After being cooped up in their house for a couple of days, Vy finally decided it was time to get some fresh air. She decided to take Lycster to Market Square to have lunch. The siblings came to the fried rice stall that Vy had eaten at before.
As they took a seat, some of the other customers were visibly wary of Blackfire siblings. But, no one dared to say anything. Regardless, the stall owners were more than happy to serve the mayor of their town.
They did not seem to care about the rumours that had continued to circulate through the town. Even travelling merchants seem to be aware of the situation. With a clearer mind than before, Vy was surprised to find out how the rumours had been spun out of proportion.
Since it was the middle of lunch, there were many customers ready to have their meal at the fried rice stall. But as soon as they noticed Vy and Lycster, they decided to head elsewhere instead.
Vy felt bad as her presence was driving customers away. As she was about to leave her seat, she felt a hand on her shoulder as two bowls of piping hot fried rice were served alongside a bottle of chilli flake in oil.
"Here you go, Miss Blackfire. For your brother and you." the cheerful stall keeper said with a wide smile on her face.
Vy thanked her as they dug into their bowls of fried rice. It tasted as good as the first time she had it. The siblings did not exchange any words during their entire meal. Lycster tried to focus on something else as he ate so he focused on the clothing his sister was wearing.
There was something different about her outfit today.
Was it the clothes that she was wearing?
Vy was not wearing her usual black leather jacket. Instead of her hair being let down, going beyond her shoulder, her hair was tied up in a single ponytail. Her fringe had been swept to the side of her face, tucked behind her right ear.
Seeing him staring at her blankly, Vy looked over to her brother.
"What's wrong, Lycster? Do you not like the food?" she asked with her mouth full of rice.
Before he could reply, the blaring sound of a trumpet could be heard coming from afar. A guard from the entrance gate of Timbretune was seen running through the Market Square, seemingly towards Vy.
Vy gritted her teeth.
-They can't even let me finish my lunch?-
It soon became clear that the guard was indeed running up to meet Vy, so she went over to meet him halfway. Lycster tagged along beside her.
"What's the matter?" Vy asked as the guard gasped for breaths of air when he stopped running.
"Milady! There's a squad of guards who claim to be here on King Olwin's orders!"
"King Olwin's orders?" she asked.
"Yes Milady!"
Vy bit her lip. This was not what she was expecting. As she was about to head over to the entrance gates to see what was going on, Vy could hear the sound of thundering hooves and rhythmic footsteps coming in her direction.
Everyone in the market square cleared to the sides to make way for the squad as they came through. Only one of the men was seated on horseback. This man had a distinct birthmark that covered the left side of his face. It covered from the centre of his forehead, all the way to his ear.
In a loud booming voice, he declared, "Vyrena Blackfire. You are hereby charged with the murder of the young girl Elette Cloverfield. You are to stand trial at Koufer Estate."
"Koufer Estate? Isn't it easier for me to stand trial here? The Court Room is just…"
"How dare you speak to a Lord in such a manner, you criminal!" the man declared.
"A Lord? Pardon me but how would I know if you did not introduce yourself," Vyrena rebutted with a sneaky grin.
One of the soldiers from the squad stood out and shouted, "You're in the presence of Lord Rhoden of House Tres! You are to treat him with respect!"
It was extremely difficult for Vy to keep a straight face upon hearing it. This could indeed work to her favour after all. As her mind explored the many different ways she could play the scene to her advantage.
Aether easily read Vy's mind, he egged her on.
-Just go with the one where you rip his head off right now.- he mused.
That made Vy laugh.
-Someone once told me patience is a virtue. I shall give that a shot.- Vy replied.
Lycster, on the other hand, was in shock. House Tres… Why did it sound so familiar to him? Where had he heard of this name before? His eyes widened in shock. That was the family his sister and he met at the toy store in the Capital!
If the man that rode on the horse was Lord Tres, that meant that he was the leader of House Tres!
"My apologies, Lord Tres. If it's a trial the Baron and you want, then I shall oblige. After all, I am innocent." Vy said with a smile.
"Sis, what are you talking about!" Lycster shouted in shock as the soldiers came forward to handcuff Vy.
Vy turned to him and gave him a smile, "Don't worry Lycster. It'll be alright."
Vy noticed that there was something different about the cuffs they had placed on her. As she took a closer look, she noticed that it had the symbol of a rabbit surrounded by curved lines. It looked like the symbol of a rabbit in the middle of a maze.
Vy went with them willingly, without putting up a fight. She could see and hear all the whispering that went on as she was being escorted out of the gates of Timbretune. Seeing the Baron's smirking face was what irritated her the most.
"How nice of you to abide by the rules of my town, Baron. Were you afraid that I would have charged you with trespassing?" Vy asked.
The Baron's smirk instantly turned into a look of anger.
"Take her away!" he said as he gritted his teeth.
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