Two Faced [Bonus chapter]

Marching through the silent corridor, clanking hard on the carpeted floor, men in silver armor and royal blue suits walked, making no words, like a wined toy, toward a large brown wooden door carved with intricate designs.

As they reached the door, it pushed open on its own accord, and they all bowed in unison as they greeted the man on the throne with all their respect toward him.

As the leader of the crew, a tall man with a well-built body, clad in the same uniform but with a royal blue cape on his right shoulder that reached his feet, stepped forward and kneeled on his knees before the King.

"Your Majesty!"

"General Stuart, I see. What brings you and your crew to my council?" came the strong, intimidating voice from the throne.

"Your Majesty, I got a message from one of my men. There was another rogue attack on the outskirts of Southborough," he said, his head still bowed down. The very information made a certain someone's ears perk at the mention of the rogue attack.

"Rise," said the King, the little smile he had on his face dimming with a serious look. He flipped his black silky hair aside as he directed his gaze at the general intimidatingly. The general rose from his kneeling posture and stood handsomely.

"How's the situation?" questioned the King, but the general just gave a look at the princess, who was seated a few distances away from the King, and glanced back at the King hesitantly.

The King, who seemed to understand his hesitancy, cleared his throat and turned his head toward her daughter, who still had her gaze on the general as if waiting for him to speak.

"Adra, dear," he called for his daughter with a smile gracing his lips. His voice sounded anything but gentle—so gentle that one would suspect that it was the same person who spoke to the general a while ago.

"Yes, Papa?" Questioned the princess, turning her attention toward her father and fluttering her eyelashes innocently.

"As the council today has been long adjourned, it is best that you leave, my dear. I bet you're already feeling tired by all," he said as he stood from his throne and toward his daughter and kissed her forehead lovingly. "You did better today than usual," he praised her as he patted her shoulder and let her go.

"Thank you, Papa!" She kissed before she descended from the stairs that led toward the throne. The general bowed his head, not daring to gaze at the princess, and loose both of his eyeballs, and so did the rest of the men who were present in the room.

The princess gracefully walked out of the council room but stood by the door, eavesdropping on the things happening in the council room.

The King returned his focus from the door back to the general and gestured for him to continue what he was to say as he walked back to the throne proudly.

"As I was saying, Your Majesty, the attack had resulted in many people who lived nearby the woods losing their lives to three rogues."

There was no expression held by the king or his men.

"Any important ones to take into consideration?" Questioned the King as he tapped his fingers over the expensively designed and cushioned armrest of his throne.

"No, your Majesty. By the words of my man, they seemed to be mere commoners."

"Good! I have no idea what has gotten into those witches' heads," mumbled the latter, the King. "Stuart, send a few of these men to the spot and have them pretend to look in and make the commoners believe that they were the doings of the deranged vampires who happened to run out of food, and you know what else to fill in," he ordered.

"As you wish, Your Majesty."

"And I want you to come with me. We are to leave for the woods," he said as he stood up from his throne. Woods meant a visit with the witch sisters, and the general understood it. He soon ordered half of his men to go toward the attacked spot and had the other half of the men who were at the council walk back to their training rooms before choosing a few men to walk with the King and himself into the woods.

Adrasteia soon hid behind the large pillar that stood beside the door and heard the king walk out with the general and his men. Then followed a large crew of armored men behind them toward their assigned work.

"Phew! That was so close. I can't believe how cruel Father is, deceiving all of us with his facade." A sense of rage built in her as the words she had just heard kept repeating in her head, like a recorded tape.

"Does he not value one's life? Even if they're commoners, what differs from them? They are all living beings," she kept mumbling as she strode toward the piano room.

"Your Highness!"

"Princess Adrasteia!"

Adrasteia stopped in her tracks at the sudden call that came from the opposite side of the corridor. She retraced a few of her footsteps and saw a young maid run toward her.

"Careful there!" she warned concerningly at the maid, who nearly slipped on her way. The maid kept panting as she tried to stand on her feet properly.

"I- He-" The maid could say no words as her breathing kept interrupting her.

"Calm down and take a deep breath, dear." Adrasteia patted the maid's shoulder, and the maid froze in her spot as soon as she felt her hand on her shoulder.

'Unbelievable!' thought the maid.

She looked younger than her, and she had never seen her before. She wondered if the girl was new to the palace.

"Forgive this lowly being, Your Highness." She knelt and bowed her head deeply. "Forgive me for raising my voice at you, Your Highness." The maid pleaded in fear as she trembled like a withering leaf.

"Tell me the main reason why you came in search of me." Adrasteia waited for the maid to open up. Her mind was already eating up the revelation of her father's facade.

"Sir Jonas awaits your presence in the sitting room, Your Highness," said the maid, eyes down on the floor. She had been curious to see the princess for a long time and had heard some of the maids who had gotten the privilege to get a glimpse or two. All those maids would praise her as if they'd met an angel descended from heaven. The princess was famous for her beauty and her kind heart.

And now that she's had her opportunity to see her, she was afraid to raise her head; she was afraid to take a glimpse even from the corner of her eyes. She didn't dare raise her head to meet the princess.

As soon as she heard the princess sigh, her eyes widened. "Forgive me if I've offended Your Highness by any chance." She continued asking for forgiveness, assuming that she had offended the princess, but it seemed that the apologies were heard only by deaf ears.

Adrasteia wondered what purpose the Duke's troublesome of a son was here for. Wasn't it only three days before that they met? The very thought of meeting had her head banging with a severe headache, and she sighed out loud. But as soon as she did so, she was brought back from her reverie of thoughts by the pleadings of the young maid. And that was when she remembered that the maid was still kneeling on the floor.

"Rise," she said immediately, feeling guilty but not daring to express it by any chance. "Let His grace be aware that I'll be there in a while." With that, she turned around on her heels and left with no other words.

She only prayed that the guy wasn't here for another round of his flirtations. It disgusted her whole being in all sorts of ways.