Chapter 03

Under The Night's Aegis

Chapter 03 - S1

"Instead of going to the banquet, why don't you eat your dinner here and after that take a rest? Goodness, your highness! We only have arrived here in Aurothoria and you're already thinking of tasting what type of liquor do they have in here and drinking?!"

"But I heard their liquors here are great, Samuel. I wanna taste them! Come on, slack off and have fun sometimes too! You're always too serious. That's why you're hair is turning white already."

"My hair's turning white because of the headaches you give me! Well, do whatever you want but I'm going to rest in my room now."

Astrid rolled her eyes at her chaperone who just left the quarters. She looked at herself in the mirror as she was getting dressed in a beautiful purple dress. When she was done, she twirled around the mirror and look at her attendants. 

Her attendants look at her with awe. They were quite nervous that the princess wouldn't like the dress they chose for her, but it suited her beautifully. To the maids, it was like dressing a doll.

"Thankyou for dressing me. I expect you, maidens, to dress me up for occasions like this in the future." She said, and twirled once again.

The maids felt happy hearing that the princess trusts their skills. "It's our honor, your highness!"

Glasses full of wine clashed together making a glass clicking sound. The knights cheered at the princess who just came to their land.

"It has been awhile since I last saw you, Princess Astrid. I must say, you look more enticing than before when I last met you." a white haired knight had said.

"Oh, please! Stop making me feel embarrassed!" Astrid gave the knight a little, mocking jab to the bicep before letting out a laugh.

Kaiser glared at the knight talking to Astrid, but the knight seem to not notice it and just continued conversing with the princess. Cadmus, who was sitting beside Kaiser softly elbowed his commander before muttering a jocular remark to him in a low voice.

"Let her be. Come on, commander! You're too possessive! If you are being like that, she'll hate you more."

Kaiser flashed a glare at his vice commander who only drunk his glass of ale, trying to shake off the commander's glare.

Kaiser once again stared at Astrid, who's sitting next to him. He was mesmerized by the way her mouth and lips moves when she talks, and smiles. 

Kaiser's ears warmed and blushed by the thought of kissing, Astrid. 

"Damn..." he muttered in a low voice.

"This is a nice place you guys live in. Butler Eduardo had given me a tour earlier with my attendants. I also saw the training grounds! Help me train? What do you guys say? No, let me train with you guys!"

"Didn't you just came, your highness? Don't you want to rest first before doing some training in swordsmanship? I mean, you're already good at it." Yves said.

Astrid pouted at what Yves had said. before shaking her head no. "What do you mean? I'm in good shape and I'd just feel restless if I don't do anything!"

Adlai shooked his head while smiling softly as if he had already predicted this to happen.

"I shall train with you then, Princess Astrid." Everyone turned their heads to their commander who just spoke the knights let out an "oh" sound to tease their commander, some even whistled. 

Upon hearing that Astrid and their commander, Kaiser is getting engaged. The knights felt happy and honored to serve them, specially Astrid who will become the lady of Aurothoria. Plus, it's good for their order and commander to have relations to the emperial family for politics. But other than that, they were mostly amused by their thoughts that would these two ever stop bickering after they get married?

"I want your knights to train me, not you." Astrid said in a stern tone, her golden eyes glaring at her so called husband-to-be.

The knights watched them, intrigued. It has been awhile since they last heard them both bicker, and mostly... The one who'll win is Astrid. Kaiser has always give way to her, and given her whatever she wants if it was for a good reason. 

Astrid seem to be quiet oblivious of this, but the knights noticed it. Whenever Astrid wins, the knights shook their head with a smirk on their face. 

Days ago, when an arrow was shot to them. Kaiser made sure that she's beside him, no matter what. Kaiser made her ride with him on his horse. Even if Astrid had grown tired and annoyed by that when she has her own horse. The party then arrived 3 days earlier than expected.

"But I am here. Why the need to ask them for help when you have me? I'm your fiancé aren't I?"

"But you have duties as this dukedom's duke, Kaiser. I do not wish to trouble you nor ruin your supposed schedule."

"I can always make time for you. You just have to tell me, and if you don't I'll still always make time for you."

Astrid looked away from the man. She couldn't lie if she said that she didn't feel flustered by his sweet, cringey words. But Astrid has always been a stubborn woman. 

'This man is too cheesy to become my husband!' Astrid thought.

"I want Adlai to train me. This noble man here and I once trained together. Also, I heard from Sir Cadmus that you're very busy training the knights specially the squires that will be knighted soon."

Cadmus looked at Astrid with a shock and confused expression written all over his face upon hearing his handsome name. The knight looked at his commander who had gave him a glare and sweat dropped.

"I can leave them to, Cadmus. I'm sure he can train them, after all... this guy seem to have so much time gossiping rather than training."

This time, Cadmus had nothing other than a betrayed expression written on his face as he look at his commander with his jaw dropped, not believing what he just heard.

