Oriana focused on the cafe she used to go to as a child with her family in the distance, and her heartbeat doubled. It looks derelict with cracks in the crumbling wall covered with beautiful vines and green moss, making it look like a 14th century peasant cottage. But despite the outward appearance, the cafe still functions well.
She took a few more deep breaths, calming her racing heart. Who wouldn’t be nervous in a situation like this? She was about to enter a lion’s den without any backups.
“Remember your position, Oriana. Remember who you are.” She whispered, consoling herself.
Oriana gripped her ring and looked back for the last time, hoping someone from the Cadre would show up before creeping towards the cafe.
The cafe was not far, but every step she took felt so heavy that it took her a while to reach the place. Luis. If hearing his name mixes Oriana’s emotions, what more will she feel if she’ll finally see him again?
“It’s nostalgic.” She blurted out.
“Lead her.” Luis said. As soon as Luis’ men saw Oriana from the huge window, they stood up and waited for her to come in before leading her to the table, a few blocks away from the door.
Oriana’s face stiften when she saw Luis and immediately, she had every urge to smack him and turn him into something who knows what from all the damage he had made.
Suddenly, Oriana was alarmed when one of her brother’s men came closer, reaching for her jacket.
“Excuse me ma’am, I need to check-”
“Don’t you dare touch me.”
The man suddenly felt uneasy, losing his confidence. Her tone was somewhat like Ashriel and her eyes were like fire. It was as if Oriana was a completely different person. Well, she is.
The man looked back and gave Luis a what-should-I-do look, making Luis frown.
“Let her be. A puppy like her is harmless.”
Oriana scowled. “Puppies are the harmful one, jerk.” She whispered underneath her breath.
“Y-Yes, sir. This way, ma’am.”
Before the man could even lead Oriana the way, she walked past him and headed towards Luis who took a sip of his caramel latte calmly.
“It’s kinda odd meeting with the dog who wants you dead.” Oriana blurted out mockingly, sitting opposite Luis with all the confidence she got from Kate. Good job, Kate.
“You’re getting sharper, eh? That’s what you got from that damn group?”
Oriana’s eyebrows met with the sudden insult. “What did you say?” Her voice crisped.
Luis smirked. “Are you beginning to be deaf?”
Little veins popped from Oriana’s forehead but she managed to hold back as she crumpled her fists under the table.
“Brother.” She called, restraining her pissed tone. “Insulting the First Rank is-”
“Ah, your part is here.” Luis cut her when he saw the waiter walking with a cup of caramel latte.
Oriana’s eyes shifted from Luis to the waiter who was sweating heavily and his shaking hands were visibly seen when the cup hit the saucer. Her eyes narrowed. From the smell of the latte, something was wrong.
“Y-Your order, s-sir.” He stammered and bowed a little. Oriana’s eyes never left the waiter until he accidentally met her eyes. She stopped. There was a message behind those frightened eyes.
She looked down at the caramel latte. It’s her favorite and the usual drink her father would order her when she was younger. Everytime her father orders that, she is the happiest person in the world. But now, something feels odd. She longs for that latte but something was restraining her. She flinched when she heard Luis spoke,
“It won’t do you any harm to drink.” Luis assured. “Chelsea made that. It took me a little effort to push her to make that latte, so jag up. Don’t you dare waste her effort.” He added.
“Chelsea?” Her eyes widened. Chelsea was the old woman who used to make the latte for her when she was a kid and Oriana was so fond of her that she knew if someone else made her latte.
She lifted her hand to reach for the cup but suddenly, she felt her hand trembled. “Huh?” She asked herself. It was as if her own hand had a mind. She shook her hands and grabbed the latte and smelt it before chugging.
Luis smirked as Oriana gulped. Tastes a little different. “Where’s second brother?”
“Why are you searching for him if your first brother is here?” Luis muttered. “Nostalgic cafe, favorite latte, and good, old memories. Aren’t you fond of that?”
Oriana felt something inside her she couldn’t explain. She knew the man in front of her was Luis but why? Why is it that something about him is different?
“Nostalgic cafe, favorite latte, good, old memories…” Oriana repeated. “But I never had any memories talking like this with you. You never liked me so stop this show and tell me where the hell my second brother is.” She demanded.
“You’re right, dumb. I never liked you, and I never will.”
Oriana felt a sudden sting in her heart, as if someone pricked it, but managed to ignore it. She was used to it. Luis never liked her.
Her face darkened. “Let’s go directly to the point. Why did you call for me?”
Luis chugged the remaining latte in his cup before crossing his legs and arms on his chest. The atmosphere around him suddenly changed.
