Chapter 148

I simply LOVE the next two chapters for they gave me the chance to bring out my newer symbolisms and clues to play! *Bwuahhahaha* And yes, the special chapters always sparkle where my favorite character comes to presence!

Chapter 226: Dark Rendezvous

Listening to the rhythmic breathing of his wife sleeping beside him, unaware of the worries that tormented her sleepless husband, Lord Arnav lay awake on his back and stared unblinkingly at the moon.

He frowned at it, I tell you, General, if this is your little game in stealing my night's sleep, I'll-

Suddenly, he perked up. He had thought he'd seen something flit by the window but when he realized it was only a tiny bat, he relaxed.

And then he stilled. His keen ears had distinctively picked that soft scraping sound overhead.

Without a moment's pause or pondering, as soundlessly as a feather in dance, he leapt out of bed and raced for the window.

Opening it up wider, he looked out and scanned the territory, his determined eyes roving everywhere.

He looked over his shoulder and, once ensured that his wife, curled in bed like a kitten, was fast asleep and undisturbed, he turned again to the window and climbed out by the window sill.

The blast of cold air that received him on his escapade would have sent any man's teeth to chattering but not his: the blood that coursed through his veins was heated, cursed.

Gripping at the cracks in the wall, Lord Arnav scaled up the cottage head until he reached the edge of the roof. His fingers grasped hard at the edge as he looked over.

Anger lashed awake in him on beholding the sight he most abhorred to set his eyes or thoughts upon.

For beside the chimney, seated on the very top of the roof, was the General. His forehead was wet with sweat, and his presence entailed no shirt and only a pair of dark pants on.

He was watching Lord Arnav climb onto the roof, but strangely did not move or display any signs of having an urge to knock the defenseless First Lord off the roof.

When Lord Arnav had managed to hoist himself on the rough sloping roof of the cottage, he couldn't keep himself from muttering, "You snide spiteful-! How dare you sneak into-"

"Sneak!?" the General appeared taken aback by the ridicule, "How can you say that? If I had intentions of harming you by this visit I would have thrown something on your head when you were looking out the window a minute ago."

He leant against the cold chimney, the bricks of which were still wet from the previous rain.

Lord Arnav hands were fisted as he straightened up and climbed up the rest of the distance to join the General on the roof, but the First Lord made sure to seat himself a good distance away from the enemy.

They sat on the roof as the dark clouds surrounding the moon.

Lord Arnav was furious and secretly bewildered too by the General's uninvited visit but he knew better to play it wise.

"State your intentions, General, and let me assure you, the pre-handed warning of your arrival improvises you no concession from explaining your presence. And what a lame riddle that was!"

The General appeared amused, "I am not choice of eloquent words as you are, Master Menace."

"There is no eloquence in that which is evil."

"I bear to differ."

Lord Arnav shot him a look, "Is this why you are here: to offer pleasantries?"

The General chuckled, "Oh how I missed our lively conversations the past two days!"

Lord Arnav was getting impatient, "Why are you here? What is it you want?"

The General looked at him, "Must I tell this every time we meet: Your wife."

"How DARE YOU!" Lord Arnav made to pounce on the General but halted when he saw the flashing glint in the General's eyes.

He noticed the fresh break of sweat on the General's forehead.

Lord Arnav frowned, "Are you fighting it?"

"More than you are," growled the annoyed General, "And it is your fault."

"I will hear no more of it," admonished Lord Arnav and then he frowned at the pantaloons the General was wearing, "Stolen."

"Borrowed," the General looked at him, "Some villager's."

Lord Arnav knew better than to start a fight and wreck an entire village when the malice was so near from erupting.

He remained on the roof, frowning at the wind while keeping vigilant of the General's every move from the corner of his eye. Only, the General didn't make any move. He sat still like a stone, waiting, planning...

"Stay away from my wife and I will let you live in peace," asserted Lord Arnav finally.

The General articulated a mock sigh, "Your false confidence douses my excitement to parley with you, Master Menace."

The First Lord shot him a cold glare, "I am not aware of any moment where I gave the false impression that I wanted to parley with you."

The General snorted and then looked at him, a cunning glint in his clever eyes, "You really don't know what I can do, do you?"

Lord Arnav was suddenly anxious to hear no further from the General and reminded him thus, "I thought we compromised to seek no idle parley."

But the General continued in a low voice that didn't veil the tenor of threat, "I can destroy your sister. She is an easy victim in my hands."

Lord Arnav started in rage but kept to his post. "You won't lay a finger on her," Lord Arnav said through gritted teeth.

The General reasoned coolly, "How can I not? I am her husband."

Lord Arnav growled, "I demand a negation of your questioning presence, the reasons of which you refuse to provide. Quit employing your brain in empty retaliation and take your slimy self back to where you slithered from!"

The General looked at him in exaggerated amazement, "Clearly, Master Menace, you seem not even the slightest bit delighted to see your brother-in-law."

"If you want me to be delighted for you, try walking back to the Castle."

The General was about to offer a fitting retort when a faint creak sounded in the air, renting the night's solemn silence and catching the attention of the General.

Lord Arnav watched the transfixed General's face in suspicion but seemed to not find any cause for disturbance to their otherwise smooth argument.

The General's eyes were, however, drawn to the swing hanging from the tree in the garden.

Lord Arnav couldn't connect with the paleness in the General's expression but assumed it to be one of his trick acts for when the First Lord looked in the direction of the swing that had affected his enemy's attention, there seemed to be nothing worrying about it.

The moon glistened on the rain-wet swing that was gently swinging to and fro in the breeze.

The General tore his eyes from the swing to look at Lord Arnav and realized the First Lord couldn't see that the oscillation of the swing was caused not by the breeze but by the strange apparition that was seated on it:

The ghostly appearance of a little girl who sat swinging in it, her face shadowed by the dark hair that framed her little face, and yet the General was certain the girl was looking right at the First Lord. Which was surprising, indeed.

The confused General eyed his oblivious enemy. Why Master Menace...?

The General had brought his gaze back to the swing when he realized the girl had gone, leaving the cold breeze to play with the lonely swing.

The General frowned at the empty swing, "If the curse lurks in shadows, do you not think the cursed must be nearest its cure?"

Lord Arnav closed his eyes, his hands fisting to keep his uncontrollable anger at bay. "Your cure is not here," he declared flatly.

"She is my cure," claimed the angered General, "And you are forbidding me what is rightfully mine."

The First Lord had had enough of the madness and had turned his glowering visage towards the General, his fisted hand lifted in the poise of an attack, when they heard the sound of nimble feet hurrying over the grass.

This time Lord Arnav heard it too.

Ha! Catch you later with the next chapter, darlings! Oh. And Happy Second Anniversary again to you all...