Chapter Eleven: The Protector
Azval
"Where have you been? You suddenly just left and... Prince Larnaaz!"
Lady Emilia who looked so worried greeted us when she sighted us once. I am with Lorcan right now and we just head back here at the Central.
Should I feel relieved that he saw me alone earlier in the forest or not because I left Miss Estelle there alone?
I know I should not get worried and that she'll be back safe because I saw her together with Master Hagas but it was so disrespectful of me to leave her without any notice.
"What are you so deep in thought of?" Lorcan asks while trying to get off Lady Emilia's hands that are entangled in his arms.
Is she a leech?
"Nothing, brother. I just saw Master Hagas earlier."
It's not my first time seeing him, the other time was when I bought one of his items for Miss Estelle. But that is a scenario that is in no need of me to mention in front of my brother and especially Lady Emilia.
"Ah right, that forest is where his cabin is located. We should have paid our greetings to him. He used to be one of the mages of the kingdom, after all. Why didn't you tell me?"
He now successfully got rid of Lady and now she is sulking on his side. I was about to answer him when Lady Emilia suddenly pointed out my clothing.
"Oh my, Prince Larnaaz. Why are you clothed like that?"
She looked at me from head to toe.
Oh, right. I'm still wearing my mercenary clothes.
She continued, "Not to mention that you suddenly just disappeared in the middle of the banquet. But hmm, I am not quite sure but something is telling me that I have seen you earlier before you went off somewhere."
"You're imagining things, Lady Emilia," I defended and scoffed.
"I'm gonna tell Lady Irina about your hideous clothing—'
"No one is gonna tell no one, Lady Emilia. Remember that you didn't ask the Duke for his permission to follow me here." Lady Emilia flinched as my brother said those words to her.
"Heh, so you sneaked out." I teased.
"I just saw her carriage behind mine." With a glint of disinterest in his eyes, he glared at Lady Emilia. "Since it's already too late to send her back, I just went here with her."
I saw her roll her eyes and eventually put her attention to the dancers who were up until now, entertaining the crowd. She also mumbled something that her brother left her eventually and it took her almost an hour to find him again... with me.
While Lady Emilia is getting the attention of my brother, I am scanning my eyes on the crowd. There may be a chance that Miss Estelle is here already.
But a couple of minutes passed, and she was nowhere out of sight. I just thought that she had gone to the inn already. If that's the case then I think that it's for the better. Something is telling me that my brother should not know about Miss Estelle's existence.
Especially since she looks like his fiancee.
I sneaked a glance at my brother. Lady Emilia is still occupying him with her nonsense talk but I can see that something else is getting my brother's attention.
"Are you looking for someone?" I asked. It's also questionable that he came here.
He's not the type to enjoy a festival and he would rather stay at the banquet or his room after and do his work. I would've believed that he just gave chance to stroll with Lady Emilia if I hadn't known that she just followed him here. He purposely went out here. Lady Emilia and I are just someone that got tangled up.
"Quite. I am looking for a certain someone good with swords. I am told that he would definitely show up here as he would always do every Feast of the Saintess. He would always create chaos by dueling someone but I've been here for a certain amount of time now but I still haven't seen him."
Scenes from earlier flashed in my mind.
Is he talking about that old man who is known as Mr. Brown?
"He was here earlier. I dueled with him."
Lorcan's eyebrows furrowed. "Are you sure?"
"Do I look like someone who would fool you, brother?"
"Oh yeah, you look like one," Lady Emilia inserted herself. I gestured my hand to shut her mouth because I was not talking to her. She just glared at me and went back to watching the entertainers.
"Damn," I heard him whisper to himself and started to walk away. Lady Emilia immediately followed him, and so did I.
"What do you need for him? I heard he was not even knighted and why don't I know him?" I asked resting my head on the palms I intertwined and put on my head. Lorcan stopped and faced me.
"He wasn't knighted but his skills are unrivaled," he started. "His name became taboo in the Knighthood for an incident he was dragged into when you were just a child."
"Incident?"
"He left his position and it is rumored that he visited his wife at that time due to some incident. It was the reason why his position was left unguarded and an assassin was able to enter your room. He wasn't able to properly explain his leave because the next day and the following, he didn't show up. As if he was gone like the wind. He just started presenting his presence in public again three years ago."
Me?
If that's the case, he used to be one of the trainee guards of the Aysel Palace. Then that further confirms that this man my brother is talking about is that Mr. Brown. No wonder why earlier, he knew who I was.
"It's bad to talk about someone behind their back, ya know. Does the Queen and Lady Irina didn't teach you manners?"
The three of us immediately turned around to the man behind us who just talked. Even the royal guards nearby urgently positioned their hands on their hidden swords but Lorcan immediately gestured for them to don't move an inch.
"Gavian," my brother said. He gave all of us a smile.
"It's been a while, Your Highnesses and My Lady."
