As Tessa left the healers' apartments, the maids stepped aside and bowed their heads hastily. She had to carry Berk, the foolish kid, inside the inner keep on her back because he had fallen asleep halfway to the castle. Even though he was younger, he was a head taller and significantly fatter, which made lifting difficult. She had the option of leaving the recruit in the care of the Warriors, who hurried to assist when they saw them enter the keep, but that wasn't how she operated. Tessa had brought Berk into the fight; she needed to see to it that he was taken care of.
She sighed and moved quickly into the main hallway, reassuring herself that the youngster would be fully recovered in a few hours. The healers could treat nearly any wound if they took care of it quickly using the unusual crystals and medications they brought with them from the Giant Tree Forest. Her lips pursed, stretching and irritating the scar's tight skin. If the orphans hadn't cut Tessa and then kept her in the home's basement, they might have been able to heal her face as well.
Tessa made a right turn and exited into the mezzanine of the second floor that encircled the inner-keep quad, where she noticed a shimmer coming from the walls of the top floor. The outer walls and upper floors of the keep were covered in thick, fire-retardant glass that shimmered and had an ice-like appearance, while the warrior castle was constructed of plain grey stones. The material, which was created in the Land of Light, was given to the former Warrior King about thirty years ago.
Since the Warrior Kingdom's protective walls were covered with ice, many Warrior officials thought the gift was a mistake from a strategic standpoint. They thought it was silly of the Land of Light to grant such a tactical edge to a foreign kingdom, ally or not. Since they possessed the capacity to create the material, it seemed logical that they could also destroy it. However, Tessa had spent a considerable amount of time studying the behaviour of the most enigmatic kingdom in Gaia, and she knew they would never commit such an error. She found that many warrior officers misjudged the tactical fighting skills of outsiders. Could this be the reason why the larger picture underlying the most recent change in the Bone Eater approach was overlooked?
Tessa was thinking about how to approach Captain Leo as she moved over the mezzanine. Captain Leo would need to be informed of the incident once she had sent out messengers to inform the council of the impending arrival of captives, but how could she persuade him to consider her hypothesis? In addition to being incompetent, he detested being required to accomplish anything above the bare minimum. Given that he would now have to come before the council, she was sure to face a hard time for being present during the ambush. She was startled out of her thoughts by an abrupt, shattering bang. Seriously, Gaia? Tessa then took the stairs after hearing Princess Mira's distinctive scream. She dashed into the princess' chambers with her hand on the hilt of her sword and narrowly avoided being hit by a flying vase. Crystal broke against the wall behind her, sending shards flying in all directions.
The vase's thrower, the Princess, didn't care to check where her aim landed and was now comfortably taking her seat in front of her golden mirror without a hair out of place. A bunch of maids were gathered in the opposite corner, trembling in dread, while the carpeted floors were covered in red roses and broken glass. There was no sign of an assassin.
Tessa arched an inquiring eyebrow at the muted salutes from the royal guards on the other side of the double doors. She nodded tightly when their leader, Katuna, a flat-nosed guard, signalled that there was no threat. Was the princess just having another temper tantrum, judging by Tevvuk's beard?
I asked, "Did I not say I wanted pink roses today? As she picked up her hairbrush, the 17-year-old royal pain in the ass glared accusingly at the chambermaids. The youngest of the maids appeared to be on the verge of crying as she grabbed at their skirts with white-knuckled vigour. Tessa inhaled slowly. Due to the ambush, it was evident that the rose delivery had not arrived in time. It was obvious that the maids either didn't have enough time to explain the delay to their mistress or were too terrified to do so. Actually, even if they tried to explain, they would still be penalised. When Princess Mira wasn't happy, someone had to suffer. Even though it was unfair, Tessa had no business interfering. She took a delicate step back, her hand still on her blade.
"Idiots must be made to learn a lesson! Princess Mira let her beautiful blonde tresses fall down her back as she tossed her hairbrush aside. She then wrapped one elegant finger around a golden lock while grinning cruelly and elongating her red-tinted lips into a bow. Bring my needles, please.
Tessa tensed up next to the open door as a recollection came to mind. Peeking from behind the kitchen door are snide faces. Over the small fire, a kettle is in motion. Sneering, the cook held a packet of shiny needles in her hairy fingers. "Half-blood, where did you hide my supplies? Tessa's neck itched at the persistent memory of metal piercing her skin.
"Please say no, Princess! Tessa was brought back into the moment by the screams coming from the room's corner. The youngest maid sobbed and pressed her forehead to the floor, pleading for forgiveness. Next to her, her two companions were quaking.
Are all of you deaf? "Get my needles right away!"
