Disclaimer: I don't own Ragnarok!!!
A/N: Finally free from exams!!! Yay
Saga Three Part Three
A persistent knock forced Ri-anne to get up from her bed to answer the knocker. She disliked being disturbed from her sleep, especially when it was a rainy night which was the best time to snuggle under the blanket and slumber off.
She stepped out of her bed and unlocked the door in an irritated manner. "Yes?" she asked threateningly when she saw it was June, May's younger sister. "You do know I strictly forbid people to interrupt my sleep, right?"
The poor girl whimpered. "Yes, Lady Ri-anne, but Mr. Thickwood would like me to inform you that a man is asking to seek shelter at the Zedt's home for the night."
"No, turn whoever it is away," she snapped.
"But…"
"Where is the world going to now? I'm an Assassin Cross for crying out loud!" she swore under her breath. "Fine, let him in. I'll see this midnight guest." Then, if he displeases me, I will try out those Tiger Fangs on him, she thought nastily.
Ri-anne grabbed a blue ribbon and tied her hair up in a lose ponytail. Straightening her long sleeves, she grumbled as she shuffled her feet don the stairs without bothering to change out of her shorts.
She dropped onto a couch closest to the fireplace. Mr. Thickwood, the caretaker, made sure her patience was not tested any further. He beckoned the stranger to hurry in to greet his new female master.
"My deepest apology for troubling you, Ma'am," spoke the man who appeared drenched in water, wearied and embarrassed.
Raising her head to get a view of him, she noticed his tall height and damped blank-blonde hair. Interestingly, he was wearing a Knight's armour. His facial features, she had to admit, were attractive. "Name?" she said in a flat tone.
"Ivor Ravens, Ma'am."
"Alright. Ivor Ravens, firstly, you will address me as Miss Zedt. Keep that in mind. Next, you shall explain to me why the heck a Knight like you needs to seek a night's stay at an Assassin Cross' home. If I'm not satisfied, this house will not have you," stated Ri-anne bluntly.
Ivor became alarmed at her words. As he had thought, conversing with a grumpy Assassin-Cross was not such a good idea after all. He cleared his throat nervously, wondering if he would make it out alive.
The dark green-eyed one, however, stopped him before he launched into his explanation. "Hold it. I'll hear you out later," she muttered, then called for May. Averting her attention back to him, she warned, "You—are wetting my Leopard skin carpet. Follow May. I'm giving you fifteen minutes. I hate to wait. So, if you don't meet my time limit, off you go into the rain again."
Taken back by her sense of hospitality (though it was quite a mean one…), he thanked her and left the drawing room.
"Why did I even bother?" she murmured and yawned. That Knight is lucky because Grandpapa was a hospitable person himself.
A light pair of footsteps sounded. Phelysa sauntered in sleepily in her pyjamas. "Ri-anne… is that you? What's going on?"
"Oh, we just have a guest."
"A guest?" Galicia joined the scene. She took the seat beside Phelysa who was cuddling one of the sofa set's pillows. "Who?"
"A Knight by the name of Ivor Ravens," said Ri-anne.
What's with the late night event later…
Phelysa gasped.
"You know him?" Ri-anne drawled lazily, swerving her eyes to her questioningly.
The High-Priestess let out a mocked laugh. "No! Of course not! I don't know any Knight by that name."
"Are we having a late night movie party?" Feng-xen said brightly. He came into the now brilliantly lit drawing room. As he sat on the other side of her, Phelysa felt her heart skipped a beat. She stole a glance at him. Like his sister, he was not wearing proper pyjamas. Instead, he wore a plain, white T-shirt and a pair of three-quarters pants.
"You look very much alive," scowled Ri-anne.
"You don't," he retorted.
"Obviously, it's almost one in the morning."
The younger Zedt ignored her. He did not realise, nevertheless, that Phelysa was watching him queerly. His smugness prodded on her curiosity. What exactly was going on?
Fortunately, Ivor returned before his time was up. The warm bath had brought colours back to his pale cheeks and he felt refreshed, ready to take on what he expected to be a gruelling interrogation period which would be conducted none other by, yours truly, Ri-anne Zedt.
May and June served mugs of hot liquefied chocolate and a tray of chocolate cookies (it was an unspoken fact that these were Ri-anne's childish fancies). This pleased her and as the Knight saw her savouring her midnight snacks, he knew this was the golden opportunity to gain her favour.
"Miss Zedt," he greeted again. Everyone turned to him. Feng-xen looked impressed by him. Galicia and Phelysa observed him carefully to form an impression of him. He was wearing a long-sleeve buttoned shirt and a pair of trousers which was borrowed from Mr.Thickwood. Ri-anne sipped from her mug happily.
"Okay, Knight," she started, "you can begin by telling me how you wound up at my doorsteps. There's an inn every city and town. So, why should I let you stay here for the night? Surely, you are capable of paying the bill for a night's stay at the inn?"
