Knights of The Dauntless Princess

Chapter 28: Wine

"What did you say!? Fardowsa is gone? My brother is gone? Who killed Leonard!?" the current general of Priya, General Desmond, exclaimed, his voice filled with rage, "Who!? Who is responsible for this? Tell me!!!"

The soldiers delivering the news were trembling with fear, sweating profusely as they knelt before their general.

"We don't know who did it, general! We're sorry! We had found the supposed guests at the auction for that night by the river. They were blindfolded and bound. They said they couldn't recognize the culprits as they were wearing masks, and it was dark at that time," one of the soldiers replied.

General Desmond slammed his fist on the table in front of him, his overwhelming anger palpable to his men.

"Find them! Find whoever did this vile act! Bring them to me! I'll personally slit their necks one by one with my sword!!!" he roared.

****

Amara tried to push aside the memories of what had happened to her in Leonard's hands that day, but they kept haunting her no matter how hard she tried to ignore them. She just kept on sighing and shaking her head as she tried to erase those thoughts.

"Are you sure you're okay now?" Nina asked Amara after the princess had changed her clothes.

Amara looked at her and nodded, "I can't mope around here all day. I want to thank them in person, and I can't do that if I'm just staying here."

Nina smiled and walked alongside her, "That's right! Let's go to the banquet. It's Stephan's birthday today, so everyone must be there!"

Amara and Nina headed to where the celebration was happening. They went there, and as they approached their comrades, the men at the banquet momentarily stopped their activities and turned their eyes to them.

"My beloved princess!!!" Cyrus waved his hand, and Amara's gaze met his.

Dravis and Cyrus were sitting side by side in front of the table where Ranz and the other men were. There was an abundance of food and drinks, and everyone appeared to be having a good time. Amara didn't want to ruin the day, so she tried to act as if she was just as happy to join the festivities.

Amara and Nina approached their table. When Ranz saw Nina, he frowned in irritation, wanting to show his annoyance as usual. But, at that time, Ranz was the one who got more frustrated when Nina didn't even spare him a glance and sat far away from him. He wondered if Nina was doing it intentionally or if she really didn't care about him anymore like she meant before. Annoyed, he filled his glass with beer and downed it in one gulp.

"Hey! Hey! What are you doing? Do you want to get drunk already? It's too early for that," Cyrus said, noticing Ranz's irritation.

Ranz slammed his glass on the table and glared at Cyrus, "Stop scolding me! I'm not asking for your opinion, dimwit!!!"

"W-What the heck!? You scumbag—" Cyrus paused when Nina called him out.

"Hey, Cyrus, I heard you were the one who defeated Leonard's strong guards," Nina chimed in, her eyes playfully locking with Cyrus's. "I didn't know that you were that amazing."

Cyrus looked at her and became momentarily speechless. His face turned red, and he felt embarrassed, "Uh!? Not really! They were just weaklings! Heh!"

Seeing them flirt made Ranz's ears burn. He filled his glass again and drank it down in annoyance. "What an eyesore! Sh*t!"

Dravis noticed Amara's distant gaze. He knew that the princess would usually laugh it off in such teasing moments, but this time, she seemed lost in her thoughts again. Dravis placed a glass of wine in front of her, and Amara gasped as she snapped back to reality. She glanced at Dravis, seemingly questioning him. He looked back at her as he rested his elbow on the table and held his chin with his hand.

"That wine is good," Dravis said, and Amara averted her gaze at the glass. "Try it."

Though hesitant, Amara lifted the glass and sipped just as Dravis suggested. The taste had a slight bitterness with a mild sweetness, almost addictive. After tasting it, Amara covered her mouth, contemplating what kind of wine it was.

"Do you like it?" Dravis asked, locking eyes with Amara again. The princess nodded and took another sip. "Hey! I just said to taste it! You might get drunk!"

"If that happens, you should blame yourself," Amara smiled softly. "It's your fault for letting me taste it."

Seeing Amara smile again, even if just a little, relieved Dravis. He grinned and shook his head, allowing her to drink more of that wine to help her forget the ordeal she went through with Leonard's hands.

"Let's all have fun!!!" Nina exclaimed cheerfully, standing up. She started dancing as her companions played lively music. The men admired her dancing skills and were entertained. Nina approached Amara once more and took her hand. "Come on, princess! Let's dance!!!"

"H-Huh? B-But—"

"Come on! It's fun!" Nina invited, and Amara had no choice but to follow her friend as she was pulled.

