Tayne followed Vincent until they've reached a separate veranda far away from the guests, he never lets go of her hand until they reached their destination.
"Your Grace? You can let go of my hand now"
"Ah, right, sorry about that, it's not a habit believe me, but I got a feeling you'll run away if I let go"
Tayne was confused, why would he said that as if he knew her. The first time he met this man was inside Claude's studies. She watches him stare into the night sky, with his dark blue hair and eyes, Tayne finally gets a clearer picture of this man, handsome, she thought but as she looks at him closer her head starts to hurt and flashes of the hospital slowly appearing inside her head. She staggered for a bit.
"Tayne! Are you okay?" Vincent supported her
"I- I'm fine, why did you bring me here? What do you want to talk about?"
He looked at her differently. The way he stares tells her immediately that the guy was studying ---her.
"Your grace?"
"Who are you? Miss Tayne?"
The question surprised her "What do you mean?"
"Remember when I said I was the one who operated you?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I discovered something inside of you - that's not normal," he said while looking at her.
"I have always been fascinated by stuff I'm unknown of and you just became one of those"
"Should I take that as a compliment?" Tayne jokes
"Why did you jump out of the hospital building? You really couldn't remember?"
Another headache came to Tayne and it's a bit stronger than last time.
"W-Why am I?" she mumbles
"Miss Tayne?"
She wobbled again and Vincent got worried. [Is she in pain somewhere?] he thought.
He's not the type of person to care but when he sees her struggle he can't help but want to help. It wasn't because he's a doctor but something else, he even laughed at the thought he must have fallen for the girl but that's not it as well.
"Maybe I shouldn't be asking you this questions right now, you're currently working"
"I believe so" a voice suddenly breaks their moment, it was Claude.
"Your Majesty" Vincent lower his head to greet him while Tayne tried keeping her composure together.
"What's wrong with you brat?" Claude sounded annoyed
"Please don't get mad at her Claude, I was the one who pulled her out" Vincent defended her
"And why do you need to pull her out? It's unlike you to suddenly want to get close to one of my employees"
"That's not--"
"Not what Vincent?"
"Y-your Majesty! I'm okay, Sir Vincent was just trying to help me get some fresh air. I was feeling kind of woozy, might be because I memorized everyone's name listed in today's event for one night. Hehehe" Tayne walks back in the banquet hall
"I apologize for taking too much of your time, your grace, your majesty"
[Where did all her energy go?] Claude notice she was a bit frail when she left.
When Tayne left the two boys, Tseng decided to not bother Claude and Vincent seeing the tension between them rises.
"Were you mad I pulled her out? That was quite a temper you got there." Vincent jest, trying to calm Claude who was still giving him a serious look
"Don't tell me you like her?"
The King immediately throws something to him and he catches it with one hand, it was the Ainsworth brooch. Vincent's expression changes when he saw the item "Where did you get this?"
"In the slums south of the capital, it was in the area where we fought the bandits"
The light in Vincent's eyes was striking as he looks back to the King "You think I hired them?"
"I never said that I just want to return it to you"
"Our family made an oath"
"And that's how I want to keep things, the enemy must have wanted us to doubt each other knowing our family backgrounds"
"Hmmmmm... it is possible. Then what are you going to do?"
"Were still investigating, however, the person who instructed them, did not do any movements yet, all I wanted to find out is why they are doing this?"
"Then you have my support, I'm sure later they'll know their plan failed for trying to let us doubt each other"
Claude didn't respond to him, but Vincent knew just by looking at him he can sense he was a bit hesitant.
"I am your ally and will always be, I, Vincent Rhemund Ainsworth swear my loyalty to you, Claude de Ashger Saveria"
Claude smiled "Idiot, you know I don't like sweet words like that, it grosses me out"
"Hahahaha, right? But I meant it. You can trust me, Claude"
The King nodded.
Mary was walking inside the hall when she passes through the veranda and saw them "Ah! So this is where the two of you went! Always escaping the crowd, the ladies are waiting you know!"
She pulls the two boys in and locks both her hands on their arms as she places herself between them "Now, this is my birthday party so you boys better treat my women friends right, who knows you might find someone special, Hahaha"
The two boys were not so much enthusiastic about the thought of finding someone special but as soon as they were back inside the party, all the maidens came gushing over them. At some point, they did choose a partner per request of Mary and as they dance through the night, the two boys can't help noticing one certain person, the fair woman who was standing alongside Tseng, her green eyes sparkle as she looks at both of them and smiled. Queen Cecil who was with King Blythe noticed the interaction and can't help but laugh again.
"You have been lively lately, my love, may I know the reason?" her husband asks
"Ah, it's good to be young. Isn't it? Dear, can I ask a favor from you?"
"Anything, my love"
"If she's not busy can I ask that new guard you hired for a cup of tea?"
"I'll tell her that"
They were interrupted by a man similar to their age, his hair was grey and has piercing blue eyes, he comfortably approached and bowed in front of them.
"Ah, Elizar, I'm glad you could make it" King Blythe offered him a handshake
"My, still lively I see and in love, hahaha!" he teases both of them as he politely received the king's hand.
