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2.03% Witch's Daughter And The Devil's Son / Chapter 16: Worried Father

Chapter 16: Worried Father

Martha and Seren reached the palace through the horse carriage brought by the king's men who had been asked to keep an eye on her. Just like Martha, they were also late to reach the place of the incident due to Seren's successful escape.

The carriage dropped them by the river, close to the palace wall where the secret passage connected the tower and the outside world. Martha and Seren did not even look to appreciate the scenery as they entered the dark passage. After all, the once-blossoming flowers had already wilted.

The sun was about to set, and the darkness had started to fill the royal palace as many fire torches were lit to brighten up the grounds again.

Barely half an hour after the two returned from their excursion, another person entered its grounds. The guest was a man who was older than the king. He was tall with a robust build and wore a dark blue knight's uniform with a golden crest, signifying that he was no common knight. A sword hung on the left side of his waist, and as he walked, his left hand rested on the sword's handle.

His short black hair had turned grey with age, and he had a few cuts and old wounds on his wrinkled face, signs of his legacy as a respected knight. His well-trimmed beard added charm to his long and robust-looking face. The calm but cold look in his gunmetal blue eyes was constant intimidation for others to obey his order.

He was Sir Berolt, the commander of the Kingdom of Abetha's royal knights.

The guards present outside of the Third Princess's tower bowed to the knight and allowed him to go to the garden's gate, where he rang thrice the metal bell hanging on the side.

Hearing the metal bell sound, Martha stepped out of the tower and came to the knight.

"Sir Berolt." Martha bowed in respect.

"His Majesty has asked for you," the old knight informed her in his cold and rough voice.

"I'll be there shortly." Martha returned to the tower to inform Seren of the King's order.

On the other hand, Sir Berolt left without waiting for Martha. He was only here to pass the King's order. Through him, the King communicated with Martha as he also handled the responsibility of protecting this place via his trusted men.

Sir Berolt had been loyal to King Armen since he took over the throne and was always by the King's side, the responsibility of his security.

"His Majesty King Armen has asked for me. I'll return soon," Martha informed Seren, who was busy thinking over something.

Hearing the King's name, Seren returned to her senses and looked at Martha. "The King must have learned what happened today."

Martha nodded.

"Will he punish you?" Seren asked. Worry and guilt were painted in her eyes, aware it was her fault that Martha had to face trouble.

"Don't worry," Marth comforted her and turned to leave.

"Martha!" Seren called. "What if….the King asks you to leave, and you can no longer be my nanny?" The fear of losing someone was evident in her eyes.

What she had caused today in the market was something serious. The King was obviously unhappy, and he might blame Martha for she had agreed to lead her outside; worse, she wasn't there to protect her when Seren needed her the most.

"It won't happen. Even if my lady finds me annoying, I won't leave her side ever," Martha assured and left before Seren could stop her.

----------

Martha reached the royal court, which was brightened by the fire from the torches. When she entered the court, the tall and robust figure of King Armen stood facing the throne, close to the last step of the stairs that led to the elevated throne.

Martha looked at the King, who had his back facing her. she could only see the view of the royal blue-colored floor-length cloak fixed at his neck and flowing downwards. His finely crafted gold crown with rare gems fixed on them was kept on the throne, and his deep brown shoulder-length hair, parted in the middle, was left out in the open.

She bowed to him. "Your Majesty has asked for this servant?" Martha said, politely informing her arrival to the King, who looked lost in his thoughts.

King Armen didn't reply immediately and turned to look at her, taking his time to observe her. The cold and confident-looking King looked calm, but his eyes told her that something troubled him deeply. His sapphire eyes darted at Martha; it was obvious he was not pleased with what happened in the marketplace.

Though he wore royal clothes and expensive jewelry, he did not look like an imposing man at the moment; he looked like a worried father who was upset with an irresponsible servant.

"Was my order not clear?" the King finally asked, his voice cold and commanding.

Martha lowered her head. "Apology for not being able to stop what happened today."

"If you had followed my order to not take her out of the palace for some time, this wouldn't have happened. I have always allowed you to secretly take her out so that she can get to know the outside world, for I know it's wrong to keep her in confinement always. But there is no other way to protect her."

