Princess Shu

Chapter 4.2 – Let’s Eat Together

“Yes. I know you have a lot of questions, but what I know is limited as well… For starters, these people will keep you safe, so don’t worry.”

Valia nodded. The lady-in-waiting wouldn’t know anything, even if Valia asked. This mission was presided over by the Imperial Family. The kingdom’s servants would be kept in the dark.

Valia obediently followed the knights through the back door of the palace, her shoulders covered with the blue cape of the knights like a shawl.

“Get in, My Lady.”

The knights were polite but taciturn. She wanted to ask them where they were heading, but it seemed obvious that they wouldn’t answer. She nodded and stepped into a carriage waiting for them. She thought the knights would ride with her in the carriage, but instead they all rode their own horses, leaving Valia alone in the large coach. She leaned back against the carriage seat, and thought.

‘We’re probably going to the capital of the Ghel Empire.’

Whether it was to meet the Marquis, or to go to the temple, or to see the Imperial Family, the Ghel Empire was the destination.

 

‘Who exactly will show up?’

Valia’s heart pounded in both anxiety and anticipation. As she lost herself in though, eventually her eyes began to droop. It was not long before she fell asleep.

***

It was a dusky dawn when Valia woke up from her sleep. Time went by quicker than she thought it would. The carriage was still moving nonstop. Where exactly was she now?

Valia opened the window. A cool breeze whiffed in, fluttering Valia’s long hair. The knights were still riding beside the window. Upon closer inspection, however, she frowned.

‘Something’s different.’

The blue capes and white armor were still the same, and while the men were of similar physique, something was different. Valia even raised her eyebrows and carefully studied the knights. Her gaze was on their swords. There was light of recognition in her eyes.

Just then, her eyes met the knight that was riding beside her. He drew his horse closer to the window.

“What’s the matter, My Lady?” he asked.

“You’re not an imperial knight,” Valia observed.

 

“Huh?”

Valia was raised by Carl, who was a mercenary, and she knew her way arounds swords and had held them in the past. She could distinguish from the handle the difference between a broadsword and a Walloon sword.

The knights of the kingdom were equipped with Walloon swords, but these men carried broadswords. There was a situation that required each of them to change to their secondary weapon. In other words, these knights were not the previous ones she saw.

The knight continued to explain with a hint of nervousness. “I’ve been with you since we left the kingdom, My Lady. Perhaps you didn’t see me because I was in the back.”

This lady memorized everything about the kingdom, and even the birth of the Emperor. Everything she asked was answered without a hitch, so he was confident that he would clear up her doubts. But the lady suddenly brought up a completely different topic.

Valia shook her head. “I apologize, I must have been mistaken. By the way, Sir. Do you remember the purple flower that I asked the Knight Commander to pluck? The knights were all there together, right?”

At Valia’s words, the knight frowned inwardly.

‘That’s strange. I didn’t hear anything about having a break. I just thought she would be tired because it was a forced march.’

Perhaps it had only been a short break, and the Imperial knights arbitrarily omitted that detail. The knight reckoned it was something like that. “Of course. I’ve seen it too. My Lady liked it, right? Did the flowers perhaps wither?” he replied.

Valia burst into laughter. “What are you talking about? I never asked for anyone to pluck the flowers.”

“What?” the knight answered dumbly.

The knight’s embarrassment could be felt beyond his armor. Valia smiled and reassured him.

“Even if the knights changed, I won’t run away, so rest assured.”

The knight exhaled the breath he was holding. He had been nervous that she might burst into tears. Anyone else would have been panic-stricken to have found that their escorts had changed, but not this woman.

Despite the knight’s concerns, Valia had no signs of complaint. The only thing she did was stick her head out the window from time to time to look around and then went back inside the carriage.

Some time later, the procession took a rare break in between the arduous carriage trip. The order had been to arrive as soon as possible, so breaks were short and infrequent.

“Are you not tired, My Lady?” a voice asked her.

Valia stretched her stiff body and looked back. Unlike the other knights, the man talking to her now seemed older. He appeared to be the commander of these knights.

Valia shook her head. “I’m fine,” she replied.

“There’s not much time left before we reach our destination, so cheer up,” he said.

“Yes, you too, Sir.”

Valia stood aloof. It was no wonder, as her body was quite fit. When she was young, she used to play with Carl’s mace, and there was a time when she smashed the wall and got in trouble.

The commander’s eyes slightly widened at her response. He thought that she wasn’t like the other young noble ladies.

Valia turned to him more fully. “By the way, Sir, the master of the previous Knight Order that escorted me was His Highness the Emperor. Who’s the master of this Knight Order?”

The lady’s acute observation caught him off guard. The Knight Commander, Sean, who already heard of what happened earlier, cleared his throat.

“Don’t worry too much. We’re not here to take your arms and legs,” he reassured.

“Is that so?” Valia said.

Fortunately, the lady didn’t ask any more. Sean turned away with a sigh of relief.

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“Where would you like to have your meal? Should I bring it to you in the carriage?” he asked.

Valia looked towards the makeshift encampment. “The knights made a bonfire over there. Would it be alright to eat there? Ah, is that against etiquette?”

“Not at all. However I thought it would be awkward for a noble lady to dine with the knights, so I asked just in case,” Sean replied.

Valia thought that Carl, a mercenary, was like family to her, so what was the big deal about dining with the knights? She wanted to minimize the time she had to spend inside the square carriage. She grinned.

“It’s fine. Let’s eat together.”