Cedrik and Rasheen were deeply concerned about Aria's well-being. She's not eating, spending her days crying and fixating on Mikhail's fate.
"Aria, please. Please eat your food," Rasheen implored, gently holding her hand.
"Rasheen... M-Mikhail... he's still alive, right? T-Tell me that he will make it out alive…" Aria's voice trembled as tears welled up in her eyes.
He hugged her tightly, offering comfort. "He will... he's the Crown Prince, the demon of the battlefield. So please eat your food. I can't bear to see you like this."
Aria had already lost the Emperor, and it was natural for her to grieve intensely after witnessing Mikhail being stabbed and falling from the cliff. Rasheen wasn't certain of Mikhail's survival given the severity of his stab wounds.
He sighed, contemplating the complex feelings he harbored. He couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy toward Mikhail, he felt it…the way he looked at Aria, he knew…not only him but also her other husbands could feel it. He doesn't viewed her as his cousin.
He could see in Mikhail's eyes that he harbored deep feelings for her too. They weren't blood related after all, she's Kaye who was inside the Princess' body. So there was a possibility that he might develop romantic feelings for her as well.
He proceeded to feed Aria the rest of her meal, ensuring that she ate.
Once she had eaten, he allowed her to rest, leaving the room to check on the others.
"How are things?" he inquired.
"The sea is completely calm, and we will safely reach Targaryan in two days," Arthur explained.
"Thank you for helping us." he expressed his gratitude.
"Don't mention it. I'm just doing my job, and it's my honor to assist the Princess," Arthur replied. He couldn't help but recall the generous sum Napoleon had offered him.
Rasheen was aware of Cedrik's feelings for Aria, but he remained understanding. "She's currently resting in her room."
Cedrik and Jenny both let out relieved sighs.
.
.
....
"What? Why can't I visit my brother?" Nikolai encountered difficulties outside the palace, as he was unable to visit his brother. The guards were not letting him in.
The palace was swarming with unfamiliar guards, and he couldn't even locate Aria's knight and butler.
He had missed the coronation day as his father had tasked him with visiting their private land in the east. However, upon learning of the rebellion, he promptly made his way back, only to be met with an unwelcome sight upon his return. His brother and the others had been imprisoned. The news of the Crown Prince's death troubled him, and Aria's absence only added to his concerns.
"Tsk..this is bad, " He realized that the new Emperor posed a significant threat and needed to find his brother or anyone closely associated with Aria.
"But how can I get in?" He glanced at the guards.
.
.
Within the prison cell, Napoleon's frustration grew. "Let us out of here!"
They were all jailed. "Have you forgotten who we are? I promise I'll beat you to death if I get out of here!" Napoleon added.
Claudius let out a sigh, his greatest concern lying with Aria. He fervently hoped that she would reach Targaryan unharmed. "We need to get out of here. As long as Izekiel is the Emperor, the empire will not know peace. I'm also concerned about Aria."
"I heard from the knights when they passed by earlier that the Crown Prince is dead," Gawain added.
"What? How did it happen?" Napoleon couldn't fathom how Mikhail had perished during the rebellion.
"They killed him during the fight," Gawain explained, leaving them all in disbelief. The notion that Mikhail could be defeated in battle seemed impossible.
Claudius contemplated the dire situation, knowing how devastating the news of Mikhail's death would be to Aria. "This is bad."
Napoleon paced anxiously. "Tsk. How long are they going to keep us here?"
"Calm down.." Valentine, ever the calm figure, maintained his composure.
How come he can still stay calm in this kind of situation?
Claudius glanced at Hachi who was visibly wounded.
"I hope Xerxes and Ryu make it to Targaryan." Claudius said.
Napoleon concurred, his thoughts focused on retribution. "I can't wait for them to return and exact vengeance on those traitors."
Their grim conversation was abruptly interrupted by William's screams from an adjacent room, where he was being tortured.
"I feel bad for him." Gawain said.
The agonized cries were distressing to all who heard them, knowing that William was suffering because of his role as Aria's escort knight. Izekiel had taken out his rage on him after Aria's escape from the empire.
.
.
William endured every whip that Izekiel lashed upon him, his body now covered in blood.
"Tsk. Because of you, she managed to escape!" Izekiel's fury prompted him to continue whipping William mercilessly.
