Aria noticed that Cedrik was unusually quiet today. "What's the matter?" she asked.
But he avoided her gaze, stammering, "N-Nothing."
She was about to speak again when there was a knock on the door.
"Your Highness, Prince Rasheen's butler is here," said William.
"Come in!" she said.
The butler entered and bowed, his gaze shifting to Cedrik before he spoke. "Good evening, Your Highness. Prince Rasheen invites you for a drink in his room tonight."
How persistent.
" I appreciate the invitation, but I've already planned to spend my night with Lord Gawain." she said.
Since she couldn't avoid spending the night with her husband, Gawain seemed the best choice. He was a gentleman, and she trusted he wouldn't overstep any boundaries while they slept.
"Is that so…then I will take my leave, Your Highness." The butler said, disappointment in his voice. He bowed and left.
"Y-You are going to sleep with Lord Gawain?" Cedrik asked.
"We will simply sleep," she assured.
This is the Princess'fault, she's risking her life because of her.
Cedrik remained silent after hearing her decision.
.
.
Knock! Knock!
Aria waited for Gawain to open the door, but he didn't respond. His butler was also absent.
Did he go outside?
She didn't inform him that she would spend the night with him. It was so sudden because she was avoiding others.
"Gawain, are you here?" she called out, then opened the door and entered.
It was quiet, and she saw that the balcony was open. "Are you out there?"
"A-Aria?" Gawain showed up. So he's at the balcony the whole time.
"I-Is that really you?" his hair is messy.
Did he cry? He's holding a bottle of alcohol.
"Are you drunk?" she asked.
But instead of answering, he simply hugged her tightly.
"When I heard your voice, I thought I was dreaming. I never imagined you would come here tonight," he confessed, tears streaming down his face.
Aria understood—he was afraid that she would neglect him again now that her other two husbands were also in the palace.
She hugged him. "I came here because you're also my husband. I won't repeat the mistakes of the past."
"R-Really?" tears continued to flow from his eyes.
She smiled. "Yes," she said, wiping his tears. "But... we'll just sleep."
She sat on the bed. "You see, I don't trust those men. You're the only person I can trust to sleep with every night. I know you won't do anything to me while I'm sleeping."
He smiled, kneeling and caressing her face. "Of course, I won't force you if you don't want to. I will always respect your decision."
Thank goodness!
She was still fortunate that Gawain was the most normal one among them.
.
.
"NO!!! HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO WAIT?!" Rasheen exclaimed in a tantrum when his butler informed him that Aria would spend her night with Gawain. "I want her to be by my side tonight huhuhu!" he cried and hugged his pillow.
The butler sighed, feeling for the poor man. Rasheen had longed for the Princess for so long. It was the first time he had seen him crying over a woman. Despite his childishness and stubbornness, he truly loved the Princess.
"I want the Princess huhuhu!" he continued crying.
"Please wait a little longer, Your Highness. Perhaps tomorrow she will decide to be with you," he said.
"D-Do you think so?" he asked, sniffling.
He smiled. "Please rest, Your Highness. You need your energy for tomorrow."
.
.
....
"Whoah! It's so refreshing to have a break from my duties," Aria exclaimed as she stretched her arms, she's now strolling through the garden.
I wonder what those men are up to right now?
She had heard that Gawain and Xerxes spent most of their time in the library, while Rasheen kept following her. She had barely escaped from him.
"Your Highness, it's quite hot today," William said, opening an umbrella.
"T-Thank you," she said.
"Here, you're sweating." He took out his handkerchief to wipe her face.
"Uhmm, William, you don't have to do this. I can manage." She took the handkerchief and wiped herself.
William stared at her, making her uncomfortable.
Bruh, stop staring at me. It's awkward.
"William…can you be honest with me? D-Do you have feelings for me?" she asked, avoiding eye contact.
Gosh, this is embarrassing. All my life, I've never asked someone if they liked me. This is my first time.
"Yes, Your Highness," he answered.
Ehh?
"B-But why? How? I've never been good to anyone," she asked, puzzled.
Why would someone like William fall for the Princess?
"I also have no idea why, but…the only thing I know is I love you and I'm willing to do anything to protect you."
Aria felt bad for him. She couldn't reciprocate William's feelings.
Besides, she couldn't have feelings for them…because she wasn't the Princess. She didn't want to betray them.
