Chapter 16
Edmond quietly laid down on his bed when he heard knocking on the door to his room. He sighed and walked over to the door. Feeling ever so cautious, he pressed himself closer to the door.
"Who is it?"
"…It's Catherine. I uhh…want to talk to you."
Confused but still accepting nonetheless, he opened the door to reveal the sight of Catherine standing there in nothing but her inner garments, in this case, a plain gambeson similar to his. Before he could let her in, she already walked past him and entered his room.
"I'm sorry for intruding in like this but…" She paused, unable to form her next words.
Edmond shook his head, closing the door. "It is alright. I've got time to spare."
A breath escaped her lips. "Thank you…"
"So? What is it?" Edmond asked as he seated himself on the edge of his bed. His eyebrows raised briefly when Catherine deposited herself next to him, but he didn't make a move to protest. Neither spoke for a while until Catherine began to laugh softly.
"Cat?"
She scratched her cheek. "…Actually, the thing is I have no idea what to talk about. I just…wanted to see you that's all." She gazed up at him, her cheeks flushed red.
Edmond swallowed the lump in his throat and bashfully looked away. "I-I see…
Growing bold, Catherine scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. He tensed up momentarily before he soon relaxed into her touch. The woman then interlocked her left hand with his right; he was hesitant in his movements, but she could tell he wanted it as well. Edmond hummed and rested his cheek against the top of her head.
"I'm sorry that I'm not as affectionate as you want me to be…"
Edmond could feel her shaking her head. "I don't mind. Being with you is all that matters to me."
He didn't know what came over him but when he kissed the top of her head, he knew that this was something he wouldn't regret for the rest of his life. "Thank you…Thank you for taking a chance with me. Thank you for your willingness to love a man like me."
She smiled, curling herself closer to him. "Your welcome…Though, this doesn't necessarily mean I forgive you completely for being an incredibly dense idiot all these years."
The former Guild Knight chuckled, inhaling the scent of her hair. "I can't blame you for that. But it was more of denial rather than obliviousness. I was way too focused on graduating and becoming a Knight to pay attention to things like that."
She groaned. "Bullshit. I've been throwing dozens of hints here and there and none of them you seem to get."
"Hints? What hints?"
She separated from him, an obvious frown on her face. "The second year of the Academy – as if this wasn't the most obvious one – I invited you to my dorm room. Keep in mind that whenever a girl invites you to her room, she really means that she wants to spend time with you. But what did you do? When you arrived at my door, you brought an anatomy textbook. This is after I asked if you would like to study "biology" with me. That completely ruined the mood."
Edmond opened and closed his mouth, "…Did I really do that?"
"Uh-uh. What else? Oh yeah, that time during our third year when we were both stuck in that cave during a snowstorm in the middle of our field exam? I had frostbite and you offered to share your warm coat with me."
"I remember that. We were hunting a Blangonga right, as part of our exam?"
She nodded. "That's beside the point. There was only one coat, so we had to huddle closer. I – for the love of Gog – hugged you and asked you to warm me up and what did you do? You gave me the entire coat, made a fire, then left me alone by the fire as you sat by the cave entrance."
"…I uhh remember that one." I was an idiot! Noticing the angry expression on her face, Edmond stood up, dropped to his knees, and groveled under her. "Forgive me."
Catherine huffed. "As much as I want to punch you again for reminding me of that painful memory, I…can't stay mad at you forever." She extended her hand to him. He looked up at her, noticing visible blush on her face.
"Thank you," he said as he took her hand and once again seated himself beside her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her towards him, resting his chin on her head. "How can I make it up to you?"
"Let me think."
"Hmm, alright then."
As the two settled into a comfortable silence while holding each other, Edmond felt her head move slightly and her hand tightly gripping his own. "Actually, there is something."
"What is it?"
"Well…" A flirtatious glint flashed in her eyes. All of a sudden, Edmond felt her free hand ghost over his lower area. "I do know one other way you can make it up to me…" Catherine purred, softly kissing his neck.
Edmond shivered. "…Cat don't."
"Why not?" she asked innocently as if her actions didn't have a profound effect on the man's mental state. "Is it wrong for a woman to desire a man after more than a decade of pining for his affection?"
Edmond struggled to believe that this was the same Catherine he knew since his Academy days. The same woman who single-handedly trumped everyone else in their class when it came to both physical and written tests. The woman that inspired fear throughout most guys and was admired by the girls. At one point, he had even thought her as asexual! Who are you and what have you done with the real Catherine?! "It's not…I just…" He grabbed her teasing hand by the wrist, slightly startling her. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Yes. I want this more than anything." She had answered a bit too quickly for his liking.
It was just like before in the dark alleyway where they had engaged themselves in an intense but passionate make-out session. Her eagerness is both scary and…strangely arousing. Oh god, what's wrong with me? The man silently cursed himself for easily succumbing to primal desires like this but a part of him had quickly said otherwise.