“A report of a most alarming nature had reached me. That you intend to be united with Leon, Oriana. I’ve known this as a scandalous falsehood.”
“It’s no falsehood, brother.” She answered boldly. “He loves me.”
“Love?” Luis’ face soured. “Pathetic. You wasted everything that I have done for you, little bitch. That bastard is a Norton.”
Oriana’s ears stung. She took a deep breath and put her cup down. Luis never missed any opportunity to disparage her.
“What now if he is a Nor-”
“Oriana are you bewitched? That woman is heartless in nature!”
“How come Her Highness was brought up? And how dare you address her improperly-”
“Your opinion is irrelevant to me. I will call her whatever I like.” He cut her again. Oriana felt a sudden blood boil.
“Fine. Then your opinion regarding the decision I’ll make is irrelevant to me as well.”
Luis huffed sarcastically.
“Are you being immature?You mean to say that the deaths of innocent people do not matter to you?”
Oriana’s eyes widened a bit, as if the burning fire slowly lost its heat. How come the Great Bloodshed was brought up.
“Seriously? Why are you being historical? Stop digging the past.” She murmured, stopping her urging tears. No. She cannot cry. She mustn't.
“How about your father's death?”
“Why the hell are you bringing that up?!” She shouted, slamming her palms on the table. The guards around them flinched and prepared themselves. “Brother, I’m warning you.”
“You really are naive, huh?” Luis smirked, wiping the corner of his lips. Oriana froze. She had bad feelings about this.
“Leon’s father committed suicide after the Great Bloodshed, am I right?” He continued. “Do you know the reason why?”
Oriana grinned her teeth as she remained silent with heavy breathing. Her heartbeat doubled.
“Because of our beloved parents.”
Her eyes widened and her lips dried.
“And our parents died… because of his father.”
Oriana gasped as her heartbeat stopped for a moment. “Impossible…” She whispered.
“Shocked? Oh sweety, don’t be.”Luis leaned closer and forcefully squished Oriana’s cheeks, lifting her face to meet his eyes. Oriana’s tears slowly formed on the side of her eyes.
“Do you really think that the man who loves you as you stated will continue to do so when he learned that the reason for his father’s death was because of our parents? Huh, Oriana? Will you continue to love the child of the person who made your life miserable?”
Oriana’s tears started to flow as her face turned red in anger. She crumpled her fist and her breathing turned ragged. Luis smiled.
“That’s it, sweet-”
“The one who made my life miserable was YOU.”
She slapped Luis’ hand and pushed him away before running out of the cafe with tears. The guards quickly stopped her but withdrew when Luis spoke.
“Let her be.” He said with his eyes focused on the man outside. “Touch her and you’ll be in trouble.”
As soon as Oriana stepped outside the cafe and ran down the stairs, she stopped upon seeing Leon worriedly waiting for her. When their eyes met each other, he quickly stood up and ran towards her.
“What happened?”
“Let’s go.” Oriana spat, entering her car swiftly and banging the door closed. Since Leon did not bring any car with him, he drove Oriana’s car.
Usually, they would laugh and tease each other while Leon was driving but now, the whole ride was filled with silence alongside the ground fog that started to form. Leon glances at Oriana from time to time, feeling uneasy with her current state.
“A-a-ehem.” He cleared his throat. “W-What happened?” He asked in a low voice, glancing at her again.
“Nothing.” She answered swiftly, focusing on the views outside the window. Her mind kept on thinking of Luis' words. Her parents died because of Leon’s father and his father died because… Because of her parents.
“Your mood doesn’t seem like nothing happened.”
Oriana took a deep breath, forcing down her urge to shout. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
With that, Leon remained silent. Oriana’s tears flowed silently as she managed to hold her sobs. How come the person she trusted the most ended up the son of the person who killed her beloved parents? How come the world is so small? Why did they meet and fall in love with each other if this would happen?
Oriana felt her heart tightened as she thought, “Will he still love me if he learned about the truth? Or… can I still love him?” She wiped her tears away.
After turning to the intersection of the road, Leon glanced at Oriana again and suddenly, he stopped and only then did Oriana look at him, startled.
“What are those?” He asked, grabbing Oriana’s amrs. Puzzled, Oriana’s eyes fell on her arms and her eyes widened. Black spots. Suddenly, Leon remembered Venice’s warning.
He looked at his watch, it’s been an hour and a half.
“Crap.” He quickly searched for the nearest hotel through his phone and drifted with the wind. Oriana held tightly as her intestines slowly rose up.
“C-Colonel, slow dow-”
“Hold on, just hold on.” Leon mumbled, turning the wheels side by side, drifting, and stepping on the gas harder as if he was a cat with nine lives.