Feng-xen let out an odd snort but immediately kept quiet after receiving a glare from Ri-anne—and Ivor. "Sorry," he muttered.
"Well… it wouldn't have been a problem for me until a few hours ago. This sounds lame but… I was robbed. I was making my way to Geffen on foot when I was ambushed by a group of Stalkers and Rogues. They took away all my belongings and money!" lamented Ivor. As he stood before them, he felt as though he was appealing before a jury in a court with Ri-anne as the judge.
"And you lost your weapon too," added Ri-anne, not buying the story. He is so…weak, she thought privately.
"Yeah… as well as my profession card from the PKA," he said sheepishly, rubbing his neck."
Ri-anne gawked at him in disbelief. Losing your profession card literally means you hose your profession until you regain the lost card or you restart your career as a novice. Making a new one to replace the lost one is non-existent and impossible by law.
"Honestly, if that gang of robbers were that heartless to take every single property of yours, I'd think you'd be beaten half-dead right now," said Galicia.
Ivor's head drooped, reluctant to answer.
"Hmm?" Ri-anne raised an eyebrow at him.
"Actually, I… am completely hopeless in fighting," he confessed.
"But you're a Knight!" Ri-anne blurted exasperatedly. Feng-xen burst out laughing out of the blue. For the second time, Ri-anne and Ivor glared at him. She stood up and peered at the Knight. Though she had concluded earlier that he was tall, standing up, she really saw the difference between their heights.
"Here I come."
"Ri-anne, what--?" Feng-xen did not manage to stop her. A split second later, the group heard a painful groan from Ivor.
Ri-anne blinked at the man who was wincing and rubbing his left shoulder. She gave a few quick punches and he failed to block any of it. "You ARE hopeless!"
Feng-xen and the two other girls chided her simultaneously, horrified at her action.
She half-rolled her eyes and fell back on the couch. "Okay, I believe the hopeless in fighting part. Next question: Why my place? There are other residents around. Would it not be more logical and safer to seek shelter from a Wizard-class than from an Assassin-class?" She grabbed her fifth cookie while waiting for Ivor to speak. Galicia nodded in agreement.
"Because… I've heard that Sir Sen-yu Zedt was a great man of hospitality. [Ri-anne looked up at him at the mention of her grandfather's name. He would not throw out someone who needs his help. That is why he is significant among other Assassins. He is unique in his trustful ways towards people despite his job. When I knew about his death, I felt the loss too because I respect him very much. I only think that the household in Geffen would welcome me if it still commemorates him."
Silence hung in the air after he finished his brief speech. Phelysa had to admire his eloquence and his choice of words. Ri-anne rose to her feet gradually and walked past him.
"You may stay but be clear that I am the master of this house now."
Galicia stared at Ri-anne, distrusting her ears. "So he can stay?"
Ri-anne knitted her brows together. "Yeah, what's with your reaction?"
The White Smith shrugged. "I thought you dislike strangers in your home. That was why we left our Prontera mansion in the first place anyway."
"Oh yeah!" interjected Feng-xen. "I went there and Elliot told me you girls came to Geffen. I wanted to know the reason you left Prontera. So… why again?"
"Because Elliot let a girl we don't know stay at the mansion while we were at Juno," replied Phelysa automatically. Galicia quickly hushed her but she gave an innocent look. "I was only telling the truth."
Ri-anne shifted her gaze sharply to Ivor. He was taken aback by her sudden gesture and was rooted to the ground with uneasiness.
"I know who to trust better!" she growled. "Elliot is moved easily by his emotions. That girl has too many suspicions on her. Mark my words, she may be his downfall." She stormed back to her room. "I'm going to sleep." It was a signal that they were all dismissed.
As they heard a loud and rough slam of a door, the remaining people in the drawing room sighed.
"And you're not emotional?" Feng-xen shook his head helplessly.
"Why did you have to talk about Elliot?" nagged Phelysa.
"Well—I… didn't mean to make her upset. Hey, you were the one who said his name!" Galicia complained.
"Girls!" Feng-xen halted their bicker. "Please, we have a guest among us. It's late and we should all really be sleeping now," he said charmingly while leading Ivor to the stairs.
"Where's he sleeping?" questioned the High Priestess. "In one of the vacant rooms?"
Feng-xen laughed warmly. "No, he'll be rooming with me." Ivor chuckled as well and the guys left.
"Since when Feng-xen's so sociable and generous?" muttered Galicia. She had the oddest feeling that Feng-xen seemed very open to the Knight who was supposedly a stranger to them. "I smell something fishy going on… What do you think, Phelysa?"
But Phelysa barely heard her. "He'll be sharing his room with…" Her voice trailed.
"Hel-lo! Phelysa! You there?"
She blinked when a hand waved vigorously before her eyes. "Huh? What did you say?"
Galicia rolled her eyes and grunted. "Never mind!"