"I…I'm sorry but I c-can't." Edmond bowed his head apologetically, cursing his own indecisiveness. "It's not that I don't want it but not…now." He waited for a few moments before looking up, only to find her giving him a tender smile.
"I see. Sorry for pushing it onto you but…" Catherine moved back to her original position, tightly holding his prosthetic hand and leaning against his body. "Can we at least stay like this? For just a bit longer?"
Edmond kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer with his other arm. "For as long as you want."
Less than three hours later, the staff received word that the ship had arrived at its destination. The captain and some of the staff quickly moved to inform the hunters.
When they entered the main hall, they found the hunters still waiting there, all of them fast asleep with most of them laying sprawled on top of each other.
"Well, wake them up!" whispered one of the waiters.
"I can't do that!"
"Think of something then!"
"…Hand me a speaking trumpet." The staff turned to their captain, mouths agape at his bold idea. The staff was aware of how most hunters hated being woken up from their sleep, due to the need to restore their stamina. There have been cases where people have been unintentionally hurt by grumpy and sleepy hunters who just woke up. Though this group technically hasn't done anything too strenuous, the risk was still there.
"Sir?!"
"Do it. I'll bear the responsibility."
Tentatively, the staff relented. A man ran back towards the door and disappears for a minute before returning with the device in hand. He took a deep breath and…
"HUNTERS! WE HAVE ARRIVED AT OUR DESTINATION!"
It worked wonders. Most of the hunters immediately jolted awake, earning a satisfied grin from the captain.
"Shit…What happened?" Rowan mumbled out as he stretched. Unsurprisingly, his brother had fallen off the couch in his shock as he slapped himself awake.
Meanwhile, Luca attempted to nurse his currently bleeding nose after Hilda had accidentally headbutted him upon waking up. The huntress in question frantically apologized to the man, who just grumbled in response. Sitting straight next to them, Hanzo seemingly stared at the distance though nobody could tell if he was awake or still asleep.
Last but not least, the remaining two hunters slowly stirred awake.
"Sho...sleepy…" Siegfried said as he let out a loud yawn. The hunter looked around him before immediately noticing everyone looking at him. Some of them had smirks on their faces. Scowling, he crossed his arms. "What?
Romero stifled a laugh, pointing to Siegfried's side. "Look to your left."
Confused, he turned his head to the left…only to find a familiar tuft of silver hair resting on his left shoulder. Before he could say anything (he really couldn't), she stirred awake.
"Hmm…" The huntress opened her ocean-blue eyes and craned her head upwards, meeting Siegfried's own green ones. They were merely inches apart, their breaths mixing against each other. A single light push would have been all it took.
Siegfried gulped, his face turning as red as his hair while Eris bit her lip, her heart beating rapidly within her diaphragm. So close!
"Now kiss!"
At Romero's words, they rapidly jerked apart from each other, both their faces completely flushed.
"Now that you're all awake…" The captain clapped his hands, catching their attention. "I came to inform you that we've arrived on the island already. Please, take this time to prepare." And with that, he walked away, sighing in relief from the fact that they weren't angry at him.
At the same time in a certain former Guild Knight's room, the man was currently in the middle of donning his armor. "I hate this damn thing…" Edmond grumbled, attempting to properly clasp the cape around his neck. He couldn't tell what he was doing, and his frustrations were met with little success.
Just then he heard a knock on his door.
"It's Jason…Catherine told me to inform you to "hurry the hell up". Her words, not mine."
"Tell her to wait!"
"Just hurry up. We'll all be waiting by the ship's atrium."
After a few more unsuccessful attempts, Edmond gave up and decided to just head out. When he arrived at the atrium, he found the rest of the squad lined up in a single file, with the fully armored Catherine walking back and forth in front of them, hands clasped behind her back. She heard his footsteps and turned towards him with a disapproving look.
"You are late newbie. Even worse, you look like shit." Despite the look on her face, Edmond noticed the faintest of smiles at the edges of her mouth.
"All of you go on ahead to the deck first. I have something to discuss with one of our new members."
When her soldiers didn't budge, she cracked her knuckles threateningly. "Didn't I say to get a move on? I said go!"
They flinched and rapidly bobbed their heads up and down, including Amber and Jason. "YES, MY LADY!" They quickly scuttled out, leaving the two alone once again.
"Remind me not to get on your…even worse side. I've had enough of your regular bad side already…" He unsuccessfully attempted to fix the clasp on his cape, fearful that he may accidentally break it. "Damn it this- "
"Let me help you with that," Catherine said as she surged forward and started to fix the clasp.
"Thank you," he replied, relieved.
"I must say, it's surprising that you're unable to do something this simple when your hands are perfectly capable of doing such gentle feats..."
