He came into the entrances that led to the main gates before sighting a maid and guard coming from it. They both of them bowed respectfully and greeted him.
"Tynan," he called the servant's name shocked before looking over to Matthew.
"He left the palace this morning to get the things needed in the palace so I waited for his arrival," Matthew explained.
"I see." He pondered before looking back at Tynan and saying,
"You are to be present among the troops in the camp today. I have ordered all the aspiring knights in the kingdom to be there and you are one of them," he spoke to the young man who gave a surprised look at the both of them before bowing deeply,
"Thank you, my Prince!" Tynan was lying if he said he was simply amazed by this news.
He was beyond grateful that Prince Leon saw him worthy of becoming a Knight, though he was not of noble birth.
"You both can leave," he dismissed Tynan and Joan who quickly obeyed, with Tynan pulling the horse reins. Tynan hesitated for a moment as if waiting for someone but brushed it off later on and departed.
The path was now clear and as if the wolves smelt who was approaching, their voices mellowed down, leaving the earlier Melina wondering what was going on when she saw the one person she was striving to avoid appear before her, the guards holding the chains of the animals quickly let go and bowed to the prince.
She creepily closed the small gate she opened before, hiding her presence from the people that just entered.
Why was this man here again? He always made it hard for her to avoid trouble like she planned and she was currently too embarrassed to see him again after he had almost made those servants pluck out her eyes.
The memory was still ingrained in her mind, she didn't want to even think of it.
After some deliberation on what to do, Melina brazed up for whatever was to come, assuring herself that she would be meticulous this time and respectful to this prince so she could pass these dogs peacefully to the main palace. Who knows whether he would tell the dogs to feast on her if she bumped into him again?
Then she took a deep breath and opened the gate, coming out like a mouse.
"Greetings, Your Highness," she bowed deeply, sighting him playing with the wolves like they were mere friends.
This prince wasn't normal, she was sure.
Avoiding the dogs that were now distracted from her because of Leon, she crept away, about to open the gate to the main palace when she heard,
"Wait!"
Oh God, what did she do this time? She introspected.
Leon had earlier not seen the redhead that was hiding from him and was casually playing with the wolves, scratching their ears when the narrowly ajar door leading to the main gates crept open widely and his attention was drawn to the person standing before it.
For a moment, his mind went blank as he looked at the maid who greeted him without looking back at him, fear engraved on her face, even Matthew noticed it.
He wasn't surprised nevertheless that she was scared but what he wasn't expecting was to see her here.
"Carlos was not in her right mind sending this one out of the palace to get items," Matthew commented in a whisper that only he and the prince could hear and Leon couldn't agree less with his comment.
What was Ms. Carlos thinking about letting this troublesome girl out of the palace?
He heard her greet the both of them while lowering her head and was about to pass the main palace when the scarf on her head fell, uncovering her red hair.
"Wait!" Leon was quick to call as he stood up from where he squatted, leaving the wolves to Matthew and going forward to pick up the scarf.
It took some seconds for her to turn around and find him already towering over her with his height.
"Yes, your Highness?" she answered, lowering her head.
"If your eyes don't work right, at least, your senses should," he mocked her poor ability to notice before pushing the scarf into her hand and she gripped it firmly,
"Thank you, your Highness." she bowed again and he saw a sweat drop from her forehead, exposing her uneasiness.
"You should take a bath. It's just morning and you smell like you went hunting for days," he remarked again, further making her anxious before she replied,
"I w-we-would do that, your Highness. Thank you for informing me." her voice was shaky as she bowed continuously, still lowering her head.
She was already aware it was the meat the creepy man sold to her that had blood dripping from it which stained her clothes, making her stink.
Leon was sure if he said one more word to her, she would probably pass out from the way she was acting so he dismissed her.
"You should do that now," and she turned around, quickly zooming out of his front, relieved.
Leon watched her retreating figure with narrowed eyes. Flashes of the night he had changed her dress invaded his mind again and he shook his head to brush it off, cursing beneath his breath.
What was wrong with him? He never acted like this. He had been coping fine with the memory the past few days before he saw her that night during the search. So what
changed?
"Should we leave now? Our aim here is done" Matthew raised a question, bringing him back to reality.
"Sure. We should get going. The troops would be waiting," and with that, he crouched once more and scratched one of the wolf's ears before leaving the vicinity.