Beautiful Yet Daring

"Your Highness, if you want to visit a forest, why don't you go to the royal forest? This forest is frequented by many people. It's too risky."

Yara Amiel was simply riding her horse in a Muric Forest with her right-hand man Andrus next to her. Andrus was highly concerned about the Princess. Everyone in Avaria knew the face of their Princess but... what if they spotted their 'well-sheltered Princess in a forest where hunters frequent?

It would be quite a headache.

"You should return," the Princess uttered, unfazed by the warning of Andrus. "I won't take long."

"But -"

"Since when did I have to repeat myself, Andrus?" Princess Yara asked as she suddenly halted her horse. Her calm yet intimidating gaze landed on the man who was very quick to lower his head.

"I apologize, Your Highness. I will do as you said," Andrus promptly replied. When the Princess nodded once, he turned his horse around and returned to the palace right away.

The moment she was alone, Yara Amiel started riding his horse towards a certain place. In no time, she reached a small flat yet secluded place inside the forest. The Princess gets off her horse and observed the area. It was quiet and calm like always. Then she sat down with her back pressed against the trunk of a tree and shut her eyes.

'What are you doing here, Yara?'

She heard the familiar voice of a man right away but... she knew that it was just an illusion. It was never real.

"It's hard to sleep in the palace," she muttered. Despite knowing that it was just an illusion, she still responded to the voice like she always did.

'The palace is full of luxury. If you can't sleep there, do you think you will be able to have a sleep here?' the voice of the man asked her again.

"This is your favorite place. Don't you tell me that I should come here if I miss you?" Yara Amiel muttered.

'But it's been two years and this is your first time coming here. Don't you miss me at all during those two years?'

The Princess's eyes suddenly flew open but she quickly covered her ears with her hands. "You already torment me for two years. Please stop now."

'But you're still alive while I'm already dead.'

Yara Amiel withdrew her hands from her ears and tightly clenched her fist. Then she suddenly stood up and unsheathed her sword which she placed right beside her. She started wielding it right away.

If anyone witnessed the Princess, they would think that she was practising her swordsmanship but in the Princess's eyes, there was a young man fighting against her. The young man seemed to be the same age as the Princess but unlike Yara whose face hinted at torment, there was a little smile on his face.

Princess Yara continued wielding her sword and fight against her illusion until... she sensed the presence of someone around her. When she glanced around, she threw her sword in the direction where she saw just a man's back. However...

Before the sword reached the man, he turned around and dodged it, causing the sword to fall to the ground.

When Princess Yara noticed this, she rushed to the man and noticed him picking up the sword. She was about to take out the knife which she hanged on her waist until... the man turned around and offered the sword to her.

Though the Princess was taken aback by the stranger's action, she quickly took the sword and pointed at him right away.

Didn't she just throw the sword at him? Why did he still return it to her?

Had he no fear?!

Princess Yara observed the young man standing in front of her. He was wearing a brown cloak that covered his whole body and even his hair. She stared at him for a while but... she didn't know who he was.

Was he really crazy? She was pointing her sword at him but... why did he just stand still and calmly glanced at her with his topaz blue eyes?!

"What do you think you're doing?" the man finally asked her.

Yara Amiel raised a brow when she heard him. Didn't he know who she was?!

"Who are you?" she asked as she kept on observing him with her keen eyes. She tried to read his expression but it was just... blank?

"I want to ask you that too," the young man said. "What did I do to make you point your sword at me?"

Though the voice of the young man was calm just like his expression, the Princess somehow felt that the aura this man possessed was strange. He exudes authority and nobility. His demeanor made it clear that he was someone of high status.

"You're not from this kingdom?" she asked. Her sword was still pointing at him and it seemed like she didn't plan to withdraw it soon. However, the man didn't appear to be intimidated by it too.

"I'm a traveller and I'm only passing by," the young man replied. He glanced down at the beautiful yet daring young woman in front of him.

He was simply taking a rest in this place as it was the quietest area in the forest. However, this woman came and started talking when there was no one. Then he watched her practising her swordsmanship.

Though there were plenty of skilled women in his kingdom, he was convinced that this young woman would surpass them all. Just who was she?

While the Princess was still observing the man with suspicion, she heard the sound of hunters passing by the area. Without saying anything, she quickly withdrew her sword. Then she mounted her horse and left the area in a hurry.

Staring at the disappearing form of the mysterious woman, the young man removed the part of his cloak that covered his hair and the rare silver icy blue hair was revealed again. He often wore a cloak or a hood to cover them as the rarity of his hair colour always made him stood out and attract unwanted attention. That shouldn't happen, especially while he was staying in an enemy kingdom.

Though the enemies may not know his face, rumor that the God of War was a silver icy blue-haired man already covered all their surrounding kingdoms. Besides, he had never met anyone with the same hair colour as him. That's why showing his hair would only bring him trouble.

Then one man riding a horse made his way towards him.

"Here you are, Your Highness. It's getting late and we should return to the inn now." It was General Cassius who came to the Prince's side.

Without saying anything, Prince Karium only nodded and mounted his horse. Then the two men left the forest right away.....