She forced a smile. "Thank you for loving me, William, but… I won't be able to reciprocate your feelings."
"I know," he said, holding her hand. "It's fine. You don't have to. Being your knight is enough for me. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters." He then kissed her hand.
"I-I'm very sorry." she muttered.
.
.
....
"Oi, Claude, are you listening to me?" Nikolai asked.
"Sorry, what did you say again?" Claudius asked.
"C'mon, I've noticed you've been spacing out lately. What's the matter?"
"It's nothing. I'm just tired."
"Tired? Hmph. You've been acting weird since we left the banquet."
He remained silent.
"Seriously, be honest. Are you perhaps affected because Aria's husbands are finally close to her?"
"Of course not. I told you, I'm just tired."
Nikolai stared at him.
"Tsk. Your face doesn't match what you're saying. If you're starting to develop feelings for her, why don't you just admit it? I can sense it; the way you looked at her during the party is different from the way you looked at her in the past."
Claudius sighed.
"But I don't understand. Why? She has done so many bad things to you in the past, she even forced you to marry her."
Even Claudius couldn't explain it. He didn't understand why he was acting like that. This feeling was burning inside him, causing too much stress.
.
.
....
"I haven't seen Cedrik today," Aria said while Jenny was combing her hair.
"He said he's not feeling well and didn't leave his room today," Jenny explained.
"Is that so? Then I'll visit him tomorrow," she said.
Aria recalled her conversation with William. She knew rejection was painful, but she hoped William was coping well.
"Ahh, have you heard the news, Your Highness? The Crown Prince will return in five days," Jenny informed her.
Oh, right, the Crown Prince. The one who despised the princess the most.
She had thought it was impossible for them to get along.
"They won the war again, as expected from the Crown Prince," Jenny added.
He went to join the war.
He was known for being a war maniac. They called him the devil of the battlefield.
He loved war and didn't show mercy to anyone. Even people in the empire were scared of him. After each victory, he would display the enemy leader's head in the plaza.
How terrifying!
She had to avoid him to maintain her peaceful life.
After Jenny left, Aria reclined on her bed and picked up her book.
"I wonder what my cousin looks like in person," she mused, having only seen him in a portrait. "Most men in this empire are handsome. I bet he's the handsomest, being the Crown Prince."
The Crown Prince was always portrayed as the most handsome in the stories she had read in her world.
Suddenly, the sliding balcony door opened, and a man entered.
Aria immediately stood up, clutching her pillow as a makeshift weapon.
"W-Who are you?" she asked, apprehension in her voice.
"Sshh," he signaled, closing the door and approaching her.
"Don't be frightened, Your Highness, it's me, Ryu. I heard from our spy that you've lost your memories," he revealed.
"Spy?" she asked.
He nodded. "I know you won't recognize me due to your memory loss, so allow me to introduce myself. I'm Ryu, the captain of the Crimsons Blade."
"Crimson Blade?" she's confused.
The Crimsons Blades, a group of assassins dedicated to serving the imperial family. Ryu was their most skilled and dangerous member, responsible for the mysterious deaths of anyone who rebelled against the imperial family. He held unwavering loyalty to the Princess.
He hated appearing in public, often lurking in the shadows while watching over the Princess.
Ryu proceeded to explain everything to her...
She gasped. "What? My life is in danger?"
"Yes, Your Highness. I conducted a thorough investigation and discovered that someone is truly plotting against you. These individuals are behind your accident."
She couldn't believe it. The Princess's life was already in jeopardy, with individuals conspiring to end her life. They had even attempted to poison her, but those attempts failed. They also hired people to assassinate the Princess while she slept, but they had failed again because Ryu had saved her. The most recent attempt had been the horse accident, from which she had luckily survived.
"You married Prince Rasheen, so in case something happens, he'll help you escape the empire and find refuge in Targaryan."
"What about Master Xerxes?"
"He's not part of the plan. I'm unsure why he's here, but if he's on our side, his status as the Grand Master of the Magic Tower would be invaluable, as no one can rival his magical abilities."
"Do you know who these people are who want me dead?"
He shook his head. "Their movements are difficult to predict, and they leave no traces. I also suspect that a member of the imperial court is aiding them. They wouldn't dare harm you without support and cover."
Someone wanted the Princess dead, but why?
I don't understand their motive.Is it for revenge? This is too much for revenge, but what is their ultimate goal?
