Inspiration: Confessions

Author Note: Author notes are too long huh? lol.

Word Count: 6,638

Chapter 25

Romani's POV

I took a whiff of the air, and immediately felt my hunger pains activate. If there was anything Saria could do, it was cook. The aroma was sensational.

"It smells incredible," I said, "what did you make?"

She not so modestly stated, "It is incredible, and it's rabbit stew."

I giggled at her utterance, then stepped inside at her invitation to find Ralph playing with Saria's little twin in a rocking chair. Honestly, Elincia was the most beautiful baby I ever laid eyes on. That child's irises were the color of sapphires, and her emerald green hair was so pigment saturated, it almost didn't seem real. Saria closed the door behind me and gestured for me to sit down.

"I'm just waiting for the bread in the oven," she said, "it'll only be a few more minutes."

I nodded.

"Sounds good," I said, "I'm looking forward to it."

Afterwards, I naturally went over to where Ralph was sitting and sat next to him playing with his daughter. This had actually become a routine for me when I would come to visit. The last few weeks I had been visiting more frequently and each time I left with some fond memories. It made my original reasons for coming seem so juvenile. I now wanted to clear my conscience and make things right. I wasn't sure how I was going to do this, but I figured I would speak with Saria alone after dinner. I hoped Ralph would grant the request, knowing he was the curious type. He was never one that liked to be out of the loop on things. While I contemplated all this, Elincia was smiling and laughing at her father making faces at her.

I thought Ralph's love for his daughter was outstanding. I decided to tease his contrary nature.

"You should try those faces at work," I joked, "it might help your patients."

Ralph then gave me a dirty look, but softened it with a grin.

"It might work," he replied anyway, "there are unconventional methods of medical therapy."

I laughed again, but was suddenly taken aback when Elincia reached out for me. I couldn't believe it.

"Will you look at that," Ralph commented, "she wants to wants you to hold her Romani."

Her actions surprised me too.

"I see that," I said, still astonished.

Not one to let a sweet child down, I took Elincia in my arms and held her at her behest. I had been desiring to hold her for weeks now, but every time I attempted to, she rejected me. I never took it personal because she was only a baby, but there was a part of me that secretly wished she was mine. Admittedly, I did think about what Ralph and my child would look like if we had gotten married, and I think Elincia was a close match, sans the green hair obviously. The latter may have seemed like a strange observation, but Saria and I did have very similar features, and Elnicia favored her mother. But, I saw her father in her too. There were subtleties with some of her features, like the shape of her nose and the contour of her lips. Those accents were hints of Ralph here and there. However, Saria did have the domination when it came to Elincia's beauty.

Elincia cooed when I spoke to her.

"Hello there," I said softly, "I can't believe you honored me today. I'm so glad."

Elincia babbled more and Ralph smiled.

"It is surprising," he said, "I had no idea she was warming up to you so."

I wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not.

"Well thanks a lot," I said with a hint of sarcasm, "but I knew she would like me eventually."

"I knew so too!" Saria called from the kitchen, pulling the bread from the oven. "Ralph is just being a bully."

Ralph chuckled at the both of us and reached over to caress Elincia's perfect hair.

"It seems I am outnumbered," he said to his daughter, "but you still have my back, don't you?"

Elincia responded by babbling incoherently to her father and smiling. Ralph in return nodded and chuckled at her actions.

"Ah… she is so perfect," he said almost absently.

I giggled and held her close to my chest.

"It's hard to argue that," I said honestly, "she is just such a joy."

He nodded, then looked over at his wife.

"She comes from good genes," he said with a hint of admiration, "she's so much like her mother."

I glanced over at his pretty bride and watched as she set the table. It was quite clear he was deeply in love with her, and why shouldn't he be? She was all the things he wanted in a woman.

I nodded.

"Indeed," I replied.

Ralph then turned his attention back to me.

"So tell me," he started, and changed the subject, "how are things going with Dr. Brimstone?"

I took in a deep sigh and shrugged when he said the physician's name.

"Everything is about the same," I replied, "but he did have me assist him with removing a pulmonary contusion from a blacksmith's lung the other day. It was pretty stressful."

Ralph nodded and raised his brows.

"I would think so," he said, "that is a tough procedure. Where was it performed? It couldn't have been out of his clinic. Dr. Brimstone hardly has the tools for that."

He was right of course.

