Knights of The Dauntless Princess

Chapter 31: Uncomfortable

Amara's day felt dreary. Apart from Dravis and Cyrus being absent, she also sensed that Nina was avoiding her because of the kiss Ranz planted on her hand. She couldn't help but wonder what she should do. She knew that Nina had feelings for Ranz, but Nina also knew that she had no affection for the young man.

Amara walked around, searching for Nina. She wanted to talk to her and explain, but she couldn't seem to find her friend anywhere.

Night fell, and still, Nina remained elusive. Amara couldn't shake off her worries and became increasingly concerned. She decided to retreat to their room and lay down on her bed, deep in thought about everything.

Two months had passed, yet everything felt like it happened ages ago. The last words of her mother were still fresh in her mind, urging her to stay alive. She did survive, but a significant part of her heart was lost. She yearned for her family. She knew she would never see them again, but she wished to glimpse them in her dreams at least. She also missed Lillian and Dion, Dravis's family. When she was with them, she learned the value of a simple life, and they helped her a lot to ease her loneliness. Now, she felt a sense of longing for her friend Nina. Although they were physically in the same place, it seemed like they were emotionally distant from each other.

Would Nina still be angry with me tomorrow? I... I hoped not.

After a while, she heard a few knocks on the door. The door opened, and to her surprise, Dravis and Cyrus had returned. Amara quickly got up and greeted them warmly on their homecoming.

"You guys are back," Amara said, attempting a smile. "How was your journey?"

Dravis and the others removed their weapons and capes before responding to the princess.

"Not as I expected, but it was fine," Dravis replied briefly. "We didn't find the person we were looking for, but we found her family."

"I see," Amara murmured, lowering her head.

Dravis noticed sadness in the princess's eyes, uncertain of its source. He knew something was not right with her. Since she remained silent, he took the initiative to ask, "How were things here while we were away?"

Amara gasped slightly, sitting up on the bed and looking at Dravis. She forced a weak smile. "H-Huh? Well, everything was okay, all good!"

However, Dravis didn't believe her answer. He had come to know the princess well enough that when her day went well, she would share everything with them even if they didn't ask. Nonetheless, he refrained from further questioning and let her decide if she wanted to share what was on her mind.

"Do you think Louie will join us?" Cyrus asked, redirecting Amara's attention back to them.

"Louie?" she asked, puzzled.

"Yes, princess! He's the son of the former general, Azalea," Cyrus replied, sharing what had happened when they went to Luciana, including the attempted assassination of all the loyal generals of Lord Lennox.

"Does it mean all the loyal followers of my father were considered wanted criminals too, like me?" Amara asked angrily upon learning the truth.

"Yeah. They are likely concerned that the former generals might form an alliance against the current king, which is why they took action to prevent it. They probably thought that the abilities of the generals would also pose a significant obstacle to them," Dravis replied. "It seems Lord Laxus had prepared for that."

"What shall we do now?" Amara asked, feeling worried. "That's probably why we haven't been able to find Ranz's grandfather, General Emery; he might also be hiding himself."

"That's likely," said Cyrus. "And if General Azalea isn't in the Luciana plains, I don't know where else we can find her."

"Our informant said they saw Azalea in Luciana, so there's a possibility she was there," said Dravis. "I have a feeling Azalea is lurking nearby, secretly watching over her children. She probably doesn't want them to be involved, so she chooses not to hide herself even from them. If we can convince Louie to join us, Azalea herself will come to us!"

"Really? Is that the reason why you asked Louie to join us?" Cyrus inquired, and Dravis nodded. "Ah, I knew it! I knew you wouldn't just say that to that guy casually."

"Did you notice his physique too?" Dravis asked, which caught Cyrus off guard.

"Dravis? I had no idea you were... You know, gay? Do you have feelings for Louie? Tell me! You like him, huh?" Cyrus chuckled softly.

Dravis rolled his eyes and smacked Cyrus on the head. "You i***t!!! That's not what I meant!"

The princess couldn't help but laugh at Dravis and Cyrus's playful banter. Dravis took a deep breath to calm himself down from getting annoyed with Cyrus's teasing.