'Why the fuck am I getting involved?! Let me enjoy my drink and meat here quietly!'

"Why are you giving your responsibility to me?! If you don't want Adlai to train with your fiancee, well I can! There's Yves and Zyair too!"

"Didn't you just say that you're starting to become restless and want some action? I'm going to give you something to do right here so you won't feel bored."

Astrid rolled her eyes at them, bickering and just ate. Well... no matter what Kaiser said, she'd still have Adlai training with him. The thought of Kaiser's irate expression on his face made Astrid feel mischievous.

Or so she thought...

Astrid swung her sword with all her might and glared at Kaiser, who was smirking at her irate face. She let out all of her rage as she swung her blade and collided it with Kaiser's. 

This wasn't her plan at all! She had intended to train with Adlai, but he had stated that the commander had given him the responsibility of training the squires for today.

Her face had a murderous look while glaring at Kaiser. She glared at Kaiser with a deadly and murderous expression on her face. She swiped her sword once again, but Kaiser defended himself with his sword.

'This man, darn him! I'm going to decapitate him one day!'

Kaiser had swung his sword once again and this time Astrid's sword went flying in the air, leaving her defenseless.

"I see, you've improved since last time. You did great today, Astrid."

Astrid clicked her tounge. "Shut up! I'm not a kid! Much more, I told you I want to train with Adlai, but why is it you that's here?!"

"Do you not want to train with me? Your brother, his highness had told me to keep an eye on you and take good care of you while you stay here."

Astrid didn't argue with him further and went to get her flask for a drink. Kaiser watched the woman drink before walking beside her.

The princess noticed the knight and stared at him with curiosity while drinking from the flask.

"Mind if I drink too?"

Astrid glared at the guy. But she soon realized that the flask wasn't her's and she forgot to bring one. Her face flsuhed red as she aggressively handed him the flask.

'That was... Embarrassing. No, hell! I thought it was mine! I was too irritated earlier that I forgot to bring in, damn it! Next time, I shouldn't get driven by my emotion.'

"We'll be returning to the castle now, I'll just drink there."

"What do you mean? Aren't you thirsty? You should drink, that's yours anyway."

Kaiser couldn't respond to her as they walk. Astrid thought that maybe it was because she drunk from it that he wouldn't drink from the flask.

She scoffed. 

"If you don't want to drink in this just because I did, then whatever! You're such a-"

Kaiser took the flask from her and drunk from it. Astrid's mouth opened a little. When Kaiser was done, he looked at him and handed her the flask once again. 

He covered his face with the back of his hand as he avoided her gaze. 

Astrid was confused, but she just shrugged it down. Kaiser once again faced her and reached his elbow at her, telling her to grab it. Astrid rolled her eyes and just did what he wanted. She has no time and is tired to even bicker with him.

'Strange... man'

The next weeks went on like that. At morning she'll train with him, at night she'll eat dinner with him with the knights or somedays it's just tem two. Of course, they would bicker like an old couple like they always do. The knights were used to it at this point already.

"Commander, everyone is already gathered at the council room. We're all there as you said and is waiting for you." Yves said as the door opened making Kaiser stood up from the sofa.

"Is her highness asleep in her room? Don't let her-" before Kaiser could finish his sentence, a woman's voice who was dressed in a uniform appeared.

"Kaiser, get moving! We're already at the council room!"

When Kaiser spotted his fiancée approaching Yves from behind, he sighed. As he approaches them, he rubs the bridge of his nose before delivering Astrid a gentle punch to the forehead.

"You are so stubborn. Go back to your room and rest. You've been out since dawn."

"Oh I am definitely perfectly fine, you know?! You always think of me as someone who's weak. Is it because I'm a woman?! Such a prejudice."

"No, I don't. In fact there is no other woman who is much stronger than the warrior who's standing in front of me." Kaiser said.

While Yves' sweat dropped from what he heard from his commander and what he is witnessing in front of him while Astrid smirked at what the knight had stated.

'Princess Astrid is really something else!' The Knight, Yves had thought.

Yves continued watching them from behind, bickering and arguing. For some reason, Yves found it funny that they act like an old couple. 

They were still arguing when they entered the council room, so everyone was watching them. It only calm down until Kaiser took a seat and Astrid took the seat next to him.

"The commander of the Boris Knights has spoken to me. As the squires' knighting ceremony draws closer, they will be coming here for a joint training session which his majesty, the emperor, required us to. I'll ask the butler to get them a room on the second floor as well. They appear to have... a new companion, rather a healer who uses magic, who joined them several months ago."

Astrid stared at her fiancé with curiosity for seconds. She is happy to have the Boris Knights coming in Aurothoria and seeing them once again, but is very curious about the companion who had joined them after the battle years ago. 

Astrid softly gripped a small amount of Kaiser's clothing, making him lean at her.

"What do you mean companion? Much more, a healer?"