At first, Amara felt shy, as it was a long time ago when she last did it, but when others joined in, she started to enjoy the moment. A smile graced her face, and her laughter echoed as they danced, leaving all their burdens behind.

As the night deepened, most of them became intoxicated. Some continued chatting happily, while others kept dancing. Amara felt her head lighten, possibly due to the wine she had been drinking. She stood up from her seat and wandered away absentmindedly.

She walked into the darkness of the night. It seemed like her feet moved on their own while her mind floated aimlessly, struggling to comprehend her emotions. She arrived at the spring and stood by its side for a moment. There, the memories of Leonard's violation replayed in her mind. Despite Nina cleaning her body, she still felt dirty.

One by one, Amara removed her clothes until there was nothing left. The night had grown deep, and she knew no one would come there at such an hour. Moreover, everyone at the banquet was already drunk, and the place was several kilometers away.

Amara slowly stepped into the warm waters of the spring and submerged herself. She felt that the effect of the wine was making her emotional, unable to stop herself from overthinking and feeling distressed.

That cursed man! That shameless beast! How could he do that to me? How could he defile me like that!?

Amara sobbed and began to scrub her body vigorously. She washed with the warm water every part where Leonard touched her with his lips and hands. However, no matter how much she scrubbed, the feeling of disgust wouldn't go away. Her heart was aching at her own vulnerability and her failure to defend herself.

Startled, Amara jerked upright upon hearing footsteps.

"D-Dravis," Amara uttered as she turned to find Dravis standing there. Quickly, she covered her body with her hands, submerging herself in the water to hide. "W-What are you doing here?"

Dravis's face also betrayed his surprise at finding the princess there, so he averted his gaze and acted as though it was just a casual walk.

"Nothing. Just taking a stroll," he lied, but Amara knew it wasn't true. She figured he had come looking for her, probably because he noticed she wasn't at the banquet and grew concerned.

Dravis must have supposed something might happen to me again, and since he knew I was weak and couldn't protect myself, he looked for me. What the hell! I hadn't done anything right for them! I was only a burden!

"I-I'm going back there," Dravis said coldly, turning away. "After you're done bathing, please return and rest."

Tears streamed down Amara's face as she thought about how she was making him worried about her. She felt like Dravis wanted to scold her for her stupid actions but couldn't bring himself to do so because she was still considered a princess. She knew that if only she had listened to Dravis, none of that would have happened to her.

Because of my defiance, I almost put Nina and Noreen's lives in danger. I was so foolish to think I could save them on my own! I'm such a stupid!

"Okay. I-I'll just... clean myself quickly," Amara said, her voice trembling as she scrubbed her body again.

Her lips trembled as she fought back tears. Amara turned away from Dravis because she didn't want him to see her misery.

"Don't hold back," Dravis said, his deep and enigmatic eyes locked on her. "Crying is not a sign of weakness."

Amara was surprised by Dravis' words. She glanced from the corner of her eyes and unexpectedly saw Dravis still standing there.

"B-But... but," Amara sobbed, tears flowing freely. She buried her face in her palms, weeping, "From the day my family got killed, I swore to myself that I'd be strong! That I'll avenge them and reclaim our kingdom! B-But still, I'm weak!!! I wasn't able to protect myself! I want to forget everything! But how? H-How do I erase that shame from my mind!? I try to forget, but... the memories keep haunting me. I-I don't want to remember anymore, but it keeps coming back! What do I do!? What!?"

Amara's heart weighed heavily. Her mind was in turmoil, and she couldn't contain the bitterness she felt. A moment later, she heard the sound of the spring's water as if someone approached.

"If that's the case, let me help you," Dravis said.

Amara raised her head and looked back at the young man. She was surprised to see Dravis approaching her without his upper garments, revealing his well-built physique right before her eyes.

"W-What? Wait!" stammered Amara.

Her eyes trembled as she gazed at Dravis, unable to speak as he came closer. She couldn't take her eyes off his handsome face, which was also fixed on her for that fleeting moment.

"D-Dravis," Amara uttered.

My heart raced. I couldn't think straight because of his mesmerizing eyes. He usually had an intense look, but now, it's as if he's telling me just to keep staring at him. What is he thinking!?

Dravis gently caressed Amara's beautiful face, and the warmth of his hand seemed to instantly ease the heaviness in her heart. His eyes locked onto the princess's eyes and lips, leaving her feeling a lump in her throat.

"Please don't cry. Let me help you erase those bitter memories that burden your soul," the young man said before he kissed Amara's lips.