CHAPTER NINE

Does he want to kill me? I stiffened as some icy shivers coerced their way through me. My heart dropped. I stopped thinking of anything else but that.

I could feel his eyes pouring glares upon me.

Quietly, I lifted a meek gaze up to his face. And for a while, he seemed to be battling with his thoughts.

“You have to leave the palace,” he said in a very low tone, taking back his sword for some reason.

I have craved death before now, and wouldn’t mind if he killed me. Yes, he should kill me and end my miserable life, as well as get the satisfaction of knowing that I’m no longer a part of his problems.

“It’s no longer safe for you, Rosia,” he said in addiction, not changing his tone. Some kind of emotions seemed to have seeped into his eyes.

This was the first time my father has ever looked at me with emotion in his eyes; the longest he has ever stared at me; and the very first time he has called my name without looking sick about it.

I am supposed to feel happy about it, after all, but not when I can still see the hatred, resentment, and antipathy concealed behind his facial expression.

The more I continued to look at my father meekly, the more I felt the surge of a thousand questions crawling up to my mind at once, then filled me up.

“I leave the palace?” was all I was able to mumble out, tears welling up in my eyes, threatening to spill off.

“Yes, you have to,” he said, his voice evidently cold.

“Why?” I asked him. He was suddenly worried about my safety, but then I realized what the whole pretense was about.

“Because it’s dangerous for you to stay --” he was speaking.

“Because you still want me alive, right? Because your agreement with the king of Sidonnia is not sealed yet,” I blew up, cutting in on him rudely, though it’s usually not my thing to be rude.

“You are really getting it wrong, Rosia,” he said.

“Yes, I am getting it wrong,” I slurred, gritting my teeth in a bare smile. “Do I even have a choice? Do I?” then scowled at him, feeling a nervous irritation.

I saw as he tightly gripped the sword in his hands, his face grimacing profusely.

Ignoring him, I looked down on Irene’s lifeless body lying beside me.

“How else would the world be without her?” I muttered grievingly.

“She is dead. She died saving my life with the least opportunity she had. She sacrificed almost everything for me, and all you did was make life miserable for me.” I blew up again, my face wet with tears already.

I was able to stretch out one of my hands and caught hold of his sword. He was standing near me, a few inches away.

“Kill me! Just kill me! Do it! ” I demanded, aiming the blade at my chest.

“Isn’t that what you have always wanted? Slay me! ” I snapped when I saw he was irksomely quiet and speechless.

“If she meant a lot to you, then you should live for her,” Was all he said, averted his gaze and walked away.

I heard as his footsteps went on, then got interrupted by another.

“The guests have safely gone out of the palace, your Majesty,” a voice very similar to that of General Rometrius said to him.

“You have done well for the kingdom, Rometrius,” said my father. “What about our guards?” he asked.

“They are all out, fighting their best to stop the soldiers from getting in further,” General Rometrius, who has the voice, answered.

My father spoke no further words to him. He was silent. A deep sense of sadness can only be noticeably conspicuous in his silence.

Eventually, he broke the silence and said, “Please take Rosia out of the palace as well.”

“I will definitely do so, your Majesty.” said General Rometrius.

“Deal gently with her.” My father said, adding. He left the general and walked over to the other side of the hall.

“My princess, you have to come with me,” General Rometrius entreated, coming up towards me with a kind tone.

“Let me be. I don’t mind if I get killed.” I affirmed, soberly.

“It’s no longer safe, my princess. Please come with me,”

“No!”

“You have to," he said.

"No, you should also let me be!"I sobbed on, and at that particular moment, a thought hit my mind.

Wait! Standing up straight on both feet, I quickly wiped away the tears on my face before rethinking the situation.

Live for Irene! Indeed, I have to live for her no matter what. She died saving my life, and that’s one of the greatest sacrifices a human being can offer for another.

Her sacrifice shouldn’t be in vain, and for the clear reason that she had cared so much about me and had meant a lot to me, I should grant her soul that peaceful fulfillment.

