Chapter 52 – Leap of Faith

After the party was done, Shig rushed out of the room. Mia followed, she saw Shig smashing his fist at the wall.

“Damn it!”

“Calm down, Uncle.”

“Calm down?” Shig looked at Mia with fury in his eyes. “You expect me to calm down after selling out my family?”

“I know it was hard,” she said calmly. “But do you think I have the choice? Do you think that I would let you die at the hands of the Templars? Uncle Shig, you know that despite you friendliness with the Templars. They are ready to gut you the moment they can find a chance! I know that it hurts! I know because I witness him do good in my city. But weighing the lives of others, making me choose? Do you expect me to exchange the life of my Uncle to some guy I barely know?” There were tears in her eyes.

“I know,” Shig bit his lip. “But still, to see him look so defeated. Even Archie stood up for him. Yet I stood there like a statue. I did nothing for him! What kind of fucking person I am who couldn’t even protect his family?”

“You had no choice in the matter,” She said bitterly. “I know that she was coming to gloat over this lucky chance. But I never expected her to take him. Does she really want him that much?”

“As a plaything that is,” Shig slid his burly body down and sat. “He’ll break if he’s with her. Do you know how many times he broke back when we were in the city of storms? If it wasn’t for the fact that we escape, he would haven’t gotten well. He would have stayed a husk of a person that was deprived of everything. That woman’s a devil. She’ll use him and throw him away...I want to save him.”

“But Uncle...”

“I know,” Shig clenched his fist. “I promise your father that I’d protect you. I’d help you manage this city as best as I can. But know that I will be happier if you tell me to rescue her.”

Mia looked at Shig. “I am sorry.”

“I know you are,” Shig patted her head. “You are breaking my heart trying to pick a choice. I...”

“I am sorry, Uncle Shig,” said Mia in tears. “Forgive me for this...”

“Poor Child...I should be the one ashamed. I am coward damn it.”

Shig’s face crumpled like paper. He could only curse inside his heart knowing that right now a friend he treated as a family was now being taken to somewhere in whatever fate that will be waiting for him. He wishes he could do something. But between his niece and Joshua, he had to make the terrible choice of picking Mia. She has been fighting hard. She’s been carrying the lives of a hundred people behind her. And that alone weighs over a single life. Shig doesn’t want to choose, but how could he now that it was done?

...

In a carriage, Joshua sat with hollowed eyes. There was no light in his eyes. He was sitting meekly as Dolce pokes his cheek trying to get a reaction from him. She was trying hard. But Joshua doesn’t even try to respond to her. She was sitting on his lap. Her other arm crooked around his neck. She was sitting like a princess, trying to make him move.

“Oh my, you act like a puppet now. Where’s the confidence? Are you trying to act like a sheep only to reveal yourself as a wolf? Or are you trying hard to get?” she said in sweet whispers. Her maidservant looked at her Mistress as if she was indecent.

“Hmm, he’s being quiet.”

“I think he just wants to ignore you milady?”

“I can tell,” She smiled sweetly, still hugging Joshua as if he was some kind of comfortable seat. They were in a carriage and it moves through this narrow hill that has flat roads that can be crossed even with a motor carriage. The carriage was rocky but Dolce did not mind for she was having fun playing with Joshua despite him not responding.

“Milady, I think this man is being disrespectful.”

“Come on now, dear. He's just shocked that everyone abandoned him except for that one guy. I heard he did wonderful things. But what can he do when faced with an army of armed to the teeth Templars? So my Joshua here is just saddened that he was abandoned.” She caressed his cheek while smiling mockingly.

Joshua stayed still. Not moving. Not giving Dolce any chance to play with him. It was fun but Dolce was getting impatient. She thought of something and immediately said. “But don’t worry...You’ll be living on my terms. Your mine now and what I want, you will do. Of course, you can always escape through death. But I am guessing that you are too cowardly for that my Joshua.”

She then laughed haughtily. Joshua’s ear pricked. He looked at Dolce with his hollow eyes. It was so sudden that Dolce leans back a bit. She stared at his eyes, and seeing sparks in it made her want to speak but she was cut in.

“Your terms, you say?”

“Yes, you are mine. It means that you will live on my terms. How you live, and how you die will be on my terms. So you can do nothing about it. And I can see that you are too cowardly about it. So don’t worry okay?” she caressed his cheek again. “I’ll take good care of you my Sheep in wolf’s clothing. Maybe you’ll show your true self soon.”

Joshua looked at her dazedly. She waited for something. She wanted to hear him lament his fate.

“You really are sadistic aren’t you?” said Joshua with a crazy look. “Did daddy didn’t pay attention to you when you were young? Or is that why you’d rebel against him? Using someone like me to vent the lack of attention your daddy didn’t give you?”

“How can you be so rude to the lady!?” the maidservant shouted. “Don’t you know who your master is now!?”

Joshua looked at her with a crazed look too. “I know. But listen, I seemed to forget something. I am no fucking peasant. I was born free. And if you are trying to take that freedom out of me, deciding on your own terms then...”

Joshua paused. Dolce’s brows met as she suddenly felt her vision twist. She landed on the ground, and she saw Joshua kick the door open. The carriage was near a cliff. And seeing Joshua look at her with his back facing the chasm, she shouted.

“Are you mad!?”

“I am!” Joshua shouted madly, a grin was plastered on his face. “If it is my time then it is my time! I’ll rather die on my terms that become your slave ever again!”

With that, Joshua leaps out of the carriage while still showing that maddened grin. Dolce tried to reach out with her hand but she was held back by her maidservant. “Milady it is dangerous!”

Dolce tried to struggle. But all she could see was Joshua falling from a great height, down to the river where mists seemed to gather.