EPISODE TWENTY THREE
TITLE: AT A TIME LIKE THIS, WE SHOULD BE TOGETHER.
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“what?”Onida muttered in shock and walked closer to Eleanor but the latter looked away holding her tears back.
“I know this is hard to believe but… that’s the truth”She stuttered in a cracked voice.
Onida held her mouth in surprise, How come she didn’t know about it?
No wonder the three were too broken to be healed, They still wallowed in the pains and agony of losing their loved ones on the same day.
“Onida…, You don’t need to react”She admonished walking closer to her but she stopped her immediately.
“Where is Rita?”She asked out of nowhere and Eleanor sighed.
“We both see her leave”
“She shouldn’t be left all alone at a time like this, We must look for her”She said hastily and made to leave the courtyard but Eleanor grabbed her immediately.
“Where are you going? You’re not going to Azazel right?”She yelled in fear and Onida shook her head.
“I’m going to Adriel, He’s more approachable at this moment”
“It won’t solve anything, She has been doing this all years, And you won’t be able to change their mind, They need their quiet time”
“This is the time they need each other the most, We must bring them together and let them mourn their loved ones together”Onida persuaded.
Somehow, the words got to Eleanor and she led her to the Adriel courtyard.
It wasn’t of much difference from Azazel, Designed and styled the same way.
Just that the main color they used in painting the house is Blue, Instead of black.
“I don’t know if he will be in the house at this moment, He has been frequenting the slave quarters until two days ago, I don’t know where he could be now.”She muttered feeling discouraged already.
She was still skeptical about this, so Onida decided to open the door to his room.
Luckily, he beat them to it and he almost collided into her.
“Watch where you are going”He snapped in anger and she bowed.
“I’m sorry”She mumbled moving back.
Adriel stared at them in suspicion and walked closer to Eleanor.
“Why are you here?”He asked, referring to Eleanor in particular and she pressed her lips.
She took a deep breath and made a short prayer before talking.
“We can’t leave Madam Rita in this condition, She might end up hurting herself, We should look for her and….”
“On whose order?”He cut them off in an aggressive manner.
Onida ran up to him immediately and pushed Eleanor slightly away in front of him.
“I’m the one that told her to let us look for her”
“You told her everything?”He asked in surprise, referring to Eleanor and the latter couldn’t talk.
“No, Madam Rita told me herself, She only said about herself, I don’t know about…”
“It’s obvious that you were lying, How did you know that there might be other cases if she only told you her own, And that’s something Madam Rita can never do”He grabbed her arms in anger.
“I just want to help, Madam Rita shouldn’t be alone in this condition”She cried in desperation and Adriel let her go in the moment.
“Do you know where she could be?”He asked after a long time of silence and Eleanor shook her head.
He sucked his teeth in disappointment and pondered for a while.
Onida prayed inwardly for the heavens to change his mind so they can look for Madam Rita.
She hopes he will just listen.
“Wait…”Eleanor blurted out and walked closer to them.
“She told me once that there’s a physician at the border of the town and she always spend the night there”
“That is Andy”
“Yes, That’s him, Maybe she could be….”
“Call on the guards in front of the courtyard”He ordered and Eleanor rushed to call on her.
Onida was very nervous as she’s the only one with him.
As he was pacing to and fro in the compound, Her anxiety increased and Onida decided to break the silence but again, He beat her to it.
“Who do you think you are?”He asked in a harsh but low voice and Onida stuttered, she tried to gather the words together but she couldn’t.
Adriel is just like Azazel or even worse than Azazel.
“A sex slave”She muttered slowly and he took a deep breath.
“Don’t meddle into our business, We don’t need anyone’s help”He yelled in anger but this time around, Onida didn’t shiver away from him.
“You’re too broken to trust other people, You think everyone that come into your life will ruin your life, You couldn’t embrace the good part of life because you’ve only seen the dark side, You couldn’t even protect the woman you love from being a slave, If you think the Master would remain in this state forever, or you want him to remain like this, That means you don’t like him”
“What?”He mumbled in shock as the words niggled at him.
“You worthless wench”He cursed and was about to raise his hands at her, Eleanor returned with the guards.
He took a deep breath before taking his hands down.
He gave order to the guards and they all gathered their horses. One of them rode in Madam Rita’s carriage so as to take her back to the castle in it.
When they were all ready, Onida moved closer to them and bowed.
“Thank you”She muttered simply and made to leave but Adriel stopped him.
“I’m not doing this for you, I’m doing it for myself”He said in between gritted teeth and she smiled softly.
“At least, you were able to do something for yourself”She mumbled inwardly.
“Go back to the castle with Eleanor, Don’t wait for us”He warned sternly and she nodded.
Onida watched them leave the Castle and returned to the room back with Eleanor.
By the time they returned, It was almost midnight and Eleanor was fast asleep already but Onida couldn’t sleep.
She rushed out of the room immediately she heard the neigh of horses.
They were back, with Madam Rita.
Onida took a deep breath of relief as she watched them enter the Castle.
Adriel helped her to the castle as she was feeling a little bit cold.
Onida tiptoed to her Courtyard to welcome her but Adriel didn’t take her to her chambers.
They all proceeded to Azazel quarters, Getting there, Adriel opened the door for her and took her in.
Azazel who hasn’t been able to sleep for the past hours rose up on his feet as he saw them walk in.
Rita smiled and walked closer to him, Azazel who was still in shock managed to hug her and the woman sobbed in his chest.
“I’m not okay”She sobbed like a baby in his chest. Azazel nodded and patted her back softly.
After a while, she unlocked the hug and smiled slightly at Azazel who was trying to hold his tears.
“We should mourn them together, They were all our families, And we lost them the same day, We shouldn’t leave and ignore ourselves at a time like this.”