The maid who notified Jack about the knight's arrival, headed outside where the carriages were placed. She looked at the men waiting outside for their king standing for a long time.
"His Majesty said he will be coming soon."
"Alright, you can go." One of the knights replied.
The maid bowed and went back to her work inside the palace.
"Did he forgot us after having a wife?" A man with a scar across his eyes asked with a playful smile on his lips. He had tan skin and grey hair along with green eyes.
"Hah. Nah, Sharrkan. Our king isn't the type to forget his friends for his girl." A red-haired man shorter than Sharrkan replied as he sat on the grass. He was tired from all the journey and standing for so long. He needed a rest.
"Get up, it's dirty." A tall man walked towards the red-haired man sitting on the grass. He looked down at him with a sense of proudness and a cold stare at piecing him.
"Oh! You're just too serious, Zain." Keiji said he stood up and brushed off the dirt on his clothes with his hand. Although he didn't show it, he is indeed afraid of the Zain Atlas. He is the strongest sword master after the king.
"I hope you didn't wait long." A cold and deep voice said. Jack walked down the castle to his knights as he glanced at each of them.
The three of them kneeled to their country's king.
"Long live the sun of the empire, the king of the country, the ruler-"
They got cut off as Jack started talking.
"-Only you three?" He asked with a frown on his face.
"Your majesty. We are the best swordsmen of the kingdom. Don't you worry!" Keiji proudly answered but it didn't satisfy Jack.
"Do you realize your new queen will be leaving this place? Aren't you responsible to protect her? Couldn't you bring more people? For more security?"
The three knights were stunned. They never heard their king talk so much about safety. He didn't even care about having knights to protect him and now he's getting all worked up for his wife?
'I was wrong...' Keiji cried inside disappointed. 'This woman has brainwashed our king already!!'
"Sir... we will be enough, don't worry." Sharrkan sighed.
"You better be. I won't let you live if something happens to Aveline." Jack turned around again and went into his queen's room to wake her up.
****
Meanwhile, the sunlight hit Aveline's face. She opened her eyes and closed them because of the dazzling sun. She sat up on the bed and yawned. She grabbed the bell next to her bed and rang it to call for some maid to help her out.
After some time, she now knows how to act in this world. More or less, that is.
Her personal maid, Emily came and entered the room.
"Why did you not knock?" Aveline asked with a frown on her face.
'This girl... She acts like nothing happened after she treated the old owner like garbage for trash food. How dare she!'
"It's how I usually come, your highness." the maid replied. "Well, I'm sorry, happy?" she asked rolling her eyes.
"Am I a joke to you?" Ave asked feeling her blood boiling inside her.
"Well no. But the emperor hates you. So I have no use acting all cheesy around you, right?" she asked with an evil sneer on her face. "I was only acting nice to you because the King Jack of the neighbourhood country is here. And he is your husband now." Emily said yawning.
"Now, are you done asking questions?" The maid asked tilting her head on the side as she sighed.
Ave stood up without saying a word. She gathered all some energy and punched the maid with all her force.
"What the?!.." the maid fell to the ground as she put her hand on the cheek that got slapped.
Ave blew her hand as she looked at her red palm. "Oh gosh, your face is so hard! My hand hurts. How will you compensate me?" The young girl asked with an evil smirk at the corner of her mouth.
"Who dares?!" Jack rushed towards Ave and grabbed her hand. He acted as if it was he who has gotten hurt. Ave stood there without saying a word.
"Guards! Execute this maid now!" Jack ordered.
The guards came as soon as they heard and took away the maid.
"I'm sorry! Don't do this, your highness!" Emily cried but no one cared.
"What happened, Avi?" Jack asked with a worried face.
"Nothing." She took her away hand from him.
'What if. I mean, if he is also like the people from here? Didn't he tell the old owner he wouldn't marry her because there is no love? That means he might love someone else?'
"What are you thinking? Get ready to go to my kingdom. Didn't you say you wanted to go there? Hurry." Jack softly smiled as he walked away from the room because Ave had answered.
"Sigh. What do I do?"
***
'In the end, I got ready and took the carriage with this man but... Why is it so awkward?!' Ave screamed inside her thoughts, unable to say or move an inch because of Jack sitting in front of her.
"Ahem." Jack coughed and glanced at Aveline.
"Are you... uncomfortable? I will ask them to change the carriage sits." Jack was about to ask one of his knights when Aveline parted her lips.
"Ah. No, it's just... I never left the country. It's weird. And the window is closed..." She looked down as a sad puppy. 'How could I know how to open a carriage's window? I only rode cars in my life!'
Jack's heartbeat increased for a little as he opened the window of her side.
"There." He smiled softly at her.
Ave's face flushed as she looked at his face. 'This is unfair! He is too handsome!' She turned away immediately to not show him her blushing face.
Ave looked through the window the scenery of the kingdom 'she' lived in. She looked at the farms, where the farmers were taking care of the animals. The female farmers were taking out some food from the trees they had planted. The old men and women were sitting outside like dried fish. They probably didn't drink water for a very long time. Some kids were playing naked only wearing something to hide their private parts and their bones were visible.
Ave gritted her teeth in anger.
'This emperor doesn't deserve to be alive. How can he make the population suffer like this?!'
Suddenly, the window closed. Aveline frowned and followed the hand that closed it. Jack was staring at her in a worried way. Again.
"What?"
"You shouldn't see this. Helzon is... not a thing you can support to see." He replied in a sad tone. "It's... I'll show you something better when we get to my kingdom. Just say goodbye to this kingdom now, Avi." He curved his soft-looking lips and turned around the window of his side.
Aveline didn't reply. She didn't want to risk losing her head in case he finds out she's not the real princess. 'Who knows what he might do?' She shivered as she recalled the time when he asked her who bothered her and he would execute the whole family. 'Well, I could care less about the emperor guy. But my head comes first!'
***
Aveline sat down to drink water from the river. She got up after she saw Jack's silhouette on the water.
"What is it?" She asked after turning around.
"You seem different," Jack answered inspecting her. "You would never drink like this before."
'Oh no! He can't find out. I can't die again!'