Again and Again

>>Enri

Usually when the royals are in the palace, the guards are more at ease because there is less likely to be any attack or an assassination attempt, not zero, but still, it's way better than guarding them outside the palace walls and the same goes for me. I'm currently guarding Sorin but recently there's something weird going on.

Everything was fine in the beginning but suddenly there's been weird happenings happening around Sorin.

I started feeling something ominous around her. Like something was there who wanted to hurt her.

Like anyone else, my first thoughts were that maybe someone was planning to harm her. But as time is passing, it's starting to look very odd.

Leon had already told me about what happened at the stairs and how Sorin could have died.

And Just two days ago she was about to eat when the chef came running to us begging her to stop. Sorin even had the food in her mouth when the chef burst open into the dining hall and got onto his knees begging her to spit out the food.

Apparently a lizard fell into the food when no one was looking.

It's funny though, Sorin actually spit the food out, not because it was poisonous but because of the lizard. That was quite an expression she made there too. Her face scrunched up in disgust as her mouth slowly opened and all was on her tongue slid down back onto the plate.

Well, a full investigation was done and apparently, it really was an accident. People, though, are more of an edge because everyone believes Sorin might snap anytime.

I don't know if she will or not because she seems like a completely different person than before. Normally she would have lost it at that food incident, that's what anyone would expect, but she let it go. It came as a relief to all the staff but also as a threat.

Yesterday though, in the evening we went out to inspect the workers in the garden and on our way back she tripped over the water hose and almost hit her head on the decoration rocks.

It's a good thing I was with her, I was able to grab her just in time but she did end up with a very un-noticeable scratch. It was at that point I realized that those rocks were actually very sharp and definitely not child friendly.

Today we're out hunting, it's a rich people sport in which many rich people are forced to participate in. Our prime example here is Sorin. She's our king but had zero interest in going to such an event and yet here we are. She has to join because she's a royal and there always has to be one at these events. Leonidas could have been here but since he's handling the state affairs, Sorin had no other choice.

"This sucks." Sorin rode the horse with her rifle on her back.

"Your majesty, language." I was on another horse a few steps behind her. I have to mind my manners too because we're out in public.

"Argghh!!" She let out a groan and rolled her eyes, "It's just the two of us here." She pouted as she looked back at me, "Why am I here?" She was acting like a child but it sure did make her look cute.

"You didn't have to be here if you actually did your job as a king." I replied and she pursed her lips to shut up but pouted them again in annoyance.

"I can't argue with that." She looked straight ahead, "But this event is only gonna damage my reputation as king more." She sighed.

"Well," I agreed, "You don't know shit about hunting." I did say I had to mind my manners in public but like she said, it's just the two of us here.

"Right!" She didn't deny it either, "I'll be the only one going back empty handed." She groaned again, then suddenly lit up, "Wait," She looked back at me with bright eyes, "You hunt something and I'll-"

"Take the credit for that?" I cut her words and shook my head, "That's cheating your majesty."

She stopped her horse and looked at me again. This time with huge puppy eyes and pouty cheeks. She looked like a frog really. A cute frog. The only cute frog I've ever seen in my life.

I kept my horse going and she kept turning her head as I passed by her but eventually I stopped too, a few steps ahead of her. Then I got off my ride and folded my arms.

"What?" She asked.

"Come down," I said, "I'll teach you."

"..." She stared at me in annoyance, "What makes you think I can learn?" She rolled her head around, "And in a matter of a few hours at that?"

"Because I'm the teacher." I gestured to her to come down again.

"Tch!" She clicked her tongue in annoyance but decided to get off her horse anyway.

Although the thing is, she's not very tall and she gets on and off rides like little kids. Plus, the fact that these are the best well bred horses that are bigger and healthier than normal ones also stays but still, it was a sight worth seeing.

I couldn't help myself but laugh when she was coming down but neither of her feet would reach the saddle stirrup and all she could do was flail her legs around.

"Stop laughing!" She glared at me, still struggling to get to the foot support.

Honestly, I found it adorable but I didn't go to help her. I let her do it. And after tons of leg flailing, eventually she found it and came to the ground, only to stomp towards me and hit my arm with her lifeless punches.

It only made me chuckle more.

