Ignis clutched the sheets tightly, tiny drops of sweat formed on her face.
Crack! Ignis was running, breathless, in a never ending castle corridor. She kept looking back, the sound of whip cracking was so close as if she almost dodged a hit and it landed on a side wall.
She saw light coming through a door far ahead. But, the more she tried to reach the door, the more distant it felt.
Without any warning, her legs gave away and she stumbled out of the door. The next moment, she was free falling out of the castle wall. The moment she hit the ground, her eyes shot open.
Oh, that was a nightmare...
While her eyes were adjusting to the first rays of the morning, she heard a few giggles around her.
She saw many maids cleaning and arranging the room, a few of them stealing glances at her and giggling about something they found silly.
Suddenly, the realization poured like cold water. She was in the King's chamber, laying on his bed.
Ignis sat up and instantly the room went silent. She looked for Adrian but he was not around.
After asking a maid for his whereabouts, the maid replied that he woke up just a few minutes before the Princess and hastened to his morning training as he was late.
Ignis looked at the disheveled bed sheet beside her, a proof that they shared the same bed. She quickly left his room and dashed towards her chamber.
Where is Domi?
*****
It was around noon when Domi entered the Princess chamber.
"Where were you last night?" Ignis looked miffed.
"My Lady, I was standing out until this morning. I had to go out for some personal work, so I left this morning." Domi said with a smile which, Ignis thought, was fake.
"Domi, I sought you in the middle of the night as well. You were absent since last night. Do not lie to me. Have you forgotten? We are not here to fool around" Ignis tried to stay calm, but an irresponsible behavior such as this, from her cherished attendant couldn't let her be.
"Argh!" Domi plopped down on the floor holding her head in both of her hands.
"My Lady, I am very sorry. I think I made a mistake. After you went inside, I left for the kitchen to find a bottle of wine" she looked at Ignis, disappointment making her beautiful face crinkly. She quickly added "I thought you won't be coming out for a long time"
When Ignis didn't say anything, Domi continued.
"When I came back, I saw a young Royal Knight. He was asking the guards, if you were inside with the King. I went to him and asked, for what business he was seeking you. He didn't give me a clear answer. While listening to his nonsensical reason, I kept enjoying my wine. Slowly, he went mute. He was asking me about something important, something about you, but I could not understand a word he was saying" she rubbed her face with both her hands in frustration, then added. "Now that I think back, for some reason it felt like he was spying on you. But, I might be wrong."
Domi felt shameful "I am sure I blabbered a lot to him last night"
"What happened after that?" Ignis asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable. If the Knight was truly spying, then after Ignis, Domi was the best person to know about what they were planning. There is next to nothing that Domi doesn't know about Ignis. She is not just Ignis's strength but weakness as well.
"I remember going out with him" Domi closed her eyes shut, as if to remember what happened next. "But I don't remember anything after that. I woke up in the stable, to the loud training noise of the Royal Knights. The stable man was shocked to see me there but helped me move to my chamber. I slept again and just woke up"
"Did you, by any chance, spend the night together?" Ignis asked carefully, remembering the countless nights that Domi has lost to a few sips of alcohol, only to find herself sleeping at strange places, with strangers.
"N-No" Domi was shocked. "Absolutely No. I mean... I would have known. I feel completely fine, except for the headache".
Ignis sighed and nodded.
"Let's talk with the Knight himself. Send him a summon"
*****
"My Lady, I am honored to make your acquaintance" Knight Alan made a slight bow, with one hand on his heart. The Knight was a few inches taller than Ignis. The absence of an armor made him look much younger than she saw him at the banquet. Although he looked young, the white tunic and the leather baldric supporting a heavy sword, confirmed him to be strong enough to be part of the King's Royal Knight.
Ignis smiled and asked him to take a seat. Alan politely declined, stating that he needed to be out in the grounds for making arrangements for their next expedition.
He was clearly uncomfortable staying in her chamber, longer than was necessary.
"Sir Alan, I heard that you were seeking me last night. Is there any business that you need to discuss with me?" Ignis asked. She saw him glance at Domi for a second before answering.
"No, My Lady. I had something to discuss with His Highness. But before I could get in, I saw you enter his chamber. I was merely waiting for your discussion to finish. I came back after sometime to ask the guard if you have already left. But, they said you were still inside" He extended his hand towards Domi "I explained the same thing to Lady Domini as well. But, I am not sure if she was paying attention" Domi narrowed her eyes, to which Alan just smirked.
"Sir Alan, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you?" Ignis rubbed her chin, thinking.
"I turned 19 this year, My Lady"
Ignis stood up from her chair and slowly walked towards him.
"I am just a few years older to you and do not have enough experience in battle as well. But, I know enough to infer that you are lying to me" when Alan was about to say something, she cut him "What might have been so important to reach out to the King in the middle of the night? I won't ask you what it is that you are hiding, as, I wish to ask His Highness himself. Thank you for your time, you may leave" Ignis was now looking straight into his eyes. For a moment, she saw his serious demeanor crack to show an innocent child's face.
Alan couldn't hold her stare for too long and moved his gaze down.
"Apologies, My Lady, I didn't mean to disrespect you. But I was concerned for His Majesty's safety. I wanted to make sure that this alliance won't cause him any kind of pain." He let out a sigh.
"Last night when I asked Lady Domini about you, she had nothing but praise for you. She said that you are like a younger sister to her and you both like to spend time talking about politics and world affairs. She said that you make a strange noise when you are hungry and also find you adorable when you fill your mouth full before chewing the food. Lady Domini doesn't disturb you when you furrow your eyebrows, when you are reading something, because that's when you are actually concentrating. She likes how your eyes twinkle when you see a rare gem. She enjoys it the most when she sees you sleeping peacefully and is concerned about your insomnia. She just wants to roll you up in a blanket and take you on a vacation"
Ignis was shocked beyond words. She stood still, mouth open.
"How can a Lady who is so adored and loved by her attendant will ever mean harm to the King? I realized that there was nothing to be concerned about after talking with her. So I reflected on my mistake by reporting everything to His Highness this morning. He gave me a huge punishment as well" Alan looked genuinely in pain.
Ignis slowly turned towards Domi, glaring at her.
Tell me this is a lie.