"What I mean is, his body has changed significantly. Before, he was very thin, as if he could be blown away by the wind," explained Dravis. "But now, his physical form seems to have undergone intense training. As far as I can remember, he underwent training to become a soldier of the kingdom. I'm just not sure if he completed the training, as I left the army back then."

Cyrus touched his chin, seemingly lost in thought over Dravis' words. "Now that you mention it, yes, I only just remembered that. That's also why I didn't recognize him right away earlier."

"Bringing him here is not just because he's Azalea's child, but also because we don't have a doctor here, and if he indeed became a warrior, he could be a great help to us," Dravis stated, then glanced at Cyrus. "Tomorrow, we'll go back to them and try persuading once more."

Amara stood up. "I'll come along!"

Dravis looked at her, and though the young man's eyes appeared fierce, there was also a glint of concern. "It's dangerous for you to leave this place."

"I want to convince him too!" insisted Amara. "Let me come along with you!"

"You shouldn't—"

"If I'm with both of you, Cyrus and you, I'm sure nothing bad will happen to me," Amara smiled. "Right, Cyrus?"

Cyrus' eyes softened, and he kindly agreed with Amara. "Of course, princess! Anyone who dares harm you won't see the light of day ever again!!!"

Cyrus and Amara held hands, like playful children. Dravis couldn't help but tap his forehead, thinking how childish they seemed. "I'm surrounded by mor0ns!"

That night, they all dined together in the eating area. Amara was enveloped in silence, unable to eat; she still couldn't see Nina there. After a while, she finally caught sight of her friend, who had just arrived. Nina was smiling while holding hands with Hannah, but as soon as her eyes met with Amara's, the smile vanished, replaced by a cold, averted gaze from Nina.

Amara felt as if an arrow had pierced her heart, and she wanted to cry at that moment. She put down her utensils and bowed her head. She felt her appetite fade away because of what happened.

"My princess, why? Don't you like the food? Shall I have something else prepared for you?" Ranz asked, noticing Amara's lack of interest in her meal. Amara didn't speak; instead, she responded with a faint smile and shook her head. "Are you feeling unwell? If you want to rest, my room is nearby. I'll accompany you."

"Perverted bandit," Cyrus' eyes narrowed as he said that to Ranz.

"Shut up!" Ranz retorted, and some of his men at the table burst into laughter.

Amara noticed that the only one who didn't laugh was Nina, who continued eating quietly, seemingly harboring resentment. Amara could read it in her eyes. Because of that, she stood up and decided to retreat to her room. Her head was starting to ache, and she felt like distancing herself from them for a while, as if she found it difficult to breathe.

"The food is delicious, but maybe I'm just not hungry," Amara said. "I'll rest in my room. Good night, everyone," she added before leaving.

The princess left that area, and Nina's sharp eyes followed her every move. Amara didn't mind it, as she felt exhausted from the numerous thoughts and worries that plagued her that day.

She returned to their room but found herself outside, gazing at the peaceful darkness of the night. The cold wind carried her long and beautiful chestnut hair. While that place used to bring her comfort because of Nina, at that moment, it felt unfamiliar again; she felt like she was in another place where she was alone.

"Lady Amara," Cyrus called out to her.

She turned her gaze in the direction of the voice and saw Cyrus and Dravis approaching her.

"C-Cyrus, Dravis," Amara stammered. "Y-You're here so fast? Have you guys finished your food already?"

"Yes, my princess! We're full," replied Cyrus as he sat down on the lower steps of the veranda. "Why are you here?"

"Uh, just getting some fresh air," Amara answered, avoiding eye contact to hide the sadness in her eyes.

"Did you have a disagreement with Nina?" Dravis asked directly, as he noticed it during their time in the dining hall.

Amara furrowed her brow in distress, and her hands clenched into fists. She remained silent, but it seemed that both Cyrus and Dravis knew the answer.

"Oh, what happened? What did you two argue about?" Cyrus questioned. "I thought you were getting closer to each other?"

"Um, no, it's... i-it's nothing!" Amara forced a smile, waving her hands in the air to deflect their assumptions. She didn't want to reveal that Nina had feelings for Ranz and that jealousy might be the reason behind her distant behavior. Even though Nina had distanced herself from her, Amara still didn't want to share their previous conversation with others.