"Well excuse me for trying my best not to hurt you!"
"You do realize that I was a student at the Academy for a total of three years? I got hit by a fireball to the face and lived to tell the tale."
"Yeah, but you nearly died!" Edmond interrupted.
"Still, still. I'm definitely not as fragile as you think I am Ed, even without the enhancements." Not even a minute later, she was done. "There." But she didn't move, instead, she rested her head against his armored chest.
"…Do you…regret it? About us?"
Edmond briefly turned a shade of red before tentatively placing his right hand on her head. "No…I don't. Actually, I was beginning to think that you were the one who regretted it."
She giggled softly, a far cry to her usual demeanor. Who knew the tough and fierce Catherine Sawyer acted super affectionate around her lover? Edmond certainly wasn't complaining. "I just wanted confirmation." She then cupped his cheek and leaned up to kiss him. Edmond closed his eyes and leaned in as well when he suddenly felt a finger against his lips. "Unfortunately for you, we're at work now. This is your punishment for being late." She reached for the helmet in his hands which she messily placed over his head before scurrying away towards the hallway.
"Damn tease…" Edmond grumbled, fixing his helmet as he jogged over to her. She merely gave him a coy smile.
Rich people and their mansions… Siegfried thought to himself as he and the rest of the hunters stood on the island port, giving them a perfect view of the large mansion structured on the highest hill. Just then, a well-dressed middle-aged man approached them from behind an open gate, accompanied by a few armed men holding torches.
"Greetings, I'm Sir Jacob's head butler and I take it you're all his guests for tonight's ball?"
Eris just opened her mouth when Hilda cut her off. "Yes, we all are. And the ones in armor are our escorts as well."
Ignoring the glare Eris was giving Hilda, the man nodded as he rubbed his chin. "Ah yes, I'm aware that he has invited this specific squad…Let's not waste any more time, shall we?"
After a short trek up the hill of the island, their large group arrived at the entrance to the mansion. The head butler moved on ahead to talk to the guards stationed by the door before they were told that they would need to go through a brief inspection. The hunters looked at each in confusion, wondering why on Minegarde would they need to go through an inspection when they couldn't bring their weapons. The head butler, however, quickly reassured them that it was just standard protocol.
As they awaited their turn for inspection, Siegfried discretely whispered towards Eris.
"Hey, don't you think it's odd that the Watch was invited – fully armed mind you - despite the abundant security already stationed here?"
Eris didn't speak, but the nodding of her head indicated that she too, found it odd.
Their doubts were quickly buried away however the moment the head butler pushed open the large door to the building, presenting them with a view of the stunning looking interior. The place was massive, decorated with elaborate furnishings, red curtains, and a glossy marble floor. The hunters could see groups of well-dressed men and women talking to each other with glasses of wine in their hands. At the far edge of the room appeared to be a stage, covered by similarly red curtains. Romero's eyes widened with delight upon seeing the buffet of food, filled with all sorts of savory and sweet delights.
"The ball will begin in less than an hour. Until then, please help yourselves to the food and drinks. And as for the Watch, you may just stand guard around the premise." The butler gave a brief bow before leaving the group to their own devices. Without another word, the hunters soon separated into their groups, with Romero specifically heading towards buffet line and his brother trailing behind him, muttering apologies to the other guests for his brother's almost rambunctious behavior. The three members of the Fated Four on the other hand were immediately approached by a few finely dressed men and women who quickly recognized the trio.
"Siegfried, I want you to listen very carefully. Stick close to me and do not answer anything the nobles ask or say to you if it's related to your background. The people here love to look down on commoners so please, let me do the talking."
The hunter knew very well how right she was. He simply nodded in confirmation and didn't complain when Eris looped an arm around his and led him away. Of course, it wasn't surprising that heads would turn at the sight of two very good looking and well-dressed individuals walking through the crowd but said individuals merely ignored their stares and hushed whispers.
Siegfried could feel her grip tighten on his bicep. He couldn't blame her for that, mostly because he too wasn't used to all this attention being directed at both of them.
"In events like this, the first best thing to do to look good is to grab a glass of wine," Eris finally said, as soon as the stares and whispers dissipated.
"Why?"
"Just listen to me dammit." They stopped in front of one of the tables. Both hunters grabbed themselves a glass and signaled for a server to pour the wine. But just then, a voice called out to them.
"Ah, why if isn't Eris Havencroft!"
Eris froze visibly upon hearing her name uttered by that familiar voice. She sighed and turned to face the person. "Arthur Johannes…"
A dark-blue haired man slowly walked towards the two, a glass of wine in one hand. He grinned cockily, batting his eyelashes at Eris, who just rolled her eyes. "How have you been doing?"
"I am fine," she answered through gritted teeth. "You?"
He laughed. "As a matter of fact, I've been doing great! Get this, father has finally relinquished control of the industry to me!"