"It was actually the private blacksmith to King Draco," I explained. "Apparently when he was welding, a piece of his soldering apparatus hit him in the chest and bruised his lung. The pulmonary contusion developed alongside his flail chest, affecting both his breathing and musculature. The king only knew of this because he passed out one afternoon while working. We were summoned to the palace at Dragon Roost after we were recommended by the king's physician."

Ralph was listening to me intently, and even Saria stopped what she was doing to chime in.

"You went to Dragon Roost Palace?" she asked.

I nodded.

"It is every bit as wondrous as you've heard," I added, "it truly is carved out of the side of a mountain."

Saria was still looking on astonished, while Ralph preferred for me to go on with my story.

"Regarding the actual procedure," he redirected, "how was it done?"

I raised my brows at his mild impatience.

"I'm so sorry my lord," I said sarcastically, "please let me not forget that."

Ralph's expression didn't change.

"Well?" he pressed.

Saria giggled at her husband's face.

"Ralph, will you relax," she said, "let her tell her story her way."

Ralph rolled his eyes playfully at his wife's voice, and it only made me giggle. Elincia too laughed at her father's disposition. Ralph then gave his daughter an exaggerated look.

"Et tu Elincia?" he asked.

Elincia looked to respond by babbling adorably with a nondescript answer, and we all laughed at Ralph's expense. Afterwards, I turned my attention back to the serious physician. Ralph could give the king a run for his rupee with how serious he was at times. However, I was glad to see he had lightened up. Marriage seemed to take the edge off him. In any such case, I redirected the conversation to answer his question.

"To get to the point for the inquisitive doctor here, the patient was first put to sleep using a sleeping potion," I went on. "Afterwards, Dr. Brimstone cut into the lung, only to find there was a great deal of dead and inflamed tissue. The tissue could have been reconstituted if there was time for oxygen therapy, but the patient went back to work right away. He was too busy wielding an axe to worry about his health. Those were his words not mine. Anyway, Dr. Brimstone had to be very careful, so we used the legendary salt vault in Dragon Boost to keep the infections at bay. We also used ice and fire concoctions for the pulmonary wedge procedure we were going to have to perform."

Ralph looked on stunned.

"You got to actually perform a pulmonary wedge operation with Dr. Brimstone?" he asked in mild disbelief. "There is only a forty percent chance for patient survival."

I nodded.

"I know," I replied, "but that was why the doctor chose the salt mines. Though, it could have been dangerous if the sediments in the mine got into the patients wound while were performing the surgery. Some salt could have caused a saponification reaction and then there would have been other problems."

Saria stared at me like I just spoke ancient Hylian.

"A saponifi-who reaction?" she asked.

I giggled, but Ralph spoke up before I could.

"She means when certain salts at high concentrations come into contact with fats the end result could be soap," he explained, "thus the term saponification, or simply soap."

Saria still looked slightly confused, but the clarification did help.

"Alright," she said.

Ralph then turned his attention back to me.

"You have got to tell me how he was able to cut out the extra lung tissue without disturbing the rest of the pulmonary vasculature," he said. "This is incredible if the patient gets a full recovery. The technique needs to be published so other surgeons can learn it."

I more than agreed.

"Well, first he performed a transected cut to the fourth intercostal space," I started. "Then, very carefully, he wedged the forth rib with some forceps. This might sound strange, but we were thankful the ribs were already flail, it made it easier to get to the tissue."

Ralph nodded.

"Absolutely," he replied.

I went on.

"Afterwards, he kept the incisions lateral to avoid the pulmonary veins, but he soon found there were other problems," I said. "There was fibrosis already developing with the bruising, and the alveoli in the pulmonary branches were completely hyper expanded with visceral edema."

Ralph leaned forward a little.

"So what did he do?" he asked.

I took in a deep sigh.

"He transected it and removed it before it spread," I replied. "Before ARDS hit both lungs, Dr. Brimstone cut out the dead tissue and repaired the rest of the patient's vasculature. Even so, the operation was highly risky and the patient is on strict bed rest with a round the clock nurse tending to him. The doctor decided on ice potion intravenous therapy, and red potions every six hours to speed up the recovery process. He would have benefited more from blue potion or gold potion therapy, but those potions are ten thousand rupees a bottle and the patient could hardly afford to pay for that."

Ralph then gave me an offhanded stare.

"Isn't he the royal blacksmith?" he asked. "Can't the king pay for his care?"

