"I suppose this must be an awkward meeting for you, right?" Said the prince from his horse, looking from above and proud at the humble couple even on their knees.
"Your majesty is not at all, his presence alone cheers even the most difficult situation."
"Jum, Yulio, if I'm not mistaken, no? Don't try too hard to appear to like me, for me, this situation is not to my liking either, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't that my real father, who for my brother…, Ahh forget the last
sorry forget the last" said the prince
After he finished speaking a soft voice came from behind him
"Excuse me, but I think we should get off by now."
"Oh, Litia, excuse me, if we get off" the prince kindly ordered his men at the request of Litia and after going down he remembered the couple and told them" you can get up.
At his command, the couple, still nervous, could finally get up and appreciate their guests better, being in Crystal's case her nerves and many feelings of hatred and sadness swirled more in her when she saw her ex-fiancé more closely and especially seeing him so close to someone who was not her, as well as what happened to his parents, but those feelings they quickly suppressed, logically alleging that he never loved her and that he did a lot of harm and that he should concentrate rather now, but The voice of the embittered prince took her out of her little trance.
"Crystal, I think you seem to be fulfilling your duty as a wife correctly," he said sarcastically, humiliating her about her condition, and then continuing, "but your duty as a noble seems not so much, allowing this to happen."
"Your majesty please," Yulio replied at the insult about her wife.
"Don't interrupt me and let me finish, I must clarify this now, Crystal I still do not like you and since this punishment is still light for you, but the circumstances to merit that we are cooperating, so I warn you do not think of doing anything funny and especially to Litia, because I swear that you are not going well."
When the prince finished saying that, Yulio was about to lose his temper, but his wife with hollow eyes and forced smile stopped him, saying.
"I understand your majesty ... and don't worry, I'm not planning to do something wrong, so if you'll excuse me, let us show you the way inside to discuss what we will do next, time is running out."
"Okay, let's go Litia and the others," said the prince, snorting inside the store.
The meeting went smoothly and promptly thanks to plans already drawn up previously, and it was decided that the prince with his men including Lithia, along with Yulio, Captain Lier, and half of Desparamo's forces would go, if not there was nothing new, to besiege the fort.
It was so that after half an hour of the beginning of the meeting, only Yulio was missing for going to the siege, but before that, he needed to say goodbye and calm his now disturbed and fragile wife who has always been fierce and imposing.
"Crys I'm going to the fortress, as planned I hope you take care of yourself while you're here."
"Uju," Crystal nodded now already inactive after a stressful meeting as well as contemplative and cheers after their unfortunate meeting, but when noticing her so badly Yulio decided to do something after sighing.
"Crystal!"
"Eh?"
So when he raised his face to see him, acting improperly of his meek being, he stole a big kiss that lasted a few seconds, then separated from her and told his shocked wife who now saw him with her eyes open.
"Crystal reacts, I am your husband, I love you and I will continue to hold him, so it distresses me to see you so badly for another man and especially for someone who hurt you so much and never loved you, so take heart and give up all those bad feelings useless, the only feelings you should have now are joy of having a child, joy of having so many people who appreciate you, and encouragement and strengths to face this situation and all that come, you understand!."
Those great words, like lightning, strongly impacted Crystal's heart, cleaning and clearing all doubt and negativity that now fell on her, taking her back to her animated self who could react again when finishing the story, and her first action was slapping her husband.
"Auch"
"Jum you deserve it, idiot, degenerate, who you think you are, now go and fulfill the mission," his blushing wife said smiling and Yulio to see her again as she was said goodbye.
"At your command my dear"
And then immediately leave with a smile as his wife yelled at him from behind.
++++
After an hour, the expedition was already halfway through the trip and it was at these moments, in the fragile calm, that the prince started a conversation with Yulio.
"Then Yulio no? Are you sure you want to come with us?"
"Your Majesty?"
I ask you, because, according to what you said at the meeting, you are not capable of fighting.
"That is correct, Your Majesty."
"Then why, I know you said it is to command your troops, but I feel that is not the only reason, are you hiding something?"
"Oh not your majesty, how could I, just that you could say that as a lord it would be a shame not to be at least close to my men" Yulio half lied.
"Ahh that was it, how admirable of you, I didn't think you were the proud type."
"Lejeje barely your majesty."
"Don't be sorry, but seriously, tell me, I know that's not the only reason.
"Well, to tell you the truth, I know some healing magic, although I'm not very good yet, I think it might be helpful," I reveal a bit of truth, to satisfy the prince's curiosity.
"Ah, it was that you would have said, it never hurts a doctor, don't be sorry about that."
"Thank your majesty for your praise. This humble servant does not deserve it."
"Don't worry, by the way, tell me, why you decided to sacrifice yourself for her, I don't get it out of my head knowing all the bad things that she and her family have done, in addition to her attitude, how?
"Your majesty," Yulio began, saying after sighing internally, swallowing his hatred for himself for having the gall to ask him that after what he did to his wife, "I guess I can only say that I was hopelessly in love."
"How romantic of you, now what do you think? although I suppose that seeing the state of your wife it is not necessary to ask."
