Chapter 5
After Eating our breakfast, we went to the X village nearby. Of course my children are all very much excited to buy weapons.
When we were still in the palace the three princes love their sword training, they live and breathe for swordsmanship. At the young age of five they could wield a wooden sword like its a real sword, of course a real metal sword is still heavy even for them so I'm thinking of buying them daggers instead.
"Boys." I called out for their attention. The three of them stopped from walking and turned their attention to me.
"Put on your hood. Were almost there, don't let anyone see your face." I told them, and they nodded in response. I don't need to tell them why we need to hide our face, my boys are smart enough to know why.
When we reached the X village it was exactly what I had imagined. A completely deserted village with no life.
The houses were all broken down, the ground is full of cracks from the heat of the sun and people are all scattered to the ground awaiting for their death due to starvation.
Well it certainly uphold to its name, X village or the Exiled Village. This is the home of the exiled people.
Seeing this scenario scared me. I have to get out of this situation as soon as possible. The more time we spend in exile the more we would be like this people. Starving and waiting for death.
"H-help--"
"W-water, pl-ease"
"F-food---"
"Mother." Asher called out to me, he stopped in front of the people who was calling for help. I grab his hand and pulled him away from those people.
"Keep walking Asher. There's nothing you could do for them." I said to him, "I can give them my water!" Asher shouted.
"No." I answered him and I could see his face asking why.
I sigh and smiled at him, I then patted his head. "There is nothing you can do for them, Asher. You can give them water now but what about tomorrow? Or the next day? You can't help them in a position we are now. The water that we have in our house is also limited. We are in the same position as them…..Surviving." I explained to him.
I could see how Asher flinched at my response. "I know you mean well Asher, but as of now. We have to focus on ourselves, the only people you need to protect is your brothers." I told him.
Asher teared up. Aiden and Arlo held Asher's hand, "We will help them once we secure power again." Arlo said. Asher nodded in response as tears fell down his face.
"We need to go Asher." Aiden said to his brother, he then pulled Asher away from the people. The three of them walked with their heads held down. Just listening to the people asking them for help.
My heart aches for my babies. I know their hearts just wants to help but they have to know our reality now. We are not royalties anymore.
The four of us walked at least five more minutes before we reached the town's only weapon store.
The store from the outside looks like it had been there for hundreds of years. The door was covered in mold, the store was made of woods that was covered in holes, most of them looks like someone punched through the wall.
It was shabby, unmaintained and almost decaying. That's the perfect way to describe this store. But we didn't came here to judge its looks we came here to buy weapons.
"Mom, the store looks like its about to fall apart the moment we step into it." Arlo said as he knock on the wall of the store.
"Arlo, stop that." I scolded him. He just pouted his lips and crossed his arms on his chest. I just shook my head.
I knock on the door of the store, no one answered. When I was about to knock once more my heart almost jumped out of my chest when the door suddenly collapses as it made this loud banging sound as soon as it reaches the floor.
My boys and I stared at the broken door dumbfounded. "Is that my fault?" I asked my children while staring at the door.
"No. Mother, a fly could have easily took that door down." Arlo said to me, some how it comforted me knowing its not my fault and I wouldn't have to pay for any damages. Cause truth be told, I don't have any money.
"Who's there?!" A loud screamed coming from the inside of the store took us by surprised. "Boys, don't show your face." I whispered to my children. They nodded in response.
"Were here to buy weapons." I yelled back to whoever it was. I really couldn't see the face of the person since it was dark inside. But from its voice, I would say it a guy.
"Ha buy?! Only a fool would believe that people from the exile village would have money! Get out!" The man yelled once again only this time he showed his face to us by standing in the spot where the sun shine.
"You dare to shout at my mo-" Before Asher could even finished his words I stopped him by grabbing his shoulder.
"its ok." I said to Asher, I decided not to use his name just because this man might recognize us as the ex-imperial family.
Asher was smart enough to stand down and to read the tone of my voice. I then turned my attention back to the owner of the store. I looked at him from head to toe.
I would say he's atleast in his forty's but still he was buff, his body seems healthy and his demeanor is like of a knight. He was tall and big, Another thing that stood up is his scar that goes from his left eye down to his neck.
"What are you staring at? Leave!" he shouted once again. He was about to turn his back at us when I toss him a bag of gold coins.
He stopped. He ran towards the bag of gold coins. He grabbed one and with his teeth tested it if it was real or not by biting into the coins.
When he confirmed that it was real, he smiled condescendingly. "Oh! Hahaha! Forgive me madam for my rudeness. Please feel free to pick any weapons you want." His attitude change faster than my ex husband could exile us.
