirt and a brown pants. It's color closely resembled a potato sack. She bribed a servant boy earlier for this, promising him an extra loaf and a couple coins, he gladly complied. Hair usually long hair that was let loose was made into a bun, and covered by a hat.
"This is the last I'll be here. I won't ever come back." She sung to herself as she traced the lines of an old vanity and continued musing. "I'll find somewhere where I belong. I'll be acknowledged somewhere. I'll be valued somewhere, but it won't be here." That dream will never be fulfilled here, so I must go. "I'll be leaving, but it won't my with my brother or grandfather." I'll be alone, but that isn't much of a change. She said to her dolls, of course they didn't respond.
Her plan was to leave a day after her grandfather and brother had left. Soon enough that she could get far away but not soon enough for a message that she has left to reach them quick enough. She already took note of the guard's patrol times and the servants. If she left around nine and stayed in a blind spot of the guard's positions that she discovered weeks ago, it'll be easy to leave. The day before she'll approach in her disguise as a boy and buy a escort ticket for a distant town. After that, she'll make way to one of the smaller villages, far out of Vargas control and eyes.
It should go smoothly, she had a reputation for sleeping and the servants would ignore her in the morning. The four eyed bastard and the woman who traveled with him would be leaving with her brother and grandfather. When the servants do get curious she would have a note for them. Not a goodbye note, but a note saying she's just in town and she'll be back before sundown. She was known to leave for the city whenever she could, so most wouldn't even bat an eye. The servants who are scared of losing a lady of a high house would look. But they won't find her. She'll be long gone by then and all trustworthy mail delivery services would be closed by the time they'll notice.
She didn't really care for sparing her family's feelings. Her mother had died at childbirth and her father killed himself soon after. All she had left was her gifted brother and her grandfather. All of her grandfather's love was poured into Feliciano, who closely resembled their father. She did love Feliciano, but she couldn't let one thing hold her back from happiness. Besides he would get over her leaving. Everybody's attention was given to her gifted brother, her kind brother, her angelic brother. She assumed she would get her day in the limelight when it came down to who would be her betrothed. After all she is the only daughter of a high lord, most useful for alliances, gifts, or signs of good will.
"Romano" She said to herself, she whispered that name to herself whenever she was alone. She used that name whenever she left the house alone and she was closer to Romano than Chiara. "Romano Lovi?" She had finally gotten the idea of giving herself a last name, maybe Lovi would be a keepsake of who she once was, Chiara Lovina Vargas. "Or maybe Romano Vina. Hmm, Romano Rosaceae?" She turned down the last one after a quick thought, it was to noble for a low born and it could be tracked back to her family's crest.
She looked at her satchel that was slowly being filled with things she would need. Money that she picked up and maps that slowly disappeared from rooms. Even an extra set of clothing.
She stopped and pushed her bag beneath her bed the second she heard a knock.
"Milady, dinner will be ready in ten minutes. Your grandfather requests to know why you didn't appear for your brother's private recital." She had already planned for what she would say for being absent. Last time she wandered the gardens and stuck close to her personal garden while looking at the patrol. She used the excuse that she had left before she could hear her brother and she couldn't hear him from outside. This time she had already prepared a crochet of a scarf, for winter was coming. She would say that she didn't want to distract anybody else but could still hear her brother, it wasn't a complete lie. Then she would gift it to Feliciano. They wouldn't buy her actions but for now she wanted her plan to work in the long run. She couldn't let them suspect a thing or put her under watch.
"I'll be ready by then, do not worry." She spoke like a noble, but soon she'll never speak like she was highborn again. What she was taught as a noble would surely aid her in her leave. Surely somebody could use someone who could read and write. Or mathematics.
If all else failed, maybe she'll join a mercenary group. Her aim has always been good, not gifted, but much above average. Since the age of ten her family decided that she must know how to protect herself. That she couldn't always rely on guards. So they taught her, at the very least, on how to use a knife.
1 week later
She tried getting cover from the downpour of rain by resting under a tree, though her efforts of staying dry was fruitless. By now her soaked clothing clung to her body. What was once fine, neatly kept hair had tangles and could be accurately described as a rat's home.
"Tch" She could hear her stomach growl, she hadn't eaten in a couple days and could feel a gnawing sensation in her stomach. Her plan of running away wasn't going as well as she thought it would, at one point someone had stolen her money that she took with her. Her extra pair of clothing was also gone with her money. Now she stood miles away from home and hungry. "Dammit" She was beginning to regret her actions, no matter how ignored she was back at home at least she was fed.
Her head started to spin and the cold water felt like it penetrated her body. The sharp breeze that came with the storm wasn't any kinder to her, her clothing may as well been tissue at the moment.
"Dammit" She repeated her mind started to get numb and her vision hazy. Meanwhile her body was frigid from the rain and cold. "Dammit, dammit, dammit" It became a mantra before her legs seemed to lose all will. She could feel her body fall onto the softened ground by because of the rain. She struggled to stay awake, her pride just wouldn't allow her to die of hypothermia. Or as much pride that a twelve year old has. After a bit her body finally gave up and even though she had the will to continue her body couldn't keep up. Pitch-black darkness replaced her vision.
They had just finished a mission and had been caught in a heavy downpour. Tree branches were easily beat down by the onslaught of rain and they were trying to get to their safehouse. In a distance they could see a young girl, passed out below the branches. Antonio walked closer and held the umbrella over her body, and bent down to check for a pulse.
"What do you think we should do?" Gilbert said beside him, he ran his body ragged earlier and because of that they had to walk through the rain.
"Well, we can't do nothing. Let's take her with us." Antonio picked the young girl up and as he spoke.
"We can't just take her in like a stray cat." Francis said as he handed Antonio the umbrella that Antonio dropped to pick the girl up.
"But it isn't right to just leave a child behind, alone in the rain." He spoke walking towards their safehouse, not even waiting for a response. It was one of the multiple shacks that they kept to themselves, sporadically located around the country and sparsely located in other countries.
"And if she has a family?" Gilbert asked.
"Well, when you think about it. A kid passed out in the rain doesn't have a family. She's probably an orphan or a runaway. I don't think it'll hurt to at least give her shelter for at least tonight." He stopped nodding his head, as if agreeing with himself. Or at until he saw Antonio's face. "But that doesn't mean we can keep her, she's not a stray cat. If she says she wants to leave than so be it. We're a mercenary group, not an orphanage."
"Alright" Antonio said, the safehouse was in their eyesight.
Sup everybody. I'm starting a new fic, my other I slowly on it's way to being finished. I also just got a job, wohoo.
Anyway thanks for reading. Please review this fic, tell me how you like it so far in this one chapter. That would encourage me greatly.
