Knights of The Dauntless Princess

Chapter 13: His Face

Dravis and Cyrus arrived, immediately showcasing their combat skills to the remaining soldiers. As usual, they didn't even break a sweat while facing their opponents.

After eliminating the soldiers who threatened Amara, they turned their attention to the young lady, who was sitting weakly on the floor due to exhaustion.

"Are you alright, my dear princess?" Cyrus asked.

Amara forced a smile to assure them that they didn't need to worry. "Yes, I'm fine."

But as Amara glanced at the lifeless bodies of the soldiers, she felt that she was no longer safe in Dravis' house. She felt fear, not for herself, but for Lillian and Dion.

They cleaned up the evidence of the battle, but even though the corpses were gone, concern still lingered in Amara's heart.

"Lady Amara," Dravis spoke up, noticing the sadness in the young woman's eyes.

Amara gasped upon hearing his voice. She wanted to hide her thoughts, but she knew she couldn't lie, especially to Dravis.

"Well, you see..." She looked down and nervously bit her trembling lower lip. "I think... I-I should leave."

Dravis furrowed his brow slightly, his eyes gleaming. If Amara could only see his reaction, she would understand that he didn't want her to leave.

"Are you thinking about what happened earlier?" Dravis asked.

"Uh-uhm," the young woman nodded.

"My mother and Dion told me what happened, they said that Cyrus and I were the targets, not you," Dravis stated, taking a seat on a long wooden chair where Amara was seated but there was a gap between them. "You were unintentionally caught up in it, and I apologize for that."

"Dravis—"

"I also want to thank you for defending my mother and my nephew. Thank you for not abandoning them," Dravis continued, gazing at the darkening sky. "But I think you're right, it's best for you to leave."

Upon hearing Dravis' words, Amara was taken aback, as if a knife had stabbed her heart. She was deeply hurt by his statement, but she understood. He was only thinking about the safety of his family because, as long as she was there, their lives would be in danger.

Tears welled up in Amara's eyes, which she fought hard to hold back. She wiped them away and smiled, "Yes, alright. I'll leave."

Dravis stood up and started walking towards the house when Amara suddenly called out to him.

"D-Dravis!" Dravis halted and turned to her with a slight glance. For a moment, Amara hesitated, her trembling lips seemed unsure about speaking.

"What is it?" Dravis asked with his cold voice.

"Well, I just wanted to say... thank you! Thank you for accepting me here. Thank you for your kindness! I... I will miss you— all."

Dravis looked at her, his eyes fixed. Amara's heart raced, unsure of why. It went against her will to bid them farewell, but it seemed she had no choice.

Dravis shifted his gaze away and continued walking, seemingly indifferent to what the young woman had said. "I don't think I will miss you, just tell that to Mother and Dion. Goodnight."

Upon hearing Dravis's words, Amara felt as if her heart had been squeezed, causing her pain. She sat down again, saddened and crestfallen. She knew that Dravis didn't seem to care about what was happening around him, but she still hoped he would show some appreciation.

The young woman couldn't hold back a sob as tears streamed down her face. She looked up at the sky and thought about the images of her beloved family.

Mother, father, Dale... what should I do? Guide me on what I should do. It seems... I am truly alone now.

The next day arrived, and Amara woke up in her bed. She had difficulty sleeping due to overwhelming sadness and thoughts that made her wish the morning would never come. Nevertheless, she slowly opened her eyes, and the sorrow still enveloped her heart.

She got up gently and began to move. She packed her belongings and the clothes Lillian had bought for her. There were only a few, just enough to fit into a bag. She arranged them, and the only thing left was to bid farewell to Lillian and Dion so she could leave. She also wanted to say goodbye to Cyrus and Clea, but it seemed she wouldn't have the opportunity.

She walked out of her room and found Lillian already preparing food.

"Good morning—"

"Big sis!!!" Dion immediately greeted her, embracing her tightly. He looked at her with teary eyes. "Is it true that you're leaving? Will we see each other again?"

"D-Dion," Amara uttered softly, and her tears welled up again. She hugged the child tightly, wishing she could stay, but she knew she couldn't.

"Dion, don't burden the princess anymore," Lillian intervened, smiling faintly at Amara. "She will come back, you will see each other again, I'm sure of it."

"L-Lillian," Amara said, and her tears flowed freely. "Thank you. Thank you for helping me overcome my grief over the loss of my family. Because of you guys, I didn't feel alone. Thank you! Thank you so much... for everything!"

Lillian also shed tears, but she smiled through them. She didn't want the princess to leave, but she knew it was for the best.

Amara released Dion from her embrace and, just as she often did with Dale before, she placed her palm on Dion's head and playfully messed up his hair with a smile.

"I hope you grow up with a good heart, strive to be a good person, and don't be greedy for material things," Amara said. "I will miss you, I will miss all of you."

"Promise! I promise, dear princess, I will grow up to be brave like my father, grandfather, and Uncle Dravis! When I grow up, I will also protect you!" Dion declared, wiping the tears from his eyes with his arm.

Amara nodded at him, and it seemed they made an agreement.

Dion pulled Amara to sit at the dining table. Amara was slightly puzzled by the amount of food prepared by Lillian, more than usual.

"Come on! Let's eat, Amara!" Lillian instructed, then she glanced at Dion. "Where is your uncle Dravis? Hasn't he finished bathing? He's been in the bathroom for a while."

Amara furrowed her brow when she realized Dravis was still there at that hour. Usually, when she woke up, he was already gone.

"Is Dravis still here?" Amara asked in surprise.

"Yes," Lillian replied. "Dion, go call your uncle; the food is getting cold."

