Elara’s POV:

No… No no no no no!

This can’t be happening! Why are they following me?!

Grandma! What should I do?!

I kept running back to the forest, hoping the river would stop the two men from following me, then jumped across and kept running home. Our cabin came into view, but I needed to check if they were still following me, so I cast a concealment spell on myself and just stood around the house without making a noise.

I needed to summon a monster somehow or scare them off. But if I got caught doing magic, we would be in danger. Who are those people?! And why are they following me?!

“Why are you living in the forest?” In that moment, I remembered Evren’s question to me the morning before he left our house. I felt like he was suspicious of me for some reason.

The two men stood before the cabin by the old oak tree. Evren, the man whom I helped three weeks ago, and a man I had never seen before. His friend, I assume, has dirty-blonde hair and grayish-blue eyes, is the same height as Evren, and has a similar body frame, except he is buffier than Evren. 

Are they soldiers? I thought to myself.

I can’t stand here for so long. I need to get them away from this place somehow. Without thinking too much, I pulled my dagger that was hidden under my skirt, then revealed myself to them.

“Who the hell are you?!” I yelled, pointing my dagger at them, ready to plunge it into any of them who dared to make a move.

The dirty-blonde-haired man noticed my dagger and put his hand on his dagger as well, ready to pull it out, but Evren stopped him.

“I should ask you the same thing… mage,” Evren asked. My blood ran cold at his question.

I narrowed my green eyes at him in anger. How did he figure out that I am a mage?

“Put your dagger down.” The man next to him yelled as he took a step closer to me.

“Why should I listen to you?!” I yelled back. 

“So you are the rumored mage…” Evren said as he got closer to me. 

No! I wanted to yell that to him, but my legs froze in their spot, and my right hand that was holding the dagger shook from fear. If I said yes, I’d die, and my grandmother too. If I said no, they wouldn’t leave.

What should I do? Grandma! 

I took a step back as Evren took a step forward; his friend stood by, right hand on his dagger, ready to take action if I made a wrong move. 

Did I rescue a thug?! What did I get myself into?!

“You’re not denying that?” Evren asked.

“What makes you think that I am a mage? Are you trying to get me killed?” I hissed the words through gritted teeth. 

“No, I am not intending to kill anyone.” He simply said, taking a step back away from me, giving me space.

“Then what? Why did you follow me all the way here?” He didn’t respond; he simply looked at me. Brown eyes stared deeply into my green eyes. 

“Answer me! Who are you and why did you run after me?” I yelled again, taking a step forward.

In the corner of my eye, I saw the other man take a step closer to us, but Evren put his hand out to stop his friend from getting closer. 

“We heard rumors of a mage who heals people in the village, and we came to investigate; however, I couldn’t get answers on the night you saved me, since I was injured. Then somehow the cabin was in the forest, but you denied it, then showed me the path back to the village…” Evren put his arms behind his back and stood tall with confidence. The posture of a noble… My eyes widened in realization of who this man might be.

No way!... My gaze drifted to the other man’s attire; he had an emblem hanging from his dagger that appeared to be a royal emblem. My legs shook under me, and I took a step back.

There is a rose in the center of that emblem; each petal of the rose represents a season of this kingdom, Rosethorne. Red - Summer, White - Spring, Orange - Autumn, and Blue - Winter. A green and gold circle surrounds the rose. On top of the circle are golden-style thorns, representing the royal crown. And two golden flowers on both sides of the circle - hardy flowers only found in winter in our kingdom.

Royal guards!... My mind screamed that word. 

There’s no way out of this one! I am as good as dead! Should I fight them off? Curse them away?

“We are not here to punish you…” Evren said.

“Then why are you here?” I asked shakily.

“Are you the mage or not? It’s a yes-or-no question.” The other man said.

My knees buckled underneath me, and I fell to the ground. Evren tried to hold me, but I slapped his hand away. This earned a scowl from his friend, who yelled at me, “How dare you behave that way!” 

Evren raised his hand in the air again to stop the man from yelling at me. Is Grandma even listening to this? I only thought of our survival and my grandmother in this situation. 

Evren got down on one knee and looked at me in the eyes with an unreadable expression. I am as good as dead now! 

“Do you know who I am? You seem to be very nervous right now?” 

Is he serious?! How would I not be nervous when I am in this position, and my head is on the line!

“A royal knight…” I simply answered.

Both men exchanged looks, not sure what the meaning behind it was. A second of silence passed until Evren let out a chuckle. “Alright, Ms. Mage…” He emphasized the word mage again.

“What do you want? Can you at least get to the point?!” I yelled at Evren again.

Both men’s faces went blank until Evren said, “I would like to hire you as an herbalist.”