Eris feigned an impressed look. "That's great…" Go away! Get out my sight!
The man now sported a smug smile. "You know…my offer still stands. If you would-"
"My answer will always be the same. No. I will not marry you."
"C'mon my dear, think about it!" Arthur inched closer to Eris, who shifted in her spot uncomfortably. She knew very well she had the strength to throw the man over the table, but she knew that doing so will only tarnish her family name. She had to endure this…for his sake. "I own the company now!" Arthur's infuriating voice only served to annoy her even more. "With my new power and position, I can give you anything you want! You can give up this life as a hunter and relive your life as a noble! You'll be a queen!"
She shook her head, ever defiant. "I refuse. No matter how many times you ask, no matter how much money and riches you offer, I will not marry you. Ever."
To her frustration, Arthur looked undeterred. Siegfried could see a devilish grin form on his mouth. Instead, Arthur moved even closer – practically invading her personal space – and loomed over her due to their height difference. He placed a disgusting hand on her bare shoulder and whispered in her ear. "By the way, do you know that I had recently begun talks with the owners of the Yukomo hospital? Pretty soon, I'll have full control over the entire establishment, and I think you can guess what I'll do to a certain someone there right?"
Upon hearing his words, Eris fumed with rage. She trembled, her fingers around the glass she held tightening every second, threatening to crush the glass as small cracks on the glass began to appear. Her attempts to suppress her anger and exude an aura of formality and elegance quickly began to shatter. A dark look appeared in her eyes and she contemplated whether to grab the man and smash his face onto the table or break every bone in his body on the spot, consequences be damned. She couldn't take it anymore.
"Listen here you-"
But she was stopped, by a hand now resting on Arthur's shoulder, surprising the dark-haired man. "Hmm?"
"Back off."
Arthur shook under the weight of his deep voice and menacing gaze but nonetheless stood straight and stared directly at the taller man. "And who might you be?"
Siegfried gave him his fiercest glare yet, holding back his own anger ever since the man had gotten uncomfortably closer to Eris. "Just someone who can't stand conceited cunts like you who don't know the first thing about personal space."
"…What did you just call me?"
By then, the crowds of people had turned their attention to the three people currently engaged in what looked like a heated exchange of words. All eyes landed on both Arthur and Eris, recognizing the two nobles but they were unable to determine who the red-haired man currently scowling at Arthur was.
"I'll have you know that my father owns the biggest and only airship company on the continent! Insult me and I can just easily ban you from ever taking an airship again! Now, apologize at once!"
The hunter shook his head. "No."
Arthur gasped. "Imbecile! How dare you!"
"What in the world is going on here?!"
Pushing through the crowd, the host of the ball and the owner of the venue Sir Jacob appeared before them. He looked back and forth between the two sides. "This is a ball! Please keep it civil!"
"He started it!" Arthur exclaimed, pointing accusingly at Siegfried. The hunter on question scoffed.
"Bullshit! It was he who had begun to harass someone who rejected his advances!"
"Preposterous! You-"
"Both of you be quiet!" Eris finally spoke up, having been silent throughout the entire exchange. She briefly turned to Sir Jacob and bowed. "It's a pleasure."
"Right back at you miss Havencroft…" he greeted back. Satisfied, Eris brought her attention back to the two bickering men. She walked over to Siegfried and looped an arm around his own.
"I apologize for his rudeness…This is Siegfried. My date for the night. So, as you can see Mr. Johannes, I'm already taken."
Immediately, hushed whispers reverberated amongst the crowd. Arthur on the other hand had a shocked expression on his face. "You mean that Siegfried? The so-called infamous Fire King?!"
"Yes."
"But…But he's a commoner!"
"So what if he is?!"
The crowd froze, unable to believe what she had just said. Arthur's jaw dropped. "Huh? B-But you're a noble and-"
"Shut up! You don't know a damn thing about me and you sure as hell don't know a damn thing about him!"
Siegfried attempted to calm her down. "Eris-"
But she quickly shut him up. "You be quiet! And you!" She pointed at Arthur. "Harass me again and you would wish I had only broken your bones." The huntress proved her point by effortlessly crushing the wine glass she held in her hand into pieces, causing the shards to embed themselves onto her gloved palm, as blood and wine dripped through the crevices of her fingers and onto the marble floor. Arthur yelped and cowered on the ground, now terrified after her display of strength. She then inhaled and exhaled deeply before grabbing her partner by the wrist with her good hand. "Let's go." Eris dragged him away towards the balcony as the bystanders remained silent and unmoving, still attempting to process what had just happened.
Noticing the awkward and tense atmosphere, Jacob let out a hearty chuckle. "…Well now, with that problem now solved why don't we continue to enjoy the festivities eh? As compensation, I shall pour everyone here a glass of my finest wine!"
