Chapter 28

I underestimated my father's keen eye, and this whole charade is about to come to light. Although I took the necessary precautions to cover my tracks, I can't help but feel anxious. The man my father placed in charge of this investigation is none other than his right-hand man. Eleison Degretch. A commoner who became one of the most powerful knights in the kingdom by the sweat of his own brow.

"Your highness, we are awaiting your command." 

It seems I have no choice but to proceed with plan B for now until everything settles down.

*Knock Knock*

"Pardon the interruption, your highness." announced one of my men.

When Raulin opened the door, the young man appeared anxious and reluctant to speak. However, with a simple death glare from me, he had no choice but to spill his guts.

"The king has issued an order to halt the preparations for the funeral and is now headed to Bassup prison with the queen and Sir Eleison."

Bassup is a small and desolate village where nothing flourishes because of the severe cold weather all year round. It is a place that even the sun has forsaken for many years. And the person being held captive there is none other than my uncle, the king's younger half-brother. Duke Sebastian Hamill Whinitt, the most powerful noble in Ecchelon.

In the process of building my faction, I desperately sought to make him my ally at all costs. He was like an unsurmountable wall I had to conquer in order to achieve my goal. No matter what I offered, the duke remained steadfast in his loyalty to the crown. And when he finally caught wind of my scheme to end Charlotte's life, he plotted to counter my plans, which provided me with the perfect opportunity to coerce him into joining my cause. 

He should have just accepted my offer back then. What a waste of talent.

"Proceed with plan C immediately."

"As you command, your highness. We will mobilize our troops right away."

You forced my hands, father. I pray that you and mother won't resent me too much after this is over.

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Nathan, or should I say, his highness and I, are once again traveling in the same carriage. We have not uttered a word to one another ever since we departed, and the silence is driving me mad. This is giving me déjà vu. 

"Your highness!" I called nervously.

"Nathan." He replied curtly.

He turned his head to face me, and his eyes have not wavered since. He has a knack for making me feel helpless under the pressure of his gaze. I can't help but feel anxious.

"Are you not curious as to why I hid the truth from you? You've not asked a single question ever since we left the capital of Ipera. If you're upset with me, I'd prefer you lash out at me and…"

"That isn't it, your highness!" I blurted.

Did I just shout in the presence of the crown prince? I might as well just beg him to execute me.

"P-please forgive my impertinence, your highness."

There are so many questions that have been boggling my mind ever since he revealed his true identity to me. But now I can't think of anything. Chances are, he is aware of mine as well. Which would imply that he is either waiting for me to confess or plotting to hand me over to my sister. Or perhaps he plans to kill me and declare war on Ecchelon. What should I do? Should I make a run for it once we cross the border? If I can make it to the castle before them, I'll be safe. The problem is, I'll have to first escape his watchful eyes.

"Raise your head, and look at me, Fatima. That is an order." He commanded sternly.

Right, this is no time to have my head in the clouds. I need to pull myself together and think of a plan as fast as possible.

"Which noble family do you hail from in your homeland?" he asked, after drawing a loud sigh.

Noble family? Wait, does he not know of my lineage?

"If I may ask, your highness. What is the reason that you wish to know?"

"Well, if you must know…" he paused while folding his arms across his chest.

"I didn't mention it earlier since you fainted just by hearing the name Ecchelon. Apparently, the crown princess who went missing over a year ago came back as a burnt corpse, and we are going to assist her funeral."

What? 

"It really is such a pity since she was also a Sant, just like me."

I don't understand. No, this can't be true. I am right here, alive and well, so why…

"Anyway, funeral aside, my primary goal in Ecchelon is to annul your status as a slave. That being said, I must stop by the office of Human Rights before I head to the palace. Since you are familiar with the country, I would assume you know where that is?"

Oh, I see now. Nathan was only trying to help me escape the life of a slave. Yet, here I was painting the most awful picture of him in my head. I am such a terrible friend.

"H-hey…what's wrong? Why are you suddenly crying?" he asked with a perturbed expression on his face.

No matter how many times I wiped the tears from my eyes, they kept pouring out.

"Man, I knew I should have kept my mouth shut about it all." He sulked while scratching his head.

"Here, take this." He said as he extended a small handkerchief to me.

It was soft and warm, with a red rose embroidered at its center. There were also the initials KNA stitched at the bottom right corner.

"A-are you sure I can use this, your highness? It looks precious."

"Yes, use it to your heart's content. I have plenty of those both in Chilsela and the capital. Princess Emilia took care to insert one in every pair of pants I own."

He kept his face hidden in his hands the whole time he was talking. I could tell he was embarrassed by how red his ears were. This side of him I am witnessing is so rare that I can't help but dare feel special. 

"I am deeply sorry, Nathan." I said in a shaky voice as I slumped down on my knees on the carriage floor.

"Wait…Fati, you shouldn't be…" 

Before he could finish his sentence, the carriage suddenly wobbled, which caused me to tumble forward. I was expecting to hit the hard edge of his seat. However, my fall was surprisingly broken by a soft and cushy…pillow? When I glanced down, I could see Nathan's shiny shoes, but when I looked up, my head was right between his straddled thighs, staring at his…

+++++++

I screamed at the top of my lungs, which alerted everyone else. And that is how I was once again kicked out of his carriage.

"What happened this time, Miss Fati?"

"Was your life threatened by the prince?"

"Did he draw his sword at you?"

They were bombarding me with questions I could not answer because I was still in shock. 

"I'm going to have nightmares for days after this." I whined.

"That bad?"

Come to think of it, he was just as flustered as I was at that moment. His entire face was beet red as he yelled, 'Stop the carriage this instant!' Now that I am recalling his reaction, it was hilarious.

"She's laughing?"

"It seems she has finally lost it."

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