บท 15: 15 — Leave The Girl

Rin knocked on the door, holding a tray with a cup of tea for the princess, waiting for permission to enter.

When a muffled "Come in" was heard, the maid opened the door.

She carefully placed the tray on the table in front of the couches and looked around for the princess, who was nowhere to be seen.

Panicked, Rin anxiously glanced around and rushed from side to side, but the princess was not in the room!

"Don't worry, Rin," Princess Cynthia's voice came from the locked bathroom, and a sigh of relief escaped the servant.

"You had me worried! But why are you awake at this time? Usually, you don't let anyone enter your room until ten in the morning."

"Perhaps I woke up early but simply didn't wish to see anyone," Cynthia chuckled, drawing wavy curves on the surface of her warm bath.

"Pardon?" Rin, who had entered the bathroom, raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing."

"Your Highness, pardon me if this is rude, but how did you manage to get the bath ready if I wasn't here to assist you?"

"Rin, do you think you are my only maid?"

The princess's harsh remark stung the maid, though she was right. Rin had recently become Cynthia's personal maid, and the princess could easily have ordered other palace servants to handle her needs.

"Of course not."

Cynthia rose from her bath and grabbed the towel placed beside the tub.

"Get my clothes ready. They should be suitable for a grand duchess—elegant yet beautiful."

With a nod, Rin rushed to the princess's dressing room. Meanwhile, Cynthia clapped her hands twice, and two maids hurried into the bedroom.

They bowed, greeting the princess and waiting for her orders.

"You, help me dry my hair. And you," she pointed at the light-brown-haired maid, "assist Rin in the dressing room."

The two servants followed the orders.

Almost an hour later, Princess Cynthia was ready to leave the palace, her home, her kingdom.

Though the princess showed no sadness, as if she had been expecting this all along, her maids had tears in their eyes. Even though she was strict, she did not mistreat them. The only time a servant was fired from the palace was for using their status to bully others.

Rin, though new, understood the princess better than those who had worked in the palace for years and spread false rumours about her.

Cynthia chuckled, looking at the mirror where her servants' reflections were visible.

"It seems you are the ones leaving," she said, shaking her head.

"Aren't you... sad?" one of the maids asked, raising her eyebrows.

Cynthia thought for a moment.

Her silence made the maids anxious. Was the question too personal?

"I don't feel sad," the princess replied simply.

She rose from her chair and turned towards the exit of her bedroom, her expression firm and determined.

"Let's go," she said softly, glancing around the room one last time before abruptly turning and walking out.

***

Laid on the soft mattress to which Lucian was not accommodated, he winced, slowly waking up from his short slumber.

He had a hard time falling asleep for a couple of days he had been in the palace. Perhaps, he was too used to the hard ground of the battlefield.

The sound of footsteps approaching his room and a knock on the door.

He rose from his bed, gently brushing his hair to the back of his head and rose from the soft mattress.

Dressed in his dark-coloured night robe wrapping his muscular body, Lucian opened the door.

"Good morning, Your Highness," a maid bowed.

Raising an eyebrow, the tall young man waited for an answer.

"You should get ready to depart. His Majesty, the king asked me to notify you and your men that you will leave around ten in the morning."

Lucian nodded and signalled the maid to leave before shutting the door behind him.

"It seems the king of Eldoria thinks he owns me," he muttered, however sighed soon after.

A mocking chuckle escaped him.

But who am I to dare argue? Am I not a pawn of King Valerian, who does as he wishes?

Once bathed and dressed, Lucian exited the room while a few maids helped him take out the few belongings he brought with him for his stay in Eldoria.

Wandering through the wide hallways of the Jade Palace, Lucian caught a glimpse of Princess Cynthia's long silver hair which reached her waist. Beside her stood the king, himself while in front of them, a golden-painted carriage stood, with curvy patterns in silver. Anyone could tell it belonged to the royal family.

If he loves her so much, why is he even sending her off to an enemy kingdom?

Lucian could only wonder however he couldn't ask.

"Oh! Prince Lucian," Alistair, who saw the dark-haired young man heading his way, smiled.

Lucian bowed, greeting the king gracefully.

"I apologize for my tardiness."

"It is alright. Thanks to that, I had a chance to chat longer with my sister," Alistair shifted his gaze towards Princess Cynthia, dressed elegantly in a purple dress with jewelry made of ruby.

Cynthia smiled at him.

"We shall take our leave then, Your Majesty," the silver-haired-young woman bowed.

"Have a safe journey," Alistair said, extending his hand toward her to help his sister enter the carriage.

Cynthia reached for the king's hand, using it as support to sit in the carriage.

Meanwhile, Lucian had turned around the carriage and sat in the opposite direction of Cynthia.

The horseman closed the door and soon the carriage departed, heading towards Selvarys.

With a cough, Cynthia cleared her cracked and dry morning voice.

"Your..." she paused. She didn't know which title she should use to refer to him. However, she continued, "Highness."

Lucian who gazed at the greenery of the road, raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"Tell the horseman to change the road and use the shorter road leading towards the border instead of the main route."

I can't believe this is the first thing I'm telling him! Wouldn't it seem too odd? Cynthia shook her head.

The young man seated across from her frowned at her suggestion.

"Why do you wish so? No matter what you are planning, we will still take the main road. The road is smoother. It's currently the rainy season. We cannot go through rocky roads."

"Well," before Cynthia could finish her sentence, a groaning sound interrupted her.

"AHH! YOUR HIGHNESS!" A man shouted outside.

A few footsteps rushed towards the carriage and opened the entrance fiercely.

Lucian pulled his sword outside of the sheath, ready to fight.

"Leave the girl. And we will let you go," one of the men suggested, with a grin on his face.