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The King’s announcement had everyone silent, but no one dared to argue. As rightfully Adric was the Crown Prince and next in line to the throne. Slowly, the ministers dispersed, going back to their houses as it was still early morning.
Nicholas was the last to leave, he first bowed to the King. "Your Majesty, I’m glad everything is okay with you,"
Fidelis smiled, "I’m happy to have a competent man like you as Prime Minister, do well to serve Adric just as you did for me."
"Yes your Majesty," Nicholas bowed deeply, turning his face to the side to look at Oriana. He noticed the girl’s attention was on the king, he bowed and left the palace.
Gwen stood beside her husband, trying to calm her expression before she turned to look at him with a smile on her face. "Fidelis, you scared me, I thought I had lost you." she said, holding her husband’s hand.
The King smiled, "I told you before, Gwen, I’m not dying yet. Until I meet all my grandchildren," Fidelis replied.
"Father!" Jasmine hugged him. "I was so worried."
Adelaide walked to stand beside her father, holding him closely. "Thank you for coming back to us, Father."
"Thank you for always loving me, my children," Fidelis replied.
Oriana stood at the corner with a confused look on her face. Adric didn’t mention to them that someone among them had plotted to kill the King. And all the suspects were now hugging the King. What if they try to stab him, she thought, looking at the King with serious interest so she didn’t miss a thing.
"You can go and hug him too," Adric interrupted with a smile on his lip.
Oriana blinked her eyes away from the King and settled them on Adric. "I don’t want to hug him."
"Sure? Your eyes says otherwise," Adric remarked. Without waiting for Oriana to reply, he started walking inside the palace.
Oriana looked at the royal family, then at Adric. She ran after him.
Adric noticed the movement behind him, so when he opened his door, he left it slightly open.
Without thinking, Oriana pushed the door open and entered the room. Adric was sitting on his chair, going through something that she couldn’t see clearly as she was standing far from the table.
"What happened out there?" she asked, holding her dress at both sides.
Adric raised his eyes to look at her for a brief moment, then he looked down at the parchment in front of him. "What happened where?" he asked, flipping through the pages.
"You didn’t tell them about the attack," Oriana started. "I mean the truth behind the attack, that someone was behind it. You told me I saw something and..."
Adric’s eyes now stared intently at Oriana, causing her to gulp. "And?" he asked with a calm voice.
"And that the culprit is someone—"
"Someone in the royal family?" Adric completed, pushing his chair back to cross one leg over the other. "What do you think would happen if the ministers hear something like that, and not just the ministers, what do you think would happen if every member of the royal family suspects one another?"
Oriana pressed her lips together. "But...the King’s life—"
"If the royal family is torn apart, it’ll be easier to take the throne from us, and when a kingdom is not united, it’ll be easier to conquer it," Adric explained, with his fingers interlocked using them to hold up his face. He listened closely to what Oriana had to say.
Oriana nodded. Adric was right. "B-but the King’s life is in danger. If someone attempted to kill the King, he or she would try again because they will think the King had seen them," Oriana remarked. If the person was left to roam free, then everyone in the palace was in danger.
Adric shook his head. "The King clearly said earlier what he saw, and there was nothing related to any member of the royal family. So the culprit wouldn’t try to attack him but just stay low. The only person in danger is you because you saw something you shouldn’t have and worst of all, you don’t even remember it clearly. We can’t take your words seriously."
Oriana blinked. She was actually the next target. "But...I didn’t even remember I saw anything until you forced me to start thinking."
Adric shrugged his shoulders. "Mhm, but then you didn’t even bring a clear picture with your memory. That’s not my fault." He replied nonchalantly.
"So what will be my fate now?" Oriana was beginning to panic, bead-like sweat forming on the side of her face.
Adric hummed, looking like he was deep in thought. "Do you know how to fight?"
Oriana had never actually trained in sword fighting or horse riding. The only thing she knew a little about was how to shoot an arrow. "I don’t know how to fight, but I can shoot an arrow, though I miss my targets most times."
"Ah!" Adric nodded. "I’m not sure that can help you. Either you carry your bow and arrow all the time praying that you don’t miss your target on the day the culprit comes for you, or you can say goodbye to this cruel world."
Oriana wiped her face. "Are you being serious right now?" Adric nodded in response. "I don’t believe you. The culprit will know I didn’t see anything because I’m not suspecting anyone."
"You think?" Adric chuckled. "Last night you stayed with me all alone in the room. Anyone would think you must have told me a lot of things, and also you’ve been acting suspiciously with the way you look at everyone like you know something. Did you see your face earlier?" Adric shook his head, feigning disappointment.
Oriana’s heart pounded. Adric was right. She had been acting out of character since last night and even how she treated Adelaide. What if...? Oriana’s hands turned cold. All this was because she stupidly believed Adric, thinking they were now in the same boat of finding the bad egg of the royal family.
"Instead of wasting your time here, you should go and learn how to fight to save your life. And I have a starter plan, the room you should be cleaning right now instead of gossiping." Adric said, raising a parchment up, waving his hand dismissively for Oriana to leave.
Oriana turned to look at the door, then at Adric. What had she done? Last night she was flying high in the sky happy to do something great. Now she was a prey for someone she didn’t even remember seeing. She took slow steps to the door ready to leave when she heard Adric say to her,
"Remember to watch your back, they might push you down the stairs and it’ll be called a mistake."
Adric’s words didn’t help Oriana at all, as her hands were now shaking. She left the room, more scared than she was last night. Adric watched the girl leave the room, he needed a bait to catch the culprit without raising dust in the palace and somehow Oriana was the only one he could trust at the moment as not having anything to do with the attack.
. . .
Walking straight to the room Adric asked her to clean. Oriana had her head turning at intervals, even when she entered the room every little sound scared her.
She reached for the harp, ready to move it so she could start cleaning, but it was so heavy and without her knowing a part of her dress got stuck to the side.
"Is that how you plan on fighting? You can’t even lift that," Adric stood at the door, shaking his head.
Oriana dropped the harp with anger ready to retort but the pin on harp dragged her dress and ripped it, revealing her legs.
"Well, seducing the attacker, you’d be lucky," Adric winked at her with a small smile.
Oriana tried to hold her dress together. Her day was already starting out bad. "What are you doing here? After sending me off to get killed?"
Adric pushed himself from the door and started walking closer to her, but Oriana took a cautious step back, trying to fix her dress.
"I forgot I sent you to a knife fight with nothing," he said. When he got closer, he held her waist. Oriana tried to wriggle herself from his grip. "Stay still, Princess," his words were calm but there was a command in them that Oriana couldn’t help but follow.
Adric tied something around Oriana’s waist. "Don’t lose this. It’s better than your bow and arrow."
Oriana looked down at what he tied. It was a small knife, but at first look, it was just another design because of the jade on its handle.
"And it fits," Adric muttered, moving his fingers to trace Oriana’s waist. "You know you’ll die if you don’t breathe."
Oriana blinked, trying to keep her heart steady, but it wasn’t working. She tried to breathe, but it was almost like she forgot how to.
Adric finally let go of her waist. "Get changed before you continue cleaning," he said, exiting the room.
Oriana exhaled, holding her chest where her heart was beating so fast. Adric was someone she should avoid forever. He was bad for her health.
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