Chapter 4 - The Secrets of the Princess

In the deep silence of the dark, deserted night, some movement was happening within the palace. Everything was quiet, but for some reason, the sound of fireflies and insects echoed from the back of the palace.

"It must be done exactly as I told you, or you know what will happen to you." A voice came from behind the wall, and then suddenly, there was complete silence.

The next morning, chaos erupted in the palace. All the guards were frantically searching for a person who was now dead. One of the guards standing outside Zara's room had suddenly disappeared. After an extensive search, some blood-stained clothes were found, leading everyone to believe that the guard was dead. However, no one knew who killed him, why he was killed, or where his body was.

King Arthur Halbert warned Zara to be cautious, as it was unclear whether this was the act of an external infiltrator or if someone held a personal grudge against the guard.

The afternoon sun blazed fiercely overhead. Not a bird was visible in the sky, yet in the sweltering heat, Zara was wandering restlessly in the garden.

"Can you both please leave me alone for a while?" Zara demanded, her teeth gritting in anger.

"But Princess, after what happened in the palace, we have strict orders from the King not to leave you alone even for a moment," replied one of the maids, bowing her head.

Zara's blood was boiling. She wasn't born a princess, so she wasn't accustomed to all this. She didn't like having so many people around her all the time, and she couldn't be alone for even a moment. It seemed like privacy didn't exist in the times of kings and queens.

"I'm telling you, you can go. Father won't say anything..." Despite hearing this, the maids still didn't budge. However, when they saw Albert approaching, they bowed and left.

Zara was a bit surprised, but soon she understood why the maids had obeyed her this time.

"Princess, don't you think after such a major incident, you shouldn't be wandering around the palace like this? If the one protecting us isn't safe, how can we be safe alone?" Albert said, moving closer to Zara.

Zara looked around, and Albert spoke again, "There's no one around, and even if there were, they're all busy guarding... and I don't think I need anyone's permission to talk to my future wife."

Zara's ears perked up at his words. From what Albert said, it was clear that he had no intention of backing out of the marriage.

"So, when are you all returning to your kingdom? The King, Queen, and the Prince are all here; aren't you worried someone might attack your kingdom?" Zara asked.

Hearing this, a strange smile appeared on Albert's face, and he said, "Do you really think anyone could attack our kingdom? Our army has people who can easily wipe out thousands in no time. Just hearing my father's name makes many kingdoms tremble."

'Yeah right! What a load of lies... If he ever hears his own words, he'd realize how ridiculous he sounds. In the 21st century, no one would even glance at guys like him...' Zara thought angrily. But she knew that in the 21st century, people cared more about appearances than what kind of person someone was inside.

"So, did you have any specific reason to see me?" Zara asked, to which Albert replied, "Why, do I need a reason to come to you? I just wanted to talk to you."

Zara couldn't help but roll her eyes. She found his words incredibly cheesy.

"So, you don't have any objections to the wedding date? I also think the sooner the wedding, the better," Albert continued.

"What! The wedding date? Why don't I know anything about this?" Zara asked, surprised.

"Our wedding is next month, and after that, I won't need anyone's permission to meet you." With this, Albert smiled and left, while Zara continued to watch him walk away. She couldn't understand what Albert thought about this marriage...

That night, once again in the silence, avoiding the guards, Zara made her way to Albert's room. Her hair was disheveled, there were dark circles under her eyes, and her lipstick was smudged all over her lips. She didn't look anything like a princess.

"I told you, I won't spare anyone in this palace. I'll kill everyone. I've chopped that guard into tiny pieces and thrown them into the river at the border, and I'll do the same with the rest of them!" Zara burst into laughter after saying this.

Albert didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

The previous night, the missing guard had been found. When the guard was entering the palace, a wolf had attacked him along the way. Fighting the wolf, the guard had been severely injured. He was in such bad shape that when he finally reached the palace in the darkness, instead of calling for help, he made his way directly to the healer.

The healer had been given a small house on the other side, outside the palace. So when the guard reached the healer's house, no one saw him...

Albert now understood very well that Zara was just pretending, trying to get him to refuse the marriage... but the question remained—why? Why didn't she want to marry him? Was she really in love with someone else?

Albert knew that if he questioned her or said anything, Zara would faint, and that's exactly what happened... Before Albert could say anything, Zara collapsed onto his bed.

