James’ eyes widened.‘Did he suddenly realise something?’ I asked myself.“Why the sudden interest?” James asked as I walked past him. “Did the pirates tell you anything?”I kept my silence as I reached the other side of his desk. Slowly, I smiled to myself for a brief moment. Guilt was evident in his tone. “We were always forbidden to go there,” I replied as I slowly turned back around, “And the pirates didn’t say anything.”James nodded. But I noticed a quick sigh of relief from him. He wasted no time and immediately shook his head. “Why are we discussing this?” he asked as he turned to me.“I wish to go there. Now.”“That won’t be possible.”“And why is that?” I asked as I crossed my arms. “Is there something to hide?”James chuckled as he walked past me. My eyes followed his every action. “There is nothing to hide,” he said as he stood behind his chair. “I just don’t understand the sudden need to go there. There is nothing to see.”“Do I look like I care?” I answered as I approach
“What about it?” I asked.Gonzalo answered with a question, “What are you planning to do?”I sighed as I leaned onto the table. My arms supported my weight as I raised my head. “Since when was it your duty to meddle with the affairs of monarchs?” I asked as I looked directly into his eyes.“Since you decided to take the path that you are currently on,” said Gonzalo as he replicated my stance.“I don’t understand your hatred against mortals. Everybody has the capacity to change,” I replied. “Not every single one of them is the same.”Gonzalo scoffed. “I have been alive for a longer time than you, Your Highness. I have seen the evolution of mankind after we separated from them. They did change… but it was for the worse,” he snarled. He continued, “Their greed got the best of them. They continued on with their corrupted ways. They would step on others to obtain what they want.”“You are generalising an entire race of species. You don’t even take the time to visit their realm. You merely
Moments later, another group of guards entered with the prisoners.The pirates walked in a straight line as the guards walked beside them. Their hands were chained. A locked, metal chain was placed on their necks. That connected them with one another. They dragged their feet as they entered.Sweat and blood drenched their worn-out clothes. Bruises and whip wounds covered their skins. They were already thinner than before. And the lack of rest was evident on their faces.My right hand slowly curled into a fist as I turned to the captain. I specifically gave out orders that the pirates shouldn’t be treated with hostility. But it was clear no one listened to me.The captain finally caught my glare and lowered his head in shame.“Is there something wrong, Your Highness?” Gonzalo whispered.“Why are the pirates in such a terrible state? I thought I was clear when I ordered that they should be treated well,” I gritted my teeth.“That is not how we treat our prisoners, Your Highness. I merel
The atmosphere instantly shifted.The pirates raised their heads and looked at me, confused. The nobles continued their mumblings. My family, especially James and Gonzalo, turned to me. Their heavy gaze drilled down on my back.I did my best to maintain my composure. But my inner emotions were too tense, it was about to explode. And all I could do was to slowly grip onto my chair.My page resumed, “As the future ruler of Western Wind, I was taught to listen to my people and their needs. And these pirates are no different. They only want to provide for their families. But their abilities - their knowledge - were limited to the sea. And with no one to assist them, they resorted to violence.“Therefore, I changed my punishment from death to absolute exile. I hereby banish them to the northern borders of Western Wind. No one is to step in or out from the forgotten island but the ruling monarch. Signed, Robert Dex.”The nobles stood up in uproar as my page stepped aside. The pirates looked
My eyes widened as I stared at both of them.“Well, confused and shocked at most. Because your decision wasn’t something a victim of such a horrible experience would say,” Elizabeth explained.Mother then entered the conversation, “What came as a shock to me is the fact that you were given power to govern over the forbidden part of the kingdom. How were you able to do that?”I gestured towards the door so the three of us could start walking. I gave way to Mother and started, “After I was able to talk with the pirates, my immediate thought was to give them what they want. And all they wanted was a place to live. A piece of land that they can call their own.“When they mentioned that Grandmother previously gave them the northern borders of our kingdom, I knew what I had to do,” I continued. “But I had to make sure that James would hand over the borders to me.”When we arrived at the door, Elizabeth asked, “Why were you so confident that James will agree to your bargain?”Elizabeth’s que
Pride. Joy. Contentment. Relief.A sudden flush of emotions rushed through my body as I watched everything unfold.The guards assisted the pirates as they built the foundation of their new homes. Some of the guards helped the families as they went through their supplies. The smiles on their faces were gratifying to see.And somehow, this sight gave me a reason to be proud of my decision. Especially during this difficult time in my life.It wasn’t as simple as it looked like. It wasn’t about a cheap pardon for those who tortured me. I only wanted to return what was wrongfully taken from them: a life.However, a part of me still wished that I could do more for them. As much as I wanted for them to live amongst our people, it wasn’t a possibility. I knew all too well that society would never allow such a thing. Even if that was who the pirates truly were: our people.I also didn’t want to cause more trouble than what I already did. I already gave James enough of a headache to ponder upon
