Chapter 125 - Almost A Sister

I watched as Reynard strolled over to me, his hands deep in his pockets. 

"What happened?" I hissed as I pulled him aside. "Did she get it?"

He gave me a smug smile as he kept walking on the street.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "Hey, tell me what happened! It was quite daft of you to suggest throwing the note to her window. What if the stone shattered her window? You'd be in big trouble then."

"But I'm not." He chuckled. "Seems like she got it alright."

I frowned as I pulled my sun hat down over my face, the one I had borrowed from Mama. It was a poor disguise, but not an unsuccessful one since nobody had even spared me a second glance. 

Reynard had suggested we go at once while the morning sun was still overhead and give Yvonne the message. Since the Emperor had increased security around the palace borders, there was no way Reynard could slide in and out like he usually did without getting caught. 

Even though I told him it was stupid to throw a note tied to a stone at her balcony amidst so much foot traffic, he had gone ahead and done it even so. But I had watched him long enough to know he knew what he was doing, so I didn't protest further once I realized his mind wasn't going to change. 

"What do you think she'll do?" I asked as I moved aside, letting a couple pass through. "Will she realize it was us?"

Reynard nodded decisively, determination in his eyes. "She'll know. From what I remember of her, she seemed quite smart after all."

I shrugged as I looked ahead. I hope it really was her who received the note, and not someone else since I didn't want her to get in trouble because of us. And the note had been in my handwriting, so if she did her research, she'd know who it was. 

"What next?" I asked as I nudged him with my elbow.

"Next..." Reynard raised his eyebrows as he searched the street. "I'd like to buy a nice jar of black dye for myself. And for you," he said and looked at me. I frowned. 

"Why me?" I asked as my hand went instinctively to my head. 

He chuckled. "It's turning back purple, lest you haven't noticed. I bet with another wash or two the dye will completely come off."

I followed Reynard into a small stall where a man stood beside a chair, shaving a man's beard with a long, sharp blade. There was a slightly cracked mirror in front of them and several jars of various shapes and sizes on a table under the mirror. Apparently, this was a makeshift barber stall and it was really fun to see how medieval people optimized their surroundings to the best of their abilities.

"Hey there, Mister Piret!" Reynard exclaimed as he approached the man, who was bent in a most uncomfortable pose as he carefully shaved his client's beard. Reynard's loud voice made him flinch and he accidentally shaved off a large chunk of hair off the client's face.

"Aghh!" Mister Piret cried. "My masterpiece! 'Tis ruined!" 

"Brother, calm it!" the client screamed. "'Tis but a beard! It'll grow back!"

"My masterpiece!"

"Calm!"

Reynard and I stood awkwardly to the side while the two men exclaimed and shouted and comforted one another. Once the job was done and the money was exchanged, Reynard and I inched back into the scene.

"Hey, Mister Piret."

The man- middle aged, with grey streaked hair and large spectacles along with a cleanly shaped beard- gave us a dirty look as he cleaned his blade.

"So it was you!" he hissed as he lifted the blade in the air and glared at us. "Your yell ruined my art, you fool!"

"C-Calm the blade, Mister Piret," Reynard stuttered. "We come here to buy. I hope that'll settle your rage."

It was as if someone had bottled the fury inside the barber and had thrown it in the ocean. The blade went down at once and the frown disappeared without a  All was right again.

"Yes, how may I help you?" the man said, smiling.

Reynard gave me a glance and both of us struggled to stifle a laugh.

"E-Erm- A jar of dye, if you please," Reynard muttered as he squeezed my arm, trying to keep himself from bursting. I, too, pursed my lips awkwardly, knowing a laugh could escape me any second.

"What color?" Mister Piret asked as he turned his back to us and checked his jars. "I'm afraid I only have charcoal at the moment."

"Great!" Reynard said. "I'll take two."

The money was exchanged and the jars were handed to us in a split of a moment. 

"Thanks very much," Reynard muttered as he inspected the white jar. "I see that you have increased the size of your containers."

