We Should Also Prepare For A War

It had been a while since Yara Amiel returned to the palace. She was now in her chamber, quietly sitting on a chair near the balcony.

She still finds it hard to believe that she spent the whole day with that stranger on the peak of the Parov Mountain. Not to mention that everything he told her still echoed in her ears.

Why was she so distracted by him? She couldn't understand at all!

Was she like this because he was too different from others? Maybe.

The Princess was snapped out of her stupor when she heard the sound of the knocking on her door. She responded and her brother walked inside.

King Malon walked to his sister and took a seat beside her. "I heard that you went out today as well. It's 4 consecutive days, Yara. Is something matter?"

Yara Amiel looked at the King with a little smile and shook her head. "Don't worry, brother. Tomorrow onwards, I won't have to go out again."

Malon Amiel raised a brow when he heard her response. What did she mean by saying that?

When the young King quietly stared at his sister, he noticed that she appeared quite different than before. She seemed to be in a good mood yesterday but now, she appeared... sad?

He inwardly shook his head. That won't be the case.

The Princess shifted her gaze to the outdoors and when her gaze landed on her calm surroundings and nature, she thought of the nature-loving man again. Somehow, she felt empty.

She had never met such a calm yet pleasant person before. Besides, he didn't know her and that made her felt comfortable with him.

Will they meet each other again?

Some part of her wanted to meet him again but... some don't. If they meet again, it will only be a matter of time before he finds out her identity and that's the last thing she wanted.

* * *

A few days quietly passed without many events. It was afternoon in Avaria and inside one room of the palace, the King and Queen along with Princess Yara were chatting and the atmosphere was pretty light.

When everyone wasn't busy, they always spent their time this way. However, their light conversation was disturbed when they heard the sound of knocking on the door. King Malon responded and it was General Zaria Movan who walked inside. He halted when he was a few steps away and got down on one knee before the King.

"Greetings, Your Majesties," he briefly turned to the Princess and added, "Your Highness."

"What brings you here, General Zaria?" King Malon quickly asked one of his most capable and trusted Generals.

"I apologize for interrupting, Your Majesty. There is an important message from our border in the west," General Zaria respectfully replied to the King.

Message from the border was always more than important but... never a good news. This was what first crossed the mind of the Princess.

The west? That's their border with... the Welahans!

"What is it?" King Malon asked the General the moment the Welahans came to his mind. They should never be taken lightly!

"There is a strife in our border with Welahan. General Korin who is on the border confirmed that eighteen of our soldiers died there. A few Welahans also lost their lives but we don't know the exact number."

The young king abruptly rose from his seat when he heard the bad news. "A strife? Just what happened?!" Anger was more than evident in his voice and he tightly clenched his fist.

Why must it always be the Welahans?!

"I apologize, Your Majesty. We don't know the details for now but General Korin requested someone from the capital to go there and observe the situation. With the rage of the soldiers on top, he thinks that this matter should be solved soon," the General replied.

The King who rarely lose his composure was now filling with rage and it made the General felt the pressure more. However...

"I will go there and check the situation." It was Princess Yara who spoke up for the first time. Then she rose from her seat and turned to the King. "This is not a small matter, Your Majesty. If we don't solve it soon, more problems will arise. We might even need to prepare for a war with them."

King Malon thought about it for a while and then turned to the General. "Escort the Princess to the border. We shouldn't lose any more time. So, set out right away."

"I understand, Your Majesty," General Zaria replied and stood up. Then he walked out of the room.

King Malon shifted his gaze back to his sister and tried to speak up. However, the Princess beat him at that.

"I will handle the situation and come back soon, brother. Don't worry about me," Yara said, trying to assure her brother who never stops worrying about her.

Malon Amiel hesitated for a while before he finally nodded. "Alright. Take good care of yourself."

"Be careful and don't just try to face it if you are in danger," Queen Helen promptly added.

The Princess nodded with a little smile before she walked out of the room to get prepared for the journey.

* * *

Karium Maselli just returned to Welahan but he already heard the conflict at the border before he reached the palace. The Generals who worked under him already reported it to him.

The moment he entered the palace, he rushed straight to the meeting room where his older brother was sitting alone.

"I heard the news, brother," he said as he took a seat opposite the King. "Is the situation that bad?"

King Edric already heard that his younger brother would be arriving that day, so he was waiting for him. At the sight of his brother, there was a relieving smile on his face. "You've returned. I was waiting for you," he promptly said.

"I will go with General Cassius and observe the situation," Prince Karium quickly said. "In case, we should also prepare for a war."

Edric Maselli thought about it and nodded. "Fifteen of our soldiers died and some are injured in the conflict. So, we cannot take it lightly."

"Then I'll get prepared," the Prince said as he quickly rose from his seat.

"Karium, be careful," King Edric said to his younger brother when the latter turned his back at him.

"Don't worry, brother. I won't fail you," Karium Maselli muttered when he faced his brother again. Then he forced a little smile and walked out of the room.....