I shrugged.

"I said the same thing," I replied, "but it seems the king might not see things quite as clearly as you or I do, or anyone with good sense for that matter."

Ralph sat back in his seat and shook his head.

"It doesn't seem right," he said, "but at least he is recovering."

I nodded.

"Yes," I said, "I have a copy of the report that Dr. Brimstone wrote. He told me he wanted me to add points from the ancillary point of view, and if the patient recovers well, or not, he wants to publish this outcome in Royal Physician's Almanac."

Ralph looked impressed.

"I hope that gets done soon," he said, "I would love to read the report in detail."

I stared at Elincia who was looking at me wide eyed.

"That's the goal," I said.

Ralph then stared at his daughter in my arms.

"How did he treat the ARDS?" he asked.

It was then Saria chimed in again.

"Sorry," she said, "but what does ARDS stand for? I'm trying to follow what you two are saying, but I am lost on that one."

I grinned.

"It's no problem at all," I said. "ARDS stands for: acute respiratory distress syndrome. It is an idiopathic condition where the lungs let off a lot of inflammatory proteins, chemicals, and fibers. The end result is the lungs fill with fluid until they harden like honeycomb patches, causing a complete shut down of the oxygen carbon dioxide gas exchange. In short, the patient dies."

Saria looked on stunned, but simply nodded.

"Oh my," she said.

Ralph then posed his question again.

"So, how did he treat it?" he asked once more.

I turned my focus back on my friend.

"He used a variety of potions at different titrations and different concentrations," I replied. "He used an ice potion, then red potions, and he even threw in some green potions for good measure."

Ralph looked at me perplexed.

"Isn't that more for magic than healing?" he asked.

I was slightly confused at first too.

"I thought the same thing, until he explained to me the adjunctive biochemical qualities of the green potion. It facilitates better blood flow and crosses the blood brain barrier at a faster rate than red potion," I explained. "That was why he initially wanted the blue potion in the first place. It takes care of the red potion effects as well as the green potion effects."

Again, Ralph looked impressed.

"I need to work with that man," he said, "he sounds like a genius."

I nodded.

"He is," I said, "but he certainly can be a handful as well. He is very demanding."

Ralph fanned that off.

"That doesn't bother me," he said. "It just means he wants excellence."

I shrugged again.

"I suppose," I replied.

Saria, in the kitchen, was looking between the two of us, almost a little intimidated. I could understand why. It simply wasn't her forte.

"Uh… as fascinating as this conversation is," she said, "dinner is ready."

Ralph and I both looked over at her and burst into laughter at her utterance. The inflection in her voice was classic. Her husband got up from his chair and walked over to her and hugged her. He chuckled again when she gave him a comical look.

"I had no idea what you two were talking about for two thirds of that discussion," she half-joked. "Transect this, interstitial that, pulmonary contusions –that all went way over my head."

I then got up to join them with Elincia. Elincia seemed to start laughing because she saw her father laughing, and in that moment she had to be the most charming child in the entire kingdom. Saria then made an exaggerated face at her daughter too.

"Are you laughing at mommy?" she asked. "Are you laughing honey?"

The baby only giggled more and I simply wanted keep her always. I held her close to me.

"My goodness you two," I said, staring at Elincia, "she is the most charming baby ever."

Saria smiled at me.

"She is pretty incredible," she said, "but I might be biased."

Ralph shook his head.

"That's perfectly alright," he said, "bias is good in this family."

Saria and I giggled at that, and she finally freed me of her adorable daughter. Saria took her and placed her in the high chair next to her at the table.

"Come on everyone," she said, "let's sit down and have supper. I don't want it to get cold."

Ralph rubbed his hands together when saw the finished product in the small black cauldron in the middle of the table. The stew was cream based, with rabbit meat, potatoes, carrots, celery, bullion, and butter. It smelled sensational. There was also a loaf of fresh baked bread next to the cauldron, fresh herb salad, and a decanter with apple cider in it. Simply put, dinner looked delicious.

"I don't know what smells better," I said in awe, "the bread or the stew."

Ralph sat down at the head of the table.

"It's both," he replied indiscriminately.

