5 hours later, Jerome was back home and was being attended to by the best medical maestros in the village. Hilma sat beside him, her eyes red and swollen. She held unto his hand tightly. Mr. Dernewt urged her to let go off him but she refused.

Mr. Dernewt, though worried and afraid, looked Jerome sternly in the eye and asked him, "Who did this to you?"

Public beating, ostracization, public humiliation, banishment and in some cases, death; Those were the prices that those dumb enough to assault a noble had to pay. Jerome was aware of this, so he didn't say anything.

Even after the maestros were gone and Hilma was calm enough to let go off him, when Mr. Dernewt asked again, Jerome still kept mute.

Soon, word of that day started to spread, that a noble was brutally beaten while contesting in the Hunt Sprint. Mr. Dernewt was tempted and ready to punish everyone who was involved in the Hunt Sprint but was quickly calmed by Hilma and the other Elders.

A meeting was held among the Elders to decide what to do.

Mr. Giovanna, the eldest and most powerful of the Elders entertained this meeting. He deemed it paramount that they do something about what happened as it brought a bad aura to the name and reputation of the Elders and their families, the Nobles. "If one noble can be attacked, what stops them from attacking the rest of us?" He got the attention of all the Elders with that one question.

"I still stand that we should punish every single person that participated in that event! That is more than enough to remind them of who we are." Mr. Dernewt was consumed with rage.

"Calm down Harvey, we would only make the people fear us by doing so." Mr. Loknot, Felici Loknot's father, opposed.

"Indeed", Mr. Jon, Peter Jon's father, concurred.

"Mass punishment is definitely not an option", Elder Giovanna concurred as well.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Mr. Dernewt asked. He was even more angry that no one was siding with him.

"Why don't we start by asking your son who did such to him in the first place?" Mr. Loknot said, "Or is he also incapable of speaking."

"Know your boundaries Edgar", Mr. Dernewt retorted.

"Why? He's only giving a suggestion." Mr. Jon joined in.

Mr. Dernewt said nothing.

"We all are aware that Jerome is in no condition to give a statement right now. That's why we're having this meeting in the first place, don't create a storm when there are no clouds to foster it."

"Oh but there are clouds", Lady Ursula, a tall, dark, slender woman with little to no hair on her head said.

All the Elders looked at her.

"What clouds might you speak of?" Elder Giovanna asked.

"Yes, please elaborate." Mr. Loknot glared at her unsparingly. She glared back at him.

"I prefer not to say. Safety reasons." She smirked, "But what proof do we have that the person who orchestrated all this in the first place is a mere commoner." She uncrossed her legs and leaned forward, "For all we know, the orchestrator could be sitting at this very table."

Mr. Dernewt slammed his hand on the table, "What are you trying to insinuate?"

"She isn't trying to insinuate anything Harvey, sit down." Mr Loknot said immediately.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"Mind your business Edgar!"

"Both of you quiet!" Elder Giovanna ordered.

They both kept quiet.

"Ursula, please don't plant any seed of doubt within our hearts. We have enough problems as it is."

"My apologies Elder Giovanna, I'll try to keep my opinions to myself." Ursula stared at Mr. Loknot.

"Thank you."

"But before I do-" Ursula continued.

"Ugh", Mr. Loknot moaned.

"I will like to propose a good will event." She said to Mr. Giovanna.

"I fail to understand." He replied.

"To erase whatever seeds of doubt that might've probably been planted in our oh so dear hearts, I propose a wedding, between Felici Loknot and Jerome Dernewt."

"What?!" Mr. Loknot roared.

"That is preposterous!" Mr. Dernewt added.

"Yes! Besides Felici is already engaged to my son, Peter!" Mr. Jon joined in after Mr. Loknot nudged him.

"Why do you say so Ursula?" Elder Giovanna calmly asked.