"Yes, Grandma," Dion answered, but as he was about to stand up, they heard Dravis' voice.

"Why are you all so noisy this early?" Dravis questioned.

Amara remembered their conversation from yesterday and how Dravis said he wouldn't miss her. With that in mind, she hesitated to look at him.

Lillian and Dion's jaws dropped when they saw Dravis. They were speechless at his appearance.

"D-Dravis, my son, is that really you!?" Lillian stammered, covering her mouth in astonishment.

Dion's smile widened, filled with admiration for his uncle. "Uncle!!! You look so handsome!!!"

The words spoken by Lillian and Dion sparked something in Amara, prompting her to look at the young man. As Amara glanced at Dravis, her eyes widened, and she immediately stood up. Amara was momentarily stunned as she stared at the young man who was tousling his freshly cut hair. The beard and mustache were gone from his face, and tiny droplets of water were dripping down his perfect abs as he had no shirt on. Amara was captivated by the alluring figure of the young man, and it was at that moment that she remembered who he was.

"Y-You—" Amara stuttered. "General Gavin!"

Dravis grinned as he finally registered in the young woman's memory. "Finally, you remember me, Lady Amara."

"So, he was really a general before, big sis?" Dion asked.

"Y-Yeah, h-he was."

As Amara confirmed, her heart started beating rapidly. Their first encounter in the Priya Lake five years ago came rushing back to her, and even if it was a long time ago, she could never forget the handsome face of the young man that had impressed her from the very beginning.

It was only then that Amara noticed he was shirtless, so she quickly sat down and averted her gaze. Before, the man appeared to be in his mid-40s in Amara's opinion, but at that moment, he seemed to have aged twenty years younger.

"See? I told you, my son is so handsome!" Lillian giggled, delighted to see her son's true appearance once again. Amara realized what Lillian had said about Dravis being the most handsome general was true.

"Are you really my uncle? You are so handsome. My uncle looks like a very old hermit—ouch!!! Grandma!!!" Dion exclaimed as he got a smack from Dravis, and Lillian and Amara burst into laughter.

"I'll change my clothes," Dravis said, about to enter his room.

Amara glanced at the young man again, unable to understand why her heart was beating so fast. She couldn't believe that the young general who had saved her five years ago was the same young man who saved her again and continued to help her.

After Dravis finished changing, he came out of his room carrying a few things. Amara wondered why Dravis had cut his hair and shaved his face. She couldn't think of a reason why he would do that. Nevertheless, seeing Dravis's face before she left the house was enough for her. She thought that perhaps his departure was the reason Dravis granted her request before leaving their home.

Amara stood up with a smile on her face and thanked them once again. "I guess I should be going now. Thank you again for—"

"Sit down," Dravis ordered without any expression, surprising Amara. "We can't leave yet."

The former princess was taken aback by what the young man said. "W-What did you say? W-We?"

"Yes, we can't leave yet," Dravis clarified. "We're still waiting for that moron."

As Dravis spoke, the door opened, and the exhilarated Cyrus appeared before them.

"My beloved princess! I'm ready for our journey!!!" Cyrus exclaimed, about to hug Amara, but he was quickly hit on the forehead by Dravis with a wooden ladle. "Ouch!!!"

"Stay away from her, you perverted i***t!"

"It's you, you bastard—" Cyrus stopped as he saw Dravis sipping his coffee, looking completely different. Even he was taken aback by the transformation. "What!? You finally shave!? What the heck!!!"

Amara laughed at Cyrus's reaction.

"Oh, what's your problem!?" Dravis asked, looking at Cyrus with his cold and sharp eyes.

"No! This can't be! You'll overshadow my handsomeness! Bring back your mustache and beard!!!" Cyrus cried comically.

"Weren't you the one who wanted Uncle to shave them off?" Dion smirked.

"B-But... but..." Cyrus looked at Amara, seeking solace.

Amara couldn't help but giggle. "Don't worry, Cyrus. You're handsome too."

Upon hearing Amara's words, Cyrus's heart seemed to jump, and his confidence was restored.

"Did you hear that? My beloved princess said I'm handsome! Huh!" Cyrus boasted to Dravis, causing Dion, Amara, and Lillian to burst into laughter.

Dravis averted his gaze, clearly annoyed. "She was forced to say that, you i***t!"

Pretending to be oppressed, Cyrus hid behind the princess. "My princess, Dravis is belittling me! He's so mean, isn't he?"

Seeing Cyrus with his hands on the princess's shoulder, Dravis became even more irritated. "I told you to stay away from her! Take your filthy hands off the princess, or do you want me to cut them off!?"

"My princess, he's going to kill me!!!" Cyrus pretended to cry, clinging to the princess, which only further annoyed Dravis.

"I'll really kill you, you imbeci1e! Leave her alone! Grrr!!!"

"Hey! That's enough! Stop it!!!" Amara tried to intervene and stop their banter, but she couldn't help herself from bursting into laughter.

****

The time for their departure had come. Mounted on their respective horses, they bid farewell to Lillian and Dion. Amara didn't know where they were headed, but having Cyrus and Dravis with her eased her worries.

"D-Dravis," Amara called out to him. Dravis turned to her, and Amara immediately felt embarrassed, since she could now clearly see the expression on his face. She realized that she wouldn't easily get used to staring at his handsome face. Amara thought that perhaps that was what he meant when he said... that he wouldn't miss her, and because of that thought, she struggled to conceal the overwhelming joy in her heart. "T-Thank you. Thank you for coming with me."

"I told you, didn't I?" Dravis replied. "I'll send anyone who hurts you to hell, and I can't do that if you're far away from me."

D-Dravis.