“Quickly now!”“Nana?! Nana!”“Where is the Medicine King?! Has someone called for him?!”The kitchen was in a scramble when I arrived. The maids rushed in and out whilst they carried basins of water. Others simply ran out and screamed in panic.I proceeded to the servants’ quarters. There, Nana was surrounded by her helpers. Three wiped her body. One on her forehead, one on each arm and one attended to her legs. Two helpers fanned from afar and the others watched helplessly from the side.“Nana,” I muttered to myself as I walked towards her.“Nana, please wake up.”“Nana…”Faint cries filled the room as I knelt by her bed. I held her hand gently as I examined her fragile frame. Thankfully, there weren’t any cuts or bruises. But what deeply concerned me was any possible internal bleeding.I turned to the other servants and asked, “What happened? Does anybody know?”“We were busy with our chores when we found her unconscious here,” the maid to my right sobbed. “She must have been too w
Elizabeth grabbed onto the wall and spread out her shield; a desperate attempt to save the room.As the commotion died down, Elizabeth let go and fell limp.“Elizabeth!” I panicked as I caught her in my arms.Elizabeth groaned as her nose bled. I pulled out my handkerchief and wiped the red liquid off her face.“Why would you use too much of yourself?” I scolded Elizabeth.Elizabeth coughed as she held the cloth in place. “If I didn’t do that, then all of us would have perished. And this room would have exploded,” she argued amidst her groans. “And besides, I’ve meditated for years, cultivating myself. I am well-prepared for these kinds of situations.”A loud thud came from the centre of the room. We looked and saw James, with Mother in his arms, lifeless on the cold floor.Immediately, we rushed towards them. We shook them both in an attempt to awaken them. I wiped off any blood that dripped from their noses and mouths. Meanwhile, Elizabeth checked them for their pulses.“Are they al
A prince had a peaceful night all to himself.His fireplace burned brightly as it kept his quarters warm against the harsh, cold atmosphere outside the old castle he currently resided in. A direct view of the beautiful moon outside his window. And a scrumptious meal right in front of him.He happily dug into his meal, which was something that he hadn’t done in a long while. Not after all the sleepless nights that he had. As well as the days where he pretended in front of his family.‘Ah, finally,’ he thought to himself as he cut through the tender meat on his plate. ‘A night where I can finally enjoy my food.’Just as soon as he was going to take a bite, a knock came upon his door. He groaned as he put his fork down. “Who is it?” he answered, irritated.The door creaked open and a servant called out of the dark. “Prince Benjamin?”“I thought I made it clear that I wanted to be left alone for a few hours,” Benjamin replied as he scratched his forehead.“My apologies, Your Highness, but
“Grandpa Ben?” my brows knitted together as I called out.“What are you doing here? Where did you come from?” I asked as he approached us.Grandpa Ben stopped right before us. He immediately glared at Gonzalo. But Gonzalo didn’t back down. He stared right back at Grandpa Ben.Grandpa Ben then cleared his throat and returned to me. “Go ahead. Bring Laura back. However, I want for the both of you to return safely. If I don’t see you with her, I will never forgive you even in death.”“Have you no regards to his life?!” Gonzalo protested, making us turn to him. “For the sake of getting your daughter back, you’re willing to put the prince at risk?! Don’t you mortals ever think of anything but yourselves?!”“And what about you Immortals? Don’t you do the same?” Grandpa Ben snapped. “I may look like a weak, old man. But I’m well-versed with stories of your kind. I never imagined that the myths of gods and goddesses being selfish were actually true. But you,” he pointed a finger at Gonzalo, “
The moon shone high in the sky as I looked out my bedroom window.The whole room was pitch black, dark as the night sky above. And only the powerful moonlight was able to illuminate my room.Well, at least a portion of it.I was incredibly frustrated with everything that I never bothered to light my torches as night fell.After I returned from James’ study, I remained in my room and did absolutely nothing. I simply sat by the window and drank tea without any signs of stopping. I also requested for an early dinner, an attempt to avoid James during dinner time.I just wanted to be left alone.I just wanted some space.‘I just want progress. Was that too much to ask for?’ my mind shouted, helpless as no one could hear it. And no one bothered to listen or even ask me.Then, a knock on my door echoed throughout the room. But I didn’t answer. I already rejected persistent knockings as I remained in my quarters. Even though someone from the other end called for my name, I never made my prese