Saria grinned as she got Elincia situated and started feeding her her milk in a bottle. Even though Elincia was hitting all her developmental milestones, she still needed assistance eating. The high chair consisted of two perfectly carved and soldered blocks stacked on top of each other, with an embroidered cushion of cotton and receding blankets to prevent splintering or harm to the child. The baby had to lay back because she could not yet hold her head up by herself. Though, when she was on the floor, she could lift her head and arms and legs easily. I didn't know how Saria did it, but she seemed to be a natural. After feeding Elincia, Saria went to serve Ralph and me. However, I went to stop her.

"Your hands are full," I said, "let me help you."

Saria looked at me surprised, but also gratefully.

"Oh, why thank you," she said, "that way I can watch Elincia without having to worry about her being comfortable in the chair."

Ralph gave her an obvious look.

"Sar, that chair was meant to protect infants," he explained, "it's fine, stop worrying."

I knew that wasn't going to bode for him well. It was never wise to tell a mother she shouldn't be protective of her children. I just grinned, while Saria placed her hands on her hips and raised her brow.

"This chair is not secure enough for me Mr. Ralph," she said with a hint of sternness. "What if Elincia were to fall because I was foolish enough to trust a manufacturer over my own instincts?"

I couldn't help but giggle when I heard that and ladled a bowl.

"She does have a point," I instigated.

Ralph cut his eyes to me and chuckled slightly himself.

"It seems I am outnumbered," he joked, but then addressed his wife directly. "Darling, if you want to make sure Elincia is alright, I will by no means stop you. I just wanted you to know you could relax if you wanted to, especially since you're expecting again."

I giggled again almost involuntarily, but then stopped in complete surprise when what Ralph uttered registered to me. My eyes widened and I stared over at Saria shocked. I had to sit down before I stumbled backwards.

"You're pregnant again?" I asked.

Saria was quiet for a moment, and the look on her face suggested she didn't want that news to be revealed yet. She was giving her husband the evil eye if I had ever seen it.

"So much for subtlety," she muttered to herself.

Ralph actually had the opposite reaction. He simply smiled.

"Don't be upset honey," he said to her, "it was bound to get out there sooner or later. Why not sooner?"

His explanation did nothing to dispel the look on her face.

"Some things are nice for a surprise," she said, "but how can I do that if you always open your big mouth. First you spoil my pregnancy with Elincia and now this."

There was a bit more venom in her tone than I thought she intended, but she did seem genuinely upset now, which, quite frankly, I found odd.

Ralph raised a brow and sat back at her tone. I sensed he didn't want to make a scene, but he didn't want this squabbling to continue either.

"I apologize," he said softly, "but can we speak on this later? If you want, you can tell my parents the good news instead of me, fair enough?"

I pursed my lips together and remained quiet. Considering how his family felt about Saria, I hardly thought that was a proper concession. Even so, I did respect the fact that he was trying to make peace with his wife so she wouldn't be so upset. That was so like Ralph. He thought more of others than himself, and he always had my respect for that. Saria on the other hand, was still aggravated, but said nothing. It seemed to me she was a little too sensitive about the subject matter, but I figured it may have been because of her condition. However, there seemed to be something else bothering her too. Even with her condition, her reaction seemed more forceful than normal. In any such case, it was none of my business, as I was aptly learning from my past mistakes, and I decided to congratulate her than get involved in the minor marital disharmony.

"Well, with all things considered, congratulations," I said, "I'm sure he or she will bring you as much joy as Elincia."

Saria was quiet for a long time before she looked over at me and smiled. It seemed forced, but her manner was gracious just the same.

"Thank you," she whispered.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Ralph look at Saria with a hint of concern. That was when I knew something was amiss between the two of them. Even so, supper went on without a hitch. The food was incredible as I knew it would be, but the conversation was stilted, with Ralph speaking more to me, as Saria remained more in tune with her thoughts. There were times when Ralph would engage her, but Saria only responded with short quips or one word answers. I was in no place to tell her how to respond to her husband, but she seemed to be taking her discontent a token too far in my opinion. Ralph apologized, and since she was pregnant, why hide the news? It wasn't as if everyone wasn't going to eventually find out anyway. Even so, I realized then I was starting to act like Gertrude with my thought process. I didn't want to be judgmental on something I had very little insight on. As such, when dinner was over, I helped Saria clear the table, while Ralph cared for Elincia and took her upstairs to her room. Saria was quiet as she washed the dishes and put them away. I went and swept the floor, but kept my eyes on her when I sensed she was ready to break her silence.

It was only a moment later.

