Brisna looked at her with big eyes. "He doesn't like pink because he is a boy?"
Lyana tried to keep a straight face when the little girl said that. Calling the scary King a boy was quite funny to her. "Yes my dear. That must be the case."
Brisna nodded understandingly. "My brother also doesn't like pink since he is a boy. Maybe he will likr blue or purple." She made a thinking posr whilr saying that and Lyana noticed that even her maid had problems suppressing her laughter. The little one was too cute while acting as if she was all grown up. She immediately looked for another dress full of energy. Her brother also enjoyed his job and so they got the five dresses she had promised relatively quickly. Alisen pouted a little because they hadn't gone to several stands, but quickly accepted it and immediately urged her to look for matching jewelry.
Lyana was laughing and talking to Alisen about her exaggerated selection of jewelry when she was
rudely pushed aside by a man and his wife and fell to the ground. Immediately the wolf stood in front of her and growled menacingly at the man. He backed away slightly and pulled out a dagger.
"Why are you taking a wolf to the market? Hold him back or I'll kill this beast," he yelled at Lyana.
However, she froze briefly at the sight of the dagger and did not react quickly enough. The man raised the dagger and only now did Lyanas stiffness loosen and she threw herself protectively over the animal.
"No, don't!" She heard Alisen scream shrilly and expected to feel the cold edge of the dagger at any
moment. But nothing happened and so she dared to look up. The man still held the dagger in the air.
The only difference was that pure fear was reflected in his eyes and King Ulrics glistening sword rested on his throat.
The king looked at the man with hatred. "You dare to threaten my wolf?" His voice was sharp and freezing cold. Lyana had never seen the king so angry. She felt herself trembling all over.
Whimpering, the man dropped the dagger and fell on his knees to beg him for mercy. His wife threw herself on her knees as well and did the same. But the king didn't seem to care. "I want to show you what happens to those who dare to threaten what is mine." He was already lashing out when Lyana screamed loudly. "Don't!"
The king stopped abruptly and stared at her with an icy look. "Who do you think you are to stop me? This is my country and I alone decide on the punishment this filthy rat deserves."
"Please," pleaded Lyana urgently, "not in front of the children."
Only then did King Ulric look at the Count's two children. Miler held his sister tightly in his arm.
The little girl wept bitterly.
At that moment something changed in the king's gaze and he stuck the sword back into the sheath.
Then he took a step towards the man and, like Lyana before, lifted him into the air with only one hand on his neck. "Today you were lucky but if I ever see you again, I'll finish what I started."
As if he weighed no more than a feather, he threw the man back on the floor. His wife wrapped her arms around his neck, crying. They quickly got up and disappeared. In the meantime a large crowd had formed around them, who had watched the spectacle anxiously. Baridi struggled through this crowd and gave the princess a hand to help her get up. "Are you hurt, Your Royal Highness?" He asked worried and she shook her head. "Nothing happened to me."
As soon as she stood she was almost knocked over again by the two children. "Lyana," they kept crying, sobbing and clinging to her. It took a while for them to calm down.
The king had turned to her maid, who apologized again and again. She must be blaming herself, but
there was nothing she could have done. King Ulric interrupted her tirade and pointed to the jewelry.
Lyana wondered what they were discussing. She would have loved to go to them, but the children
still wouldn't let go of her. When her maid and the king came back to them, the king was holding
something. He walked up to the princess and held out his hand to her.
Lyana looked puzzled and he opened his fist. Inside was the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. The pendant consisted of three small flowers, which shimmered blue and purple depending on the incidence of light. They looked incredibly real, but were as solid and glittering as crystal. The flowers were held together by a narrow green stem and tiny leaves. Others might call this necklace simple, but for Lyana it was like a piece of magic and the longer she looked at it, the more details struck her. There were even small unopened buds to be seen and the chain had a print in the form of flowers on the clasp.
"Myosotis. As a thank you for your loyalty to my wolf. You didn't have to throw yourself over him", the king explained and took her hand to give her the necklace.
Lyana was speechless. Though he still couldn't bring himself to change to a friendly expression, she saw true gratitude in his eyes. His wolves must mean a lot to him. Only now did she realize what an honor it was to have this wolf as their guardian. "The necklace is beautiful. But I didn't do that to get a reward," she clarified and tried to give him the necklace back. "In addition to that, it looks really expensive. You have given me so many clothes and jewelry already. That's really not necessary."