Mirror and Iron Roses: Chapter Two-Bargains
At the break of dawn the next morning, Jet went back on the road to Magnolia with the knight called Justine riding by his side. He didn't engage with the armored man since Jet still had yet to let down his guard. During his brief stay at the manor, Jet had spotted a few other residents in the halls. Oddly enough, none of them bothered to approach him, much less tell him what was happening to him. It made Jet wonder if anything sinister was afoot at the place.The two of them managed to arrive in Magnolia quicker than expected. It was just past dinner time when he spotted pots and pans flying out of the tavern door and windows. Soon after, Nathaniel ran out wearing a nice suit, suspicious since his attire was a cheap shirt that showed off most of his chest, a pair of baggy pants, and leather boots. Levy came out, with her face red with anger and holding a large cast-iron skillet tight in her grip."Leave me alone! Don't ever come back!" Levy screamed. Even from where he stood, Jet was terrified by the rage and hatred in his little sister's ordinarily sweet and gentle voice. Nathaniel didn't seem at all deterred and tried to approach Levy again until Droy came out with a rifle and shot at the ground next to Nathaniel's feet. Without Droy uttering a word, Nathaniel ran off like a dog with its tail between its legs.Justine chuckled, his armor rattling as he tried to contain himself. However, Jet didn't find it amusing. Nathaniel could get his father involved and do only God knew what. Justine didn't seem to notice and continued towards the tavern. Jet reluctantly followed. He didn't want to explain the bizarre situation to his siblings, but he couldn't avoid the inevitable.The two men rode up to the tavern, and, surprisingly, nobody seemed shocked by Justine's appearance. Everyone just went along with their day and seemed to ignore the man that donned the armor of a demon. Only Droy and Levy took notice, and they were confused if not anything else. Jet groaned, "Help me bring this stuff in. I'll explain once we're done."The four of them finished quickly, as Justine was able to carry the mattresses upstairs. Levy, Droy, and Jet went down to the cellar, putting away the supplies while Jet explained the whole situation. Sweat ran down Jet's face as they went back up to the dining hall while his siblings had yet to say a word. He took a seat at an empty table and covered his face with his hands, prepared for a proper scolding. What he heard next caught him off guard."I'm very sorry this had to happen," Levy said. It was wholly genuine and sincerely apologetic. "One of us really should have gone with you." Cold sweat ran down Jet's face as he began to hyperventilate. He was about to speak up when he heard clanking coming down the stairs. "You do not need concern," Justine said and stopped at the base of stairs. "Your brother's stay won't be permanent. A year at the manor is enough payment."The siblings remained silent. Compared to a lifetime, a year trapped with a stranger wasn't too terrible, but it still meant Jet would be gone. They would still be down one employee."Is there another way to settle this?" Levy asked. Before Justine could answer, Jet jumped in and declared, "There's no need to worry, little sis." He ruffled Levy's hair while giving an awkward smile like he was secretly in pain. "I can deal with this. You just stay here where it's safe."Jet saw the color drain from both Levy and Droy's faces. He would have questioned it, but it was getting late, and Justine had to take him back to the manor before sunset the next day. As the boys headed up to their room, Levy set up the couch for Justine with a spare blanket and pillow. Justine bowed, thanked Levy, and took a seat in Jet's recliner. At first, Jet was ready to hit the man for being so rude. The anger faded when Jet realized that he hadn't seen Justine remove his helmet. He was probably waiting for the three siblings to go to their rooms before taking off his armor and going to sleep. He must be some kind of monster if he's determined to hide his face, Jet thought as the three of them went upstairs. Considering who this man was working for, that wouldn't be too surprising. As they reached their bedrooms, Jet said one last "Good Night" to his little sister. Levy didn't seem to answer and just smiled weakly before closing her door behind her. Jet noticed a touch of sadness in her eyes and let out a long sigh. He would have to make up for that as much as he could before leaving in the morning.***A few hours of sleep was interrupted by Estelle's whining and resulted in Jet on the floor, tangled up in blankets. As he was pulling himself up, Jet noticed a lack of Droy's presence. It didn't seem too strange until he reached the door and wriggled the handle. "The hell?" Jet turned the handle again and started to slam his shoulder against the door. After a few tries, Jet escaped but not without breaking the knob off the door. Estelle could still be heard from outside, but it wasn't just neighing. Jet could also make out the sound of hoofs on the road.Without a second thought, Jet rushed down the stairs and out the front door. He spotted Droy already outside with a cloud of dust starting to settle ahead of him. The lack of Levy's presence made what was happening clear.Jet grabbed his brother by the collar and started to shake him vigorously. "What the hell were you thinking?!" Jet screamed. How could his brother allow Levy to be handed off to that monster? Droy couldn't get a clear word out from the shaking and Jet's yelling. At some point, Droy managed to pull Jet's hands off of him and dragged his brother back into the house. Jet had yet to calm down, and to prevent the abrupt awakening of their neighbors, Droy grabbed a rag from the counter and slapped it across his brother's face. As Jet stood silently in shock, Droy took a seat and explained everything.Before Jet came back home, Nathaniel came in the tavern and proposed to Levy. Although "proposed" was too sugar-coated of a term. He didn't say it directly, but Nathaniel had mentioned continuously that anything could happen to the tavern. Listing off things like fire, lightning, and rats out of nowhere. Levy and Droy were confused until Nathaniel started to drop "hints" that his family could keep all of that away if Levy would agree to his arrangement. Levy drove Nathaniel out before Droy could snap out of his rage and react. When Jet came back and told them about The Beast and his debt, they both realized Nathaniel would take advantage of Jet being gone. Levy and Droy woke up early and discussed a possible alternative with Justine. However, he explained that the roses had a particular value that was too complicated to explain. It needed to be paid back in some way. When she heard that, Levy volunteered."She figured if she wasn't here, Nathaniel wouldn't have any reason to try and ruin us," Droy finished. He analyzed his brother's face, looking for any changes in tone. Jet's expression still contained a great deal of anger, but it was mainly towards the cocky bastard who had the gaw to blackmail his sister. Droy also noticed other emotions mixed in, like frustration over the helpless situation and concern for their sister. He half expected Jet to run after Levy or fish out the rifle and make a visit to Nathaniel's house. Of course, both of them knew that either action would fail. Droy handed Jet a letter Levy wrote before leaving, "There's no need to worry. Levy created a cover for herself."Jet looked over the letter. It explained that Levy had received a message from a distant cousin from across the continent. This cousin was going to have a baby. She needed someone to help her around the house as well as act as the child's nursemaid. Levy had learned plenty about how to take care of children over the years from doctors, nannies, and parents that visited the tavern. She wanted children at some point, so she had taken highly detailed notes. Jet was impressed by how Levy made her story so believable, yet have it be vague enough to avoid anybody bothering to disprove it."This only solves one problem," Jet said. "What about the situation with the tavern and, more importantly, the manor." Droy shrugged but was able to answer quickly, "Justine said he would send some of his friends to help us and assured that Levy would be safe as long as she stays on the grounds." Jet was silent for a moment then cupped his face and groaned, "Why does that last one not reassure me at all?"
StacyWalters
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