"Now, it's time for me to find out why my little kitten ran away from home." Rugal looked at Alexander as if he were an alien; this was the first time he had heard Alexander speak with such a soft tone.
Clearing his throat to regain Alexander's attention, Rugal remarked, "You started a war with Yorkland." Yorkland was the third most prosperous country, and after repeated provocations from Alexander, they had finally accepted the war, despite knowing they stood little chance of winning. The king of Yorkland, known as Yorks, believed that if he was to die, he should be remembered in history as a brave king.
Alexander stared at Rugal, dumbfounded, his affection for war suddenly turning into hatred. His expression shifted to one of deep thought. "Send out a few soldiers to assist in the search. If they find her, do not inform Astrophel; keep her here until I return. I want to hear her side of the story first."
Rugal nodded in agreement and left to inform the soldiers of their new task. Initially disappointed that they would miss the war, the soldiers' spirits lifted when they learned that the princess they were searching for would be the future queen.
A loud bell tolled throughout the palace, sending Astraea jolting awake, clutching her ears in pain. Groaning, she made her way to the study, the room Ophelia had designated for their theoretical classes, while the large backyard would serve for practical lessons.
Astraea pushed the door open to find Ophelia sitting cross-legged in a chair, waiting for Alon to enter, who covered his ears in a similar fashion. Astraea still didn't understand why Alon was accompanying her in classes, but Ophelia was determined to clarify the situation.
"Do you know what a knight is?" Ophelia asked, knowing this question would be easy for Astraea, who had lived in the palace. It was essential to start with this to help Astraea accept Alon's new role.
Astraea nodded. "A knight is someone in a higher position than the other fighters in the castle. The queen usually has two knights, while the king only has one."
Ophelia nodded in acknowledgment. "I am going to train Alon to be your first knight." As expected, Astraea protested immediately.
"I cannot allow this! I promised him I'd keep him safe, not put him in more danger than before." Ophelia laughed at Astraea's statement.
"He would be much safer living on the streets than staying with you. You of all people should understand," Ophelia retorted, her green eyes locking onto Astraea's bright blue ones until Astraea finally looked away. "With your fate set in stone, you will one day have to marry the king and become queen. The council members of Zlork, who want their daughters to become queen, will not sit idle, and the best way to get to you would be through your knight and personal maid. We'll find a solution for the maid later, but you have the opportunity to have a knight you can trust, so take it."
Astraea absorbed Ophelia's words, glancing at Alon as if seeking his approval. Seeing his nod, she sighed in resignation. "What about the other one? They might insist on me having two knights."
"Don't worry about that; I'll find one before your training is complete." Ophelia finally stood and approached Astraea as Alon took a seat in the study, waiting for Ophelia to address him.
"I will start by teaching you how to control your vampire hearing," Ophelia said.
"When you activate it, your ear develops an extra muscle. Just like babies don't know how to walk even though they have legs, you don't know how to control that muscle yet. First, try to feel for that muscle."
Leaving Astraea to focus, Ophelia turned to Alon. "What kind of weapon do you think suits you?"
Alon pondered for a moment. "Something light and easy to handle."
"An assassin type then," Ophelia noted, glancing at Astraea, who was still focused. "I have no experience with weapons, so I'll ask my close friend to teach you. For now, you need to learn how to act like a knight."
Meanwhile, Astraea managed to locate the muscle Ophelia mentioned but didn't know what to do with it. She practiced finding it repeatedly, requiring less time each time until she no longer needed to concentrate.
Noticing Astraea's progress, Ophelia walked over to her. "Now that you've located that muscle, think of it as an extra arm that you use at will. Just like picking up an arm, you will activate it, and when you release your control, it will turn off."
Astraea practiced what Ophelia instructed, while Alon focused on the postures and habits of a knight.
By the end of their first day, Astraea had mastered her vampire hearing, and Alon had started to embody the essence of a knight.
When Astraea returned to her room, she spotted a crystal ball atop the closet and suddenly remembered Charlotte, the girl who had made everything possible for her. Wasting no time, Astraea rushed over to it to speak with Charlotte.