"Stop it!!" She pinched my stomach pretty hard and honestly that hurt.

"Ow!" I moved away from her, "Fine, sorry!" The image of her struggle was very fresh in my mind and it still made me smile again automatically.

And the thing is, it was going to make me smile for the next few days too.

Sorin huffed as she looked around, "What now?" She glared at me and I walked behind her.

"This," I grabbed the rifle from her back and handed it to her from behind. She was about to turn to me when I grabbed her shoulders, "Don't move." I whispered next to her ear making her flinch, "Look straight ahead."

She spared me a glance from the corner of her eye, then looked ahead.

"Oh!" She exclaimed in a low voice, "A deer," The animal had just made its way there.

I gently moved the rifle in her hands, positioning it properly, then I positioned her body in the right stance but of course to do that I had to touch her directly but I did my best to be respectful.

"Keep your eyes on it." I spoke in a low tone next to her ear in order not to startle our prey.

"Mmm," She replied with a shy response.

I stood so close to her, we could feel each other's body heat. I finished my work and had my hands on her waist when I realized something.

She smells really nice.

Like really nice. It's not a flowery scent, more like the scent of things that bathe in the free skies and the sun.

I smiled.

Just like her name, Sorin, she smelled like it too.

"Enri?" She glanced at me again, "When do I shoot?"

"Ah!" I got distracted and looked at the deer looking back at us now. Oh shit! As soon as it saw us, it ran.

"Oh no!" Sorin was disappointed, "I'm gonna go a little closer!" She exclaimed as she started running.

"Stay near me!"

"Okay!"

I sighed and hurried to grab the horses, I hadn't even reached our rides when I heard a scream, followed by a loud thud.

A wave of anxiety ran through me and I turned around to see Sorin gone.

What?!!

She can't just disappear! It's only been seconds! Panic began to take over!

Shit! Shit!

NO!

I started running in the same direction she did and thankfully it didn't take me long to find out what happened.

Just a couple of steps away was a trap hole.

Oh no…

I ran over to it and peeked inside and much to my dismay. I found her there, fallen into the deep deaths of the hole.

"Sorin?" I called her name, "Are you okay?"

The hole was deep enough that it was dark at the end and neither could I see her face nor did I get any response from her. That left me no choice but to jump down myself.

I used my magic to ease my landing and then created a fireball to light up the place.

As I had expected, she was out cold and that was very worrisome but on the other hand, she didn't look like she was hurt. She probably hit her head and passed out.

The walls of the pit hole were very slippery. Climbing out of there wasn't an option. That was something I could tell from experience.

So, I picked Sorin up in my arms and jumped out of the pit using acceleration fire magic, safely landing back on the ground but before I hurried back to the palace to have her examined.

I looked back at the pit hole since something was bothering me.

It was strange.

This is not a public hunting place. There shouldn't be any traps here to begin with. Plus, hunting holes aren't this deep.

It looks like something made to trap someone in, unless you have physical or magical abilities like mine, it would be extremely difficult to get out of that.

Thunder rumbled and I shot my head towards the sky.

It was clear just a few minutes ago!?? Now it's going to rain?!?

I looked back at the pit hole.

And just like that, I felt it again. That ominous feeling out for harm.

>>Blight

"Well, well, well." I sat in the dungeon cell with blood on my fingers. "What do we have here?" I looked at Hewitt

We had spent a few days learning the layout of the palace and the spare time to get a maid on our side to help us find the dungeon.

"Are you sure it belongs to our Lord?" He asked the question and I licked the blood on my hands. My eyes glowed for a moment and then came to normal. Then I smirked, "Dragon's blood."

Hewitt sighed, "Shit…" He mustered the words, "What now?" He asked, "We can't fight the humans when the King himself is protecting them by lying."

I stood up, "We can demand answers though." I started walking towards the stairs when he blocked my way.

"If you question him like this, he will get angry." Hewitt glared at me, "There must be a reason he's lying."

"For the peace treaty?" I scoffed, "He was kept here." I pointed at the dungeon, "This calls for war."

"Yet!" He implored, "He's staying with the humans patiently."

"..."

"Perhaps, there is another reason." He said, "Something he didn't tell us."

"What?"

"I don't know…"

I looked at the stairs, "Well, we'll need answers then."