The next day began with chirping birds and a bright sun. Zara woke up, her hair still messy, and with a soft blush on her face, she went to the window to watch the birds flying in the sky. But she didn't know someone was watching her... Someone had their eyes on her every move, and it was none other than Albert, who had once again lost himself while looking at Zara.

He wished he could go to her right then and brush the strand of hair away from her face with his hands... that he could look at her beautiful face not secretly but with a sense of right, but first, Albert needed to understand why Zara didn't want to marry...

Meanwhile, Zara was still standing by the window when suddenly a maid came and informed her, "Princess, the Queen has called you. She wants to speak with you."

The next moment, Zara was in Chrysalis's room. Even now, the grandeur of the palace amazed her. Jewels, the palace, horses, the army—everything they had... If Zara had all this in the 21st century, she might have gone mad with happiness.

"Mother, did you call me for something important?" Zara asked.

"Yes, your brother and your younger sister are returning from your grandmother's house. Though my mother will send them with full security, I want you to bring them from the state gate... Prince Albert will accompany you."

Hearing this, Zara's face fell. She immediately said, "I'm not going anywhere with him... either I go or he does..."

Hearing this, Chrysalis's eyes widened. She looked incredibly surprised for some reason...

"Charlotte! Is this how you speak to your mother and the Queen of the state? Your father and I have found your behavior quite odd for some time, but we never said anything... But this is getting too much now... Your constant time in the library, keeping Prince Arthur away from you, and talking in this strange manner, we understand everything... Improve yourself, or I'm well capable of doing it."

Zara couldn't say anything. What could she tell them... that she was from the future, and don't know where her daughter was...

A while later, a whole party was prepared, including 15 soldiers, Zara, and Albert... They were right in the middle of the state when suddenly a barrage of arrows began. Chaos spread among the soldiers. It didn't even take five minutes for those 15 soldiers to be killed...

"What do we do now... like those soldiers, we'll be killed too..." Zara screamed.

"What do you mean by 'what will we do'? I know this is all your doing... I've told you before, if you don't want to get married, just say so, but you didn't say anything. Now, in your stubbornness, you've led so many people to their deaths. You should be ashamed." Albert shouted angrily and was about to turn his horse around when Zara said, "Have you lost your mind... How would I have done all this? I'm getting married precisely to avoid anyone's death, and you..."

Before Zara could continue, suddenly an arrow hit her horse's neck. The horse neighed and fell, and Zara crashed to the ground...

Hearing the noise, Albert turned and saw Zara lying on the ground. Not only that, but she was glaring at him angrily, as if to say, "Do you still think I did all this?"

Albert dismounted from his horse and began to lift Zara. As he carefully lifted her, he noticed that they were surrounded by nearly 50 masked individuals. All of them were dressed in black, and now they were slowly walking towards them.

Zara turned around to see all the people, and her eyes widened with surprise and fear. Zara and Albert looked into each other's eyes, trying to figure out what to do next.

Albert drew his sword, and Zara also stood her ground. While Albert faced the masked individuals with his sword, Zara quickly tied her hair into a bun and took a karate stance.

Zara came from a middle-class family. Her dad was a karate teacher at a school and had trained his daughter well. Zara had mastered martial arts, and today she was ready to put it to use.

Zara raised her hand, dodged the sword of a masked man approaching her, and delivered a sharp karate chop to his neck, knocking him down instantly. She then moved forward, lifted her leg, and stomped on another man's foot. She grabbed his sword, and with one swift move, pierced it through his jaw, driving it all the way to his head.

Albert, who had already taken down about eight people by then, was stunned to see Zara fighting this way.

He was quite exhausted and could see that Zara was gradually tiring as well. Albert called out to Zara and signaled her to move towards the horse. Together, they sprinted towards the horse and made their escape.

Zara and Albert were now riding on the same horse. Each time Albert pulled on the reins, he would get closer to Zara, who was seated in front of him. Albert was focused on saving both their lives, but Zara felt a strange sensation as she felt Albert getting closer to her. When she glanced back slightly, she noticed the masked men were still pursuing them.

But the worst was yet to come. In the middle of the dense forest, as Zara and Albert continued forward on the horse, an arrow struck the horse's leg, causing it to limp and collapse. Albert and Zara were thrown off, landing far apart.

Albert quickly got up and ran towards Zara, who was lying face down on the ground. He grabbed her shoulder and turned her towards him, only to find her unconscious. Her head had hit a rock, and her face was now covered in blood.