"Because, Elder Giovanna, we all are aware of the rivalry that has been raging on between Harvey and Edgar for the past 3 decades. I doubt Edgar is the one behind this but who knows? Harvey might have his suspicions and eventually choose to take drastic actions against him, so at least, to ease the tension between them, let both their families become one through a good old marital union." Ursula explained.

"That is absolute rubbish!"

"Nonsense of the highest order!"

Harvey and Edgar opposed in unison.

"It's not rubbish." Elder Giovanna found her idea useful, "You both have shown me that you are incapable of working together and that is detrimental to this high council. Before we find out who our enemies are, we must first find out who our friends are. So until you both find another way to settle your differences, the children have my blessings to get married."

Ursula stood up, kissed the hand of Elder Giovanna, then left. A smile spread across her face all through.

That night, Mr. Dernewt told Hilma and Jerome of the new development, and for the first time in three days, Jerome spoke.

"No!" Was his first word, "Absolutely not!!" Was his second and third.

"We don't have a choice", Mr. Dernewt sighed.

"Yes we do, go over to the Loknots house right now and dissolve whatever rivalry you both have been nurturing for the past 3 decades." Hilma protested.

"I cannot do that." Mr. Dernewt refused. He walked over to Jerome and sat down beside him. "You're a grown man now, and you need to grow up and learn to take responsibility-"

"Don't talk about responsibility you spineless hypocrite!! This is your mess! Fix it and stop trying to use our son to do so!" Hilma shoved him aside.

"Behave yourself woman!" He got up angrily.

"Or what? You'll beat me? You want to beat me? Alright then go ahead!!" She stood on her toes and leaned forward towards Harvey.

Mr. Dernewt took a deep breath, "Hilma, please don't start."

"But you're the one that started this, you're the one that wants to use my only son as a bargaining chip to fix your mess."

"Hilma, please try to be reasonable."

"Reasonable? Harvey you're the one being unreasonable."

"I thought you liked Felici?!"

"Jerome clearly doesn't like her!"

It kept going both ways, both of them at the brink of spilling over and doing god knows what. Jerome couldn't handle it, he was bedridden so he couldn't leave the house. "I'll do it." He said.

They both kept quiet.

"I'll marry Felici."

Hilma immediately sat beside him, "Honey, please don't conclude so fast. Take your time and think about it."

"I've thought about it, I'll marry her." Jerome repeated.

"Are you sure?" She held his hand.

"The boy said he'll marry her, what else do you want?!" Harvey asked angrily.

Hilma didn't pay attention to him. "Alright, if you say so."

"I'll send word to them, they'll probably be here tomorrow or the next, so be prepared", Harvey said to Jerome then left.

Meanwhile, at Lady Ursulas house.

"I owe you my life, thank you so much ma", Felici said. She prostrated before Lady Ursula.

"It's alright my dear. Those men think because we're women we lack the right to an opinion." Lady Ursula sighed. She sat cross-legged on a large mahogany chair decorated with all sorts of ornamentals, from brightly colored animal leather to feathers of diverse colours. Her house was no much different.

"Thank you so much." Felici kept thanking her.

"It's okay love, I actually get to benefit a lot from this. If you end up marrying Jerome, then that means both your fathers would still be having problems, which would eventually lead to both their businesses slowing down, leaving me to overtake them and take over the number one spot. Brilliant. So you see, it's actually a win-win situation, I should even be thanking you as well."

Felici smiled.

"But this young man you're indirectly forcing to marry you, Jerome, don't you think this is unfair to him?" Ursula asked.

Felici had never considered Jude's feelings on the whole matter, she was just so terrified of getting married to Peter that she went to meet the Godmother, Ursula, when Jerome first turned her down. And with the way things ended between them, she knew he was never going to consider getting married to her. "He might not love me now, but he'll come to love me with time."

"Hmm", Ursula sighed, "Alright then. You should be on your way, your father is probably looking for you."

Felici prostrated again then left.