The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, leaving the village in a shroud of bruised purples and deep blacks as we marched toward the residence. When the gates finally loomed before us, I found myself breathless—not from the walk, but from the sheer, staggering extravagance of the estate. It was a fortress of wealth, a cruel monument to greed that stood in mocking contrast to the hollowed-out lives of the villagers. I understood then why my mother had fought so hard to keep this place.
Four guards stood watch at the iron gates. As our boots crunched on the gravel, they stepped forward, their torches casting long, flickering shadows.
One of them barked, "What are you doing in here??"
Louis stepped into the light, his voice ringing with authority. "We are here to check the estate and claim it back…"
The guards exchanged a glance before erupting into a mocking snort of laughter. The leader stepped closer, his hand on his belt. "Claim it back? Who are you??"
Louis didn't hesitate. He unfurled the royal vellum, the crimson seal catching the torchlight. "Look here. We have the paper of inheritance for this estate. Behold your new landlord… the First Princess, Caroline."
The laughter died instantly. The guards' faces paled, shifting from arrogance to a frantic, sweating worry.
I walked toward them, my gaze steady. "Are all of you from this village?"
"Yes… we are…" one of them stammered.
"Then open the gate for me."
"But… we have an order… to… not… let som—"
"Do I look like that 'someone'?" I interrupted, my voice cold. "Or do I look like your landlord?"
"Ye… t… we… don't… get… any… news about that…"
"JUST OPEN IT ALREADY!!!" I commanded.
"But… our order…"
"YOU DISOBEY ME, AND YOU DISOBEY THE KING!"
The guard's knees practically buckled. "Right away! We… will… open… the gate…"
The heavy iron groaned as it swung inward. We passed through without further commotion, but a seed of fear took root in my mind. They had obeyed the paper today, but would they obey Rudyard's coin tomorrow? We marched up the long, manicured path, the front garden so wide it felt like an empty kingdom unto itself.
At the massive front door, the silence was absolute. We knocked. Once. Twice. Thrice. There was no response from the dark interior. It wasn't until the fourth heavy strike of the knocker that the sound of slow, rhythmic footsteps echoed from within.
A woman finally opened the door. I noted immediately that she was neither Florence nor Malta.
"Is Sir Rudyard at home?" I asked.
Louis and the others shifted behind me, surprised that I would use a title like 'Sir' for such a man. The woman's eyes were guarded. "Master isn't at home at the moment."
She moved to shut the door, but I slammed my foot into the gap, stopping it.
"Apologise," I said, my voice hardening, "but tell your master to come to meet me… and let us come in."
"I am so sorry, but who am I talking to? So I can tell to my master…"
"You are talking with the First Princess of Aushtage, Caroline. Let us in, and tell your master to meet with me right now!"
The woman's eyes went wide. "Deeply apologise, your highness… I didn't know if you are the princess…"
"Just let us in."
She stood aside, and we stepped into a world that was beyond my imagination. The interior was a fever dream of gold leaf, velvet, and marble—a glamorous sanctuary built upon the backs of struggling peasants. The woman led us through the labyrinthine halls toward the living room. It was a cavernous space, draped in finery, with two separate entrances that made the room feel exposed. I took a seat on a plush couch while my escorts formed a protective semi-circle behind me. The woman left us, her footsteps fading as she went to summon her master.
We waited. The silence of the manor began to feel heavy, like the air before a storm. We kept waiting, but no one came.
The situation grew stranger by the minute. Louis leaned down, tapping my shoulder. His voice was a strained whisper. "We need to leave this house immediately, your highness."
Aldea's head snapped toward him, her anger bubbling over. "We are here! Why do we need to leave?"
"This situation is unusual," Louis insisted, his eyes darting to the shadowed hallways. "The safety of her highness is paramount. We need to leave from here."
They began to bicker behind me, the tension of the wait fraying their nerves.
"We will stay," I said, cutting through their argument.
Louis began to beg, his voice low and urgent. "Your highness, please—"
"If he dares to lift a single finger on me," I said, looking at the gilded ceiling, "surely they will know who they mess with."