The other nobles seemed to like his idea and soon, the tense atmosphere all but disappeared. Amongst the crowd of people, a certain black-haired huntress shook her head.
"Hmmph! I reckon that outburst of hers is guaranteed to ruin her image now."
Luca shrugged, taking a bite out of a piece of cake he took. "Still, I never knew Eris was capable of…that."
Not far from them, standing by the buffet the twins eyed the crowd, having overheard the entire exchange. "Eris is a noble? Well, that explains her behavior…" Rowan felt a pang of bitterness within him but quickly suppressed it.
"Yeah…a noble," Romero muttered, his smile disappearing for a brief moment.
…
Out on a balcony overlooking the ocean below, a frustrated Eris silently pulled the glass shards off her palm, wincing each time the bits left her flesh.
"Do you uh…need help with that?" Siegfried asked her.
"No." Eris sharply responded, pulling out the last bit of glass. She shook her hand to rid herself of the excess blood and waited for a few moments before the wounds repaired themselves. Great, I ruined one of my gloves… The huntress then leaned forward onto the railings, gazing at the view below them. Similarly, Siegfried leaned back against the railing, shoving a hand into his pocket and observed the crowds of people within the ballroom.
"…Thank you by the way. You know, for what happened back there." Eris suddenly said, her eyes still focused on her front.
Siegfried waved her off. "Don't mention it…"
Eris shook her head, this time facing the hunter. "No, I'm – I can't believe I'm saying this – really g-grateful for your help before. If you hadn't stepped in, I would have killed that man on the spot."
Siegfried chuckled. "Hey, you're not the only one who wanted him dead. I loathe people like him too." He turned on his side, still leaning against the railing and facing the huntress. "So…you have history with him?"
Eris groaned. "Tell me about it. He thinks that just because his family and mine often work together, it means that we are betrothed to one another. He's pretty much been trying to court me for years, no matter how many times I reject his proposals."
Siegfried held his chin, "I know he said his family owns the airship company but as for you…" He scratched his head, trying to remember. Luckily, Eris answered for him.
"The Havencrofts were one of the most reputable and well-known families of scholars and researchers alongside the Javiers and other families. I happen to be the only daughter and child but due to certain…circumstances, my choice to become a hunter has effectively ended my family's legacy."
The hunter twisted his mouth in reaction. "Sounds rough…
"Yeah, ever since my father had-" She stopped herself, averting her eyes away from Siegfried, and quickly turned her attention back at the horizon.
Siegfried briefly narrowed his eyes at her but quickly adopted an understanding look. He knew what it was like to keep secrets. "You don't have to say it now."
She smiled appreciatively. "Thank you."
"EVERYONE, THE DANCE WILL NOW COMMENCE SHORTLY!"
Slightly startled by the sudden loud voice of the head butler, the two hunters giggled.
"Who knew that old man still had it within him?"
"Hmm..." Eris then boldly grabbed his hand and began to lead him towards the dance floor. "Shall we?"
…
"Go! Now's your chance brother!"
"But-"
Romero shook his head and pushed his brother away. "Don't worry about me! Just go! Before someone else does it!"
Rowan silently thanked his brother and weaved his way through the crowd, searching desperately for Hilda. He soon found her alongside her teammates. Luca was currently trying his best to calm down the women that were fighting for the chance to dance with him while Hanzo had quietly sneaked away towards the buffet.
No! He quickened his pace the moment he saw a couple of handsome men approach the huntress.
"May I have this dance, my lady?"
"I would like to offer you this dance, my dear."
"Come, the night awaits us!"
Hilda stood there, perplexed and unable to form a reply. She was hesitant to dance with complete strangers, no matter how handsome or charming they were. But feeling the pressure against her, she had no choice. Just as she opened her mouth to reply-
"Hey! What are you-"
The man's calls were ignored as Hilda found herself being dragged away by the hand towards the dance floor. Who the hell gave you permission to do that?! She almost protested when the offender turned his head towards her. Her heart skipped a beat.
"Rowan?"
He gave her one of his boyish smiles. "Sorry about this but…" He stopped and faced her, holding her by her hands. "May I have this dance?"
She blinked twice before erupting into a furious blush, much to Rowan's amusement. Her now red face complimented her already gorgeous look quite well. She didn't need to say anything for Rowan to count that as a 'yes'.
…
Jacob heartily raised a glass of wine into the air. "Let the ball commence!"
With the musicians lined up, the singer ready, and the tables moved to the side to make way for the dancers, every man and woman in the vicinity lined themselves up on the dance floor with their respective dance partners in hand. Most of them quietly snickered at the sight of a sulking Arthur who had been unable to get a dance partner due to his earlier humiliation. Some of them failed to contain their laughter the moment they saw his flabbergasted expression upon witnessing Eris entering the ballroom with a hand around Siegfried's own. Soon, the men and women took their places around the large dance area.
