"What?" The king narrowed his eyes at the lady in front of him.
"I've come across a word that the on the next hunt the crown princess of Nefertari," she stated with a smile that didn't match the fact the impact that her words should leave.
"Huh?" The King puzzled. First, his heir was the target and now it's the princess? The first thing that came to the King's mind is that this was something related to the announcement of his heir, but now, he wasn't so sure.
'Is this something more than just family business?' he said in the back of his mind, doubting that this could've been done by the same person.
"How am I to believe your words on something so important, Lady Hye Su?" he said clearing his throat.
"I've stumbled across a traitor talking with someone who sounded like he was the hitman, one of them is surely one of the princess's men, Your Majesty," she said looking right at her king filled with determination.
"Do you know what he looked like?" The king questioned.
She nodded with a wicked smile. "Yes, Your Majesty," she said. "He is that knight that goes around following her."
King Tae was found lost for words, what is he supposed to do with issues like this?
Doesn't that mean that that knight is a quintet with the man who most probably tried to kill his son? But if this turns wrong, matters can go worse than he can even imagine. This is the princess's personal knight we are talking about, no one to be taken lightly.
"You can go now," He said resting his head in his balm and gestures for Lady Hye to go on her way.
She bowed and obeyed.
~~~~
"What is going on?" Nefertari questioned. Wide-eyed at the quick unexpected thing that happened.
Just a moment ago they were all having tea in their favorite spot – the cherry blossom tree and talking about the previous day at the lake when out of nowhere the King came followed by his royal knights.
"I'm so sorry princess, but there is a possibility that this man is a traitor," the king said sadly while looking at Nefertari.
"What none sense is that?" Nefertari said coldly. "Do you know what is the punishment for speculations, Your Majesty,"
"I-it's not none sense!" Lady Hye Su said stepping out from behind her king, thinking that the king will protect her against the princess's wrath.
Nefertari turned her eyes to glare at her making the other girl gulp.
"I saw this man talking with another knight about staying away from his business and about killing you, Your Highness," Lady Hye Su said trying her best to keep the eye contact between them both to prove that she isn't lying.
"What complete none sense is that!" Nefertari yelled in protest.
"I apologize that I'm saying this but, there is also a suspicion that he might have poisoned the 2nd prince," the king said looking at Joon Wo who was standing next to Tari.
'That's wrong!' he was sure that Azar didn't do it because he knew who the real killer is! The culprit is his mother but was he going to say that out loud? Have his head along with Min Jun and Jae I?
In the middle of all this none sense and chaos, Joon Wo was trying to keep up with the heated conversation between Nefertari and King Tae as he told his knights to take Azar captive while Nefertari throwing a tantrum. As he was trying to take all this in, something sparkled in the corner of his eyes.
He turned to look at its source, falling on golden beads hanging with threads to the belt on someone's belt. He raised his vision to look at the person, his heart sank.
"Min-ah," he whispered under his breath as he tried to deny the fact these golden beads are the same as the one he found.
"I promise Princess, once he is proven not guilty I'll send an official apology to the pharaoh himself!" The King said genuinely.
Nefertari knew that the king has the right to arrest anyone he finds suspicious of trying to kill his son, but why in the world would Azar do that? It made no sense!
'We must trust Azar, he has been with me for a decade now! I can't turn my back!' she said trying to convince himself.
"Alright, even though I know that my knight would do no such thing," Nefertari stated, looking at Azar who was quiet despite all the commotion going on him.
Azar was astonished at how wholeheartedly she was defending him, and that genuinely worried voice that she tried too hard to hide.
Maybe it's time that he revealed himself in front of her after all this time? He thought as he looked at her standing tall and proud, defending him till everyone seemed convinced that there was no way he would do such a thing.
Which was partially true, he had no part whatsoever in the whole poisoning thing…but he can't say that about the traitor part.
He sighed heavily.
The knights escorted him properly under Nefertari's command. He turned around to give her one last look with a weak smile on his face.
"Thank you, my forever princess," he whispered.
~~~~
A while after the whole chaos was calmed down, and Tari was escorted by her maid Canaria back to her room to calm down and think. Joon Wo took his brother Min Jun for a cup of tea in his room.
Min Jun knew that something feels off, his brother had a very disturbed look on his face and he was getting worried. Especially after yesterday and his failure to tell him everything, but he couldn't just ruin the moment…he wanted it to last longer, even it was only until midnight.
"H-Hyung," Min Jun said gathering all his courage to break the suffocating silence.
Joon Wo looked at his younger brother and knew that there was no need for him to say anything, all he had to do was stay quiet and allow his brother to talk. He can talk about this whole bead thing later, nothing was more important to him than helping his brother out even if there is a chance that he sinned – it's as if he was a saint either.
"I-I want to t-tell you something,"