Kapitel 15: So That's Her!
After running into King Armen, Arlan led Drayce to take a stroll at the pretty lake on the eastern side of the palace, but of course, Drayce was not interested in the scenic view at all.
"Since you're still bored, we should use the rest of the day to take a look outside of the palace," Arlan suggested.
"Not like we will grow gold inside the palace if we stay here," Drayce countered as he could not see what was interesting about this so-called pretty place. In his opinion, its reputation was exaggerated by others.
"Sarcastic devil," Arlan commented, loud for him to hear, but Drayce didn't mind it.
The two went out on their horses and two Abethan knights escorted them in case they needed help, especially with Drayce being new and unfamiliar with the capital.
Arlan led his friend to the commercial district of the capital. Its main street was a mix of large shops and residences, as this part of the market was also where the richest of merchants and the city's business leaders resided.
"As our kingdoms are neighbors, Griven imports the weapons from the merchants here sometimes. Their quality is top-notch," Arlan informed.
"I doubt if it compares to Megaris."
"Narcissist!" Arlan sighed. "Nothing bad in knowing the things here. In the future, you might have some business with this kingdom so it's good to know the merchant leaders and build good relationships with them. These rich merchants have wide networks and hold great influence in many kingdoms, not just in Abetha."
"I have my ways," Drayce countered and Arlan understood as usual what he meant.
'What a violent guy.'
"We are normal humans so we can only go the normal way, unlike you." Arlan sighed as he continued to ride towards the largest business guild of Abetha.
They entered one luxurious hall after another, and Arlan introduced Drayce to a few important people before they went to meet the leader of the merchants. Soon, they arrived in front of a two-story office at the most central part of the market district.
Arlan went inside the lavish wooden building and Drayce was about to follow him but his sensitive ears heard some curious noises seemingly just an alley away.
He halted and focused on the noise and confirmed that it was not too far from him.
A familiar wave of energy he had felt before a few times appeared from the same direction.
'I can't be mistaken…''
Not being able to stop himself, Drayce entered the alley next to that lavish wooden building, walking at first before it turned into a full sprint.
He stopped at the other end of the alley upon spotting a mysterious woman in pink surrounded by a few men. He heard her warn the bunch of men that she'll burn them.
Her voice sounded familiar, but since she's wearing a hat, he could not see her. He stepped towards the group, wanting to confirm his doubts.
Before he could reach any closer, everyone surrounding the woman caught fire, and this created chaos.
Coincidentally, the woman in pink ran in his direction in a hurry and bumped into him, causing her hat to fall down. But thanks to it, he could finally see her eyes.
Not just her voice, but even her eyes were a perfect match to the one in his memories.
Without hesitation, he put that hat back on her head and dragged her towards a random silent alley, ignoring her empty warning.
Drayce cornered her against the alley's stone wall and smirked at her silliness, of not knowing who he was and even daring to threaten him.
"My anger can burn this entire place. Do you want to see?"
This much was effective enough to intimidate her and shut her mouth from spouting nonsense.
"W-What do you want?" she asked.
Instead of answering her, Drayce removed her hat and stared deeply into her eyes. He was sure those were the same pair of eyes he was searching for. The lower half of her face was covered in a veil, the same as that mysterious figure who appeared when he was fighting on the mountain ranges at the border of Abetha and when he went for a swim in the river.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"A witch!" came her reply.
He could see through what scheme went through her tiny brain.
'Still trying to scare me huh, little kitten?' He chuckled softly and commented, "Interesting!"
Just as he raised his hand towards her veil to take it off, she said something that startled him.
"This tattoo...?"
His hand halted before he could touch her veil and the expression on his face changed. The mocking smirk on his lips disappeared as he turned silent and stared at her. Reflected on her surprised eyes, he could see his own eyes turned darker, flames seemingly burning within them.
His voice was cold and threatening as he repeated, "Who are you?"
Before she could answer, they were interrupted by the yells about capturing the witch and Drayce heard her mumble under her breath, "I need to run away."
Drayce stepped back and let her go. After she left, he looked at the hat in his hand and realized she forgot it.
There was something she was trying to hide and the way everyone was searching for her, he was sure she was in trouble. But why?
The way she burned those people, he was sure she held some power but was she really a witch?
"Doesn't seem like it," he mumbled and held that hat up as he checked it. "One should always return someone's thing if they left it behind."
He walked towards where she went on the other alley. He saw the mob of people going the same way. Before they could enter the alley, he stood at the entrance, blocking their path.
He didn't know why but something about her made him want to protect her.
He warned the mob to return but they didn't seem to take him seriously so he had to set an example.
Not blinking even once, he beheaded the silly man in front of him, not a tinge of regret in his eyes as killing someone was not a big deal for him.
Feeling scared, when the mob retreated, Drayce saw a familiar old lady with grey hair. He was sure he had seen her at the engagement ceremony earlier. If he's not mistaken, she should be a servant of the third princess of Abetha.
"So that's her," Drayce concluded.
The old lady looked at Drayce and then at the hat in his hand and she stepped towards him.
Drayce put forward the hat. The old lady accepted it and she entered the alley behind him.
At that exact moment, Arlan arrived along with the Abethan knights accompanying them.
"What are you doing here?" Arlan asked before his gaze dropped to l the beheaded body on the ground.
"You and your sword don't like to rest," Arlan commented.
Drayce said nothing. His eyes wandered across the alley where he saw the old lady going towards where that woman in pink was hiding and felt relieved.
"Let's go," Drayce instructed and they left the place.
On the way back, although Drayce appeared calm, he had many questions in mind which answer he needed to find out.
Kapitel 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?"
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