บท 34: Unnecessary Escapade

Gazing up at the decorated ceiling, and her canopy bed, Ambai was in a daze. She thought about how that devil said her thoughts were too chaotic. "Hmm, how can I control that," she wondered.

"If I remember my most calming moment, I might be able to stop thinking," She mumbled. Thinking back she had always been hyperactive, there was never a moment that she sat still.

Except… that one day she went to the beach. The soft waves, warm sunlight, and the soothing sound of waves managed to calm her hyper self. She just floated around thinking about nothing.

"Maybe If I can replicate that feeling I would stop thinking," she whispered.

With her eyes closed, she pulled the duvet close to her chin. Lying still, she remembered the way she floated, how the ocean waves softly caressed her skin, how cool the water was. How the sound of gushing waves echoed underwater.

Unknowingly, she went into a dazed state. A warm glow of white light enveloped her entire body. It was pretty similar to the glow she saw on Deric.

"Wow, what is this thing?" she whispered and touched the soft membrane. It was so much smoother than Deric's. Like a ball of cotton.

"Whatever this is, it feels so good," she whispered and hugged her arms around herself. The warm fluffy glow hugged her softly. Slowly the glow disappeared, leaving her extremely tired.

Her breathing slowed down and her eyes could not stay open after.

A familiar daffodil fragrance enveloped her in her sleep.

{ "Nyx, I love you,"

"I love you too Rebus,"} Voices echoed softly in her dream, startling her awake.

Ambai rolled out of bed and sat by the window. "Who is this Nyx? Why do I keep dreaming about this pair?" she groaned, wiping her teary eye.

This was the fifth time she had been dreaming about Nyx and Rebus. Each time she woke up extremely sad or extremely happy. Her heart started beating vigorously.

She took a deep breath, whispering, "Remember how you trained… calm you Ambai."

Slowly a silver glow enveloped her body, calming her turbulent heart.

Feeling energized, she stretched out of the couch. "Who would want to fight with swords when they can feel this good just lying around," she thought out loud.

That's when she remembered something very important, she had skipped her training.

"Shit, master Huyt is going to be pissed," she groaned.

Last time she had skipped class, Huyt had made her do handstands for two hours and made her run around the entire forest twice. After the hell trainings, her entire shoulder and legs almost dislocated.

Just remembering her punishment made her shudder.

"I don't want to be punished ahh~" she whined, hugging her throw pillow.

Only her father had the authority to appease Huyt's anger. So earlier, that morning she wanted to meet him. But she got side-tracked after meeting Deric and Ms. Yelli that she completely forgot about this important issue.

Dashing to her bedside table, she reached for her veil, but it looked extremely pitiful with its bottom edge torn off.

"I guess, its mask day today," she mumbled and wore her black mask and went to her father's study.

Along the way, the guards were still mumbling amongst themselves. Even in the morning, the entire castle was in mayhem. 'Did something big happen?'

She strode over to the nearby group of guard. "Hey, what happened? Why is everyone in a state of panic?" she whispered to one of them. He was quite young to be a guard, maybe fifteen or so.

The guard turned around and looked startled; but soon he donned on a wide smirk. He hugged her shoulders and dragged her close.

"Hey kid, don't you know? Today, during morning court, they caught a spy," He whispered.

The other guards started sweating buckets. 'This stupid guy! Doesn't he know that is the prince?' they thought. That guard was one of the new recruits. They went ahead to stop him, but the prince lifted his hands and stopped their actions.

"What! How come I don't know anything about it?" Ambai whispered back.

He narrowed his eyes and looked at her up and down. "Were you sleeping under a rock or something? It was a public court everyone knows."

From his way of talking, Ambai knew that the guard did not know his identity as the prince. But this way of being treated was much more comfortable than being called 'your highness this, your highness that,' everywhere she went.

Ambai beckoned him close and whispered, "Oh... So who was it?"

"At first they poor Yelli was blamed, but soon it was proved to false info. A maid entered Yelli room and released Kingdom's secrets via Falcons. Why would anyone want to implicate her like that? That woman is a saint."

"Oh, so it's related to Ms. Yelli," she mumbled.

