It was odd as in his proximity, the cold that had been trapped within the walls of the trophy room no longer bothered her.
As though a veil had been lifted off of her eyes, Arabella was finally able to take a proper look around herself.
Sothing that hadn't crossed her mind before had been the state of the room or more precisely its cleanliness. Well, it wasn't much the fact that it hadn't crossed her mind, but more so that she could not linger on it.
From the very mont she'd stepped inside, no dust particles had co to tickle her nose and the glass cases sheltering the weapons gathered none either. They simply looked as good as new.
Arabella's lips betrayed her intentions to speak before Silas as they parted, then reconnected a few tis while her gaze traveled from one spot to the next.
"Speak up,"
Those words were enough to bring her attention back onto him, but she rely stared, forgetting to blink again.
Eventually however, not without many efforts, the young woman found the courage to share her thoughts, "Only a true descendant of the Eleazar bloodline can access this room," at first, she'd half asked, but then quickly added, "I an, since you had to use your blood to open the gate," Arabella threw a glance behind, at the door.
"That is correct," he offered one subtle nod and simply looked down at her, expecting... More.
"I...," her gaze flew around as she rummaged for her next words, "It is so clean, I wondered if... Soone was in charge of keeping it that way or if a spell is responsible for that,"
From the floors to the pedestals, his diamonds also traveled around montarily, "It is a spell indeed," he said.
His answer only sprouted more questions in Arabella's mind, "The other night when I was out in KasselMoon with Katherine and... For the first ti, I was able to see other kinds of nightwalkers with my own eyes," she paused and twiddled her fingers, "I had wanted to ask but found no opportunity to. I've only seen vampires and humans around the manor...,"
Arabella trailed off, failing to construct a cohesive sentence, though her attempts did not go to waste as Silas had gotten the gist of it, "Ghouls were blessed with phenonal physical strength but not much intelligence. However, sothing else they were born with is an imnse sense of pride. No ghoul would willingly stoop to work for another creature than one of their own, unless they owe them thus, we've got no ghouls among our staff," he slowly walked around one of the pedestals, "Goblins are a tricky bunch. They can be kind, but their nature can take over at any mont and they'd sweep the rug from beneath your feet. It can't be helped. They are good to make short term trades with, but not to be trusted within your ho," he made a full circle only to then stop right behind Arabella, enveloping her in his warmth once more, "We've hired witches and fairies before, but sa as with goblins, a one-ti deal for a spell or an enchantnt, like the one used for this room, as we have no constant need for their talents and since there's high demand for witchcraft all around Umbraria, their kinds have no need for jobs outside of their skill sets and special powers,"
It was the longest Arabella had ever heard Silas speak since the day they'd t.
It was... As though one of the barriers standing between them, albeit a thin one, had crumbled.
Faint but real, in his voice no longer dominated that icy tone, inspiring less fear and more reassurance instead.
Arabella turned around to face him and was a bit taken aback by how close to her he stood that it took her a second to find her footing.
The ghost of a smile appeared on her lips as she finally looked into his eyes without him having to demand it, "What of wolf folks?" she pulled on the sleeves of her dress, "I read vampires did not get along well with their kind," she half asked.
"You read right. We, in fact, do not get along, but we harbor no ill will towards one another, and that ans we can co together when we stand upon common ground,"
Arabella's eyes slowly traveled around the room again, "Like the great war," she suggested in an interrogative tone.
"Having a common enemy brought us close for we shared the dream of a good life for our people, a future which freedom was very much a part of," Silas took a deep breath before exhaling, brushing her skin with it in the process, "Were there specific parts of history that interested you the most or do you find joy in it as a topic in general?"
"No," Arabella shook her head slowly, "No parts. All of it is fascinating. Although sad at tis," she smiled.
There it was, that beam he'd watched her, from afar, offer to Edgar.
The heart beating in her chest finally sang a different tune in his presence. It still beat a tad faster than it should have but it was a start.
Though he felt her smile wasn't exactly for him from the way her eyes studied the weapons one after the other, as her head snapped left and right like that of a curious child. Silas wished to hear her inner thoughts about... The fascinating history surrounding them.
"Take a walk around this room," he started, "I'd like to know what the items gathered in this place tell you of their past,"
After a brief mont of hesitation during which puzzlent took over her features, she obliged.
Her gemstone eyes got to flickering between the items, admiring the breaches, holes and cracks they'd sustained throughout nurous, ferocious battles.
The dried-up blood that stained so parts of them mingled with the dirt and sand they'd gathered from the soils of the battlegrounds.
Upon all of the weapons, including armors, shields and notebooks, one distinct symbol had been engraved.
That of a fully painted circle beneath which four triangle heads of a different color protruded, each on opposing sides.
"All of these weapons sure do date back to the great war and yes, they definitely belonged to human soldiers," she muttered loud enough for Silas to hear.
He too walked around the room, in her tracks, "I know they do, but what says it to you?"
"The emblem...," with her finger she vaguely pointed between so of the weapons in their cases, "The circle in black depicted the sun and the peaking triangles in red stood for the four regions of the entire kingdom," her hand softly grazed one of the pedestals while she walked past it, "All human soldiers wore it proudly as they called themselves the army of liberty that strived to free the north, east, west and south of Solis Aevum from the... Hold of the nightwalkers," Arabella put emphasis on the word "free" in a manner that would suggest she doubted the veracity of it, "Right after the great war, the royal family shed the arrows and kept the sun, earning their n the title of the black sun's warriors,"
"What do you think of it?" he asked, "The army of liberty," he clarified.
"I was not born early enough to learn of their true intentions, nor can I believe anybody that claims to know it as the first rule of history is and will remain that the winners get to write it," Arabella stopped before one case that held a black velveted notebook, the smile on her dimming the longer she spoke.
"Now that is definitely sothing they'd never teach a young human Lady in Lustris, but I am curious to know, who do you believe won the great war, Arabella?"
Her na in his mouth caused little tingles to travel all over her body, "In my humble opinion, nobody won the war and nothing about it was great,"
It most certainly felt strange to speak her mind about the war out loud and have soone to listen, at that.
For the longest ti, Arabella had yearned for a friend to share her... Humble opinions, as she liked to call them, on facts about history.
Silas was far from a friend, but the fact remained, he'd been the first to even care enough to ask.
"I need you to do sothing for ," there was a hint of seriousness in his tone as though it was no re request he had.
He stepped towards her and was relieved to note that the young woman hadn't been startled or taken any steps back, "Frankly, I need two things from you, to be exact," he stared down into her eyes where the flickering flas from the torches danced.
Arabella waited patiently to hear what those two things were and did not try to avert her gaze away.
"The first one being that I'd like you to speak your mind. You'll be the judge on whether what you have is worth sharing and know that neither my mother nor I have any ill intentions or hidden agendas towards you,"
Arabella nodded and took a deep breath as though rembering she was allowed to.
"As for the second thing, I'd like you to take to the tunnel you've used in order to cross into Umbraria,"
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