"Um..." Jenna rubbed her forehead. "Let me get something straight, did you just say Rhane Hendrick?"
Archie nodded, "Yes, I did say Rhane Hendrick." He handed over the belt to the young man, then quietly turned and left.
Jenna rubbed her finger on her lips, feeling half ashamed and partly angry. "Why didn't you tell me your name was Rhane, not Anne?"
Rhane bowed, "Whatever Master wishes to—"
"No!" Jenna sighed, ruffling her head. "Do you know how stupid I would have looked... do you have any other secret you're keeping aside from your name?" She looked at the man from his head to his toe.
Rhane shook his head, "Nothing at all," he replied calmly.
"Do you remember anything else?" Jenna exhaled softly when he shook his head. She placed her hands on her waist and sighed.
"I should have asked you again... I mean, Anne is a woman's name and not a man's," Jenna blamed herself, brushing her brows with her fingers.
"It's best I know your real name, that way I can find your family faster." Jenna nodded, turning her face away.
Rhane could see the betrayal in his master's eyes, and it hurt him.
"Let us now begin the Festival of Maidens," the chief Merchant, Master Ernest, announced, clapping his hands to gather the crowd.
Jenna blew raspberries with her lips and sighed. "Enjoy the night, I'll go rest now." She turned and walked away.
Rhane moved to follow her, but was held back, and when he raised his face, Jenna was already missing from the crowd.
"Anne! It's time, come, let's go over there." Beth tugged him, without looking at his face. She hastened her step, walking farther away from the crowd.
She stopped in front of a tree that had no or less crowd. She turned around, pressing her hands together.
"I want you to give me the hairpin tonight," Beth pressed Rhane's hand and squeezed.
Rhane looked around, searching for someone in the crowd; not once did his eyes fall on the young woman in front of him.
"Can you hear me? Anne, I said you should hand the hairpin to me, that way—" Beth stopped talking when Rhane sighed tiredly, flicking her hand from his body.
"W-hat did you just do?" Beth asked, her eyes widened with shock. "Have you forgotten who I am? Do you—"
"Someone get this brat to shut up," Rhane cursed out, rubbing his brows tiredly.
Beth fell back, her face ashen like she had seen a ghost.
"You... did you just—"
Rhane smacked his tongue, his hand dipped back inside his pocket. "Throwing up is even hard when you talk in that scratchy voice of yours."
"My—" Beth rubbed her neck, her jaw dropped open. She looked around to be sure she wasn't dreaming or anything.
"You... you didn't lose your memory, right?" Beth's heart raced. "Wait... am I hearing things or...." she closed her eyes and opened them, but Rhane was still condescendingly staring at her.
"What now, idiot?" he asked with a cocky smirk.
Beth fell to the ground, her mouth open, that any buzzing fly could creep in and have a holiday with still time to leave.
Rhane looked around before he crouched down. Sitting on his heels, he touched the woman's sleeves.
"Ugly doesn't have to do with face, ugly," he commented softly, mirth dancing in his eyes.
"Now listen, eggface, you keep your ugly words away from people that matter. I mean, your existence is already a perfect example of how nature experiments with mistakes... don't make it worse."
Beth blinked, her lips trembling yet she couldn't make out any words.
Rhane stood up and stretched his hand forward for her to take.
"You don't want others seeing you in your natural habitat," he grabbed Beth's hand and pulled her up.
This time Beth fell on his chest, and Rhane caught her.
"Are you okay, Lady Beth?" Rhane asked worriedly when the girl raised her face.
Beth blinked; she rubbed her eyes over and over again.
Rhane got down on his knees, wiping sand away from the young woman's dress.
"You brought me here, and you suddenly fell."
Beth's grip on her dress tightened. When Rhane stood up, she raised her eyes.
"D-did you not remember w... what you said to me?" Beth breathed fast; she didn't even want to remember it. All her life, nobody had ever insulted her the way she just heard. So she hoped it was all just in her head.
Rhane touched his chest, an innocent look of fawn. "To you? I haven't spoken a word since we arrived, Lady Beth," he bowed, a smirk forming on his lips, only to disappear when he raised his face.
"You brought me here and haven't said a word since we arrived. You suddenly fell when the wind became heavy," Rhane explained calmly.
Beth shook her head; she was sure she heard him speak.
"Are you drunk, Lady Beth?" Rhane's voice turned to one of concern.
Beth looked up; she had only had two glasses of the liquor. And among other Maidens, she'd known very well how to handle her alcohol.
"I... I..." Beth stammered, touching her face. "I think I need to wash my face and rest a little," she nodded.
Maybe the liquor she had taken was even stronger than the ones she was used to. Beth nodded to herself; maybe she was hallucinating.
"What about the reason you brought me here?" Rhane furrowed his brows, his forehead greased with worry.
Beth waved her hands dismissively; she couldn't say what she wanted until she was sober.
"Um... Anne... please don't tell anyone I fell or that I was drunk." It wasn't a good look for a maiden to act drunk.
Rhane bowed deeply, "Your secret is safe with me, Lady Beth."
Beth smiled, "Thank you, I'll come back to you later." She waved at him and ran back toward the crowd, watching her step so she doesn't fall again.
Rhane watched the woman leave, worry still etched on his forehead. He twitched his lips when the young lady staggered through the crowd, muttering an apology to the people around.
He turned his face away, resuming his search for his master.
"Now where are you... My Lady," Rhane muttered under his breath, his eyes a bored gaze raking through the crowd of people gathered for a mundane activity.
Among the crowd, filled with fake smiles and sweet tongues of lies, Rhane noticed the one person who was real with everything, her words, smile and emotions. All real, her life as plain as paper. Her cheeks had turned red, flushed down to her neck. Yet she lifted the jar of liquor and downed it like it was water, not caring one bit about the judging eyes of people that passed her.
Jenna turned the jar over, sticking out her tongue to get more of it, but nothing came out. She whined inaudibly, dropping the jar back on the table.
A smile curled Rhane's lips, "Oh there you are... my sweet prey," he growled under his deep, raspy tone.