"I hate how they're looking at me…" Siegfried muttered as he stood before Eris.
Eris scoffed. "Ignore them. They're not worth it."
In response, he smiled before tentatively taking one of her hands and resting his other on her waist. The huntress looked up at him in brief surprise before relaxing and placing her gloved hand on his broad shoulder. The two hunters couldn't ignore the rapid swell and beating of their hearts as the music began to play…
*Song: Dave Koz – The Dance
The guests began to sway back and forth to the soothing music, their movements remarkably almost in sync with each other. Siegfried was having a hard time believing that he was somehow able to pull this off despite only practicing for two days. A part of him loathed the painfully frustrating and awkward lessons Eris gave him, but as he stared into her eyes as they danced, he knew that all those hours were worth it.
"I'm impressed, you're emulating the movements I've thought you quite well." Eris complimented as he briefly spun her around.
"Eh, I had a pretty great teacher…even if she can be a bit of a- Ow." He winced from the hard pinch to his shoulder.
"Honestly!"
Looking back on the memory of
The dance we shared beneath the stars above
For a moment all the world was right
How could I have known that you'd ever say goodbye
Words could not describe the feelings that Hilda felt as she slow danced with Rowan, who sported a dashing look that made her heart flutter like the wings of a Vespoid. They stared into each other's eyes, unwilling to look away.
"I-I didn't know you could dance…"
"What can I say? I'm a man of surprises."
As they continued to sway to the music, Hilda's eyes wandered to the very visible scar on Rowan's forehead. For a moment, she wondered what happened to him that caused that scar but the thought soon vanished when he twirled her away and back towards himself.
"Distracted?" he teased.
She pouted. "Shut up."
Our lives are better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance
The dance
I would have missed the dance
Eris twirled around in his arms before leaning her back against his chest, her hands interlacing with his own. The huntress felt relieved that her partner had miraculously not stepped on her foot just once, proving that her rigorous lessons had done its job. A sigh escaped her lips, satisfied at how things had turned out. Suddenly, she was spun around, eliciting a muffled squeak as her head landed on Siegfried's chest.
"Sorry…" he said, the corner of his mouth threatening to make way for a mischievous smirk. In response, she glared at the man but before she could retaliate, he spun her around again.
W-What is he doing?! He quickly pulled Eris towards him again and resumed their original positions. The huntress glanced upwards at him, noticing the rather neutral expression plastered onto his face.
"That was payback for the lessons by the way," Siegfried muttered to her, moving both hands to her waist as she held onto his shoulders.
He grinned victoriously at the angry look she gave him.
Holding you, I held everything
For a moment wasn't I a king
But if I'd only known
How the king would fall
Rowan had lost count of how long they stayed holding against each other like this. He inhaled her scent, subconsciously tightening his arms around her waist. He felt Hilda hesitantly wrap her arms around his neck and he smiled, not willing to break this embrace.
If I had the power to stop time at this moment, it just wouldn't be enough.
Sensing the opportunity, Rowan whispered in Hilda's ear. "I'm sorry."
Hilda nuzzled her head against his shoulder. "No, I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have said those words…" She clenched the fabric of his vest. "I then acted immaturely and made this whole thing more complicated than it was before. And for that, I hope you can forgive me…"
Rowan nodded. "Apology accepted but…why did you say those words though? As far as I remember, I don't ever remember doing anything to piss you off."
Hilda shook her head. "I…I'd rather not say."
The hunter sighed. "It can't be helped then… But even so, I want to help you. So please, talk to me and we can work out these problems together eh?"
Rowan felt her smile on his shoulder. "Yeah, that would be nice."
But I'd of had to miss the dance
The dance
I would have missed the dance
The dance
I would have missed the dance
Romero sensed a familiar presence near him. He looked to his right and saw Hanzo approaching him.
"Hanzo."
"Romero."
The two men stood by and watched the dancers, ignoring the slight pangs of jealously within them as the happy couples enjoyed themselves. Romero suddenly felt Hanzo nudging him by the elbow.
"Look, it's Luca," Hanzo said, pointing towards the bespectacled man currently dancing with a pretty looking woman. Both men chuckled, watching the now red-faced hunter awkwardly attempt to pry the woman's head off his shoulder.
"For someone so knowledgeable on hunting he sure is awkward around women."
"You're not wrong."
Both men's eyes then caught wind of a certain duo. They smiled as they watched Hilda and Rowan slowly move back and forth to the music as if they were locked in their own world together.
It still feels like yesterday that she was just a little girl who against all odds, managed to survive on her own. Hanzo felt like a proud older brother (or father considering his age) watching their little girl fall for a man who they trusted to make her happy. Of course, there was that lingering overprotective feeling (he did take care of her for more than ten years after all) but he knew he had to cast it aside in favor of Hilda's own happiness. He called for a glass of wine and sighed. They grow up so fast…
That's why life is better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance
The dance
Eris found it impossible to suppress the immense blush on her face at her current predicament. She had not expected him to do that.
