The Forgotten Field Novel - Chapter 240

THE FORGOTTEN FIELDS (NOVEL) – Chapter 240

Chapter 240

THE FORGOTTEN FIELDS (NOVEL)

She was sitting on the edge of the window, watching the sun set. The wind coming from the forest passed gently through her long hair and the edge of her delicate clothes. Suddenly, a slight smile appeared on her lips.

He remained watching that scene without blinking, then followed her gaze and looked outside the window. Nothing appeared there but the usual landscape that did not differ from any other day. He never understood what it was that made this so demanding woman smile.

“What is it that you are looking at in that way?”

When he finally opened his mouth, overcome by curiosity, those eyes that were drowsy as if she were in a dream turned toward him.

“Just… the sky.”

When he frowned at her indifferent answer, she added in a delicate tone:

“Today the twilight was exceptionally beautiful, that’s why I was contemplating it.”

He turned his head again to look out the window. He saw the sun, half of which had sunk behind the horizon, tinting the western sky red; but he found no special beauty in it. He looked again at her face, tinted by the light of the twilight. Her eyes shone with a mysterious light amidst the burning glow of the sunset.

Upon seeing that light, he could finally understand the beauty she admired. It was always that way when he was with this girl. He began to realize things he hadn’t perceived before, and to feel sensations he had never felt… the slight change in the sunlight, the density of the air, the texture of the wind brushing against the cheek, the sound of the gentle rain, and the refreshing aroma of the grass… sometimes he felt as if his senses were connected to hers.

His dry world was beginning to be tinted with various colors thanks to this fickle girl.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” She suddenly tilted her head toward him.

He remained silently looking at the halo of light flowing over the delicate features of her face, and then felt a slight warmth similar to vertigo spread through his veins, so he averted his gaze from her. He felt for some reason that he should not prolong his gaze upon her any more than that.

He took off the cloak he wore on his shoulders and wrapped it around her body, then closed the window cautiously.

“Dinner time has passed; it’s better if we go inside now.”

“A little longer…” murmured the woman, who shrank her body inside his cloak while resting her chin on her knees. “I want to watch the sunset until the end.”

He looked with serene eyes at her slender shoulders and the back of her neck, then rested his back against the wall with a slight sigh. A faint smile passed over her lips.

He felt an oppression in his chest for no reason at all, so he looked at the setting sun. As the world sank into the remnants of the red color, the cold evening air filtering through the cracks of the window began to displace the heat in the study little by little. That peaceful transition seeped into his heart for some reason.

He clenched his fist tightly as he felt a chill run down his spine; and he was assaulted by a strong feeling of alertness toward the feast of the senses she offered him.

‘This moment will not last forever.’

Soon she would return to her place, and he would never look at the beauty of the sunset again. Therefore, this strange warmth circulating in his body had to be solely a passing illusion.

He looked at the light fading behind the forested area that was being tinted black, and then closed his eyes.

A slight commotion pierced his confused mind. Varkas lifted his heavy eyelids slowly as if they were stuck together with glue, and looked at the ceiling wrapped in a dark grey light while bringing his hand to his forehead. Then he narrowed his eyes upon seeing a bandage wrapped around his hand.

‘How did this happen?’

As he tried to recall the hazy memories, someone’s voice was heard from a nearby place.

“M… Master! You have awakened.”

He blinked slowly with his eyes, in which his vision was not yet clear. After a few seconds, he could recognize the man’s face. The chief of staff, with a pale face, left the wet towel he had in his hand and sat next to the bed.

“How do you feel? Is there anywhere that hurts?”

The resounding voice echoed in his ears awkwardly. He pressed his temples firmly and then raised the upper part of his body.

“How long have I slept?”

“You have been unconscious for about two days approximately; according to the healer, the state of your body almost…” The voice of the man, who was placing a pillow behind his back, suddenly faded away.

Varkas raised his lost eyes and looked at the man’s face. The servant pressed his trembling lips tightly, and then his broken voice poured out: “N… now is not the right time for this; wait a moment, please, I will call a high priest; since you have lost consciousness for so long, you will need healing magic.”

The man left the room quickly without even waiting for an answer.

He listened in astonishment to the sounds of those hurried steps, then turned his head to look out the window. He saw the pale sun emitting a greyish halo of light and hiding behind the black plains. As he observed that landscape with empty eyes, a man wearing the loose robes of a priest entered, accompanied by noises of hurried steps.

While the priest examined his condition, Varkas leaned against the back of the bed and looked with eyes full of weariness at the people filling the room. Since everyone’s faces suggested death, it seemed that his condition had been very serious.

‘A pitiful sight.’ ‘How many times have I lost consciousness in this shameful manner?’

As he thought about that in astonishment, he remembered the events that preceded his loss of consciousness, so his brow furrowed. Seeing this, the priest began to speak seriously:

“You must take an absolute rest and do nothing for a while; and you must sleep by force, even if we have to resort to medicine.”

“…Haven’t you said that I have slept for two consecutive days?”

