Protective instincts

The King looked discontent as he slouched in the Archduke's leather chair behind the large, polished rectangular table.

Wary of what goes inside her uncle's head, Adela was thankful each time his gazing eyes flickered over the Archduke who sat on the other side of the table across from her, for only then was she able to feel the oxygen reaching her lungs.

Breathing came with its own cons.

It was so very quiet and dark outside the Archduke's study that the natural reflex of taking a breath sounded too noisy to her ears. She tried to convince herself that it was all in her head, a fragment of having to repeat everything that happened where no Lady should have gone twice to the two most powerful men in the kingdom.

Her nerves were as tight as a knot in a rope, and her fine manners and exemplary posture were a moment away from slipping as she waited for a comment or a question to come her way.

The sooner I am catechized, the sooner this interrogation ends...

Though she waited for it, Adela jumped in her seat when the King's thick hands clapped twice.

"Seeing how your mind is somewhere else in my presence, your day must have been remarkably dreadful, my dearest, Lord forbids I keep my precious niece from her beauty sleep for too long,"

She managed not to grimace, "That is quite generous of you, Your Majesty,"

Another torturing moment of silence stretched between them while he drummed his fingers on the leather top of her father's table, she braced herself for the upcoming condition her uncle would lay as a price for her freedom tonight.

"...Here is the most important part, my dear Adelaide, so do try and remember accurately…" The King sat up straight and looked hostile all of a sudden, "Which direction did they come from?"

"I-I beg your pardon?"

He leaned over the table and looked annoyed to a great extent, "When you first saw the foreigner and his companion, which direction did they come from?"

It was more than fair for the King to inquire about that which mattered the most. Adela had met the mysterious noblemen where she should not have been. But the same applied to the two riders — Their location at that time was far more dangerous than hers, and that fact was significant enough for her to doubt their intentions even after shooting down both of her attackers. She had to let King Emanuel know how they came from the deep side of the forest, which meant that they had entered it from its western side.

There was not a single doubt in her mind about that.

"They came from the eastern side. The same one Arkin and I took to enter, Your Majesty,"

Like a river to a sea, lies flowed out of her mouth naturally. The instinct to defend the foreigner she was indebted to was a force of nature surpassing her Emorian's loyalty to her King. But her lie was followed by a backlash from her conscious, powerful enough to be on par with an awakening slap in the face.

Did I just lie to my King?!

Her mind went blank as she focused on suppressing an exposing guilty shiver, the sickening hypothermia came hand in hand with her growing guilt. But what upset her most was the ridiculous notion that sank in her awareness like a heavy rock in shallow waters; If she had to answer the King's question again, she would choose to lie to him once more.

What is wrong with me!

The Archduke could no longer tolerate the anguish twist on his daughter's face — It was fine so long as he was the one to reprimand her but watching somebody else do it on his behalf pushed him to his limits. Especially when that someone was none other than his older brother.

"Your Majesty, now that this grave matter with my daughter has been settled, I suggest we invest the rest of our time discussing finance,"

"Ah, yes! That topic is relevant to this one actually… A little birdy told me that we have a buyer for the land right by the entrance to that cursed forest of yours, brother…You remember those cottages, do you not now? The three wretched ones that were always an eye sore on the inside out...Would you like to know who that buyer is?"

Adela dug her nails inside the palm of her hand trying to distract herself from a pain far worse than that. He is asking us to sell more of our lands. Each word of the thought that she could not utter out loud pricked her like a thorn on the inside.

The Arckduke's face became void of all emotions, "I see…I care little about whoever the insane merchant is, but he must wait, for I shall tear those cottages down first and set a surveillance tower in their place, he can buy the land once he agrees that I keep a knight there at all times,"

Anger brewed where it usually does deep down inside of her. Once again, she had to watch as the Archduke feigned indifference at yet another greedy royal demand. Land is honor. That was what she grew up hearing her father say, even if he did get to keep a tower there, it wasn't all sunshine and roses like the proud man pretended.

"Oh, joy! Brother! Have you finally found the legendary mana mines of Lanark, do share if so…"

Hearing the King's blatant mockery, Kaiser could only grit his teeth and argue calmly as a gentleman would.

"You know as well as I do that there is not a single mana mine in these lands where we both grew up, Your Majesty, the two of us searched for years and found none of them,"

The King clicked his tongue.

"So, your financial status remains on the humble side…How unfortunate. De Lanark's inheritance is slipping through our fingers like the sand of time... an era reaching its final days... " he stroked his grey beard, "How will you ever negotiate a fair price if so…Let alone, request for that tower..."

The world weighed down on Kaiser's shoulders while he stood over quicksand, his eyes darted left and right looking for anything to hold on to, and in a strange turn of events, he was glad that Adelaide was here, for he found in her all the reason he needed to fight.

The Archduke held his head up high, "Lanark is still able to negotiate a fair price for the lands we let go of temporarily. I shall return these lands one by one before I leave this world,"

The King grinned, "Fantastic news! Isn't that just marvelous? The healthy status of your finance is the best thing I have heard all day! Then, I shall stay for the banquet you will be throwing for the noblemen who saved our Adelaide, dearest brother, "

Adela kept a straight face on as she watched her father's mouth set in a grim line.

"…What banquet?"

Emanuel de Lanark ignored his brother's question and sat glaring at him instead.

"Your father is not as generous nor as bright as he once was, Adelaide…"

Pain ripped through Kaiser's torso, "Your Majesty, my encounter with the gentlemen was less than friendly, they left before exchanging proper introductions once Sir Arkin was recovered from their carriage, a behavior that is hardly acceptable, let alone worthy of an invitation,"

"I shall hear no more objections," The King stood up and walked slowly then paused where the Archduke stood now, he leaned closer as if to whisper in his brother's ear but spoke with a normal tone instead.

"A unison of interest is the best idea for your struggling Archduchy. Larissa is well over the age of marriage, and I shall not tolerate a spinster for a niece," Emanuel placed his hand on Kaiser's stiff shoulder, "Consider this a favor…One that I am bestowing upon you, brother dear,"

Adela bit her bottom lip, she was left wondering what was more bothersome, the irrelevant insult her sister just received from their uncle, or the idea that out of all the men in Emoria, the foreigner had just received a royal nomination entitling him to become her brother-in-law if he so wished. She flinched at her own afterthought, two dangerous words consisting in her mind. Not him.