The soldiers in Edwina royal palace stopped the wooden cart that was about to enter the building where the princess lived.
The wooden cart looked old unlike the driver who rode it. He was a young man appeared to be in his early twenties. When he saw the soldiers' suspicious look, he gave them a friendly smile full of sincereity.
"Hi friends. Long time no see."
A middle aged soldier almost choked on his saliva when he heard it.
"I haven't seen you before, young man. I have been serving for the princess for many years. How come I haven't noticed you before?" He stated in a firm manner.
The smile on the young man's face widened even more.
"Alas, what a pity! I'm old Jorgensen's grandson Richardson. He is sick today so I thought of bringing princess's shoes myself. You can check the cart if you want to. Princess's safety is a must, isn't it?" Saying that, he pulled aside the curtains, showing the shoes inside.
The soldier checked the cart and nodded his head in agreement. "Mmm, you can go. Convey that I wished him to get well soon."
"Okay, Sir. Thank you."
Another talkative young soldier hopped in. With a voice full of excitement and pride, he said, "Even if you are an enemy, our princess will easily beat you up. She's a warr..."
"You shut up, clumsy boy!" First soldier pinched his arm as he whispered. "Don't slip your tongue. Do you want to die by king's hands?"
The young soldier quickly shook his head and lowered his head, scared. He was still fourteen and wasn't used to behave accordingly.
Richardson's eyes flashed as he listened to the soldier's whisper. However, he pretended not to hear anything.
"I'm leaving now, bye friendsauces!"
"Friend sauces?" The young soldier scratched his head with a confused look on his face as he watched the cart disappearing into a distance.
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Zadhea was in a bad mood.
She didn't even go to do her trainings as usual. She was upset, scared and frustrated.
While walking along the sand road in the royal gardens, she talked to herself and pulled her long hair from time to time, making it messy.
"Aaah! Did I really lose my virginity to that bastard?! I can't believe it!" She muttered, gritting her teeth. "What if mother learns it? Will they force us to get married? That stinky prince didn't officially meet Dreva yet. What if he doesn't fall for her this time? No, no. They are destined lovers. It won't happen."
"Ha ha, what are you talking about?" A cheerful male voice made her flinch.
Scared, Zadhea looked at him. In the next second, her fear turned to anger.
"Who the hell are you?"
How could he scare her out of nowhere!?
Richardson innocently blinked his eyes. Sure enough, he didn't expect her to yell at him furiously. Obviously he was stunned...
"Your highness, I'm the royal cobbler Jorgensen's grandson Richardson. I'm here to deliver your shoes." He respectfully lowered his upper body.
"Hey, hey, rise up!" Zadhea instantly waved her hand upwards. She wasn't comfortable with their greetings even after so many years. It was just... Too awkward.
"What happened to old Jorgensen?"
"He's suffering from an illness, your highness."
"I see. Let me send some healing herbs to him."
"No no, princess!" Richardson quickly denied. "He's much better now. Plus, he's already met a doctor. Rest for a while and he'll be alright."
"Oh. That's good then."
There was a pause before Richardson broke the silence, saying, "Your highness, it's time to check your shoes. If you don't mind, I can help you to wear them."
"No need," Zadhea refused. "I can wear them myself."
She chose a pair of black shoes that looked elegant, at the same time not too exaggerating. Totally her type. She sat on a bench beneath a tall tree before trying the shoes. She tried to tie the tiny laces. To her helplessness and embarrassment, she couldn't do it properly. Her face blushed.
Dwamn!
"Allow me, princess..."
Not waiting for her to answer, Richardson knelt in one knee and tied the shoelaces beautifully and skillfully.
"Thank you." Zadhea gave him an awkward smile.
"That..." Still kneeling, he whispered in a low voice only she could hear. "I can help you to kill him and you will succeed without a slightest doubt."
Zadhea smile slowly faded away.
Confused, she looked down to see his amber eyes. His eyes showed seriousness and coldness and his body emitted a murderous aura, hundred percent different from his initial behaviour.
She also spoke in a low voice, "What are you talking about?"
"Don't you want to kill your future husband?"
His question made her feel cold all over her body. She couldn't help but trembled slightly. His voice sounded dangerous and he looked dangerous. Over all, he could be labelled as a dangerous person. Definitely not a simple, poor young man.
Hey why did his question sound so wrong? Heidith wasn't her future husband! She never considered him as her fiancé so it was unfair to speak to her like that. She really felt like a villainess at that moment. Maybe, she wasn't qualified enough to become a villainess yet.
Trying hard to calm down, she asked, "Who are you, mister?" She didn't dare to disrespect him. She didn't know his background at last.
"A wizard. But I'm not as powerful as my master. If you allow me, I can take you to meet him. Don't worry, you won't regret it even a little bit." He smirked. It wasn't pleasing to see unlike his previous cheerful smiles.
"How can I trust you?" Zadhea wasn't convinced. She didn't want to fall into trouble that easily. What if he was lying or... He had ulterior motives? She couldn't take risks.
"Will you believe me if I tell you that... King Foneth killed my entire family?" His question caught her off guard. She speechlessly kept looking at him with her misty blue eyes.
Richardson was handsome but now his face was filled with hatred and sorrow, making it ugly.
Wait. She still didn't know his real name.
Zadhea motioned her servants and soldiers to leave. Now only the two of them were left.
Without seeking her permission, the young man sat next to her on the bench, their bodies almost touching.
"I'm Dewinn Slandrio Alefesco." The young man began.
"My family was bound to live with magic for a very, very long time. Everyone in my family practised magic and sorcery. They were all magicians until... Until... That monster killed all of them just because one of the MANY wizards caused trouble to people. He was a bad wizard I agree but... How could he kill all of innocent magicians for a single person's mistake? Moreover, he couldn't even catch the real culprit! What a weak ruler without a backbone!" He clenched his fists, surpassing the fury rised within his heart.
Zadhea was taken a back. "He killed all the magicians? How come there is a royal wizard that serves him till this day? Why didn't he kill him?"
"Because he is a cunning bastard!" Dewinn roared. "And that Ocaris dog! He doesn't have a backbone either!"
"And... I'm gonna kill all of them! Before that, I want to kill that bastard's precious son. That way, he will taste his own medicine. He will realize how painful it is to lose family members!"
"He will feel restless. He will regret his bad deeds. I'm waiting for that day to arrive..."
Dewinn bit his lower lip too hard that it started bleeding.
Zadhea gasped and stood up from the bench. Taking out a soft, silk handkerchief, she gently wiped his lips, mumbling, "Don't bite your lips like that. See, it's bleeding!"
Dewinn looked at her pitifully before asking, "Would you come with me?"
Zadhea hesitated. Her actions paused for a bit.
In the end, she let out a soft, defensless sigh.
"Okay."
I'll help you to seek revenge.