The heavy oak doors opened quietly as Sir Darian stepped in, pushing a small trolley with a simple meal carefully arranged. The smell of roasted pork and fresh herbs filled the air as he approached.
His boots clicked softly on the marble floor, halting mid-step at the sight of Sylteena and Philip hunched over a flood of parchments, their faces shadowed by candlelight.
He cleared his throat to gain their attention. Sylteena and Philip looked up from their books.
"Your Highness," Darian said with a respectful bow, "Your lunch."
Sylteena blinked twice, unsure what response to make of such a kind gesture. Her lips pulled into a soft smile. "Sir Darian, you didn't have to…"
"I noticed how easily you neglect yourself while buried in studies. So I resorted to my own reasoning," Darian bowed.
"And for that, I am grateful, Sir Darian. That is very thoughtful and sweet of you."
Darian gave a slight smile. "It's the least I could do to serve, Your Highness."
Even Philip was a bit taken aback by the knight in shining armor who seemed to be the first person with a conscience he'd seen in a long time.
He smiled.
Darian was about to leave when Sylteena's voice stopped him softly.
"Wait, Sir Darian."
He turned by instinct. "Your Highness?"
Sylteena's lips stayed agape as she stared at him, her eyes clearly hesitant. Tapping on the wooden surface with her finger, she gazed down in a moment of final thought before looking back up with a reassured inhale.
"There's something I want to ask you..."
Philip's head whipped toward her so fast it was a miracle his neck stayed intact.
"But it must stay between us," Sylteena added.
Philip's eyes flickered sharply before leaning in toward her to whisper, "My Lady, I do hope this doesn't have anything to do with what we'd just discussed about."
Sylteena shot Philip a reassuring look. "Don't worry. I know your concerns… But I have a feeling Sir Darian's the right person for this. He has a good heart, and I trust him."
Philip's eyes fluttered faster than a hummingbird's wings. His voice was hushed yet agitated. "With all due respect, My Lady… J-Just because he cares to feed you doesn't mean he wouldn't care to drive a knife through your spine… Especially not in these delicate—"
"I could never betray Her Highness."
Both eyes snapped to Darian, watching him stand at ease, his head still held high.
"I appreciate your concern, Mister," Darian nodded at Philip. "But my loyalty is streaked to my life and purpose as a knight. Her Highness' words are gospels I would live by if she ordered."
Well damn… was the exact expression on Philip's face.
Sylteena smiled.
Although Philip didn't look convinced, he nodded reluctantly. "I see…"
Sylteena then turned back to Darian. "Do you know any black witches?"
Darian's brow furrowed slightly. "Black witches? That's not something I hear about often, Your Highness."
Philip's calm cracked. He almost snapped, "Black witch? You never mentioned anything about a black witch before!"
Sylteena smiled nervously.
Without a minute of hesitation, Philip's fingers clasped Sylteena's arm as he excused them from the guard's presence and paced briskly to one of the far shelves.
"What do you mean by black witch and how is it involved in any of this!? And why didn't you tell me!?" His whisper was harsh and unsettled.
Sylteena pouted. "If I had told you earlier, you wouldn't have agreed—"
"Of course I wouldn't!!" He grasped her shoulders. "Why would you want to associate yourself with a black witch!? They are illegal fugitives banned by laws!!"
Sylteena rubbed the back of her head as she already felt one ear aching from his nag. "Unfortunately… We actually need one to make a potion."
"That explains nothing!" The veins on Philip's forehead were far too palpable.
She let out an exhausted sigh, shifting the weight between her feet. "According to the Chronicles, the only way for me to see the Sliqruki again is if I wear a certain... Attractant."
Philip's soul visibly left his body. "An attractant?!"
"Yes," she said matter-of-factly. "It masks me from the forest hounds' appetite and draws me toward the Sliqruki like—"
"Seasoning!?" Philip offered with a horrified laugh. "Like... It is going to sniff you out like a nicely roasted venison thigh?!"
"That's... A very odd analogy, but technically yes. Although in real sense it is the forest hounds that will take me to it—"
"They're offering you as a served meal!??"
Sylteena avoided his eyes for a moment.
Philip stepped back to rest his back against the shelf, rubbing his face as he could feel his heart already testing the borderlines of an attack.
Everything was happening so rapidly his mind was yet to grasp…
He sighed. "You want to bathe in some ancient evil's perfume and throw yourself at the foot of a beast—"
A sudden creak echoed from behind the nearby shelf, causing both Sylteena and Philip to jolt.
Philip spun around fast enough to knock over a scroll. "By the gods—"
Sir Darian stepped into view, his hand raised in mild embarrassment. "Forgive me, Your Highness. Mr. Philip. I didn't mean to intrude."
He bowed low, composed despite catching them mid-chaos. "But I believe I may be of some help to your request of connecting you to a black witch. At least one that is reliable."
Philip's brows snapped together. "Y-You were eavesdropping?"
"No, I assure you, Mr. Philip. But the faintest sound carries well in these quiet halls." Darian straightened. "That said… I do know a black witch."
Sylteena blinked in surprise. "You do?"
Darian nodded. "He's not… Conventional, to say the least. Certainly not someone I'd call 'elite' in his craft. In truth, most call him an eccentric." He rubbed the back of his helmet. "He lives just outside the city. Isolated, but oddly gifted."
Philip raised a hand, as if trying to physically hold back the stress flooding his body. "So, in summary, not only are we seeking an outlaw… But a sketchy, possibly insane outlaw who dabbles in dark magic and probably talks to rats?!"
Darian gave him a courteous shrug. "From my understanding, he prefers pigeons."
Sylteena laughed softly behind her palm. Philip did not feel an ounce of that humor.
Darian tilted his head, speaking in a more serious tone. "But if it's a black witch you need, Your Highness, he's the only one I'd dare approach. He owes me a favor… And I trust he wouldn't dare cross me."
Philip was quiet for a moment, then said in a low grumble, "I hate how that somehow makes me feel better."