"What do you want, Armin?" Azar said impatiently. "Why did you call me out of here in the middle of nowhere?"
"Always so grumpy aren't you?" Armin said with a sarcastic frown.
Azar only stared at him with his same not-interested look giving off the impression that Armin better gets done with this – clearly an unwanted conversation between old colleagues.
Armin sighed as he caught the hint. "Alright, I'll tell you, not because I love you or anything creepy, just because the Raven has asked for you to know." He stated.
"And that is what?" Azar said.
"I heard that there is imperial hunting happening by next week," Armin said but paused to look at Azar's reaction, and as usual – grumpy.
'Don't tell me…he will do the hit during the hunt!' Azar screamed internally, he could swear that he heard the echo of his words spread through his body. He took a deep breath clearing his throat.
'Wait…we got to stay focused.' He though with his eyes closed.
"And?" Azar said acting dumbfounded raising a corner of one of his dark blond eyebrows.
"And you know," Armin said moving his thumb agonizingly slow over his throat. Azar wished that that thumb was his dagger instead but he knew that one day he will get his moment.
"Well, I kind of guessed what your plan – sorry their plan, you are not clever to come up with something so complicated. Now, what's my business here?" Azar said raising his hand in protest.
"Your business to stay out of my business you whistle-blower," Armin spat out making sure the words came out as dark and hurting as he wanted them to be. "not once, but twice. Can't wait to hear the stories of how the pharaoh tortured you to death."
Azar was surprised at how he was able to keep his cool and avoid putting the sword that was getting rusty in its sheath to use. He shook his head and turned around to go back to his princess.
'She must be looking for me.' Azar thought.
"Wait a minute," Armin mumbled loud enough for Azar to hear. "the pharaoh won't be in his right mind after his Miss sunshine disappears. Can't wait to see the look on that girl's face as I pierce her heart with you sitting in the audience seat."
Azar clenched his fists beside his armored thighs and kept on walking as the chuckles of the crimson knight faded in the wind. The blowing wind covering the sounds of anything that walks through the dusk, even the sounds of the cunning giggles that came from a hidden female figure between the trees.
"What a complete shame for the empire created by The Sun God," Lady Hye Su mocked to no one but her maid next to her.
~~~~
"Well, Well, look whose joining the party late," Nefertari said as he glared at Azar with her arms crossed.
"S-sorry I had something to take care of with an old friend of mine," Azar chuckled as he rubbed his balm on the back of his neck.
Tari looked at him raising both her eyebrows – clearly not buying the lie he was trying to feed her. "I never knew you had friends here, in Goryeo, millions of miles away from home," She said dramatically pausing midway in her speech.
"Is it that knight in red I saw you with before?" Joon Wo said placing the cup of tea from his hand on the table.
"Yeah," Azar stated. "I was with him,"
Tari turned to death stare at Jooni, pissed that he didn't give her a moment to lecture her slacking of knight.
"Anyway, this is not the point here," she said holding her hand up in protest. "the point is that you left your post – which is with me, and went to meet that red-old friend of yours." She sounded like an idiot to her own ears, she didn't care that he went to meet a friend, she just wanted to tease him a little and give him a hard time, since Azar is the person she least bothers with his sarcastic personality none of her attempts seemed to work on him because he would just turn the table over and tease her instead, but this? This was a golden chance…which was ruined by her most precious person.
"Partially right," Azar said supporting his chin with his long elegant fingers. "He wasn't a friend, more like an old colleague? I don't know where I should put him."
Tari sighed in defeat unfolding her crossed hands. "Fine! Whatever, I can't do this on you like always." She pouted.
The sounds of the laughter and giggles that they all shared made him feel a stinging ache in his heart as if someone pierced it with a dagger – a rusty one too which hurts more because it takes harder force to penetrate the flesh, and kept moving it around in circles in an attempt to hallow his heart.
He looked out at the lake that was now reflecting the golden rays of the setting sun and thought …'Why can't my life be filled with this warmth forever?'
A question that he never knew the answer too and didn't think that the answer will come to him anytime soon.
~~~~
"What is the matter that is so important that you request an audience, Lady Hye?" King Tae asked. His voice was rusty from the stress of his work and oldness.
Lady Hye bowed down deeply before straightening her back again. "Thank you for accepting my request in such short notice, Your Majesty," she said faking a grin as she sweetly talked. "I've heard that there will be an imperial hunt next week?"
"True," The king said. "but how do you know such a thing. It's not known to many." He had a bad feeling that the mess he had was just going to get an extra bonus problem.
"Oh, words travel faster than pigeons, Your Majesty," she chuckled.
"I came to tell you that there is a traitor in this palace." Lady Hye smirked