Chapter Twenty-Six

Revelations

When Daria opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the epitome of beauty. Beautiful chestnut waves, glowing tanned skin, alluring gold eyes…

Despite the fact that her face was angelic, stunning, and whatnot, Ennael was the last person Daria wanted to see.

She let out a long, awkward groan. "Ow, my baaaack…"

Ennael looked startled. "Oh, you're awake! I-I better call someone."

Within seconds, she re-entered, bring Lady Gina, Lord Ormond, and a doctor with her.

"Daria! You're finally awake!" Lady Gina embraced her, but making sure that she did it very gently.

Lord Ormond, smiling as usual, kissed her forehead. "Welcome back."

Daria was too confused. "What…what…" Suddenly, it all came crashing down on her. Her eyes widened. "Jerrold! Where's Jerrold? Is he all right? Where is he?" She bombarded them with questions, ignoring the fierce pain in her back as the stress accumulated in her body.

"Please calm down," the doctor ordered gently. "Do not strain yourself. Your body is very, very weak, and you need a lot of rest and medicine, Lady Daria. We didn't know that you would make it, but I think you're out of danger now…that is, if you obey my instructions and rest."

"Where's Jerrold?" Daria said fiercely.

The doctor paused and looked at her. "His Highness is fine," he replied. "His fever has broken and his wound is starting to heal. Your wound was worse than his, so please rest." He handed Daria a cup of…something. Daria, upon hearing the good news, drank obediently. She began to feel much calmer within moments. The potion dulled her senses and soothed her nerves. She sank into the bed and sighed contentedly.

"She must rest," the doctor addressed Lady Gina and Lord Ormond. "Do not let her strain herself."

"I'm fine," Daria murmured. "Just a little…sleepy."

"We better leave her to rest," Lord Ormond. The others nodded in agreement, except for Ennael.

"Erm…is it all right if I stay for a short while? I need to speak with Daria," she said shyly. As usual, her voice was sweet and melodious.

Daria wanted her to leave, but her mind was too dulled. She vaguely wondered if it was all right to be drugged up like this.

"I don't know, your Highness…"

"I won't stress her," Ennael said firmly. "I promise. I give my word as the Princess of Ayortha."

Using her title is a nice way to get what she wants, Daria thought drearily.

Lady Gina sighed. "All right. But please do not take long."

"I won't. I promise."

Promises, promises.

The door closed behind them. Ennael approached the bed and smiled at Daria. It was a small smile. A sad smile.

"Why are you here?" Daria asked.

Ennael lowered her eyes. "Because I wanted to see the person who has taken Jerrold's heart."

Daria eyes widened. "I—"

"Please don't strain yourself," Ennael begged. "Just listen to what I have to say. I bear no ill will, Lady Daria. I came to say this: You win."

Daria stared at her, mouth open. "What?"

Ennael smiled sadly. "You win," she repeated.

Daria stared at her some more. "I-I don't…I don't understand."

Ennael wiped away a stray tear. "Well, I thought…I thought I could get him to love me," she said quietly. "I believed that my love would be enough. But I was wrong." She shook her head. "I was a fool. My love wasn't enough, and I could never get him to love me. This became clear during his delirious days, when I visited him everyday." Tears streamed down her cheeks. "All I heard from his lips was your name." She took a deep breath and bravely met Daria's bewildered gaze. "It is you who holds his heart. No one else. Therefore, I renounce our engagement. He is now free to marry whom he wishes." She smiled and turned away. "Rest, Lady Daria. I will not forgive you if you die now."

Then she left her bedroom, her footfalls light and graceful.

Daria lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She broke her promise, she said half-jokingly.

OOOOOOOOOOO

She rested for what seemed like forever. In reality, it was only two weeks. On the fifteenth day, the doctor finally allowed her to leave the house. However, she could only travel by carriage. Horseback riding was strictly forbidden.

Daria was determined to know the truth. She wanted to know why Phil was there. Why Christian was there. Why Jerrold was there. And who was the fourth rider? Why did he seem so familiar to her? She dressed quickly and called for a carriage, intending to visit Christian first. He did not visit her during those fourteen days of rest. Neither did Phil. Or the strange man. She was tired of being in the dark. She needed answers.

When Daria crossed the drawing-room of her manor, she was stopped by Lady Gina's voice.

"Come into the drawing-room, Daria," she called out.

