At a signal from Keven, the first one hundred Drayton prisoners (our soldiers) were released. Our soldiers stepped forward, directing them to our side. Keven and Yuri stood next to each other, carefully watching the exchange. The princess stood next to Yuri, her hands still bound, ready to be sent to her brother.
I watched her closely. She should have felt relieved, but something was off. She didn't seem eager to return. On the contrary, she seemed...unwilling.
I ignored the thought. It didn't matter. Soon, I wouldn't see her again.
I took off my scarf and threw it into the bag tied to my horse, then walked back beside Yuri.
At that moment, I felt it; her eyes were looking at me.
I turned my head slightly and saw her staring, her blue eyes wide open, fixed on something.
I followed her gaze and saw it.
My necklace.
Her expression changed in an instant. Shock, confusion, as if she had just seen something unreal.
She frowned. What was wrong with her? But I ignored it just as quickly. It wasn't my business. She would be gone soon, and I had no reason to care.
As soon as the hundred soldiers reached us, Yuri stepped forward and cut the rope from the princess's wrists with a sharp, precise movement.
She hesitated for only a second before walking towards her brother. Kevin reached out his hand to her, ready to take her back.
Then…
A whistle through the air.
An arrow?!
Straight towards the princess.
From our side.
Everything went blurry in that second.
Before I could react, Yuri raised his hand.
And grabbed it.
With his bare hand.
I froze.
The arrow was supposed to go right through him. But it didn't. He just stood there, holding the wooden pole like it was nothing. His hand didn't even tremble. Then he broke it with his hand.
Keven moved instantly, drawing his sword in a flash and pulling the princess behind him.
Drayton's entire force moved, hands gripping the weapons, ready to strike.
Yuri's voice cut through the chaos. "Who fired that arrow?!" His order was sharp, demanding an answer.
Keven's eyes darkened, his sword glowing under the gray sky. "So that's it?" His tone was grave, as if he had expected this from the start. He turned, raising his hand. "Drayton, prepare yourselves!"
The weapons were drawn. The air grew heavier. One wrong move and the ground would be drenched in blood.
Yuri didn't tremble. His voice remained calm, but firm. "Keven, think. It wasn't us. Someone wanted this trade to fail."
Keven didn't lower his sword. His soldiers didn't move.
The situation was seconds away from disaster.
..
-Author Perspective
Meanwhile...
From his position, Crimzo saw everything. The moment the arrow went off, he knew something was wrong.
"Find them," he ordered his team, his sharp eyes scanning the area. The archers spread out, their bows at the ready, scanning every shadow, every rock.
And then, a movement appear.
A dark figure ran across the field.
"There!" one of the archers shouted.
Crimzo moved before he could think.
His feet hit the ground as he pursued the figure, his breathing steady, his body low. The figure was fast, weaving through the terrain with trained precision.
But Crimzo was faster.
As soon as he got close, the figure reached into his coat.
A pill.
Crimzo's eyes widened.
"No, no, no!"
The figure swallowed it without hesitation.
In seconds, his body collapsed, his muscles contracted, his breathing stopped.
He died.
Crimzo cursed under his breath. He grabbed the body, searching for anything - signs, badges, anything that could tell him who this person was. Nothing.
No time.
He threw the body over his shoulder and ran back towards the others. If he didn't get to them in time, it would be a bloodbath.
..
-Roy
The tension in the air was thick, and every soldier was on edge, his hands gripping his weapon, waiting for the first strike.
I slowly advanced forward; my eyes fixed on Keven.
Behind him, a random girl grabbed Lily's arm and began to lead her away. But she wasn't moving quickly. She hesitated, her steps slow, almost hesitant. As if she didn't really want to leave.
I ignored it for now.
"We could start a war here," I said in a calm but firm voice. "We could let all these people die today. Or… we could take a moment to think."
Keven's sharp eyes didn't leave me, but he didn't speak. He was listening.
"Look at the situation," I continued. "If we wanted to kill her, don't you think we would have done it already? We've had more than a hundred chances. Why now?"
Keven didn't move, but I saw the slight shift in his stance. He was thinking about it.
I approached. "Think for a second. What if this was a trap? What if someone wanted to kill her and wanted it to look like we did it?"
Keven's grip on his sword remained tight, his jaw clenched. His soldiers didn't move, still waiting for his order. "Do you think I'm an idiot?"
Then, we heard someone steps.
Crimzo ran toward us, quickly, breathing evenly despite the weight on his shoulder.
The dead man.
He threw the lifeless body to the ground in front of us. "I found him running after the shot was fired," Crimzo said in a calm but urgent voice. "He swallowed a pill before I could get anything out of him. He knew he wouldn't be captured alive."
I looked at the body. Dark clothes. No insignia. Nothing connecting him to any side.
Keven glanced at the body, narrowing his eyes slightly. He still didn't have the full picture, but he wasn't stupid. This wasn't what a planned attack looked like.
Slowly, he lowered his sword.
His soldiers followed.
The moment was heavy in the air, the weight of what had just happened settling in. But it wasn't over yet. Not yet. We should fix this ...