"I have, indeed," Mister Piret said as he pushed his spectacles up his nose bridge. "May I ask about the lady who accompanies you today, Gradral?"

Reynard took a deep breath and looked at me questionably. I nodded, assuring him that it'd be fine. 

"She's my sis- I mean, a friend."

I stood, frozen to my spot. Was he just about to call me his sister? Wait, did I hear that right? He said 'sis', right? My God...Oh my God! I stared wide eyed at the floor as the barber and Reynard talked some more, and waited till we were free of him.

"Were you just about to call me your sister?" I asked once we were out on the street once again. "You were about to call me your sister."

"No." He kept walking, looking straight ahead. "You must need your ears cleaned. The wax has been piling up, hasn't it?"

"Stop playing!" I laughed and nudged him with my elbow. "But tell me seriously this time. Were you actually going to introduce me as your sister?"

It took him a while to respond, and he kept walking silently with his hands deep in his pockets. I watched him as he did so, letting him know that I wasn't going to let him get away from me like this even if he kept this silent act up.

Eventually, he sighed. "Well, yes. Happy now?" he muttered, still avoiding eye contacts with me. "Your annoying voice just got all up in my head at that moment, and I just got confused for a moment there."

"Aw." I laughed. "Well, it did feel nice to hear it, though."

For a second, I thought I saw a warm blush creep up Reynard's face, but then he turned away so suddenly that I imagined if I even saw it. Even so, I smiled and walked happily the rest of the way till we found an available carriage and headed back to Ogden Cove. 

✿

[Meanwhile, Back at the Palace]

Yvonne walked elegantly over the gorgeous red carpet laid in His Majesty's room, and looked nervously to her right and left, trying to figure out where the Emperor was. He was a man with a large figure, so it was hard for him to hide. 

"Is he not here?" Yvonne whispered to herself as she tried to calm her pounding heart, remembering the awful kiss experience. It gave her shivers to even think about him. "Your Majesty!"

She called out his anime even so, despite knowing he was not present in his chambers. It was strange of him to leave her unattended when he had clearly called her to her chambers at breakfast this morning. Was it simply that he forgot? 

Idle, Yvonne walked over to his large bed and sat gracefully on the edge of it, wondering if she should wait or just head back out again. It was hard to enter the Emperor's chambers without his permission, and she was only able to do so since all the guards had probably heard about it in the morning, since after all, news travelled fast in this small world. 

Carefully, Yvonne fingered the Emperor's bedside table which was carved of dull gold, but still breathtaking nonetheless. Before she knew it, Yvonne was pulling the handle of the drawer and as smooth as oiled door hinges, it slid open. Yvonne looked inside, knowing that she was violating many rules at once, but she cared not since she was the Emperor's favorite and escaping from any problems was in her palms. 

Inside the drawer was a brown, leather bound notebook, a gorgeous quill pen, an ink pot, a dagger with a carved wooden sheath, a handkerchief and an aromatic candle. 

Yvonne picked out the notebook and flipped it open at random, wondering if she'd find any secrets inside. Sadly, it was just accounts of the national treasury, some additions and some subtractions, and some reminders for himself, for example ordering the servants to add less sugar to the raspberry tarts, having his polished shoes placed before his bed every morning and ordering the whole palace to not disturb him while he slept unless it was an absolute emergency. Normal things like that. 

Yvonne flipped a few more pages before putting the notebook back in its place and pulling out the covered dagger. The wooden handle was carved with art of elephants and camels, something so carefully done that Yvonne gaped at it. She was about to pull out the blade when the door to the Emperor's room smashed open and the man himself strode in.

Hastily, Yvonne slid the dagger inside her sleeve and closed the drawer shut with her knee as she stood to her feet and smiled at the Emperor.

"My dear!" she called sweetly. "I was waiting for you."

The Emperor melted at the sight of her, and it was as if everything else was forgotten in the blink of an eye.. She was the only cynosure of his eyes, and Yvonne knew it very well as she went to greet the man she was soon to kill.