Chapter 4: A Man With A Mask (1)

Just like Auriela had promised, Madeline was able to get food regularly than she did on normal days. She was very happy about it to the extent she wished her wedding to the old ugly Mr Gregor would be two weeks away so she could eat to the stupor and properly plan her escape. She knew Mr Gregor, the roguish Barbarian from the south, because she silently eavesdropped each time her uncle- wait, that was a mistake, she meant to say she silently eavesdropped each time ’Roland’ spoke about how much he feared him. Much better. It wasn’t that they couldn’t get her married to someone in Carmarthen. Carmarthen is a Haven for many types of people, ranging from ship importers and exporters, Farmers, and thieves. Because no class is willing to interact with one another, Carmarthen was split into four sectors: the upper East quarter, the upper West quarter, the lower East quarter, and the lower West quarter. The Upper East Side is home to those of the upper class who live in large estates, ranging from the majestic to the dukes and then marquises. The Upper West Side, where she stays, is home to those of the middle class, who live in small wooden houses with high wooden fences. It keeps them away from the dangerous side of the village where the thieves and murderers lie. And then the Lower East Side is home to the lower class who live in small wooden houses, and the Lower West Side is home to the poor, who live in small huts made out of mud and sticks. She has been to most of the quarters, which is why it was easy for her to tell the difference, except for the Upper East Side. People of her class are never allowed to go into such places since she’d be seen as a dirt loitering around their space, so she never tried going there, but when she passed by sometimes, she could look through their gates and see the beautiful Mansions arranged in rows at the Upper East Side. The clock on the wall ticked by, and Madeline remained indoors till the sky darkened into a dark blue. A silver moon, like a new stamped coin, rode triumphantly in the sky, showering its silvery-white light on the empty road of Carmathen town. It was emptily quiet as it is said that the night time is always the right time for every evil force to descend on Earth, due to that, the people of Carmathen made the rule of staying indoors and keeping quiet once it is past 1midnight Just like every other day, once it clocks midnight, everyone would be indoors, not a single soul is meant to wander the street, else they’d be killed by the protocols assigned to keep the road and people safe. Such a rule was made because of the strange deaths happening in Carmathen recently, mostly at night, so everyone had to stay indoors to avoid being the next victim. Madeline sat up on the bed, already getting tired of staring at the ceiling. She has nothing to do but stay in her room all day, and the next day, and the next day, and the next day, until they finally get rid of her. The loneliness had become her companion because her lockdown started when she was only twelve. At first, she would sneak out through her window to view the outside world herself, but when she turned eighteen, Auriela caught her sneaking out, thus leading to her windows being permanently jammed. When there was heat, she had to somehow survive since her window could no longer be opened. The loneliness left her depressed, but it got to a point where she erased every form of loneliness with her presence. Indeed, she wasn’t much of a talker when it came to speaking vocally. Who should she talk to when she had no friends, no family? Due to that, she got used to speaking more in her mind and less with her mouth. It gave Roland and Auriela the impression that she was a timid, weak girl who was incapable of standing up for herself, but if they knew the plans hatching in her brain now and then, they’d sit down to think twice about why it’s wrong to judge a book mainly by its cover. The sound of a carriage stopping outside her window caught her attention. Curious to know who it was, she got to her feet and hurried to greet, hoping it wasn’t Sir Gregor coming to check on her again; she could hardly stand the sight of that old man and the lusty looks he gave her. Peering out through her window, since it was made of glass, Madeline was capable of seeing whoever was outside, and to her biggest surprise, the carriage she was seeing was one of the fanciest carriages she’d ever seen before. "Whose carriage is that?" She muttered in amusement, still keeping her gaze fixed on it whilst the owner might just step out. "Why did it stop?" The Coachman got down from his seat, walking to the front and crouching on his knee to examine one of the carriage wheels at the front. She couldn’t hear what was being said, but she saw the Coachman’s mouth moving, which meant he was probably conversing with the owner of the carriage. To her surprise, the door to the carriage opened, and a young man stepped out of it. From his dressing alone, she need not anyone to tell her he was from the upper east quarters of Carmarthen, but what would someone like him be doing in a place like the upper west quarters? The man stood before his Coachman, and they exchanged a few words, but what Madeline wasn’t expecting to see was the young man turning around all of a sudden, and he looked directly at her window. She involuntarily gasped when their eyes met. He’s the Man with a mask!