Zekiah and Zander were arguing where to stay for the night. They heard that the Queen invited their mother and father to stay in the palace and insisted to remain there until they return to Ishelon. They were still arguing when Vaughn's shadow guard approached them.
"Commander Zander, Young Master Zekiah, I will take you to your sister," the shadow guard stated politely.
The brothers looked at the man before them, and they had the same expression on their faces. The shadow guard felt like he was being interrogated in silence. The pressure was just too much.
"Ah! I know you! Are you the one that the Crown Prince sent to guard Zenzen in our manor before?" Zekiah's question somehow lifted the pressure that was beginning to suffocate the shadow guard.
"Yes, Young Master Zekiah."
"The Crown Prince sent his own guard to keep an eye on my Little Zenzen?" A hint of fury could be detected in Zander's tone.
Zander had no idea that an outside force was able to penetrate their defenses. He would definitely strengthen their defenses when he returned to Ishelon.
"Don't make it hard for him, Big Brother. Zenzen and I already told your men to just let him do his job. Zenzen already detected it, and I guess she forgot to tell you."
"She forgot to tell me, her Big Brother? She chose to solve it herself, is it because she thinks I'm so unreliable?" Zander's eyes began to turn red, and he bowed his head to avoid eye contact.
Zekiah wanted to run away from him and renounce his affiliation with Zander. The shadow guard held his breath and dared not to say anything. He already knew how much Zander had doted on Zenia.
"Please lead us to my sister." In the end, it was Zekiah who decided what to do next.
The shadow guard left with Zekiah. They did not bother with Zander anymore. When Zander lifted his head, he saw that Zekiah was already far away. He followed hurriedly behind them and cursed the little brat in secret.
When they reached the Royale Palace Inn, Mathilda and some maidservants were already preparing the lunch to be delivered to Zenia's room. She noticed the shadow guard and the Anisen brothers.
"Master is here now, and we are about to deliver lunch. What business do you have with the Young Madam?" Mathilda was cautious with her words and demeanor since she was not acquainted with the brothers.
Mathilda was sizing Zander and Zekiah and the two brothers felt uneasy. They felt that the woman was doubtful about their motive and identities even though they came together with the Crown Prince's shadow guard. The shadow guard noticed it immediately and made a quick introduction.
In a low voice, he said, "These gentlemen are the Crown Princess' brothers."
Mathilda's eyes widened, and she curtsied quickly and politely uttered, "Young Masters, please pardon me. I need to be cautious and keep the Crown Princess safe and sound. I hope that my actions did not offend you in any way."
The brothers smiled at Mathilda. The woman already gained their approval, and Vaughn gained some points. They were very satisfied with the people that the Crown Prince had assigned around their sister.
"Ma'am, we will do the same. What you did is only right." Zander assured Mathilda and gave her a dazzling smile.
"Please, lead them to the Crown Princess' room while we prepare more dishes. I'm sure you are starving." Mathilda smiled at the brothers and went back to the kitchen together with the maidservants.
Zenia and Vaughn were sitting side by side discussing and drafting the plan for their wedding preparations – how many men should they put at each station, what should they do during an emergency, and other countermeasures that they need to implement. They both knew that the Left Minister's group would still try to do something. They wanted to use the wedding to lure the Left Minister out, but they also did not want to bring distress to their loved ones on their own wedding.
They had no evidence to prove the wrongdoings of the Left Minister, but they knew that the Left Minister and the Ninth Prince were behind it all. The grandfather-grandson duo could easily refute the argument that Zenia and Vaughn wanted to present. Strong evidence was needed to convict the Left Minister and the Ninth Prince.
They were sitting so close to each other that they seemed so… intimate.
The trio went to Zenia's room, and Zander just barged in without knocking.
"Zenzen, your Big Brother is here!"
Zander was shocked when he saw Zenia and Vaughn so close with each other.
'Did they just kiss?'
Zander quickly jumped to where his sister was and snatched her away from Vaughn.
"You may be her fiancé but not yet a husband. You may be the Crown Prince, but Zenzen is the Queen in our family."
'What about your mother?' Vaughn whispered to himself.
"I heard you! My mother is the most Exalted One. Her words are the law," Zander proudly declared.
Zekiah shook his head while Zenia wanted to bury herself somewhere due to embarrassment. She flicked Zander's forehead.
"Put me down, Big Brother!"
"Aw, Zenzen, Big Brother only wants to protect you."
"You're embarrassing me! Put me down!"
Zander knew that Zenia was already angry. "I don't know what you were thinking, but we were only discussing a sort of defense plan on the day of the wedding. I'm sure that the group that wants to stop the wedding will do everything to accomplish their goal."
Vaughn knew that the brothers must be missing Zenia so badly. He was aware of their doting and was no longer surprised when Zander did that earlier.
"Brothers-in-law, I will take my leave for now. I know that you want to be alone with Zenia."
Zander and Zekiah did not say anything, but the expression on their faces was telling Vaughn to hurry up. Zenia saw it too.
"I will send a message to you, Your Highness, once I've come up with another plan."
Vaughn just nodded and headed for the door. The shadow guard followed Vaughn.
"Have Mathilda arrange the rooms of my brothers-in-law. Serve them well."
"Yes, Crown Prince."
The siblings talked like there was no tomorrow. The brothers missed their sister very much who told them about her adventures.
"Oh, I almost forgot." Zekiah retrieved a box from his bag and handed it to Zenia along with her dagger.
Zenia's eyes glowed with delight. She thought she lost the Mortelium plant.
"You've met Gustof and his family! That's great! Did you give him a post, Big Brother?"
Zander nodded. They told Zenia what Gustof told them about the Ninth Prince's group. Zander narrated what happened to them when the Ninth Prince's men ambushed them. They did not forget to inform Zenia about their plan to infiltrate the enemy's camp.
Zenia told her brothers about the plans that she and Vaughn had drafted. They knew that their suspicions were all true, but it was difficult to produce concrete, irrefutable evidence that would implicate the Left Minister and the Ninth Prince.
Mathilda and the maidservants finally came to serve lunch. The siblings ate their meal heartily. Zenia missed the times when they all gathered together to share a meal. After that, another bout of talks started. It lasted until the wee hours of the morning.