"Why does he do that?" she asked suddenly.

I stopped sweeping at her utterance.

"Why does he do what?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"Speak for me, announce me like I'm a prize or something," she said.

I raised my brows at her honesty.

"I don't think he means to," I replied, "I think he does so because he's proud of you, because he's so in love with you and is happy with you."

She rolled her eyes at my reply, and for some odd reason, tears filled her eyes. She surprised me with her next disclosure.

"I know that," she whispered, "he's so kind and generous to me that I feel unworthy of him."

I studied her for a moment.

"Then why are you upset?" I asked gently.

She shook her head, then looked over at me and wiped her tears away.

"It's nothing I'm just complicating things," she said, which was surprising, "I'm just being stupid."

I frowned at her description of herself.

"Saria stop talking about yourself like that," I scolded mildly, "you're not stupid."

She looked over at me.

"I might as well be if I'm getting upset at something like this, right?" she replied. "He deserves someone like you. Someone who is smart, beautiful, and who understands him on a much deeper level."

My eyes widened at her words.

"Saria…" I trailed, unable to find the right reply.

She gave me a quick once over.

"I heard the two of you talking," she said, "you're perfect for him."

Her disclosure left me a little shaken, but I had to respond to that.

"But he didn't want me," I said simply, "he wanted you, he loves you. Whether you realize it or not, there's something about you that is special Saria. I see it now, just as Ralph sees it. Don't push him away because you feel insecure."

She swallowed hard.

"It's so hard," she whispered, "he's so perfect."

I shook my head.

"No one is perfect," I replied, "not even Ralph."

She acted as if she didn't hear me.

"I just need to be better for him and Elincia," she said more to herself than to me.

"You're fine the way you are," I insisted, "stop putting yourself down."

She disagreed with me.

"That's kind, but you're wrong," she said.

I paused for a moment.

"I figured you'd say as much," I replied, "why are you so hard on yourself?"

She shook her head.

"You wouldn't understand," she said.

I called her bluff.

"Try me," I said.

Saria stared at me for a long time before turning away.

"You're very kind Romani," she said, "and I wouldn't expect you to say otherwise, but you know as well as I that Ralph is brilliant while I'm lacking."

I then stared at her belly.

"Are you saying these thing because you're scared of being a mother again?" she asked. "Is that why you're being so hard on yourself?"

Her throat tightened.

"A little, but it's more complicated than that," she said.

I stared at her for a moment.

"Why is it more complicated?" I asked.

She never answered that question.

"Don't worry about it," she said.

There was a brief silence between us, when a moment later I broke it.

"Well, I for one think you have a lot to be grateful for," I said, "your new bundle of joy is one aspect, while your beautiful family is another. Please cheer up Saria."

Saria looked over at me thoughtfully for a minute before she cut her eyes to her belly and rubbed it.

"Perhaps… perhaps you're right," she trailed, "perhaps I do need to be more grateful. My babies deserve the best their mommy can be."

I nodded and attempted to smile.

"That's the spirit," I said.

After that, there another silence between us, and I began to feel a little guilty. Considering everything I revealed to Lady Bathory, I was hardly in a position to act as an advisor. I knew sooner or later I was going to have to reveal what I had done to clear my conscience. My hope was that no permanent damage would ensue as a result of my deceit, but I knew there would be some fallout. It would be unreasonable for me to believe that actions would have no immediate consequences. It was then I looked over my shoulder to the stairwell to see if Ralph was still upstairs with Elincia. He was, and I needed to take advantage of this opportunity to speak with Saria alone and confess everything I had done.

"Do you have any plans after you are done with cleaning the dishes?" I asked suddenly.

Saria turned and looked at me surprised.

"Besides retiring for the night, no," she replied.

I nodded, then went to ask my question.

"Do you think Ralph would mind if you came with me for a little while?" I inquired out of the blue.

Saria unsurprisingly gave me a slight offhanded look.

"Why?" she asked.

I pursed my lips together and avoided her eyes for a second.

"I have something I need to discuss with you in private," I whispered.

The surprise never left her face, and for a moment, there was a hint of suspicion there.

"Regarding what?" she asked.

I hardly knew how to answer that question, except in a straightforward fashion.

"I can't speak on it here," I replied, "I just need for you to trust me when I say it's important."

The look of astonishment never left her face. She looked to the stairwell to see if Ralph was nearby listening, but saw that we were still alone. She looked uneasy. However, in a minute decision, she then nodded and headed upstairs.

