DAY 49-2: THREAT

His mouth falls in disbelief. “B-but there is no other way to enter Depree.”

“And at this rate, we won’t be able to speak to the royal family,” she states. “Look, just follow me.”

Before he can respond, Leda’s already stomping forward, past the disheartening states the people in the line and towards the border the guards are guarding.

“Wait, Master!” Orian is on her heels. “Where are we going?”

“Please! I beg of you!”

The painful cry halts Leda dead in her tracks. She fixes her gaze on the citizen by the entrance only for her jaw to plummet. Almost all the citizens at the front are in horrible shape. Bleeding, scuffed, and consumed in woe. But the guards mercilessly shove them to the ground, the tightest security standing watch at the large bypass behind them.

“Please help us!” one exclaims.

“Please,” cries another, on his knees, head bowed as he sobs. “Spare just a little bit of food and medicine! I need to care for my ill children! They’re on their deathbeds! Please!”

“How many times must we repeat it?” grunts the guard, jabbing the man in the shoulder and inducing a cry of pain from him. “We don’t have anything we can give you people, nor are we letting anyone other than Depree citizens enter through these gates! Go home at once!”

Leda couldn’t have heard this—not from all the way at back. And most of the citizens watching this from afar are consumed with their fear as they cry themselves. But they don’t want to give up. They’ve been standing in this line for maybe even weeks because...

Orian, being the worrywart he is, is once again at the side of the people knocked over across the lush greenery beneath them. He carefully guides them to a safer proximity, skillfully ripping at his cloak’s fabric to wrap the cuts of the people. He even offers them the rest of the water they’ve salvaged. In no time they’ve regained a bit of their energy. Orian has that kind of charm. Leda can’t be any more grateful that he’s here.

“Who are you?” demands the guard in front of her.

She stand straight as a ruler, keeping him from the man he’d tossed. Albeit nowhere close to his height, the glower painting her face doesn’t fade.

His malice increases as a response.

Not only him, but all of the guards aim their weapons at her. They’re all wearing matching face masks, the ones doctors wear to remain sanitized. And even in their eyes, they contain not even an ounce of compassion for their actions towards these people.

“Let me speak to the royal family,” she orders.

He jabs the weapon into my vicinity to keep her back. “The royal family will not be seeing anyone.”

“Then force them to see me,” she snaps. “Let me through.”

A second guard shoves her with his quarterstaff and she stumbles.

“No means no!” he shouts. “I don’t care if you’re starving or hungry or dying from a disease! On King Oeh’s orders, nobody other than noble citizens are allowed into Depree at all costs!”

“Guards, what is all this commotion? Have you not cleared this area yet? This has been going on for weeks.”

Leda’s attention and the rest of the soldiers are drawn at once. Simultaneous gasps immediately follow, and after facing the source, Leda realizes why.

He’s beautiful. Sharp jaw and cheekbones. Eyes almond-shaped—amber like antique jewellery and peppered with a beautiful gold. All of it is framed by thick, blue curls that flutter out and hang by his ears and nape. There’s no hiding his silver armour poking out from the royal blue cape he has draped over his shoulders either. It’s practically radiating its noble refinement, his upper-class status.

“Y-you’ve finally returned,” the guard posted on the doors rushes to take the heavy haul he’s carrying on his shoulder.

But this noble’s eyes haven’t left Leda. His light brows are graceful but currently furrowed in confusion.

“W-we apologize,” sputters the guard so hostile to her moments earlier. “These Spades are very persistent. And this lady here has requested she see the royal family, and...”

“A human?” he murmurs, voice a purr. With two large strides, he’s in a dangerously close proximity. He eyes her carefully, questioningly, as if memorizing every feature on an estranged face. Then, he faces the gates. “Follow me.”

Leda’s eyelids shoot high. Is he talking to her? Follow him, as in, he’s going to let her inside? That easily?

All of the guards share her incredulity. None are happy with the idea.