Bethilda’s mouth hung in disbelief.“Your Highness, my heart's already breaking for the sacrifice that I am to make. Against my own beliefs and wishes, I am giving you my men to aid your cause. Just because I want them to have some time to prepare, that doesn’t mean I am on the other side of this debacle,” Bethilda protested.She added, “Your impatience will put their lives at risk. And that’s a risk that I will never be willing to take.”I pressed my lips together as my nose flared after a deep sigh. Truth be told, I gave my full respect to Bethilda as she put her servants before anything. However, I couldn’t wait again for a longer time. We already wasted too much time here and we never made any sort of progress in terms of the rescue mission.I cared for Bethilda’s household the same as I did for my own. But we couldn’t afford to wait another week before we could proceed. We didn’t even have the slightest clue on what could be happening within Benjamin’s territory.The mere thought
Bethilda’s eyes widened whilst James immediately turned to my direction.This was the fastest solution that I could think of. James already exhausted all of his efforts for this debacle. I had to do something, even if he didn’t like it.Bethilda looked to James for a moment before she returned to me. “Whatever the reason is for this sudden request of aid, I am afraid that it will do you more harm than good,” she answered. She added, “My soldiers aren’t fully trained for combat. I only trained them to protect and to distract enemies. And besides, I don’t think that His Majesty is in favour of this decision of yours, Your Highness.”“James has already given his all for our cause. We don’t know who to turn to and we are running out of time,” I answered. James’ stare never left but I paid no mind. I had no time to argue with him.Bethilda asked, “Have you reached out to other kingdoms? I know that you are attempting to rescue a friend. If that is the case, shouldn’t it be advised to ask t
“I already sent some of the guards to gather more troops back home.“We don’t know how many men Benjamin has to protect him,” James replied. “As much as possible, I don’t want to spill too much blood, especially within their territory. I don’t want this debacle to cause a scandal. And I also don’t want to destroy our alliance with them. At the same time, we can’t waste the lives of more men, both on his side and ours.”For James to still honour our alliance with Eastern Sun, even after what Benjamin did, was frustrating.Benjamin betrayed me. Trust and loyalty were values that I held in high regard. But Benjamin disregarded that, all because he didn’t get what he wanted.For that action alone, the friendship between our kingdoms was also destroyed. How could we possibly trust a traitor? Even if that person was our ally, it already destroyed their credibility as someone we trusted deeply.However, I understood why James was still worried about the alliance. Eastern Sun wasn’t simply a
Marcus chuckled as he shrugged.He looked down to his feet and replied, “My loyalty to the duchess is more than just of a servant, Your Highness. And even though that was the case for me,” Marcus returned to me, “I never overstepped nor did I ever use my emotions to my advantage. I respected her as my mistress. The person who gave me a home and a new life. Nothing more, nothing less.”Marcus’ response rendered me speechless.Who would’ve thought that a servant would develop strong feelings towards their mistress?Perhaps because of Bethilda’s care towards Marcus, his gratitude slowly turned into something else. Unfortunately, in this world - or in any other world in that retrospect - a relationship between a servant and their master would never be acceptable.I could only feel the ache on Marcus’ behalf as I once felt the same for Laura. That feeling that we wished we were born within the same kind of beings, just so nothing would be able to stand in the way of what we felt for each o
“Thank you for accompanying me all the way here.“For now,” I turned to the two guards behind me, “I would like to have a moment alone.”After I woke up from my nap, I decided to take a quick stroll around the castle grounds. Luckily, the guards told me that Bethilda had a small garden. So, I asked them to show me its location.The two guards shared glances with each other, worried and unsure. One of them replied, “But Your Highness, His Majesty specifically said that should you ask for our company, we are not to leave you alone. Especially when you are outside the castle.”I chuckled. “There is nothing to be scared of, gentlemen. With the location of the duchess’ residence, it’s a bit impossible for enemies to attack from within these walls,” I explained. “At the same time, I don't think that these walls are penetrable from all fronts.”The guards looked at each other again, still uncertain of what to do.I sighed, which made them turn to me. “I assure you, I can manage on my own. I
“And how long have you been in service within the duchess’ household?” I asked the maid in front of me.An hour had already passed and I was still only halfway through the inspection. I had to be very careful when I asked certain questions. At the same time, I had to discern personalities behind prim and proper facades.I couldn’t rush the process even if I wanted to. I didn’t know who could possibly have dark motives against Bethilda so I had to proceed with caution. I didn’t want to be the cause of her death, all because I chose the wrong people to serve her.“I have been serving the duchess for seven years,” the maid replied.“Ah, that would mean that you are fairly new within the household,” I said as I wrote the information down. “In your few years of service, how familiar are you with everything?”Her response was interrupted when my doors suddenly opened. We turned our heads and watched as James entered my room. Immediately, we stood and gave our greetings.“Did I interrupt any