Chapter 14: Uneasiness

'WOAHHH! It feels surreal, but this is what a real castle looks like!? I never imagined seeing one in my entire life!'

Wondering inside, Noah turned his neck around, gawking at the beautifully built royal castle holding a jaw-dropped look on his face. Since childhood, he always had a fascination for ancient medieval architecture which he had only seen in movies and documentaries, however, the actual sight deeply mesmerized him. He forgot all his concerns and fear for a second, and a happy smile sliced his face.

SMACK!!

But his peaceful moment didn't last long.

Suddenly, a sharp smack hit the back of his head from someone, making him flinch hard. Quickly, he turned around to notice an older woman, probably in her late 50s with a grumpy face glaring at him from behind. She looked like another fellow servant, holding a big basket of some freshly grown vegetables.

"Who are you? I have never seen you here before. And, why are you standing in the middle of my way?" She scowled.

At her sudden blunt interrogation, Noah panicked a bit as he quickly moved a step to clear her way ahead, "A-Ah, I am sorry madam, I didn't realize someone was behind me."

"Huh, how would you when you were busy gawking all around? Besides, why do you seem happy being here in this hell?" She frowned her brows, looking grumpy.

Noah stared at her disgusted eyes as he was baffled for a second. The hostility towards the castle was evident from her words, even though she was a fellow servant. He was quick to realize as he had read about ancient castles, that the place must have been a nightmare for all the helpless people trapped there like him.

"Um, I am newly recruited here, madam. T-That's why I don't know much about this place. I was just admiring the beautiful architecture." He fidgeted before answering her in a low, polite tone.

The woman exhaled a deep sigh, with a scornful smirk that curved her lips, "Don't be fooled by the beauty of this castle, kid. The place is horrendous and if you are new here, the chance of your survival is even lower. These nobles don't even treat us like humans." Her voice was strangely filled with pain.

Noah quietly heard her answer, holding a confused look in his ocean eyes. Even though he had read about the dangers and injustice towards the low class by the upper ones in the royal palaces, experiencing the real situation was heartwrenching for him. He stared at the woman, enduring his mixed anxious emotions growing stronger inside him.

"Madam, I can understand it---"

.

"MAKE WAY FOR OUR MIGHTY CROWN PRINCE, XANTHUS!!"

All of a sudden, both Noah and the woman flinched hard at the unexpected loud hail of a royal guard, that cut off their conversation.

Immediately a frightful expression turned the woman pale whereas Noah curiously tried to glance at Prince Xanthus who was heading outside the castle through the same route.

But before he could turn around, the woman dropped the basket from her arm and grabbed his neck from behind, and forced Noah to kneel down on the ground beside her. Her grip and actions were too sudden that they baffled him pretty hard.

"M-Madam--"

"Do you wish to die, punk?" She sounded intimidated by her voice as she whispered her grumble, "Keep bowing your head down and don't dare to look above at the prince if you don't wish to be beheaded."

"What? Beheaded?"

Surprised at her unexpected gesture, Noah couldn't muster the courage to lift his head up as he slightly noticed a few other servants around them were also acting the same. Every one of them seemed terrified, bowing down as much as they could so that they won't make commit any mistakes to lose their life.

Holding an irked expression on his face, Noah whispered at her, "But, this is crazy! How can they just behead anyone like this without a proper reason?"

"Didn't I tell you just? They don't treat us as humans, and soon enough you will be suffocated in this hell." The woman exhaled another deep sigh, lifting her hand down from Noah and placing them over the ground to bow properly.

TAP! TAP!

The sound of approaching footsteps in thick leather boots grew closer which caused a palpitation to stir within Noah. Keeping his head as low as he could, he realized the anticipated Crown Prince whom he wanted to glance at once, was passing by them. There were also a few royal guards behind, trying to cope with the speed as the prince was walking quite fast.

A strange palpitation made his heart pound a bit hard, as he sensed a familiar sweet fragrance as the prince walked past him. Something felt familiar to him yet too distant than he could reach. Even though he couldn't lift his head above, he realized the prince didn't bother once to glance at any of the servants who were cowered in fear down on the ground.

As soon as the prince left, the woman exhaled a sigh of relief and quickly rose up from the ground. Noah followed her actions, with confusing emotions muddled in him.

"Well, this is one of the strict rules here. Servants must bow their heads and kneel down whenever any royal member is walking through the route. If you dare to disobey this rule, you will be beheaded."

While explaining to him in a stiff voice, the woman picked up her vegetable basket which she had dropped earlier, and started to collect the scattered vegetables over the ground.

Frowning his brows, Noah exhaled a deep sigh as he glanced at the way ahead where the prince was headed to. His confused emotions led the palpitation to grow strong in his heart as he pondered himself.

'Goodness! Everyone here must be completely nuts! How can they just behead anyone without a reason? Isn't there any law or regulation? How am I supposed to survive in this crazy place for the whole night?

But, why did I sense that familiar sweet fragrance from the prince? I couldn't even look at him once, yet...something felt strange...'

...

As soon as Xanthus was about t walk outside the royal castle gate, a dazed look shimmered in his bright, golden eyes making him seem a bit restless. He halted his footsteps and immediately turned around to glance at the way from where he came through.

Randall, standing next to him seemed concerned at his sudden halt. He followed his gesture and looked at the way behind to find the route was completely empty without any trace of servants, except the guards.

"Your Grace, where are you looking at? Did something happen?" He asked in a curious pitch.

Xanthus, still impatiently gazing at the route behind didn't answer him a word and stared for a moment. A stir of emotions made his heart pound faster, making an unusual feeling grow inside him.

He frowned his brows, and clenched his fist while thinking, 'Why do I feel so uneasy inside? It feels as...as if...I left behind something important... What can be that?'

"Your Grace?" This time Randall raised his pitch to call him a bit aloud as if he was being impatient with his silence. "Is everything okay?"

"Huh?" Xanthus reluctantly shifted his gaze away from the route at his loud call and mumbled in a hoarse voice, "Yes."

"Um, then should we move ahead? Also, Alpha Raven has already arrived with his daughter, Your Grace. You shouldn't be late to escort them." Scratching his chin, Randall mumbled his polite request.

Still holding that queasy reluctant expression, Xanthus glanced one last time at the way as he had to turn around to move forward. He released the clench of his fist, exhaling a deep, heavy sigh.