Darryl stepped forward, placing a hand on Louis's arm. "Our duty is to protect her highness. If her highness wants to stay, we stay and protect her."
Elpis nodded solemnly. "~my~ I will stay with her highness in this matter."
Louis let out a long, ragged sigh. "sigh Alright then." He stepped back into his position, though his hand never left the hilt of his sword.
Moments later, a man entered. He was not Rudyard. He was a stranger with a face carved by scars and a physical build that rivalled Darryl's—the unmistakable silhouette of a career soldier. He walked to the couch opposite me and sat down without a word of introduction.
He stared at me. I stared back. The silence stretched until I gestured slightly to Louis.
Louis stepped forward. "May you introduce yourself?"
The man didn't even look at him. He kept his eyes on me. Finally, he spoke, his voice a gravelly rasp. "Are you really the princess of this kingdom? What I have seen in front of me is just a cheeky and pampered girl."
I remained silent, refusing to engage until he showed the proper respect.
"May you introduce yourself??" Louis repeated, his voice dangerously low.
The man leaned back, crossing his legs in a relaxed, insolent posture. "Do I need to introduce myself?"
"Yes, you do," Louis replied. "You are in the presence of her highness."
Suddenly, Darryl's voice cut through the room like a whip. "LOUIS!"
I looked at them. They were all staring at the two entrances. Instinctively, Louis and Aldea jumped in front of me, while Darryl and Elpis closed the circle behind. I was encased in steel and intent.
Louis shouted at the man, "YOU!"
"What is happening?" I asked, my heart beginning to hammer against my ribs.
The man erupted into a cold, jagged laugh. "Hahahahaha! You are so clueless, even with such amazing escorts. Still, you don't know what is happening here? Use your ears! And listen."
I closed my eyes and focused. At first, there was nothing. Then, I heard it. A rhythmic thrumming. Footsteps. Hundreds of them, echoing through the stone corridors. They weren't just coming; they were surrounding us.
"Don't tell me!" I looked at the scarred man. "You—"
"You know this is treason, right?" I demanded, my voice shaking with fury.
He remained relaxed. "Treason? I just followed an order."
"AN ORDER?"
"Yes."
"Is that from Rudyard? If it is from him, you know my authority is higher than his!"
"No," the man smiled, showing yellowed teeth. "We don't follow orders from him. We follow an order much higher than him… one even higher than yours."
"WHAT? I am the landlord of this manor!"
"Yes, I know. You are the first princess and the Baroness of this manor. But you know what? I and my army aren't the levies of this manor. We have no obligation to you."
Suddenly, both entrances were flooded with men. These weren't peasants with pitchforks; they were professional soldiers clad in chainmail and tabards.
"Your highness," Louis whispered, his face pale. "They are not manor levies. They are knights."
I forced myself to stay seated, to maintain the mask of a princess. "DON'T TELL ME. THE PALACE ORDERED YOU."
The scarred man stood up, looming over the room. "I cannot name the one who ordered us, but… your highness, you know there is a letter. A disturbing one, concerning this estate."
My mind flashed to Aalis and Ame's parents.
"The lords of this estate are missing," he continued, his voice dropping an octave. "The ones appointed by her majesty, the Queen. Is that not weird, your highness?"
"That is exactly why I came here," I countered. "To investigate that disappearance."
"Really? I am so happy you gave aid on this matter… But—"
"But??"
"There is a witness, your highness. And he told us… it was you."
The world seemed to tilt. "Who is this witness??"
"I cannot tell you. He is under my protection. However, there is something else I wish to show you."
He snapped his fingers.
Movement erupted at the right entrance. I felt a surge of pure, murderous heat from Aldea as they dragged a body into the room. It was Zoe. She was covered in deep, purple bruises, her clothes torn and bloodied. They tossed her onto the floor like a sack of grain. She lay there, limp and unconscious.
Aldea broke formation, sprinting to Zoe's side to check for a pulse.
I looked at the scarred man, my vision tunneling with a rage I had never felt before. "WHAT WILL HAPPEN NOW? TELL ME!"