I just nodded in response to him, he led us inside his stores and just as I expected there isn't much to see. There are probably ten sword maximum and not all of them are in good condition, there was a bow and arrow that is clearly molding, daggers that could not even cut a single leaf.
"Is this all you have?" I asked the owner, "Well that depends on your payment, Madam." A disgusting smile was plastered on his face showing his broken smelly teeth.
This scoundrel.
But no matter how mad I'am and how disgusting it is. I need the weapons. So I took out one more bag of gold coins. He was about to take it from me but I pulled it out of his sight.
"You bit#$!" He shouted when he couldn't take the second bag of coins. "Show me the weapons first." I said to him while hiding the bag of coins in my cloak's pocket. He flinched in surprised.
"Tsk. Follow me." He said and led us to another room inside his store. The room was full of high-end weapons. Unlike the weapons outside the weapons inside this room is decent enough to use.
I don't know how and where he got this weapon from since people from the X village is not allowed to go inside the kingdom, so someone might have been bringing it to him illegally.
"Feel free to scan the weapons. Tell me if you found something you fancy." The owner said, he then sat at the ground. I just nodded in response.
"Boys. Go pick a pair of daggers you like." I said to my three piglets. I could see their beastly grin behind their cloak.
They disburse in different places and started looking for their weapons. I too made my way to the swords. The swords here are not as good as the swords that I use in the kingdom but it will get us by.
This is the time when I'm just so thankful that my late father has required me to take swordsmanship lesson when I was in my teens, now that lesson will really come in handy at times like this.
While looking at the different kinds of swords I could feel someone looking at me from behind. And it won't take a genius to figure who it was.
I calmly pick the sword in front of me and turned around at the owner. "I'll take this sword." I said to him.
He didn't answer me for a good minute, instead he was bending his head trying to see my face underneath the hood of the cloak that I'm wearing.
"I said, I'll take this sword." I said to him once again.
This time it looks like he snapped out of his reverie. "Ah! Yes, is that all?" He said to me in a loud obnoxious tone of voice.
I turned my attention to my children to see if they have already picked their daggers and thankfully they did. "This sword and the daggers." I said to the owner, he just nodded in response. I threw him the second bag of gold coins and I thought it was the end of our transaction.
"Thank you for doing business with us, we shall take our leave first." He didn't respond.
I gave my children a look and the three of them nodded. I could tell that they were in high tension, just like me we are all in the edge of something that is about to go down.
When we reached the door of the shop, I thought we would be able to get out without trouble. "Wait." The owner called for us.
"Keep, walking." I whispered to my sons. We ignored the shop owner and continued on walking.
"Youre the Ex-Royal family aren't you?"
That halted me from my feet for a second, I could feel his disgusting smile just from the tone of his voice. It was like mocking tone, but I quickly calmed myself. "You're mistaken." I said to him not even turning my head to him.
We were already at the main entrance of the shop when my instict told me to get the fu@# out of the way.
In just a split second I felt a gushed of wind coming towards us. Luckily my sons are skilled enough to dodge that murderous attack.
I didn't waste anymore time, with the sword in my hand I was the first one to attack the owner. Our swords clashed with each other.
When my hood feel off my head, I could see his eyes widen but when he realized he was right about my identity earlier, he laugh. He laugh maniacally.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!! I knew it! You're the Ex-Empress!" He said licking his upper lips with his tongue.
I positioned myself, in a fighting position. Pointing my sword at the man who was clearly not in his right mind.
I just stared at him in an emotionless face, I assumed he didn't like the way I look at him. "Why are you looking at me like that you bitch! You think you're still a royal?! HA! You're nothing but a worthless woman who should be underneath my feet!" He yelled in anger.
"Stand down if you don't want to get hurt." I told him while pointing the sword at his neck. He click his tongue in annoyance.
"I told you not to look at me like that! You lowly exiled bitch!" He screamed, and with the sword in his hand he swung it to my direction. I easily dodge his attacks.
'He's stupid for doing that.' I thought to myself.
I sigh in frustration. Goodness I just want to buy weapons.
I then drop my sword to the ground which surprised him. But later on he laugh. "HAHAHA! YES! That's right! You are no match for--- huh?"
Without him even realizing it. His head slowly slide down his neck like butter on a knife. He has been decapitated.
Looks like the situation has gotten into him and he realized what had just happened. "What? H-how?"
I just looked at him with disgust. That's what you get for attacking us.
A loud bang created by the falling of his decapitated body echoed through the room. When his body reached the ground his hands, feet and torso was all sliced into pieces.
"Boys. That's enough." I said to Aiden, Asher and Arlo.
The three of them was standing behind the owner's body, grinning from ear to ear holding their daggers that was covered in blood.
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[End of Chapter]