Chapter 11 – Devil's Message

"Uh." Clarith sighs.

She looks at the basket of apples in her arms. She had begun preparing for opening in an hour. Seve and Gala usually come a little before opening. Aria had started to help out recently; coming and going whenever she please but ever since two days ago helping out was mandatory.

"Riliane has yet to return home." Clarith whispers to herself.

Riliane has gone missing for two days now. It was unlike her to just disappear. Clarith knew if Riliane were to be gone for a while she would notify Clarith. Even if a note was found with little words it would ease Clarith so to know Riliane was safe. She knew when Riliane hadn't come for afternoon tea something was wrong. She told Gala, Seve and Aria Riliane wasn't feeling well and shouldn't be disturbed but Clarith felt as if Seve had known something. Clarith sets down her box of apples and walks over to the oranges. She picks up one. The orange was Riliane's favorite fruit.

"Riliane..." Clarith mumbles while water slips off the orange that falls from Clarith's eyes.

She held the orange tight, squeezing the juice out of it. She had never meant to grow attached to Riliane yet she did and now like Michaela she cannot let her go.

Knock. Knock.

Clarith turns to see Kyle and Germaine knocking on the door of the market. She turns around and uses a handkerchief to dry her tears. Once dried she shoves the handkerchief into her pocket on her dress and scurries to open the door for them.

"Come in." She greets them.

They walk into the gloomy atmosphere of the market.

"Sit down in the back, I'll prepare tea." Clarith says.

She points to the kitchen. Next to the kitchen was a little dining room where Germaine and Kyle had sat for tea with Denis when the reunited with Clarith.

"Sorry for the wait." Clarith apologizes.

She brings a tray of tea and mini cakes which were bigger than tea cups but smaller than actual cakes. She sets the tea in front of Kyle and Germaine and sets the cakes down on a plate. She returns to the kitchen to set down the tray. After doing so she brings her tea and walks back to the table to sit with Germaine and Kyle.

"Where is Riliane?" Germaine quickly observes and asks.

"She is not well." Clarith lies.

"That is most certainly terrible. I do hope she gets better." Germaine says before picking up her tea to sip it again.

Clarith hates to lie to them but she doesn't wish to tell them that she is missing. By her guilty face Kyle knows she's lying.

"You should be honest with us, Clarith." Kyle says then sips his tea.

She looks at him with amazement.

Hiding her tears she says, "Well for some time I have felt someone watching us. I think it was that blonde fellow that Seve had passed by when going out to get Riliane. I had gotten worried that Seve would get lost so I had followed her. It is unlike Riliane to just vanish. She has been missing for two days now. I am worried. She can easily be broken. She was like me before I met Michaela. Lonely. I have no clue where she is."

Kyle and Germaine stopped listening after blonde fellow and tuned back in on vanish, missing and broken.

Germaine urges, "What did the fellow look like?"

Clarith searches throughcabinets of memories and remembers the boys face.

"He was very young, maybe about twelve, thirteen. He had orange eyes. At first I had mistaken him for a girl for his graceful manors fooled me. I had bumped into him once not knowing who he was."

Kyle glances at Germaine not knowing he would go this far. Germaine places her sturdy hands on the table and gets up from the table along with Kyle.

"Thanks for letting us stay for a little snack. Good bye for now." Germaine says while waving good bye.

The bells jingle signaling their exit and echoes throughout the shop.

Pant. Pant.

Loud panting is what Bailey heard from outside Luke's room. It seems he had been suffering lately; ever since they captured Riliane that voice had been appearing. Bailey stood next to the maid of the manor a little outside of Marlon. The maid had removed her mask for she was not with the Daughter of Evil.

"Rene (Ring Suzune) it might be worst then yesterday please keep calm. We have yet to come up with neither an answer nor explanation for his actions." Bailey notifies her.

Bailey knocks on the door.

"Luke?"

He opens the door calmly. "Yes?"

"It is time to get up."

"Let us go to breakfast." Luke offers in a graceful manor.

He closes the door behind him and he walks with Bailey to the main room; where they eat, discuss and question Riliane. Rene opens the door to clean Luke's room.

"It has gotten worse." Rene comments on the room.

Items on the floor, the broken mirror, torn sheets. The voice in his head was driving him to insanity.

"Are you not going to eat?" Bailey asks.

Luke just stares at his food with distant eyes.

"I have changed my mind about breakfast." He mutters.

"Luke, a question if I may?" She asks.

"I am alright I told you that."

"No not that."

Luke raises an eyebrow to the question.

"I have worked with many others. They used any method to get information out of people yet you treat Riliane with kindness and your enemies with hatred. Why?"

"I am half British yet I was raised in Lucifenia. I was raised to love both the queen of England and Lucifenia. When we heard people call Princess Riliane the Daughter of Evil we couldn't believe it because one time she had sent her servant out to feed our village in Lucifenia. We never knew the reason but it proves she isn't all evil. I would hate to turn her into the authorities but I can't dishonor my family's name."

Bailey had always heard such terrible things about the princess this was the first good thing she had heard about the princess.

"You think she's the princess. She looks nothing like the princess." That was the reason she thought this mission was unneeded to catch the princess whom had her head get chopped off.

"I know but that voice...huh!" Luke covers his eyes and screams while he falls to the ground.

"Luke! Luke!" Bailey calls his name while attempting to calm him down.

He lowers his hands and his orange eyes are now blue.

With a crazy look he yells out as if another person had possessed him, "The murders and wars she caused. She should remember; don't you Daughter of Evil!"

Bailey looked to her side. There at the open doorway was Rene and Riliane. Riliane with fright falls to the ground.

"A message from the Blue Devil! You shall be next." Luke laughs evilly. He was no longer possessed and faints.

"The blue devil?" Bailey questions.

She has been pulled into this strange little world in which none is ever to return to reality.

I am finally back from vacation. Thank you for waiting!