"Alright," she replied, "let me go talk to Ralph really quickly and I should be back shortly."

I nodded.

"Sounds like a plan," I replied, "I'll meet you outside on your porch."

Afterwards, Saria headed upstairs, while I headed out the front door. I put the broom away first and made sure the kitchen was tidy before leaving. When I was outside waiting for Saria, suddenly my nervousness mounted. I wasn't sure how this was going to end, and knowing that Saria was pregnant again, I felt even worse. If anything happened as a result of my idiocy, I would never forgive myself. A moment later, I heard the front door open and Saria joined me on the porch. She had a beige shawl wrapped around her head and shoulders, ready for the walk.

I wanted to make sure she was clear to go.

"Is everything okay with Ralph?" I asked.

Saria had an indifferent look on her face.

"He wanted to come, but he understood," she replied, "I think he just hates being out of the know."

I nodded.

"That's that physician's intuition he has," I replied, "we're told to develop and hone it in medical school."

She grinned at my explanation, but had a hypothesis of her own.

"Or he has a certain family trait," she joked.

I looked at her surprised, but then giggled. She did make a good point.

"You know," I started, "I love Gertrude, Ralph and their parents, but you do have a point, they are a bit nosy."

Saria then giggled at my summation, and looked past me to the road.

"We better get going before it gets too late," she said.

I nodded.

"Absolutely," I replied.

We then left the porch and headed down the main road to North Castle Town Square.

"So," she asked after a few minutes, "where are we going?"

I should have expected the question.

"Hylia's Tavern," I replied.

At hearing the destination, Saria made a face.

"I know that's a budding spot for young people and plutocrats, but I don't care for it," she said, "it's not really my scene."

I could understand her points.

"Would you like to go someplace else?" I asked.

She stopped for a moment and thought about it.

"How about just a stroll in the square?" she suggested. "We don't have to go to a tavern or pub."

I nodded.

"That works," I replied.

With the change in plans, we headed for the north square just the same. However, instead of heading to Hylia's Tavern, we stayed in the main marketplace. Pretty much everything was closed now, with only a few late night locales being open. I looked up at the clock tower and was surprised to see it was close to eleven pm.

"Where did the day go?" I asked absently.

Saria grinned.

"I ask that every day," she said, "time always seems to fly by."

I nodded.

"True," I replied.

Saria then cut her eyes to me from the clock tower. Her disposition was still a bit guarded.

"So…" she trailed, "what's going on?"

At hearing her utterance, I was quiet for a long time and took in a deep sigh. My nervousness returned when I turned to face her. When she met my eyes, there was a hint of suspicion there, and though we got along splendidly for the past few months, I could understand her look of distrust. It was then I decided to start the conversation with that very misgiving.

"I know it took you a moment to trust me," I divulged, "and I'm grateful to you for that."

Saria gave me a quick once over.

"Ralph… Ralph told me you wanted to be make amends," she replied, "I was willing to give you a chance because he said you were sincere."

I nodded.

"I was," I said honestly.

She raised a brow.

"Has anything changed?" she asked.

I deserved that.

"No," I replied, "that's why I'm here now."

She studied my face for a moment.

"Romani… what's going on?" she asked finally.

I avoided her eyes for a moment and looked around. The only persons walking about the square were the guards patrolling and a few couples leaving taverns or pubs. I then turned back to her and became more forthcoming.

"I wasn't initially honest with you," I said, while lowering my voice, "my intentions weren't always pure."

Saria didn't look surprised.

"Because of your feelings for Ralph, right?" she guessed.

I blushed involuntarily and looked to the ground.

"It wasn't just because of him," I whispered. "It was everything: it was his family, it was his sister, it was me not knowing you, it was me being jealous –it was everything."

She took in a deep sigh.

"I understand because Gertrude is your best friend," she said. "She expected better for her brother, and naturally you were that woman. I don't blame her for wanting the best for her brother. However, I do love Ralph, and though I'm not perfect, I am going to better myself for him."

I felt terrible that she had to disclose that.

"Saria you're a brilliant homemaker," I said, "I could never do it with the ease you do."

She grinned.

"I'm sure you'd do just fine," she said, "it's kind of an innate intuition to keep a home."

I wasn't so sure about that.

"If that were the case there would be no need for a governess college," I joked.