"Noone would dare make fun of me but if it's you Duke Elizar, I can tolerate it, you are just like your son"
"Vincent? Oh, that boy still has a long way to go even if he has risen as the new Duke he always spends his time more in the hospital rather than our estate"
"I do feel you Elizar, my son, even though he is already King and many maidens gathered around him, he still can't find a suitable wife"
Duke Elizar pats King Blythe at the back "Well, what can we do now, they are the new generation"
While they were having a good time talking to each other, King Blythe noticed someone behind Elizar. [Was he there the whole time] he thought
Elizar observes how Blythes attention changes and showed him a nonchalant smile "I apologize for not introducing him earlier, this is Rell, he is my new adviser at the same time bodyguard"
Rell was only standing behind Elizar in a partly dark part of the area when he finally showed his face, already in his late thirties, tall, he had brown hair and beautiful gentle silver eyes, he comes out from the dark smiling.
"Your Majesty, Queen Cecil" he bows
"My, what a gem you found Elizar, such a polite lad"
"He is indeed and skilled in combat too, he arrived here a few days ago, he's from here"
"Here?"
"I grew up here in the Capital your majesty but left at a young age to another neighboring country to study"
"I see! I'm sure my son Claude would like to meet you someday!"
Rell smiles at them again "Oh, we have met already...especially that woman bodyguard with him"
---
The following days after Mary's birthday party, Caleb has been receiving reports of another bandit sighting in a nearby city. Though there were no black flags mentioned, he did not want to turn a blind eye about the problem, so he decided to take a quick visit to the security office.
Tayne continued her investigation about the escaped enemy, she kept on thinking about the man she bumped into the party and the way he said those words.
[I told you we'll meet again]
It bothered her a bit, she reviewed all the reports she wrote about the slums encounter but she couldn't get any new information about it. [If only I could go in and out as I pleased] she thought, ever since her silent escaped to the slums the past few weeks, Tseng would visit her inside the office just to see she was doing her job right and it has become a habit then.
"I want to go out!" She stretches her arms and placed both her feet on the table as she yawns from boredom.
"I see, you're starting to get comfortable inside your office" Caleb barged inside without knocking. Tayne fell on her chair when he sees him.
"Si-sir Caleb, what brings you here suddenly?"
"I have a job for your office, you may round up your men as you wish"
"What job?"
Caleb gives her the documents "A city nearby has sighted a group of bandits, though they didn't carry any black flag, the mayor there requested to capture them if possible"
"Say, Can I ask a question?"
"What is it?"
"Don't they have soldiers of their own?"
"They do but it is their request to have at least a guard sent by the palace and I'm granting them that"
"Can I be the one to go?"
Caleb stares creepily at her.
"E-er, for the job and I might find some new leads regarding the bandit who escaped"
Caleb kept staring at her for a little longer but decided to give her permission to go, Tayne was ecstatic upon hearing it, [Though, the King said to ask him permission first, oh well, I'll tell him later, this is not a do or die mission anyway] he thought.
"You'll leave later tonight, make sure to finish it by tomorrow"
"Yes, Sir!"
---
Claude was investigating the escaped bandit on his own as well, with the confirmation he heard from Vincent on the night of the party that he wasn't involved, he began to worry.
[Did they want me and house Ainsworth to fight with each other? For what reason?]
He believed he's missing the biggest piece here, targeting the village downtown was intentional, they even killed people, for what?
"Tseng, did the people in that run-down town reported how many died in the bandit's rampage? I'm sure if its Caleb were talking he'll force them to do so"
"Yes, your majesty, I believe it was almost 15 people including the three that we saw hanged"
"What do those people do for a living?"
Tseng looks at him confused "They are unemployed your majesty, as I told you, people who stayed there were mostly latent criminals, those fifteen people, all of them has a history of being mercenaries"
"Mercenaries?"
"People who got paid to do all kinds of job whether they are good or bad"
"So they were killed in purpose, it wasn't just a random rampage, their leader must have known, but why killed ex mercenaries? How is it related to me and the Ainsworth?"
Claude stroke his head as he walks across the room. Something will happen and he doesn't know what, he wanted to hear Tayne's part of the investigation.
"Tseng, get me that brat"
"Yes, your majesty"
When Tseng opened the door he was greeted by Caleb who was about to knock.
"Where are you going Tseng?" he asked the bodyguard
"His majesty ordered me to get Miss Tayne"
"I'm afraid she is unavailable until tomorrow"
The King heard him "What? Don't tell me she escape to that town again or I will ---"
"I sent her for a small mission in a nearby city, I was about to tell you that now"
"Need I remind you of what I told you as well?"
"I understand your majesty but I believe she's perfect for the job so I sent her, I apologize for not asking permission first"
Cloud sighed "Well, it's fine, what's she got to do there?"
"She'll be capturing a few bandits, I don't know if they are the same as the bandits in the slums" Caleb can see Claude wanted to react but stops him
"BUT, the mayor did not report any damages or anything, they just said they believe they saw bandits in the area, if what he said is true then Tayne will capture them alive if not then she'll be back here in no time"
"You tell me that as if I'm worried"
"I don't know but if you ARE she's not alone, someone I trust is with her"
Caleb placed a bulk of documents on Claude's table "For the meantime, these documents need your signature, then, I'll see you around Claude"
Claude grunted when he sees the pile of papers on his table, he let out a huge sigh, sits back on his chair and with a pen, he starts signing.
---- End Of The Chapter.