{Music Recommendation: Bulgasal ~ Nam Hye Seung & Jeon Junghoon]
Inside the local carriage rumbling out of Avon, Louis clutched the bag slung over his shoulder. Earlier, before departing the palace, he had witnessed the unfolding betrayal. Adric’s funeral and Nicholas’s ascension to the throne. Louis knew that things would only worsen for the young Princess, now Queen, who was yet to recover from the shock of her life. Familiar with the royal family’s dynamics, Louis realized that his only way to aid Oriana was to reach Adric as soon as possible or send a letter about the palace’s events.
In the silence of his heart, Louis prayed fervently for Oriana’s and Freya’s safety until order was restored. With eyes closed, he hoped to reach Madame Rosalie before it was too late.
As dawn broke, Louis arrived in the town where Demi-monde was located and made his way to the inn. Upon entering the inn, he was barred from entering further.
"I’m looking for Madame Rosalie. Tell her it’s Louis; she knows me," he said with a sense of urgency, but the girls at the entrance refused to grant him access. One of them scowled, saying,
"We know men like you, coming here to eat for free. Everyone around here knows Madame Rosalie; I know her too."
Louis ran his hands through his hair, anxious to resolve the matter quickly. Just then,
"What’s going on here?" Madame Rosalie’s familiar voice echoed, and Louis turned, exhaling a sigh of relief as Madame Rosalie approached.
The woman was surprised to see Louis; she waved him over with a smile. "Louis!" The girls, realizing Louis wasn’t lying, dispersed to their workstations to avoid being scolded.
"Louis, how have you been?" Madame Rosalie noticed the solemn look on the man’s face, but also how worn out he looked from the journey. "Come inside and rest, while I-"
Louis shook his head, waving his hands dismissively. "Thank you for the offer, but Oriana might be in trouble if we don’t act now."
"Trouble? Did something happen in the palace?" Madame Rosalie now asked with a new sense of worry.
Louis sighed, the words too heavy for him to say. "One of the soldiers returned and said the King died during the battle and now the Prime Minister-"
"Died? No! That’s not possible." Madame Rosalie frowned. "I received a letter alright, Adric was stabbed, but he’s recovering fine. Rowan had asked me to go myself to deliver the letter to Oriana so she doesn’t panic. And I was on my way."
Louis nodded, his fear was right. It was a planned act of usurpation. "Do you know where they are now?"
Madame Rosalie stretched her hand, giving the man the parchment she had received. "It says they’re now at their base camp waiting for the King to recover."
Louis quickly read the contents. He raised his eyes. "Madame Rosalie, our young Princess needs us all at this moment. I’ll go to the camp myself; can you return to Avon and let Oriana know? She must be so worried."
Madame Rosalie nodded. "I will." Feeling bad for Louis, who had only just arrived to leave again on a long journey, she asked him, "Come inside the inn and rest before you go on."
"There won’t be a need for that now." Louis smiled. "Take care of the Queen," he said before leaving the inn, making his way to the camp where Adric was.
. . .
Tat...tat... That was the soft sound of raindrops as they touched a pebble, and the first sound Adric’s ear marked as he slowly opened his eyes. He noticed the hard animal skin tent that now moved slowly with the night wind, then there was the soft chirping of the crickets, the distant hoofs of the horses, and the low voices of soldiers outside the tent.
Adric touched the side of his stomach where he had been stabbed. He felt a sharp pain explode like a bomb of fire in his brain. This caused him to groan, closing his eyes as he tried to bear the pain.
Rowan, who had been standing protectively in front of Adric’s tent, rushed inside on hearing the voice. The guard’s eyes softened on seeing his friend and king in pain.
"Your Majesty,"
Adric opened his eyes. "Rowan," his voice now sounded hoarse, "What happened?"
"You were stabbed by the boy you tried to help." As Rowan said this, the frown on his face deepened as he couldn’t wait to get his hands on the little rat that dared to lay his hands on Adric.
Adric touched his stomach again. "And Oriana? Does she know about this..."
"I had sent a letter to Madame Rosalie to tell her it wasn’t a serious wound," Rowan informed, knowing that Adric wouldn’t want Oriana to be worried.
Adric nodded in approval. "You did well," he said. "And the men? Did they arrive safely?"
Rowan raised his brows, looking at Adric who was in pain but still worried about his men.
"Yes, they did. We are now camping at the Frontline as planned."
Pushing his leg down from the bed, Adric tried to stand up but failed, causing Rowan to hold him.
"You still have to rest for now, until the wound heals. You’ve been asleep for two days, and the physician says you need more rest," Rowan suggested, helping him to sit down.
Adric opened his mouth to retort but closed it when Malcolm entered the tent. He wasn’t alone; behind him was Louis, who was drenched in rain.
"Louis?" Adric muttered the man’s name. "What are you doing here?"
Louis was relieved to see Adric alive with his own eyes after witnessing the funeral held back at the palace. Even the thought of it caused goosebumps on his neck.
"Is everything okay at the palace? Why did you come here?" Adric continued, looking at the man’s face as if searching for answers.
Louis greeted the king with a bow before he started. "Your Majesty, one of the soldiers returned to the palace with your jacket and declared you dead..." He paused, unable to complete the words.
"Now Lord Nicholas has taken over the throne with the approval of the entire royal ministers."
Adric pushed himself up from the bed. "What? Those vermin!" He cursed loudly. "And Oriana? Did she witness this...no...did you bring her with you?"
Louis shook his head slightly. "I’m sorry, your Majesty, but the Queen...she..."
"Rowan, Malcolm! Prepare the men; we’re returning to Avon tonight!" Adric commanded, grasping his sword. He couldn’t bear the thought of Oriana’s grief, believing him to be dead. He longed to hold her close, console her, and make those responsible for her tears pay dearly with their lives.
As Rowan draped a jacket over Adric’s shoulder, a soldier burst into the tent.
"Your Majesty, Eridor has discovered our base camp! We’re under attack, sir!"
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