Chapter 7 - A Thorny Briar (2/2)

Ronée realized he had misunderstood her. “Not me, you. You keep staring out the window. I was wondering if you wanted to go outside.”

“Ah…” Nabel’s heart, which until then had been pounding as though he was nervous, quickly settled down at Ronée’s words. “Then, shall we go out?”

It was night-time, anyway. Even all of the servants should have been sleeping by then.

“Okay. I was also just starting to feel like some fresh air, too,” Ronée replied.

Ryne, who had been listening to the conversation, hurried to prepare for the night-time excursion. She fetched an oil lamp with a little flame burning in it and wrapped a cardigan around Ronée’s shoulders.  “It’s still cold out these days, my Lady.”

Ronée nodded. It was the time of year right before spring turned into summer. She also gave Nabel some appropriate over-clothes. They were old and ragged, but Ronée’s room now had a pile of young boy’s clothes for Nabel. It was a small change that his stay there had brought.

Click. Ryne opened the door.

Crunch. The sound of something catching in front of the door came. Ryne jumped and Ronée’s eyes widened. At that moment, Nabel noticed Ronée’s shadow darken again. Just as a pair of pointed ears started to form, her shadow fell still again, like a trick of the light.

Nabel looked at Ronée. Ronée did not look as though she had ever, even in her dreams, seen strange things appearing in her shadow.

“This…”

They shone the lamp light under the door and all three of their expressions stiffened.

“Thorn vines…”

The thing blocking the door was a tangle of thorny vines. It filled the part of the hallway right in front of the door to Ronée’s room.

A thorny briar: the divine symbol of Thuna.

Ronée was so surprised, she could not speak. The briar filling the hallway sent only one message: Do not emerge from that room, accursed one.

“Ah…” Nabel moved in front of the speechless Ronée. He grabbed a vine and tugged at it. It seemed like it would take a long time to clear the whole hallway.

The vine which Nabel had grabbed was particularly thick and sturdy, and its thorns, too, were big and sharp. But Nabel ignored that and yanked it out of the way even though it pricked his skin.

“Don’t touch it, Nabel.” Ronée covered his hand with hers. His hand was already covered in blood. At that moment, their eyes met. When their hands touched, her thoughts were passed on to him more deeply than ever before.

“It’s fine. We don’t have to go outside.”

“It’s okay to give up.”

That was how she had survived in that household. By giving up on her own desires. Nabel gripped the vine firmly. He did not want Ronée to have to give up on the things she wanted anymore. A determined gleam glinted in his eyes.