Daria stopped and peeked into the drawing-room, blanching when she saw who were there: all of them. Christian, Phil, Lady Gina, Lord Ormond, the stranger, and even Clarisse. Heart beating furiously, she entered slowly, unnerved by all the stares.

"I'll finally know what is going on?" she said quietly.

Clarisse nodded gravely. "Please sit down."

She sat. Silence settled in.

"Well…?"

Phil cleared his throat. "Perhaps I should start. Daria, Clarisse and I are not mere servants."

"I can believe that, judging from the way you fought that day," Daria said with a nod. She paused and stared at him. "Then who are you?"

Phil scratched his head. "I don't really know how to say this, but…well…we were loyal servants of King Alannder XVI."

Daria frowned. Why did that name sound so familiar? "Oh…the last king of Antares, right?"

Phil nodded. "He died along with his wife seven years ago, just after the queen gave birth to a daughter, who was stillborn. The queen's death was not mysterious, for there were complications in the delivery, but his own death was. Lord Reanon, Head Councillor, suspected a conspiracy, and so did the rest of us. We decided to take action. Lord Reanon made arrangements to hide the princess—"

"Wait, wait," Daria cut in. "Princess? What do you mean?"

"The king's daughter was not stillborn," Phil said solemnly. "That is what the country was made to believe, to protect the princess. Anyway, Lord Reanon decided to hide her here, in Kyrria, and have two loyal servants of the Crown protect her. Clarisse and I were given that honour."

Suddenly, it became clear to Daria. "Fauna," she said quietly. She looked at Phil. "Fauna…she's the princess?"

Phil nodded. "Yes."

"But I still don't understand…what does this have to do with me?"

He cleared his throat. "Ah, yes, well. You're her cousin."

Silence…

More silence…

Time stood still…

"What?"

Phil cleared his throat again. "I didn't know how else to say it, but…yes, you're her cousin. King Alannder XVI was your uncle."

"Again, what?"

"Perhaps I should speak now," said the strange man. Everyone's eyes turned to him. He began. "Lady Daria, my name is Des. Fourteen years ago, your father was convinced of conspiracy in the court. He tried to tell your uncle, the king, but he would not believe him. The two grew apart even more after that; their relationship had been strained from the start. Anyway, I was your father's most trusted servant. I believed him. But the conspirators were clever, and they acted quickly. Your parents died in a 'fire', and they tried to kill you too, but I managed to save you. Afterwards, I decided to hide you in Kyrria, in a secluded place—the Bronchwell Manor."

Daria felt her heart grow cold at the mention of the place. The man, perceiving her anguish, shot her an apologetic look. He bowed low.

"I am sorry," he murmured. "I didn't know that it would be such a horrible place. I sent you there because I thought it would be safe. I made the servant, Afrella, promise to look after you. Then I returned to the capital, hoping that this time, the king would listen. He did. For seven years he tried to defeat the conspirators, but they were clever, with rich resources. Traitors were everywhere, and they won in the end. I knew nothing about Princess Fauna. I visited the Bronchwell Manor as often as I could, at pretence that I was a merchant. Many times I wanted to take you away from that horrid place, but I did not know where else to bring you. One day, when I came for a visit, I was shocked and angry to find out that Afrella had let you go. Afrella said that her decision to let you go was justified, for she did not like seeing you suffer in that place. After that, I began my search for you. It led me to Frell, where I reunited with old acquaintances: Phil and Clarisse."

"But…I still don't understand. Forgive me," Daria murmured. She looked at Phil and Clarisse. "How can anyone be certain that I am the Daria?"

"That's where I come in!" Christian piped up, grinning roguishly. He approached Daria, bowed low, and handed her something. "This belongs to you." He opened his hand.

Daria's eyes widened. "My bracelet…" She held it in awe.

"Forgive me for keeping it all this time. I'm a spy, you know, and I was on a mission the day I robbed you—by the way, I'm really sorry about that, but I had to do it to gain the bandits' trust—anyway, I kept that bracelet, and when I saw the phoenix crest, something about it caught my attention. It looked familiar. So, I decided to do some research on it, with Jerrold's help. One day, I finally came across it in a book; the crest belonged to the Du Vanche Family—your family. I was really shocked, but I decided to keep this information to myself. I was crossing Grover Street when Fate happened…I accidentally dropped your bracelet, and Clarisse saw it. Being the nimble woman that she is"—he bowed gallantly to Clarisse—"she got to it before me and demanded that I tell her where I got it. She said, 'Where did you get this? This belongs to the Du Vanche Family! It is not yours to keep!' I told her the truth; Daria, you should have seen her pale. 'So it is her,' she mumbled to herself. 'I suspected it, for she looks exactly like her mother…but this bracelet confirms it—"