Tessa squeezed her fingers. Oh, dear! "Your Highness, are you not hurt? Are you? She ignored the startled shuffles from the royal guards alongside her and proceeded forward as if she had just arrived.
Oh, you're here. The princess whirled around, making it apparent from her tone and arched expression that she didn't appreciate the interruption. She focused on Tessa's scar before turning her head away in disgust. She grabbed one of the small brushes from the table, dipped it in the powdered precious quartz, and applied it to her already-bright pink cheeks. The stunning princess had a talent for dressing garishly. How did you end up here?
loud yells from you. Was your vase dropped by your maids? As if the princess had not spoken, Tessa questioned She then shot the girls, who were crying, an angry glance. "You dupes! Don't you realise how priceless this shade of rose is?
"Pretty colour?" The princess snorted and continued to stroke her glossy hair. Civilians and members of the royal court wore their hair out or in ribbons, unlike warrior officers, who all had their hair in braids, and soldiers, who knotted it back.
The question, "Is it not? Tessa inquired while feigning embarrassment. Despite my lack of flower knowledge, I foolishly assumed that red must be a pricey colour after hearing the colonels praise the red roses in the Great Hall.
"The colonels' admiration? The princess's hand stopped moving, and she seemed suddenly interested. Which generals? Colonel Jothan, what are you saying? Did he mention that he enjoyed red roses?
Tessa nodded while maintaining a neutral attitude. Jothan of the House of Gold was the youngest colonel in the Warrior Kingdom's history at 25 years old. He was also the king's favourite and every maiden's fantasy capture. He was also the man with whom Princess Mira had been infatuated for a long time. "Your Highness, I think he was among them. Tessa pushed her advantage when she noticed that the chambermaids were regaining their colour. The colonels said that, just like beautiful women, red roses are delicate and fragrant.
The royal guard next to her huffed to hide a laugh.
The princess held her brush tightly while looking dreamy. Naturally, I also prefer red roses to other colours. Her gaze flitted to the ground, where flowers were scattered in all directions. The reason I was so enraged earlier is because of what they did.
moving the blame? The princess continued to be predictable. The question is, "What are you waiting for? Tessa spoke to the housekeepers, "Remove this glass from here before it hurts the princess!" Bring additional red roses and make sure they are in perfect condition. And you, don't you see that Her Highness needs some hair ornamentation? Fix it right away, because her morning stroll is soon upon us. The girls hurried forward, wiping away their tears and giving her an appreciative nod. With another respectful bow, Tessa turned to face the princess and said, "Your Highness, with your permission, I take my leave.
The Princess waived her off without a second thought because she was now completely preoccupied with thoughts of Colonel Jothan. Tessa motioned for their leader to follow her out the door as she turned to face the three royal guardsmen, who all had practiced blank looks. The hallway was illuminated by the early morning sun, which also created dappled shadows on the stone floors.
When they were out of earshot, Katuna said, "Thank you, Lieutenant. If only you hadn't brought up the Colonel.
Yes, Colonel Jothan had unintentionally saved the maids. Tessa tried her best to think of the man with gratitude, but she was unable to. The warrior had changed from being the person she most respected to becoming her particular scourge for reasons she will never understand.
I need to see the princesses' schedule, so disregard that.
"Of course!" you say. Katuna reached inside her breast pocket and produced a folded piece of paper. The question, "Is there a problem, Lieutenant?
"No." Tessa hurriedly glanced over the list before returning the paper. When taking Her Highness to see the King, avoid using the South Gate path because prisoners are being brought in for questioning.
"Yes, Lieutenant," Katuna replied.
Tessa tilted her head up as she felt the sudden chill. The breeze that entered the castle walls had a pronounced Deadman Mountain fragrance. The Warrior Kingdom's grey soil had not yet warmed up, despite the fact that the Great Frost had passed and harvests had started in the Green Lands. And Katuna, make sure the frost is cleared off the stairs leading up to the princess's covert hiding location.
Lieutenant, I'll see to it. Katuna grinned slightly and had a pleasant glow in her eyes. Tessa was startled by the expression because it was so out of the ordinary. She then blinked the shock away.
"Right. You may go back to your position.
The guard gave a bow before entering the lion's den while turning on her heel.
Tessa moved in the direction of the mess hall, not knowing what it had been about. Captain Leo was probably enjoying his third mug of hot bean juice and bugging the attractive cooks, as was typical of his morning routine. He was a man who liked sleeping in, eating in, and enjoying women who had been let into officer training because of his royal status. Tessa climbed from the top levels of the castle keep, her irritation at the lazy excuse for an officer growing once more.