Situated towards the east of Degarthy, Sythia was an agricultural province under Earl McArler. As soon as the Earl heard the news of the arrival of the Prince and Princess, he personally went to invite them to his estate. Sythia was not exactly poor, and the estate did boast of class if not of wealth.
Edgar made the Earl send messengers to the king, to inform his majesty about their safe arrival in Sythia.
A doctor was fetched who looked into Sam's wound and changed the dressing.
Sam was then escorted to her room by the Earl's daughter Klara, a beautiful young lady who was nothing but sweet to her.
"I have heard a lot many stories about you, your highness." she told Sam.
"Please call me Sam. Those stories are spread around by people who hate me, so please don't pay any heed to them" said the Princess.
"But the stories I heard, described you as a brave pirate, who fought other pirates, in the sea of the country of Gregoy, and that you were personally helping the King there!"
Sam laughed at her words. Though it was true that she usually fought the pirates in the Grogoshian seas, to say that her help was requested by the King of Gregoy seemed a little over the top. To think her fans had actually pumped it up to that extent, how much did they worship her?
"It is only partly correct, I'm not acquainted with the King there or anything."Sam said smiling at the thought.
" Oh! " said Klara with some disappointment."But you shall always remain an inspiration for me, to follow my heart, and to not think of anything else. "
Sam was very much flattered. 'My fans are everywhere', she thought to herself. 'Maybe I'm not a loser after all.' She was thinking these thoughts and unaware of the hidden meaning behind the Earl's daughter's words, as she was to soon find out.
Sam took a bath and dressed herself in clothes that Klara gave her, an olive green gown made with the finest fabric and laces. When they all came down to the grand dinner which the Earl McArlur had prepared, everyone remarked that the Princess looked very good in a dress.
Prince Edgar did not think she looked very different from her usual self. As a matter of fact, he thought her usual clothes suited her nature better.
The dinner began and the Earl made several comments praising his majesty. They first raised a toast to King Korbe. When they next raised a toast to the future king, Sam looked at Edgar and raised it to him. He smiled watching her gulp down the wine. A few glasses are nothing to Pirate Sam. He thought as he watched her.
The Earl was in a good mood and he raised another toast saying, "To our Princess Samantha, whom we all know is doing her good work in the sea, and that too for the King of the great kingdom of Gregoy, may God bless her highness !"
Princess Sam almost spit her wine as he said it. She could not believe that even the Earl believed in such a story her fans had cooked up. She wanted to quickly correct him, when in came to another remark from the Earl.
" We also hope that soon the day would come when a princess of Hebelone would become the queen of Gregoy."Sam almost choked and had a fit of cough. Did he mean her? She was the only princess left, after all, her sister is already unofficially engaged. Perhaps he meant the next generation of princesses.
The only other person greatly affected by the Earl's remark was Prince Edgar, who was trying to interpret what he meant. Was Sam working for the young King of Gregoy? Were they in a relationship? He did not know why he felt hurt for not knowing. Sam and himself were only acquainted for a short period after all. He looked at the Princess sitting across from him and felt a pang. Throughout the dinner, he barely talked and the Earl was worried the food and arrangements were not to his taste. He was a Keirish Prince after all.
As for Sam, she ate heartily, trying to make small talk with Klara who was sitting rather quietly all the time. Sam requested her to correct the Earl regarding his misunderstanding about her relationship with the King of Gregoy.
After dinner, they all retired to bed. Sam, who was very tired from the morning's journey fell asleep at once. But no sooner had she slept a wink she was woken up by the sound of a commotion inside the Earl's house. There were sounds of dogs and horses outside, and of guards shouting. Sam got out of her room, to check. She stopped a maid and asked her what the hell was going on.
The maid bowed down and said, "Your highness, that is, our miss is gone.."
"Please explain more clearly"
"Our miss Klara has eloped with her lover!" she said.