"Princess," the maidservant tilted her head to the right as she spoke. "I already told you that it wouldn't be a great idea for you to act rashly."
It was already nighttime, probably almost at dawn. It was the perfect time for Hena to go out of the palace and explore the capital city. There, she would probably hear some news about what was happening to the South Kingdom's invasion.
She was already warned about how noble vampires must have probably heard about her existence already. Chaos would ensue if she was to roam around without anyone protecting her.
Hena would end up being at the hands of those who want to exploit her. Her goal to avenge her kingdom would be far from what she wanted.
"I'm not acting rashly, I can protect myself and lie low," Hena responded in a calm demeanor. "As you already said, I emit energy that makes other vampires know that I am already claimed. Others won't be able to touch me."
"That may be right, but you never know---"
"Claire," Hena called out her name as she stared right into her red eyes. "You can't force me not to do it."
The maidservant's facial expression loosened up as she exhaled. In the end, Claire spoke up, "Okay. But, please make sure to come back right after the curfew is lifted."
The curfew for servants starts at dawn. They can take off of work and go back to their houses, or stay inside the castle where they can choose to sleep at the quarters.
Usually, maidservants prefer to sleep inside their quarters since they had to go back to their homes at dawn.
+++
"You suit the elegant maidservant dress, Princess Hena," remarked Claire with a smile.
"I could say the same to you," Hena mysteriously smiled as she pleated her dress. "Claire, I trust you. Please just let me be on my own in this."
She nodded and returned the smile, "If I really wanted to be your ally, then I had to prove myself worthy of your trust."
With that one last interaction, Hena left her quarters disguising as a maidservant. She hurried to the gates of the palace and finally saw the capital of the East Kingdom.
The palace guards didn't even bat an eye on her and it was already a success for her. She knew it wasn't the best time for her to be roaming around at this time, but she had to do this for Arya, and the Grand Prince who had already sacrificed a lot for her.
She had to know at least if they were still alive.
Contrary to the overdeveloped scene of the North Kingdom, the East kingdom's overall scene was completely opposite. The streets were narrow, unpaved, and at times muddy.
"May I ask where the market square is, sir?" asked Hena in a low voice, only enough for the opposite person to hear her.
The vampire flashed his red eyes at her and replied, "Just follow the path covered in cobblestones."
"Thank you," she immediately replied and started walking where the man had pointed out.
The more she walked, the more she started hearing the unfamiliar noise coming from the market. Back when she was a princess, all she knew was the market square is the common ground for peasants, merchants, and regular taxpayers to gather to trade.
Whether she was in the North or East Kingdom, almost all marketplace in every capital appeared the same. Contrary to what she expected, there were still a lot of townspeople roaming around the place at almost dawn.
It must have been because most of them gather around with their friends and drink beers and other things.
The city inhabitants had the duty to welcome rural folks who visited the market square to shop for goods. Many churches and manors were scattered near the main city gate, near the walls.
Just like how the North Kingdom city's layout, East Kingdom had the same as well. It was most probably because of the interference of the North Kingdom's royal family.
The capital city included large structures not far from where the defensive walls were erected, a wide-open space that stretched beside the protective buildings and homes normally located in the southeast. The walls had towers and moats.
She pretended to look around the market stalls looked at earrings being sold by a female vampire merchant. She picked up a diamond earring and was fascinated by it.
Near her, she tried to listen to two male vampires talking with each other. From a normal friendly conversation about work, one changed the topic to something Hena preferred to listen to.
"Have you heard about the South Kingdom invading the North Kingdom?"
"Of course, the news about it had already spread among our kingdom and to others as well!" The vampire with a mustache replied as he took a gulp of his glass of beer. "I pity the poor folks. It must have been because the rulers were incompetent."
Incompetent?
She wanted to stand right there and scream at the two vampires, but she had to remain calm. Hena had to keep her calm and play everything by the head.
Letting her emotions go astray will only lead to complications.
"It at the appeared that the princess has run off somewhere leaving the Grand Prince to defend their Kingdom as well," the vampire rubbed his chin using his fingers and continued. "There was news that she came here to our kingdom as well."
"I have heard of that!" The vampire agreed as he chugged his beer down. "I have always respected the royal family of the North Kingdom but it seemed like they won't be able to do something."
"The king and queen had sacrificed their lives but the princess wanted to live and ignore her responsibility as the new ruler, tsk tsk."
Hena took a deep breath and tried to focus on the earring she was fiddling on. She knew how it would affect her if she would try to defend herself, like the princess in question.
She didn't want to leave the kingdom alone because she didn't want to take any responsibilities. Instead, Hena wanted to prove herself worthy and come back to her kingdom with power.
"Young lady, are you not going to buy some earrings?"
The princess of the North Kingdom was so lost in thought that she didn't hear the merchant asking her whether she would buy or not.
"Young lady?"
"Ah, yes," Hena snapped herself back to reality as she smiled at the merchant. "I'll buy this one I'm holding."
The diamond earring resembled those worn by nobles in the East Kingdom. She wanted to buy one for herself, as a treat for herself.
Just like how she wanted to come off as a strong woman, she wanted to become coal that handled pressure exceptionally well.
As she rummaged through her pouch of silver coins, she gave one silver coin to the merchant. And just a moment, a robber suddenly snatched the purse from her hands and started running.
A thief has dared to steal from her.
She ran after him and followed where he was going. People who stood by the road cleared the way as the chasing continued. Hena followed the man until she realized that she was already trapped in a dark alley.
A few vampires showed up from the walls and stared at her, "A human roaming around the market square. You sure are bold, young lady."