The Portrait of a Lady

When the sparkling moonlight fell on her face, Marya stared at the two daggers Alan gave her when fighting the monster. She sat on a rock to have some rest in the forest after training and got lost in thoughts.

She remembered when Alan saved her from the monster's claws. "Are you going to sit here all day?" He had said.

She remembered when he caught her when she collapsed. "Marya?"

She didn't know why she thought about him, but she could not tell her brain to stop doing it. Maybe she owed him her life that is why she could not stop thinking about him.

"I must repay him somehow," She mentioned while staring at the daggers in her hand. Her father had taught her that a warrior never owes someone. If they owe, they repay them at their life's cost.

***

After a few days, Alan had gotten better and could move around. His wounds still hurt, but he was out of danger. Emperor Victor specially put the experts of Nigrosian Healing Arts, a branch of Nigrosian arts that specified in healing, to the job of healing him.

"Are you sure you want to leave today?" Gunther asked. He had wrapped Alan's arm around his shoulder and took him to a walk around in the palace. It was Alan's request as he wanted to see what the palace looked like.

"I feel weird from inside the longer I stay here. I am not fond of palace life," Alan replied while they walked in the palace's corridor full of lavish chandeliers on the ceiling, high-quality maroon carpet on the floor, and weird paintings of Nigrosian soldiers beheading Alabusian warriors on the walls.

He recognized they were Alabusian warriors as they had the burning fire emblem on their chests. The corridor also contained various portraits, mainly of the previous emperors and legendary warriors of Nigrosia.

"If I were you, I would have stayed here as long as I wanted," Gunther mentioned in an optimistic tone. "Who gets to live in the palace and interact with the mightiest emperor in the world?"

Alan squinted at his words. "Mightiest?" His sight suddenly fell on a painting hanging on the wall at his right. It was the painting of a female warrior. He stopped and stared at it as if he tried to remind himself where he had seen the person before.

Gunther looked at the painting and shook his head as he found the female warrior pretty. He guessed Alan stopped because he found her pretty too.

She had silver long open hair and white skin with noticeable sharp features. She wore black armor with a 'Skull with Canines' emblem on her chest. It was the official emblem of Nigrosia.

High-ranking Commanders in Nigrosia used the black armors which meant she must be one.

They had written her name and some information about her at the bottom of the painting.

"She is pretty," Gunther mentioned and glanced at Alan from the sides of his eyes with a naughty smile. "I wonder why apart from all the paintings, you stopped here." Children are naughty and Gunther was one of them.

Alan stayed silent as he could remember some incidents from the past. It seemed he knew who the female warrior was. "Gunther, can you read the information at the bottom?" He asked while still staring at her face in the painting.

"Sure," Gunther said and moved his face closer to the painting as he tried to read the words written at the bottom. The writings were small, so it was difficult to read.

"May Silver Nigros - one of the greatest female warriors of Nigrosia. She was the first female to get the rank of a 'Commander'. She led many successful campaigns against Alabusia and other enemy countries. She got martyred when the emperor of Alabusia 'Argus Devonte Albus', who had just taken the throne after eliminating other claimers, ambushed her in a narrow alley between two rocky hills. The enemies destroyed the hills and she, along with her soldiers, lost her life under the rubble."

"Oh, so it was her," Alan thought when he finally realized her identity. "I thought that I have seen her somewhere."

He remembered when he had a duel with her on the battlefield. He had to play dirty tricks to immobilize her army, but she escaped the first time. When they met the second time, he had to eliminate her in the alley or she would have damaged his army significantly.

Gunther scratched his cheek after reading. "She was a great warrior. I have heard about her in stories. Marya must be proud of her," He said.

The female warrior was Marya's mother and Alan knew it. Marya's father, currently the headmaster of the academy, had killed many Alabusian warriors to take the vengeance of his wife's death but could not reach him.

"Argus Devonte Albus was as evil as they say. He not only massacred our people but also eliminated his own family members to take the throne. He removed a mother's shadow over the heads of her two daughters, one being an infant back then, just for his greed," Gunther added with a frown.

Alan noticed the hate his friend had for him at such a tender age.

"You may be right," He said and sighed with regretful eyes. "But I don't know if he killed his own family members to take the throne."

"It is there in all of our history books," Gunther said when they walked further in the corridor. "Maybe you should read some books to gain knowledge about our history. I will lend you some later."

Alan stayed silent as he knew the history books presented the wrong and manipulated history. "I come from the first province. The Alabusians tell a complete opposite history than what we have in history books."

"They lie, of course," Someone said from behind. Alan found the voice somewhat familiar. He scowled when he saw a middle-aged man with long blonde hair and a bushy french beard, wearing a green silky surcoat, brown pants, and black leather boots after they both turned around. He had a blade hanging by his waist.

"Damien…" Alan said in his mind when he stared at the mysterious man's face. Apparently, that man was Damien Albus Heartstone. He was a prominent figure in the wars with Nigrosia and a trusted commander in Argus's army. He was a high-ranking commander in Nigrosia now as he vowed loyalty to Emperor Victor.

"Why would they lie?" Alan asked Damien.

The man smiled mischievously and replied, "Because they are Alabusians, of course. They would think their leaders were great, ignoring all the cruel deeds they did."

Alan glared into his eyes and stayed silent for a few seconds. "Who might you be?" He asked.

"People call me Damien Nigros Heartstone," The man said which made Alan's frown denser. "May I know who you kids are? Are you the ones who defeated a monster that went rogue earlier in the fifth province?" He asked.

"You guessed it right," Gunther answered with a smile. "The emperor took care of us when we got wounded in the battle. I am Gunther and he is my friend Alan."

"Nice. It is delightful to see brave children like you," Damien said and looked at Alan. "I find your face familiar. Have I seen you somewhere?"

"I don't think so. My mother says I have a common face, maybe that is why you find my face familiar," Alan replied without blinking and glaring right into Damien's eyes.

"Nice, but what you did was uncommon. This only matters. Keep it up." Damien walked past them and left through the large wooden door at the end of the corridor. Alan kept staring at his back until the last moment.

Gunther noticed it. "What happened?"

"Nothing." They both looked around the palace.

…

After a few hours, Alan and Gunther left the palace in a royal chariot. The emperor assigned the chariot for them to drop at the academy.

"Emperor Victor is such a pleasant person," Gunther said in an excited tone. His eyes shone in admiration for the emperor. "He took care of us and gave us so many presents."

The chariot was full of fruit baskets, luxurious dresses, and well-crafted scimitars for the students who fought the monster.

Alan meanwhile stayed silent and looked at the castle through the grilled window. Of course, he had been there twelve years ago when his fate changed forever, but he had not observed its structure back then.

"It has three layered walls for defense with each being at least five meters thick. A dozen towers at the second wall where soldiers stand guard with destructive weapons are troublesome and a hindrance in penetrating them," Alan thought.

The view of the castle slowly disappeared as the chariot moved further. Gunther noticed Alan, who sat parallel to him, had not spoken since they left the palace.

"Are you missing the palace lifestyle?" He said. "I told you to not leave so early."

Alan stayed silent and closed his eyes after a few seconds. Gunther still waited for a reply but got irritated when he heard him snore.

"Hey, don't sleep on me!" He said, but Alan did not wake up. "Hey, wake up!" He shook him from his shoulders, but he just snored louder.