"W-What are you…"
A smug smile formed on Siegfried's lips. Green eyes met ocean-blue eyes as everyone else stopped and stared at the two, surprised looks etched onto their faces. To have a commoner attend a prestigious ball was one thing but for that commoner to dance so well and managing to pull off one of the most difficult moves to do – a dip of all things – so well and flawlessly that it was enough to leave them speechless. He even did it in front of a crowd no less!
The hunter lifted her up and supported her back with his arms. "I guess I passed the test?"
Eris bit her lip, huffing. She couldn't believe it. "Y-You…" She abruptly turned around, covering her reddening face with her hands. The huntress fumed internally, still unable to handle the embarrassment she felt. Yet for some reason, she didn't feel the slightest bit of rage. Despite the admittedly embarrassing moment, Eris couldn't help but recall how much she enjoyed dancing with him… That uncouth, stubborn, rude but handsome, strong-willed and (secretly) kind man. But he didn't need to know that. With a smile, she shook her head and turned around to face him, determined to wipe the cocky grin off his face.
Eris stepped forward and grabbed him by the collar, startling him. "Eris?"
The crowd held their breaths, waiting for her next move. Siegfried gulped, the close proximity of their faces making it look like they were about to kiss. Luckily for him – and much to Romero's disappointment – Eris merely looked amused.
"We forgot to bow."
Siegfried took a second to process her words before stuttering out incomprehensible words and fumbling with his ascot. Facing each other, the two separated and formally bowed.
Silence enveloped the area…before the sound of clapping could be heard, courtesy of Rowan. Soon, Hanzo joined in, along with Luca. Even Hilda had begun clapping (albeit begrudgingly) and moments later, the speechless nobles snapped out of their trance and had begun to properly applaud the duo as well. In a matter of minutes, the entire ballroom erupted into a fit of applause, with some of the more judgmental nobles shouting out praises and apologies for doubting the two.
Eris moved towards Siegfried's side and pinched his hip, still keeping a smile on her face. "You're not getting away that easily buster."
Siegfried, also still plastering on a grin, nodded through gritted teeth. "Try me."
Nearby, the rest of the hunter group also came over to extend their praises.
"I have to admit, you were bloody impressive back there. Both of you were." Luca said, nodding approvingly. The bespectacled hunter also politely bowed at Eris. "Also, apologies for the extremely belated greeting but it's great to see you again Ms. Havencroft."
She politely returned the greeting. "As I to you Mr. Javier."
"You were both amazing," Rowan said, holding a flushed Hilda's hand. "Right Hilda?"
Eris narrowed her eyes at the huntress, who was trying her best to avert her eyes away from everyone. "I-It was…f-fine I suppose…" Hilda mumbled.
Eris laughed. "What was that? Speak up please."
Hilda pouted, internally fuming before sucking in a breath and surging towards Eris, glaring straight into her eyes. Hanzo immediately anticipated a fight. Much to his relief, Hilda didn't do anything drastic. "I said it was alright! Gosh!" She then pointed at Siegfried. "You as well! There, happy?!"
The hunters collectively chuckled at Hilda's sudden outburst. But at that moment, Rowan remembered something.
"Hey, where did Romero-"
"Everyone, I would like to call your attention!" The Guild Knight tapped a spoon to a glass of wine. "First, I want to thank those two over there for gifting us with an entertaining and noteworthy performance."
Siegfried and Eris awkwardly bowed as the crowd gave them standing ovation.
"Going back, I would like to once again thank you all for attending this prestigious event. It brings me great pleasure to celebrate the many achievements the Guild has made over the past decades and it is without a doubt that we are to celebrate just that. For tonight's ball, as you might know, I have invited some well-known guests aside from the esteemed nobles present here tonight. Please give a round of applause to the elite hunter group currently with us tonight!"
Loud sounds of applause erupted throughout the hall as the nobles applauded the group of hunters.
"Now moving on…" Suddenly, one of the servers emerged from the curtains behind Jacob and whispered something to him. The hunters noticed the man nodding with a glimpse of a frown appearing on his face before immediately vanishing in favor of a smile. He whispered something back before the server nodded and retreated backstage.
"There have been some slight developments to the situation at hand. As a result, I'll keep this brief." He gestured his fingers and a server came upstage to take the glass of wine. "I would like to pose this question to everyone in this room…Do you believe in gods?"
The entire hall went quiet at the question. Most of the nobles scratched their heads in confusion at the odd question. After all, it was common knowledge that the majority of the people in the region did believe in the Gods. And even then those who don't usually have no problem revealing that information. The simple nature of the question was what baffled them, to say the least.
