The Defenders

"The situation is getting worst and harder each day, Princess Chandra!" Saphire took a deep breath. He paused talking for some seconds. "You should come back to the Bhagavanta Kingdom and take the reign!"

Chandra stared at Saphire as her ears captured the man's deep desire and confession. "Do people want me to take the reign? Do they really want me to be their queen?" she asked Saphire.

"Don't be too corny in perceiving yourself, Princess!" Saphire sighed. He looked at her in a quite disappointing sight. "Perhaps you are whimsical and seem rebellious to us for some decisions that you've made in your personal life, but, believe me, people love and admire you more than you know!"

Chandra smirked to get to know Saphire's statement and he said the judgment was based on what the Bhagavanta kingdom's people think about her.

"You are one of the princesses that encourage women about how important is they are to be independent and educated! Your international policy has been an issue to discuss among the Triangulum Anatolia Empire representative's house members. They are concerned about your opinion about the consortium and the protection of merchants. Poor people admire your generosity that you always take their affairs into your account at the time you have to make policy for the kingdom and its alliances!" Saphire convinced her.

Kumara looked at her as he got the information about Chandra from Saphire's statement. He cleared his throat.

Chandra shrank her face into her two hands. "I need to make a long calculation about that plan, how many soldiers that are loyal to me and my father? The budget will be massive in amount too. We're not only going to fight for King Dragon's kingdom and his alliances from the Triangulum Anatolia Empire but also, King Brutus and his clans in this kingdom!"

They were in silence.

"The three men have arrived to see the running horse who visiting!" there was a voice addressed to them from the back door. Saphire went to open the door for the guests as they didn't expect the arrival of Chandra and Kumara would invite the attention of the surroundings. Chandra was a running away princess that there would be soldiers from the Bhagavanta Kingdom who were loyal to King Brutus spy on her and everything that she was doing and relating to. The information related to Chandra and her men would be worthy for King Brutus' ears since he suspected that the rebellious princess tends to take the reign over from him, her uncle. King Brutus didn't like it. He always kept his ears open in finding out any party members or noble members who kept being loyal to Princess Chandra and her father, King Brutus' stepbrother from a different mother.

Ali had entered the room with the two men and the Mustache from the back door. Saphire hugged with three of them and Chandra entangled her hand to their hands as the symbol of unity and loyalty.

"The defenders please introduce Prince Kumara!" Chandra introduced Kumara to the three men who were labeled as The Defenders. They were The Eagle, The Tiger, and The Mustache.

"We've known that name, Princess Chandra! Isn't he a prince of wars from the Marquise Centrium? The son of King Ophiuchus, a half-celestial prince!" The Tiger welcomed him with the description of a brief history of Kumara.

"Thank you!" Kumara replied and took a bow for them all.

"I only heard his name thoroughly!" Chandra confessed. "There's not much information about Prince Kumara from the old manuscripts that I've read!"

The Tiger smirked, "Yet. He's a half-celestial prince, Princess Chandra! His existence should be kept as a secret and could be a phenomenal story among us, human society, and the Bhagavanta Kingdom's descendants of royal families and its alliances."

"So, not every royal family member knows the existence of Prince Kumara?" Chandra was deeply drowned in curiosity as she glanced at Kumara who kept grinning mysteriously.

The Tiger nodded. "Yes. Only warriors and knights who worship him can call his name to their battles!"

"Now, I am sure that you can help me, Prince Kumara!" Chandra crossed her legs as she was sitting on the chair and leaned her back on the chair's shoulder.

"I told you before that you have sent me to help you!" Kumara looked at Chandra seriously.

The Eagle seemed not to waste their time. He was a man with a poker face and a pair of eagled eyes. His eyes seemed always to observe everything and every human. He never talked unless he'd been asked to. He never played any jokes too. Otherwise, he was a good charmer and pleaser among wives and mistresses of high-ranked noblemen from the Triangulum Anatolia Empire. He used his charming personality and approaches to obtain vital information from them. People always trusted him to tell important secrets. The Eagle unfolded and spanned the map of the Bhagavanta Kingdom and its alliances on the table in front of them. "You want the information where King Brutus has isolated your father, King Antasena, Princess Chandra?" he formidably asked Princess Chandra.

