Chapter 29

Clarrie smiled as she spotted the window of the princess's room was open; she was having a rough time climbing up the back wall where no cadet was on watch. She studied and observed when the other armed forces changed their post. If one finds out that she had been sneaking into the port, it would be death's door waving at her. Finally, she chooses an area to some extent that can be a better spot to jump on the edge of the stone ramparts boundary. She coughed as the dust flew towards her face and nose. However, she was not the only person who was coughing. The little boy Dante arrived five minutes earlier than her; he was standing before when she did not jump. Now, he was lying on the dusty ground and watching her like she had just ruined his ongoing strategies.

Her shoes were also dipped in the dust as Dante slowly stood up, determined not to let things be worse than what they were now. Finally, the rest of her and Princess Zina's agreement yesterday got her spoke to Dante, "Young man, if I may ask, do you know where General Julius' room is?"

Dante patted his dirty outfit as he watched the woman who asked him boldly about the General. He bent down his knees a little, showing that he did not want to be bothered or say an answer. However, Clarrie does not take silence or gestures as an answer; she even now seized the opportunity without any precaution about what would happen because he was just a little kid in her eyes. She could also sense that they were not being followed by anyone, even if she turned several times. She also had not entirely assumed that the boy was part of a dangerous gang and that nothing wrong could come out of it. If the little boy acted innocent, he should have already silenced her. But still, Clarrie was being extra careful at nearly a point.

Dante was familiar with why women asked things about the General with no shame; it was typical for a high rank to be noticed by strangers in the port. But he also cannot say anything related to the General; from his experiences, those people who asked about locations had only two options in their mind—kill or truce—yet it should still be based on the reason, expression, and trust of the woman in front of him.

"Look, I know you do not want to answer my question but hear out my reason." From Dante's thought, he was surprised that the woman could directly understand what he was thinking. From being doubtful towards the woman to have a vivid plan that can make her somewhat helpful to him.

Clarrie walked past the little boy as she ascended herself up to a stairway, yet this was still part of the port that no one walked by at this time. Dante suddenly got an image of him and the General walking the same pathway; he felt that if he did not leave the General back then and followed his command, what would happen to him? Would he still be alive and able to talk to an older woman just like the one who left him on the ground?

She glanced at the training grounds, which had two buildings as its distance away. Besides, the part where she was standing had a partial and ongoing work of nine-foot-tall, thin-looking wall support in the corners, which was called a load-bearing wall made of thick, sturdy stones and other materials. It reminded her oddly about Ganot, only a little though not that much similar to the lovely place yet ruled by a ruthless king, King Foster.

The pathway she was currently standing on had four lanes; there were thin, thick, and in-between hallways in Clarrie's sight. She did not notice it before since she tried to avert her consideration to the other side rather than listening to the little boys' upcoming response. After she told him her reasons, she was just trying to test him if he was a kind boy.

"General Julius helped me when my family tried to kill me. My siblings and I are not born with silver spoons. Yet, they sold some of my younger sisters to an old man, and my parents spend their savings to dress us up to look like decent daughters from an upper-class family."

Looking less dirty than before, Dante goes from behind the woman he followed and remains still, standing like a statue. Until his face starts to express a pity, pity that the woman he followed experienced some hardships that he thought of as a bit of luck in his life since he did not share it.

"I still doubted you," Dante admitted, but then he added, "But even so, it does not matter if you are lying or not. I will allow myself to guide you to General's room."

Clarrie breathed out to be thankful, yet, she could not avoid looking at Dante's fingers shaking as they began to walk, heading to the west—a path that goes to the General's room and Princess Zina.

Port Pampanga looked as if it was a harmless place, with cadets at the training grounds practicing together just by watching from afar. But, as they continued walking, she asked the young boy, "What is your name?"

Dante's eyes slightly widened but not due to surprise; he was disturbed in between his decisions. He was not going to be rude to an older woman who got out of a harsh family, so he responded, "My name is Dante," He looked at her before continuing his words, "Auntie."

Clarrie found herself controlling her tightened hand; she was not going to give a young boy a punch; she was just helping herself get stronger after knowing that she looked like an 'Auntie' since Dante confessed. And what was more surprising in her sight, Dante, with a smile, got people waving at him and bowing, literally, he was not just any boy.