“That is not enough,” the man said strictly. “The current state of your excellence’s body does not differ much from that of a prisoner who has suffered torture and has not eaten or slept for weeks; how you have allowed it to reach this state…”

The priest pressed his brow with the tips of his fingers, then stood up from the side of the bed and directed his words in a sharp tone to the servants, who lowered their heads like guilty ones:

“I will prescribe the medicine, so make sure to give it to him regularly; and he will not attend to any official business for a while, watch him well.”

“I will keep it in mind.”

Shortly after, the priest left the room, so Varkas dismissed the servants immediately. He got out of bed with faltering steps and looked around the room slowly. Although it was his bedroom, it seemed strange to him for some reason; by the way, he couldn’t even remember when was the last time he used this room.

While narrowing his eyes, he found a tapestry hanging in a corner of the room, so he approached it slowly. He saw the forest and the plains captured with threads of different shades covering half of the wide fabric. He remained looking at the work, which seemed unfinished, for a long time without moving; suddenly he remembered something and approached the chest where he kept his private belongings.

He opened the lid with his hands numbed by the bandages, seeing various travel equipment arranged regularly. After searching through them at random, he was able to find the embroidered leather bag. He stood looking at it without moving for a while, then walked slowly toward the fireplace.

When he placed it under the dancing light of the fire, he saw dark spots staining the densely embroidered threads. Varkas rubbed the stain with his thumb unconsciously, then let out a desperate laugh and suddenly sat down on the chair. He didn’t know why he was laughing. He remained pressing his forehead against the embroidery impregnated with traces of blood, with his shoulders trembling violently for a long time.

Knock, knock; the sound of a knock on the door was heard. He did not answer; but it seemed that the visitor had no intention of withdrawing. A cautious voice was heard again with a clear knock:

“Sir, I am sorry to disturb you during your rest; but her highness the princess has insisted on seeing you…”

“Send her away.”

“But…”

“It will only take a moment.” A delicate voice resonated behind the voice of the uncomfortable chief of staff. He closed his eyes with weariness. Since no answer came, the annoying visitor insisted tenaciously: “I won’t take much of your time; please, Varkas…”

It seemed she would not withdraw unless he allowed it; in the end, he opened his mouth:

“Come in.”

The door opened immediately, and the sounds of light steps broke the barrier of silence. He remained sitting in a relaxed manner in the chair and only moved his eyes to look at her. She walked through the room with her sensible and elegant steps as usual.

“How do you feel? I have heard that your condition is not good…”

“Haven’t you said that you wouldn’t take much of my time?” he interrupted her words with a dry tone. “Say what you have to say.”

The woman’s face turned pale as if it were a piece of white paper. She squeezed the edge of her dress tightly with her intertwined hands, and continued with her words in a tense tone:

“Fine, let’s talk only about what is important.” She walked toward the window and looked out toward the garden, over which darkness was beginning to loom, and continued: “Due to the mistake Garis made, the forces allied with the empress have begun to move together; a proposal has already been presented in Parliament to strip him of the command of the knights of Roem, and movements have been detected to win over the conservative nobles; furthermore, public opinion is in its worst state.”

The princess, who related her brother’s mistakes coldly, turned toward Varkas slowly; the traits of bitterness were clearly showing on her face.

“To solve this situation, we need the duke’s help.”

Varkas did not answer anything, limiting himself to touching the traces of the densely embroidered threads with the tips of his fingers. The princess continued in a nervous tone given his prolonged silence:

“I am referring to striking a political alliance, not a royal marriage; if Garis falls now, the duke’s family will receive a great blow as well; if the influence of the radicals led by the Tarin family increases, the circle will tighten around the Shierkan family, which leads the conservative nobles; and you don’t want that to happen, right?” She stopped talking for a moment and threw him a firm look: “The attack against the Shierkan family has already begun; the empress is trying to blame the duke’s family for Talia’s death; and to stop the empress, we must ally once again.”

Varkas raised his gaze fixed on the leather bag and looked at the woman’s face. At that instant, the princess’s shoulders shrank; she stepped backward as if she had seen something dreadful, and he said to her with indifference:

“Are you finished with your words?” He pointed with his chin while supporting his head with one hand: “Get out of here now, please.”

The woman’s face was tinted a dark color by the feeling of humiliation; she clenched her fists and approached him, taking a step.

“You have broken your engagement with me unilaterally; and despite having been subjected to this humiliation, I did not blame you or hold a grudge against you even once.” The woman’s eyes flooded with light tears; she tried to catch her breath as if swallowing something, and then asked with trembling lips: “Is it that you haven’t felt pity for me even once?”

A few drops of bright, white tears slid down her cheeks. Varkas looked at her with an expressionless face and opened his mouth:

“Never.”

The woman’s elegant face lost all its expression in an instant. He looked at that scene without the slightest commotion and added calmly:

“In fact, I have never thought of you in the first place.”

Chapter 240

THE FORGOTTEN FIELDS (NOVEL)

Chapter 240

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