"We've been searching and tracing him in the south part of the kingdom, the north part as we assumed that the boundary is the nearest one to the Emerald Drake Kingdom of King Dragon!" The Eagle explained and sighed. "So far, we've found nothing!"

"Have you traced some bunkers in those areas too? Or any unnoticeable dwelling to seclude someone without attending attention there?" Chandra asked.

"Absolutely nothing. We've traced the areas for five years in some shift schedules, in that case, there's a schedule to rustle King Antasena from one place to another place intentionally. We are sure that those areas have been clear!" The Eagle explained. "And for Magic, we've transported him to this place since we consider it the safest place for Magic to stay and live for the rest of his life! He's been thirty-five years old horse!"

Chandra inhaled deeply. She turned her head to The Tiger. "So far, how many people in our soldiers that they are loyal to my father, Tiger?"

The Tiger sniffed, "I could mention thousands. We're recruiting actively young people to join us!"

"Don't worry! The propaganda is still running down," The Mustache chuckled. "We've spread rumors, made operas with the message of propaganda that you are the right heir of the Bhagavanta Kingdom and the victim of the malicious King Brutus, her uncle and the stepbrother of your father!" The Mustache smiled widely and spun his long thin mustache. He seemed witty and also cunning in his appearance.

Chandra smiled. "You have thousands of witty ways to make propaganda!" she admitted.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it!" The Mustache took a bow.

Chandra inhaled. She still focused on the map that was spanned in front of her. "Do you have any ideas where my uncle is captivating my father?" she turned her head to Kumara. Her eyes begged Kumara.

Kumara was still focusing on the map and trying to get information. He was concentrating as he didn't respond to Chandra's questions. He was seriously studying the map. Finally, after some minutes of studying the map, he sighed. "Eagle, could you show which part of the most loyal ally and the last one to the Bhagavanta Kingdom?"

The Eagle pointed to the area near The Emerald Drake, the Wallachian, "This is the least loyal ally for the Bhagavanta Kingdom!"

Kumara turned his eyes, "May I know your reason why you categorize the Wallachian as the least loyal one?"

The Eagle wrinkled his forehead. "They are experiencing a crisis in their economic system since the new king starts to reign! The king is very impulsive in his budget for personal expenses. He loves buying expensive things for his mistress and concubines from some foreign countries. He loves partying a lot!" The Eagle stopped. "He tries to recover the economy by getting access to the Emerald Drake. You know, on the other side, those two kings admire beautiful women a lot."

Kumara inhaled and rubbed his forehead before grinning hilariously at The Eagle. "Any information on The Wallachian's policy so far?"

"They have the monopoly in some domestic products, but the problem has been resolved with the partnerships that we've built with the Kernelithium and the Emerald Drake's merchants or suppliers! We also create our own products and local market!" The Eagle explained.

"Did the Wallachian close the access to the merchants from the Bhagavanta Kingdom?" Chandra asked.

"Well, explicitly in legal terms has not been done yet! We're alert to many possibilities!" The Mustache intruded.

"How about the most loyal ally?" Kumara asked.

The Eagle pointed to an island where it was surrounded by ocean. "The Anatolia Island. Since they feel insecure with their geographical position, and it has been a sensitive issue for their national security and defense!"

"Do they produce vital and valuable things?" Kumara asked as he felt so curious.

"Yes. They're producing gold and silver things!" The Eagle answered.

Kumara sighed. He paused as he was thinking hard. "Do the Emerald Drake, King Dragon have access to this kingdom?"

The Eagle nodded. "From the information that I gained, yes, King Dragon has access to the kingdom under his consortium! I assume that they have seventy-five percent of Anatolia Island's access!"