Chapter 41: The Agreement in the North Castle



"The pirates violated the laws of the mainland. They must face their punishment whatever the circumstances are."



That was exactly what they said when I laid my request on the table. And since the sea was considered the West Land's domain, the pirates must remain at the custody of the Westons. I left the room looking defeated and decided to meet the strange girl in the room given to her. The good thing was that, my parents allowed me to give a temporary home to this girl in the condition that she would work for the East Castle. It sounded better to me than to let her wander in the forest alone. She looked absolutely ready, almost enthusiastic, when I entered the room. She seemed to be excited of the idea of having dinner so together, we went to the dining hall.



If I could paint the surprised look of the girl when she came face to face with my parents in the dining hall, I would. She was seated beside me and I couldn't help but smile at her reassuringly as she regarded my parents with confusion and uneasiness.



"When you said you're going to bring home a wolf, I thought you're talking about a real one and not a random young girl in the woods," my father said when silence continued in the room.



"I am Lady Adeline Crimson of the East Land and this is my husband, Lord Caleb." My mother decided that it would be best to start with a proper introduction.



"I know," the girl immediately answered.



I didn't know what was going on in the girl's mind. She seemed to be unhappy meeting my parents though I could say that she looked completely surprised.



"Ofcourse, you've heard of us," my father replied. "And my daughter?" he asked pointing at me.



Her eyes widened as she turned to me. I admit that I wasn't able to properly introduce myself considering the attitude she displayed in front of me in the woods. I wasn't also a famous personality before I was taken away from the mainland since my parents made sure that I'm well-protected and far from the scrutiny of the public's eyes.



"I'm Lady Primrose Crimson. Welcome to the East Castle," I said trying to ease the tension. We all waited for the strange girl to speak. She took her time looking at us, like we were the predators and she was our prey.



"Dorothy," she said. "My name is Dorothy Caswell."



"Well, I'm pleased to meet you, Dorothy. Please help yourself with the food. There's plenty of it for all of us."



She nodded and started to dig in. She ate like she hadn't eaten food for days and I found myself eating like a pirate as well. I was already home and there would be absolutely no one who could ruin my dinner at the moment.



"However, at the corner of my eyes, I caught the uneasy glances my parents shared with each other. They made me feel like they're hiding something and the presence of this young girl was bothering them.



The dinner went smoothly after the awkward introduction. I let my parents know that I would tell the girl about her possible role in the East Castle if ever she wished to stay longer or for as long as I believe in my confidence that she would be safer with us.



The day followed and the restless night that passed caused me to start it early. I woke up and walked my way silently to the library. I was about to push the huge double doors open when a voice spoke behind me. I turned abruptly and saw Dorothy standing, staring at me in her evening gown.



"Good morning. How's your sleep, Dorothy?" I greeted.



She shrugged. "While it was the most comfortable bed I had ever slept on, I found it completely cold and lonely. I need to go and continue travelling."



I frowned at her and pushed the door open. She followed me inside the library.



"I see that you belong in this wealthy and powerful ruling family and I am thankful because you allowed me to stay here. However, after spending a night in this castle, I could say that I don't belong in this place and I must go."



"And where do you plan to go? Do you even know where to find this family of yours?"



She fell silent for a moment and I took my time finding the right books to get. I managed to grab a couple books from the shelves and made my way to the coffee table before she speaks again.



"I'll find them. Surely they're already looking for me." There was doubt in her voice when she spoke again: "They wouldn't leave me behind."



I looked up at her and I saw sadness in her eyes. I sighed as a familiar pain started creeping in my heart, creating a deeper hollow in it. It was a wound I would never heal from.



"Hoping is a pill you can take for sadness, disappointment, or other ugly things that are weighing you down. But don't get too drunk in it or you'll find yourself desperate for things that are probably not happening," I said, almost to myself.



She stared at me frowning. "The lord and the lady don't want me to be here," she said.



That was my turn to get confused. I was aware of how my parents disapprove of this decision – well, I was having a hard time getting their approval these days so I wasn't surprised at all. However, she was just a girl lost in the woods and I wanted to help her. Why would they take it like it was a big deal?



"And do you have any idea why they don't like you here?" I asked curiously.



She shrugged her shoulders and said, "Because I am not from a noble family and that I shouldn't be here. Well, there's surely a place for peasants like us and it is not here. My father said that we could start our lives again on that place promised for us," she answered.



"And where is that?" I asked, more interested this time.



"He didn't tell me. It was supposed to be a surprise for us. I guess, I wouldn't know about it anytime soon," she replied.



"Well, stay here until you know where to find them. And if you prove that you're a good kid, then I'll try to help you."



Her face lighted up at that instant and she scurried towards me.



"Do you promise that you're going to help me?" she asked hopefully.