"And you know something even more interesting. It was prince Deric who first got hold of this scroll with our kingdom's secrets. Isn't it too much of a coincidence? Everyone was doubtful about his intentions to begin with, but now most of them do not trust him at all."

Thinking back, maybe that's was what the confrontation she witness between Deric and Ms. Yelli was about.

"Okay thanks buddy," Ambai patted his shoulders and walked away.

The guard cheerfully waved at her.

Ambai chuckled softly at the dirty looks he was getting from his comrades. 'Poor kid, he is probably going to get his ass whooped.'

But thinking back to her situation was even worse. 'Master is going to make me do handstands again 'sob, sob'' she cried in her mind.

Winding around the corridor, she saw her father standing out side his study. But he was not alone, he was busy cheerfully talking to Deric.

'They seem awfully chummy,'

She saw her father send away the guards guarding his door and invite Deric to his study. "Are they going to talk about what happened today? Oh I smell gossip,"

She solely crept to the closed door and placed her head onto it. Sadly, she could not hear a thing.

"Aww, but I wanted to know all the juicy details," she whined, glaring at the closed door.

She softly pushed the door, and the door opened a slit. "It's open,"

Kneeling down, she crawled through the door and softly closed it behind her. Like a little barn mouse, she scurried past all the bookshelves and hid behind a corner where the shelves and a column meet.

'Wow, they didn't notice me at all. I'm an awesome ninja alright,' she internally squealed.

Ambai peered her head out to find her father gazing at her general direction and chuckling.

'shit, I Am caught red-handed. Why did I even sneak in? I could have just walked though the door like a normal human being,' she mentally chided. Scrunching down, she waited for her father to call her out.

But minutes passed. Her father was too busy exchanging pleasantries with Deric.

She popped her head and gazed at the two. 'I'm not caught? Hm, that's weird, he was definitely looking my way,'

"Prince Deric, have some tea," her father Rukle poured a cup of green tea.

Deric bowed and took it from his hand respectfully. "Thank you, your highness," he whispered.

"Do you know why I invited you here?" King Rukle said, taking a sip of the bitter tea.

"If it's about the scroll, I won't tell another living soul about it," Deric assured him with a smile.

'Scroll? The scroll with our kingdom's secrets? Wow, what kind of secret is it,' her curiosity was piqued.

She slightly leaned over and listened carefully.

"I know you won't. But that can't be said for your accomplices," Rukle said, gazing at the hostage prince.

Deric laughed out loud. "Nothing misses your eye, does it your highness,"

"Well, a sneaky shadow jumping branch from branch is hard to miss," King whispered with a smirk.

'Accomplices?' Ambai was totally confused. As far as she knew, Deric came to their kingdom unaccompanied. He did not even bring a personal servant with him. 'So who are these accomplices?'

"My friends would not reveal your secret as well. I give you my personal assurance," Deric said, calmly sipping his tea.

The study went silent all of a sudden.

'Eh what's wrong, why are they quiet?' she thought and peeped out a little.

Her father was presently holding his cup with a mysterious grin on his face. "I can't have that. Either friends or foe, I like them to be visible."

"So please prepare an identity for my 'accomplices' your highness, I would be well assured if they are clothed and fed." Deric said in a low voice.

King laughed out cheerfully. "I knew you would decide that. I have already made arrangements and their accommodation. Rest assured I won't treat them badly,"

"That's all the assurance I needed your highness," Deric said and placed his cup down. "I will be taking my leave now," he said and strode out the room.

Ambai listened to this, but she barely understood. 'Why is my father willing to accommodate his accomplices? Why? Ahh the curiously is killing me,' she internally screamed.

She really wanted to pop up from her hiding spot and shout. 'Dad, why are you harbouring unknown forces? They might bring you harm.' But she controlled her impulses and sat there.

Her father sighed loudly and walked up the bookshelf opposite to her. He reached out to his left and touched a griffin statue. A small passageway opened in front of him.

'Oh, this is where it was, the secret room. I so want to look inside,' she clenched her fist and watched with eagerness.

Minutes later, her father walked out and looked at her direction. He laughed out loudly one more time and left the room.

"I'm so busted,"