"And now, it is my turn," Clarisse cut in with a smile. She turned to Daria. "When Phil first saw you, he was shocked by how you looked so much like your mother. But he shrugged the thought off, believing that the Du Vanche line had ended during the fire. He thought it was just coincidence. When I saw you, I thought, 'No. They're too alike. The resemblance is too uncanny.' Thus I began to hope. When Christian told me about the bracelet, I rejoiced. Now knowing that you were Daria Du Vanche, I could not let you stay at Lady Linelle's harsh household and be mistreated there. Fauna I could protect, since Lady Linelle did not dare mistreat my 'daughter', but you were alone, without family and protection, and therefore an easy target. I could not let you stay in that house."

"And that's where I come in," Lady Gina spoke. "One day, Clarisse came to me, asking for an audience. She seemed to know a lot about the Du Vanche line, which I am distantly related to. She also knew that I owed the king's brother a favour from many years ago. Therefore, in order to return the favour, I took you in as my daughter. I promised to protect you. Sending you to Antares was a mistake on my part. I was not fully aware of the situation there. I thought that it would be safe."

"No, it was my mistake," Clarisse said. "I should have stopped you. But I perceived your grief over what happened in the ball with Prince Jerrold, and I knew that you could not bear to stay in Kyrria. Plus, I wanted you to see your home country. I, too, made a mistake. I erred in my judgement, believing that Antares would be safe at the moment."

Daria did not know how on earth she was taking this all in. Her head was starting to spin. Christian walked over and handed her a glass of wine, which she accepted gratefully.

"Thank you," she murmured. "And…the attack?"

They grew solemn.

"We don't know for sure," Phil said gravely. "They could have been repulsive outlaws who saw a pretty girl…or they could be worse. Men who worked for the traitors. Do not fear, Daria. We will keep you and Fauna safe."

Daria nodded silently. "And…and Jerrold?"

"We decided to tell him the truth about you, after you left for Antares. When Phil received information stating that the situation in Antares was very bad, he set out to retrieve you. However, Jerrold insisted that he do the job. We had to give in to him; he was very adamant about it. He could not sit still while knowing that you were in danger."

"I see…"

"Perhaps now you realize how much he cares about you."

Daria looked up at Christian. His eyes were filled with sadness. She did not know what to say to him.

"Go to him," Christian said quietly, breaking the silence.

Daria swallowed nervously, feeling the painful lump in her throat. "Where is he?"

"I honestly don't know."

Daria looked at the rest of them. Lady Gina smiled encouragingly. "Find him, Daria."

Daria nodded and rose. "All right…" Her heart was starting to pound. She was going to see Jerrold…see Jerrold…see Jerrold…

She climbed into the carriage. She could only think of one person as the carriage headed for the palace. When she reached it, she climbed down, stopping awkwardly in front of Ennael, who happened to pass by.

Ennael smiled at her. "He's not here. He left half an hour ago."

"Oh. Um…thank you."

"Hurry up and find him."

Daria climbed back into the carriage. The menagerie. To the menagerie.

Exotic animals greeted her. The snow-white unicorn and its foal neighed as she rushed past them. The centaurs blinked. The colourful parrots spoke in their foreign tongues.

No Jerrold.

Daria stopped abruptly in the middle as something dawned on her. "I know where he is," she whispered.

She returned to the carriage. This time, the place she had in mind was inaccessible by carriage. She bid the coachman to stop near a grassy field. Then she dismounted and began to cut through the grass at a brisk pace.

"Lady Daria! Lady Daria!" the coachman cried out. "Are you supposed to be doing this? Stop! Don't strain yourself! Lady Daria!"

She waved at him and continued to walk. She followed the usual path, ignoring her weariness and the dull ache in her back. She must see Jerrold…she must see him…

His face was fresh in her mind. The swarthy skin…the deep brown eyes…

His voice, gentle and rich in tones…

And she could still feel his warm embrace.

She pleaded silently. Please be there… She quickened her pace. Please be there…

She began to run. She crossed the field, then entered the forest. She continued to run.