"I'll take that silence as both a yes and a no. The point I'm trying to make here is, how would you all feel about rebirth? I'm mainly talking about rebuilding a world to its ideal form. To get rid of all the impurities within this world, destroying it and rebuilding it to make a much better new world. Does that idea resonate within any of you?"
Understandably, it was silent as each and every one of the guests stood there in confusion, trying to decipher his words.
Rebirth? Destruction? New world? Why does that sound fami- OH NO! Siegfried's expression turned to that of sheer horror as he realized what Jacob meant with his words. He suddenly turned around and shouted as loud as you can.
"EVERYONE RUN!"
The guests stared at Siegfried, even more, confused and surprised at his sudden outburst. On stage, however, Jacob now sported an uncharacteristically evil smirk. "Looks like you're the only one who understands." He snapped his fingers and all of a sudden…
CRASH!
The crowd gasped when out of nowhere, dozens of hooded individuals crashed through the windows. Standing nearby, Catherine immediately sprang into action.
"Bastards!" She and her squad unsheathed their swords and stood before the guests in an attempt to shield them. To their surprise, the hooded figures remained unfazed and instead, whipped out their own weapons – large knives.
"Stay back everyone!" Catherine shouted as she and her squad prepared to fight.
Just when they thought things wouldn't get any worse, thunderous roars echoed throughout the area. All of a sudden, a group of Flying Wyverns emerged through the large broken windows. The Wyverns, combinations of Rathalos, Rathian, and other bipedal Wyverns roared and landed directly in front of the crowd. To everyone's horror, there appeared to be black armored individuals sitting atop the creatures. The guests screamed and scrambled away for safety…only to find that they were completely surrounded on all sides. As if the guests were Moofa being herded by farmers, they were effectively trapped.
"Shit!" Siegfried uttered, horrified at how everything turned out.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Hilda demanded, pointing at Jacob. She cursed the fact that they didn't bring their gear.
The traitorous Guild Knight cackled. "Why don't you ask him?" he said, gesturing at Siegfried. Immediately, all heads turned towards the aforementioned hunter, giving him looks of confusion, fear, anger, and all sorts of emotions.
"T-They're a cult, calling themselves the Revenants…"
"How do you know of this?!" Hilda once again demanded, grabbing him by the collar. When he hesitated, she shook him furiously. "Answer me!"
"Why that man there was one of us!"
All heads turned towards the new voice. Emerging from behind the stage, another armored individual made their appearance. A visor covered their face, but one could easily distinguish this one from the rest by the long strands of dark red hair flowing down their back, along with a shapely body. It was a woman.
Hilda looked at the woman and back at Siegfried, who attempted to avert his eyes away from everyone. The huntress growled and proceeded to effortlessly lift the hunter into by the air by the collar. "What does she mean?!"
"It means that your friend there was part of our cause!" The armored woman grinned. "His bloody hands had already taken hundreds of lives am I right Siegfried dear?"
The guests fell silent. Hilda, stunned, slowly released his collar and stumbled back, complete disbelief etched onto her face. She would have collapsed onto the ground if it weren't for Hanzo catching her.
"…Please tell me this isn't true…" Rowan held the hunter by the shoulders. "Say something…please."
Siegfried smiled wistfully. "…Everything she had said was true. I…can't deny that."
Just like Hilda, Rowan, now trembling, let go of him and took several steps back, trying to process his words. He held his forehead and had begun muttering to himself.
Siegfried sighed and turned towards the very person he didn't want to hear of his past.
"I…I'm sorry Eris." He moved closer to her, reaching out with his hand, but she stepped away. He closed his hand and slumped his shoulders.
"So that's what they meant…" Eris muttered, tightly gripping her arm.
Siegfried glanced around the area, noticing the varying expressions of the nobles. But deep down, he knew they couldn't amount to Eris's current feelings. He had hurt the one person he had begun to care about. No words could describe the level of shame he felt at that moment.
"Now that your little drama moment has ended, let's get down to business shall we?"
Another snap of his fingers and coming out of the backstage, two hooded individuals emerged…with three tied up figures in tow.
Rowan's eyes widened. "Brother!" How did they do it?!
Also tied up unconscious and lying on the ground next to Romero, were two people Siegfried recognized all too well. "Amber?! Jason?!" Why are those two here?!
"We've caught these three snooping around where they don't belong. There was a fourth one but unfortunately for him, he was pretty easy to dispose of. And to think, he used to a Guild Knight. How embarrassing."
CLANK!
All heads turned towards the leader of the Watch, who had dropped her sword and collapsed onto her knees. Two of her soldiers rushed forward to support their commander.
"N-No…" she mumbled, shivering and hugging herself.
"Alright, all of you may be wondering what is going on and why. Well to put it simply, this isn't just a celebratory party. I've invited everyone here because…" A sinister smile formed on his face. "I plan for all of you to die."
...
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