I stared blankly at the bonfire even though I could feel my vision darkening. It wasn't until Javis showed up that I could look away from it.
"Were you crying?" He asked me as he made himself comfortable on the couch laying on my right side. He had a file in his hand. I shook my head. "Why would you think that?" I asked back.
At that he bent down with his face uncomfortably too close to mine, "We'll have to check if you have got some issues in your eyes. They're unnaturally red," he commented.
"Must be the fire," I pointed at the charred woods and coal.
"I thought you got shaken up after seeing a person die," He said innocently.
"None of those FFF members is a person. They're scums," I corrected him matter of factly, "Do you feel sorry for the chicken on your plate Doctor Javis? I don't feel sorry for the FFFs at all."
Like the rest of the world Javis also knew about my traumatic past in the FFF headquarter. So he didn't argue. He handed me the file, "Her Majesty the Duke has been right. The Empress set you a trap."
I took the file and opened it. On it there were reports of blood tests. I looked at Javis and back the files,"It seems-"
"Yes," He nodded, egarly, "Mr. Cassio was already very sick when he got captured. He has lukemia, terminal stage of skin cancer and multiple organ failures."
"How was he functioning then ?" I threw the reports into the fire. "He had high doses of medicines in his veins. Also he had received multiple chemotherapy," Javis said, and then he paused hesitating for a bit.
"Javis...?" I tested him. He rubbed his face with his palms, "There's something I'm not sure about, I'm sorry."
"Javis.." I warned him sternly.
He handed me another set of papers which he fished out from his breast pocket. As I flipped them I realised what was wrong. Cassio Paolo was suffering not just from lukemia or other types of cancers but also from set of multiple health issues which needs regular treatments from specialist medical centers. Unfortunately only three major countries currently can provide these types of treatments. Bahamut, Hargreaves and Surya. I balled up the papers and threw them into fire. Javis watched me mutely.
After a few minutes he cleared his throat nervously, " Ahem, do you think information like this can hurt the peace conference between Bahamut and Surya?" "It won't just end in a failed peace conference," I shook my head, "It's much more serious. Who else knows about these papers?"
"My lab partner," Javis said in a trembling voice. "Havard," I called my butler. Havard was standing a few feet away from us. "I'll handle it," He said as usual. "Is he gonna die?" Javis asked, all suspicious. I started laughing, "Yes! He'll get executed for treason!" But it was a bad joke. Javis paled. I patted his arm, "The worst thing that can happen to your friend is getting transferred to somewhere in the north."
He sighed at that, "You can use him to track down records of Cassio Paolo." He offered. Seemed like he really cared about his lab partner. Or maybe it was just the guilt. "If I officially employ someone to track down Paolo's history and if the Suryans get a whiff of it .." I uttered, "It will give them reasons to breach the peace treaty."
"We can also blame them on the basis of the same cause!" Javis argued, "They're also one of only three nations that can treat these types of patients."
"But Paolo was found here in Bahamut Javis!" I snapped annoyed, "Not in Surya. The FFFs are probably sneaking into Bahamut from Westlands."
"Westland?" He asked.
"How else someone can be THIS sick ?" I demanded, "He is carrying atleast three types of terminal illness and numerous diseases!"
It was no news that the surviving FFFs members took shelter in the nuclear- polluted west continents after getting driven away from all Bahamut and other countries about three years ago. However, those lands are capable of killing any living beings within span of months. The FFFs must have been quite self sufficient to last there for so long. However no matter how thick is your suit, no matter how deep is your underground shelters, the radiation will always find it's way to you in Westlands. You are bound to commit blood, you are bound to witness your skin pilling off and your hair falling off. So they're making a return to a major country to ensure their survival.
"But why Bahamut? It's surrounded by other countries from all the sides!" Javis hushed, "There's Xia and Surya in south and south -east, there's Hargreaves and Hellas in south west and west-"
"The north , Bahamut's north is open," I cut in.
"It's literally no- man's land there!" Javis tried to argue. ''But it's still better than Westland," I said.
"From Westlands to Arctic regions.." His voice shook, all weak, " They had to cross thousands and thousands of miles.."
"They had three years," I countered.