"Does the emperor know about this?" she asked.
"No, you wish to keep it a secret and avoid involving the emperor. You want to identify the culprits yourself and expose them to the people, punishing them personally." he answered.
"Hmm. Do my husbands know about this? And what about Lord Claudius and Lord Gawain?"
"They are unaware. It's a secret between the two of us."
It seemed the Princess had an immense trust in the captain of the Crimson Blades.
My life is in danger, I can't believe this!
She needed to speak with Xerxes to determine whether he was an ally or foe.
"Thank you for informing me." she said.
It was time to devise a plan to survive in this empire.
Mom, Dad, please guide me!
He held her hand. "Just give me your orders, Your Highness. I'll do whatever it takes to eliminate these threats."
How frightening.
"I'm so stressed because of what I've learned. You should leave now." She withdrew her hand.
He bowed and made a swift exit through the window.
Phew.
.
.
....
Cedrik woke up to a voice calling his name from outside.
"Cedrik… Cedrik…"
It sounded just like the princess.
"Your Highness?" He opened his room door and peeked outside, finding no one around.
It was already midnight, and everyone in the palace was asleep. He grabbed a candle and walked down the hallway. The voice seemed to be coming from outside the palace.
"Cedrik… Cedrik…"
"Your Highness, where are you?"
He reached the garden, but no one was there.
"It's strange. Why are there no palace guards patrolling around?"
Something felt off.
As he was about to go back inside, someone grabbed him.
"W-Who are y—"
The person covered his mouth with a handkerchief, and a dizzy feeling overwhelmed him.
Someone… please help me.
He lost consciousness.
.
.
....
"WHAT? CEDRIK IS MISSING?" Aria shouted, she was shocked.
"When Jenny went to his room early this morning, she found he was not there. She tried to look for him but couldn't locate him. The knights helped her, and they found some footsteps in the garden," William reported.
"Footsteps? Are they from Cedrik?" she asked.
"They vary in size, so I believe they're from three different people. We also discovered that the gate at the back of the palace was destroyed. Carriage tracks can be seen at the front gate, but there's no trace of it going in any other direction." he answered.
"So you mean Cedrik was kidnapped? But how? There are plenty of palace guards patrolling inside and outside the palace. How did the kidnapper get in?" she asked again.
"The palace guards reported they smelled a very strong scent that made them fall asleep."
"Tch. You mentioned the carriage tracks didn't go in other directions. Does that mean they used a magic portal to escape?"
"I believe so, Your Highness."
She slammed the table. "Go find him! Bring him back safe and alive!"
"Yes, Your Highness." William bowed and left with the other knights.
"Ryu," she called.
Ryu emerged from the shadows.
"Is there something you want me to do, Your Highness?"
"Investigate what happened last night and find a lead. Please determine Cedrik's location as soon as possible," she ordered.
"Yes, Your Highness." Ryu bowed and then left.
Aria prayed. "Please… I hope he's safe. Cedrik, please hold on. I will rescue you."
.
.
....
Cedrik regained consciousness as someone doused him with cold water.
"Get up! Our interrogation isn't over yet!" the man exclaimed, following it with a kick to his stomach.
He was tortured by them earlier, his whole body was full of wounds, he even vomited blood.
The other guy hung his hands. "Being quiet won't help you, just tell us what's the Princess' weakness."
They keep asking him about the Princess' weakness, but why?
"It's better to die than to tell it to you..."
"Shut up!" the guy punched his face.
"The Princess has never been good to our empire. We will be happy to see her fall and it will also be better if she dies."
"H-Haha.." he scoffed.
"What? You can still laugh in your situation, huh?" he punched his stomach.
Blood came out of his mouth.
Smirked. "Y-You can kill me but not the Princess.."
"Why still resisting? Do you believe someone will come to rescue you? The Princess never cares for her servant."
You're mistaken… the Princess does care for us.
"Tsk. This guy is useless. Boss ordered us to abduct him because he's the closest servant to the Princess, and we can extract information from him."
"So what's our plan now? Shall we kill him?"
"The boss said if this guy didn't tell us any information, then kill him."
"Hmm. " the guy put his knife to Cedrik's face. "I wonder if the Princess will show agony if we kill you? Hahahah"
Cedrik closed his eyes.
I'm sorry, Princess. If only I were stronger, this would never have happened. I guess this is the end for me.