NIGHTS OF HALLOW

According to what Serena the witch told the siblings, Perdita was currently in Marco’s room urging him to rest.

”Don’t you find what she said amiss?” Marco asked when he grew tired of telling Perdita he didn’t need to lie down to rest.

Perdita was busy arranging and keeping things in the room in order even though the maids had done the job in the morning. She was just doing it to keep herself occupied and not think of Marco’s health situation.

She stopped and turned to look at Marco who still sat on the bed. She responded to Marco’s question, ”I do find what she said to be confusing,” A thoughtful look now on her face, and before Marco could open his mouth to speak, she added, ”But what can we do about it? The king said she is the only one that can help us heal you. So you have to comply with whatever she said.”

”Now if you can do me the favor and make me a little bit at ease and lie down, I will appreciate it. I don’t want anything to happen to my baby brother and my only family.” Perdita gently pushed Marco’s firm shoulders down to the bed.

”Fine,” Marco gave up and lay down on the bed. ”You keep making me feel like a baby.”

”Well, aren’t you my big baby? You’re my baby brother, don’t forget that.” Perdita smiled and ruffled Marco’s hair only to have her hand swatted away by Marco causing Perdita to laugh.

At a slip, Marco almost told Perdita to go and marry and have her own baby but decided against it considering how her love life was. Instead, he said, ”Stop ruffling my hair woman. I am not a child.”

Perdita pulled out her tongue, imitating the look on Marco’s face. ”Rest now brother, I think I need to go to my room too and rest. I don’t want to run into those green-eyed people, they give me the creeps.”

Marco chuckled amusingly and reminded her, ”You have green eyes too, remember?”

”I know...” Perdita sighed and held her forehead. ”There is something just off about them, especially those men. I hope I don’t run into them on my way.”

”You can ignore them when you see them. Go on, you need the rest more than I do.” Marco said seeing the tired look on Perdita’s face. Even the way she spoke looked like she was forcing herself.

Perdita nodded with a smile etched on her lips, ”Of course. I’ll get g...” She paused speaking when her eyes saw the bag Marco arrived with. ”Is that the reason you went to Woodbridge today?”

”Hmm?” Marco hummed confused by what Perdita was saying until he saw her line of sight. ”Oh, yes.”

Perdita went to where Marco placed the bag. She ran her hand over it without opening it, knowing what was inside the bag. She sighed, ”Do you still remember anything about them? I mean our parents and relatives?”

Marco shook his head negatively at Perdita’s question, ”I don’t remember anything. The memory is now mesh in my brain.”

Perdita nodded her head in understanding, ”Even I don’t remember what our parents looked like. We were too young to be met with such tragedy that led us to where we are now. It makes me wonder what would have become of us if were they still alive.”

”Things wouldn’t be the same as it is now, Perdita. It may be good or it may be bad, what matters now is that we have each other. So stop worrying and rest.”

”It feels like yesterday when we lost them,” Perdita said with a distant look and memory playing like a broken track in her head. Before she could continue to dwell on the past, she forced her brain to shut down those memories that had turned messy in her head.

”I’m going to my room, Marco. Make sure you take enough rest. I feel tomorrow is going to be a long day just like how the witch said.” Perdita said and started to walk towards the door.

”Hm, you too, sis,” Marco said and watched his sister leave through the door.

Immediately Perdita left the room, Marco released a deep breath and held his stomach with an agonized wince escaping his lips.

His eyes looked lost and pained because of the pain that felt like his stomach was being twisted and pulled with a blunt knife and at the same time tugging the last thread holding his heart together. He had been hiding the pain all the time Perdita was in the room.

Marco stayed in that same position for a while before the pain gradually reduced and he fell asleep with sweat soaking his shirt like water.

Outside the room where Perdita made her way to the room assigned to her, the look on her face couldn’t be mistaken by anyone to know she was tired.

She had never been this tired when she used to bake and sell buns in the village. Perdita thought and reminded herself she had never been this worried back then in the village. The stress of the brain was sure to take a big toll on someone more than working all day.

Perdita looked at her hands as she rounded a hallway. Buns. She missed doing what she was very good at. Mixing and playing with varieties of flavors and flour. She missed all of it. Maybe she would seek permission from Sthena to use the castle’s kitchen and bake buns. Maybe she would also bake some for him.

An unconscious smile made its way to Perdita’s lips when she thought about Sthena. She remembered how they first encountered each other in Woodbridge village. He had stolen her buns after creating fear in her and the villagers, and since then, so many things had happened they had faced each moment leading them to where they were today as friends. Such a sly and unpredictable man.

Perdita lost in her thoughts, didn’t notice the looming figure of a man also walking in her direction from the other end of the hallway.

The red eyes of the man saw Perdita first but he didn’t want to walk in the other way, with the goal of both of them colliding in his mind. But just before they could bump into each other, Perdita from the corner of her eyes saw what was about to happen and in time was broken from her reverie making her stop and take two steps back.

She looked up and met with a pair of furious red orbs glaring at her as if the red in them will magically spew fire and consume her.

Prince Regan. Oh, she didn’t have the strength to deal with this one. Seems like Sthena released him. Perdita thought.

”Oh, Prince Regan,” Perdita spoke as if she was surprised to see him. She slightly bowed at him to acknowledge his title as royalty.

Regan rolled his eyes at Perdita’s pretentious way of greeting him. ”What are you still doing here?”

Oh, he’s at it again. But God, what’s with that smell wafting from him? How many days had it been since he last washed his mouth and body?

”Me?” Perdita questioned in confusion. ”I’m going to be staying here for quite some time, Prince Regan. Didn’t the king tell you that my brother and I are his guests?”

Of course, how could he forget what the king told him some minutes ago after he released him?

Prince Regan exhaled, still annoyed with the woman that was the cause of him being confined in that dirty cell for nearly four days now, humiliated beyond words.

”Leave my sight!” Regan barked furiously at Perdita.

”With all pleasure, My Prince.” Perdita curtised and took a step forward only to see Regan brushing past her.

Perdita watched Regan disappear into another hallway. She muttered to herself, ”You always give an order but end up being the one doing your order. That is why you are like a hidden Prince here.”

Perdita shook her head and continued towards her room. Something was definitely wrong with everyone in this castle. From Sthena the sly and unpredictable king, to Lady Rosamonda the power seeker, and down to her children, one looking for attention, and the other being Princess Sarah wanting to be loved. Such unlike pairs of a family.