Unfortunate Fate

"Your Highness!" General Cassius walked inside Prince Karium's room in one of the most famous inns of the capital of Avaria.

As usual, the Prince was simply staring out of the windows with a calm face. He shifted his gaze to the General and noticed his anxious face but... he didn't react at all. "What's the matter?" he calmly asked and took a seat on the chair a few steps away.

"I saw some men holding your portrait. They are asking the people in the market if they have seen you or not," General Cassius informed the Prince.

"Portrait?" the Prince asked.

"Yes. You're wearing the brown cloak that you wore yesterday but your hair is not visible," General Cassius explained. "This is strange, Your Highness. Why would someone wants to find you without even knowing your identity? Did you offend someone yesterday?"

Karium Maselli recalled what he did yesterday. All he did was spending the whole day in the quiet area of that forest until... that strange woman? Was it her doing? No matter how much he thought about it, he didn't talk to anyone here, except that woman.

"Offending someone?" Prince Karium muttered and there was a slight smirk on his lips. "In that case, I'm the one who should feel offended."

He was pointed with a sword when he did nothing wrong and now... someone was looking for him?

"I don't know who did this, but Your Highness, please be careful," General Cassius made a deliberate paused and asked, "We plan to leave Avaria after two days. But judging from our situation, should we push forward and leave early?"

"No need," Karium Maselli quickly said. "I have an idea of the one who did this. I will solve it first. Besides, I still have some places to explore here."

The Prince rose from his seat and glanced at the outdoors through the window which was a few steps away. "We take the risk to enter this kingdom. Why should we leave just because of this matter?" He paused and glanced at General Cassius when he said, "Why don't you return early? Someone has to look after the army in my place."

"I can't do that," General Cassius promptly said. "His Majesty ordered me to follow you and keep you safe. Besides, it's not good to be alone, especially in an enemy kingdom like Avaria."

When his older brother who always worried about him crossed the Prince's mind, he lifted his hand and pressed against his forehead. "Alright. I'll be careful and as planned, we will leave Avaria after two days."

* * *

Karium Maselli entered the Muric Forest where he met the strange woman the day before. It was afternoon and he already lost half a day due to the men who look for him around the capital with his portrait.

He must solve the matter soon unless he wished to spend his remaining time here in hiding.

When the Prince reached the area where he met the strange woman yesterday, he halted his horse and then gets off. He was there to try his luck but... that woman was really sitting on the place where he saw her yesterday?

Karium Maselli didn't pay much attention yesterday but now that he saw her sitting alone in the exact place as yesterday, he noticed something in her.

He couldn't hear what she was saying but just like yesterday, she was talking to herself again. Her eyes and the way she blankly glanced at the ground from time to time. Those were the traits of a severely depressed person.

A beautiful yet strange woman who kept on talking to herself all alone in the inner and quiet part of a vast forest. The scene fascinated the God of War and as such, he ended up staring at her quietly for a while.

Did he notice that the woman already sensed his presence and was about to stand up? No.

Maybe because he was lost in his curiosity. He was curious why such a beautiful young woman appeared so sad and broken. On top of that, she was alone in the middle of a vast forest!

Wasn't she feeling fear?

"It's you again," Yara Amiel coldly remarked when she saw the familiar face staring at her from a few steps away. She picked up her sword and made her way to him.

When Karium Maselli was finally back to his sense, he noticed that the woman was already standing right in front of him. This time, she didn't point at him with a sword but he knew that she was ready to do it again anytime!

What problem did she have with him? Why was she so eager to kill him?!

Prince Karium narrowed his eyes at the sword before he met her gaze. "Why must you always unsheathe your sword when talking to me? I don't remember myself attempting to hurt you," he frankly said to the, in his opinion, a strange young woman.

Princess Yara simply ignored his words. "I was hoping to meet you again, dead or alive. I'm glad that it didn't take long."

Dead or alive? So, she was...

"You sent some men to look for me, right? I don't know why you want me dead but I think we should talk it out," Prince Karium stated. "Because of those men you sent, my little time here is interrupted."

Yara Amiel glanced down at her sword when she heard him. "So, you noticed them but they don't?" she muttered and there was a sneer on her face. "How useless."

Prince Karium was taken aback by the expression and the choice of words of the young woman standing in front of him. Where did that broken and depressed woman he saw just a while ago gone? Or... was this just one of the many sides in her?

"Why did you want me dead?" he asked. His keen gaze observed her but... all he noticed was the darkness.

He never knew that there would be someone darker than him. Not to mention that she appeared to be an innocent and average young woman.

It made him curious why such a young woman seemed to be so dark.

The Princess stared at the stranger standing before her. Though he appeared to be serious, it only made her smirk. "Just think of it as your unfortunate fate of crossing paths with me at the wrong time and place."