"YES but why travel all the way to Bahamut. Hargreaves and Hellas are far more nearer to them than Bahamut," Javis scratched the back of his neck.
"Most of the international peace military offices are camped there to protect those countries from being invaded by FFFs," The conversation was so serious even Havard joined in, "They must have thought they had better chance at invading Bahamut."
"They've been right," I said, "Do we need to inform His Majesty the Emperor directly or through Hira?"
For the first time Havard didn't answer my enquiry. He only stared. "Her Majesty the Duke is already in the North, isn't she?" Javis said. Now the conversation felt too private to even have Javis in it.
Had Hira ventured to North so urgently after returning from Hargreaves because of this? I glared at Havard. Havard shook his head slightly probably meaning he didn't know.
"Do you need to travel to north as well?" Javis pressed.
Honestly, in the back of my mind I was already preparing myself mentally to travel to North. But when Javis put my wish into his words, hesitation creeped into my vein. How on earth would someone like me be useful in North? I got trapped by FFFs in my own motherland for months. How could I of be any help to Hira in that barren alien land?
"You're planning to travel to North?"
I jumped. So did Javis. Behind us stood the Gupta Princess in all her glory. A radiant smile beaming on her face which seemed unmatched to the dire situation we were dealing with.
Ritaishi Gupta, as a person, was a good one. And I had no doubt in my heart that one day she would make a great ruler. Aside from agreeing to raid the FFF Headquarter only with Hira, Clara and Harry three years back without any military support, she had her own set of striking achievements. And she was a renowned philanthropist. A human being too perfect to exist. And also my dear friend.
Yet I hesitated to tell her what I and Javis had just figured out. "When did you get here ?" I asked, "The attendants didn't announce your arrival."
" I told them not to, come on it's just me," she shrugged as if she wasn't one of the top ten most important people on earth. "What were you saying about going North?" She asked. "After the Peace Conference this week," I said slowly, carefully forming the words as I went, "I'm thinking of checking on Hira." She bent her lips downward and her eyes shone, "May this kind of love that found Hira finds me as well."
She made herself sit on the floor by the bonfire. Javis threw himself away from his couch hurriedly. You can't expect anyone to sit higher than any Royal if they are ordinary citizen. I should follow him as well. But I couldn't. More like I didn't want to. For some reason, I felt more and more tired of all these rules and etiquettes. What's the point of obeying them if the person for whom I was willing to obey them for seemed to have ceased caring for me.
"I've something that'll help you suffer through the peace conference week before you can reunite with your sweetheart wife," announced Ritaishi and handed me a velvet box, small enough to fit in my palm.
"What's this?" I took the box reluctantly. "A gift," she uttered, "From Hira."
Immediately my palm started sweating. It took every bit of my willpower to prevent myself from acting out before the three other people who were hyper focused on my face. I swear I did my best to look bored and relaxed but as soon as I opened the box Ritaishi grabbed my arm, "Breath, Sayak."
"Should I check the pulse?" Javis asked. "You fool!" Havard hissed, "Which one of us is a medic here?"
I tried to breath but I couldn't. Because in the box sat a silver ring with a sapphire stone.
And I tried to process my emotions I was faintly aware of Javis pulling back my sleeves to check my pulse on my wrist.
"Why're his hands so bruised?" Javis was asking Havard, "Did he get into any fight?"
"Just check if he's having heart attack or something!" Ritaishi shook him.
"Rita," I said as calmly as I could manage, "What the fuck is this ?" I showed her the ring. She looked distressed. She opened her mouth and closed it like a fish.
"Even for Hira this is too heartless," I scoffed, standing up, "She could have told me on my face atleast."
The initial shock was gone. I could feel the blood rushing to my ears. My vision blurred and my hands shook with anger. Had these people not been around I'd have already committed arson.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" Ritaishi shrieked cluelessly and it made me angrier.
"What do YOU mean by what I mean?" I snapped at her, "If Hira wanted a divorce she could have atleast talked face to face with me!"
"D-di-di-" Javis kept stuttering like a fool.
Havard quickly snatched away the ring for me and then after a moment he fell on the floor, "It's Her Majesty The Duke's Wedding Ring!"
Ritaishi frowned. I showed her my right hand, where there was also a ring identical to the one in the velvet box.