"Truly your majesty, there is no need to ask," he said, smiling.
"Well see you in a while, I hope this is simple, I already want to leave this place, I sincerely have respect for you to endure in this place," he said as he walked away from the expedition's leader on his steed.
"Afff is a jerk, thank the gods you didn't marry with Crystal," Yulio commented after the prince left.
++++
It was 10 o'clock at night when, finally, the expedition had reached the fort, but contrary to their expectations, they found it totally empty, with no soul in sight, not even a dog or a rat.
"But what's going on here?" Said the prince in the fort's conference room as he threw his helmet on the floor.
"I am also surprised your highness" Yulio replied.
"I hope it isn't, some cheating of yours or else ...
"His majesty as we could"
"Ahh there's no use blaming yourself without proof, but I can't calm down at this."
"You are right to be tense, Your Majesty" answered a distinguished and veteran soldier of the prince and then continued "this situation can be perfect for a trap, you have to be alert."
As the soldiers warned, after a few minutes a soldier from the prince entered the room to report.
"His majesty, it is urgent from the forest in the north an army approaches, of, of, monsters and people I think."
"As you think," asked the prince
"I'm sorry your majesty, but please check this matter," the soldier pleaded.
"Of course I will," the prince agreed.
After which everyone in the room stepped out to the north walls of the fortress where they could see into the distance, a horde of immutable monsters and some armored humanoids glowing in ghostly fire.
"This seems not going to be easy," murmured the prince in a bad mood.
What happened next is that they quickly closed the fort, the archers and magicians next to the prince positioned themselves on top of the wall, on the other hand, the other soldiers were, or on hold, helping in logistics, or helping as archers, meanwhile, Yulio and Litia waited in a large room waiting for the possible wounded.
"I did not imagine you also knew healing magic, or excuse me forget to introduce myself my name is Litia Mauvel oh excuse me, now it would be Litia Reigaria," Litia introduced himself gently to Yulio.
"Don't worry, I am Yulio Valirente baron of these lands, I am sorry for having involved you in a problem in our territory."
"Ah don't apologize, there is no reason why, we are all part of the same kingdoms, and we must help each other when we are in trouble."
"His words fill me with comfort, and about my magic don't expect much, I'm still learning and also it doesn't help much, it only encourages the body."
"Do not be less appreciated, even a little, your help is very important at this time, have more faith in yourself."
"Miss Litia, your words fill me with strength, thank you for comforting me."
"You don't have to be thankful, they are only words of encouragement, they are not that bad, besides, you can speak to me more normally, I feel that we are very distant, you know since I am the prince's wife, there are few occasions that I can speak without worrying about the noble manners."
"Hehe as you like Litia, I would also like to talk without having to worry about these things, and by the way, the prince's wife? Well, I knew they had something, but this, how did it happen?
"We, well," she said sadly, then continued, "we both had already met at the academy, but then after the Crystal thing, oh sorry I didn't want ...
"Easy, go on."
"Well, weeks later, I and the prince got engaged ... and then, then ... we have to be ashamed."
"Hehehe, how adorable they are, they look like a fairy tale."
"As you think, hahaha."
"Hahaha."
but between conversations and laughter Yulio analyzed the accomplice of his wife's fall, concluding that he was innocent.
[How pure ..., I can't believe that thanks to her we are in this state, well at least I don't have to worry about her stabbing me in the back while we're here] Yulio thought finished his analysis.
As well as between preparations and conversations, the army of monsters arrived at the fort, attacking it as a wave without intelligence hitting the coast, on the other hand, the archers and magicians began to shoot everything they had.
11:14 PM
The fort still held but the monsters didn't seem to stop dropping in numbers.
11:34 PM
A large group of monsters broke away from the horde and headed in the direction of the town, worrying Yulio upon hearing the news from his wife.
"Crystal please don't let anything happen to you"
2:40 AM
The soldiers began to run out of arrows, the door was cracking, the magicians were already getting tired, and some monsters were able to climb the walls initiating combat with the prince and the soldiers without success.
2:56 AM
The wounded begin to arrive and Lithia heals them with great efficiency.
"How impressive, for this reason, sacred magic is so appreciated"
5:30 AM
The main door was broken and the monsters began to enter, luckily a legion of ready soldiers, as well as the prince, intercepted them in the door preventing their advance.
7:46 AM
The battle ended, the fort could be protected, but at the cost of half the forces of both allies.
It was then when there was no one else to fight, Yulio, leaving Querin being attended by his fiancée in the great medical care room, went out to the courtyard of the fort being illuminated by the first rays of the sun, only to see all the disaster rubble, blood, and bodies from the war.
[According to Querin, he did not see anyone relevant among the monsters that could be Monterio, perhaps he was one of the bunch but I must be sure, I have to go into the forest and check with my eyes]
"Crystal, I'm sorry for leaving you, not knowing if you're okay eats me up inside, but I trust you and your plans, so you trust me and wait for my return."
And so with the confidence within him, Yulio began to walk through the snow and blessed by the first rays of the sun, without anyone taking it into account, towards the forest of death, to his final destination.