Saria did giggle at that.

"You do have a point," she replied.

I then took a step forward.

"Look, my point is I was wrong for being deceitful," I said.

Saria nodded.

"I appreciate your honesty," she replied, "it's no easy thing telling the truth the way you did."

I wasn't done.

"There's… there's more," I whispered.

At my tone, Saria gave me another offhanded look.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

I took in another sigh and prayed for courage.

"There… there was another more calculated reason I came to visit you," I started.

Saria took a step back at that.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

I closed my eyes for a moment.

"I mean I made a deal with someone to spy on you," I whispered.

Saria's eyes widened and she took another step back.

"You-you what?!" she whispered back.

I felt my throat tighten.

"I did," I continued, "I was so jealous, I had no idea what I was doing at the time."

Saria's breathing quickened.

"But why?" she demanded. "Why would you do such a thing?"

I had no answer.

"I was a fool," I said, "she told me I was doing her a great service, but I knew there was a catch."

Saria seemed more enamored with the gender I just disclosed.

"She?" she repeated. "The person who asked to spy on me was a woman?"

I paused for a moment, then finally nodded.

"Yes," I whispered, "it was Lady Bathory."

All the blood looked like it drained from her face.

"Lady Bathory?" she whispered.

I nodded, feeling terrible.

"But I couldn't do it anymore," I whispered, "I couldn't spy on you anymore knowing how I started seeing you as my friend. I truly care for you, I really do. Elincia and Ralph would be absolutely lost without you, so I had to tell you this because my conscience wouldn't allow me to just stride idly by with it anymore."

Saria was dumbstruck for a minute.

"Lady… Bathory…" she whispered in disbelief.

I then walked up to her and took hold of her hands.

"Oh I'm so sorry," my voice was breaking. "I should have known better. I knew she was a mischievous woman, but I had no idea she would be so keenly interested in you."

Saria still looked to be in shock, but she finally got her bearings together.

"Did you tell Ralph this?" she asked suddenly.

I quickly shook my head.

"I didn't because the person I betrayed was you," I said, "I had to come clean with you first."

Saria then usurped me.

"You mustn't tell Ralph," she said abruptly, "this would only worry him more."

I was surprised hearing this from her.

"But Saria-" I tried.

"Promise me," she interrupted.

I saw the determination in her eyes and immediately nodded.

"I-I promise," I stammered.

She got quiet for a long moment and looked away. I was desperate now to know what she was thinking.

"Saria…" I trailed, not knowing what to say.

She seemed lost in her thoughts.

"What could she possibly want to know?" she was talking more to herself than to me.

I looked at her puzzled for a moment.

"Saria?" I asked.

She then shook her head at my voice and turned her attention back to me.

"Listen," she said quietly, "this conversation stays between the two of us, do you understand?"

I was surprised that this was her reaction instead of the inverse. However, I simply nodded.

"Yes," I replied.

Saria looked off blankly again and got lost in her thoughts. I was intrigued by her reaction. Something about her looked more confident, as if there were a mysterious nature abruptly clouding her features. I had always seen her as a simple peasant girl, but in this moment she appeared as a confident woman… very confident.

"I must go," she said softly, "will you be safe getting home alone?"

I looked at her taken aback, but nodded. I should have been asking her such a question. She was the pregnant one here.

"My house is only a few alleyways from here," I replied.

She then cut her eyes to me.

"Go home and do so quickly," she said, "and thank you for your honesty. You're… you're a better woman than me Romani."

My eyes widened with surprise, but before I could answer, Saria let my hands go and headed back in the direction of her home. I stared after her befuddled, wishing I knew what was going on in her head. She seemed hurried, but confident in her steps. She looked truly shocked that I mentioned Lady Bathory, but she didn't seem stunned in the way of fear. It was more as if she knew the noble in some way, but I didn't know how. I hoped for my conscience to be clear, but my guilt for some reason deepened. She said not to utter a word to Ralph, and I wouldn't, but I could only keep that promise if nothing happened to her. If something happened to Saria, I would have to renege. I would have to tell Ralph. Lady Bathory was dangerous, very dangerous. I heard stories about her being into the arcane esoteric world of Hyrule, but I never paid it much thought. Now I would have to, because it might potentially cause harm to a dear friend. When Saria was no longer in my sights I looked up at the heavens.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, "I'm so sorry Saria."

The next chapter will be up soon.