13 The Stranger

"Your Highness, did you enjoy last night's feast?"

Sitting on a chair behind a desk inside his tent in the Royal Army camp, Second Prince Alanus Varence looked up at his right-hand man and best friend who asked him the question. Then he let out a sigh. "You've become more menacing day by day, Azelyn. You even skip the feast and let me attend alone."

Standing before the desk, Azelyn Camer chuckled at the Prince's words. "Then you should have just skipped the feast too, Your Highness."

"It must be fun to be able to joke around like that," Alanus Varence pointed out with displeasure written all over his face. Then suddenly, his face lit up when he said, "Do you want to take my place? I can -"

"Not that again," Azelyn Camer interrupted and sigh. Nevertheless, he soon cracked a smile and said, "I'm not foolish enough to risk my life by taking your place again, Your Highness. What if His Majesty caught us again like last time?"

Recalling the event from their childhood, Second Prince Alanus chuckled. "My father can't really do anything about it," he simply stated. "It's not like I will stop if he punished me for it."

The Prince was still the same and Azelyn ended up smiling at the thought of it. Then his conversation with Eloria the other night crossed his mind. "I heard that you want to have a friendly duel with Eloria, Your Highness. I almost thought that I heard it wrong when Eloria mentioned it last night."

Alanus Varence looked up at his best friend and the smile on his face made him sigh. "It seems like you really have a good relationship with that cousin of yours. It reaches your ear so fast."

"I'm only curious," Azelyn pointed out. "You never like a duel."

I'm also curious," the Second Prince simply said to his friend. "Curious of what the famous General has in store for me." He flashed a little smile before he shifted his attention back to the scroll he was reading earlier. This little sight rendered Azelyn puzzled.

What did his cousin do last night for the Prince to smile that way while talking about her?

* * *

The news that General Eloria Camer finally appeared in public spread throughout the country as fast as wildfire. Thanks to the merchants and travelers, the news covered the entire continent in just two weeks.

For two whole weeks, the whole continent was talking about her with people guessing what her appearance might be like yet General Eloria Camer never showed up in public again since that feast. Instead, she spent her time quietly preparing to take over the Camer Army as her father told her to.

The General also often spent her free time climbing the mountain or exploring the forest. She was someone who always loved to do all kinds of things alone and though her father often advised her to be careful, she rarely brought anyone along when she left the camp. Even when she did, it would be just Vicus and today was one of those rare times.

It had been a few hours since Eloria entered the Migor Forest in the west of the capital with Vicus next to her. Though the General already explored the Migor Forest many times, she was there to explore the deeper parts that she had never seen before. After all, the Migor Forest was the largest forest in Aritish.

"General, it's starting to get dark. If we don't return soon, we won't make it out of the forest before it becomes really dark," Vicus advised his General for the third time in the evening yet the latter was still so focused on exploring new areas.

"I don't bring you along for you to keep on urging me, Vicus," General Eloria Camer deadpanned after a while. "Why don't you go ahead and return alone?"

The soldier promptly lowered his gaze. "I apologize."

Halting her horse, Eloria Camer gave her right-hand man a side glance. "I know most parts of this forest like the back of my hand. As long as we make it out of the new areas we explored today before it becomes really dark, there will be no problem."

"I understand, General." Though Vicus obediently followed his General, he was still curious.

Why was she so obsessed with exploring forests? She always tried to make time for it even when she was busy.

A few more minutes passed when Eloria finally halted her horse again and glanced around. "This should be enough for today. Let's return."

Vicus nodded right away and they were about to turn their horses around, until...

An arrow suddenly flew in Eloria's direction! However, the skilled General spotted it on time and managed to catch the arrow right before it drilled into her left eye!

"General!" Vicus immediately unsheathed his sword and glanced around their surroundings while Eloria Camer simply had her gaze in the direction from where the arrow came.

"Are you alright, General? I... "

The soldier's voice trailed off when General Eloria slightly lifted her right palm. "Someone is here," Eloria muttered in a low yet cautious voice.

Trailing his General's gaze, Vicus soon saw two young men who were riding horses toward them. One of them had a bow in his left hand and his attention was quite focused on the arrow that the General was holding.

It seemed like he was the one who shot the arrow. Considering that it had become quite dark, did he mistake them for some wild animals?

All the while, General Eloria's gaze was on the man with a bow in his hand; and once the two men arrived where she was, they promptly got off their horses.

While the other one took care of the horses, the man with a bow approached the General who was still on her horse.

Eloria observed the man with her keen eyes but... she had never seen him before; be it in her current life or her past life. The man appeared to be a bit older than her and apart from his tall frame, his black hair and thick eyebrows gave off a masculine vibe. Putting aside his handsome features and fair skin, what stood out the most was his amethyst eyes. They were unique in an enticing way.

"It seems like I almost hurt a lady," the stranger spoke. His deep voice had a somewhat powerful aura in it yet there was no reaction or response from the powerful General. But...

The young man glanced around as if he was looking for something, making Eloria wondered what he was up to. A few seconds passed and his lips curved into a little smile as if he finally saw what he was looking for.

Eloria Camer watched as the stranger rushed in one direction and returned with something in his hand in less than a minute.

A flower. A red hibiscus.

Seeing this, Vicus darted his eyes to his General who narrowed her eyes at one of the things she hated the most in this world.

As if he had no idea of what the powerful General was thinking, the young man lifted the red hibiscus and offered it to General Eloria Camer. "I hope My Lady can forgive me."