Martha looked at the King as she raised her lowered head. As a servant, she should normally have kept her head always lowered in front of her king, but this issue was something different. Regarding Seren, she looked confident and protective, not the least bit scared of the King.

"Does Your Majesty think what happened today in the palace was easy for her to handle? Her own family plotted against her and called her a witch when she never did anything wrong. Is it wrong for her to wish to go out when she feels lonely and seeks happiness by going out? What else could she have done?" Martha asked.

"I never said not to take her out. Couldn't you have stopped or delayed her for a few days till the people from other kingdoms returned to their homes?" the King countered coldly.

"Your Majesty, I wanted to, but I couldn't. I couldn't see her hurt and helpless. I know it's to protect her, but how long does Your Majesty think it's possible? Till how long can we two be by her side to protect her? When we are gone, what will happen to her, who is unfamiliar and vulnerable to the outside world? At least, today's incident in the market taught her what kind of people she should stay away from and which places she should not enter."

"Her older brother, Cian, will look after her," King Armen answered.

"Is Your Majesty forgetting why Crown Prince Cian was sent to look after the northern part of the kingdom for the past few years?"

His eyes dimmed. "He wanted his sister to be out of that tower, and I couldn't let it happen. I couldn't tell him the reason either."

"Or is Your Majesty concerned about something else?" Martha said, which made King Armen turn silent for a while. Her next question made him close his eyes.

"Why hasn't Your Majesty seen his own daughter's face ever?"


Chapter 17: Bring The Culprits

"Why hasn't Your Majesty seen his own daughter's face ever?"

Martha's question reminded King Armen about the bitter truth about his youngest daughter. How unfortunate he was not to be able to see his daughter's face even once. As her father, it was one of the greatest regrets he had in his life.

He could still recall when he first held her in his arms when she was a newborn, and although he badly wished to get a glimpse of her looks, he never had the chance to. That veil on the lower part of her face had long been there to protect her, and he didn't dare take it off.

All he remembered was that pair of innocent purple eyes. Those were the prettiest gems he had ever seen, and his heart had been captured at first sight. Oddly, those lovely eyes he thought of fondly were the very same eyes that made people curse her and call her a witch.

The innocence in those eyes, seemingly asking for her father's care and love, her soft crying voice, and the way that baby's tiny palm held his finger, those were the best memories he had of his youngest daughter, Seren.

In melancholy, the King said, "I'll tell Cian never to let her be without the veil. He cares for her, so he will obey my wish."

Martha lowered her head as she sighed. "What if my lady takes it off one day? We know who she truly is, and no ordinary power or magic can hold her back for long. She is naive and young now, so she obeys what we say, but a time will come when she will start thinking for herself and do what she wants."

Her words added to the worries of the king. "I don't care who she is. For me, she is and will always be my daughter, and I need to protect her."

"Keeping her locked up and taking away her freedom is not the way to protect her, Your Majesty. It will only make her weak, unable to defend herself when it's time for her to face the difficulties of her identity. Everything had worked out fine when she was young, but now she has grown up and seeks to find the meaning of her life and her future."

"Her future can't be like other ordinary girls," the King of Abetha countered grimly.

"We don't know what her future holds but with the reality of her birth; I am sure her life is meant for a greater cause."

With his conversation with Martha going in circles, the King had to rub his aching temples. "Is there no other way? What do you suggest I do?"

"Your Majesty, please let the Third Princess out and allow her to interact with people," Martha suggested.

The King immediately shot the idea down. "Impossible! What if they harm her?"

"They can't. It's clear from what happened today. Her curses are there to protect her."

The King sighed as his mind recalled his own experiences of his younger years. As someone born into the Royal House of Ilven, the young Armen had met countless people from all walks of life. Even after he had claimed the throne and became the King of Abetha, his life had never been smooth sailing due to the power struggles inside and outside the kingdom. The harsh reality in this so-called human world might be too much to bear for his youngest daughter. "Humans are vicious creatures. They can do anything."

