The Princess's Prey

It had been a while since the sunset in Welahan and almost every guest had arrived in the palace by now.

As planned, dinner will be served for the guests altogether in a large hall. Then the celebration will start the next day.

General Lena was walking past several hallways, trying to meet her friend. As a high ranking General, she was also supposed to join the feast though she wasn't feeling that excited. So, she wanted to get her mischievous friend and used him as a shield during the feast.

She maintained her normal pace, keeping in mind, the boring feast that awaited her until...

"Lena."

She heard someone calling her name from behind. The voice was quite familiar in a nerve-wracking way. When she recalled the person who possessed the voice she just heard, her eyes flickered.

It can't be him.

It took the energetic General quite a courage to finally turned around, wondering if she was wrong but... she was right. He was really standing right before her with a little smile that she still remembered.

Wasn't it strange? It had already been half a year!

"You... " she muttered as disbelief washed through her. "Why are you here?" she asked.

A young man was standing before her and all his features were still the same as the ones in her memory. This was their third encounter and just like before, he glanced down at her with his calm forest green eyes. She also noticed the hidden mirth beneath the calmness.

"I'm here for the celebration," the man replied. "Though I expect to meet you, I don't know that it will be tonight."

He was among the guest? Lena Parish blinked at the unexpected news. Then she realized that though they had met twice before, she never knew his identity. His first name was all she knew. Tristan.

Wait! She also told him just her first name. Why did he talk like he knew her identity and all? He expected to meet her?

Just who was he?!

"It's been a while," Tristan Castelof said to the confused General and added, "I have missed you a lot."

While Lena Parish was struggling to say something, she heard another voice from behind. For a split second, she was feeling thankful but...

"Crown Prince Tristan," Karium Maselli spoke up, addressing the young Crown Prince of the Aslirith Empire. He walked towards the place where his friend was also standing and when he stood beside the General, he briefly glanced at her before he turned his attention to the Crown Prince. "Are you on your way to the hall?"

The way her friend addressed the man made the General's eyes grew wide. Crown Prince?

Tristan Castelof didn't miss her reaction at all and that formed a subtle smile on his lips. Then he shifted his gaze to the Welahan Prince. "Yes. What about you, Prince Karium?"

"I'm heading there too. We can go together if it's fine with you," Karium Maselli offered and when the Aslirith Crown Prince nodded, he turned to his friend. "Let's go," he said with a little smile.

Without saying anything, General Lena walked to the hall with the two princes.

*

Even though it had been a while since the feast started, Prince Karium noticed how his friend was distracted all the time. Wasn't she always lively? What had gotten into her tonight? He also noticed one unusual thing.

"Lena, do you know that Crown Prince of Aslirith?" he finally asked his friend after the latter maintained her silence for almost ten minutes. He never knew that she could shut her mouth for this long!

"He stared at you all the time," the Prince pointed out. "What if he eats you?"

Lena Parish glanced at her friend and let out a sigh. Then she briefly looked at one lady before she turned back to her friend. "Shouldn't you settle your matter first? I also think the Princess of Avaria can't wait to devour you."

Karium Maselli frowned. "I'm only worried about you. No need to be so sensitive," he said and shifting his gaze to a few chairs away in the left, he noticed that his friend was telling the truth.

Karium can't help but sigh. What was he supposed to do with that Princess?

"I've met him here in Welahan, twice. But it was half a year ago," the General finally said to her friend and added, "I'll explain later."

Karium Maselli wasn't expecting such a response! Why did the Aslirith Crown Prince come to Welahan? Not to mention that the journey to Welahan from Aslirith alone took almost two weeks!

While the two friends were chatting, the gaze of Crown Prince Tristan was fixated on the General. He recalled how he met her a few months ago. In all honesty, he had never met someone as carefree and energetic as her. At one point, she even fascinated him.

He still remembered her carefree laughter, her small jokes and... her transparent nature. Someone as honest and pure-hearted as her was a gem and he knew that. Then he finds out her identity.

He was shocked.

Whenever he imagined her slashing her enemies with a sword in her hand, he still couldn't believe it though that's the reality.

When he said that he missed her, he meant it. It's been half a year but... her laughter still lingered in his ears, wishing to hear it again one day.

Well, he wasn't the only one who had his eyes in that direction. The Princess of Avaria still had an eye on the Welahan Prince but... her thoughts were the complete opposite of the Aslirith Crown Prince!

With her gaze fixated on her prey, the Princess had a little smile on her face with a hidden mischievous one beneath it. Though her brother warned her to be cautious of her action during her stay in Welahan, she didn't know if she could do that.

She planned to start her game the next day but... seeing him like that with a certain someone sitting beside him, she felt the urge to speed up.

Should she just start tonight?