Aribelle walked through the city streets. Less crowded than the last time she had passed over their cobblestones, she navigated them with her usual lively pace. Basket in hand and cloak securely fastened around her, Aribelle felt liberated as she took in the stench of lower town.
Following her public fainting episode, Aribelle had been placed under bed rest orders for three days. Although, the visiting physician, who came to give an assessment of her condition, had only prescribed food and a day's rest as the cure to her ailment of hunger and fatigue. The Sisters and her brothers had insisted she remain unmoving from the Abbey for several days to ensure she regained her strength. However, Aribelle remained skeptical that this additional recovery time was actually out of concern for her health. Instead, she thought it far more likely that it was simply a means to prevent her from meeting with Cassius.
Not seeing him since that day, Aribelle knew he remained close enough to check in on her. Every so often over the last few days, he would use his telepathy to slip into her thoughts, asking of her condition or to pass the time with idle conversation. Eager to see her, Aribelle frequently had to deny his requests for entry into the Abbey. It was not that she too did not wish to see him, but rather her refusals were mostly out of consideration for Barnibus. His feelings gravely injured by the revelation of her having a secret affair, he had barely uttered a word to her succeeding the event.
However, still concerned for her, he would visit Aribelle in his spare hours to observe the general state of her health. Sitting beside her in silence, Barnibus would sometimes read or compose a sermon while she rested and would quietly see to her needs with all of the diligence that was characteristic of him.
Shifting the basket in her arms, Aribelle's gait quickened as she discovered a newfound burst of energy. Listening to the hurried footsteps of Marten racing to match her pace. She knew that her chaperone was well in tow behind her. Sent to accompany Aribelle into the slums in order to deliver refreshments to the City Watchmen repairing the lower town, Marten was keen to not let her stray from his sight.
Catching up, Marten tugged on the back of Aribelle's dress. "Slow down. You've only just recovered." He berated.
"I recovered days ago Marten." Aribelle replied grinning contented as she splashed through a puddle. "Besides the exercise is good for me."
Regarding her with a mixture of exasperation and reverence towards her peculiar nature, he merely sighed.
Spotting Mikel as he spoke with a few men in official uniforms. Aribelle waved to him from a distance but did not approach. Not taking the encounter with Cassius particularly well himself, Mikel's reaction was not so severe that they had not conversed on the odd occasion since. However, Mikel was not one to be so forward with his emotions as Barnibus. Instead, it was far more probable for him to invest energy in plotting to take action at some unforeseen moment in time. This trait presenting its own set of challenges, Aribelle could not say that she preferred this response either, as she would remain constantly on edge until it surfaced.
Appearing very serious if front of the Palace officials, Mikel nodded acknowledging their presence, but did not remove his attention from the three other men. One, glancing briefly over his shoulder at what had distracted Mikel, they then turned fully towards her in recognition. Seeming familiar, Aribelle smiled politely once they had made eye contact. Not quite able to place him yet, she was flustered when he began to come towards her.
"I see you've recovered well, Milady." The man remarked. Her eyes widening in recognition, Aribelle dipped into a curtsey. "Yes, thank you, Sir Knight." She answered the officer from the parade cordially.
"Ari, why have you come here?" Mikel asked, joining them.
"The Sisters sent us with some food and drinks for the City Watch." Said Aribelle holding up the laden basket to emphasize the reason for her presence. Sighing similarly to the way Marten had before, he pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly.
"Mikel, you did not tell me you were acquainted with such an enchanting creature." Interjected the officer, interrupting whatever chastisement Mikel so obviously want to say to her.
Straightening significantly at the address, Mikel took on a rare formal tone. "Apologies, Captain Artegon. This is my sister, Aribelle." He said gesturing towards her. "Aribelle, this is Captain Artegon of the Lion Guard."
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance formally, Captain Artegon." Aribelle greeted.
Seeming to only regard the formality with mild amusement. The Captain instead looked between them, before making a brazen remark, "Forgive me for saying so, but you two look nothing alike for siblings." The observation not uncommon, Mikel answered for them "We're both orphans, Captain. We grew up in the Abbey together."
Despite his good manners and no particular discourtesy in his speech, there was something within his cold grey eyes as they took in this information that Aribelle found disquieting. She had already lived enough lives to recognize a calculative glimmer in the eyes of someone who had obtained something which they considered advantageous. This quality not partially appealing to her, Aribelle soon found herself wishing to abort the conversation entirely.
"Yes, our story is not very unusual." She replied.
"Really, I find you to be a most unusual woman." Captain Artegon replied. Meaning to sound vaguely of flattery, Aribelle perceived it as more of a threat as his eyes curved like half-moons. Laughingly nervously Aribelle responded, "I'm really just an average woman Captain Artegon."
Inching away from him, she glanced at Mikel, who had appeared to resign himself towards tolerating these sorts of remarks out of the necessity of humoring his superior. "Anyway, I did not mean to interrupt your conversation, gentlemen." She said, in another attempt to excuse herself.
"Not at all. Your brother was just telling me of all of the hard work the City Watch has been doing." The Captain dismissed.
"Will the Lion Guard also be joining in the aid towards revitalizing the lower town then?" Aribelle asked. Although, delivered in the guise of an innocent question, she could already hazard a guess towards the answer.
"The Palace will of course lend financial aid to its recovery." Captain Artegon responded, the crescents of his eyes narrowing further, as he smiled elegantly whilst delivering the line.
"We are so very grateful for the generosity of the royal family." Aribelle replied. Bowing her head graciously, she fought to suppress a knowing smirk.
The Captain of the Lion Guard's glance shifting to the ruined street behind her. He still kept Aribelle very much in focus as he changed the course of their conversation. "It was really very fortunate that everyone in the direct area had already been evacuated due to that flood." He commented. Noticing this remark prompted a look of apprehension from Mikel, Aribelle could confirm that he knew coincidence to have all of the usual trademarks of one of her calling cards. "Some will not see escaping with their lives as enough to account for the amount of suffering they have endured." She replied somberly. Seeming to detect some other meaning behind her words The Captain's pupils again fell directly on her. "Yes well, how can others regard their lives with any value if them themselves do not?" He countered coldly.
Distressed once Mikel was summoned by some of his colleagues, he was made to part from their discussion. Making his excuses to his superior earlier than anticipated, he gave Aribelle a finally look of caution before quitting them urgently. Watching as he rushed to assist, others to erect a large wooden beam, Aribelle felt a heavy dread form ball at the pit of her stomach. "It was serendipitous actually," The Captain continued, after they had been left alone "for some hooligan to flood the lower town the night before a dragon attack."