She said nothing and began walking. As royalty and the heir of the kingdom, General Illion spared nothing in her protection. He did not want a repeat of Port Silic. Consequently, she was protected by the full force of the knights. Behind her were ten Royal Guards and Grand Knights! Each of them had reached Perception Realm and radiated a very powerful pressure to onlookers. Even if they were deep in the military camp, they did not dare to lower their guard. The soldiers around bowed or saluted, both in reverence and in fear. By now, everyone knew that Elizabeth as a bona-fide princess of the Alzar Kingdom! Even General Illion had to kneel with respect to her! She continued this way towards a specific building…
***
In a quiet cell, four figures were sat on the ground. Of course, these four were none other than the Imperial Princesses and their Protectors. It was a strangely familiar scene, one that Princess Xiuying had seen several times… Images of Elizabeth and her friends in the Yunyun Stronghold flashed through her mind. Although she had upset her sister with her actions, Xiuying did not regret it. Deep down inside, she knew that it was the right thing to do. Now, she just had to believe that everything would turn out fine…
Still, she had to say, "I'm sorry," to her sister.
Ming was sitting cross-legged, in deep thought, when she opened her eyes somberly. People often considered her to be the smarter out of the two of them. Certainly, she mastered refined arts like economics, politics, and even philosophy which Xiuying fell flat in. But Ming never thought of herself as superior to her sister. In fact, there were times where her sister saw things that she could not. The encounter with General Illion was one of them. On paper, everything was correct. Ming made no mistakes. If it all went as planned, then the Alzar Kingdom would be forced into negotiating with the Xingyuu Empire. Peace would not be a farfetched idea! She could rebuild her mother's legacy!
But because it was perfect on paper, it was flawed in reality. On paper, everyone was nothing more than words, emotionless and blank. There was nothing out of her control! However, people were different. They had their own thoughts, their hopes and fears, their ambitions and aspirations! People were as complex as the starry night sky. In her grand design, she used Elizabeth as a pawn to force the Alzar Kingdom. In fact, even saving Elizabeth's friends in the Yunyun Stronghold contributed to this. Only pros and cons existed in her mind. To create her ideal world, schemes were necessary! That was how the world revolved!
However, Xiuying realized that such thinking would end up disastrous. Elizabeth had her own will! She could not be used like an object to be exchanged. Moreover, she was the heir apparent of the Alzar Kingdom! Should she ascend to the throne, her power would become truly unparalleled. One word of hers could send ripples through the known world, shaking it to the core. If, by then, she still harbored hatred against the Xingyuu Empire for what Ming did to her, even if peace was established, then a Third Great Kingdom War would not be out of question! With how chaotic the world was and the great animosity between the two civilizations, it would be as easy as breathing. Ming realized how naïve she was, which was why she decided to let Xiuying go ahead and hand Elizabeth over.
Of course, this was how the current situation ended up, so Ming was unsure if it really was the best thing to do. In a sense, they were gambling on Elizabeth! If her desire for vengeance dominated, then their fates were sealed! If their sincerity prevailed, then there was still hope for them yet!
The door opened at that moment to reveal just the person herself! Elizabeth stepped into the small room and faced the princesses. Her face was enigmatic. Even Ming could not tell what she was thinking. Elizabeth glanced to her knights and nodded. Understanding her wishes, they filed out of the room and stood guard outside. She took a deep breath, calmed her volatile emotions, and… said nothing. The girl stayed there, silent as could be, and stared at Xiuying, Ming, Chang, and Tai. In response, the four smartly did the same. And like that, time flew by in a painfully nerve-racking way…
Eventually, Elizabeth broke the silence and asked woefully, "Why?"
"Why?" Ming repeated, a bit confused.
"Why are you two treating me so well? Even after everything that the Xingyuu Empire has done to me. Why? Why did you have to do it?" Elizabeth demanded in a mixture of sadness and anger. Now that she was in control, she did not hold anything back. She straightforwardly vented all her grievances forward.
Xiuying remembered the same scene playing out when she visited Elizabeth in the Yunyun Stronghold… and how Elizabeth had suffered so much by the hands of the empire. There might be nothing in the world that would allow them to reconcile! Their grudges were as deep as the ocean! But now the princesses of that very empire showed kindness and forgiveness thus giving birth to Elizabeth's current confusion. Both the Imperial Princesses said nothing. It was like Elizabeth was speaking her mind, without asking anyone specifically.
"My family died by your empire's hands. I will never forget that. Even now, I feel only your deaths can repay that debt! But I also feel that it's wrong, that you don't deserve it either! Ahhh, I don't know anymore!" she screamed, stomping her feet furiously. Her eyes sharpening, she glared at the princesses and said, "Tell me, honestly and truthfully, why did you help me?"
Xiuying opened her mouth and hesitated. "Because I felt sorry for you… Because you really didn't deserve any of what you got. I just wanted to help someone in the same shoes as me."
Ming nodded. "Our parents believed in ending the war. An era of peace and harmony without bloodshed is certainly… possible! We can coexist together! My sister and I are striving to rebuild those times again. We need you to trust in us!"
Elizabeth could sense the earnest, raw emotions in their voices and expressions. They did not cover anything up. They were expressing their feelings straight from the heart! Indeed, when she looked at Xiuying and Ming, she placed herself in their shoes as well. After all, it was not long ago when their roles were switched. Therefore, she could really understand and sympathize with them! Little by little, the fog in her heart was clearing up. Her gaze softened slightly, before she turned to leave. A glimmer of resolve was seen just under the surface of her eyes!