The Left Minister was immediately sent to the hospital. The Ninth Prince had learned everything that Vaughn had said. Damien threw the cup he was holding, and it immediately shattered to pieces. It was still not enough to vent his anger. He unsheathed his sword and cut down everything in his path. When he passed by a mirror on the wall, he saw his dreadful, pathetic visage. He screamed out of frustration before punching the mirror. Blood gushed from his knuckle as he stood there motionless.
The steward saw the blood that was dripping from Damien's hand. He immediately summoned for a maidservant to bring in some bandages and medication to treat the cut on Damien's knuckle.
"How is my grandfather?" Damien still managed to ask even though he looked like he could barely hold himself up.
"Don't worry about the Left Minister he will be fine after taking a good rest in the hospital."
"Hmm."
The steward helped Damien and led him to his room. He went to his desk and thought about the things that occurred. They experienced one failure after another. It seemed like fate was toying with him. It all started in the Principality of Ismund.
They received a report that the horse that they were supposed to use to frame Vaughn was last seen in the Principality of Ismund. Elida sought his help to find a man whom she described as someone extraordinary. In the end, they did not find that man. He seemed to disappear in thin air. He did not leave any trace that he had been there at all.
They encountered the two fools who wore ridiculous clothing, and they happened to be the ones they commissioned to steal the horse. One of their partners betrayed them and took the horse away. The two fools said that they saw the same horse in the stable in one of the inns of the Principality of Ismund. But, when they checked it the horse was gone. Even the owner of the horse had mysteriously disappeared.
Jorick told him about the young man who joined the band of mercenaries and was vouched by Gustof to have amazing fighting skills. The masked man approved of the youth and even assigned him to the group that would ambush Ovid and Renaria. After that, they received a report that the young man died. The masked man suspected something and began to search for Gustof. They turned the entire Tissuria upside-down, but Gustof and his family had disappeared. They thought that they could be on their way to Venetia and already sent a batch of men to look for them there.
The young man that Elida met that day couldn't be the young man that joined the band of assassins. Elida was so fascinated at the face of the man that she met. Damien was sure that the man was someone beautiful. The young man that Gustof recruited looked so ordinary.
Damien was trying to establish a connection between the two men. He suddenly stood up and almost gasping when he thought of an idea. The beating of his heart became louder and louder.
'He could be wearing a disguise when he went to Lunaria. He could be the owner of the black horse.'
Damien gave off a hearty, almost roaring laughter that practically reverberated in the entire estate. The people in the manor felt like it was the most terrifying sound that they heard in their entire existence. Had the Ninth Prince gone mad?
"Someone come!" He hollered, and a shadow guard had immediately kneeled before him.
"What is your bidding my lord?"
"Let Elida come here at once!"
The shadow guard went on his way. Damien's gloomy aura dispersed quickly as if he never had it. He sneered and laughed once more. He couldn't believe that he had been had by a young man.
'Once I found you, I will never let you escape.'
* * * * *
Zander and Zekiah finally reached the capital of Tissuria a day earlier than expected. They traveled non-stop and rode the fastest pair of horses that they could find. Zander regretted his decision of letting go of Thunderbolt. But then again, he was not sure if that horse would give him a ride.
They were dressed in rough clothing and even wore a beard and mustache. Zander ordered his men to monitor the activities in the capital and to keep watching the two surviving assassins.
They heard that the marriage of the Crown Prince with Zenia Anisen would happen in two days. The brothers looked at each other, and they knew they should hurry up and meet their sister. They had decided to infiltrate the enemy's camp after the marriage. They should remain vigilant and on guard.
"What piece of crap is this? It's making me itchy. Where did you get this?" Zander kept complaining to Zekiah about the clothes.
As a young master of a prominent family, it was the first time that he wore such rough fabric. He kept scratching until the skin of his arm broke and bled.
Zekiah stopped his big brother from doing further harm to his skin. He took a piece of cloth that resembled a bandage and wrap it around Zander's arm.
"Big Brother, you will get used to it the longer you wear it." Zekiah gave him assurance.
Zander looked at Zekiah who did not seem to be bothered by the roughness of the fabric. He shuddered upon the realization that his siblings were already used to wearing such clothing and fabric since they always wore disguises whenever they felt like doing it. He almost cried when he thought of his cute little sister wearing tattered clothes just to look like a beggar.
'The pampered young mistress of the rich and famous Anisen Family has worn such an inelegant garb and prickly fabric for the sake of pulling off a perfect disguise.' Zander showed a sad expression on his face, and Zekiah shook his head because he knew what Zander was thinking.
They arrived much earlier than the agreed time to meet up with Zenia, but it seemed they were just on time. Although they treated the marriage between Zenia and the Crown Prince as something similar to a play and they were nothing but actors, the brothers still wanted to be there when their sister walked down the aisle for the first time. They heard that the wedding ceremony in Tissuria was way different from Ishelon.
The bride should walk down the aisle and meet her groom at the stage where her groom was waiting together with an officiating minister. It was the first time that they would witness that kind of wedding ceremony. They couldn't wait to see Zenia in the wedding dress that their mother had prepared for her.
* * * * *
Vaughn had decided to pay Zenia a visit to tell her about what happened in the palace. Zenia already heard from the diners of the inn that their wedding ceremony would happen in two days. Even though her brothers were yet to arrive, it was easy to make some adjustments to their plan.
She received a message that the Crown Prince would come to visit her during lunch and eat with her in her room. Zenia knew that the Crown Prince always wore a full masked and began to imagine things. She was thinking about how the Crown Prince would be able to eat with his mask on. Then she got excited when she thought of seeing the real face of her fiancé for the first time.
Someone knocked on her door and knew that it was the Crown Prince.
"Your Highness, you're here!" Zenia greeted Vaughn when she opened the door.
Vaughn had an urge to hug her tightly in his arms and never let her go. He did not see her for only a few days because he was busy supervising their wedding, but he missed her terribly. He wanted everything perfect so he decided to do it personally. Zenia deserved to get only the best things in life.
"Hmm, I guess you already heard that the wedding ceremony will take place in two days."
Zenia nodded as she led him to sit.
Vaughn explained everything that happened earlier in the Main Hall. They knew that the Left Minister's group would not stop even on the day of the wedding. Vaughn told her that he got everything covered and stationed his men all over the capital. Everything was in place and they would immediately cease any suspicious individual from today until the wedding day.
Zenia kept nodding her head. There was no loophole in Vaughn's plan. He thought of everything carefully. If she was his true bride, she would be moved by his actions of trying to protect her. She may even fall in love with him for real even though it was only a political marriage. Unfortunately, everything was just for a show.
"Well, Your Highness, 'til the next plot do us part." Zenia extended her hand to seal the deal.
Vaughn simply looked at her and held her hand for a long time. Vaughn's hand was warm and the warmth spread through Zenia's heart.