"But Hira said," Ritaishi swallowed hard before continuing, "It was her Royale Seal!"
"What?" As I asked, even in my own ears my voice sounded funny.
"You didn't have a Royale Seal to carry out the investigation so the Empress gave you one," Ritaishi mumbled more to herself and to me, "This evening I called her for discussing about the Peace Conference and I couldn't help but say you were having trouble because you didn't have her Royale Seal. So when she heard you took Empress' seal to investigate the prisoner in the Central Prison, she said she was gonna send her Royale Seal."
"Why did she send her wedding ring then?" I demanded.
"I don't know!" Ritaishi said, "But I also wear a ring like hers which is my Royal Seal." She held up the back of her hand showing her gold ring with a Ruby stone, "There's a scanner inside it which pretty much opens all the doors for me in Surya and also in most other countries."
"What do you do when you stamp papers ?" I asked. "I never had to till now," she frowned, "Paper documents are pretty rare to come by."
We all stood in silence for few seconds. "Maybe Her Majesty's Wedding Ring is her Royale Seal," Havard suggested, hopefully. Ritaishi nodded at that, "Maybe she modified her wedding ring to also be her Royale Seal," she said, "Do you expect her to wear multiple rings for different things?" She scolded me as if somehow this misunderstanding was my fault.
"Havard," I said, "Bring me something to access which I'll need Hira's Royale Seal. Bring me anything."
"Her Majesty the Duke's private garage," Havard said, "Do you want me to lead you there ?"
"Lead," I said.
It had been months since I had visited Hira's garage. The last time I had been there was before she had embarked for Hargreaves.
Garages are generally for cars. But Hira wasn't a car person. But she still used to spend quality time in there whenever she would have some free time. Apparently the garage originally belonged to her Grandfather who was probably the only one in the family who was fond of her. On his deathbed he had gifted the garage to his dearest granddaughter.
Hira had never invited me in her garage. She would often sneak in there at times when she would think I was busy. One time I had caught her sneaking out of the bed at the middle of the night to go to this garage. I could still remember feeling Hira holding her fingers under my nose to check my breathing pattern. After that she had tiptoed out of the room without realising I was up and on her. I had found her infront of the garage door.
"What's in there?" I had asked her suddenly after creeping behind her that night. She had been yet to open the door.
She had looked mildly surprised to see me awake. Hence she had abandoned her plan of her garage - venture. She had walked very close to me and had looked me dead in the eyes uttering the most awful word - "deadbodies," she had said even without blinking.
I had felt her unwavering attention on my face as we had stood frozen there looking at eachother in some sort of stare down competition.
Finally I had said, "Good, if it's only deadbodies then they aren't going to escape when you sleep."
She had raised an eyebrow, silently asking what I meant. So I had answered, "You can check on them tomorrow morning. Don't disturb your rest for something like that."
After that she had started going in and out of the garage without bothering to sneak behind me. It was obvious she didn't want me in there. And I could respect that. I was content with the fact that she trusted me enough to know I wouldn't follow her into her secret den.
Now as I stood before the garage holding Hira's ring I felt the obligation to respect her wish. "When I open the garage door," I said to others, "Everyone must turn the other way."
Nobody- Javis, Havard or Ritaishi protested. They turned with their back facing the steel door of the garage. The attendants, understanding my command, dismissed themselves. I touched the door with the ring. The doorframe groaned and shuddered. It didn't open as smoothly as I had expected. I quickly looked down.
So close. Hira's secrets were so close. I could just look up and catch a glimpse of it. But I couldn't. I touched the ring to one side of the doorframe and the mouth of the garage got sealed with the heavy metal door again.
"The ring works!" Javis was smiling gleefully. "Must be because the situation is so dire, that Her Majesty had no choice but to send her wedding ring hurriedly," Havard said, "Please forgive her for acting hastily," He pleaded on behalf of his Master.
I tried smiling. But I couldn't. It was quite impossible for me to feel any physical pain. But the constant anxiety of past few months were killing me inside.
"You get shaken up too much whenever it's anything to do with Hira," Ritaishi commented.
"Right," I agreed and added, "May the kind of love I found never finds you."
"I warned you before, didn't I," she said, "Anyone but her."