"Hey! What is happening? Why are we suddenly transported here?" asked Rupert, confused by all that happened.
I held their hands tightly, and we ran towards the carriages.
"I don't have time to explain, Young Master. For now, please trust me as your mother and father entrusted both of your safety to me."
"Milady!" A knight shouted while waving in our direction.
We entered the carriage, and I hugged Beau, who was trembling from fear.
"I'm scared," Beau fretted. His breathing was uneven, and I could hear his heart pounding.
"It's going to be okay, Beau. Big Sister is here to protect both of you," I reassured him, and he tightly held onto my clothes.
"Hold on tight, Milady!" The knight from the House Augustine advised, and the carriage moved swiftly.
Since the carriage moves so fast, it jumps slightly whenever it passes a small rock. I can hear the horses clopping and neighing and swords clashing. What the hell is happening outside?
No one should be able to follow us yet since after we were transported, a barrier formed in the mansion that traps them inside. Only the caster can remove the barrier from the inside or outside, and the nobles cannot communicate with their servants outside.
They also can't use magic since the barrier dispels any form of magic that could be used without the caster's permission! This is why the artifact the countess gave won't work even if they ask a servant to have my appearance for the plan, so they had no choice but to use me as bait. Even after all that countermeasure, how did the enemies penetrate through that?
"Beau, stay with your brother," I instructed, letting them sit beside each other.
I was about to open the window, but a knight shouted close to the carriage door.
"Don't open the window, Milady! We're being ambushed!"
My hands are trembling from the intense worry and restlessness I'm feeling. I was told they couldn't come after us after we passed the Witch's Forest, so how come they're already here? Perhaps an unforeseen circumstance happened back in the mansion.
What about the other carriage? Have they found out that we weren't there? Even if the enemies split their forces, it would still be impossible for them to catch up! How?
"Hey…"
Just how?! What part of the plan went wrong?
"Hey, Big Sister!"
I looked at Rupert, who was trying to comfort Beau, and asked, "What's going on?"
I shouldn't panic—not in front of the children. I should focus on what's happening right now. As long as both of them are safe, it's all good. We must arrive at the fortress, and our safety will be guaranteed.
I took off the ring the countess gave me and gave it to Rupert.
"Young Master, the countess gave this to me to protect us. If something happens while we're in this carriage, I want you to use this to protect your younger brother, okay?"
I held his hand. "You know how to use magic, right? I heard you graduated on top of your class from the Academy in the Capital. Don't engage in combat unless necessary, got that?"
He just looked at me, not knowing how to respond.
"Young Master, do you understand?"
He just nodded in response and hugged his younger brother tightly. Rupert can protect himself since he was already permitted to join the subjugation. But he was with his father then, so he had someone to watch his back. They are fending off monsters, but we're dealing with humans here.
I'm also worried for Beau. Even if this was for their safety, I can't help but think this will be a traumatic encounter for him. I hope nothing goes wrong for us.
I hugged them when we heard an explosion from above. After that, everything suddenly became quiet.
"Hello! What's happening outside?" I shouted, fearing that the loud explosion would cause a problem for us.
No one answered. The carriage kept swaying until it stopped. Why did we stop?
"Don't go outside, Milady—Ack!"
We heard more slashing sounds. Now that we're not moving, I can vividly hear the screams and the clashing of swords from the knights. When will this end? We can't just stay here! Even if I won't be able to get as far as passing the Witch's Forest, at least I can let Rupert and Beau arrive at the fortress!
"Oh, f*ck this!" I kicked the door open. "Come with me." I carried Beau and held Rupert's hand.
We went outside the carriage, and I grimaced when I could smell the scent of blood everywhere.
"Young Masters, cover your nose," I cautioned while looking at our surroundings.
There are corpses with black robes lying on the floor, and a few are from the Imperial Knights and House Augustine. I don't have the time to mourn their deaths, but I know they'll be honored after those criminals are put in their rightful places.
I looked at the front of the carriage, hoping that the horses and the coachman were still alive. I forcefully covered Beau's vision when I saw the coachman disgracefully decapitated. Fortunately, the horses were still alive, but the harness was burned down.
I felt a tap on my shoulder, and I was about to kick that person when I saw it was a knight from House Augustine.
"It's me, Milady."
Based on his voice, he was the knight who warned me not to leave the carriage. His waist, chest, and head were covered in blood, and he was panting heavily. I looked behind him, and many of the knights from our side were heavily wounded. I don't see any enemy forces, but I know more are still coming.
"Young Masters, please stay close." I helped the Knight saunter towards the injured. "Where are we right now, sir Knight?"
"You can just call me David, Milady. We're in the middle of the pathway towards the fortress. We survived the ambush, but we don't know if we can still go on. It's best if you proceed to the fortress with the Young Masters and the Vice-Commander of House Vanidestine," He explained.
He sat down and coughed blood. "We don't know how many enemy forces will come. Milady's and the Young Master's lives are our top priority, so please." His eyelids were twitching. "Please..stay…safe."
He's…dead. I covered his eyes.
"May you rest in peace, David. You were an upstanding knight."
I quietly stared at his cold corpse and saw something shining in his hands, and it looked like he was holding it tightly. I grabbed it, and my heart dropped when it was a beautiful ring wrapped in a picture of a lovely woman. I recognize this woman—she was a maid in House Vanidestine.
I squeezed the necklace tightly. I hate this. I hate it when someone has to sacrifice themselves for me. The burden I must shoulder because lives are at stake is something I never want to experience. I don't want anyone to offer themselves so that I can be safe. Not on my watch.
"They're after me, so I'll meet them," I whispered, looking toward the children. "As long as they're safe, I don't care what happens."
There's no use in running away if they seek me desperately.