He bowed his head and when he got it up, I saw him give me a swift gaze. The smile that he was wearing later faded and changed with a serious look as he saw my brother not bothering to utter any words.
"What do you want with me?"
"I hope this tea is both to your liking."
The man that is called Gavian said as he handed us a cup. We are now both at his house which surprisingly is just around the corner of the Central. It's a house that's under a different name that's why even though he's just near, he was not easy to locate.
Only the three of us are now at this table but the tension between us is that of in battlefield with thousands of soldiers. Lady Emilia was sent back to their duchy as this matter didn't concern her as what Lorcan told her in such a cold demeanor.
With a crumpled face, she left together with her guards while Lorcan's guards were scattered in the area that surrounds Gavian's house.
I took a sip of tea and it tasted better than I expected. Is this the recipe of his wife? I wonder where she is right now. Lorcan didn't even touch the cup of his tea.
Brother, try it already!
"I want you to guard someone," Lorcan said as soon as Gavian sat and took a sip of his own tea.
"Why go with this old man?" He looked Lorcan in the eye and ran his gaze to mine meaningfully afterward. "Your Highness, the second prince, dueled with me earlier and he is quite capable."
"I'm a busy man," I said and looked away while sipping my tea.
He knows that Miss Estelle is someone he cannot disclose to my brother as based on Miss Estelles' clothing, she's not someone with a rank.
And me guarding someone? I'd rather spend years on the battlefield again or at Miss Estelle's side watching the next ludicrous thing she'll do.
"Coming from a second prince. Without you being at war, you're just stuck at strategizing, training and the rest of your time is just leisure," he said and that made me clear my throat.
He's right, actually.
"Second princes really have the fun time," I said sarcastically. This one is somewhat of a lie.
Do you know how much pressure it is to always be compared to my brother while enduring the looks of my mother who expects me to steal the throne? Sickening.
"Then she must be so important that the Crown Prince himself went to see me."
Gavian turned his attention now to Lorcan and smirked. I just stayed quiet and enjoyed my tea. I don't really care about this matter as I only set my eyes on the next possible war that could happen. But seeing my brother come all the way here... this is intriguing me very much.
"You should know her. She's the descendant of the Saintess. Princess Sina," he said and drank his tea while I almost choked on mine.
"P-Princess Sina? What for?" I asked with concealing my shaking voice. It's already bad that I know that she looked very much like Miss Estelle, but now I have to see her around the palace grounds too.
I should not worry because I heard that she's as holy as what she is known for, The Holy Flower. She behaves and acts like an angel descent. I know that but I just have a bad feeling about this.
"She will be staying here as she requested the involvement of her in our marriage which will take months from now. She wants to do the preparations herself," he said while Gavian's expression didn't change at all. Like me, he would just sip his tea from time to time.
"I don't think that's the only reason why you would seek me, Your Highness." Gavian put down his tea on the table. "Any royal knight can surely protect the princess."
"Not if the one who's after her is the Emperor himself."
I stopped midway through my tea and put it down.
The Emperor? Why would he take an interest in the princess? Not unless...
"Tch. Lady Emilia," I whispered and back to drinking my tea.
That woman has really getting my blood boil ever since the three of us met in childhood. Her obsession with my brother cannot be estimated. She would do some unexplainable things that sometimes would get the three of us in trouble. She's tainting my brother's engagement with Princess Sina by tailing him wherever but the whole kingdom just knows that she's willing to be Lorcan's mistress if given the chance.
Crazy wench.
I just really dodged a bullet when I refused to engage with her and went to war instead. She alone is naïve but right now, a dangerous shadow is wrapped around her hands.
"I heard she's engaged with the Emperor," Gavian said.
That's right, the Emperor who's so dedicated to his duties. That's also why he takes his engagement seriously.
"And that's the trouble. Lady Emilia sees Princess Sina as her rival and as long as she's engaged with the Emperor, he would do anything for her," Lorcan said and let out a deep sigh, "Princess Sina will face constant danger and I want you to keep her safe without her knowing your existence."
A moment of silence surrounded the three of us until Gavian decided to break it by laughing so hard.
"Alright, alright! I should take this. An old man like me should do one last thing before I leave this wretched place," he said and bowed his head, watching his empty cup, "at least a chance to redeem myself from what happened years ago."
"I'll send someone to let you know more of the details later on." Lorcan stood up so I did, "and I know it is years late but I extend my sympathies for your late wife and child."
Gavian stood up and once again bowed his head to us.
"Thank you, Your Highnesses."
The matter was already settled so we already went back to the palace though I didn't go with my brother due to my clothes. We went our separate ways.
Ferran was so furious when I successfully entered my bedroom without anyone noticing. I was late to come back after all. Good thing that he managed to cover my absence. I don't know how but that's just Ferran. He's remarkable!
I immediately changed into my training clothes and proceeded to the training ground with one thing that lingers in my mind all day...
Miss Estelle would surely hit me for leaving her.
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