Jerrold…

Finally, the trees cleared. She looked ahead of her. A lone figure sat on a huge boulder, gazing at the bustling city. From the top, however, the city looked quiet and still. Daria felt her heart freeze at the sight of him. She approached, almost timidly. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to face him…

He turned around. His eyes widened. "Daria?" He took in her breathless and weary appearance. His eyes flared. "How far did you walk?" he demanded angrily. He jumped off the boulder and hurried towards her, placing two hands on her arms to support her. "Why did you strain yourself?" he said, his voice mixed with frustration and worry.

Daria shook her head. "I-I'm fine." She tried to mask the fatigue in her voice, but failed.

Jerrold cursed under his breath. Silently, he picked her up effortlessly (she flushed when he did so), and ignoring her weak protest, leaned her against the rock. She sighed and rested, becoming only a little anxious as he sat down beside her.

Silence engulfed them. Daria's heart began to beat rapidly.

"Are you all right?" he spoke quietly.

"W-what? Yes, I am…I…" She turned to him. "I haven't seen you for a long time."

"Almost fifteen days," Jerrold said solemnly. He avoided her eyes as he spoke. "Did the doctor say that you'll be all right?"

"Yes. Honestly, he did."

"I'm glad."

More silence.

"J-Jerrold…"

Finally, he faced her. His gaze was intense. "You said my name."

She paused, realizing that he was right. The last time she called him, she used "your Highness" out of bitterness. "Um…is that all right?"

He maintained his gaze. "You know the answer to that," he said softly.

He was not making it easy. Damn him. Damn him. Damn him. "I just wanted to say…to say…t-to…"

"What is it, Daria?"

"Why did you drug me?"

OF ALL THE THINGS TO SAY! Daria inwardly berated to herself. WHAT ON EARTH? That was not what I wanted to say! Why can't I form the right sentences!

The question caught him off guard. "Well…uh…I knew that you would not go with me even if I had said, 'Daria, you're in danger, so come with me.' You're too stubborn. You would have fought me."

"True," she muttered, looking down at her very interesting lap. "W-well…u-um…uh…" She froze when he lifted her chin gently, forcing her to look at him. The contact was so…surprising, and yet…comforting.

"Ennael and I are not getting married," he whispered.

"I know," she replied, just as softly.

This time, he was touching her cheek. "Well?" he said quietly. "Will you not give me a second chance, Daria? I know that you do not love me"—he smiled sombrely at this—"but I think…no, I believe that if you just give this—give us—time, then maybe you'll learn to love me."

"Wrong," Daria whispered.

"What?" His voice was filled with hurt. He dropped his hand.

"I-I mean…you're wrong in the sense that…that…" She took a deep breath. "I love you already, Jerrold. So much."

Shock filled him. She could tell by the way he looked at her. "What?"

She looked away, pointedly avoiding his gaze. "When you were there, lying and bleeding on the ground, I knew that I loved you. I felt so helpless; all I could do was cry and cry and cry…" She paused, focussing her eyes on the ground. "And then I thought about something," she said quietly. "I thought, 'He can't die now. Because if he dies, I swear I think I'll die with him.' Because it hurt that much. I couldn't imagine a life without you…" She smiled mournfully. "That was when I knew."

He stared at her. Just stared.

It was unnerving. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and walk slowly towards the edge of the cliff. "Frell is so beautiful," she whispered, desperate to change the subject. She had never opened up to anyone this much. The whole thing was new to her. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Silence. The cold wind blew. Daria suddenly felt chills and grew afraid. Afraid that he would reject her. Why would he not say something? Why was he so silent?

She stared determinedly at the city. No matter what happens, stay strong, she said to herself as her body trembled. No matter what happens…don't cry…

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her. She relaxed instinctively as she felt his warmth, with his lips against her ear.

"I love you," he whispered. "Will you marry me?"

She smiled. "Oh, I don't know..."

His hold tightened. "You're paying me back for refusing to answer your questions, aren't you?"

"Well, that didn't occur to me, but thanks for the idea…"

"How on earth would you have reacted if I had said, 'Well, sorry about the mask, but it's actually me, Jerrold, and I came to rescue you?" he murmured against her ear. "You would have fallen off the horse! Would you have wanted that?"

"Yes."

"Yes, you would have wanted that?" he said dubiously.

"No—yes, I'll marry you." She turned around and smiled. Jerrold stared at her and chuckled softly.

"I'm the luckiest man in the world."

"Actually, it's the other way around." Feeling her face burn, Daria focussed her gaze on the buttons of Jerrold's doublet. "Thank you for not giving up on me," she mumbled.

Jerrold lifted her chin gently. "You're welcome."

Then he kissed her.