Chapter 102: The wailing princess
Somewhere on the higher floor of the Sungrade castle, bathed in the calm light of the serene moon, there was a small muffled sound...
"Mhm. Mhm."
Downed in a glamorous brown dress that went perfectly with her long bronze hair, a certain Lady was sitting alone on an open balcony staircase, her face buried in her lap, her hands hugging her knees.
From the sound, it was clear what was happening with her. From the sound alone, it was clear that she was crying.
-Swiiiiiiiiiiiiiish...
Some time has passed since she came here, by herself, no one daring to approach the doors guarded by the Samstrong duke himself.
She wanted to be alone for now.
She wanted some time to be by herself, to cry... to scream.
But, however hard she tried, no tears came down her eyes.
Despite her regrets, she could not accept how she had given up on her father long before they tried everything.
She wanted to cry, but, the only thing she could do right now was to drown in her suffering, regrets, and the pain of having betrayed the trust of her father.
"Mhm..."
Crying would have been so much better. So much easier... so much reliving. But, the suffocating feeling that choked her, the utter rage of screams that were stuck in her throat were hurting her more each passing second.
In this lonely place, she was alone, accompanied only by the moonlight, these gentle winds, and all of the warm memories she had with her father.
Memories that she had betrayed with her actions.
-Thump. Thump. Thump.
Beyond the balcony, stopped by the duke, the people who followed the princess were standing with their heads down.
They knew they couldn’t help the princess right now.
They may be strong, smart, and rich... but they weren’t the right guides who could help her.
In matters of the heart, those who could not understand the heart of their masters became useless.
They could assemble armies and fight wars by her side, they had someone who could peek into the future so there were few strategies that could have got in their way.
One of the strongest individuals of this continent, the Duke himself, was by her side, and yet, even he was standing outside, his heart aching at her suffering.
He could not help her...
"My good lords?"
But there was someone here who could, perhaps, help her right now.
"..."
He wore a LaVan and carried the Sungrade name. He was a royal guard sworn to the throne, as well as a knight who chose to serve the throne for one simple reason.
And that reason was out there right now.
Out in the balcony.
"?"
He looked at the crowd gathered outside the balcony and then at the Samstrong duke’s towering frame.
When looking at each individual present, there was a certain disgust in the duke’s eyes, a feeling that he had towards himself as well.
But when he saw the young man, he saw light.
"I’ll go."
When Blaze stepped forward, the duke first grabbed his shoulder and stopped him. He knew they were good friends, but he still wanted to be sure that he can help her right now.
"I’m still going." The red knight did not know the answer to what he can do for the princess but he still pushed the duke away and walked in, stepping out into the balcony, finding a certain lady in a bitter state.
-Swiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiish...
With the flowing winds, he went ahead and sat down beside her, not saying a single word.
"Hmmm?" When she looked up, her eyes day and red, she saw his face, his eyes, and his hair... all illuminated by the calm moonlight.
She couldn’t tell what the reason was, but his presence beside her gave her more calmness than either the moonlight or the present winds.
She looked at him, deeply, really. She did.
When she first came here, she wanted nothing more than to talk to him in his house, for the first time, and perhaps for the last time.
She wanted to look around the palace that he loved so much more than the imperial palace, but, none of that mattered right now.
"You’re here."
"I’m here."
Looking into his eyes, she blinked. Once, twice, three times...
The red eyes became wet, and her heart became heavier.
He was here... but they weren’t alone.
She could still feel the eyes that were watching them, the presence beyond the door, all those people that pushed her, pushed her, and pushed her until she accepted that there was no other way.
That she needed to take up the reins in her own hands.
She had never wanted it before... but now, she cannot stop until she had it.
It was her fate now.
But that doesn’t mean she must bear this fate by herself.
"Do you wanna go somewhere else?" He asked her in a low voice, a smile present on his face.
He could tell she was angry at all those people. As well as how she did not want to be angry at them.
"Hmm." She answered positively to his question, nodding quietly, her eyes still red.
The bond these two had was a little... complicated.
But then again, for an imperial princess that was fighting for the throne, there were few simple things in her life.
"Please excuse me then."
-Swiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiish...
Blaze stood up and first bowed to her, then... he carefully picked her up, carrying her in his arms like the princess she was.
"...!"
Obviously, this came as an unexpected surprise.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tightly.
The red knight, seeing the surprised look on the princess, couldn’t help but smile.
Her eyes were still red, and her heart was beating faster than ever.
She was afraid, happy, confused, but most of all, she was with the person who understood the chaos inside her.
"Hupp."
He turned around and jumped off the balcony, his destination already decided.
"...?"
To everyone outside, all of this had happened in an instant, quick enough that they couldn’t understand what had happened.
But, the duke understood.
He had a calmer expression now. But still, he stood on the door.
Even if the princess and the knight were gone, he was not released from his duty.