"Did she hurt you, princess?" Cyrus asked again.

"Huh? What? N-No!" Amara quickly responded.

"Just tell me if she hurts you! Let my axe take care of her—oww!!!" Cyrus was interrupted as Dravis smashed him. "Why did you do that!?" Cyrus exclaimed.

"You jerk! She's still a woman!" Dravis retorted.

Wait, as far as I remember, Dravis was the first one to think that Nina was not a girl. He's also a jerk! Eh?

"Even so! If she hurts my princess, I won't forgive her, no matter what!" Cyrus growled.

Amara covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. Both men turned to her and frowned in confusion.

"Thank you both," Amara said, "but I'm sure that no matter what disagreement we have, she won't be able to hurt me. I believe in that!"

"Princess," Cyrus replied, his voice softened.

****

The next day arrived, and they prepared for their departure. Dravis had no choice but to allow Amara to join them. It wasn't just because of Cyrus and Amara's insistence, but also to keep her from being sad due to her disagreement with Nina.

"Did you plant the medicinal herbs we brought yesterday?" Ranz asked some of the elderly women he had called over.

"Yes, Devil Wolf! We planted them at the back where there's good sunlight and water. They'll surely thrive there," one of them replied.

Ranz mounted his horse, and Cyrus, Dravis, and Amara did the same. They didn't bring any additional companions, as they thought a smaller group would be easier to hide from Emmett's soldiers.

"All right then, take care of things here," Ranz said, and they nodded. He caught a glimpse of Nina standing and watching them leave. Ranz pretended not to notice her and turned to Amara with a smile. "I'm happy that I will be with you all day, my dear princess! How about leaving these two bastards— referring to Dravis and Cyrus— behind and going for a stroll at the large lake of Priya?"

Dravis and Cyrus squinted at Ranz because of his jest.

"Dravis, restrain me, or else I'll strike him with my mace!" Cyrus mumbled, threatening the bandit leader in annoyance.

"Go ahead, I'll cheer you on! Make sure to c***k his skull open to finish him off," Dravis said in a cold tone of irritation.

"Hey! You guys, enough with the teasing! Let's go so we won't be late on the road!" Amara said, trying to smile amidst their banter.

They agreed with Amara and started riding their respective horses. However, before Amara could follow them, her eyes caught Nina's gaze. She wanted to say goodbye to her, but... Nina gave her a grim and seemingly cursed stare before turning away. Once again, the princess felt a pang of pain in her heart.

Amara tried to shrug off what happened and followed the three young men. On their way to Luciana, nothing obstructed them. They skillfully concealed their identities from the people they encountered. They didn't recognize them due to their veiled heads and Amara's partially covered face.

They left the fortress when the sun was rising, and they reached Luciana around noon. In the backyard, the twins, Erica and Enrico, Louie's siblings, were gathering medicinal herbs from their plants. Their faces lit up with smiles as they were surprised to see them again.

"Teacher Cyrus!!!" the two children happily greeted as Cyrus, Dravis, Ranz, and Amara dismounted from their horses.

"Teacher... Cyrus?" Amara asked, looking at Cyrus.

"How are you? Have you been studying?" Cyrus waved at them.

Amara smiled as she observed how Cyrus interacted with the children. It reminded her of the school, and she dreamt that if given the chance, she would rebuild Cyrus's destroyed school.

Then, the door opened, and Shiloh and Louie appeared, having heard their arrival.

"Guys! You're back!!!" Shiloh greeted them with a broad smile, and she was genuinely happy, but Louie wasn't.

"You again? What are you doing here!?" Louie asked.

"Hello, Louie!" Cyrus greeted the young man with a cheerful smile.

Ranz placed his hands on his hips and chimed in, "What else? Of course, to convince you to come with us!"

"I already told you, we won't come along with you—" Louie was taken aback when Amara stepped forward and removed the covers from her head and face. His eyes widened as he recognized who she was. "Y-You... you're the— the princess!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Louie," Amara said, smiling warmly at him.