Abiri opened her eyes. She felt like she had slept for a long time.
"You are awake!" she heard Adeer saying. She looked around, it was her room. Lev, Aziza and Adeer were beside her. She tried to get up but a sting shot through her abdomen. She flinched.
"Careful!" Aziza helped her up, "You lost a lot of blood and were in a coma for half a month you know?"
Abiri looked surprised, "Half a month? Then what about the thugs and father?" she tried to move.
"Everyone is alright. The thugs were already executed. The chief is also fine," Lev assured, "Just don't move."
Abiri took a sigh of relief. She could hear many footsteps outside.
"I'll inform father that you are awake," Adeer said, "I will also go get you food, you must be hungry."
Abiri smiled, "Since when did you become so serious and obedient?" she teased.
He just ran away without looking back.
"You still have the nerve to laugh?" Aziza said, "He was so worried. He kept crying and saying that he will listen to you if you wake up".
Lev said, "And not only him all of us were worried. You really scared us. Aziza stayed here day and night taking care of you. The Chief came every day to check on you. He also brought many doctors and physicians to take a look at you. Even his majesty came personally to look at you. He even brought the royal physician for you."
"His majesty is here? So that's why it is so busy outside," Abiri said, "But why-"
Before she could finish her sentence, Conall and Hernan came in led by Adeer.
Conall wanted to hug her but was stopped by Aziza saying that she was still too weak for his big hug. Adeer brought her rice porridge to eat. Abiri wanted to ask about the emperor's visit but she knew it had to wait.
All of them sat around and looked on as she ate the porridge. She looked at her father and the governor exchanging glances. It seemed like they had something to say. She sighed.
"What is it father?" she asked, "Anyway, I can't eat with all of you staring at me like that. So it's better to talk while I'm eating. You don't have to wait for me to finish."
He said slowly, "I was thinking you and Lev like each other, so maybe you both can get married. Lev is soon leaving to study abroad so you can go with him and see the outside world."
Abiri stopped eating as soon as she heard him. She looked at them.
"What about you? Did you agree?" she asked Lev.
Lev shook his head, "I want to know your opinion," he said.
"But Aziza is still not married-" she said but was cut off by Conall.
"I have a few candidates in mind. They are all Lev's friends who are also going abroad to study. I was thinking of holding both your weddings on the same day. Then all four of you can travel and see the world together. Maybe Adeer can join you too, since he loves to explore," he said quickly.
Aziza looked reluctant but kept quiet.
"They must have argued about this before. Aziza is assertive when it comes to family matters but she can't really speak up for her own matters," Abiri thought, "But why is father suddenly insisting us to get married? Something is definitely wrong."
"Abiri?" Hernan called out.
"I am sorry everyone. Can I speak to my father alone before I make a decision?" she asked.
Everyone left. It was only Conall and Abiri. She looked at him but he seemed to be avoiding her gaze.
"Why are my daughters so scary? They really take after their mother," he thought.
"Father, do us getting married have anything to do with His Majesty's visit?" she asked directly.
"How do you know he's here? No, this has nothing to do with him. I just almost lost you, so I wanted to fulfil my duty as a fath-"
"Then does this have anything to do with the assassination attempt on you?" she cut him off.
"No! This has nothing to do with my assa-" he stopped himself, "What assassination attempt? There was no assassination attempt," he was trying to cover up.
She stared at him silently. He sighed with resignation.
"I really don't know if that smartness of yours is a boon or a bane," he said, "How did you figure it out?"
"I felt something was off right from the time the thugs tried to lure me out of city and plan the large-scale attack. Just what were they trying to do? It was not like they could actually stay in the city. Even if they capture the city by defeating us, your troops or ever the royal army could easily wipe them out. So, they must have another motive to attack. But I didn't have time back then to really think about it. Now His majesty's visit and you insisting on us getting married- or rather sending us away, seems to be related to the attack on the city. As for how I knew the fugitive leader's target is you? Simple, the leader was an ex-soldier. The way he behaved and panicked in the battlefield; I thought he was a deserter. But the weird thing was, as a deserter who is scared of death, he not only didn't run away, but risked his own life to try to kill you. I think his target was not only you but the whole of Arlos," she analysed.
"You are right," he said, "As you have already guessed, his target was Arlos. First, he wanted to lure you out before a large-scale attack, so that Arlos can be framed for abandoning their duties. As that failed, he tried to kill me," he said.
"Either way would weaken the Arlos. But why would he want that? We don't have any conflicts with him, right? He wasn't angry so it wasn't revenge. He looked desperate. Did someone order him to do so?" she said more to herself, "I got it! His majesty gave you a mission!"
He looked at her surprised, "W-why do you think so?"
"His majesty gave you an important and dangerous mission but someone knew about it and tried to either discredit the Arlos or silence you. Yes! That's it. His Majesty is obviously not here to visit me, but to know the results or progress of your mission. You don't want us to get involved in anything dangerous so you are trying to send us all away under the excuse of marriage. Did I guess it right?" she said triumphantly.
Conall was speechless, "I never expected her to come to this conclusion. Her sense of deduction is really scary. Who did she take after?" he thought.
Before he could say anything, a voice came from outside, "Conall, the 'little chief' really is as smart as the rumours say," a man dressed in an elegant gloden tunic and trousers entered the room, "No, even the rumours don't fully justify the smartness of the Second Lady Arlo."
"Your Majesty," Conall greeted as he got up.
Abiri tried to get up to greet him but was stopped by him. He asked them to leave the formalities. The emperor sent his attendants away and sat down on a chair. He made Conall sit beside him.
"I wish I had such a brilliant strategist beside me," he said.
"I apologise Your Majesty. I shouldn't try to guess the emperor's motives," she said humbly. This was her first time seeing the Emperor since Arlos are not allowed to enter Yuj. So, she didn't know what would offend him.
Conall immediately chimed in, "My apologies Your Majesty. My daughter grew up with soldiers, and does not know much of the world. Please don't mind her careless words."
"No, I am not at all offended. And wasn't her analysis close enough to the truth?" he said.
He looked at Abiri and said "You don't have to be so nervous your father and I are cousins. If you look at relations, I am you uncle. And it is true that I gave your father an important mission. Now everyone in the entire Kingdom of Saha knows about it."
Abiri looked surprised.