Episode 5

"Theodore! Let me in. Don't shut yourself." Vivian asked through the door to which she heard him saying, "Go away! If you are also going to persuade me into this, just leave." Vivian could feel his sorrow through his tone. She remembered the first time she met Theodore.

Theodore was 8 years old when his mother passed away. That tragedy left him with a deep scar. He had shut himself from the world. He wouldn't even eat properly. He also stopped talking to people. Everyone was worried. One day, for some work Jason was traveling to the neighboring nation along with his daughter. On the way, they stopped in Arboria to meet Evan. As their talk sounded boring, Vivian decided to take a stroll in the castle to see if she could find anything interesting. While roaming through the castle Vivian found a kid alone in a corner of the library. Alone, surrounded by books. Engulfed in the pages of a book about ruins, the kid didn't even bother to see the girl standing next to him. "We have that vase at our palace. It's spooky though but if you listen closely, you can hear the whispers of the dead." Vivian's explanation startled the kid but, in spite of being scared, he looked rather interested. "Is that true? Such relics exist?" He asked curiously. "Yeah all of them, though not all have been found yet. I also like to look into these things. Look at this figure, weird right, it's known to bring fortune, and this statue…" Theodore was looking at Vivian with sparkling eyes as she kept talking about the various pictures in the book. "We are leaving now, next time I come, let's talk more. Okay? Umm…" Vivian stumbled as she didn't know his name, "It's Theodore" Evan introduced him properly but he had already fled the room. Ever since then Vivian helped in many ways to make him feel relieved and also helped in his explorations. They had explored a few ruins together as well, of course secretly as he wasn't allowed to step outside the Castle walls on his own.

"Goodness, you are forgetting something aren't you?" as she questioned, Theodore got inquisitive, "What that might be?" "I am helping you find a way right? Feel like talking now?" Vivian sounds firm this time. There was silence for a while, then suddenly the doors unlocked. "There you are" Vivian rushed in as it opened. "I know about it, but you never told me the reasons. Idiot. Do you not trust me? Huh, whatever, look, as much as I know, Oracles are always true but, as it says, the future is uncertain? Then why are you scared? And moreover, if it named you a savior, at least stop running away from it. It won't do any good." As Vivian kept confronting him, Theodore seemed to relax a bit. "I am not a savior. Don't even look like one. I don't want to be the Crown Prince as well. Can I not be who I am and still be helpful enough? My brother who's an excellent warrior, why name me over him? Even Merida is a hundred times better than me. I really can't understand Oracles. And what weapon?" Theodore, still a bit angry, replied Vivi to which she turned silent for a while. "That we can look into later together, right? For now, the guard brought your meal, finish it so that I could go and eat as well. And yeah I found some new maps of an ancient ruin you were talking about. If you eat, I'll tell you. Deal?" Theodore could hardly say no to her and nodded in agreement. "I'll finish it, don't worry, you go and eat with everyone else. They'd badmouth you otherwise. You know how these nobles are, corrupt and drowned in filth." Theo's tongue turned a bit sharp to which Vivian laughed and replied, "I know, I know. Well, I will go then, come meet me in the library once you are finished okay? "He gave her a nod in agreement. After seeing for herself that he was eating she turned around to leave his room. "Vivi, thanks a lot. I owe you even more now." Theodore's words made her blush, she stormed out of the door without even replying.

She could feel her heart beating loud. "Did he eat?" Vivian literally jumped as Merida questioned her from her behind. "You! When did you…" Vivian got interrupted as Merida burst into laughter. "Ha ha ha ha, that's an interesting look. I'm a mage Vivi, I can sneak anywhere without anyone noticing. Well, did he? Or wait, did you feed him with your hands?" Merida asked her while casually grabbing her hand and rubbing her palms. "W… Wh… What? N… No, how could I have… No, I didn't" Vivi replied with a cherry-red face to which Merida again started laughing. "Interesting," she said while controlling her laughter. "I'll be at the dining sister Merida, see you" Vivian walked past her while hiding her face. "Yeah, anyways, Vivi!" Merida stopped Vivian and asked, "Thanks for helping him with his happiness. We are all grateful for you" She sounded serious this time. Vivian replied with a bow and left the hallway. As she left Merida touched the door gently saying, "Brother, if only there was a way…"