The knights who bore witness to this gruesome punishment looked away, finding the new Emperor's brutality just as fearsome as that of the late Crown Prince.
Izekiel, aggravated, threw the whip aside when a knight approached.
"Your Majesty..." the knight began.
"What?" Izekiel responded, not bothering to meet the knight's gaze.
"Duke Wolfsbane has requested an audience with you," the knight informed him.
"Tsk." Izekiel discarded the whip and exited the room.
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.
....
Two days later..
"How are you feeling now?" Rasheen asked, his concern evident.
Aria's eyes remained swollen from her incessant crying day and night.
"We will reach our kingdom today. Please be strong. Once we arrive, we'll seek help from Father and then set out to locate Prince Mikhail," Rasheen reassured her.
She nodded, showing a glimmer of hope.
"I can see the port already!" they heard Arthur's excited shout.
They rushed outside to catch a glimpse of the Targaryan Port.
"Our Targaryan!" Rasheen exclaimed with enthusiasm.
Cedrik and Jenny couldn't help but smile. Finally, they were on the verge of safety.
"Everyone, get ready. We are approaching Targaryan Port," Arthur announced, prompting them to begin packing their belongings.
.
.
....
Meanwhile, in the palace...
Izekiel sat on his throne, gazing at Ludwig, who knelt before him.
"We found the Crown Prince's remains in the river. It's difficult to identify him because wild beasts had devoured the other parts of his body. We recognized him only by his clothing," Ludwig reported.
"Are you certain it was my brother?" Izekiel asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty. He was wearing the same attire, and the swords were still buried in his body," Ludwig affirmed.
Izekiel couldn't contain his laughter. "HAHAHAHAHA! That's what he got for being so stubborn. What about Xerxes and Ryu?"
"There's still no sign of them within the empire," Ludwig replied.
"Tsk. We can't allow them to roam freely. We must find Aria before they do." he ordered.
"As you wish, Your Majesty... By the way, what are your plans for the Princess' husbands?" Ludwig inquired.
"Leave them in jail. When Aria returns, we will release them. I'll compel them to divorce the Princess and prohibit them from seeing her," Izekiel outlined his intentions.
He then stared at Ludwig. "So, find her immediately and bring her back here."
"Our troops have already reached Targaryan. I've instructed them to capture the Princess and bring her back at any cost," Ludwig assured.
"Good. You may leave now," Izekiel commanded, and Ludwig bowed and departed.
.
.
....
"Father!!!" Rasheen couldn't contain his excitement upon seeing his father waiting at the port.
"Welcome back, son," the king warmly embraced him.
"Father, I've brought my wife," Rasheen introduced Aria, who respectfully bowed to the king.
A smile graced the king's face. "I've heard about what transpired in your empire."
"Father, we need to help them. They killed the former Emperor!" Rasheen implored.
The king let out a sigh, leaving Rasheen perplexed. "Is there a problem, Father? We can aid them, can't we?"
"I'm sorry, my son, but..." the king began to explain.
They were taken aback when the knights of the Serolf Empire suddenly appeared.
"F-Father..what is the meaning of this?" Rasheen stepped back.
"I apologize, my son, but they have issued threats. Their empire holds the most significant power. They will initiate a war unless we return the Princess to them," the king revealed.
"But they are traitors!" Rasheen vehemently protested, embracing Aria protectively.
"Rasheen, return Aria to them," the king ordered sternly.
"No! I will not allow them to lay a hand on my wife!" Rasheen resolutely refused.
The knights drew their swords, adding to the tension.
"Cedrik..." Rasheen muttered, beckoning to him in a low voice.
"Yes, Your Highness?" Cedrik responded.
"Escape with Aria... Please hide. I'll find you when I'm done here," Rasheen instructed.
"But you don't know how to fight," Aria expressed her concern.
He flashed a reassuring smile at her. "Don't worry..."
"I will assist His Highness," Arthur announced.
"Now, run!" Rasheen urged, and the three of them bolted away.
"They're escaping!" one of the knights alerted the others.
Rasheen and Arthur tried to impede their pursuit.
.
.
The three kept running, their pursuers hot on their heels.
"They are following us!" Jenny cried out.
They glanced back and saw the knights closing in.
"Run faster!" Cedrik urged.
"Aaahhh!" Jenny stumbled and fell to the ground.
"Jenny!" Aria halted.