The one closest to them raises a hand. “But, Your Hi—”

“I will be bringing her inside,” he finalizes, matter-of-factly. He peers over her shoulder. “A Mond, too?” He’s noticed Orian. “You’ve journeyed from Meisyr together, correct?”

Both Leda and Orian freeze. He can tell?

“Wait!” the citizens cry out in disbelief.

“What about us?”

“Please let us come inside as well!”

The noble doesn’t even glance in their direction. He faces the towering guards, who immediately part and reveal a pathway into Depree.

Leda grits her teeth. “Hey!” she yells. “Those people are talking to you!”

“There is no point in responding,” he says, placing a brisk foot forward. “I am only allowing you entry due to my curiosity behind your coming here. Take that as a compliment and silence yourself.”

If Orian doesn’t hold Leda back and the guards don’t lunge into defensive stances, she’ll have jumped him. Snarling like a wild beast, Leda glowers mercilessly into his back. What a snobby ass!

The large doors shut after them, silencing the incessant pleas of the citizens. What’s waiting to greet them is the beauty of an abundant city. Glass windows hailing wide assortments of foods and drinks. Antique and medicine shops. Butterfly powered lights enlightening the city in replace of the setting sun.

As it’s sundown, there isn’t a citizen in sight. However, Leda can imagine their wide smiles and condescending laughs as they swallowed in all this fortune. She can picture their comfort of waking up in cozy mattresses—being presented piles upon piles of provisions. She can even infer that the population in this ‘capital’ is nowhere close to the amount from Reca, or those suffering outside. It’s much, much less.

And yet there’s not a sign of pain or sorrow within an inch of this ravishing place. And the gorgeous crystalline buildings make this entire capital worthy of the praise from the other Spades.

She balls her fingers into fists.

“This place is so beautiful... and abundant with prosperity...”

Orian quivers beside her, aware she’s about to burst. Oblivious to that, the noble merely saunters at a leisurely pace through the vacant roads, guiding them to who knows where.

“Hey!”

He doesn’t flinch and only continues through the marketplace.

Before she realizes it, she’s grasped him by the collar, forcing his eyes to hers.

“Why don’t you share even a little of this happiness with the rest of Edaps? What makes you think you’re so much better than them?”

“M-Master!” Orian whimpers.

“You!” shout the guards who accompany them.

They ready their weapons at once, aiming them at Leda’s neck.

The beautiful man halts them with the wave of his hand. But he isn’t remorseful. He’s poised, as if he’s in the right.

Leda glowers maliciously.

“You’re a Spade too, aren’t you?” she snaps on. “Then you should understand how badly those people are suffering—how badly they want the royal family’s help! And yet all of you who are in this capital aren’t doing a damn thing!”

She knows she’s stepping way out of line, but her heart won’t let it slide. She’s seen too much, heard enough.

“Don’t you think anything of it? What’s the point of having a royal family—a king—if they can’t even help their citizens!”

The man simply scoffs. “For a human, you sure have a lot to say concerning a pointless issue.”

“Pointless?” She strengthens her grip around the fabric of his collar, tight enough to choke him. “There’s no point talking to a fucking noble. Take me to see the royal family. I’m literally gonna smack all of their asses up and down like a volleyball until they bow to their citizens and beg for their forgiveness.”

“Is that supposed to be a threat?”

She scrunches her nose. He really is odd. Then again, what was she expecting from a noble? He probably stuffs his face to the brim, scoffing and belittling those ‘less’ than him. It’s people like him who grind her gears the absolute most.

“Of course it’s a damn threat!” she bellows.

“Then.” He pries her hand off of him. His gaze is no longer nonchalant and instead smoulders like a scorching fire. “You might as well start with me.”

Leda’s jaw collapses as he stands taller and puffs his chest.

Wait, her mind sputters, is that supposed to mean—

“You are currently speaking to the third prince of the Oeh family—Prince Ronan III.” He cockily tilts his head to the side. “Now, it appears I couldn’t quite hear you earlier, so I am going to have to ask you to repeat it. What did you say you were going to do to my family?”