No matter how tough she tried to look like, she was still a kid. She was young and full of hope. I bet that nothing could ever trap the energy inside her. And just because I saw how dark the real world is, doesn't mean I should break hers. I knew that she would face that day and it would be darker and harsher enough to hurt her. But if I would be asked, there's really never a perfect day to break someone's heart.



"If there's anything I could do help you, then I would do it. For now, I just want you to stay here."



She nodded and walked towards the shelves. I didn't know if she could read the books she was looking at since she admitted that she was a peasant. I had not heard of a group of people struggling to live for a long time now. All I knew was that the ruling families had made sure that their citizens were well-taken care of. I didn't see beggars on the streets or people begging for money. All my eyes had seen was the great harmony of the people of the four lands. And this revelation made me doubt everything I knew about the leaders ruling their domains. It was something I had to investigate. But for now, I had to deal with a more important matter at hand.



The girl settled on a couch in the corner of the library. I could see that she was holding a thin novel and I sighed, wondering where she'd learned how to read. I made myself comfortable on my chair and grabbed one of the books on the coffee table. I opened it to the rules of citizenship and the laws that supported it. I was too occupied in my reading that I preferred skipping breakfast. The servants in the castle had to bring food for us which I politely refused and the Dorothy gladly received.



It was past noon when I decided to come out of the library and looked for my father. I found him on the lounge with Lord William and Tarnus. They seemed to be engaged in a serious conversation and I wondered what they were talking about. However, Tarnus immediately caught my entrance and they immediately stopped their discussion. They looked at me like I was a suspicious person who locked herself up in the library all day and went out with a diabolical plan in mind.



"Did I interrupt something?" I asked nonchalantly.



"Ofcourse, not. You are welcome to join us," Lord William replied and I eyed him carefully.



"We're just talking about the congress that will take place in the North Castle tomorrow. And we're discussing about the matters that needed to be addressed during the meeting," my father seconded.



It immediately caught my interest. Somehow, I found a way to execute my plans. Standing straight and confidently, I looked at each of them in the eyes and said, "Then I'd like to join the congress."



It didn't receive any immediate reactions from the men in front of me. It seemed that I still need to justify my decisions. I crossed my arms in front of them to show that I had already decided.



"I am Lady Primrose Crimson of the East Land. I can join the congress as one of the rulers of our land, yes?"



When no one answered, Lord William cleared his throat and fixed me with a glint in his eyes. He should be on my side, he always had.



"That is true and I won't disagree with that. How about you join me to represent the East Land?" he offered.



I felt my mood lighted up and I smiled at him. "Then, I must prepare myself to face the council for tomorrow," I said enthusiastically.



My father, even though a little bit doubtful, didn't disagree with my decision. However, he still insisted that I must bring Tarnus with me since it would take most of the day to travel to the North Land. Tarnus immediately accepted the command.



The next morning, I woke up early and found a suitcase that was packed with thick coats. I asked for the servants to look after Dorothy until I came back. When I finished preparing myself, I got out of the room and found my parents waiting for me at the entrance of the castle. Two carriages were already waiting and Lord William took the first one insisting that he prefers his privacy while traveling. I took the other one and even though I tried to convince Tarnus to be with me inside the carriage, he refused and decided to ride on his horse.



"It's better to be prepared and on alert. You must have your soldiers if ever your life would be in danger," he explained. He was always protective and this congress would not stop him.



It was indeed a long travel and good thing; I brought books to keep me company. I was starting to get bored when the atmosphere changed and the air got colder. When I looked out of the window of the carriage, I saw the snow-capped mountain. An old, ruined castle was standing near the top of it and served as the boundary between the four lands. I was told when I was still a kid that a witch cursed the royal family a long time ago and turned each and every one of them into stone-statues that were left to crumble into dust. And now that I was old enough, and not naïve, I wondered about the real story behind that old castle. I sat back on the couch and wore the cream-coat my mother handed to me. Behind that mountain was the North Land – a land covered in ice. I wondered how the Frost Family managed to live in that land. It was so cold and white. No green trees or stormy seas. The only lake in it was frozen. It almost felt lifeless.



It was already dusk when we finally reached the North Castle. It was a huge, white building and the warm lights coming from its windows almost made it look magical. The Frost family led by Lord Emmanuel Frost were waiting in the entrance of the castle with their servants in white uniform assisting the visitors from their carriages. It seemed that there were also several council members from the other domains who decided to attend the congress. Lord William got out of his carriage first and joined the Frosts to greet them. When it was my turn to step out of the carriage, Tarnus immediately opened it for me. Tanya and his older brother, Boris, walked towards my carriage and greeted me. Tanya gave out her cheerful smile that lingered a little bit longer in Tarnus' direction, while Boris bowed reaching for my hand and kissed the back of my palm. I blushed at such greeting.