"The solution is to keep her by someone's side, and that someone must be a person we can trust to be capable of protecting her," said Martha.

Her statement puzzled the King. He could never let anyone be by his daughter's side. Martha was an exception.

"What do you mean?" he asked coldly.

"Someone who will be loyal to her just like we are and who will not care about who she is. Also, this person should be ready to sacrifice his or her life for her," Martha replied.

"Where can we find that someone?" asked the King.

"We don't need to find such a person. Let destiny work its course. Whoever it is will find her on their own."

King Armen considered her words for a moment. Martha was someone who cared for Seren more than she cared for her own life, so he trusted everything she decided for his daughter.

"I will think about what you said," the King assured.

"Then, Your Majesty, I ask to be excused. I should take my leave as my lady is alone and scared already," Martha said.

The King nodded lightly, granting her permission to leave.

Bowing to him, Martha left while King Armen returned to his musings about the welfare of his youngest daughter.

After some time, two old officials entered the hall and bowed to the troubled king. One was a grey-haired man in a dark blue uniform, while his much older companion looked scholarly with his long white beard and eyeglasses.

They were the King of Abetha's most loyal men, Sir Berolt, commander of the knights, and Lord Eudes, trusted advisor to the king.

"Your Majesty looks worried," Lord Eudes observed after a light cough.

King Armen nodded lightly and looked at Sir Berolt. "As you said, the King of Megaris saved the Third Princess. Does he know who he had saved at that time?"

"Not sure, but he didn't bother to inquire at that time. Seems like the act of kindness towards the weaker one," Sir Berolt replied.

King Armen gave out a sigh of relief. "Don't let him come closer to the tower again," he ordered.

"May I ask why Your Majesty is so worried not to let him see her?" Lord Eudes asked.

"He is said to be the devil's son, and we all have heard how cruel he is. He is known for his habit of going against others and going after something that he should not. I don't want the Third Princess to be one of his curious playthings. My daughter is not a spectacle for his entertainment."

The two understood the King's worry. "Understood, Your Majesty."

Looking at the worried king, Sir Berolt asked, "What should we do with the fire incident during the Second Princess's engagement ceremony?"

"Did you catch the culprit?" the King asked.

Sir Berolt nodded. "After the investigation, we found the culprit to be a maidservant from the Queen's chamber. She confessed that she hated the witch, so did it all on her own."

The King sighed again and closed his eyes. He could infer clearly the truth, but as always, he had to bury it for the sake of peace. 'Humans are vicious creatures indeed.'

"Punish her with what she deserves," the King ordered.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Get everyone, who is responsible for today's incident," the King ordered as his voice turned colder. "Perhaps I have been quite lax lately that the people of Abetha have forgotten what it means to harm a princess from the Royal House of Ilven."

"It won't be easy as the royal court members will again blame the Third Princess for what they think she is. If we punish all the involved people, not just the arsonist, the public opinion will go against the royal family with what Your Majesty plans to do," came the honest opinion from the advisor, Lord Eudes.

"This time, I won't mind using this," Sir Berolt said coldly as he gripped the handle of his sword.

Lord Eudes looked at the barbaric Sir Berolt, who just wanted a reason to free his sword out of its scabbard.

"The kingdom is made by nobles and commoners together and not the king alone, so we need to think about executing people carefully. The Third Princess has always been a sensitive topic in court. It won't be good to give an opportunity to those who are desperately waiting to take down His Majesty and take over the throne for themselves."

"Once we clean the dirt from the royal court, no one will ever dare to go against His Majesty," Sir Berolt announced with determination.

"Then no one will ever trust in His Majesty and the Crown Prince Cian. Setting fear is not the way to handle them. If we give them a chance, in the future, they will find a justification to rebel against the crown," Lord Eudes said again, his voice patient and his face calm against the stubborn and cold Sir Berolt.

These two men were both great pillars of Abetha, but they were like ice and fire at the moment, unable to convince each other of the best approach to solve the internal strife within the kingdom.

King Armen went towards the throne and sat on it regally. His face was as frigid as ice.

"I will decide what to do with them. No matter their status, just bring the culprits to me."


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