Gradually, the clashing of swords outside the hall stopped. And suddenly, an extended force came against the hall’s entrance door.

“Take her out of here!” my father ordered immediately, standing his ground at full alert, his hands holding his sword firmly and in total readiness.

The great force against the door might be an attempt to break it apart. I recall my father ordering the guards earlier to lock it up thoroughly from the inside to prevent those soldiers from getting in easily.

Does it mean that they have succeeded in defeating our men fighting them outside? Disheartening!

The banging persisted, and before everyone knew it, the door burst open. A huge number of soldiers, dressed in black and red uniforms, began to force themselves in, looking malicious, fearfully menacing and seriously armed with several kinds of dangerous weapons.

Black and red! The model of their uniform caught my mind running backwards. Irene and I have seen that uniform somewhere.

“Take her out of here!” my father commanded again, yelling through his raged breath.

At that very moment, I didn't decide whether to go with the General or not, as he was dragging me out of the hall already, his strong hands holding mine.

“At the end of this tunnel, you’ll find Edvin and his men by the forest side, waiting for you.” He halted before the entrance of the tunnel to say.

“What about my father? How’s he going to fight those soldiers? He has only a few guards in the hall to help him." Breathlessly, I asked him.

I started to worry about my father. Those soldiers will certainly not spare him once they get their hands on him.

“Do not worry about your father, he’ll surely be fine.” he assured, speaking with the aura of confidence.

It’s said that my father was amongst the strongest armies our kingdom has ever produced. When he was still young and vibrant with age, he fought in different wars and secured victories.

And most especially, he assisted in defending our kingdom’s territories, which had long been under a series of attacks by other kingdoms. But now that he has grown old, I doubt his ability to fight.

And to think that those soldiers are more than a number, how would he?

“What about my sisters?” I asked. I didn’t see Ivy and Ursula attend the ceremony earlier, for reasons best known to them, but that’s not the issue right now.

I have to know their whereabouts. Were they able to get away from the palace? Are they even safe wherever they are?

“Your sisters have been taken out of the palace. Some guards made sure of that” He said knowingly. "They left through the other way.”

There is another escape route? I exhaled some breaths, heaving out in relief.

“And what about --?” I was about to ask him about himself, he closed the entrance immediately, but before that, he had said, “If you get out safely, please take good care of yourself and your sisters.”

I had seen the sadness written over his face. Shockingly, this was the first time I’ve seen him look sad. His forest green eyes' iris looked darkened with concealed worries.

How do I locate myself outside the tunnel? I stood there in the dim light of the tunnel, wondering. The only light that flowed into its tiny space came from the far end.

I could hardly see clearly.

Using my senses and tracing my legs on the ground gradually, I walked through the carved holes until the light side flowed brighter and soon, I was outside, out into a very thick forest with no paths; having tall trees of various sizes and species, scattered across the green space, and full of terrestrial liveliness.

Travelling my eyes around, I far-sighted Edvin and his men; Calson, Ly, young Advin, and others that I really don’t know by their names. They are standing close to their horses.

Horses. How were they able to get their horses here? Looking back at the tiny hole I had just emerged from, I couldn't help but get perplexed. It was a little later that I recalled. General Rometrius had made mention of the palace having another way through which my sisters were taken out.

“The princess is here; we have to leave now,” Edvin said to the others in a hurry. They looked ready to take off anytime.

“Where is everyone? The people General Rometrius led out this way?” I asked on getting closer, looking around.

Apparently, the underground tunnel only conveys people here, so where are they?

“They should be somewhere distant by now, your highness,” Edvin answered intuitively, after a brief hesitation of a breath’s length to consider his response.

Edvin is one of General Rometrius’s most trusted men in the army. He is quite notable for his strength, brevity, and sincere loyalty to the service of the kingdom.

He has a very tall stature and, formidably, an intimidating statue that gets the ladies, most especially the maids, vying secretly for him.

“We have to leave immediately.” Edvin said, then helped me get on one of the horses, his horse. I held my hands around his waist and we rode off immediately without much delay.