Jenny had injured her ankle.
"Can you still run?" Cedrik inquired.
They looked at the approaching knights.
"Please leave me! They are getting closer!" Jenny implored.
"But we can't leave you here!" Aria insisted.
"Please, Your Highness... You need to escape. Please run now," Jenny beseeched, tears streaming down her face.
Aria's eyes welled up, but she shook her head.
"Cedrik..." Jenny directed her plea to him.
He nodded and carried Aria.
"N-No! Jenny!" Aria called out, her voice quivering.
Jenny managed a bittersweet smile. "Please, Your Highness, be safe."
.
.
The two continued to flee, their hearts heavy with worry and sadness.
As they ran, they finally reached a forest, but the knights were still in pursuit.
"Search the whole area!" they heard the knights.
Cedrik's eyes scanned the surroundings, and he noticed the sound of flowing water.
"There's a waterfall over there," he informed Aria and grabbed her hand as they made their way towards it.
Indeed, there was a waterfall. Cedrik knew that many waterfalls contained caves behind them where animals could take shelter.
"Look, there's a cave!" Cedrik pointed to a cave entrance.
They darted into the cave, hopeful that they would remain concealed from their pursuers.
Inside the cave, Aria couldn't contain her sobs.
They had left Jenny behind, and the thought of the knights possibly torturing her in this unfamiliar place weighed heavily on their minds.
"Your Highness, please compose yourself," Cedrik pleaded, holding her in a comforting embrace.
She couldn't stop her tears from falling. "I've put everyone in danger because of me... This is all my fault, Ced. I dragged everyone into this mess. If I had allowed them to kill me, none of this would have happened," she lamented.
"No, Your Highness. Whether they killed you or not, this would have transpired regardless. The Duke had been plotting this for a long time, and we only discovered their scheme by chance. Please don't blame yourself," Cedrik reassured her, hugging her gently.
She continued to cry, her heart heavy with guilt and fear.
"I'm certain that someone will come to rescue us," Cedrik added, offering a glimmer of hope.
.
.
As night descended upon them, Aria felt the chill in the air, and her body shivered.
Seeing her discomfort, Cedrik swiftly removed his jacket and placed it around her, pulling her closer. He embraced her tightly, sharing their warmth. Aria's shivering subsided, and she eventually drifted into a peaceful sleep.
The next morning, Aria awoke to find Cedrik absent from the cave.
"C-Ced?" Panic set in. What if the knights had arrived and captured him?
She hurriedly ran outside, her voice trembling as she called for him.
"Your Highness, I'm here!"
Relief flooded over her as she saw him at the riverbank, waving to her.
She sighed in relief. "What are you doing?" she asked as she approached him.
"I'm catching fish," he replied, showing her three fish he had already caught. "I want to prepare food for you, I know you must be hungry."
Aria inquired, "Did the knights pass by?"
Cedrik responded, "No, I believe they have already left the forest."
Aria gazed back at the woods and expressed her concerns.
Cedrik reassured her, saying, "Don't worry, Your Highness. We are safe here. Oh, would you like to take a bath? You've been through a lot, and I'm sure a bath would help you feel better."
Realizing she had not bathed since leaving the empire, Aria nodded in agreement. "Yes, a bath sounds wonderful."
"You can take a bath now. I will cook for breakfast." Cedrik got up from the water and made a fire.
She disrobed and descended into the clean, refreshing water. She gazed up at the sky, her heart filled with worries for the safety of the others. In particular, she thought of Mikhail, praying for his survival. "God please..let him survive. The empire relies on him, and so do I," she prayed in her heart as she closed her eyes and immersed herself in the chilling water.
After her bath, she found that Cedrik had prepared food. He had successfully caught a rabbit and cooked it for their meal.
"We can't stay here much longer; the knights will undoubtedly return to search for us," Aria stated.
"But where should we go? If we return to the capital, we might be captured," Cedrik pondered.
Aria decided, "We'll need to disguise ourselves. Our goal is to find Jenny and Arthur. I believe Rasheen is now confined within their palace and cannot help us. Our only hope lies in Jenny and Arthur."
She hoped that Arthur had also managed to escape. They needed all the help they could get. After their meal, they ventured out of the forest and headed toward the capital. Aria had kept some coins from her time in the empire, which they used to trade for clothes, disguising themselves as beggars to avoid recognition.