"I hope that you didn't encounter any problem on your way here," Boris said.



"Nothing that we couldn't handle," I replied. He was a tall, handsome man with shoulder-length platinum blonde hair and a pair of icy-blue eyes. If my heart was not yet taken, he could have swept me off my feet at that moment by the intensity of the stare he was giving me. It was a good thing that my heart knew when to leap out of its cage.



Lord Emmanuel joined us and welcomed me to the North Castle. And after a few formal greetings shared by the delegates, we were finally ushered to the dining hall. I was already starving and it was frustrating that even in front of the food, they still had to discuss the political system of the lands. Why couldn't they wait for tomorrow's congress?



"It was a pleasure for you, Lady Crimson, to finally join us in a political event like this. I've heard that you've just been rescued from the pirates who kidnapped you. Are you sure you're ready to handle this congress and represent your land?" a council member asked.



I didn't answer right away for he asked me in the middle of eating the hot soup served in front of me. Lord William, who was seated beside me, realized that I wouldn't be speaking anytime soon. He cleared his throat and addressed the councilor politely.



"Lady Crimson is a brilliant woman and the only daughter of the Crimson Family. She volunteered to participate in this event despite of the horrible experiences she had been through. She has a great sense of leadership because of her bloodline and she keeps on surprising us," Lord William answered.



The whole attention of the dining hall was finally focused on me. I finished the soup, and with elegance, I put down my spoon and looked at the curious people looking at me.



"There are thousands of pirates and ships sailing on the sea and those people in the Pirate City are not the ones who kidnapped me. It is not a completely horrible experience but a great adventure that anyone would regret to missed in their lifetime," I answered.



The room fell even more silent and it seemed that I got not only their eyes but also their ears and they were all waiting for me to speak again. Some clearly showed their disagreement on their faces and most of them were filled with curiosity. I realized that there were only few delegates who attended the congress, probably because of the long and uncomfortable travel they had to endure. And those who came were the ones who were willing to travel – who welcomed adventure in their lives. Fifteen people including Lord Emmanuel and Lord Boris were on the table dining with me. If I wanted to get them on my side for the next day's congress, I had to start convincing them right away.



"Being kidnapped is a great adventure? It is a completely masochistic idea if you ask me. Enlighten us, please." It was Boris, sitting beside his father, Lord Emmanuel, who threw the next question. He was eyeing the position of his father in the North Land. I understood his need to be skeptical.



"I didn't say that being kidnapped is a pleasure that one must enjoy. It is indeed a horrible crime and I assure you that those who took me by force from the Sea Port City had already paid for it with their lives. What I'm trying to say is that there are pirates who, just like us, need to work everyday to live. The life in the sea is difficult and I doubt any of us could survive without the knowledge of fishing, communicating with other people in different islands, trading, or even defeating the great storm. I've seen how they need to leave their home so they could travel the sea and bring something back to their families. What I'm trying to say is that they're also people like us, and their lives are not less than ours."



It was followed by silence and I was starting to think that I just made all the delegates into my enemies. I might have to accept my defeat in congress. But then, after a few seconds, another council member from the South Land spoke and asked, "You mentioned about the Pirate City. What is it like?"



Hope started to light up inside me again and smiling confidently, I thought about the first time I had seen the Pirate City with my own eyes through the deck of the Obsidian.



"It was a grand vessel surrounded by hundreds of pirate ships connected by thick ropes. It was a busy and lively trading city during the day and the brightest star floating on the sea at night. It was magical and I wondered how they're able to build a city in the middle of the sea. It was like a place to rest when you're tired of sailing in the ocean," I answered.



"It's like the city we built in the middle of the dessert," the man from the South Land answered. "It's hard to live in the vast Sand City with only limited water to supply us. It must also be hard living in the middle of the sea with no land to step in." I nodded as he continued, "Where is it now?"



My smile faltered and it was replaced by a sad one. "Gone in the war; sunken deep in the sea," I answered.



Another silence followed. It was like I brought them into a magical city in their imagination and let them think of how they could live in it only to spoil them with its grave ending.



"That's a terrible way to end it," a woman from the North Land this time, said silently.



I agreed and with great conviction, I said, "Tomorrow, I will propose to grant amnesty to the pirates who were caught in the war and be a citizen of the East Land. I believe that the crime of one is not a crime of all. We can't just accuse them of the crimes committed by all the pirates in the sea. I want to bring them to my domain and take responsibility for them. I hope that the night would be enough for you to consider it."



I let out a heavy sigh once I finally made the announcement. I hoped that the introduction I made was enough for a favorable conclusion. And if it wouldn't end on my favor, then I would surely find another way.