"Let me get dinner ready," the elderly woman said.
"I'll help!" Wu added as they walked into the kitchen.
"You have to apologize for Little Wu's rudeness. He's a nice boy, but he doesn't hesitate to speak his mind. That's why he got into trouble in the square."
"No, no, that wasn't his fault," Elizabeth said. If anything, it was her fault as princess.
Ren shook his head. "My wife and I are too old to raise that rascal. Little Wu must have asked you for money, right? I won't hide this from you, but my wife is sick. She only has a few years left to live."
"My condolences."
"Ah, it's fine," Ren chuckled. "These old bones will probably join her right after. The problem is what to do about Little Wu."
"…Doesn't he have any parents?" Freon asked. "They can take care of him instead."
The man fell silent, prompting Shirley to step in and say, "Sorry about that, my friend can be a bit insensitive too. Please ignore what he said."
"No, I don't blame you for asking… His parents passed away."
Benedict coughed awkwardly. "Does he have any other family that can take care of him? Perhaps friends or neighbours?"
Ren glanced over to his wife and grandson in the kitchen and said, "I'm afraid we're all that's left." No one said anything, causing the man to laugh. "Why am I talking about this to you? You're probably not interested in hearing this old coot ramble on and on. Maybe I'm getting a bit too lonely in my old age. Forget I said anything!"
Elizabeth opened her mouth but closed it soon after, her eyes flickering with indecision. She was afraid of what he might say, afraid of finding out the truth. However, mustering up her courage, she eventually asked, "How… How did his parents die? Was it…?"
"It was the Alzar Kingdom," he confirmed. He looked forlorn as he cast his gaze on the ground. "But it wasn't this recent battle. They passed away a year ago when General Illion's army made landfall."
"I see…" She did not know whether to be glad or sad. Either way, the kingdom was responsible!
"Were they soldiers?" Benedict added.
"They were scouts and the first ones to encounter General Illion's army. They couldn't get away."
Benedict was once part of the reconnaissance division in the Alzar Kingdom, so he understood how dangerous it was. In fact, when he was serving under Commander Christina in Fortress Fallinard, his squadron was massacred two or three times. Although it might sound like he was an incompetent captain, that was just the reality of his role. It was that dangerous! At a certain point, he grew desensitized to everything and carried on without a word. He became a broken shell of who he was now. Later, he crash-landed onto New Havens and met Elizabeth, since his squadron was being chased by the empire's soldiers. The rest was history.
"…I'm sorry to hear that," Benedict said awkwardly, his words coming out half-sincere. It was one thing to say that to a fellow Alzar soldier, but for the Xingyuu Empire… He felt conflicted.
"No, it's my fault for bringing up old matters," Ren said. "Anyways, let's settle down to eat. The food should be almost ready!"
With heavy hearts, everyone settled down at the dinner table and began eating. There were only a few dishes on the table because their visit was unannounced. There was not enough time to buy more ingredients and prepare a more lavish meal. Of course, it would not have mattered much anyways as the markets were closed. Everyone was too scared to step out their doors, much less open shop. What if the soldiers came by and wrecked the place? Then they might really die of regret. So, everyone ate a conservative amount, a few bites here and there, to show their goodwill. It was more like sampling food than eating a meal. And although the grandmother and son tried to present the dishes in a glamorous way with fancy plates or extra garnish, it did not distract from the lackluster meals. Either way though, with the previous conversation, few of them were in the mood to eat.
The grandmother glanced at Sir Winstin warily then the rest before smiling. "I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your names before. I'm Shen Su."
"Where are my manners?" Elizabeth instinctively straightened her posture. "I am Prin-" She paused midsentence in disbelief. She was about to introduce herself as the princess of the Alzar Kingdom!
"Prin?" Shen looked at her funnily. "That's a weird name."
Coughing awkwardly, she said, "Actually, my name is Elizabeth, Elizabeth Silvera." As the woman glared holes in her, she became increasingly uncomfortable. Was it possible that her secret was exposed?
"Here! I'm Shirley," she shouted to draw the woman's attention away.
"My name is Benedict."
"And I'm Tian Lu," Freon lied as easy as breathing. This time, his friends looked at him funnily, but he shrugged. Why would he use his real name? In his mind, they were the ridiculous ones, not him.
"Once again, I must thank you for saving our grandson. Ever since his parents passed away, he's always been looking for a chance to get back at the Alzar Kingdom. This past battle, he refused to listen and ran off to fight for the Yunyun Stronghold. He almost got himself killed, if not for the princess's message. It's a miracle that he's still with us."
"What did the princess have to do with it?" Elizabeth asked curiously.
"It was her final message before the battle started when she promised the people of the Yunyun Stronghold their freedom. Many people thought it was rubbish and laughed it off, but…" Shen glanced at her grandson. "I guess it resonated with Little Wu since he decided to come home."
"I didn't want to leave you two old rocks at home!" the boy explained embarrassingly. "If it wasn't for that, I would have charged in the battlefield and killed ten! No… twenty or thirty!"
"Even with how things turned out, you still have the cheek to say that?" Ren chided while smacking him. The boy indignantly huffed his cheeks but said nothing.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth was overwhelmed with emotions. All along, the deaths of four thousand four hundred weighed on her consciousness like a mountain. She was crushed by guilt! As the princess of the Alzar Kingdom, she had the power to change things. She could do anything she wanted! It was entirely possible that this meaningless slaughter could have been avoided if she did things differently. However, what did she accomplish in the end? The ravaged city, the mounds of corpses, and the square of mourning people… Was there anything she was proud of? No, there was not! Therefore, upon hearing that her actions did do something, that she did manage to save one life… Like the light at the end of a tunnel, no matter how insignificant it may seem, it meant the world to her! Although it did not completely wash away her guilt of four thousand four hundred, she felt a weight lift from her chest. She was no longer crushed by the guilt!
"Thank you… Thank you for listening to the princess," Elizabeth smiled gently. "I'm sure she would be elated knowing that she saved a soul, no matter who it is. That's the type of person she is."
"You sound like you almost know the princess," Little Wu looked at her suspiciously.
The girl coughed. "Well, this are just rumors that I heard. I've never met her before."
"Really?" The boy did not buy the lie. "Then why are you hiding your face under your hood?"
Elizabeth really wanted to curse. This kid was way too smart for his own good!
"Little Wu, it's not good to pry," Ren chided again. "Everyone has their secrets."
"But!"
"Enough! You're inconveniencing our guests!" Shen added.
"Fine…" he grumbled.