"Lily, are you okay?" he asked. "Are you hurt? Let me see you." Evander jumped onto the carriage and gently turned Lily to the side, checking her.
"I am okay, Brother, I am doing well as you see. How are you?" she asked, noticing the splashes of blood on his clothes.
He smiled. "You look much better than I expected. Why do I feel like you have matured so much within these few days?" he mumurmured.
Lily's face fell, surprise flickering in her eyes. "Maybe it's because I am going away from home and will be alone here," she whispered.
"No, Lily, don't be sad," Evander said quickly, panicking. "I'm sorry."
She looked him in the eyes and smiled. "I know, Brother."
Evander shifted, scratching his ear. "Good, you know. And oh, we need to make an unexpected stop as the injured guards must be treated. We also need to regroup, and Lucien has a villa in the town, so we will stay there." Lily nodded.
"Okay then, we will move." He stepped down from the carriage, leaving Lily and Liora behind.
"Who do you think was behind this attempt?" Lily asked curiously.
"Not sure." Liora hummed. "There are so many people who want to see you dead."
"Like?"
"The mistress, for example, or other kingdoms that might be against the treaty between the two empires. Or maybe the emperor himself who knows." Lily nodded in agreement. The idea of the 'mistress' striking first felt chillingly plausible.
The carriage rolled on. After a short silence, Liora said, with humour in her voice, "Lucien was fighting with all his might."
"Why do you think he was fighting so fiercely?" she repeated, winking.
"How am I supposed to know?" Lily rolled her eyes. "Maybe he loves killing people, or maybe because the emperor entrusted him to bring the princess to the capital."
"The princess who happens to be beautiful," Liora teased, laughing.
Then her expression sobered. "We'll be having days like this until we reach the capital, and it's not even guaranteed that the attempts will stop once we arrive. So you need to be careful. I don't think I can help you again if you die."
Lily nodded. She knew greater responsibilities came with her title, and she was grateful for the help surrounding her. For someone who grew up unloved, this support now felt like a warm embrace. She quietly resolved to return their good wishes.
"I will go out. You can rest," Liora said. "We will reach the next town in the evening." She slipped out, leaving Lily alone in the carriage.
As it rocked gently, Lily leaned against the wall and drifted into sleep.
A knock sounded. "Your Highness, we have reached Rokshik," Marian's faint voice called. Lily sat up and took Marian's hand as she stepped down. Once on the ground, she steadied herself—and her jaw dropped.
A massive metal gate loomed ahead, soldiers standing guard, with two golden falcons gleaming on either side. Beyond it was a big mansion visible from outside, and even from where she was standing, Lily could see the mansion walls gleaming in the distance, creating a majestic aura.
"Welcome, Your Highness," came a deep voice behind her. "Welcome to my residence. Since it was not in our plan to stop in Rokshik, the imperial villa was not informed of our arrival, so I decided we would stay here instead. I trust Your Highness doesn't mind," Lucien said, smiling.
"Ooooh, he is rich," Liora gasped. Lily smiled, ignoring her.
"No, I don't mind, Archduke. Thank you for hosting us."
"That's good." Lucien's smile, showcasing his one-sided dimple, "I will lead the way. Your brother will follow after he is done overseeing the doctors tending to the soldiers." He faced the gates.
The soldiers knelt as one. "Welcome, Archduke!" they thundered. Lucien nodded and walked ahead.
The butler greeted them, and a maid was instructed to lead Lily and her ladies-in-waiting to their quarters. Liora floated behind them, chirping about how the Archduke was rich and handsome and how she wished she wasn't a ghost now making Lily smile as they entered the big bedroom, gasping for the second time at the sight in front of them.