The next morning, the Crown Prince received word that Queen Theodora was finally awake. Without even finishing his morning al, he went to see his mother and make sure she was fine.
When he entered the room, the Head Royal Physician was helping the Queen drink a bowl of herbal dicine while the young lady with honey blond hair was standing in the side.
He greeted his mother and then waited for her to finish her dicine. While waiting, his eyes found themselves glancing at the young lady standing beside the bed. Only her side profile was visible to him.
Once the Queen finished her dicine, the Head Royal Physician bowed and stepped out of the chamber.
Prince Theron asked, "Mother, how are you now?"
In a seemingly tired voice, the Queen replied, "I am fine, son."
The young lady, the only other person in the room, realized she needed to let the mother and son have so private ti. In fact, she had decided to leave this place as the Queen was fine now and return to her usual life in the forest, away from the bustle of the city and its people.
"Excuse , Your Majesty? As you are fine and your safety is guaranteed here, I would like to take my leave and go back ho," the blond girl said.
Before the Queen could answer, the Crown Prince spoke up, "You are not allowed to leave."
Those words shocked the young lady and she glanced at the prince. "May I know why?"
"This incident has many suspicious points. Other than the royal knights, no one should have known the route the Queen is taking, and your coincidental presence in that forest is also a matter of investigation. We are yet to verify who you are. We are not sure if you are sent by them—who knows if you are a spy sent to gain the trust of the Queen by saving her?" the prince answered straightforwardly as he turned to face the young lady in question.
The mont their gazes t, the Crown Prince felt like he would be drowned in those pretty caral colour irises. There was no fear in those eyes. In fact, she seed…offended? Indignant? He found it fascinating that a young lady who seed yet to have co of age could appear unintimated in front of the Crown Prince of garis, a feat not even the proud daughters of the high nobles could successfully pull off.
Was she truly innocent or was she stupidly unafraid that her sche would be exposed?
"Those rebels have nothing to do with . I just happened to pass by chance and tried to save those who were in trouble. When I stepped forward to stop those n, I didn't even know Her Majesty's identity," the blond girl replied, "and I would have done it for anyone, even if the one in trouble is a commoner."
The young lady had been silent the entire ti ever since she arrived in the estate of the Holles Family, and this was the first ti she had spoken this long with anyone. Despite that, she spoke with eloquence, looking confident in what she said. She didn't look hesitant or timid in front of the Crown Prince while defending herself. She looked more like she was done with her job and rely wanted to leave.
The Crown Prince felt like he could trust her words, and from what evidence his n had gathered so far, what she said was the truth—but he didn't want to give in easily. It was hard to believe in pure coincidence and goodwill. There was no reason for him to lower his vigilance, especially since he was the Crown Prince, and his mother, the Queen, was attacked. Until things ca to light, everyone was under suspicion.
"If you are innocent, we will know that soon, and I will reward you handsoly for the trouble," the Crown Prince replied coldly. "Till then, you are not allowed to leave the estate or I will have to send my soldiers after you and drag you back here."
The Queen found herself quietly enjoying the exchange of words between the two. As a mother, she knew her son best and understood his personality was just like this, hard on the outside but soft on the inside. In truth, he wasn't hostile towards her saviour. Seeing the way her son had lost his composure a mont ago when he t gazes with the blond girl, the Queen could only hide a knowing smile.
She finally thought to end their conversation and said to the young lady, "Dear, I am thankful that you saved but there are so rules that we can't overlook and every subject of this kingdom has to obey them. Let the Crown Prince do his job. I am sure he will apologize for his rudeness once he's sure that you are innocent."
The young lady could not deny what the Queen said because it sounded reasonable. She was just a little annoyed to be suspected. She nodded, only to hear the Queen continue speaking, "Which reminds , I wish to know more about my saviour. I don't even know your na. May I know your na?"
"My na?" the pretty blond blinked her caral-coloured eyes as she mumbled, looking conflicted over it. "I…I don't have one."
"Pardon?"
"I have been alone for as long as I could rember, and from my earliest mories, I have always lived alone deep in that forest, Your Majesty."
This surprised the mother and son pair. It also enlightened the Crown Prince as to why they could not find any information about this young lady.
"You don't have a family?" the Queen asked.
The young lady shook her head.
"Such a pretty young woman lives in the forest, hiding from the world all this while?" the Queen said while guessing so things about this mysterious and secretive-looking young woman.
To this, the young woman nodded hesitantly. "I do trade so of the items from the forest within the city rchants once every few months…"
User Comments
0 comments from readers