At his words, Rose fled from the aisle in the library back to their research. Her interest and enthusiasm were infectious, and the guard prayed silently that he would not disappoint her. Pulling out a chair for the princess to sit, Cole then reached for the pages in front of where he had been sitting.
"It is right here, Your Highness," Cole said as he passed the book across the table. The reports had been loosely bound together with other pieces slipped in at a later time--prehaps as more information became available. "This book seemed to have been touched more recently than the others, which I thought was strange. So, I pulled it even though it was not the next in line. I hope that is alright."
"If you indeed found something, then you may have saved us both a lot of time and effort. Good thinking." The girl gave a genuine smile that made the soldier beam. Rose did not seem to notice as she looked down, her face scrunching in concentration.
Rose perused the report. It was about a small village in the eastern part of Birle. Late one night all of the homes caught fire. It seemed intentional because every structure burned to the ground yet the forest itself did not share the same damage. Six families died as they slept. It was a tragedy. They had lost everything, including their lives.
Rose searched for the date on the documents. It had all happened sixteen years ago. Rose would not have been around a year old. For some reason, tears came to the girl's eyes. She blinked them away.
"Who was the primary on the report?" She asked, trying to redirect her thoughts.
Cole nodded and pointed to the name on the final page, "Commander Borit. You said you wanted articles that concerned him."
"So I did," the princess confirmed. "You have made quite a find!"
The soldier's eyes filled with satisfaction, but he was not done. "There's more. I discovered a bit of a mystery, it seems. The initial reports by the soldiers mention a dark haired man with silver eyes and a little girl escaping the inferno. They were the only survivors of the catastrophe. Yet, later the reports were changed by Borit himself." Cole pointed to different scraps of paper. "These reports remove the mention of a child and blame the man for starting the blaze."
Rose bit her lip. Something was very off. "Why would Borit change the report?"
"That remains unclear, Your Highness," Cole answered while scratching his head. He had wondered the same thing. "Perhaps he obtained new information?"
"Hm, perhaps," Rose was unconvinced. She scanned the words and read the end of the passage aloud, "The suspect is medium height, slim build, looks to be in his teens, with dark hair, tan completion and silver eyes. He remains unapprehended at the closing of this report."
A small sketch was included at the bottom of the page. The person in the picture had untamed hair and a small nose.
'It sure looks a lot like the man who entered my room. Identical in fact.' The princess made notes on her paper of relevant details and copied down the information to find the book again.
"Can we talk to either of the other soldiers that were with Commander Borit at the time of the event?" the princess was hoping that the light-haired man might have a way to locate them.
Cole shook his head gravely. "They seem to have both died in a raid along the border shortly after this event." He turned a few pages and pointed to the incident. "I wanted to see if there was any more information when I found this. It seems they were the only two who died in the raid. Bandits swooped in the night and took the two men's valuables and killed them. The noise awakened nearby tents, but the culprits escaped.
"Very suspicious happenings, and far too convenient… Great work, Cole!" She patted the man's arm appreciatively, and Cole blushed. He moved his arm gently away.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Princess Rose?"
Surprised, both Rose and Cole turned their heads to the voice. Completely enthralled in the events before them, the pair had not heard anyone approach. Rabert stood between two bookshelves eyeing them carefully with Philip slightly behind him. The latter was clearly amused. Panicking,
Cole pushed his chair back awkwardly, stood, and saluted the captain. "Sir," he said.
Rabert did not acknowledge him. "King Rhodri wishes for you to take a horseback ride with him. He is already at the stables."
'I am not dressed for such a thing, but I can simply ride sidesaddle.'
"Thank you, Captain. Just a moment." Rising gracefully from her seat, Rose handed Cole the book of names. In a clear regal voice she spoke, "Please see to it that this gets to my chambers before I return. Thank you very much for your assistance." Whispering, she added, "Please tell no one what I have been looking for—except Captain Rabert if you must—until I know more."
"Yes, Princess Rose." Cole bowed deeply this time, both to show the depth of his conviction to keep her trust and to demonstrate his respect for her position.
The princess turned to leave and motioned for Rabert to lead the way. "If it is acceptable to Your Highness, I would like Philip and the others to escort you while I speak a moment with Cole. It seems we need to revisit what guarding a royal actually means." The Captain's voice was crisp, and Cole could only imagine the punishment that he was about to receive. Rabert's eyes nearly bore a hole in the other man's head.
The princess moved between them. "Don't blame this guard for my folly," Rose pleaded on the soldier's behalf. "In fact, I ask that you reward him for his loyalty. He has done a great service to the crown by helping me today."
Rabert seemed unmoved. "I will be sure to handle it, Your Highness. If you will excuse me." The Captain's eyes narrowed fiercely on the soldier and Cole blanched an even paler white.
Rose mouthed an apology to the man before leaving. 'I've gotten him into trouble. I am so selfish,' she thought for the second time since she awoke.
The princess promised herself she would make it right. She would find a way to make it up to the soldier who was only showing her kindness. However, just now she followed Philip out of the room, feeling powerless.
Rabert watched the royal's exit and turned on the soldier. He stared coolly at his subordinate for a long time. Cole gulped unconsciously, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead. The silence became too much. "I am sorry, Captain. I forgot my place. The princess requested my help, and she can be very convincing."
"I know," Rabert responded. In a powerful voice he boomed, "Never let it happen again. You can't protect a princess with your nose in a book!" The Captain brought his fist down heavily on the table, sending a cloud of dust into the forgotten room.
"Yes, sir," Cole flinched, looking visibly chastened. "I will do better."
Rabert looked around to see who was within earshot. It seemed no one was around, but he could not be sure. Pacing the aisles, he did not find a single soul. When the captain was satisfied, he walked over and sat down at the table, glancing calmly at the open book.
"Now, tell me everything."