As the men spotted the approaching carriage, they became vigilant, positioning themselves to wait for the newcomers. As the carriage drew closer, they noticed the occupants were clad in black, exuding an air of mystery. Their attire seemed to be a uniform, hinting at a secret organization.
The of the leaders from the messengers stepped down, his voice firm. "We've come for the woman."
The leader of the men sent to kill Aria retorted, "We've come for her too."
The leader of Lord nigel's messengers stood tall. "I'm a messenger from Ashwood Palace, sent by Lord nigel himself. If you value your lives and don't want to incur the wrath of the lord, hand the woman over to us."
The leader of the men sneered, "What makes you think we'll do that?"
The messenger's expression turned icy. "I may be a messenger, but I know how to deal with people like you."
With that, the messenger delivered a powerful blow, sending the leader flying to the ground.
A fierce battle erupted, with punches flying and men clashing. Amidst the chaos, Aria's mother saw her chance to escape. She scrambled to her feet and tried to flee, but before she could find a hiding spot, one of Lord Miguel's messengers grasped her hand.
"Ma'am, come with me," he urged, his voice firm but gentle. "Just come with me.
Aria's mother, still frightened, looked at the messenger with suspicion. "Who are you? What do you people want from me? Why are you fighting over me?"
The messenger's expression remained calm and reassuring. "We are from Ashwood Palace. We have something important to give you, but I don't think you'll be safe here. Let's take you to a safe place first."
As the brawl continued, the leader of the men sent to kill Aria was taken aback by the messengers' impressive fighting skills. "How can this be?" he thought. "They claim to be mere messengers, yet they fight like seasoned warriors."
Despite being outmatched, the leader refused to yield. The promise of gold from Divina drove him forward, and he was determined to claim his reward, no matter the cost.
After an intense and prolonged battle, two of those gang defeated, subdued by Lord Miguel's messengers. The rest, including their leader, turned tail and fled into the nearby woods.
The messengers, victorious but vigilant, stood guard over the two captured men, ensuring they wouldn't escape or cause harm again.
Aria's mother asked, "Please, at least let me deliver laundry to the people I promised? I have to finish my errands."
The messengers exchanged a brief glance before responding, "Don't worry about that now. Let's take you to a safe place..
*************************************
Davina was consumed by anxiety, silently praying for the men's success. She couldn't explain why she was going to such extremes, but her desire for lord nigel burned intensely. She didn't want anyone else to have lord nigel, and she didn't want anyone else for herself.
Meanwhile, the minister was growing increasingly concerned. A message had arrived from a neighboring community, informing him that the prince was interested in marrying Davina. However, Davina had refused the offer, reiterating her obsession with lord nigel.
The minister was perplexed. "Are you foolish, Davina, or do you simply choose to be? Can't you see that lord nigel isn't looking your way.
Davina's mother, Clara, called out to her, "Davina, please! You're not getting any younger. Look at me, I'm getting old. We need to have a grandchild before we leave this world. Why are you doing this to us?"
Davena stood up, her voice raised. "Don't you want someone powerful like Lord nigel as your in-law?"
Her mother rose from her seat, anger etched on her face. "Someone who's not even interested in you? What's wrong with you, Davina? You're playing with fire and you'll get burned!"
She continued, her voice stern. "Whatever plans you've been making behind our backs, forget them. If Lord nigel finds out, I don't want him coming here. The last time he visited, I couldn't even bear to face him. I had to hide. Davena, please, just stop!"
Davina hissed and walked away.
The minister reassured Clara, "Don't worry, the prince is arriving tomorrow to formalize the marriage arrangements with Davina. She must get married; she's not above me, and she can't defy my authority."
Just then, a female servant rushed in, beaming with excitement. "He's here! He's here!" she announced.
Clara's anxiety returned. "Who is it? Is it the Lord of Ashwood?" she asked.
The servant replied, "No, it's the young lord."
Clara's expression transformed into one of joy. The door burst open, and a handsome young man, dressed in worn but clean clothing, walked in with a bright smile.
"Father, Mother! I'm home!" he exclaimed.
Clara's face lit up. "Are you done with your training?" she asked, rushing to hug her son.
The young man, Simon, replied, "Yes, we've completed our training. We decided to take some time off to visit our families."
The minister joked, "You've grown so big!"
Simon chuckled. "As expected, Father."
After hugging his parents, Simon noticed his mother's worried expression. "Mom, what's wrong? You look troubled."
Clara hesitated before responding, "It's just your sister, Davina. She's been causing us a lot of stress."
Simon offered, "Do you want me to talk to her?"
Clara shook her head. "No, no, don't bother. You just arrived; go rest. We're just glad you're home."
Simon scratched his head sheepishly. "I forgot to send a letter announcing my arrival today."
"We will throw a party immediately" the minister concluded.
******************
Aria's mother watched as the men, with their two carriages, took the captured men into one and led her to another. "Please, can I gather my belongings?" she asked.
"Don't worry, we'll return for them," the messengers reassured her.
With that, Aria's mother was escorted into the carriage, and they set off on their journey. Hours passed, and they arrived at a landscape, outside transformed into a breathtakingly beautiful place, reminiscent of heaven itself.
"Where is this place?" Aria's mother asked.
The lead messenger replied, "This is Lord nigel's second castle. It's one of his private residences, fully staffed with servants, as you can see."
The messenger recalled lord nigel instructing him to secretly escort Aria's mother to his private castle. As fate would have it, they were sent on the very day the attackers targeted Aria's mother. It seemed Aria's mother had narrowly escaped harm and could consider herself fortunate.