Taking a step closer to him, Octavia waited until he looked at her again before urging, “Stop it.”
His brow furrowed in response. “Stop what?” he asked.
“Stop doubting yourself,” she replied. “If you don’t believe in yourself, who will?”
“Octavia…” he started.
She spoke over him. “Surely you know I believe in you.”
Harred grew silent for a long moment, his expression unreadable. “Why do you believe in me?” he asked, his words hesitant.
“I don’t know why, but I just do,” Octavia replied.
He stared at her with an incredulous look on his face, as if he could scarcely believe her words. “I have not had anyone who believed in me since my parents died,” he admitted. “My heart has been laden and twisted with suffering and loneliness.”
“You are no longer alone,” Octavia said. “I am here, and are we not friends?”
Harred grew visibly tense. “Yes, we are friends,” he responded. His words were spoken plainly enough but they seemed to lack any real conviction.
The sound of a squawk came from the gardens and Octavia spun her head towards the direction of the noise.
“Freddy is here,” she whispered. “Don’t move.”
“How would that help?” Harred asked.
“Shhh. He might hear you,” she insisted.
In the distance, she could see Freddy walking down a path, his back feathers dragging along the ground.
Octavia pointed towards Freddy. “I don’t think he sees us yet. It might be best if we backed out of here, slowly, so as not to disturb him.”
“I can protect you from a peacock,” Harred stated in a voice that was slightly higher than hers.
After Harred uttered his words, Freddy turned his head and his black, beady eyes met her gaze. They stared at one another for a long moment, neither one daring to move, before Freddy’s feathers shot up in the air and he let out a loud, booming noise.
“Run!” Octavia shouted.
Octavia and Harred ran towards the opened door that a footman had rushed ahead to open. Once they were inside, she let out a sigh.
“It is too late now,” she said, tossing up her hands in defeat. “I have lost the ability to walk in the gardens. I must accept that fact and move on.”
Harred looked thoughtful. “Let me go speak to Freddy.”
She grabbed his arm and declared, “No, it is too dangerous. Stay where you are and live.”
“Aren’t you being slightly overdramatic?” Harred asked. “Freddy is just a peacock. Nothing more.”
Octavia dropped his arm and took a step back. “Fine. Ifyou don’t believe me, go ahead. But it is your funeral,” she said. “If you die, I will place peacock feathers over your coffin in lieu of flowers.”
Harred chuckled. “I will not die,” he assured her. “I will prove to you once and for all that Freddy is not evil.” He turned towards the footman and ordered, “Open the door.”
The footman hesitated. “Are you sure, my lord?”
“I am,” Harred’s confident reply came.
With a nervous glance at Octavia, the footman opened the door and stood back.
Harred had just stepped outside when a deafening noise could be heard as Freddy rattled his feathers.
